The Changing Place of Slaves and Slavery in the American...

The Changing Place of Slaves and Slavery in the American Nation Tomeka T. DeBruce HIS 203: American History to 1865 Prof. Corinne Barker October 15, 2012 The Changing Place of Slaves and Slavery in the American Nation In the beginning as early as 1502 the European slave traders shipped 11 to 16 million slaves to America. The English colonists had indentured servants instead of slaves. Indentured servants were servants that had a contract and only worked for a certain period of time. African American slaves were used when the English men were running out of indentured servants. The first African American slave was in 1619. They also had Irish, Scottish, English and German indentured servants. Over half the indentured slaves in the†¦show more content†¦And it shows no clear connection between social identity and votes for the Republicans or Democrats in the Northern County. By 1662, the partus sequitur ventrem principle was adopted by the southern colonies. It openly discriminated the slaves by confining them into a certain category of population. Their children were supposed to inherit the status of their mothers regardless of whom the father was. In other words, they would still be non citizens. This was prompted by the enactment of several legislations like the 1712 Slave Codes which was later adopted by nearly all the colonial states. Together with many amendments and court rulings, this migrant group was stripped of American citizenship alongside other privileges exclusively reserved for the whites. It clearly stipulated that no slave shall enjoy freedom of movement, association, sell or buy a property, be taught how to read and write, employed, demand for payment, plant corns, domesticate pets or possess any goods or weapons. If so, and caught, they would be punished by whipping, nose slitting, branding, chopping off the ear, castration or killing (Stockwell, 2012). The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued to the agencies of the United States by President Lincoln during the civil war that proclaimed that all slaves in the Confederate territories be forever free. The Emancipation Proclamation was limited in many ways. It applied only to states that had seceded from theShow MoreRelatedLincoln, Race, And The Spirit Of The 761247 Words   |  5 PagesLincoln the greatest American president would be surprised to discover that he endorsed black colonizations, did not promote civil and political equality for blacks in the free state of Illinois† (3). By having Lucas E. Morel expressing that, â€Å"endorsed black colonizations† and â€Å"not promote civil and political equality† shows two ways of how Lincoln was great, but at the same time was not. If Lincoln allowed black colonizations he would demonstrate equality for them, since the freed slaves are still notRead MoreAmerican Slavery Essay983 Words   |  4 P agesSlavery, especially in America, has been an age old topic of riveting discussions. Specialist and other researchers have been digging around for countless years looking for answers to the many questions that such an activity provided. They have looked into the economics of slavery, slave demography, slave culture, slave treatment, and slave-owner ideology (p. ix). Despite slavery being a global issue, the main focus is always on American slavery. Peter Kolchin effectively illustrates in his bookRead MoreThe Legacy Of Abraham Lincoln1728 Words   |  7 Pagesindividuals†. Slavery was a struggle that America had to overcome in the 1800s in order for America to progress. At the time, slaves were also going through hard times by getting separated from their families and going through excessive hard work on the plantations. Even though it was a struggle for the north, and the slaves, but not for the south since it was a benefit for them. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was put in to the Presidential office and would have a major impact on our nation by affectingRead MoreThe Slavery Of The United States935 Words   |  4 Pagesinstitution he knew that to oppose the issue could tear the nation completely apart. In 1820, during James Monroe’s Presidency the Missouri Compromise was approved. The Missouri Compromise essentially regulated the balance for the admittance of Slave and Free States into the Union. In Thomas Fleming’s A Disease in the Public Mind the author, states that with the Compromise’s passing that Jefferson declared that it signaled the end of the Union of the nation as they had once known it. With this idea in mindRead MoreSlavery During The American Revolution Essay1523 Words   |  7 PagesSlavery was held out until 1865, but during this time period abolitionist are trying to do anything to stop slavery. The reason being is because slavery wasn’t slavery anymore. Slavery was beginning to become more advance due t o technological innovation. The Abolitionist are people that were against slavery and would boycott anything to get rid of slavery. The argument that the Abolitionist had during this time period was its conditions as violating Christian’s principals and rights to equalityRead MoreThe United States And The Civil War1516 Words   |  7 PagesStates experienced one of its troubled moments in History. The nation was suffering from cilvil disorder, moral values, political struggles amongst a dividing nation. The â€Å"slave† states ( The South ) created the Confederation States of America, thus separating from the Northern States. Both sides were growing in opposites directions, economically and different social views. Of the industrialization and the evolving workforce, slavery and its cruel practices were the biggest concern of both partiesRead MoreThe Civil War Was A Long Term Issue1622 Words   |  7 Pagesa momentous time in American history. America was a country d ivided with two regions waging war on each other. The north and the south were split apart into the Union and the Confederacy. South Carolina was the first to secede from the Union and was followed by ten more states. The complexity as to why eleven states seceded from the Union has been a question that historians have explored for years. Explanations such as political and economic issues have been uncovered. Slavery has also been an explanationRead MoreSlavery During The 19th Century1511 Words   |  7 PagesSlavery, an issue never addressed in the 19th century, but needed to be. It was a huge, controversial subject in the past, affecting the blacks, as well as the people of the North and South due to their strong beliefs and differences in opinion. Southerners treated slaves poorly because they believed they were better than African Americans. Though, we are all equal, the majority of people did not see the world that way back then. Slavery was unfair and had a horrible effect on the slaves. AlthoughRead MoreThe Legacy Of The Antebellum Period1494 Words   |  6 PagesThe Antebellum period, meaning â€Å"pre-war† in Latin, is defined in American History as the period before the Civil War and after the War of 1812. It was marked by the rise of abolition and the steady polarization of the nation between the viewpoints of pro and anti-slavery and the people behind them. The two sides bitterly argued for their cause. Advocates of slavery included religion, economics, morals, politics, and even the Constitution to further their arguments; likewise, abolitionists used similarRead MoreSimilarities And Differences Between The North And The South During Antebellum1120 Words   |  5 Pagessignificant changes took place in terms of political, social and economic effects in America. The United States economy was changed from an underdeveloped country of frontiersmen and farmers into an industrialized economy. The South American depended on agriculture while t he Northern part had many industries. The two parts differed in terms of slavery policies in the country as the south advocated for preservation of slaves while the North championed abolition of slavery policies. In addition, during

The Importance of Term Papers on Business

The Importance of Term Papers on Business Keywords play a significant part in a research manuscript. Writing is a present that comes naturally. Now you can purchase genuine college essay online, one that is going to fit your financial plan and get your work done also. Once you receive a work done from us you will return again if you need assistance with another one of your essays. The internet writing companies provide supportive writing services like editing, proofreading, and actual writing. As a consequence, such students start looking for the best essay help to make sure that their project is going to be produced at the maximal level in accord with all academic standards. If you can discover the official site of a trustworthy manufacturer, it is easy to find relevant details about the compactors and other products they sell and order online too. When you franchise a company, you get the rights to market and market another provider's products. In some markets, it's crucial for organizations to internationalize to stay informed about their competitors' prices. Tapping in the Power Papers all-English team, the busin ess offers clients professional services at inexpensive rates. Term Papers on Business - What Is It? The sort of essay you're looking for will be offered to you within the deadline provided to you. Thus, a firm which will compose my term paper ought to be fast enough to be certain I will satisfy the deadline. My theory is the fact that it's never truly superior to use voting. Therefore, for your convenience, you have a superb chance to monitor the advancement of the assigned writer and make sure an essay will be ready in a timely method. It's always simpler to write in the format that you're comfortable with. Think about different formats or kinds of papers there are, and the various types that you've written. Cite any resource material employed in finishing the paper. Use the company context to its fullest extent if you aren't writing about global corporation. Really it's about exposing the industry approach. By keeping up with the recent trends and understanding the challenges that you will need to face, having the ability to keep the company afloat and then becoming profitable is going to be a distinct possibility. There continue to be many business that most frequently happen in the building market. Starting a new company is risky, but franchising lets you build on the success of a present company. Imagine you have decided to produce your own small business venture. If you opt to franchise a present business model, that's a way to be a business owner too. A franchise owner also doesn't need to devote as much time to set up the new business enterprise. The very first and most significant thing you can do in order to receive your academic (and general) life together is to find, get, and remain committed to a planning system which works for you. Just like you would like to earn a very good first impression on a date, you would like to earn a decent first impression with the material. At the close of the day, the men get the byline (and, obviously, the public's acknowledgment) even in case the women did the majority of the reporting. The larger The demand for a scenario, the greater its rank. Determine whether the business is going to be a service or merchandising company. Nonetheless, the internationalization procedure is very complicated and varies depending on the kind of company and location. The organization is now accepting orders. Buying a business which is already operating is the third approach to develop into a business proprietor.

A Study of Market Segmentation for Uk Frozen Food Industry free essay sample

A Study Of Market Segmentation For UK Frozen Food Industry Abstract The objectives of this study are to perform market segmentation for a SME in the frozen food sector. The study could form a basis of segmentation framework for a SME like Eden Farm, the framework once developed from academic literature would help to undertake a market segmentation in the frozen food industry with relevant segmentation criteria which would form a basis of targeting strategy for the company. In this Dissertation, the literature on Market Segmentation is reviewed and relevant criteria for segmentation in an industry are understood. The typology from the literature identifying the variables for segmentation and relevant strategic tools for analysis of the sector is used to develop a framework for segmentation in the industry. The framework is applied to carry out a detailed segmentation of the markets for frozen food, an analysis is carried out to understand the target markets and strategic tools used to identify the target markets. Along with the segmentation of the markets, an analysis of the results is carried out and recommendations are provided for strategic growth of the company. Contents Abstract 3 Acknowledgements 3 Introduction 3 Definition of the Companys Issue 3 Aims and Objectives of the Project: 3 Literature Review: 3 Review of Academic Literature for Segmentation: 3 Market Segmentation: 3 Definition of Market Segmentation: 3 Segmentation Logic: 3 The Segmenting-Targeting Framework: Segmentation Variables: 3 Segmentation Criteria: 3 Academic literature: 3 Literature Review on segmentation in the food industry: 3 Portfolio Analysis:3 Final Framework for addressing the Research Question: 3 Research Methodology 3 Research Objectives 3 Research Strategy: 3 Ethical Issues in Data collection 3 Data Collection Methods 3 Research Procedure 3 Validity of strategic tools 3 Project Report 3 Company Overview 3 Review of the issue in a business context 3 Methodology for Research 3 Data Analysis 3 Frozen Food Market Analysis 3 Analysis on Convenience Market 3 Analysis on Cash and Carry 3 Significance for Eden Farm3 Analysis on Symbol Groups 3 Symbol Groups to be targeted 3 Analysis on Forecourts 3 Contract Catering3 Exports 3 Target Customers for Eden Farm 3 Market Attractiveness Criteria for the company: 3 Business Competitiveness:3 Strategic Analysis for segment targeting: 3 DPM Matrix: 3 Recommendations: 3 Implementation Issues: 3 Critical Reflection and Conclusion: 3 Review of Work Process: 3 Reflection and critical analysis of the process: 3 Limitations of the process: 3 Conclusion and discussion of results in an Academic context: 3 Bibliography 3 List of Tables Page Table 1 Detailed Breakdown of Frozen Food Products Table 2 Recommended Customers for EF49 Table 3. a Market Attractiveness for Segments49 Table 3. b Market Attractiveness for Segments 50 Table 4 37 Business Competitiveness Scores for Various Segments 50 List of Figures Figure 2 Figure3 Figure4 Figure5 Figure6 Figure7 Figure8 Figure9 Frozen food market share by manufacturers 36 Frozen food market share by products 36 Comparison of market shares of products37 Market trends for desserts38 Convenience store sales 40 Convenience store market share 40 Sales of Eden Farm by Market Segment Sales Trends in catering 47 41 FigurelODPM MatriX49 Introduction The project report considers customer segmentation for the frozen food industry and evaluates the opportunities for targeted growth in the sector for Eden Farm, a I-JK based distributor of frozen food. The retail food industry is dynamic in nature and is very competitive for the distributors. However, growth opportunities exist in the sector when a thorough analysis is carried out and the targeted segments are evaluated. Hence, the study identifies growth strategies in the sector by using segmentation framework and relevant analysis. Definition of the Companys Issue Eden Farm is a distributor of frozen food and ice cream across I-JK with a strong base in the North East and Yorkshire. The companys prospect market is wholesale, cash and carry, symbol groups, CTNs, forecourts, independent supermarkets. At the moment, the company is trying to increase its market presence in various sub sectors of the market. The frozen food retail is represented by many sub sectors and is composed of many market players. The business on the whole is variable across ectors and the levels of risk and opportunities for each sub sector and product is variable in nature. The retail food industry is highly dynamic in nature and over the years, competition has increased and customer turnover has increased thereby reducing profit margins. The key to success in the sector is to understand the market structure well and selectively target the growth opportunities for profit by understanding the key criteria for growth and developing a framework for segmentation based on the companys strengths. The company has to evaluate the market segmentation process and understand the customer needs to form a strategy riven approach for profitable growth. There exist barriers for segmentation as firms lack an understanding of relevant literature for segmentation, the understanding of segmentation criteria, insufficient data and lack of understanding of criteria guided segmentation as a strategic tool. The same issues exists with the organisation, hence the project aims at bridging the gap between the real industry and academic framework for execution of segmentation. Knowledge of competitors and market is not sufficient to form basis of strategy. The company needs precise criteria and parameters for segmentation to arrive at a trategy. Apparently, the company has an issue about creating a framework that helps selective targeting customers and which incorporates key parameters like risk firms overall issues, the report aims to conduct in depth analysis and research into the frozen food market in the UK and perform criteria guided segmentation for the market which could be used as a basis of recommendation for the company. The centre of the research would be a focus on markets, growth opportunities, and financial criteria for the segmentation implementation, new market opportunities and thorough review of relevant literature. Aims and Objectives of the Project: Based on the discussions about the companys issues, the overall aim of the project is to analyse the I-JK Frozen food market by undertaking customer segmentation of the market covering Wholesale, Cash Carry, Symbol groups, Forecourts, CTN, Independent supermarkets to understand the structure of the market and to explore growth strategies within the frozen food market. The objectives of the business project can be subdivided as follows: . Understand market segmentation approach and relevant academic literature to adequately select criteria for segmentation, the elevant framework adopted by academia and its relevance in the industry, analyse the barriers for implementation of the framework and possible ways to overcome the barriers. . Get an overall understanding of the I-JK frozen food market, its growth, market structure.. To understand the various products within the frozen food segment and analyse the growth trends in various products.. Undertake customer segmentation for wholesale, Cash Carry, Symbol Groups, CTN, Independent supermarkets.. Select criteria for segmentation of the companies and the market to filter the target for growth opportunities.. Create a list of targets segments and products for the company based on analysis.. Identify companys current position, its strengths and weakness within different segments and provide guidance for business growth.. Give recommendations with a prioritized list of targets and strategies for growth. The business project is organized into three main sections. In the first section, we undertake literature review on market segmentation and the relevant criteria for segmentation, understanding this, we try to propose a framework for implementation of segmentation for the frozen food industry. In viewing the literature, we generate a esearch question and recommend a suitable methodology for the research. This is followed by a section wherein we understand the market, carry out segmentation based on various criteria, undertake analysis on the prospective growth opportunities, analyse the companys strategic objectives, market gaps, and current market position to arrive at a set of recommendations for the company. The final section draws conclusion for the dissertation and critically reflects the analysis and findings. A critical discussion covering the entire research, the possible barriers to research and future developments is done in the section. The Academic literature for the research could be segregated into four main categories, the literature is divided into four main parts for purpose of relevance and clarity on the literature review and have a greater understanding on the segmentation process and its relevance to the industry. The literature could be categorised as follows: 1 . Articles defining segmentation and explaining the logic of segmentation and the importance to the industry. 2. Articles that review the segmentation- targeting framework, understand various segmentation variables and help in understanding the segmentation parameters to understand any industry. Articles that review the segmentation criteria to help and understand the targeting criteria for the industry and understand various segmentation attractiveness criteria for the industry. 4. Articles that review strategic tools for portfolio analysis to have a basis for effective targeting strategy. Market Segmentation: The first set of literature review c onsists of articles covering the definition of market segmentation, the benefits of market segmentation to the industry and the logic or rationale behind conducting market segmentation. Main research and literature review related to this section is conducted by Green et. l (1988); Jobber (1998); Dibb (1998); Ferrell et. al, (2002); Brassington and Pettitt (2000);McDonald and Dunbar (2004); Lancaster and Reynolds (2005); Kotler and Keller (2006). Definition of Market Segmentation: The identification of individuals or organisations with similar characteristics that have significant implications for the determination of marketing strategy Cobber, 1998,p. 171). Segmentation involves consideration of consumer preferences and buying behaviour which needs to be analysed strategically and cannot be served by mass selling and branding approach Segmentation is an important and strategic tool or an organisation in identifying potential market gaps and helps to direct strategies at selected market segments (Dibb,1998). McDonalds defines market segmentation as Market segmentation is the process of splitting customers, or potential customers, in a market into different groups or segments (McDonald and Dunbar, 2004, pp. 34). A similar definition is given by Green et. l (1988) which says that Market segmentation is the act of dividing a market into distinct group of buyers who might require separate products and/or marketing programs directed towards them (Green et. al, 1988, pp. 672). Another definition by Lancaster and Reynolds (2005) defines market segmentation as The process of breaking down the total market for a product or service into distinct s ub-groups or segments, where each segment may conceivably represent a distinct target market to be targeted with a distinctive marketing mix (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005, pp. 4). Most of the definitions of segmentation converge into similar concept of breaking down a market as per various parameters and segments to achieve a target strategy for the market. However, looking into the definition of segmentation, we now look into the rationale ehind conducting market segmentation as given by academics and practitioners, literature and sources. Segmentation Logic: Given the complexities of the current businesses, targeting the entire market at once without segmentation would involve loads of risks and higher costs. Markets are not uniform across the businesses; effective segmentation would mean lower operation costs and higher market coverage (Ferrell et. al, 2002). A similar view is echoed by Brassington and Pettitt (2000) wherein the authors use the concept of an orange to explain the logic of segmentation. The orange as an analogy to explain segmentation xplains that an orange when peeled is very convenient to eat rather than having a whole orange without peeling. In a strategic sense, the authors essentially mean that segmentation of market would enhance profitability, growth thereby reducing risks and efforts (Brassington and Pettitt, 2000). Jobber (1998) further strengthens the logical argument by saying that The objective is to identify groups of customers with similar requirements so that they can be served effectively while being of a sufficient size for the product or service to be supplied effectively Cobber, 1998, pp. 71). Market segmentation is a business sensible method of serving customers as per the group and the set criteria laid for segmentation. Kotler and Keller further strengthen the segmentation logic by describing segmentation approach as a Rifle approach wherein efforts are focussed and aimed at a particular segment of customers for higher efficient and success. (Kotler and Keller, 2006). Lancaster and Reynolds (2005) give similar views on segmentation logic, the authors correlate segmentation with improved competitiveness in the complex markets and point that segmentation pproach comes out from increased competition in the markets, varied demand patterns, and complex operations of organisations. Detailed Segmentation of target markets would strengthen the targeting strategies (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005). A step further, McDonald and Dunbar (2005) in their extensive work on market segmentation link segmentation process to corporate function. The success of an organisation is strongly linked to proper market definition, market segmentation and selective targeting of customers. Segmentation of markets would lead to definite identification of customers which are central to an organisations success. McDonalds ork and ideas on segmentation strongly identify with the ideas of other prominent marketers and academics, all the definition and ideas point to perhaps common understanding of the logic of segmentation, the summary of the benefits of segmentation to an organisation is as follows: 1 . Segmentation enables targeted marketing, thereby the gaps in the market are analysed and opportunities for growth are understood. Hence, the market with the highest potential is identified which would help the company to focus on marketing efforts (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005). 2. Segmentation aids Niche marketing strategy wherein the organization can chieve segment domination and market control over a definite market. Segmentation enables an organization to gain competitive advantage by enabling it to understand the market in a better way and focus on segments wherein the strength of the organization is greater (McDonald and Dunbar, 2005). . Segmentation of market makes the organization more cost effective, focused, and The process of market segmentation and targeting involves a thorough understanding of consumer characteristics with respect to consumption pattern, demographics, geography, socio economic variables and other variables. Once, the haracteristics are understood, customers are clustered into segments based on similar characteristics. The target market is then Judged based on various segment attrac tiveness criteria Cobber, 1998). The segmentation process has been described by various academics and practioners as a three step process, wherein the steps are essentially segmenting-targeting-positioning (STP) (Dibb, 1999; Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005; Kotler and Keller ,2006; Patrick De Pelsmacker et al, 2007;). In reviewing the literature on segmentation and targeting, we arrive at the following logical sequence of segmentation: 1 . Segmenting: The stage of identification of relevant segments using segmentation variables and clustering the variables into relevant segments. . Targeting: The stage involves appraising market segments based on factors like growth rate, future growth, extent of competition, overall market size, customer preferences, etc. The targeting should be based on segmentation criteria available in the literature. Segmentation Variables: Segmentation variables are able to split the market into smaller sub sections wherein common characteristics of the sub groups are taken into account (Dibb et al, 1997). There are a number of segmentation variables suggested by various academics and practitioners; a detailed review of the variables is given in this section. The section consists of articles contributed by Lancaster and Reynolds, (2005), Dibb et al, (1997), Randall, (1993), Kotler and Keller, (2006), Jobber, (1998), Richard Wilson et al, (1996), Mitchell S (1995), Patrick De Pelsmacker et al, (2007). Demographic Segmentation: The segmentation includes a variety of bases like age, sex, family life cycle, occupation, education (Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005). An interesting aspect of family life cycle egmentation is the idea of consumer life cycle and phases wherein purchase patterns are considered before segmentation, thereby giving varied details of product consumption and buyer habits (Dibb et al, 1994). The demographic segmentation can be much more complicated by the addition of variables like family size, social class, education and thereby linking all the variables together to identify market patterns (Randell, 1993). Demographic segmentation is efficient and gives insights into the market and is highly preferred means of segmentation (Kotler and Keller, 2006). Similar views are given by Lancaster and Reynolds (2005). Geographic Segmentation: This form of segmentation acknowledges geographic location variations in consumption patterns Cobber, 1998). Geographic segmentation could be achieved by regional breakdown of patterns which could incorporate factors like urban locations, climatic conditions, country wide distribution. Mintel has done several segmentation based on geographic variables like location, in the frozen food segment, Mintel has performed geographic segmentation of various distributors, consumption patterns. Socio Economic Segmentation: Segmentation has also been (Richard Wilson et al, 1996). Geo demographic Segmentation: This approach has been idely used by academics as well as industries. Various geographical and demographic variables are combined to reach at the segmentation stage. Geo demographic segmentation has been acknowledged and proposed by academics in their literature. Some of the references to geo demographic segmentation is in the literature proposed by Jobber (1998), Kotler and Keller (2006), Dibb et al (1994). Mitchell S (1995) describes the process of segmentation as a clustering approach wherein clusters of people and markets are segmented together as to incorporate common variables like product preferences, background, location, etc. Behavioural Segmentation: The behavioural segmentation approach incorporates variables like usage rate, user status, benefits expected, occasional buying, customer loyalty. The segmentation approach takes into account the consumer behaviour and preferences, perception towards a brand. Hence analysis of the buying behaviour would be able to segment the market as per consumer choices and preferences (Patrick De Pelsmacker et al, 2007). Similar views are expressed by Kotler and Keller (2006), Cannon (1992) wherein the authors propose the segmentation approach for a varied range of markets and segments. Segmentation Criteria: In the academic context, there has to be definite criteria for segment to be attractive. The overall attractiveness criteria for a segment to be attractive are Measurability, substantiable, accessibility, differentiable, actionable (Kotler and Keller, 2006). The size and characteristics of a segment form the basis of measurement criteria for the segment. In addition, for segments to be useful, the segments should be substantial enough to be profitable and logical to serve. The criteria should be a basis of action for the segmentation to be attractive (Patrick De Pelsmacker, 2007). Reasonably imilar views are expressed by Richard Wilson et al (1996) wherein the authors state that measurability and substantiable are key criteria for segmentation to be useful. In addition, the authors also state that the condition of stability should be met in order to forecast future growth in advance with sufficient accuracy (Richard Wilson et al, 1996). The conditions for targeting strategies mentioned in the review above are very broad to reach any logical criteria for attractiveness to appraise market segments. A further review of academic literature is essential to arrive at the attractiveness of segmentation criteria. To arrive at definite criteria for the frozen food industry, we would review literature based on the following sources of information: 1. Academic Literature 2. Industry Literature Academic literature: Academic literature lays emphasis on market attractiveness and company competitiveness as a basis for targeting criteria Oobber,1998; Richard Wilson et al, 1996; Patrick De Pelsmacker et al 2007; Lancaster and Reynolds, 2005; Bonomo and Shapiro, 1984; McDonald and Dunbar, 2004; Doyle, 2000). Various academics put a close review of the criteria. Jobber (1998) emphasis on market factors to assess arket attractiveness. Some of the market factors are Segment Size, Segment growth rates, Price sensitivity, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, barriers for market entry, barriers for exit, threat of new entrants, nature of competition, social trends, political issues competitive differentiation00bber, 1998, pp. 188-189). These factors play a strong role in assessing overall market attractiveness of any segment. An analysis of the above factors would put the research in a strong position to understand the nature of market attractiveness criteria for various segments and the organisation. Further to this, Jobber (1998) also stresses the importance of a firms capability, wherein the author mentions Against the market attractiveness factors must be placed on the firms capability to serve the market segment Cobber, 1998, pp. 189). Firms capability could be assessed using our own analysis of a firms cost advantages, capabilities, other tangible factors. Richard Wilson et. al (1996) review market attractiveness criteria based on factors like the size of the segment, growth potential, profitability to be viewed against the backdrop of a firms individual capabilities. Patrick De Pelsmacker et al (2007) lays strong importance to attractiveness criteria in his work. The author proposes a methodology for selection of attractive target group, the methodology could be summarised in his own words as To evaluate segments companies have to look at four elements: size and growth of segments, structural attractiveness of a segment, objectives and budget of a company, and stability of market segments (Patrick De Pelsmacker et al, 2007, pp. 133). The author lays stress on financial turnover, profit potential and growth prospects of segments as important conditions for appraisal of market attractiveness. Further to it, the academic lays stress on the fact that structural attractiveness could be evaluated using Porters five forces framework. Lancaster and Reynolds (2005) propose a framework to appraise each segment based on factors like sales growth and profit potential, segment size, nature of competition. The decision to target any segment should be matched against in house company resources and company objectives. The framework is similar to the one described by Jobber (1998), Richard Wilson et al (1996) and Patrick De Pelsmacker et al (2007). A slight variation exists in a ramework proposed by Bonomo and Shapiro (1984), the researchers view market attractiveness as a function of segment profits wherein the profit generated by segments forms a key criteria for Judging overall segment attractiveness, but the profits generated on each segment are analysed in depth by the framework which aims to calculate returns on total investments, overall segment margin and contribution by each segment. The profitability analysis is then linked to organisational objectives and capabilities. However, most of the parameters specified by researchers are incorporated into frameworks developed in the 1990s by other cademics. An extension of the earlier frameworks, the market attractiveness criteria developed by Abratt (1993) includes factors like overall market size, growth potential, and nature of competition which are to be mapped against organisational capabilities like resource strengths and strategic intent of the organisation. Further to the segmentation criteria, A framework put forth by Doyle (2000) gives segmentation criteria to assess market attractiveness wherein overall market size, organisational capabilities. The framework proposed by Hooley and Saunders (1993) ivides the factors for market attractiveness criteria into Market factors, Competitive factors, Economical factors and Environmental factors. The market factors and economic factors are similar to those proposed by Jobbers (1998), MacDonald and Dunbar (2004) which are viewed in the next part of the literature review. However, the research puts socio-economic factors as environmental factors, but the factors are similar to other research. A concrete piece of segmentation attractiveness criteria is proposed by McDonald and Dunbar (2004), wherein the academics put forward a definite number of factors o be used to assess market attractiveness. The factors are distributed into segment factors, financial factors, technological factors, socio-political factors and competition factors. The list of factors could be summarised as follows: . Segment factors: Size, growth rate, price sensitivity, cyclicality, season ability, bargaining power of suppliers.. Financial factors: Contribution margin, barriers to entry and exit, economics of scale, capacity utilization.. Technological factors: Complexities, patents, technological usage.. Socio-political factors: Social trends, human behavioural factors, legal frameworks.. Competition Factors: Nature of competition, threat to entry and exits, threat of substitution. Source: McDonald and Dunbar (2004) Analyzing the literature for segmentation criteria, it could be observed that very similar frameworks are proposed by Hooley and Saunders (1993), Jobber (1998) followed by MacDonald and Dunbar (2004). The market segmentation criteria proposed by most of the academics are similar in nature, in essence the academics try to evaluate the market attractiveness of the segments and Judge it against organisational capabilities. The literature review carried out so far suggests that most f the academics tend to converge on similar views and factors for segmentation. The next section tries to review the segmentation process carried out in the food industry. Literature Review on segmentation in the food industry: Market segmentation in the frozen food industry has not been carried out by any researcher so far, however, a few literature points to segmentation in the food industry. Consumer demographics and behaviour formed as a basis for segmentation to help marketing and promoting eggs (Funk and Phillips, 1990). A review of literature on food segmentation carried out by Asp (1992) highlights emographic segmentation approach for segmentation of food products developed by Pillsbury company. However, very limited research into food segmentation has been done so far, specially for the frozen food industry. The limited literature available for the food industry nevertheless points to the fact that geo demographic segmentation is considerably used for segmentation in the food industry.

Quality Health Care in Brazil

Introduction Brazil is one of the biggest countries in South America. It had to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that was started by the United Nations in 1948. The United Nations declaration entitled every human being to living in conditions that enabled them to acquire good health.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Quality Health Care in Brazil specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More There were three conditions necessary for one to have good health namely: food, shelter, clothing and access to medical care. Brazil has tried to live up to the standards during the United Nations declaration and is termed as the second best in terms of the number of hospitals, after the United States of America, which has the highest number of hospitals globally. These health facilities are considered the best in Latin America. Background The pursuit of equity in health care and universal entitlement to access of se rvices such as health care reform concerns, were addressed at a Brazilian national health conference in 1986. A new constitution addressing this issue was drafted in 1988. Subsequent legislative and administrative actions also addressed the issue of health care in Brazil. However, in the early 1990s, economic policies affected the federal government’s ability to fund the necessary services. In 1994, the Ministry of Health introduced a formal quality improvement. The main purpose was to disseminate a culture of quality improvement among health care providers, payers, and users of health services. The minister of health then established a national commission on quality improvement. This commission played an important role in making quality improvement activities an important activity which is a national accreditation. This move led to improvement in the quality of the health services offered by the government of Brazil. Brazilian government’s view on health matters Accor ding to Harmeling (1999), the Brazilian government viewed childhood mortality as one of the most serious health problems affecting the country. The health of children is a concern for countries in the developing world. Policies have been put in place in order to help improve the health care of children.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Some measures have been taken to improve on the health of children in these countries. The measures have been relatively effective when evaluated over the past thirty years but there is still a lot that needs to be done. Motherhood mortality was identified as another health problem that needed to be addressed urgently. It was estimated that the rate of motherhood mortality there was about 73.1 % death per 100,000 born children in 2002. This was a high percentage of women dying in this manner whereas it was possible to prevent such deaths. This is the reason why the government of Brazil was concerned and decided to address the issue without further delay. Mortality by non-transmissible illness was also a problem. The government identified cancer and heart diseases as the major cause of deaths. Cancer affected more people than the heart diseases. Mortality caused by external causes like transportation violence and suicide was a serious problem. The death toll was also high because o such factors especially in the southeast region. Brazil Public Health Care Service Family health program was considered one of the key areas that was targeted for improvement. This program was introduced by municipal health secretariats in collaboration with the state and the Ministry of Public Health. Brazil offers free medical services to all Brazilians. This service can be obtained from the public national heath system. Private providers are assisted by the government to provide quality health care which is not so expensive. The service is also provided from the private sector via private insurance or employers. The patients do not pay for any of the services they get. These expenses are paid by government from general taxation.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Quality Health Care in Brazil specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Brazil has also deployed doctors in the areas of residence. This means that wherever someone is, they can access health services easily. Brazilian national health care provides services for those who cannot afford to pay in private health centers. Brazil can therefore be classified as one of the best places to find quality health care and at a cheaper rate. Hence, in Brazil, health care is free by law. Everyone has a right to treatment, from organ transplant to sex-exchange operations and any other kind of health condition requiring specialized treatment. Brazil Private Health Care System The private sector is way ah ead of the government sectors in terms of the quality of services provided. Alvarez (1998) states that, the private health sector of Brazil have done well so far in the provision of health care to its citizens. However, its success rate stands at only 25% because the remaining 75% should be enacted by other stakeholders, the main being the government. The stakeholders responsible for the remaining 75% have failed on their part. This is because in private systems there are shorter waits and better care. Public health care can be accessed by every citizen who needs it. Health Reforms in Brazil Brazil has made significant improvement in health department, especially in maternal and child health. The emergency care unit has also improved. The burden of infectious disease has reduced drastically. Brazil can celebrate a reduction in mortality from chronic disease. The use of technology in health department has led to positive reforms in that sector. Technology has ensured security and pri vacy of the stored health information. To ensure this, the health professionals were provided with health cards. This card was required to be swiped at the electronic terminal before implementing any change to the system. The registration of the health professional was supposed to be completed at the server level. Unique password was provided for each professional who was registered.Advertising Looking for research paper on health medicine? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The government seeks to pass a legislation which will help it share some of the responsibilities it shoulders with other stakeholders such as the municipal council. Challenges Facing the Health Sector World Health Organization (2000) states that there are some failures in the health sector which need to be addressed. One of the failures is Dengue fever which is a new public health problem. Over three million incidents of the disease were reported in the last decade, with 12,000 leading to the more serious Dengue hemorrhagic fever. 900 deaths have also been reported. Rates of the most serious reforms of Dengue are six times what they were in the 1990s. No vaccine has been discovered so far. Visceral leshmaniasis control is also poor. The current effort being done now is focusing on control of the vectors and removing domestic animals that can act as reservoirs. The only available treatment is toxic and while accessible and suitable in urban areas with medical support. The toxicity ma kes treatment in remote rural areas inappropriate (WHO, 2000). Another challenge facing the health sector is constitution injunction. Around 60% of all spending health care in Brazil is private. This share is higher than in most other Latin American countries. It is higher than even other places in the United States. Private provision has a cover meant for the minority (young) and those regarded as being rich. This is invoking fear among the Brazilians people. Pollster notes the effect of health care on the economy where improvement has been noted on health care displacing the economy since 2007. The public health system gets poor value for the money it spends on the drugs. Too much money goes on complying with rights granted to patients who use the constitution lofty promises to demand expensive treatment, not automatically covered by the system. Too much of the budget goes to the hospital rather than the family program (Latin America and Caribbean Health Sector Reform Initiative, 2000). Health Supplies in Brazil Brazil is ranked among the largest drug user market. Statistics has it that the consumption of drugs in Brazil is nearly 3.5% of the world market. Several methods have been used to promote the use of generic products so that people can get the drugs they need easily. This is because the generic products are cheaper than other products. Human resources in Brazil In 1999, the Brazilian government had increased the number of physicians, nurses, dentists, dieticians and veterinarians rapidly. It was estimated that 14 physicians served ten thousand people. People doing technical also occupy a portion of the health sector. Benefits of Universal Health Care in Brazil The poor Brazilians who cannot afford the medical are the ones who benefit most from the universal health care in Brazil. The physicians also benefit from the universal health, in that they are given incentives. They are also paid three times more to work in the poorest parts of Brazil. Drawbac ks of Universal Health Care in Brazil Most hospitals in Brazil are considered substandard as it is assumed that there are limited facilities due to the large number of patients visiting them. This mostly affects the public system hospitals. There are also long waits for procedures because of the many patients visiting the hospital. This leads to the building up of long queues in public health care centers. The ratio of doctors’ to patient in urban areas per 1000 is 3.28. This shows that in urban areas, medical attention is limited. Medics who work in remote areas are paid more money than their counterparts in the urban areas. This could be a reason why many prefer to work in the rural areas. Consequences of the Universal Health Care in Brazil Universal health care in Brazil has led to a decrease in infant mortality as every child has access to medical attention whenever the need for such services arises. Life expectancy has gone up due to the introduction of universal health care as everyone has a right to treatment. According to National School of Public Health (1998), there was an improvement in life expectancy rate among Brazilians. Conclusion Brazil’s health care is provided by both private and government institutions. Medical care is available to anyone who is a citizen of Brazil or is in Brazil legally. This includes foreigners who have the permit to be in Brazil. The laws of the land grant every citizen a right to health care in Brazil. In summary, Brazil can be termed as a country that has tried in ensuring that there is provision of quality health care for its citizens. Reference List Alvarez, I. (1998). 21st Century Challenges Facing the Brazilian Health Sector. San Diego: University of California. Harmeling, S. (1999). Health Reform in Brazil: Reproductive  Health and Health Sector Reform. Washington, DC: World Bank Institute. Latin America and Caribbean Health Sector Reform Initiative. (2000). Baseline for Monitoring and Evaluation of Health Sector. Reforms in Latin America and the Caribbean, 10. National School of Public Health. (1998). Health Care Around the World: Brazil. Rio de Janeiro: Oswaldo Cruz Foundation. World Health Organization. (2000). How is the public interest protected? Governments as stewards of health resources. The World Health Report, 14. This research paper on Quality Health Care in Brazil was written and submitted by user Santiago Stein to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Urbanism and child mental health journal review essays

Urbanism and child mental health journal review essays How much of an effect does your environment have on your mental health? Plenty. Does it mean you're doomed if your environment is supposedly negative? Not necessarily. What can we attribute the high rate of social and psychological problems in cities to? And, are urban areas predestined to be a hub for high social and psychological problems. The latter two are questions David Quinton is attempting to answer in the annotation titled " Urbanism and Child Mental Health ". In this commentary, Quinton reviews other researchers' data and attempts to explain the phenomena. The research primarily includes subjects from London's boroughs, as well as, urban areas from Oslo, Beijing and Kampala. Quinton notes a similar review by Freeman (1984) is in circulation, but it failed to consider the process of city rise and decay, the qualities of urban life and the impacts of the physical environment. Quinton begins by commenting that there are few studies of early childhood disorders that compare children in urban and rural areas within the same culture using the same assessment measures. Instead, studies rely on ecological correlations in bureaucratically limited areas. This data produced an unsurprising casual connection between indicators such as housing features and deviance. However, the ecological fallacy - the inclination to draw conclusions from unrelated indicators - presents problems. Therefore, data related to area differences is deemed tainted because of certain influences. He reviewed Lavik's 1977 study of disorder rates in Oslo with a rural sample, and surprise, behavior problems were more common in the city. Basically, Quinton found the urban areas to have higher instances of negative actions in all the studies he reviewed. He reviewed studies based on the following sub-topics: Intra-urban differences, migration, features of the area, housing charact eristics, urban environment, urban malaise and social isolati...

Fresh Meat and Fish in the Middle Ages

Fresh Meat and Fish in the Middle Ages Depending on their status in society and where they lived, medieval people had a variety of meats to enjoy. But thanks to Fridays, Lent, and various days deemed meatless by the Catholic Church, even the wealthiest and most powerful people did not eat meat or poultry every day. Fresh fish was fairly common, not only in coastal regions, but inland, where rivers and streams were still teeming with fish in the Middle Ages, and where most castles and manors included well-stocked fish ponds. Those who could afford spices used them liberally to enhance the flavor of meat and fish. Those who could not afford spices used other flavorings like garlic, onion, vinegar and a variety of herbs grown throughout Europe. The use of spices and their importance has contributed to the misconception that it was common to use them to disguise the taste of rotten meat. However, this was an uncommon practice perpetrated by underhanded butchers and vendors who, if caught, would pay for their crime. Meat in Castles and Manor Homes A large portion of the foodstuffs served to the residents of castles and manor homes came from the land on which they lived. This included wild game from nearby forests and fields, meat and poultry from the livestock they raised in their pastureland and barnyards, and fish from stock ponds as well as from the rivers, streams and seas. Food was used swiftly usually within a few days, and sometimes on the same day and if there were leftovers, they were gathered up as alms for the poor and distributed daily. Occasionally, meat procured ahead of time for large feasts for the nobility would have to last a week or so before being eaten. Such meat was usually large wild game like deer or boar. Domesticated animals could be kept on the hoof until the feast day drew near, and smaller animals could be trapped and kept alive, but big game had to be hunted and butchered as the opportunity arose, sometimes from lands several days travel away from the big event. There was often concern from those overseeing such victuals that the meat might go off before it came time to serve it, and so measures were usually taken to salt the meat to prevent rapid deterioration. Instructions for removing outer layers of meat that had gone bad and making wholesome use of the remainder have come down to us in extant cooking manuals. Be it the most sumptuous of feasts or the more modest daily meal, it was the lord of the castle or manor, or the highest-ranking resident, his family, and his honored guests who would receive the most elaborate dishes and, consequently, the finest portions of meat. The lower the status of the other diners, the further away from the head of the table, and the less impressive their food. This could mean that those of low rank did not partake of the rarest type of meat, or the best cuts of meats, or the most fancily-prepared meats; but they ate meat nonetheless. Meat for Peasants and Village-Dwellers Peasants rarely had much fresh meat of any kind. It was illegal to hunt in the lords forest without permission, so, in most cases, if they had game it would have been poached, and they had every reason to cook it and dispose of the remains the very same day it was killed. Some domestic animals such as cows and sheep were too large for everyday fare and were reserved for the feasts of special occasions like weddings, baptisms, and harvest celebrations. Chickens were ubiquitous, and most peasant families (and some city families) had them; but people would enjoy their meat only after their egg-laying days (or hen-chasing days) were over. Pigs were very popular, and could forage just about anywhere, and most peasant families had them. Still, they werent numerous enough to slaughter every week, so the most was made of their meat by turning it into long-lasting ham and bacon. Pork, which was popular in all levels of society, would be an unusual meal for peasants. Fish could be had from the sea, rivers and streams, if there were any nearby, but, as with hunting the forests, the lord could claim the right to fish a body of water on his lands as part of his demesne. Fresh fish was not often on the menu for the average peasant. A peasant family would usually subsist on pottage and porridge, made from grain, beans, root vegetables and pretty much anything else they could find that might taste good and provide sustenance, sometimes enhanced with a little bacon or ham. Meat in Religious Houses Most rules followed by monastic orders limited the consumption of meat or forbade it altogether, but there were exceptions. Sick monks or nuns were allowed meat to aid their recovery. The elderly were allowed meat the younger members were not, or were given greater rations. The abbot or abbess would serve meats to guests and partake, as well. Often, the entire monastery or convent would enjoy meat on feast days. And some houses allowed meat every day but Wednesday and Friday. Of course, fish was an entirely different matter, being the common substitute for meat on meatless days. How fresh the fish would be depended on whether or not the monastery had access to, and fishing rights in, any streams, rivers or lakes. Because monasteries or convents were mostly self-sufficient, the meat available to the brothers and sisters was usually pretty much the same as that served in a manor or castle, although the more common foodstuffs like chicken, beef, pork and mutton would be more likely than swan, peacock, venison or wild boar. Continued on Page Two: Meat in Towns and Cities Meat in Towns and Cities In towns and small cities, many families had enough land to support a little livestock usually a pig or some chickens, and sometimes a cow. The more crowded the city was, however, the less land there was for even the most modest forms of agriculture, and the more foodstuffs had to be imported. Fresh fish would be readily available in coastal regions and in towns by rivers and streams, but inland towns could not always enjoy fresh seafood and might have to settle for preserved fish. City dwellers usually purchased their meat from a butcher, often from a stall in a marketplace but sometimes in a well-established shop. If a housewife bought a rabbit or duck to roast or use in a stew, it was for that mid-day dinner or that evenings meal; if a cook procured beef or mutton for his cookshop or street vending business, his product wouldnt be expected to keep for more than a day. Butchers were wise to offer the freshest meats possible for the simple reason that theyd go out of business if they didnt. Vendors of pre-cooked fast food, which a large portion of city dwellers would frequent due to their lack of private kitchens, were also wise to use fresh meat, because if any of their customers got sick it wouldnt take long for word to spread. This is not to say there werent cases of shady butchers attempting to pass off older meat as fresh or underhanded vendors selling reheated pasties with older meat. Both occupations developed a reputation for dishonesty that has characterized modern views of medieval life for centuries. However, the worst problems were in crowded cities such as London and Paris, where crooks could more easily avoid detection or apprehension, and where corruption among city officials (not inherent, but more common than in smaller towns) made their escapes easier. In most medieval towns and cities, the selling of bad food was neither common nor acceptable. Butchers who sold (or tried to sell) old meat would face severe penalties, including fines and time in the pillory, if their deception was discovered. A fairly substantial number of laws were enacted concerning guidelines for proper management of meat, and in at least one case the butchers themselves drew up regulations of their own. Available Meat, Fish and Poultry Though pork and beef, chicken and goose, and cod and herring were among the most common and abundant types of meat, fowl and fish eaten in the Middle Ages, they were only a fraction of what was available. To find out the variety of meats medieval cooks had in their kitchens, visit these resources: Types of MeatTypes of FowlTypes of FishMedieval Food Preservation

Effects of Alcohol on the Body Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Effects of Alcohol on the Body - Essay Example ut the adverse effects of alcohol, my desire to speak to you about your alcohol consumption has risen, especially so that I am very much aware of your symptoms. I have learned that alcohol is an irritant which explains the burning sensation as it goes down (Kinney, 2011). However, that is not the only thing that happens as you consume more and more alcohol. Imagine what happens to your skin if you scratch it a number of times. It gets irritated and turns red. If you continue scratching it, it could either inflame or bleed. Similarly, alcohol destroys the lining of the stomach and small intestines, making patients suffer stomach pains which I know you have been complaining about for months now. However, what makes me more concerned is not only your symptom but also my suspicion that what you are suffering from is not simply inflammation but perhaps an open sore in your stomach’s lining. I strongly suggest that you see your doctor very soon before your condition gets

Explain how motion is possible in light of Zeno's paradoxes against Research Paper

Explain how motion is possible in light of Zeno's paradoxes against them. (This is much harder than most people realize. Math - Research Paper Example The race set in a traditionally plural world provokes a reader to draw the conclusion of the race according to the rule of the singular reality ultimately to be confounded with the result that is contradictory to his expected traditional result. Indeed Achilles can move both in a singular and a plural world, but the motion in a singular world is not perceivable since such world does not have any object of references (Whitehead 45). Definitions of Singular and Plural Universe Before defining the proposed singular and plural world thesis, it is necessary to have a clear idea of Zeno’s paradoxes of plurality. In Zeno’s word, â€Å"the universe is singular, eternal, and unchanging. The all is one.† (Brown 34) But this singular universe has a lot to do with his paradoxes of motion. In this singular universe, if Achilles takes a step toward any direction from any from where is, he will find himself where he was. This statement essentially seems to fabulous, since it is quite contradictory to real life experience. But a deeper understanding makes sense. Indeed Zeno’s singular universe is such that it consists of the only One, not of two. As a result, it is as it is. Since it consists of one, it does not provide a viewer with any chance to compare it with other. Therefore it lacks diversity. Because of its lack of diversity and presence of the others, it does not have any objects of references by which distance can be measured and any event cannot take place in it. Again because of the lacks of distance and event, space and time collapse in such a world. In it .00000000001 meter is equal to infinity; but more accurately, the previous statement is simply meaningless. In such universe whether Achilles moves one hundred miles or so back or forth, he will be where he is now. Wherever Achilles goes at what distance, he will remain at the center since such singular universe evolves out of his singular existence. Indeed, there are no â€Å"earlyâ €  and â€Å"later†. Simply there exists the â€Å"now† since there is no other event in term of which the ‘early’ can assigned a meaning. In Zeno’s singular world, one is both existent and non-existent. One is existent is the sense that it perceives itself in a self-submerged merged way and again it is nonexistent in the sense that there is no other that can prove its existence. (Grunbaum 172-83) Indeed this singular universe is one and at the same time it is many, since such one contains infinite number of ones upon its division for infinite times. Therefore one is both finite and infinite, as Zeno says, â€Å"If there are many, they must be as many as they are and neither more nor less than that. But if they are as many as they are, they would be limited. If there are many, things that are are unlimited.† (Simplicius On Aristotle's Physics, 140.29) Indeed in Zeno’s universe, one is the one. Therefore it does not have the possibil ity to join with other to produce the bigger one. The only thing that the one can do is to divide itself and upon the division, the plurality begins. Since plurality begins, relativity can grow giving birth to the sense of distance and events. As a result time starts from here. But the simplest plural world is composed of three ones, since if the simplest plural world is composed of two, they will be mirror images for each others. For example, if

Web 2. 0 technologies Essay Example for Free

Web 2. 0 technologies Essay The next portion of the interview focuses on the perception of students of being aware of this aspect. According to the results of the survey, 24 out of 6 educators are aware of students doing this. In addition to what was mentioned above, 20 out of 30 educators believe that this should be encouraged and 10 educators believe that this kind of technology should be separated from educational learning tools and should be solely for non-academic purposes. For the 20 that had expressed interest in encouraging Web 2. 0 applications into education, ten out of the 20 believe that it should be mandatory to all aspects of education and should be inserted into the academic curriculum. Five (5) believe that the utilization of Web 2. 0 technologies should be naturally included into the curriculum meaning that these tools should neither be constricted nor be pushed into utilization, rather it should be left to be incorporated into the curriculum all by itself. The last 5 indicated a variety of methods in order to encourage the use of Web 2. 0 technologies. When asked with the question on whether or not academic content should be delivered using Web 2. 0 technologies, 23 or 77% of the total number of respondents indicated that Web 2. 0 technologies would be a useful tool in delivering academic content from educators towards students. On the other hand, 13% (7 respondents) believed that it would be better to utilize the older, more accustomed, tools for information dissemination in order to project the desired image to the students and the stakeholders of the business venture. When asked if there is an existing overlap with the VLE that you used in the institution they are in, fifteen (15) out of the 30 indicated no recognized overlap, eight (8) indicated that there is no overlap while seven (7) believed that there is a overlap between Web 2. 0 technologies and the kind of VLE used. Because of the seeming trend with respect to the enthusiasm and openness of educators in using Web 2. 0 technologies, the next focus of the interview was set on Web 2. 0 tools being integrated with VLEs. Out of the thirty respondents, twenty-five (25) had indicated that they wanted to integrate VLEs with Web 2. 0 tools and five (5) had disagreed with the proposed integration. Most of the five (5) educators were from the seven people that believed there is an overlap between the two tools. The third part of the study focused on how they had perceived Web 2. 0 technologies as being part of the assessment process. The first part of the interview focused on Web 2. 0 technologies as part of the assessment purpose, the interview solicited how the interviewees perceived Web 2. 0 tools as an assessment tool. Generally speaking, most of the respondents to the interview indicated that they believe that currently, Web 2. 0 technologies used as a means of being able to assess is still very young rather it is still in its infancy stage. Though they believe that it would be step forward for the educational setting, there is still a need for further verification for such a move and should be tested if the students can adapt to such a change. Wikis was cited as one potential for teachers to evaluate the effectiveness of students in being able to collaborate with their partners in group work. Most of the educators indicated that they would rather evaluate students using the old method of educational teaching however they would be amenable of such as a move as to include Web 2. 0 applications into the curriculum and use it for checking and teaching. On the other hand, they had noted that it would be useful to check items in Web 2. 0 applications that are actually their cornerstone or the reason for their being – pictures in photoblogs such as flickr and video assignments in Youtube. When given the opportunity to explain very briefly each Web 2. 0 technology, the opinions of each educator as to how they can use these tools were solicited. For the first part of this section, blogs was the first application to be tackled. Based on the discussion, the educators generally indicated that they can utilize blogs as a mean of generating discussions among the students. With blogs having the capacity to take in comments and views via posting on certain topics, educators can then start up discussion on a particular topic and solicit the opinion of the class. Educators can then assess the views of the students by being able to review the comments of the students on that particular topic because of the capacity of blogs to retain inputs from users. The second tool is Wikis. Educators that were interviewed viewed wikis can be used in assessing the capability of the members in being able to collaborate and create singular information or a single document. This can then be used as a means of being able to assess how the students can cope with team effort and the output of such collaborative efforts. Social networks on the other hand can be used both by students and educators as well as a means to identify connections and networks that within communities that can be used by the students in order to determine people that have the necessary information for the teachings imposed by the students. Lastly, focus was given on video and photo sharing sites. Although this is relatively a new technology that would be used in sharing video and photo information between students, it is believed all these sites can be used in order to support all the learning motives for students and educators as well. Essentially the element of being able to share information particularly videos and photos is necessary are inherent in all sites. In addition to this, educators that were part of the group interviewed had already seen a video sharing site and they believe that due to the existing trends, video sharing networks will be able to further thrive and the educators believe that this will entail a positive effect on the way students are able to learn and how educators are able to teach.

Mister Rogers Positive Influence on Children Essay -- Television Emot

Mister Rogers' Positive Influence on Children It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day for a neighbor Would you be mine? Could you be mine? I’ve always wanted to have a neighbor just like you. I’ve always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you. The comforting words of this familiar childhood jingle bring memories flooding back and invite us to join the loving and patient man who once taught us that everyone is special and unique. Over several decades, strong morals and values have filled each 30-minute segment of the popular children’s television show. The skills of Fred Rogers as a loving creator and host, combined with the activities and educational settings of the show and the content of his messages -- are all evidence that â€Å"Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood† is a positive influence on children. â€Å"Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood† has been a success throughout its airing of over 45 years. In its long success, few contradictions surface when discussing the positive influences of the famous children’s television show. However, many spoofs have been created about â€Å"Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood† and general complaints about the show and Rogers’ personality have been created also. Some television critics have abused â€Å"Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.† Several statements declare he is a wimp because of his general caring approach on the show. Not only have television critics made negative remarks, but the children’s show has also been made fun of on late night television shows such as â€Å"The Tonight Show† with Johnny Carson as well as Eddie Murphy on Saturday Night Live (Bianculli 43). On a different level of criticism, the older siblings of those who watch the show develop negative opinions of â€Å"Mister ... ...te.com/tv/20001112rogers2.asp Rogers, Fred. You Are Special: Words of Wisdom from America’s Most Beloved Neighbor. New York: Penguin Books, 1994. Rowe, Claudia. â€Å"Some Things Never Change, and Thank Heavens Mister Rogers is One of Them.† Biography 4:3 (Mar 2000), 102-107. Academic Search Elite. Palni Site Search. Goshen Public Library. 6 November 2001. Trotter, Andrew. â€Å"Media.† Education Week 22 Nov. 2000: 5. Valkenburg, P.M. and S.C. Janssen. â€Å"What do Children Value in Entertainment Programs?: A Cross Cultural Investigation.† Journal of Communication 49:2 (Spr 1999), 4-25. Zoba, Wendy Murray. â€Å"Won’t You Be My Neighbor?† Christianity Today. 6 Mar 2000: 38-47. NOTE: Citations for Family Communication website are as follows: (â€Å"Mister† What Is) â€Å"Mister† = Reference source What Is = Link where information is found located on left bar of website.

The Return: Shadow Souls Chapter 15

Hurrying behind Damon, Elena tried not to look either to the left or the right. She could see too much of what to Meredith and Bonnie must have appeared to be featureless darkness. There were depots on either side, places where slaves were obviously brought to be bought or sold or transported later. Elena could hear the whimpers of children in the darkness and if she hadn't been so frightened herself, she would have rushed off looking for the crying kids. But I can't do that, because I'm a slave now, she thought, with a sense of shock that ran up from her fingertips. I'm not a real human being anymore. I'm a piece of property. She found herself once again staring at the back of Damon's head and wondering how on earth she had talked herself into this. She understood what being a slave meant – in fact she seemed to have an intuitive understanding of it that surprised her – and it was Not a Good Thing to Be. It meant that she could be†¦well, that anything could be done to her and it was no one's business but that of her owner. And her owner (how had he talked her into this again?) was Damon, of all people. He could sell all three girls – Elena, Meredith, and Bonnie – and be out of here in an hour with the profits. They hurried through this area of the docks, the girls with their eyes on their feet to prevent themselves from stumbling. And then they crested a hill. Below them, in a sort of crater-shaped formation, was a city. The slums were on the edges, and crowded almost up to where they were standing. But there was a chicken-wire fence in front of them, which kept them isolated even while allowing them a bird's-eye view of the city. If they had still been in the cave they had entered, this would have been the greatest underground cavern imaginable – but they weren't underground anymore. â€Å"It happened sometime during the ferry ride,† Damon said. â€Å"We made – well – a twist in space, say.† He tried to explain and Elena tried to understand. â€Å"You went in through the Demon Gate, and when you came out you were no longer in Earth's Dimension, but in another one entirely.† Elena only had to look up at the sky to believe him. The constellations were different; there was no Little or Big Dipper, no North Star. Then there was the sun. It was much larger, but much dimmer than Earth's, and it never left the horizon. At any moment about half of it showed, day and night – terms which, as Meredith pointed out, had lost their rational meaning here. As they approached a gate made of chicken wire that would finally let them out of the slave-holding area, they were stopped by what Elena would later learn was a Guardian. She would learn that in a way, the Guardians were the rulers of the Dark Dimension, although they themselves came from another place far away and it was almost as if they had permanently occupied this little slice of Hell, trying to impose order on the slum king and feudal lords who divided the city among themselves. This Guardian was a tall woman with hair the color of Elena's own – true gold – cut square at shoulder length, and she paid no attention at all to Damon but immediately asked Elena, who was first in line behind him, â€Å"Why are you here?† Elena was glad, very glad, that Damon had taught her to control her aura. She concentrated on that while her brain hummed at supersonic speed, wondering what the right response to this question was. The response that would leave them free and not get them sent home. Damon didn't train us for this, was her first thought. And her second was, no, because he's never been here before. He doesn't know how everything works here, only some things. And if it looked as if this woman was going to try to interfere with him, he might just go crazy and attack her, a helpful little voice added from somewhere in Elena's subconscious. Elena doubled the speed of her scheming. Creative lying had once been a sort of specialty of hers, and now she said the first thing that popped into her head and got a thumbs-up: â€Å"I gambled with him and lost.† Well, it sounded good. People lost all sorts of things when they gambled: plantations, talismans, horses, castles, bottles of genii. And if it turned out not to be enough of a reason, she could always say that that was just the start of her sad story. Best of all, it was in a way, true. Long ago she'd given her life for Damon as well as for Stefan, and Damon had not exactly turned over a new leaf as she'd requested. Half a leaf, maybe. A leaflet. The Guardian was staring at her with a puzzled look in her true blue eyes. People had stared at Elena all her life – being young and very beautiful meant that you fretted only when people didn't stare. But the puzzlement was a bit of a worry. Was the tall woman reading her mind? Elena tried to add another layer of white noise at the top. What came out was a few lines of a Britney Spears song. She turned the psychic volume up. The tall woman put two fingers to her head like someone with a sudden headache. Then she looked at Meredith. â€Å"Why†¦are you here?† Usually Meredith didn't lie at all, but when she did she treated it as an intellectual art. Fortunately, she also never tried to fix something that wasn't broken. â€Å"The same for me,† she said sadly. â€Å"And you?† The woman was looking at Bonnie, who was looking as if she were going to be sick again. Meredith gave Bonnie a little nudge. Then she stared at her hard. Elena stared at her harder, knowing that all Bonnie had to do was mumble â€Å"Me, too.† And Bonnie was a good â€Å"me, too-er† after Meredith had staked out a position. The problem was that Bonnie was also either in trance, or so close to it that it didn't matter. â€Å"Shadow Souls,† Bonnie said. The woman blinked, but not the way you blink when someone says something totally unresponsive. She blinked in astonishment. Oh, God, Elena thought. Bonnie's got their password or something. She's making predictions or prophesying or whatever. â€Å"Shadow†¦souls?† the Guardian said, watching Bonnie closely. â€Å"The city is full of them,† Bonnie said miserably. The Guardian's fingers danced over what looked like a palmtop computer. â€Å"We know that. This is the place they come.† â€Å"Then you should stop it.† â€Å"We have only limited jurisdiction. The Dark Dimension is ruled by a dozen factions of overlords, who have slumlords to carry out their orders.† Bonnie, Elena thought, trying to cut through Bonnie's mental haze even at the cost of the Guardian hearing her. These are the police. At the same moment, Damon took over. â€Å"She's the same as the others,† he said. â€Å"Except that she's psychic.† â€Å"No one asked your opinion,† the Guardian snapped at him, without even glancing in Damon's direction. â€Å"I don't care what kind of bigwig you are down there† – she jerked her head contemptuously at the city of lights – â€Å"you're on my turf behind this fence. And I'm asking the little red-haired girl: is what he is saying the truth?† Elena had a moment of panic. After all they'd been through, if Bonnie blew it now†¦ This time Bonnie blinked. Whatever else she was trying to communicate, it was true that she was the same as Meredith and Elena. And it was true that she was psychic. Bonnie was a terrible liar when she had too much time to think about things, but to this she could say without hesitation, â€Å"Yes, that's true.† The Guardian stared at Damon. Damon stared back as if he could do it all night. He was a champion out-starer. And the Guardian waved them away. â€Å"I suppose even a psychic can have a bad day,† she said, then added to Damon, â€Å"Take care of them. You realize that all psychics have to be licensed?† Damon, with his best grand seigneur manner, said, â€Å"Madam, these are not professional psychics. They are my private assistants.† â€Å"And I'm not a ‘Madam' I'm addressed as ‘Your Judgment.' By the way, people addicted to gambling usually come to horrible ends here.† Ha, ha, Elena thought. If she only knew what kind of gamble we all are taking†¦well, we'd probably be worse off than Stefan is right now. Outside the fence was a courtyard. There were litters here, as well as rickshaws and small goatcarts. No carriages, no horses. Damon got two litters, one for himself and Elena and one for Meredith and Bonnie. Bonnie, still looking confused, was staring at the sun. â€Å"You mean it never finishes rising?† â€Å"No,† Damon said patiently. â€Å"And it's setting here, not rising. Perpetual twilight in the City of Darkness itself. You'll see more as we move along. Don't touch that,† he added, as Meredith moved to untie the rope around Bonnie's wrists before either of them got on the litter. â€Å"You two can take the ropes off in the litter if you draw the curtains, but don't lose them. You're still slaves, and you have to wear something symbolic around your arms to show it – even if it's just matching bracelets. Otherwise I get in trouble. Oh, and you'll have to go veiled in the city.† â€Å"We – what?† Elena flashed a look of disbelief at him. Damon just flashed back a 250-kilowatt smile and before Elena could say another word, he was drawing gauzy sheer fabrics from his black bag and handing them out. The veils were of a size to cover an entire body. â€Å"But you only have to put it on your head or tie it on your hair or something,† Damon said dismissively. â€Å"What's it made of?† Meredith asked, feeling the light silky material, which was transparent and so thin that the wind threatened to whip it from her fingers. â€Å"How should I know?† â€Å"It's different colors on the other side!† Bonnie discovered, letting the wind transform her pale green veil into a shimmering silver. Meredith was shaking out a dramatic deep violet silk into a mysterious dark blue dotted with a myriad of stars. Elena, who had been expecting her own veil to be blue, found herself looking up at Damon. He was holding a tiny square of cloth in a clenched fist. â€Å"Let's see how good you've gotten,† he murmured, nodding her closer to him. â€Å"Guess what color.† Another girl might only have noticed the sloe black eyes and the pure, carven lines of Damon's face, or maybe the wild, wicked smile – somehow wilder and sweeter than ever here, like a rainbow in the middle of a hurricane. But Elena also made note of the stiffness in his neck and shoulders – places where tension built up. The Dark Dimension was already taking its toll on him, psychically, even as he mocked it. She wondered how many soundings of Power by the merely curious he was having to block each second. She was about to offer to help by opening herself up to the eldritch world, when he snapped, â€Å"Guess!† in a tone that didn't make it a suggestion. â€Å"Gold,† Elena said instantly, surprising herself. When she reached to take the golden square from his hand a powerful, pleasurable feeling of electric current shot from her palm up her arm and seemed to skewer her straight through the heart. Damon clung to her fingers briefly as she took the square and Elena found she could still feel electricity pulsing from his fingertips. The underside of her veil blew out white and sparkling as if set with diamonds. God, maybe they were diamonds, she thought. How could you tell with Damon? â€Å"Your wedding veil, perhaps?† Damon murmured, lips close to her ear. The rope around Elena's wrists had come very loose and she stroked the diaphanous fabric helplessly, feeling the tiny jewels on the white side cool to the touch of her fingers. â€Å"How did you know you'd need all this stuff?† Elena asked, with bruising practicality. â€Å"You didn't know everything, but you seemed to know enough.† â€Å"Oh, I did research in bars and other places. I found a few people who'd been here and had managed to get out again – or who had gotten kicked out.† Damon's wild grin grew even wilder. â€Å"At night while you were asleep. At a little hidden store, I got those.† He nodded at her veil, and added, â€Å"You don't have to wear that over your face or anything. Press it to your hair and it will cling to it.† Elena did so, wearing the gold side out. It fell to her heels. She fingered her veil, already able to see the flirtatious possibilities in it, as well as the dismissive ones. If only she could get this damned rope off her wrists†¦ After a moment, Damon retreated back into the persona of the imperturbable master and said, â€Å"For all our sakes, we ought to be strict about these things. The slum lords and nobility who run this abominable mess they call the Dark Dimension know that it's only two days away from revolution at any time, and if we add anything to the balance they're going to Make a Public Example of Us.† â€Å"All right,† Elena said. â€Å"Here, hold my string and I'll get on the litter.† But there wasn't much point in the rope, not once they were both sitting in the same litter. It was carried by four men – not big men, but wiry ones, and all of the same height, which made for a smooth ride. If Elena had been a free citizen, she would never have allowed herself to be carried by four people whom (she assumed) were slaves. In fact, she would have made a big noisy fuss over it. But that talk she'd had with herself at the docks had sunk in. She was a slave, even if Damon hadn't paid anyone to buy her. She didn't have the right to make a big noisy fuss about anything. In this crimson, evil-smelling place she could imagine that her fuss might even make problems for the litter bearers themselves – make their owner or whoever ran the litter-bearing business punish them, as if it were their fault. Best Plan A for now: Keep Mouth Shut. There was plenty to see anyway, now that they had passed on a bridge over bad-smelling slums and alleys full of tumbledown houses. Shops began to appear, at first heavily barred and made of unpainted stone, then more respectable buildings, and then suddenly they were winding their way through a bazaar. But even here the stamp of poverty and weariness appeared on too many faces. Elena had expected, if anything, a cold, black, antiseptic city with emotionless vampires and fire-eyed demons walking the streets. Instead, everyone she saw looked human, and they were selling things – from medicines to food and drink – that vampires didn't need. Well, maybe the kitsune and the demons need them, Elena reasoned, shuddering at the idea of what a demon might want to eat. On the street corners were hard-faced, scantily clad girls and boys, and tattered, haggard people holding pathetic signs: A MEMORY FOR A MEAL. â€Å"What do they mean?† Elena asked Damon, but he didn't answer her immediately. â€Å"This is how the free humans of the city spend most of their time,† he said. â€Å"So remember that, before you start going on one of your crusades – â€Å" Elena wasn't listening. She was staring at one of the holders of such a sign. The man was horribly thin, with a straggly beard and bad teeth, but worse was his look of vacant despair. Every so often he would hold out a trembling hand on which there was a small, clear ball, which he balanced on his palm, muttering, â€Å"A summer's day when I was young. A summer's day for a ten-geld piece.† As often as not there was no one near when he said this. Elena slipped off a lapis ring Stefan had given her and held it toward him. She didn't want to annoy Damon by getting out of the litter, and she had to say, â€Å"Come here, please,† while holding the ring toward the bearded man. He heard, and came to the litter quickly enough. Elena saw something move in his beard – lice, perhaps – and she forced herself to stare at the ring as she said, â€Å"Take it. Quickly, please.† The old man stared at the ring as if it were a banquet. â€Å"I don't have change,† he moaned, bringing up his hand and wiping his mouth with his sleeve. He seemed about to drop to the ground unconscious. â€Å"I don't have change!† â€Å"I don't want change!† Elena said through the huge swelling that had formed in her throat. â€Å"Take the ring. Hurry or I'll drop it.† He snatched it from her fingers as the litter bearers started forward again. â€Å"May the Guardians bless you, lady,† he said, trying to keep up with the litter bearer's trot. â€Å"Hear me who may! May They bless you!† â€Å"You really shouldn't,† Damon said to Elena when the voice had died away behind them. â€Å"He's not going to get a meal with that, you know.† â€Å"He was hungry,† Elena said softly. She couldn't explain that he reminded her of Stefan, not just now. â€Å"It was my ring,† she added defensively. â€Å"I suppose you're going to say he'll spend it on alcohol or drugs.† â€Å"No, but he won't get a meal with it, either. He'll get a banquet.† â€Å"Well, so much the – â€Å" â€Å"In his imagination. He'll get a dusty orb with some old vampire's memory of a Roman feast, or someone from the city's memory of a modern one. Then he'll play it over and over as he slowly starves to death.† Elena was appalled. â€Å"Damon! Quick! I have to go back and find him – â€Å" â€Å"You can't, I'm afraid.† Lazily, Damon held up a hand. He had a firm grip on her rope. â€Å"Besides, he's long gone.† â€Å"How can he do that? How could anyone do that?† â€Å"How can a lung cancer patient refuse to quit smoking? But I agree that those orbs can be the most addictive substances of all. Blame the kitsune for bringing their star balls here and making them the most popular form of obsession.† â€Å"Star balls? Hoshi no tama?† Elena gasped. Damon stared at her, looking equally surprised. â€Å"You know about them?† â€Å"All I know is what Meredith researched. She said that kitsune were often portrayed with either keys† – she raised her eyebrows at him – â€Å"or with star balls. And that myths say they can put some or all of their power in the ball, so that if you find it, you can control the kitsune. She and Bonnie want to find Misao's or Shinichi's star balls and have control over them.† â€Å"Be still, my unbeating heart,† Damon said dramatically, but the next second he was all business. â€Å"Remember what that old guy said? A summer's day for a meal? He was talking about this.† Damon picked up the little marble that the old man had dropped on the litter and held it to Elena's temple. The world disappeared. Damon was gone. The sights and sounds – yes, and the smells – of the bazaar were gone. She was sitting on green grass which rippled in a slight breeze and she was looking at a weeping willow that bent down to a stream that was copper and deep, deep green at once. There was some sweet scent in the air – honeysuckle, freesia? Something delicious that stirred Elena as she leaned back to gaze at picture-perfect white clouds rolling in a cerulean sky. She felt – she didn't know how to say it. She felt young, but somewhere in her mind she knew that she was actually younger than this alien personality that had taken hold of her. Still, she felt excited that it was springtime and every golden-green leaf, every springy little reed, every weightless white cloud seemed to be rejoicing with her. Then suddenly her heart was pounding. She had just caught the sound of a footfall behind her. In one, springing joyous moment she was on her feet, arms held out in the extremity of her love, the wild devotion she felt for this†¦ †¦this young girl? Something inside the sphere user's brain seemed to fall back in bewilderment. Most of it, though, was taken up with cataloguing the perfections of the girl who had crept up so lightly in the waving grass: the clustering dark curls at her neck, the flashing green eyes below arching brows, the smooth glowing skin of her cheeks as she laughed with her lover, pretending to run away on feet as light as any elf's†¦! Pursued and pursuer both fell down together on the soft carpet of long grass†¦and then things quickly got so steamy that Elena, the distant mind in the background, began wondering how on earth you made one of these things stop. Every time she put her hand to her temple, groping, she was caught and kissed breathless by†¦Allegra†¦that was the girl, Allegra. And Allegra was certainly beautiful, especially through this particular viewer's eyes. The creamy soft skin of her†¦ And then, with a shock just as great as she'd felt when the bazaar disappeared, it appeared again. She was Elena; she was riding on the litter with Damon; there was a cacophony of sounds around her – and a thousand different smells, too. But she was breathing hard and part of her was still resounding with John – that had been his name – with John's love for Allegra. â€Å"But I still don't understand,† she almost keened. â€Å"It's simple,† Damon said. â€Å"You put a blank star ball of the size you like to your temple and you think back to the time you want to record. The star ball does the rest.† He waved off her attempted interruption and leaned forward with mischief in those fathomless black eyes of his. â€Å"Perhaps you got an especially warm summer day?† he said, adding suggestively, â€Å"These litters do have curtains you can draw closed.† â€Å"Don't be silly, Damon,† Elena said, but John's feelings had sparked her own, like flint and tinder. She didn't want to kiss Damon, she told herself sternly. She wanted to kiss Stefan. But since a moment ago she had been kissing Allegra, it didn't seem as strong an argument as it could be. â€Å"I don't think,† she began, still breathless, as Damon reached for her, â€Å"that this is a very good†¦Ã¢â‚¬  With a smooth flick of the rope, Damon untied her hands completely. He would have pulled it off both wrists, but Elena immediately half-turned, supporting herself with that hand. She needed the support. In the circumstances, though, there was nothing more meaningful – or more†¦exciting†¦than what Damon had done. He hadn't drawn the curtains, but Bonnie and Meredith were behind them on their own litter, out of sight. Certainly out of Elena's mind. She felt warm arms around her, and instinctively nestled into them. She felt a surge of pure love and appreciation for Damon, for his understanding that she could never do this as a slave with a master. We're both of us unmastered, she heard in her head, and she remembered that when cooling down most of her psychic abilities she had forgotten to set the volume on low for this one. Oh, well, it might just come in handy†¦. But we both enjoy worship, she replied telepathically, and felt his laughter on her lips as he admitted the truth of it. There was nothing sweeter in her life these days than Damon's kisses. She could drift like this forever, forgetting the outside world. And that was a good thing, because she had the feeling that there was much depression in the outside and not too much happiness. But if she could always come back to this, this welcome, this sweetness, this ecstasy†¦ Elena jerked in the litter, throwing her weight back so fast that the men carrying it almost fell in a heap. â€Å"You bastard,† she whispered venomously. They were still psychically entangled, and she was glad to see that through Damon's eyes she was like a vengeful Aphrodite: her golden hair lifting and whipping behind her like a thunderstorm, her eyes shining violet in her elemental fury. And now, worst of all, this goddess turned her face away from him. â€Å"Not one day,† she said. â€Å"You couldn't even keep your promise for a single day!† â€Å"I didn't! I didn't Influence you, Elena!† â€Å"Don't call me that. We have a professional relationship now. I call you ‘Master.' You can call me ‘Slave' or ‘Dog' or whatever you want.† â€Å"If we have the professional relationship of master and slave,† Damon said, his eyes dangerous, â€Å"then I can just order you to – â€Å" â€Å"Try it!† Elena lifted her lips in what really wasn't a smile. â€Å"Why don't you do that, and see just what happens?†