Sociology Induction Essay Example for Free

Humanism Induction Essay The article I have decided to break down is With Knife Crime on the Increase its simple by Michael Godfrey. The article talks about the expansion in blade wrongdoing among youngsters in the British isles and cases that it is an absence of regard that has caused this, asserting guardians are to blame for endeavoring to prevail upon their kids as opposed to defining clear limits and upholding rules. Vicious wrongdoing impacts all citizenry contrarily, and increment in blade wrongdoing makes individuals from the overall population become neurotic and apprehensive for their security. It makes individuals more averse to need to travel anyplace alone or around evening time and furthermore to diminish the measure of resources they keep with the rest of their personal effects so as to abstain from being robbed. Likewise, taking a gander at blade wrongdoing from a progressively full scale point of view, one might say that expansion in wrongdoing costs our general public monetarily (the administration paying to keep them in packed correctional facilities) and socially (making a negative picture to different nations/social orders and unsafe generalizations). As per an ongoing report by the adolescent equity board, relative neediness among youngsters has made many hotel to brutal wrongdoing so as to get the things they desire (iPods and cell phones) this joined with poor guardians is making kids/teenagers who grow up to be useless citizenry. Marxists would guarantee this is the white collar class/privileged societies deficiency, that the common laborers are so completely persecuted this is just anticipated. They would credit this expansion in blade wrongdoing among dominatingly common laborers guys as brought about by the absence of chances gave to those lower attributed status. Be that as it may, the New Right would almost certainly accuse this expansion of viciousness for the ascent in separate and the disintegration of the customary family unit. Increasingly more of todays youth (particularly average workers people) are raised in single-parent families, common association families and progressively eccentric circumstances. The new right accept that is this absence of solidness that prevents appropriate essential socialization and permits todays youth to be improperly mindful of the impact of their enemy of social conduct on bigger society. Numerous sociologists accept that a progressively steady home life and better training would assist with keeping youngsters off the boulevards and away from rough wrongdoing. Others state that a firmer hand at home keeping them in line would likewise help. Notwithstanding, it has been demonstrated that implementing rules all the more carefully doesn't successfully dishearten blade wrongdoing, this was appeared in Ireland where punishments and jail sentences have been expanded there was no improvement found in the measure of blade wrongdoing submitted. Be that as it may, numerous individuals likewise reprimand Marxists for concentrating on the whole on class strife and not figuring different focuses into their hypotheses (family breakdown, monetary downturn) Marxists neglect to consider increment in blade wrongdoing among the high societies and make those of lower class the people in question. The New Right are additionally vigorously condemned for their exceptional spotlight on the family and their inclination to reprimand the casualties for the issue. The New Rights perspective on the family is ideological and neglects to see the benefits of bringing kids up in a more useless family than the conventional grain bundle family perfect of gone occasions, they neglect to consider some other focuses.

Paul Laurence Dunbar Essays - Paul Laurence Dunbar, Dunbar

Paul Laurence Dunbar PAUL LAURENCE DUNBAR Famous African-American artist, Paul Laurence Dunbar rose from a poor adolescence in Dayton, Ohio to global approval as an author and as a powerful voice for equity and equity for African-Americans (Howard, Revell). He met and connected with other authentic men, for example, Fredrick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, and his Dayton neighbors Orville and Wilbur Wright (Harvard, Columbus). Dunbars individual story, just as his compositions, are as yet a motivation to all Americans (Poupard). Dunbar was conceived June 27,1872 in Dayton, Ohio to Matilda and Joshua Dunbar, previous slaves from Kentucky (Van Doren 296, Columbus). Their family was very poor since Joshua couldn't find a new line of work. Bigotry was as yet solid in Ohio despite the fact that bondage was illegal at that point. To support their folks, Paul and his two relatives did tasks like social event kindling, raking leaves, and cutting grass (Howard). Matilda consistently gave motivation to her kids by perusing to, supporting, and urging them to be inventive. She adored narrating, tunes, and verse. This influenced Paul for an incredible duration, and it was she who ingrained in him the craving to accomplish (Columbus). Dunbars guardians isolated in 1874, in the wake of having two kids. Despite this, Paul was as yet ready to accomplish. He composed his first sonnet at age six and recounted freely at age 2 nine (Howard). His first open perusing was on his birthday in 1892. After Joshua left, Matilda had to work in Dayton as a washerwoman to help her family (Columbus). Joshua passed on when Paul was only twelve years of age (Poupard). The demise of Joshua just reinforced the bond among Paul and his mom (Revell). Dunbar was extremely mainstream among his colleagues at Central High School. He was the main Negro in his group and was an individual from the Literary Society, supervisor of the understudy distribution, and writer of the class tune at his graduation (Van Doren 296, Columbus). Dunbars first distributed sonnet was called Our Martyred Soldiers. It showed up in the Dayton Herald on June 8, 1888. In 1891 Paul moved on from Central High School (Revell 11-12). After graduation, Paul needed to fill in as a lift kid in Daytons Callahan Building and later as a page at a Dayton court house(Revell 11 ). He had to work at spots, for example, these in light of the fact that a few organizations were hesitant to employ him in view of his race (Columbus). Dunbars first verse assortment, Oak and Ivy was distributed in 1892 (Howard). Oak and Ivy comprised of fifty-six sonnets, thirty-six of which were later disposed of by Dunbar (Revell p.29) To help pay for the distributing expense and printing suppl ies he offered the book of sonnet to clients who rode the lift for $1.00 (Columbus). in the mean time he kept composition for different national papers and magazines for some additional salary. Paul 3 immediately accomplished a notoriety in his old neighborhood as a writer and as often as possible was welcome to recount his works for different clubs and associations. Ordinarily individuals would prescribe his books to companions, spreading expression of his abilities (Howard). When all is said in done, Dunbars verse was acknowledged and popular (Poupard). This landed him a challenge to recount his verse at the primary Worlds Fair at Chicago in 1893. Here, he functioned as assistant at a Haitian structure where he met Fredrick Douglass and other dark speakers and scholars (Revell 102). Douglass called Paul Laurence Dunbar The most encouraging youthful hued man in America. (Howard). 1895 brought Dunbars move to Toledo, Ohio and the distributing of his second assortment of verse, Majors and Minors (Columbus). Eleven sonnets from Oak and Ivy were imprinted in Majors and Minors. (Revell, p.224). Its distributing was financed by his companions Dr. Henry A. Tobey and Charles H. Thatcher, a lawyer. Majors and Minors grabbed the eye of a well known scholarly pundit William Dean Howells. Howells positive audit of Dunbar in the Harpers Weekly made him broadly known for the time being (Columbus). Howells brought up that in history Negros have been skilled and fruitful in music, speech, and a considerable lot of different expressions, however Majors and Minors was the first 4 example of and African-American who had revealed intrinsic qualification in writing (Poupard). Following Howells survey, New York distributing firm Dodd-Mead and Company joined Dunbars

Costs and Benefits of Awareness

Costs and Benefits of Awareness I’m standing half-nude in front of a full-length mirror, pinching and poking at my midsection. I’ve been on a dietary cleanse for the past two weeks: primarily raw foods, no alcohol, no caffeine, no processed foods, no animal products. Plus, I’ve been hitting the gym each morning with Shawn for a rigorous workout. Both have been significant improvements to my daily routine: I’m healthier now than a month agoâ€"less body fat, more muscle, better sleep. And most importantâ€"I feel great (after all, how we feel is the best barometer of quality of health). So why am I more  frustrated with the image staring back at me in the mirror? Whenever we make radical changesâ€"diet, exercise, career, etc.â€"we shine a spotlight on our flaws, and our blemishes become more glaring in the light: this is the cost of awareness. Our standards change whenever we are infused with a new awareness, and we scrutinize ourselves more: the more we scrutinize, the more the spotlight brightens, the more our imperfections stand out. Awareness isn’t always pleasant, but becoming aware is critical: the benefits, especially long-term, aren’t realized until we recognize our flaws for what they areâ€"past weaknesses. Only then can we strengthen ourselves; only then can we craft the best version of ourselves. True awareness allows us to improve, to growâ€"to become better, but not perfect. Our lives will never be perfectâ€"we’ve all been cut deeply, and we’ll continue to be cut deeplyâ€"but we’ll be okay: awareness will always help us heal, and our scars become the best parts of us. Read this essay and 150 others in our new book, Essential.

Defying the Disney Image The Testimony of Walt Disney Essay

Walt Disney was born in 1890 to a woman named Seà ±ora Isabelle Zamora. His father, Elias, met Isabelle in California of that same year and the two carried on an affair that ended with the birth of Walt. Later, Elias brought the two back to Chicago, Illinois where Isabelle became a housekeeper for the Disney family. Walt was assimilated into the Disney household and treated as the biological son of Elias and Flora Disney. Isabelle was with the family for years, being passed on from the Elias and Flora household to the Walt and Lillian family years later (Eliot 152-157). This account of Walt Disney’s birth poses many questions about myths, legends, and rumours that encircled the life of the â€Å"man behind the mouse†. Biographies†¦show more content†¦Mosley’s biography is titled, rather auspiciously, Disney’s World, and gives an account that is very positive. He interprets Disney’s actions during the strike as being motivated by sel f-preservation and his conservative political ideals. Eliot’s exposà © titled Walt Disney: Hollywood’s Dark Prince focuses on revealing the evil duality of Walt Disney. Disney’s actions during the strike are looked at as being caused by his money hungry, stubborn personality and Disney is solely to blame for the long duration of the strike. There does not seem to be any compromise with these two biographers and it is hard to know which one is closest to the truth. Leonard Mosley writes with information supplied by Ward Kimball, one of Disney’s principal animators. Mosley says that in 1940, Walt Disney’s staff was one of the most underpaid and overworked in Hollywood. However, they were not prepared to strike due to Walt’s influence as seen in a quote from Ward Kimball: Walt was our father figure. We both respected and feared him. He ran the studio as a sort of benevolent and paternal dictatorship. He was the total boss. You learned early on never to argue with him or to cross him. Walt might be harsh or egocentric, but we all knew he was a genius whose tough demeanor seemed to stimulate and bring out the best in all of us. Even though he was prone to badger and bully us at one time or another, we knew that Walt had revolutionized the animated cartoon,Show MoreRelatedDeveloping Management Skills404131 Words   |  1617 PagesKahn Senior Art Director: Janet Slowik Interior Design: Suzanne Duda and Michael Fruhbeis Permissions Project Manager: Shannon Barbe Manager, Cover Visual Research Permissions: Karen Sanatar Manager Central Design: Jayne Conte Cover Art: Getty Images, Inc. Cover Design: Suzanne Duda Lead Media Project Manager: Denise Vaughn Full-Service Project Management: Sharon Anderson/BookMasters, Inc. Composition: Integra Software Services Printer/Binder: Edwards Brothers Cover Printer: Coral Graphics Text

Gender Representation Of The Media - 1549 Words

Media Benchmark- How is gender represented in the media? Women A representation is when a media text such as a newspaper, magazine or film represent ideas or events to us in a distorted view. A representation is not the true picture; it is re-presented after a specific event has occurred. The representation will be opinion based and it will invite the audience to identify with them. All of the representations have a mode of address too depending on their target audience depends on how they represent the person, idea, event or issue. All texts undergo the process of mediation which is when you are only seeing a small proportion of reality. To mediate a text, you also need to construct it to form the final mediation. It will first be scripted which initially cuts down how much you see of reality. Then it will be mediated and constructed by dramatic footage, organisation and editing before it reaches the programme’s version of events. Richard Dyer (1983) constructed multiple questions when analysing a media representation. These questions in clude; what world is created?, what does it imply?, What does it represent? and How might we respond to the Representation? The two texts I will be analysing are about the representation of women in the media. The first text is a newspaper article from the Mail Online from January 2014 titled â€Å"Kate sloshed!After vodka, champagne and  £70 bottles of wine, birthday girl declares: ‘I may be 40, but I still know how to party’†. The second textShow MoreRelatedGender Representation Of The Media1147 Words   |  5 PagesGender representation in the media has sparked a lot of arguments amongst many scholars regarding the way females are depicted (Broude Garrard, 1995: Thornham, 2007). Over the last few years many female emancipation campaigns targeted at correcting the current representation of females in the media have emerged (Carson, Dittmar Welsch, 1994: Miller, 2003). But is the media really representing women as sexual objects? This is a question that lingers in the minds of many people whenever this argumentRead MoreThe Representation Of Gender And Media978 Words   |  4 Pa gesNowadays the representation of gender in media has become very common. It is all about the representation of phenomenally rapid change: change’s in gender relation transformations in media technologies, regulatory frameworks, content ownership and theoretical revolutions in the approaches used to make sense of gender representations. Gender and media aims to freeze the frame, press the pause button, or hit the refresh key to construct that how media shows social stereotypes. There are many advertisementsRead MoreMedia Representation Of Gender And Gender3046 Words   |  13 Pagesreview key issues in one of the following areas of media representation: ethnicity, gender, sexuality or any one select area of your choice Introduction This essay will critically discuss key issues of the media representation of gender. Firstly media representation and gender will be defined and conceptualised, then theories of media representation regarding gender will be discussed in depth and evaluated. The key issues of media representation of gender will be discussed critically from the viewpointsRead MoreThe Gender Representation Of Media Essay2172 Words   |  9 PagesGender Representation in Media Media (advertising, television and other forms in which consumers obtain content) is a forum that has such an immense power, a power that the common lay man just doesn’t realize. Advertising for example is perceived 95% subconsciously without us or our brains realizing. Due to this, media has a major part in affecting and changing our lives as we are constantly fed on the â€Å"normal† way to live or â€Å"how it should be done.† Suddenly something that we definitely didn’t needRead MoreEffect Of Gender And Gender Representation On Media1735 Words   |  7 PagesThe effect of gender and gender representation in media has been widely researched in various academic disciplines, including anthropology and communication studies. Similar gender role expectations are not just restricted to Western culture either. A study on gender representation in East Asian advertising by Michael Prieler is a demonstration of the influence of gendered communication. The resea rch examines the male and female representation in the advertising of East Asian countries like HongRead MoreMedia Representation of Gender Roles1954 Words   |  8 PagesHistorically, social and feminist scholars have focused on media representations of gender roles and how they affect the lived experiences of women (Green, 2013; Soulliere, 2006). Gender is widely considered to be a cultural rather than strictly biological creation, and it is often constructed and represented through popular culture media such as advertisements, magazines, and television (Soulliere, 2006). While women have made great strides in expanding the culturally acceptable definition of femininityRead MoreAn Investigation Into the Media Representation of Gender in Sport1303 Words   |  6 PagesAn investigation into the media representation of gender in sport. There have been many studies and investigations into the different types and intensity of the media coverage in sport involving both sexes. This investigation will look at previous studies and reports carried out by researchers to discover why different genders receive different media attention in sport, and to see whether this has an adverse effect on other issues such as participation. It is a clear fact that menRead MoreInfluence Of The Advertising Media On Gender And Representation Of Stereotypes1173 Words   |  5 PagesAbstract The advertising media often stereotypes gender roles either for added effects or for humor. Repeated use of these role-plays reinforces the public’s perception about how men and women should behave. This also shapes the expectations that society has towards them. The manipulation of these stereotypes by the media is an unconscious byproduct of the thinking of most men and women about what roles each gender should play. Deterministic theories emphasize that men and women evolve differentlyRead MoreWhat are the Effects of Representation and Self-regulation in the Media in Respect to Gender and Sexuality?2429 Words   |  10 PagesIntroduction Media in its numerous forms is an endemic part of modern life. We are continually exposed to media texts and their representations of gender and sexuality. In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in how these representations affect our perceptions of gender and sexuality. Initially I will define what is meant by representation and self-regulation in a media context. Secondly, I will examine debates around these issues including self-identity role models, privacy publicRead MoreMedia Representation Of The Media1149 Words   |  5 Pagesperson in the world has some access to media. Whether it is through electronics like social media or the internet, or through printed media, it shapes a person’s view on many aspects of society. Media represents a vast array of societal issues. â€Å"Media representation is a way in which the media portrays groups, communities, experiences, ideas or topics from a particular ideological or vale perspective† (Beach). One of the bigger issues media portrays is gender. In today’s culture the issue of the difference

Bloodlines Chapter Eleven Free Essays

BEFORE CLASS THE NEXT DAY, I left a message with someone at the Alchemists’ office, telling them I needed â€Å"Mr. and Mrs. Melrose† to send a note excusing Jill from PE – or at least from outdoor activities. We will write a custom essay sample on Bloodlines Chapter Eleven or any similar topic only for you Order Now I hoped they’d move quickly on this. The Alchemists were fast when they wanted to be, but they sometimes had odd ideas of what took priority. I hoped they didn’t have the same attitude toward Jill’s misery as Keith did. But I knew not to expect any action that day, so Jill had to suffer through another PE class – and I had to suffer through watching her suffer. What was really terrible was that Jill didn’t whine or try to get out of anything. She didn’t even show any sign of last night’s breakdown. She came in with determination and optimism, as though maybe this would be the day the sun wouldn’t affect her. Yet, before long, she began to wane just as she had last time. She looked sick and tired, and my own performance faltered a little because I kept watching her, afraid she’d pass out. Micah was the saving grace. Once again, he fearlessly switched teams – this time from the very start of class. He covered for her just as he had last time, allowing her to escape the notice of teacher and classmates – well, except for Laurel, who seemed to notice – and get annoyed by – everything he did. Her eyes flicked angrily between him and Jill, and she kept flinging her hair over her shoulder to get his attention. I was a little amused to note that Micah’s attention remained solely on keeping the ball away from Jill. Micah also jumped immediately to her side when class ended and had a water bottle ready, which she accepted gratefully. I was grateful too, but seeing his concern for her dredged up all my old worries. She was good to her word, however. She returned his attentions in a friendly way, but you definitely couldn’t call it flirting. He made no secret of his intentions, though, and I still worried that it would be better if she didn’t have to deal with them. I’d meant it when I said I trusted her, but I couldn’t help but think it’d be a lot easier on everyone if he laid off in his advances. This would require A Talk. Dreading what I had to do, I caught up with Micah outside the locker rooms. We were both waiting for Jill to finish up, and I took advantage of the alone time with him. â€Å"Hey, Micah,† I said, â€Å"I need to talk to you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hey,† he returned brightly. His blue eyes were wide and excited. â€Å"I had an idea I wanted to run past you. If you guys aren’t able to get a note for her, maybe you could see about getting her schedule switched around? If she took PE first period, it wouldn’t be nearly as hot out yet. Maybe it wouldn’t be as hard on her. I mean, she seems like she’d like to participate in some of this stuff.† â€Å"She would,† I said slowly. â€Å"And that’s a really good idea.† â€Å"I know some people who work in the office. I’ll ask them to run some options and see if it’s even possible with the rest of her classes.† He faked a pout. â€Å"I’ll be sad not to have her in class, but it’d be worth it to know she’s not so miserable.† â€Å"Yeah,† I agreed weakly, suddenly feeling at a loss. He really had come up with a good idea. He was even unselfish enough to give up the chance to be with her in order to promote the greater good. How could I have â€Å"the talk† with him now? How could I suddenly say, â€Å"Leave my sister alone,† when he was going out of his way to be so nice? I was as bad as Eddie, avoiding confrontation with Micah. This guy was too likable for his own good. Before I could manage a response, Micah then went off in an unexpected direction. â€Å"You really should get her to a doctor, though. I don’t think she has a sun allergy.† â€Å"Oh?† I asked in surprise. â€Å"Have you not been watching her suffer through class each day?† â€Å"No, no, believe me, she’s definitely got an issue with the sun,† he assured me quickly. â€Å"But she might be misdiagnosed. I read up on sun allergies, and people usually get rashes with them. This overall weakness she gets†¦ I don’t know. I think it might be something else.† Oh no. â€Å"Like what?† â€Å"I don’t know,† he mused. â€Å"But I’ll keep researching theories and let you know.† Wonderful. PE also gave me my first glimpse at one of Amberwood’s metallic tattoos in action. Greg Slade was impossible not to watch during class, and I wasn’t the only one who got distracted. Just as Kristin and Julia had said, he really was faster and stronger. He made dives no one else was quick enough to react to. When he hit the ball, it was a wonder we didn’t hear a sonic boom shortly thereafter. This earned him praise at first, but soon, I noticed something. There was a sloppy edge to his game. He was filled with ability, yes, but sometimes it was unfocused. Those powerful hits didn’t always help because he’d blast the ball out of bounds. And in running to make a shot, he rarely considered those around him. When a guy from my English class got knocked down flat on his back, simply for being in the path of Slade and the ball, Miss Carson stopped the game and roared her displeasure about Slade’s aggression. He took it in with a sulky smirk. â€Å"Too bad Eddie’s not in this class,† Jill said afterward. â€Å"He’d be a total match for Slade.† â€Å"Maybe it’s better no one notices,† I remarked. Eddie, from what I’d heard, was already a shining star in his PE class. It was part of a dhampir’s natural athleticism, and I knew he was actually working hard not to be too good at everything. I checked in with Ms. Terwilliger after PE, happy to find my teacher fully stocked with coffee of her own. I spent most of the period going through the book and taking notes on my laptop. Partway through, she came over to check my work. â€Å"You’re very organized,† she said, looking over my shoulder. â€Å"Headings and subheadings and sub-subheadings.† â€Å"Thank you,† I said. Jared Sage had been very particular in teaching his children research skills. Ms. Terwilliger took a sip of coffee and continued reading the screen. â€Å"You didn’t list the ritual and spell steps,† she pointed out moments later. â€Å"You just summarize them in a couple lines.† Well, yes, that was the point of note-taking. â€Å"I cite all the page numbers,† I said. â€Å"If you need to check the actual components, there’s an easy reference.† â€Å"No†¦ go back and put all the steps and ingredients in your notes. I want to be able to have them all in one place.† You do have them in one place, I wanted to say. In the book. Notes were about condensing the material, not retyping the original text word for word. But Ms. Terwilliger had already wandered away, staring at her filing cabinet absentmindedly as she muttered to herself about a misplaced folder. With a sigh, I flipped back to the beginning of the book, trying not to think about how this was going to set me back. At least I was only doing this for credit and not a grade. I stayed past the late bell in an effort to make up some lost time. When I got back to my room, I had to wake up Jill, who was sound asleep after her exhausting day. â€Å"Good news,† I told her as she blinked at me with sleepy eyes. â€Å"It’s feeding day.† Definitely words I never thought I’d say. I also didn’t think I’d be excited for it. And sure, I certainly wasn’t thrilled about the idea of Jill biting into Dorothy’s neck. I was, however, feeling pretty bad for Jill and was glad she’d get some nourishment. Being on such a limited supply of blood had to make things doubly hard for her. We met up with Eddie downstairs when it was time to go. He looked Jill over worriedly. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"I’m fine,† she said with a smile. She looked nowhere near as bad as she had earlier. I shuddered to think what Eddie would’ve done if he’d actually been in our class and seen her at her worst. â€Å"Why is this still going on?† he asked me. â€Å"Weren’t you going to talk to Keith?† â€Å"We’re a little delayed,† I said evasively, leading them to where Latte was parked in the student lot. â€Å"We’ll make it happen.† If the Alchemists didn’t come through with the note, I was going to try to act on Micah’s suggestion and get her switched into morning PE. â€Å"We know you will,† said Jill. I could just barely pick out the sympathy in her voice, reminding me that she knew about my fight with Keith yesterday. I hoped she wouldn’t mention it in front of Eddie and was saved when she switched to a more random and surprising topic. â€Å"Do you think we can pick up some pizza along the way? Adrian doesn’t want any more of Dorothy’s cooking.† â€Å"How terrible for him,† remarked Eddie, getting into the backseat and letting Jill ride shotgun. â€Å"Having a personal chef on hand to make him whatever he wants. I don’t know how he gets by.† I laughed, but Jill seemed outraged on Adrian’s behalf. â€Å"It’s not the same! She cooks really super-gourmet stuff.† â€Å"Still waiting for the problem,† said Eddie. â€Å"She tries to also make it really healthy. She says it’s better for Clarence. So, there’s never any salt and pepper or butter.† Jeez, how often did she and Adrian talk? â€Å"There’s no flavor or anything. It’s driving him crazy.† â€Å"Everything seems to be driving him crazy,† I remarked, remembering his plea for new lodging. â€Å"And he can’t have it too bad. Didn’t he go to LA last night?† Jill’s only answer was a frown. Nonetheless, I had a feeling we’d be hanging out at Clarence’s for a while, and I personally didn’t want to eat anything prepared in that house. So, it was more for selfish reasons that I agreed to stop at a takeout place en route and buy a few pizzas. Adrian’s face was radiant when we entered the sitting room, which – pool games aside – seemed to be his primary hangout at Clarence’s. â€Å"Jailbait,† he declared, leaping up. â€Å"You’re a saint. A goddess, even.† â€Å"Hey,† I said, â€Å"I’m the one who paid for them.† Adrian carried off one of the boxes to the couch, much to Dorothy’s dismay. She hurried off muttering about plates and napkins. Adrian gave me a conciliatory nod. â€Å"You’re okay too, Sage,† he said. â€Å"Well, well, what have we here?† Clarence came tottering into the room. I hadn’t noticed before, but he used a cane to get around. It had a crystal snake head on top, which was both impressive and scary. Just the kind of thing you’d picture for an old vampire. â€Å"Looks like a party.† Lee was with him, greeting us with smiles and nods. His eyes lingered briefly on Jill, and he made a point of sitting near her – but not too near. Jill perked up more than she had in days. Everyone was just starting to dive into the pizza when Dorothy appeared in the doorway with a new guest. I felt my eyes widen. It was Keith. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, keeping my voice neutral. He winked. â€Å"Came to check in on everybody and make sure all’s well. That’s my job – to look after everyone.† Keith was chipper and friendly as he helped himself to the pizza, with no indication of the fight we’d gotten into last time. He smiled and talked to everyone as though they were all best friends, leaving me totally bewildered. No one else seemed to think anything odd about his behavior – but then, why would they? None of them had my history with Keith. No – that wasn’t quite true. Despite being deep in conversation with Eddie, Adrian paused to give me a curious look, silently asking about yesterday’s fight. He glanced at Keith and then back to me. I shrugged helplessly, letting him know I was just as confused by the change of heart. Maybe Keith regretted his outburst from yesterday. Of course, that would’ve been much easier to accept if it had come with, oh, an apology. I nibbled on a piece of cheese pizza, but mostly I observed the others. Jill was animatedly recounting her first couple of days to Adrian, noticeably leaving out any of the negative parts. He listened to her indulgently, nodding and interjecting with occasional witty quips. Some of the stuff she told him was pretty basic, and I was surprised it hadn’t come up in their phone conversations. Maybe he just had so much to say at those times that there’d been no chance for her. As it was, he made no mention of his boredom or other grievances. Clarence occasionally chatted with Eddie and Lee, but his eyes constantly strayed to Jill. There was a wistful look in his gaze, and I remembered that his niece had only been a little older than Jill. I wondered if perhaps part of the reason he’d been so willing to take us all on was in an effort to reclaim some part of the family life that had been lost to him. Keith had sat down near me, at first making me uncomfortable but then later giving me a reason to pick his brain. Seeing the others engaged in conversation, I asked him softly, â€Å"Have you ever heard of knockoff Alchemist tattoos making it into the general population?† He gave me a startled look in return. â€Å"I don’t even know what that means.† â€Å"At Amberwood, there’s this trend. There’s apparently someplace in town that gives metallic tattoos, and they have special properties – kind of like ours. Some just kind of give off a high. Others kind of have a steroid effect.† He frowned. â€Å"They’re not bound with gold, are they?† â€Å"No. Silver and copper. So, they don’t last. Probably so the people giving them can make more money.† â€Å"But they can’t be ours, then,† he argued. â€Å"We haven’t used those metals for tattoos in centuries.† â€Å"Yeah, but someone may be using Alchemist technology to create these.† â€Å"Just to get people high?† he asked. â€Å"I wouldn’t even know how you’d go about that with metallic agents.† â€Å"I have some ideas,† I said. â€Å"And let me guess. They involve narcotic mixtures.† When I nodded, he sighed and gave me a look like I was ten years old. â€Å"Sydney, it’s most likely someone’s found a crude tattooing method that’s like ours but has no connection. If so, there’s nothing we can do about it. Drugs happen. Bad things happen. If it isn’t mixed with Alchemist business, then it isn’t our business.† â€Å"But what if it is connected to Alchemist business?† I asked. He groaned. â€Å"See? This is why I was worried about you coming, this tendency you have of running off with tangents and wild theories.† â€Å"I don’t – â€Å" â€Å"Please don’t embarrass me,† he hissed, casting a glance at the others. â€Å"Not with them, not with our superiors.† His rebuke silenced me, mostly from surprise. What did he mean about this â€Å"tendency† I had? Was he actually suggesting he had made some deep psychological analysis of me years ago? The idea that I would embarrass him was ludicrous†¦ and yet his words planted a seed of doubt in me. Maybe the tattoos at Amberwood were just an unrelated fad. â€Å"How’s PE?† Adrian’s words dragged me from my own thoughts. He was still getting the summary of school from Jill. She made a face at the question. â€Å"Not great,† she admitted, giving a recap of some of the worse moments. Eddie shot me a meaningful look, similar to the one from earlier. â€Å"You can’t go on like that,† exclaimed Lee. â€Å"The sun around here’s brutal.† â€Å"I agree,† said Keith, of all people. â€Å"Sydney, why didn’t you tell me how bad it was?† I think my jaw hit the floor. â€Å"I did! That’s why I was trying to get you to contact the school.† â€Å"You didn’t really give me the whole story.† He flashed one of his sugary smiles at Jill. â€Å"Don’t worry. I’ll take care of this for you. I’ll get in touch with school officials – and the Alchemists.† â€Å"I already talked to them,† I argued. But I might as well have not said anything. Keith had already switched topics and was talking to Clarence about something irrelevant. Where had this about-face come from? Yesterday, Jill’s discomfort had been low priority. Today, Keith was her knight in shining armor. And in the process, he was suggesting that I was the one who’d screwed up. That’s his plan, I realized. He doesn’t want me here. He never has. And then something even worse occurred to me. He’s going to use this to start building a case against me. Across the room, Adrian caught my eye again. He knew. He’d been eavesdropping when I talked to Keith in the driveway. Adrian started to speak, and I knew he was going to call Keith out on his lie. It was gallant but not what I wanted. I would deal with Keith myself. â€Å"How was LA?† I asked quickly before Adrian had a chance to say anything. He looked at me curiously, no doubt wondering why I wouldn’t let him be a witness to my case. â€Å"You went there with Lee last night, right?† Adrian looked confused, but a grin smoothed over his face. â€Å"Yeah,† he said at last. â€Å"It was great. Lee showed me college life.† Lee laughed. â€Å"I wouldn’t go that far. I don’t know where you were half the night.† Adrian got this look on his face that was somehow charming but made me want to slap him at the same time. â€Å"We parted ways. I was getting to know some of the other Moroi in the area.† Even Eddie couldn’t stay silent at that. â€Å"Oh, is that what you call it?† Jill abruptly stood up. â€Å"I’m going to get my blood now. Is that okay?† There was a moment of awkward silence, largely because I don’t think anyone really knew who she was asking permission from. â€Å"Of course, my dear,† said Clarence, stepping into his role as host. â€Å"I believe Dorothy’s in the kitchen.† Jill gave a curt nod and hurried out of the room. The rest of us exchanged puzzled glances. â€Å"Is something wrong?† asked Lee, looking worried. â€Å"Should I†¦ should I go talk to her?† â€Å"She’s still just stressed,† I said, not daring to mention the screaming or crying episodes. â€Å"I thought of something that might be fun for her†¦ for all of us to do,† he said tentatively. He glanced around and then settled his gaze on me. I guess I was the designated mother here. â€Å"If you think it’s okay. I mean†¦ it’s kind of silly, but I thought we could go mini-golfing in the evening. They’ve got all these fountains and pools on the course. She’s a water user, right? She must be missing it out here.† â€Å"She does,† said Eddie, frowning. â€Å"She mentioned it yesterday.† I shivered. Keith had been texting on his phone and froze. No matter our differences, we still shared a core of similar training, and both of us were uneasy with the idea of Moroi magic. â€Å"She’d probably like that a lot,† said Adrian. He sounded reluctant to admit it. I think he was still uneasy with the idea of Lee being interested in Jill, no matter how friendly the two guys were. Lee’s idea was both innocent and conscientious. Hard to find fault with. Lee tilted his head thoughtfully. â€Å"You have a later curfew on the weekends, right? Do you want to go tonight?† It was Friday, granting us an extra hour extension at our dorm. â€Å"I’m game,† said Adrian. â€Å"Literally and figuratively.† â€Å"If Jill’s there, I’m there,† said Eddie. They looked at me. I was trapped. I wanted to go back and catch up on homework. Saying that sounded pathetic, though, and I supposed I had to represent as Jill’s only female chaperone. Besides, I reminded myself, this assignment wasn’t about me and my academics, no matter how much I pretended it was. It was about Jill. â€Å"I can go,† I said slowly. Thinking that this sounded very much like fraternizing with vampires, I glanced uneasily at Keith. He’d gone back to texting now that magic wasn’t being discussed. â€Å"Keith?† I asked by way of permission. He looked up. â€Å"Huh? Oh, I can’t go. I have to be somewhere.† I tried not to grimace. He’d misread me and thought I was inviting him. On the bright side, he also wasn’t objecting to the rest of us going. â€Å"Ah, how nice,† said Clarence. â€Å"An outing for you young people. Perhaps you’ll share a glass of wine with me first?† Dorothy was just entering with a bottle of red wine, Jill trailing behind her. Clarence smiled at Adrian. â€Å"I know you’d like a glass.† Adrian’s expression said he most definitely would. Instead, Adrian took a deep breath and shook his head. â€Å"I’d better not.† â€Å"You should,† said Jill gently. Even after a short drink of blood, she looked full of life and energy. â€Å"Can’t,† he said. â€Å"It’s the weekend,† she told him. â€Å"It’s not that big of a deal. Especially if you’re careful.† The two locked gazes and then at last, he said, â€Å"All right. Pour me a glass.† â€Å"Pour me one too, please,† said Keith. â€Å"Really?† I asked him. â€Å"I didn’t know you drank.† â€Å"I’m twenty-one,† he countered. Adrian accepted his from Dorothy. â€Å"Somehow, I’m thinking that’s not Sage’s concern. I thought Alchemists avoided alcohol the same way they do primary colors.† I glanced down. I was wearing gray. Keith was wearing brown. â€Å"One glass won’t hurt,† said Keith. I didn’t argue with him. It wasn’t my place to babysit Keith. And the Alchemists didn’t have rules against drinking per se. We had strong religious beliefs about what it meant to live a good and pure lifestyle, and drinking was generally looked down upon. Was it forbidden? No. It was a custom, one I considered important. If he didn’t, I guessed that was his choice. Keith was just bringing the glass to his lips when Adrian said, â€Å"Mmm. O positive, my favorite.† Keith sprayed out the wine he’d just drunk and promptly started coughing. I was relieved that none got on me. Jill burst into giggles, and Clarence stared at his glass wonderingly. â€Å"Is it? I thought it was a cabernet sauvignon.† â€Å"So it is,† said Adrian, straight-faced. â€Å"My mistake.† Keith gave Adrian a tight smile, like he too thought it was a funny joke, but I wasn’t fooled. Keith was mad at having been mocked, and no matter how friendly he pretended to be with everyone, his views against vampires and dhampirs were as harsh as they’d ever been. Of course, Adrian probably wasn’t helping matters any. I thought it was pretty funny, honestly, and worked to hide my smile so that Keith wouldn’t get mad at me again. It was hard to do because shortly thereafter, Adrian flashed me a secret, knowing smile that seemed to say, That’s payback for earlier. Eddie glanced at Jill. â€Å"I’m glad you got your blood today. I know you’ve been wanting to learn some defense moves, but I wanted to wait until you were back up to strength.† Jill lit up. â€Å"Can we do it tomorrow?† â€Å"Of course,† he said, looking nearly as delighted by this as she did. Keith frowned. â€Å"Why should she learn to fight when she’s got you around?† Eddie shrugged. â€Å"Because she wants to, and she should have every edge she can get.† He didn’t specifically mention the attempts on her life – not in front of Lee and Clarence – but the rest of us understood. â€Å"I thought Moroi weren’t good at fighting, though,† said Keith. â€Å"Mostly because they haven’t trained for it. They aren’t as strong as us, sure, but their reflexes are better than yours,† explained Eddie. â€Å"It’s just a matter of learning the skills and having a good teacher.† â€Å"Like you?† I teased. â€Å"I’m not bad,† he said modestly. â€Å"I can train anyone who wants to learn.† He elbowed Adrian, who was reaching for the wine and a refill. â€Å"Even this guy.† â€Å"No, thank you,† said Adrian. â€Å"These hands don’t sully themselves with fighting.† â€Å"Or with manual labor,† I remarked, recalling past comments of his. â€Å"Exactly,† he said. â€Å"But maybe you should have Castile show you how to throw a punch, Sage. It might come in handy. Seems like a skill a plucky young woman like yourself should possess.† â€Å"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, but I’m not really sure when I’d need it,† I said. â€Å"Of course she needs to learn!† Clarence’s exclamation caught all of us by surprise. I’d actually thought he was dozing off since he’d had his eyes closed moments ago. But now, he was leaning forward with a zealous expression. I cringed under the intensity of his stare. â€Å"You must learn to protect yourself!† He pointed at me, then moved on to Jill. â€Å"And you. Promise me you’ll learn to defend yourself. Promise me.† Jill’s light green eyes went wide with shock. She tried to give him a reassuring smile, though it was tinged with uneasiness. â€Å"Of course, Mr. Donahue. I’m trying to. And until then, I’ve got Eddie to protect me from Strigoi.† â€Å"Not Strigoi!† His voice dropped to a whisper. â€Å"The vampire hunters.† None of us said anything. Lee looked mortified. Clarence squeezed his wineglass so tightly that I worried it would break. â€Å"No one talked about this back then – about defending ourselves. Maybe if Tamara had learned something, she wouldn’t have been killed. It’s not too late for you – for either of you.† â€Å"Dad, we’ve been over this,† said Lee. Clarence ignored him. The old man’s gaze flicked between me and Jill, and I wondered if he even knew I was human. Or maybe it didn’t matter. Maybe he just had a slightly deranged protective instinct toward all girls the same age as Tamara. I kind of expected Keith to tactlessly point out that there were no such things as vampire hunters, but he was uncharacteristically quiet. Eddie was the one who finally spoke, his words soothing and kind. He so often gave off the impression of a do-or-die warrior that it was surprising to realize he was actually very compassionate. â€Å"Don’t worry,† said Eddie. â€Å"I’ll help them. I’ll keep them safe and make sure nothing bad happens to them, okay?† Clarence still looked agitated but focused on Eddie hopefully. â€Å"You promise? You won’t let them kill Tamara again?† â€Å"I promise,† said Eddie, in no way indicating how weird the request was. Clarence studied Eddie a few more seconds and then nodded. â€Å"You’re a good boy.† He reached for the wine bottle and topped off his glass. â€Å"More?† he asked Adrian, as though nothing had happened. â€Å"Yes, please,† said Adrian, holding out his glass. We continued the conversation as though nothing had happened, but the shadow of Clarence’s words continued to hang over me. How to cite Bloodlines Chapter Eleven, Essay examples

Business Report On Airtasker Free Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Business Report On Airtasker. Answer: Introduction With its headquarters in Sydney, Airtasker was founded in 2012 by the collaborative idea of Australian entrepreneurs Tim Fung and Jonathan Lui. As a matter of specification, the company enables the users to outsource tasks related to mobile and marketing (Airtasker.com, 2018). After the users describe the task, a budget is set, allowing the community members to complete the task. Following the footsteps of the Tim Fung and Jonathan Lui has assisted 120 employees to take the sales revenue of the company to $3.5 million AUD. Seeking innovation in the business has acted as an agent for the company to reach 1,700,000 users. Thirst for success proved effective in terms of raising the revenue to AUD $1.5 million immediately after the launch (Airtasker.com, 2018). Business model canvas for Airtasker Key relationship between the building blocks of business model canvas Partnership with the TaskBox and CareerOne helps Airtasker to reach to large number of customers. Surfing the website makes the personnel aware of the users and the tasks, which they wish to complete. Promise of high rated insurance is an indication towards the achievement of loyalty, trust and dependence from the customers (Besteiro, Pinto Novaski, 2015). Offers, schemes and discounts on the tasks enable the personnel to increase the trafficking of the audience towards the brand image. From this lot, the personnel pick out the unemployed youth for enhancing their employment. Bidding is the main activity carried out by the personnel in terms of valuing the purchasing power of the users (Airtasker.com, 2018). Although premium-pricing method is used, however, the users are provided with the opportunity to review the tasks prior to finalizing the task to be completed. Offers, schemes and discounts are awarded on certain tasks for luring the users as well as the workers (Chang, 2016). P ositive response escalates the sales revenue of the company along with the profit margin. Making effective and judicious use of the latest design IT systems enhances the stability in the relationship with the customers (Airtasker.com, 2018). Critical success factors, which helped Airtasker to achieve sustainable growth Free posting of the tasks added to the stock of customers for Airtasker. This reflects the consciousness of the personnel towards the specific needs, demands and requirements of the stakeholders and shareholders (Doppelt, 2017). Along with this, allowing the users to review the offers on the tasks is valuation towards the purchasing power of the customers (Airtasker.com, 2018). Allotment of the right person for getting the work done has enabled the staffs to execute the business activities in an efficient and effective manner (Gamble Thompson, 2014). Top rated insurance is one of the other aspects relating to the achievement of growth. Prevention of the third party interference ensures the safety and security of the users. Following the guidelines of CGU Insurance proved effective in terms of averting the instances of personal injury or property damage during execution of the tasks. Making the payment process secure has eased the burden of the users in terms of outsourcing more tasks (Goetsch Davis, 2014). Taking into consideration Airtasker Pay has stabilized the financial parameter of the company. The decision of the users matters the most as compared to the payment (Airtasker.com, 2018). Creation of jobs has enhanced the employment of the youths. Usage of social media has resulted in the creation of over $215 million jobs. Availability of $15.40 jobs per month has enhanced the trafficking of the audience towards the brand image. Getting employed in Airtasker has provided job satisfaction to the staffs. This is due to a stable income, which helps them in their survival strategies (Gollenia, 2016). Evaluation of the factors, which can cause downside risk Risks are an inseperable part of the business in companies and organizations. Risks vary in their intensity, possessing flexibility to add vulnerability to the market position. Financial risks deprive the personnel from fulfilling the specific needs and preferences of the customers (Maylor, Blackmon Huemann, 2016). This segment sheds light on the factors, which can cause downside risk for Airtasker in terms of their business (Airtasker.com, 2018). The nature of business operations in Airtasker is online. Therefore, the biggest risk is cyber crime. Non-compliance to the CGU guidelines can result in utter loss. Negligence in monitoring the performance of the staffs is also a risk in terms of ensuring the security and safety of the users. Along with this, delay in repayment of the loans can strain the relationship between the company and the stakeholders (Parris et al., 2016). If the users do not get access to the websites, it is a loss for the company in terms of achieving high revenue and profit margin. Negligence of the personnel towards this issue is a risk, as it would add vulnerability in the market position of the company. If the personnel are not conscious towards the installation of the security software in the profile of the users is also a risk (Airtasker.com, 2018). This is in terms of shredding off the responsibilities towards ensuring the wellbeing of the customers. This attitude puts the employment of the personnel at risk. Defective systems stall the productivity of the company. This is an issue in times of completing the projects. The defective systems disrupt the process of transmission of orders from the customers to the personnel (Rosemann Brocke, 2015). This disruption results in the improper completion of the tasks, compelling the personnel to receive complaints from the customers. The major drive behind this is the lack of planning, which results in the failure towards completion of the tasks within the stipulated time and the terms and conditions (Weiss, 2014). Elongated process of outsourcing the tasks makes the process complicated for the users. If the systems takes too long for providing appropriate workers to complete the tasks, then it can be the intervention of the hackers or malfunctioning due to virus attacks (Airtasker.com, 2018). This is because of the absence of privacy cookies and policies, resulting in the loss of users personal data and information (Wheelen et al., 2017). Self-reflection on the changes to the business If the Airtasker business were mine, first, I would have created plans. This planning would have helped me to organize the tasks according to their priority. In this, I would have involved the board of directors, stakeholders and the shareholders. This would have proved beneficial in terms of gaining an insight into their approach towards the developed plans. After this, I would have sent a draft to the higher authorities regarding the developed plans and strategies for gaining their approval towards the plans. After gaining the approval from the higher authorities, I would have constructed a team, which is strong and flexible for carrying out the assigned duties and responsibilities. For this, I would have considered Tuckmans stages of team development. This consideration would have assisted in estimating the progress. After the creation of the team, I would have adopted equal distribution of tasks to the team members. Prior to this, I would have appointed a team leader, who would be responsible for managing the performance of the team members. Before beginning the tasks, I would have provided training sessions to both the team leaders and the members, briefing the project and their roles towards making the project successful. These sessions would have enriched their preconceived skills, expertise and knowledge regarding management. I would have taken post-training tests for assessing the capability of the members towards making practical application of the learnt skills in executing the workplace operations. This assessment would also be crucial for me in terms of appraising the performance of the team leaders as well as the members. I would organize counseling sessions with the employees in order to see if they are facing any problems while carrying out the assigned duties and responsibilities. This activity would enhance the stability in our relationship. I think organizing discussion forums would provide the employees with a platform to voice out their opinion regarding the workplace issues. This type of attitude would reflect my concern towards providing a safe and comfortable workplace to the employees. In order to provide job security, I would have introduced security policies. Within this, if the employees face any kind of accident or injury in the workplace, the company will bear the charge of medicines, hospitals and treatment. In return, a small amount would be deducted from the employees salary. Along with this, I would take feedbacks from them regarding improving the standards and quality of the business. This would help in achieving infrastructural development, which is an agent in terms of attracting the customers. Evaluation would be an important part of my daily activities. This would help me to identify the drawbacks within the ways and means for carrying out the business activities. I would maintain consistency in evaluating the effectiveness of the exposed performance in terms of the identified goals and objectives for upgrading the standards and quality of business. Conclusion and recommendations This assignment proves successful in providing an insight into the current business practices adopted by Airtasker. The business model canvas acts as a summary for the business activities carried out by the company for enhancing the productivity. collaboration is the main aspect followed by Airtasker for achieving positive outcomes in the business. Herein lays the correlation with the heading relationship between the nine building blocks of the business model canvas. Risk mitigation helps the personnel in achieving trust, loyalty and dependence from the customers. Strategies and policies need to be developed by the managers for assuring the customers that their investments would be valued. Training would be crucial in terms of upgrading the preconceived skills, knowledge and expertise regarding management. Evaluation would bring to the forefront the major drawbacks in the business practices. Maintaining consistency in the execution of evaluation would be a cornerstone in penetrating into the international markets. References and bibliography Airtasker.com (2018), Get more done, Retrieved 25th March, 2018 from https://www.airtasker.com/ Besteiro, E. N. C., Pinto, J. D., Novaski, O. (2015). Success factors in project management.BusinessManagement Dynamics,4(9), 19-34. Chang, J. F. (2016).Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. CRC Press. Doppelt, B. (2017).Leading change toward sustainability: A change-management guide for business, government and civil society. Routledge. Gamble, J., Thompson, A. A. (2014).Essentials of strategic management. Irwin Mcgraw-Hill. Goetsch, D. L., Davis, S. B. (2014).Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson. Gollenia, L. A. (2016).Business transformation management methodology. Routledge. Maylor, H., Blackmon, K., Huemann, M. (2016).Researching business and management. Palgrave. Parris, D. L., Dapko, J. L., Arnold, R. W., Arnold, D. (2016). Exploring transparency: a new framework for responsible business management.Management Decision,54(1), 222-247. Rosemann, M., vom Brocke, J. (2015). The six core elements of business process management. InHandbook on business process management 1(pp. 105-122). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Weiss, J. W. (2014).Business ethics: A stakeholder and issues management approach. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Wheelen, T. L., Hunger, J. D., Hoffman, A. N., Bamford, C. E. (2017).Strategic management and business policy. pearson.