High School and Handball Essay

There ought to consistently be something uncommon to you that will make you feel good inside when you consider it. As I sit at home ordinary, I think about this uncommon thing that will light up my day and get me off my seat. As far as I can recall, handball was one of only a handful hardly any things I never got exhausted of in my life. Handball to me is in excess of a game or something to past time. It has been a path for me to meet new individuals and make new companions. Everything started when I was a little child. I would consistently mess around and never stop regardless of whether my folks removed them. Be that as it may, nothing could prevent me from awakening around evening time furtively, and playing my Game Boy until I nodded off. At that point there was that one day when my mother got me this red fun ball. She instructed me to play with it rather than my moronic games. I tuned in to her, and I began playing with the ball every day. Around then, I didn’t recognize what this ball would bring to my life, yet soon I understood. Subsequent to playing endless hours, I quit keeping awake until late, in light of the fact that I was so depleted. I didn’t simply ricochet the ball around my home since I was exhausted. Some of the time, I tossed it at my home dividers and smacked it back with my hand so it wouldn’t move beyond me. This was likely when I originally began planning something comparable for what we know as â€Å"handball. † As I was a young person, there was this park over the road from my middle school. The recreation center was very enormous and was called Seth Low Park. I recall one day, during sixth grade, a companion of mine, named Nabeel inquired as to whether I needed to play handball with him after school at Seth Low Park. Energetically, I disclosed to him that I couldn't want anything more than to, yet I didn’t realize how to play. He didn’t mind, so after school that day, I went to play with him. He disclosed to me that all I needed to do was hit the ball to the divider with my hands. I was anxious to attempt this game, so I rehearsed with him consistently. He saw that I was a snappy student and inquired as to whether I at any point played handball previously. I disclosed to him I used to smack a ball around at home and he remarked on how well I could restore the ball to the divider. I didn’t realize what to state. This was my first time playing, and it appeared as though I was a superior player than he was. I surmise I truly was destined to be a handball player. As years passed by, the main thing that I thought about was school and handball. At whatever point I worried from school or needed to feel free and away from work, I would get into my shorts and head out to play. Nothing matters to me when I step on the court. I overlook everything and simply focus on my game. My affection for handball was incredible to such an extent that when the sun had set and the sky was dull, I was still at the recreation center swinging endlessly my arm. At times my arm started to hurt in the wake of playing for a few hours however I kept on playing, overlooking the agony. Indeed, even with these symptoms, handball has helped me improve my reflexes and expanded my endurance. Indeed, even right up 'til the present time I despite everything play handball. My present mirrors my past on how I play. I continue showing signs of improvement and better and now and then I meet new individuals, who are far and away superior to me or individuals who play around my level. What's more, as I improve, I helped them understand their slip-ups and imperfections which made me a superior player too. At the point when I have a hard game, I feel tested and it’s a brilliant inclination when you step on a court with another great player. At the point when I win, it feels shockingly better however when I lose I realize I attempted my best. Be that as it may, as I played increasingly more handball, I understood I had a blessing in this game. I couldn’t stand by to play in genuine rivalry in secondary school. Obviously, I understood I was better then many individuals, so I went for the Madison handball crew. I was truly astonished when I got in light of the fact that I needed to play against the top players in the school. I was certain to the point that I would not make the cut, however I did and I was truly energized. I couldn’t sit tight for the first practice and perceive how great the group was. Following a couple of long stretches of training, I understood there were a great deal of good players in the group. This inspired me to rehearse more earnestly and show signs of improvement at the game. Later on, I trust I will have sufficient opportunity to keep playing handball. It has hugy affected my life and I will always remember about it. It is both an incredible game, and a companion to me that has helped me through harsh occasions. At the point when I didn't have the foggiest idea what to do, I went to handball. It takes my brain off issues and in particular, when I need it, its there. Meeting new individuals through handball and turning out to be companions with them is an awesome thing. There is continually something to impart to them and they are consistently there at the handball courts with you. Handball will consistently have an extraordinary spot in my life in light of the fact that without it, I would be another exhausting individual.

Mormon religion strengths and weakness Essay

The Mormon religion was at first perceived as Church of Jesus Christ and is a reclamation of the previous church that had been found by Jesus. As indicated by the â€Å"facts† article, there are around 14 million Mormon adherents and do meet in approximately 30, 000 gatherings all inclusive. It was set up by Joseph Smith in the year 1830 in USA. It trains that Christianity is renegade and really God had raised Joseph Smith to be a prophet so as to reestablish Christianity. They accept that the utilization of the good book isn't sufficient to uncover what we should know and accept that all the disclosures that were found by Smith were sacred texts. They base their arrangement of religion on teachings just as agreement books. Mormonism teaches that there was a period that God was really a man henceforth, man may one day become God. It is hence basic to have a spotlight on the qualities and shortcoming of the Mormon religion. As per the â€Å"Mormon religion† article, one of the shortcomings in this religion is that the majority of Joseph’s forecasts never happen. Consequently the vast majority contend that he was not so much a prophet of God. In 1891, Joseph affirmed that before he accomplishes 85 years, Jesus Christ would return. He anyway didn't arrive at the age of 85 since he got killed in the year 1844. Jesus Christ didn't return. He had bogus predictions. For instance, he forecasted in the year 1832, that the USA common war, that the British would be included and it would broaden all around. He additionally forecasted on government’s destruction at Missouri since he was disappointed with the administration yet it never became. Smith just uncovered on what a bogus prophet he truly was. One of its qualities is that it shows up great to individuals who have no clue about the sacred texts. They have an efficient just as a lot of cash for sponsorship it. They barely encourage their bizarre convictions until later when one gets purified through water. The religion is feeble most definitely. The planned Mormons are generally convinced to revere God and inquire as to whether Mormon’s book is truly obvious. They are empowered by being informed that the answer will come by means of consuming sensation originating from their chest. Notwithstanding, the majority of them don't try to examine this book. Mormons don't follow the sacred texts of their book in this manner rendering the religion powerless. Mormon religion advances segregation. It instructs that the creatures which battled valiantly for God had gone to the earth as the whites and the individuals who didn't battle were blacks. In this way, for a long time the blacks couldn't be named as ministers in the Mormon religion and love framework (Michael, 2006). Joseph Smith accepted that the Negroes were sub-par in the general public and furthermore accepted that if the dark individuals would be treated similarly as others they would end up being increasingly profitable, astute and prosperous. This has prompted so much discussion rendering the religion to be bigot. The congregation additionally advocate for polygamy. Despite the fact that they may have some abnormal precepts they have a few qualities too most definitely. Individuals from the Mormon religion are better than different religions to the extent continuing of the marriage culture is concerned (Maggie, 2007). They as a rule do this through taking part effectively and completely in the advanced life. Roughly 77% of youngsters matured somewhere in the range of 13 and 17 censure sex and bolster sex just for the wedded individuals (Maggie, 2007). They accept that sex before marriage isn't right and its pleasurable whenever spared distinctly for marriage. The Mormon individuals are probably not going to have youngsters without any father present (Maggie, 2007). Likewise their other quality is that they have confidence in an evidentiary confidence. They accept that individuals can go to God and get a few answers that they need and this basically is the ground base of religion. The shortcoming in this base is that, if the supporters don't prevail in the wake of supplicating, they wind up leaving the congregation since a large portion of them do it for proof purposes. As indicated by the â€Å"advantages of Mormonism’ article, the quality of Mormonism is that it is generally open undoubtedly when contrasted with the preservationist zeal. Nonetheless, the majority of the indispensable components of this religion are not demonstrated experimentally and their book is difficult to clarify. Additionally the Mormon religion is so much focused deductively in this way doesn't take care of the greater part of the religious issues. With regards to pragmatic religions, Mormons are superior to most. They have government assistance framework that deals with their kindred partners and do rehearse association. Their government assistance framework focuses for the most part on social issues, wellbeing matters and issues to do with foundation. The Mormon Church has a shortcoming since it doesn't make it simple for its individuals to at long last leave the congregation (Richard, 2009). It for the most part knows better than the individuals know and generally ensures one against them. This is a shortcoming since everyone has the opportunity to adore. In the US and other law based associations one is ensured the opportunity of religion and affiliation. Regardless of whether the Mormon is a religion that can be depended on or not, that isn't the fundamental issue. The fundamental issue is that it has the two imperfections just as qualities and it is dependent upon the individuals to conclude whether to be engaged with it or not. Works Cited Advantages of Mormonism. Mormon power and philosophy. (2007). Recovered 20, May, 2010<http://www. lextek. com/clark/10976. html Facts. (N. d) Retrieved 20, May, 2010<http://www. themormonreligion. com/particle Gallagher, Maggie. The Mormon favorable position. (2007). Recovered 20, May, 2010< http://www. realclearpolitics. com/articles/2007/04/the_mormon_advantage. html Michael. Mormon religion. Christian confidence. (2006). Recovered 20, May,

A Beginners Guide to BookTube

A Beginners Guide to BookTube BookTube may sound like a root vegetable, but it’s actually an incredibly vibrant community of people who vlog (that’s video blog for those of you who are unfamiliar with the lingo) about books on YouTube. There’s something for everyone on BookTube, from hilarious reviews of 50 Shades of Grey… [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRH8fc3hyxk[/youtube] …to stop-motion videos of books getting their groove on… [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKVcQnyEIT8[/youtube] …and animated shorts, like this one about a girl who hates to read and has to tackle the biggest, baddest TBR stack ever. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Efrg23Sqe8[/youtube] There are tons of amazing BookTube channels out there. John Green and his brother, Hank, make up the VlogBrothers, the hit channel that spawned the mega-fandom/bastion of awesomeness that is Nerdfighteria. The show isn’t strictly about books, but the Green brothers are involved in other bookish YouTube projects as well. John teaches literature on CrashCourse and Hank is heavily involved with Pemberley Digital, the company that produced The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, Welcome to  Sanditon, and Emma Approvedâ€"all modern-day episodic adaptations of Jane Austen novels. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgDwaJ0WCVE[/youtube] The creativity in the booktubesphere (that is definitely a real word) never ceases to amaze me. Take, for example, CSLewisDoodle, a channel that features live action illustrations of C.S. Lewis essays. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3MWVMKKY3A[/youtube] Then there’s Thug Notes, a channel that summarizes and analyzes classic books in the language of the gangsters. For those that don’t speak gangsta, it gives a whole new perspective on literature. I don’t believe I’ve ever heard Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights referred to as an emo landlord before. It’s the shizzle nizzle, yo. (You’re right, I have no idea what that means, but it sounds hardcore.) [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oU0PtX85DY[/youtube] There are also a huge number of “traditional” BookTubersâ€"people who do pretty much the exact same thing as the rest of us book bloggers, but in video format. Here are a few of my favorites: The Readables  covers everything from YA to classic literature. Thanks to good lighting, editing, and amazing graphic artistry, this channel is one of the most visually stunning on BookTube. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8xgBlafsqU[/youtube] Elizziebooks is a cornerstone of BookTube. She has her finger on the pulse of the book vlogging community and does a weekly BookTube News feature. Little Book Owl is Australian, has pink hair, and loves to read. Nuff said. [youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ab2BWdNZ3Swindex=5[/youtube] booksandquills has an MA in English Literature and vlogs about everything from YA to sci-fi to the classics. Other terrific BookTube channels you should definitely check out include: ArielBissett, Benjaminoftomes, Bookables, BookRatMisty, CassJayTuck, Chapter Chicks, GingerBookNerd, jessethereader, Katytastic, padfootandprongs07, PeruseProject, polandbananasBOOKS, priceiswong,  rincey reads, and TheEighthPotter. There are thousands of other amazing bookish YouTube channels out there. What are some of your favorites? ____________________ Did you know that Book Riot has a  YouTube channel? We do. It’s new and we are having fun with it. Check it out  here.

Holiday Companies Product

Sample details Pages: 14 Words: 4231 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Statistics Essay Did you like this example? Holiday Inn Corporation Analysis I. Introduction (600) The term of globalization describes a number of processes by which products, people, companies, money and information are able to move freely and quickly around, unimpeded by national borders or other territorial limitations (Morrison, 2002). Benefited from that, multinational organizations are booming in the world market. Globalization opens up new opportunities for multinational corporations, but it also creates new risks and something uncertainties. The aim of this paper is to examine the internationalization process of Holiday Inn hotel chain, one of the famous multinational corporations in budget hotel industry, with the framework of Porters Diamond and transnational management typology. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Holiday Companies Product | Business Dissertations" essay for you Create order 1.1 Overview of Budget hotel industry in the USA A budget hotel is described as a hotel that is economical, as well as being clean and comfortable. Generally, budget hotels only provide bed and breakfast. They are as good as three-star hotels, but have no resplendent lobby, no conference rooms or entertainment centers. Some dont even have dining halls. The budget hotel sector exists as a hotel business as part of to the traditional full service hotel business that offers standard facilities and services. (Xinhua Daily, retrieved 2007) After the Second World War, the prosperity of Americas economy led to the development of domestic tourism, which resulted in a great demand for inexpensive accommodation; furthermore, the building of an inter-city expressway network led to the motels becoming popular. For instance, in 1952, the Holiday Inn chain of hotels was founded by Kemmons Wilson to provide inexpensive family accommodation for travelers within the USA. From the late 1980s to the late 1990s, Large hotel groups preferred merger and acquisition of existing brands to create new brands. Since entering the 21st century, the budget hotel sector has started a new rapid growth. The main manifestation of this stage is the development of budget hotels in developing countries. The famous budget hotel brands, such as Ibis, Formula 1, Super 8, Days Inn, and Holiday Inn Express, have been entered into the Asian market (green). Due to Luxury hotels were considered as not economical, and inexpensive hotels were neither sanitary nor practical, the growth of budget hotels is increasing fast. According to statistical data collected by AHLA (American Hotel Lodging Association) in 2006, the number of budget hotels in the US is about 60,000 and the average occupied rate approximately 70 percent of the U.S. hotel market. Meanwhile, a survey of oversea tourism shows the proportion of revenue of budget hotels is 64% in the US hotel industry. C. The Holiday Inn Corporation overview Holiday Inn hotel is one of typical international budget hotels chains. It was founded in 1952 in the USA to provide inexpensive family accommodation for travelers within the USA. By 1968 there were 1000 Inns across the country. In 1988, Holiday Inns International was purchased by Bass PLC, the owner of a UKs beer brand, followed by the remaining domestic Holiday Inn hotels in 1990. The remainder of Holiday Corporation was spun off to shareholders as Promus Companies Incorporated. In March 1998, Bass acquired the InterContinental brand, expanding into the luxury hotel market. With more than 1,400 properties worldwide and nearly 1,000 in the U.S., Holiday Inn is the most recognized lodging brand in the world. (Holiday Inn from Wikipedia: retrieved 2007). D. Structure of the project This paper will be mainly organized as four parts: introduction, literature review, company analysis and conclusion. In the literature review section, the framework of Porters Diamond transnational management typology will be explained in details. After the competitive advantage analysis of American Budget Hotel industry, a company analysis of Holiday Inn chain of hotels will be discussed from competitive challenge, collaborative challenge, organizational challenge, and cultural challenge aspects. II. Literature review Porters Diamond Analysis Traditionally, economic theory discuss many factors for comparative advantage for regions or nations, such as land, location, natural resources (minerals, energy, etc.), labor force, and local population known as Heckscher-Ohlin Theory (Ball and McCulloch, 1999). However, by studying a hundred firms in ten developed countries, Michael Porter argued that a nation can create new advanced factors such as knowledge based workforce, advanced technology, and government support, etc. He believed those classical theories of comparative advantage are incomprehensive, so that he claimed Porters Diamond of national competitive advantage (Porter, 1990). Porters Diamond (Figure 1) is a diamond shaped diagram of the basis of a framework to illustrate the determinations of national competitive advantage. This model represents why the nation achieve in a particular industry from four factors: Factor conditions, Demand Conditions, Related and Supporting Industries, and Firm Strategy, Structure and Rivalry. Besides, chance and government are two extended factors in the model. The factor of chance is uncontrollable, while the impact of government is hard to neglect (). Factor Condition Factor conditions (also called as Factor Endowments) refer to inputs used as factors of production. Porter divided factors into basic factors (Heckscher-Ohlin theory) and advanced factors; general factors and specialized factors (Ball and McCulloch, 1999). Porter emphasized that the key factors of production (or specialized factors) are created, not inherited (Porter, 1990) The basic factors include raw materials, unskilled labor, climate, location, etc, while the advanced factors refer to technology, information, transportation and other infrastructure, skilled labor, and research and development sectors. Porter believes that the importance of basic factors is much less than the advanced factors, due to the decrease of demand (Porter. 1990). And an international firm can easily gain those basic factors from the whole world network. In contrast, the importance of advanced factors in achieving competitive advantages is indubitable. Due to the difficulty of gaining advanced factors from outside, firms must take effort on the staff training and investment heavy and continually. Specialized factors are necessary in each specialized industry, and lead to bring more competitive advantages. Porter pointed out that if a country builds up its competitive advantages on the basic and general factors, it is unsteadily. In real competition, abundant resources and cheap cost may lead to inefficiency on utilizing resources. In contrast, some disadvantages may make the stress on innovation (Porter, 1990). Demand conditions Domestic and local demand shapes the attributes of domestically made products and encourages upgrading competitive advantage (Bartlett, 2008). Firms that face a sophisticated domestic market are likely to sell superior products. Because of the market demands on high quality products, firms are able to get better understanding of the needs and desires of the fastidious customers (ibid). The other aspect is anticipatory buyer needs. If the nations discriminating values spread to other countries, it helps local firms anticipate global trends. And then the local firms will be competitive in the global market (). Related and supporting industries Porter pointed out that a series of strong related and supporting industries is also vital for the competitiveness of firms. He mentioned that Home-based competitiveness in related industries provides similar benefits: Information flow and technical interchange speed the rate of innovation and upgrading. A home-based related industry also increase the likelihood that companies will embrace new skills, and it also provides a source of entrants who will bring a novel approach to competing (Bartlett, 2000, pp230). Porter also pointed out the impact of Industrial Cluster, a phenomenon of competitors locating in the same area. It brings both positive and negative influence, i.e., it helps the cooperation with the first class suppliers, and builds a close relationship with upstream and/or downstream industries. However, it has potential risks that poaching of employees by rival companies and obvious increasing in competition (). Firm strategy, structure and rivalry Porter emphasized that the motivation, which leads firms to be international, is very important. It may be from the international demand, the stress from local rival, or the market base. Nations are more likely to gain success where the management practices and modes of organization favored by the national environment are well suited to the industries sources of competitive advantage (Porter, 1990. pp108). Porter also argues that countries will tend to be more competitive in particular industries because of they have fit management style which may be differed from others. Meanwhile, intense competition helps the process of innovation. In addition, international competition is not as intense as the general consideration. In international market, companies are different enough due to their own national environment, culture and value to survival in each particular industry. The other reason is a successful product, before being international, must experience an intense competition and then gain achievement in its domestic market (Porter, 1990). Chance and government Along with the four competitive determinants, Porter also emphasized the role of chance and government in the diamond model. Chance events are defined as the ones that have little to do with circumstances in a nation which are uncontrollable of firms (Porter, 1998). Random events can either show positive or negative effect on a firms competitive position. These can be anything like major technological breakthroughs or inventions, acts of war and destruction, suddenly increasing of the production cost (e.g. the increasing price of oil), sharply change of the market demand or dramatic shifts in exchange rates. It may bring competitive advantages to new rivals but make the formal one loose its position. The government plays an important role in Porters Diamond model. Governments proper role is as a catalyst and challenger; it is to encourage or even push companies to raise their aspirations and move to higher levels of competitive performance (Porter, 1998) Governments can impact all the four of Porters determinants through a variety of actions such as subsidies to firms, changes of taxation, business or property ownership policies, educational support, establishing high technical, and regulating product standards. The role of government in the diamond model is to encourage companies to raise their performance, stimulate early demand for advanced products, focus on specialized factor creation, and stimulate local rivalry by limiting direct cooperation and enforcing antitrust regulations (webMBA). Criticism Although Porter theory is well-know and has world wide reputation, it has a number of criticisms. Porter developed his theory based on case studies only covering about 100 industries and 10 developed countries. Therefore, it has been considered as not adoptable in developing economies. Besides, the model does not adequately concern with the role of MNCs which seems to be ample evidence that the diamond is influenced by factors outside the home country (12). Dunning commented that the competitive advantages of a country has been affected by the globalization of production and markets (Dunning, 1993). Rugman and DCruz argued that a major problem of Porters model is Porters Flawed understanding on the two-way nature of foreign direct investments (FDI) (Lee, 1998, pp15). Porter believed that only outward-FDI is valuable in creating competitive advantage, and inbound-FDI does not increase domestic competition significantly because the domestic firms lack the capability to defend their own markets and face a process of market-share erosion and decline (web). Additionally, raw materials and other resources could largely provided by international competitive supplier. Thus, related and supporting industries within a particular nation may not as important as Porters theory mentioned. (Jin and Moon, 2006) Meanwhile, Ruman and Verbeke (1993) pointed out that Porters diamond does not give a clear reason that why use national level as the geographic indicator for an industrys environment. Referring to international success, the local, regional or global level may be more suitable for particular determinants. Finally, Porters diamond is used to analyze firms condition afterward and it does not have predictive function. Particularly, the join of chance makes the model further weaken predictions (12). As a result, it is necessary to think about whether Porters theory is persuasive to the industry you are going to analyze. As Hedlund and Ridderstrale(1997) demonstrated, Bartlett and Ghoshals study was suffering from a lack of emipirical grounding. The provided ones were dispersive and not concrete enough to give a rough sketch of the research. They would mainly focus on the leading MNCs rather than a more representative sample. Meanwhile, it is also argued by Harzing(2000) that the sample size in their research was too small, that is, only nine MNCs, which would not cover all the characteristics of various MNCs integratedly. He also pointed out that in many researches, the authors failed to tick out international firms from other types of firms, including Multinational, Global and Transnational corporations. However, in several researches, international firms were simply regarded as Transnational Companies, while in others, they were referred to as low integration and low responsiveness. Therefore, whether Bartlett and Ghoshals competitive challenge theory is valid is still unknown to us. As Gtote(2002) said, in this theory, they supposed most industries may have the opportunity to become transnational firms but the degree or level varies among the three different types discussed above. There is a possibility that the costs arises from the risk of disintegration, coordination and control of a transnational company might offset the higher profit related to a transnational strategy in a multi-domestic industry. Thus, sometimes regional strategies might be more proper than global strategies to smooth competitiveness since it could be viewed as a fixed level between two countries while more vulnerable in a multi-country environment. III. Company analysis Competitive analysis of American Budget Hotel industry The hotel industry is considered as one of the most glory industry in the USA. Budget hotel sector is one of the most unique sectors in the hospitality industry which is original start in the US and exploiting to the worldwide. According to the data from American Hotel Lodging Association in 2006, the number of budget hotels in the US is about 60,000 and the average occupied rate approximately 70 percent of the U.S. hotel market. In addition, a survey of oversea tourism exhibits the proportion of revenue of budget hotels is 64% in the US hotel industry. Factor endowment It is easy to achieve each of the fundamental needed in the US due to its large land and a large amount of migrated workers. Discussing about the hospitality industry, from the human resources aspect, those migrated and unskilled workers could always support the most basic cleaning jobs in hotel and only require little wages. On the other hand, America is a nation that attracts many knowledgeable and skilled workers worldwide. In this case, the staff in management and RD departments is professional and competitive. For another aspect, indications from the USA suggest that long-term commercial success will not be achieved on price cutting or product augmentation strategies, but could be achieved on providing service quality. This strategy though may be self-defeatingsince it is likely to elevate these so-called budget hotels into the full-service sector where competition is equally intense. In that case, since the 1990s, the budget hotels in the USA are developing their services and equipment. They begin to build swimming pools, game centers, and other entertainment facilities. These kinds of innovation make the budget hotel in the US more competitive in the global market, and help the achievement for going international. In addition, budget hotels tend to located in the sides of public roads, such as highways, there is a very developed and completed transportation network which can easily link hotels and city centre. The National Highway System (NHS) covers approximately 160,000 miles (256,000 kilometers) of roadway, including the Interstate Highway System, a separate system within the NHS that the total length is about 46,837 miles (75,376km),as well as other roads, which are important to the nations economy, defense, and mobility. Besides, the high developed road network promotes the in-country travel, therefore, also contributes to the hospitality industry. Demand conditions The US has more than 300 million populations so that the potential demand of local hotels is considerable. Large proportions of the hotel roomsoccupation rate in the US are contributed from the business travel and leisure travelers. The large demand encourages the investment on this industry. Since the 1980s, there is a booming in the budget hotel sector. The intensive competition in hospitality industry drives the hotels more concern with custom services. As a result, they focus on the quality management. Quality has long been a mantra of the U.S hotel industry. Countless hotel properties have spent time and money on quality assurance, benchmarking, assessing the cost of error, continuous improvement (Quality). It is considerable that the American budget hotels are highly anticipatory worldwide. C. Related and supporting industries The hotel industry has many related and supporting industries that enable the well operation of it. They also contribute to its development and help to achieve worldwide competitive strategies. The supporting industries include: Tourism: the development of local tourism is the largest motivation for the hotel industry. Hotels, which run in the hot hit travel place, always gain more space to survival in the intensive competition. Meanwhile, the cooperation with travel agents ensures the stable customer flow. Business conferences: it brings another target customer cluster. It could also solve the problem of variation that influenced by travel season. Design and Decoration: to make each hotel be unique or consistent. The related industries include: Entertainment: televisions, network, electronic game, etc Furniture: Beds, chairs, sofas, etc Textiles : blankets, towels, carpets, uniforms, etc Firm strategy, structure and rivalry In the recent years, the American hotels focus on quality management as one of the most important competitive strategies rather than global exploiting (quality). Due to the market environment, many companies are likely to follow long-term strategies to keep or win more market share. Under the intensive competition in the US, a large number of hotel chains are taking efforts on the global market and take actions of joint venture, acquisitions and mergers. The major hotel chains in the US, such as, are more common to be multinational companies that. Domestic competition in the hotel industry in the US helps, to some extent, to promote innovation. There are mainly six levels of American hotel chains: Luxury Four Seasons, Ritz Carlton, Fairmont Upper Upscale Embassy, Hilton, Marriott, Sheraton Upscale Hilton Garden Inn, Courtyard, Crowne Plaza Mid with FB Holiday Inn, Ramada, Best Western Mid no FB Hampton Inn, HI Express, Comfort Inn Economy Motel 6, Red Roof, Days Inn According to the Hotel Development Cost Survey 2008 by Elaine Sahlins, the senior vice president of HVS San Francisco, hotels are doing effort on new room construction and room standard shift. (development cost) https://www.hospitalitynet.org/file/152003497.pdf Hotel Dvelopment Cost Survey per-Room of Cost for 2005-2007 2005 2006 2007 Luxury 1490900 1659400 1725800 Upper Upscale 373700 633700 665400 Upscale 260700 321200 337300 Midscale with FB 222700 286800 301100 Midscale w/out FB 335400 4132200 433900 Economy 121100 149200 156700 It can be seen from the table that the cost on room development is continuous increasing. Thus, the domestic intensive competition becomes a great motivation of the development for existing hotels. Because of the development, the hotel industry in the US shows more competitive in the global market. Chance and government For Chance factor, it is uncontrollable, but sometimes predictable. A good example for that is like holding the Olympics. The US has hosted four times Summer Olympics and four times Winter Olympics. Those events had largely promoted the development for both local tourism and the hotels which located around those areas. Besides, the improved technology on hotels facilities, the changes on exchange rate, etc, could bring more chances to the industry. These chances may help companies to gain competitive advantages among the rivals. However, these advantages are changeable. If hotels do not innovate and make improvement, their will loose their own position by not catch those chances. Meanwhile, the influence from government is also hard to neglect. For instance, Financial Preferential Policy to companies benefits each American firm from the taxation aspect. Such kinds of policies on taxation, education, shareholder policy could bring the American companies many benefits. On the other hand, the influence from the government sometimes blocks the pace of companies. As mentioned above, the local tourism makes great and unavoidable impact on hotel industry. For example, from the figure, it is obvious that during the years from 2001 to 2003, there was a shape decrease of the room demand. The reason for that may be larger related to the 911 issue. During that period, the American government began to control the inflow passages so that make the tourism met a decline. Consequently, it embroiled the hotel industry indirectly. Challenges analysis competitive challenge: exploit labor costs by national differences to achieve efficiency; Business effectiveness is key, partly fuelled by a pay portfolio designed to reward and retain high performers, she says. Competitive advantage through people and a focus on performance indicators are absolute. Significant growth in product distribution and profitability has been achieved in the three regional divisions of the Americas, Europe/Middle East/Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Strong hotel occupancy levels are reported, along with lower-than-average labour turnover rates, the latter a key performance indicator for the sector. a wide range of orientation (different types of inns) provides economies of scope and flexibilities; servicing multinational customer worldwide; Upgrades. Given this environment, the stated position of Holiday was to concentrate on upgrading existing properties rather than expansion. Holiday focused marketing efforts on its traditional niche of business, leisure, senior, government, and military segments and believed that upgrading hotels in these chosen markets would do more for increasing dominance than growth could alone. By 1991, every Holiday Inn would have upgraded all guest rooms, public space, parking lots, and landscaping. As a result, high performance role models were constructed and refined on the basis of nine core competencies of value to the organization. Seven were initially piloted at headquarters before group-wide implementation: (1) Customer service orientation. Understanding and acting on the needs of others to better serve them. (2) Flexibility: being able to adapt and work effectively in varied groups and situations. (3) Commitment to organizational values. Acting consistently, in accordance with corporate values and standards. (4) Achievement orientation. A desire for improved performance, challenging objectives, and standards of excellence. (5) Initiative and proactivity. Self-motivation, persistence and going beyond the job description for potential outcomes. (6) Organizational influence. Influencing others effectively. (7) Creative problem solving. Identifying patterns in problem situations that are not obviously related and achieving solutions. Innovation Says Carol E. Chapman: We decided to pilot at headquarters for two reasons: each competency had to be tested for clarity before rollout to business units, as each had varying job populations and cultures. Four functional categories were developed administrative/ support; professional/technical; managerial/supervisory; and executive each with different standards of expected competence. We wanted to make sure that performance correlated with the position in each job category and opportunities for demonstrating competence in the organization. In effect, she explains, this gives a correlation reality check for any competence expected level of performance and opportunity to demonstrate these competencies. A competency-based pay programme, piloted at corporate headquarters in 1991 and cascaded within 18 months throughout the entire complement of around 200 company owned and managed hotels and numerous franchises, became a critical link between new human resource (HR) and remuneration strategies and those of business. Though the programme was innovative and effective for its 30,000 employees, Carol E. Chapman, director of Compensation and Benefits, remarks that it was then perceived as a one-off real driver of change. On reflection, it was just a forerunner of others to come which emanate from a redefined and everwidening HR agenda. (1) Business strategy: Achieve preferred hotel brand; Improve operational results for premium returns; Restructure to provide high-quality, costeffective services; Hotel base growth to expand brand and product distribution; and Explore new strategic advantages. (2) HR strategy: Become the preferred hotel employer worldwide; Ensure recruitment, selection and training systems attract higher quality employees; Devise organizational structures to achieve business potential and empower employees; Develop a performance-oriented culture which motivates and retains employees. (3) Remuneration strategy: Devise a total remuneration programme to utilize all forms of compensation and benefits; Provide competitive schemes to attract, retain and motivate new employees; Ensure that critical positions and superior performance earn higher remuneration levels; and Develop a programme related to qualitative and quantitative results. Over the last 20 years there were certainly mixed opinions about actions the company took, such as: Entering the gaming business; Establishing new product segments with their potential for severe competition and violations of territorial integrity; Decentralizing corporate operations; Proposing increases in franchise fees; Demanding different quality standards for company-owned and franchisee-owned properties; Failing to impose sufficiently high quality standards on franchisees in a uniform and timely manner Creating Holiday Inn Express (by HIWW); and Failing to maintain adequate communications between the company and franchisees. Says Carol E. Chapman: We decided to pilot at headquarters for two reasons: each competency had to be tested for clarity before rollout to business units, as each had varying job populations and cultures. Four functional categories were developed administrative/support; professional/technical; managerial/supervisory; and executive each with different standards of expected competence. We wanted to make sure that performance correlated with the position in each job category and opportunities for demonstrating competence in the organization. In effect, she explains, this gives a correlation reality check for any competence expected level of performance and opportunity to demonstrate these competencies.

Tuberculosis Is An Infectious Disease - 1217 Words

World Health Organization estimated one-third of the world’s population is suffering with this disease at present even though there is vaccine widely available, there is still a high morbidity rate in some countries every year. Africa, Western and Southeast Asia are the most affected areas, making approximately 86 percent of tuberculosis cases in the world. This research paper will discuss, tuberculosis in New Zealand. It will discuss the biology of the bacterium, risks factors and the importance of immunisation and prevention. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium called Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Marieb, 2012). Tuberculosis is a contagious infection that begins in the lungs and spread to other organs in the body including the kidneys, brain and bones. Tuberculosis is spread by inhaling airborne droplets from an infected person. These airborne particles are spread when the infected person sneezes, coughs or laughs. Tuberculosis cannot be spread, by contact. Tuberculosis is caused by a rod shaped bacterium or bacillus called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. These droplets are discharged into the air by a person with active tuberculosis (Britannica, 2012). The spreading progress is very effective. These droplets can remain in the air for several hours in addition it only needs ten bacilli to start an infection. When the infected air is breathed in, the bacilli enter the lungs through the bronchioles and into the alveoli. The bacilli then infect the alveoliShow MoreRelatedTuberculosis As An Infectious Disease1515 Words   |  7 PagesINFECTIOUS DISEASE: TUBERCULOSIS Tuberculosis is one of the leading infectious diseases around the world. Globally, infectious diseases like tuberculosis among others continue to be one of the leading causes of death in children, adolescents and of the leading causes in adults (WHO). The purpose of this article is to examine and discuss mostly the etiology of tuberculosis, as well as its cause and spread. To better understand the subject of tuberculosis as an infectious disease and the problem itRead MoreTuberculosis As A Infectious Disease1339 Words   |  6 PagesTuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious disease that can harm any organ of the body, especially the lungs. Every year about over a million people die due to tuberculosis and even more are infected. A person in contact with an infected individual can easily put themselves at risks of getting TB. Due to the emergence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis infections commenced to increment more rapidly. A person with HIV has an impotent immun e system which is not able to fight infectionsRead MoreTuberculosis : A Infectious Disease Essay1685 Words   |  7 PagesTuberculosis; often referred to as the silent killer, is a highly infectious disease that is contracted annually by 9.3 million individuals globally, and causes 1.8 million deaths. It’s high mortality rate led to the formation of the American Lung Association in the United States in 1904, after it was declared the leading cause of death during the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. The origin of tuberculosis is not certain; the first documented deaths were recorded in ancient Egypt andRead MoreTuberculosis Is The Infectious Disease923 Words   |  4 Pages Tuberculosis is the infectious disease, that cause mortality worldwide and is the actual issue for worldwide health system. Tuberculosis (TB) is a communicable disease, that may presented in an active or a latent form. It affects a various body systems, but mostly a respiratory system. This disease is triggered by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis. It is transmitted through the air; therefore, a person gets infected by an inhaled bacterium from a person with active form of TB, and who isRead MoreTuberculosis : An Infectious Disease1399 Words   |  6 PagesInfectious diseases can attack the human body in many forms and varieties. Tuberculosis is one type of these infectious diseases that is a bacterial infection which spreads throughout the lymph nodes and within the bloodstream enabling it to affect all organs in the human body, commonly termed TB. TB is caused by the members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. The M. tuberculosis complex includes the species M. africanum, M. bovis, M. canettii, M. microti and M. tuberculosis, these can beRead MoreTuberculosis : An Infectious Disease Essa y2029 Words   |  9 PagesTuberculosis, also known as (TB) has been around for decades and is still active across the globe. It was a huge threat to Europe and America in The 19th century. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis. An individual can become infected with the disease while breathing in the bacteria that is spread through the air droplets when a person coughs or speaks. TB mainly affects the lungs, however, it can attack other organs also. Tuberculosis can be fatalRead MoreTuberculosis Is An Infectious Disease Essay1230 Words   |  5 PagesMinistries of Health, states there is still an increase of number of cases of tuberculosis diagnosed each year in New Zealand, approximately 300 cases. Tuberculosis is known to be one of the oldest disease among humans and today is one of the leading causes infection and death in adults. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2016) about one-third of the world’s popul ation is suffering with this disease at present even though there are vaccine widely available. Though there is still a highRead MoreTuberculosis As An Infectious Disease1033 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction Tuberculosis is an infectious disease that has afflicted individuals from the Old World for several thousands of years. This has been well documented in the archaeological record. However, the origins and development of tuberculosis in the New World have been the subject of multiple controversies. These controversies have stemmed from the discussion of whether or not Europeans introduced tuberculosis to the Americas. Evidence from South America has clearly shown that tuberculosis was presentRead MoreTuberculosis As A Infectious Disease1329 Words   |  6 PagesTuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious disease that can harm any organ of the body, especially the lungs. Every year about over a million people die due to tuberculosis and even more are infected. A person in contact with an infected individual can easily put themselves at risks of getting TB. Due to the emergence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis infections began to increase more rapidly. A person with HIV has a weak immune system which is not able to fight infectionsRead MoreTuberculosis : An Infectious Disease931 Words   |  4 PagesEven though the idea of tuberculosis being hereditarily was present, tuberculosis was still agreed to be an infectious disease at this time. Tuberculosis, as many other bacterial infections, needs a host. The bacterium is not found outside of the animal’s body. The main way that tuberculosis, and many other bacteria-caused diseases spread is through sputum. It is estimated that â€Å"a fairly well advanced consumptive spit s out from one and a half to four and a third billion bacilli in twenty-four hours†

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 5 Free Essays

string(33) " to work on your hosting skills\." â€Å"For someone who just orchestrated a murder, you’re kind of overreacting.† Overreacting? In the last twenty-four hours, I’d had to endure virgins, scary vampires, murder, accusation, and humiliation in front of my favorite author. I really didn’t think coming home to a quiet apartment was too much to ask for. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Blues CHAPTER 5 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Instead, I found three interlopers. Three interlopers who were also my friends, mind you, but that didn’t change the principle of the matter. Naturally, none of them understood why I was so upset. â€Å"You’re invading my privacy! And I didn’t murder anybody. Why does everyone keep thinking that?† â€Å"Because you said yourself you were going to,† explained Hugh. The imp sprawled on my love seat, his relaxed posture indicating I might actually be the one in his home. â€Å"I heard it from Jerome.† Across from him, our friend Cody offered me a friendly smile. He was exceptionally young for a vampire and reminded me of the kid brother I’d never had. â€Å"Don’t worry. He had it coming. We stand by you all the way.† â€Å"But I didn’t – â€Å" â€Å"Is that our illustrious hostess I hear?† called Peter from the bathroom. A moment later, he appeared in the hallway. â€Å"You look pretty snazzy for a criminal mastermind.† â€Å"I’m not – † My words died on my lips as I caught sight of him. For a moment, all thoughts of murder and apartment intrusion blanked out of my mind. â€Å"For God’s sake, Peter. What happened to your hair?† He self-consciously ran a hand over the sharp, half-inch spikes covering his head. I couldn’t even imagine how much styling product it must have taken to defy the laws of physics like that. Worse, the tips of the spikes were white-blond, standing out boldly against his normally dark hair color. â€Å"Someone I work with helped me with it.† â€Å"Someone who hates you?† Peter scowled. â€Å"You are the most uncharming succubus I’ve ever met.† â€Å"I think the spikes really, um, emphasize the shape of your eyebrows,† offered Cody diplomatically. â€Å"They just take†¦ some getting used to.† I shook my head. I liked Peter and Cody. They were the only vampires I’d ever been friends with, but that didn’t make them any less trying. Between Peter’s assorted neuroses and Cody’s dogged optimism, I sometimes felt like the straight man – er, woman – on a sitcom. â€Å"A lot of getting used to,† I muttered, pulling up a bar-stool from my kitchen. â€Å"You’re one to talk,† returned Peter. â€Å"You and your wings and whip getup.† My mouth dropped, and I turned an incredulous look on Hugh. He hastily shut the Victoria’s Secret catalog he’d been leafing through. â€Å"Georgina – â€Å" â€Å"You said you weren’t going to tell! You sealed your lips and everything!† â€Å"I, uh†¦ it just sort of slipped out.† â€Å"Did you really have horns?† asked Peter. â€Å"All right, that’s it. I want you all out of here now.† I pointed at the door. â€Å"I’ve been through enough today without you three adding to it.† â€Å"You haven’t even told us about taking the contract out on Duane.† Cody’s puppy-dog eyes looked at me pleadingly. â€Å"We’re dying to know.† â€Å"Well, Duane’s the one who technically did the dying,† pointed out Peter in an undertone. â€Å"Watch the snide comments,† warned Hugh. â€Å"You might be next.† I half expected steam to pour from my ears. â€Å"For the last time, I did not kill Duane! Jerome believes me, okay?† Cody looked thoughtful. â€Å"But you did threaten him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes. And from what I recall, so have all of you at some time or another. This is just a coincidence. I didn’t have anything to do with it, and†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Something suddenly occurred to me. â€Å"Why does everyone keep saying things like ‘arranged his death’ or ‘got someone to murder him’? Why aren’t you saying that I did it myself?† â€Å"Wait†¦ you just said you didn’t.† Peter rolled his eyes at Cody before facing me, the older vampire’s expression turning serious. Of course, â€Å"serious† means all sorts of things when paired with a hairstyle like his. â€Å"No one’s saying you did it because you couldn’t have.† â€Å"Especially in those shoes.† Hugh nodded toward my heels. â€Å"I appreciate your complete lack of faith in my abilities, but isn’t it possible I could have, I don’t know, taken him by surprise? Hypothetically, I mean.† Peter smiled. â€Å"It wouldn’t have mattered. Lesser immortals can’t kill one another.† Seeing my astonished look, he added, â€Å"How can you not know that? After living as long as you have?† Teasing laced his words. There had always been an unspoken mystery between Peter and me concerning which of us was the oldest of the mortals-turned-immortals in our little circle. Neither of us would openly admit our age, so we’d never really determined who had the most centuries. One night, after a bottle of tequila, we’d started playing a â€Å"Do you remember when†¦Ã¢â‚¬  sort of game. We’d only gotten back as far as the Industrial Revolution before passing out. â€Å"Because no one’s ever tried to kill me. So what, are you saying all those turf wars vampires have are for nothing?† â€Å"Well, not for nothing,† he said. â€Å"We inflict some pretty terrific damage, believe me. But no, no one ever dies. With all the territory disputes, there’d be very few of us left if we could kill each other.† I stayed silent, turning this revelation over in my head. â€Å"Then how do – † I suddenly remembered what Jerome had told me. â€Å"They get killed by vampire hunters.† Peter nodded. â€Å"What’s the deal with them?† I asked. â€Å"Jerome wouldn’t elaborate.† Hugh was equally interested. â€Å"You mean like that one girl on TV? The hot blonde?† â€Å"This is going to be a long night.† Peter gave us both scathing looks. â€Å"You all need some serious Vampires 101. I don’t suppose you’re going to offer us anything to drink, Georgina?† I waved an impatient hand toward the kitchen. â€Å"Get whatever you want. I want to know about vampire hunters.† Peter sauntered out of my living room, yelping when he nearly tripped over one of the many stacks of books I had sitting around. I made a mental note to buy a new bookshelf. Scowling, he surveyed my nearly empty refrigerator with disapproval. â€Å"You really need to work on your hosting skills. You read "Succubus Blues CHAPTER 5" in category "Essay examples"† â€Å"Peter – â€Å" â€Å"Now, I keep hearing stories about that other succubus†¦ the one in Missoula. What’s her name again?† â€Å"Donna,† offered Hugh. â€Å"Yeah, Donna. She throws great parties, I hear. Gets them catered. Invites everyone.† â€Å"If you guys want to party with all ten people in Montana, then you’re welcome to move there. Now stop wasting time.† Ignoring me, Peter eyed the red carnations I’d bought the other night. I’d put them in a vase near the kitchen sink. â€Å"Who sent you flowers?† â€Å"No one.† â€Å"You sent yourself flowers?† asked Cody, his voice quaking with sympathy. â€Å"No, I just bought them. It’s not the same. I didn’t – look. Why are we talking about this when there’s an alleged vampire killer on the loose? Are you two in danger?† Peter finally opted for water but tossed beers to Hugh and Cody. â€Å"Nope.† â€Å"We aren’t?† Cody seemed surprised to learn this. His scant years as a vampire practically made him a baby compared to the rest of us. Peter was teaching him â€Å"the trade,† so to speak. â€Å"Vampire hunters are simply special mortals born with the ability to inflict real damage to vampires. Mortals in general can’t touch us, of course. Don’t ask me how or why this all works; there’s no system as far as I can tell. Most so-called vampire hunters go through life without even realizing they have this talent. The ones who do sometimes decide to make a career out of it. They pop up like this from time to time, picking off the occasional vampire, making a general nuisance of themselves until some enterprising vampire or demon takes them out.† â€Å"‘Nuisance’?† asked Cody incredulously. â€Å"Even after Duane? Aren’t you the least bit worried about this person coming after you? After us?† â€Å"No,† said Peter. â€Å"I am not.† I shared Cody’s confusion. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"Because this person, whoever he or she is, is a total amateur.† Peter glanced over at Hugh and me. â€Å"What did Jerome say about Duane’s death?† Deciding I needed a drink myself, I raided my kitchen liquor cabinet and made a vodka gimlet. â€Å"He wanted to know if I did it.† Peter made a dismissive gesture. â€Å"No, about how he died.† Hugh frowned, apparently trying to piece together the logic afoot. â€Å"He said that Duane had been found dead – with a stake through his heart.† â€Å"There. You see?† Peter looked at us expectantly. We all looked back, baffled. â€Å"I don’t get it,† I finally said. Peter sighed, again looking utterly put out. â€Å"If you are a mortal who has the semidivine ability to kill a vampire, it doesn’t fucking matter how you do it. You can use a gun, a knife, a candlestick, or whatever. The stake through the heart thing is hearsay. If a normal mortal does it to a vampire, it won’t do a damned thing except really piss the vampire off. We only hear about it when a vampire hunter does it, so it carries some special superstitious lure, when really, it’s only like that egg thing on the equinoxes.† â€Å"What?† Hugh looked totally lost. I rubbed my eyes. â€Å"I actually know what he’s talking about, as scary as that is to admit. There’s this urban myth that eggs balance on their ends during the equinoxes. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t, but the truth is, you’d get the same results any time of the year. People only try it on the equinoxes, however, so that’s all anyone notices.† I glanced over at Peter. â€Å"Your point is that a vampire hunter could kill a vampire in any number of ways, but because the stake gets all the attention, that’s what has become the accepted method of†¦ ‘revocation of immortality.’ â€Å" â€Å"In people’s minds,† he corrected. â€Å"In reality, it’s a pain in the ass to drive a stake through someone’s heart. A lot easier to shoot them.† â€Å"And so you think this hunter is an amateur because†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Cody trailed off, obviously unconvinced by the compelling egg analogy. â€Å"Because any vampire hunter worth his or her snuff knows that and wouldn’t use a stake. This person’s a total newbie.† â€Å"First,† I advised Peter, â€Å"don’t say ‘worth his snuff.’ That expression’s out-of-style and makes you sound dated. Second, maybe this hunter was just trying to be old-school or something. And even if this person is a ‘newbie,’ does it really matter since they managed to take out Duane?† Peter shrugged. â€Å"He was an arrogant asshole. Vampires can sense vampire hunters at close range. Combined with this one’s inexperience, Duane should have never been taken. He was stupid.† I opened my mouth to counter this. I would be among the first to agree that Duane had indeed been both arrogant and an asshole, but stupid he was not. Immortals could not live as long as we did and see as many things as we did without gleaning substantial know-how and street smarts. We grew up quickly, so to speak. Another question moved to the forefront of my reasoning. â€Å"Can these hunters hurt other immortals? Or just vampires?† â€Å"Only vampires, as far as I know.† Something didn’t add up here between Peter’s comments and Jerome’s. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what was bothering me exactly, so I kept my misgivings to myself as the others chatted on. The vampire hunter topic soon became passe, once they’d decided – with some disappointment – I hadn’t contracted anybody. Cody and Hugh also seemed content to buy Peter’s theory that an amateur hunter posed no real threat. â€Å"Be careful, you two,† I warned the vampires when they were getting ready to leave. â€Å"Newbie or no, Duane is still dead.† â€Å"Yes, Mom,† answered Peter disinterestedly, putting on his coat. I gave Cody a sharp look, and he squirmed a bit. He was easier to manipulate than his mentor. â€Å"I’ll be careful, Georgina.† â€Å"Call me if anything weird happens.† He nodded, earning an eye roll from Peter. â€Å"Come on,† said the older vampire. â€Å"Let’s get some dinner.† I had to smile at that. While vampires getting dinner might have frightened most people, I knew better. Peter and Cody both hated hunting human victims. They did it on occasion but rarely killed when they did. Most of their sustenance came from extra-rare butcher shop purchases. Like me, they were half- assingtheir infernal jobs. â€Å"Hugh,† I said sharply as he was about to follow the vampires out. â€Å"A word, please.† The vampires gave Hugh sympathetic looks before leaving. The imp grimaced, closing the door and facing me. â€Å"Hugh, I gave you that key for emergencies – â€Å" â€Å"Vampire murder doesn’t constitute an emergency?† â€Å"I’m serious! It’s bad enough Jerome and Carter can teleport in here without you deciding to open up my home to God and the world.† â€Å"I don’t think God was invited tonight.† â€Å"And then, you went and told them about the demon-girl outfit†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Oh come on,† he protested. â€Å"That was too good to keep to myself. Besides, they’re our friends. What’s it matter?† â€Å"It matters because you said you weren’t going to tell,† I growled. â€Å"What kind of friend are you? Especially after I helped you out last night?† â€Å"Christ, Georgina. I’m sorry. I didn’t know you’d take it so personally.† I ran a hand through my hair. â€Å"It’s not just that. It’s†¦ I don’t know. It’s this whole business with Duane. I was thinking about what Jerome told me†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hugh waited, giving me time to gather my thoughts, sensing I was about to unleash something. My mind pondered the night’s unfolding as I studied the imp’s large shape beside me. He could be as silly as the vampires sometimes; I didn’t know if I could speak seriously to him. â€Å"Hugh†¦ how do you know if a demon is lying?† There was a pause, then he emitted a soft laugh, recognizing the old joke. â€Å"His lips are moving.† We leaned against my counter, and he studied me from his greater height. â€Å"Why? Do you think Jerome’s lying to us?† â€Å"Yes, I do.† Another pause followed. â€Å"Tell me then.† â€Å"Jerome told me to be careful, said I could be mistaken for a vampire.† â€Å"He told me the same thing.† â€Å"But Peter said vampire hunters can’t kill us.† â€Å"You ever had a stake driven through your heart? It might not kill you, but I bet you wouldn’t like it.† â€Å"Fair enough. But Jerome claimed vampire hunters find other vampires by following their prey. That’s bullshit. Cody and Peter are the exception. You know how most vampires are – they don’t hang out with other vampires. Following one generally won’t lead to another.† â€Å"Yeah, but he said this one was a newbie.† â€Å"Jerome didn’t say that. That was Peter’s theory based on the stake.† Hugh gave a conciliatory grunt. â€Å"Okay. So what do you think is going on?† â€Å"I don’t know. I just know these stories are contradicting each other. And Carter seemed awfully involved, like he was in on some secret with Jerome. Why should Carter even care? His side should technically approve of someone picking off our people.† â€Å"He’s an angel. Isn’t he supposed to love everyone, even the damned? Especially when said damned are his drinking buddies.† â€Å"I don’t know. There’s more here than we’re being told†¦ and Jerome seemed so adamant about me being careful. You too, apparently.† He stayed quiet a few moments before finally saying, â€Å"You’re a pretty girl, Georgina.† I started. So much for serious talk. â€Å"Did you drink more than that beer?† â€Å"I forget, though,† he continued, ignoring my question, â€Å"that you’re also a smart one. I work around shallow women so much – suburban housewives wanting smoother skin and bigger breasts – who have no other concerns but their appearances. It’s easy to get caught up in the stereotypes and forget that you have a brain in there too, behind your beautiful face. You see things differently than the rest of us – more clearly, I guess. Sort of a bigger picture kind of thinking. Maybe it’s your age – no offense.† â€Å"You did drink too much. Besides, I’m not smart enough to figure out what Jerome isn’t telling us unless†¦ there aren’t really succubus or imp hunters out there, are there?† â€Å"Have you ever heard of one?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Neither have I. But I have heard of vampire hunters – independent of pop culture.† Hugh reached for his cigarettes and changed his mind, remembering I didn’t like smoking in my apartment. â€Å"I don’t think anyone’s going to put a stake through us anytime soon, if that’s what’s bothering you.† â€Å"But you do agree we’re being left out of the loop?† â€Å"What else do you expect from Jerome?† â€Å"I think†¦ I think I’m going to go see Erik.† â€Å"Is he still alive?† â€Å"Last I knew.† â€Å"That’s a good idea. He knows more about us than we do.† â€Å"I’ll let you know what I find out.† â€Å"Nah. I think I’d rather stay ignorant.† â€Å"Fine. Where are you off to now?† â€Å"I’ve got to go put in some after-hours time with one of the new secretaries, if you catch my meaning.† He grinned, dare I say, impishly. â€Å"Twenty years old, with breasts that defy gravity. I should know. I helped install them.† I couldn’t help but laugh, despite the grim atmosphere. Hugh, like the rest of us, had a day job when not furthering the cause of evil and chaos. In his case, the line between occupations was a little thin: he was a plastic surgeon. â€Å"I can’t compete with that.† â€Å"Not true. Science can’t duplicate your breasts.† â€Å"Praise from a true connoisseur. Have fun.† â€Å"I will. Watch your back, sweetie.† â€Å"You too.† He gave me a quick kiss on the forehead and left. I stood there, alone at last, staring idly at my door and wondering what all this meant. Jerome’s warning probably had been overkill, I decided. As Hugh had said, no one had ever heard of imp or succubus hunters. Still, I clicked my deadbolt and fastened the chain on my door before going to bed. Immortal I might be, but reckless I was not. Well, at least not when it counted. How to cite Succubus Blues CHAPTER 5, Essay examples

How Do Authors Create Suspense and Tension in Their Stories free essay sample

In ‘The speckled band’ the suspects are the gypsies, the exotic animals and Dr Roylott, there are some obvious and some not, this means the story could turn down a range of directions. Having lots of suspects makes the reader think more about who the culprit could be, increasing tension and suspicion, Victorians would have wanted to read on because they liked to know the truth, since Charles Dawin’s ‘origin of species’ raised suspicion on how the world formed, this made the Victorians very supposititious . Another key factor a mystery story should have is clues and a clever twist. The clues lead the reader deeper into finding out what the mystery of the story is, then the twist, maybe at the start or end of the story, turns the story around; making the mystery something never thought about. I also like danger and fear to be a part of a mystery story; this keeps the readers in suspense and will make them carry on reading to know what the final outcome of the scene is. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s ‘the Speckled Band’ is an excellent example of an effective mystery story. ‘The Speckled Band’ is narrated by Dr Watson, Sherlock Holmes’s housemate; Watson reveals one of his many tales of adventure with Holmes. In this story a girl dies under mysterious circumstances in her bedroom at a gothic mansion where she lived with her sister, Helena Stoner and her aggressive step father Dr Roylott who owned a number of exotic animals and liked to befriend gypsies. The use of exotic animals would have appealed to the Victorians because they were a very new, and these animals would have only ever been heard of. The fact that Roylott is friends with gypsies would have been very odd for the Victorians, because it was a drastic mix of class, an wner of a manor would have never even though about talking to gypsies because they were frowned upon. The girl had recently become engaged to be married shortly before her death. Because she was in line to be married, it meant that the girl would inherit a large sum of money her mother left to her and her sister before she died. The girl’s last words were The Speckled Band! † the only clue miss stoner has on finding out what caused her sisters awful d eath. Now, her sister Helena has become engaged and Dr Roylott is ordering her to start sleeping in her sisters bedroom, she fears the same tragedy awaits her too. Next Miss stoner seeks the help of Sherlock Holmes and his side kick Dr Watson, after agreeing to help the girl in need, Sherlock travels from Baker street in London, to the gloomy gothic manor house to investigates the house. This change of scenery triggers a change in the mood of the story, from the safe, bustling streets of London, to the empty, dark and almost threatening manor house in Stoke Moran. This change would have increased the tension in the story and intrigued the reader to read on. He finds a useless bell chord and a ventilator leading from Dr Roylotts room to her sister’s old room. These to clues are very hard to connect, so Sherlock orders Miss Stoner to sleep in her own room while Sherlock and Watson spend the night in her sister’s room. That night Sherlock and Watson wait, until a number of events happen all at once, Sherlock starts hitting at something violently, then stops and announces to Watson that everything is over, they both venture out of the room and onto the landing, to enter Dr Roylotts room. They find him dead, with a snake coiled around him, the cause of her Helena’s sister’s death. Roylott had trained the snake to travel through the ventilator and down the bell chord, onto the bed to kill the person sleeping inside it. The stories written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were printed in papers every month; it was much like a soap opera to people nowadays. These papers were new, perfect for people to discuss and socialize with, and also very cheap and this meant they could be read by the majority of classes. The idea of solving mysteries was very important to the Victorians because societies were full of changing ideas. More scientific ideas were made when Charles Darwin ‘Origin of species’ was published in 1859, ‘the speckled band’ and similar books were written to help bring back some certainty into the changing world. The setting is very important in mystery stories because it establishes where the mystery will take place. In ‘the speckled band’ the setting is a gothic manor, this fits within the time period and can be imagined as gloomy and mysterious, perfect for the story line. The main character in the story is Sherlock Holmes; he is the hero of the book, a very important factor in a mystery book. The Victorians would have loved this character because he was not a part of the police force; he was a character that could be relied on, when the police force was so corrupt. Holmes’s life was his job, as the reader gets further into the story; they see that Holmes works for personal satisfaction, ’my profession is its own reward’. Another different thing about this character at the time is that Holmes loves his job whereas the police force did not. Sherlock is calm, controlled and observant, he also is polite and knows very well how to speak to women, and these factors make him a likable character. When Holmes says sentences such as ‘good morning madam’ and ‘very sorry to wake you up, Watson’ this suggests he is suave and charming. Throughout the book Holmes demonstrates his very individual and clever way of thinking, ‘Sherlock Holmes had been leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed and head sunk in a cushion’, this shows he is deep in thought and is interested in the case. Dr Watson is Holmes’s sidekick, he ventures out on every case Sherlock comes across, assisting him if he needs him to. Watson is almost devoted to Holmes in his cases and works ‘my dear fellow I would not miss it for anything’. Watson is known as being the less smart out of him and Holmes. Watson is the narrator of the story, it is important that he knows all the key information of the story because if he didn’t the reader wouldn’t know what was happening in the story. Watson is also a very important character because he asks Holmes questions that need explaining so the audience know what is going on, acting amazed as the reader should be when they read the story to. The character of Helena Stoner is the next victim in need if help, also known as a damsel in distress, this also suggests the low position women had in society at the time. Stoner gives the background information of the crime in hand, this helps the reader and hero, put the clues together and come up with the people with suspected motives. Another key character is the villain, Dr Roylott. From the start of the story the reader can tell straight away that the character of Roylott is angry and aggressive ‘you are Holmes the meddler! ’ Villains were very important in mystery stories, especially in Victorian times because Victorians loved crime and punishment. There is very good language used in this story, it is very effective on the story line and the reader. Throughout the story there is a mention of gypsies, ‘wretched gypsies’, the gypsies are mainly talked about in a bad way, this was vey stereotypical of the Victorians to blame a lower class for bad happenings. I think it is very effective when the writer repeats a certain part of speech, ‘it seems to be a most dark and sinister business’-‘dark enough and sinister enough’, this increases tension because even Holmes himself is struggling to come up with a conclusion. A very effective part of writing is when the most action takes part in the story. A series of rushed and ‘scary’ acts happen just after this Sherlock announces that ‘it means it’s all over. ’ This leaves the reader partly confused and in need to read over that part of the story again, it also makes the reader want to read on so they can find out what really happened. This short quote almost reassures the reader, and makes the scene balanced, so the story is steady again, equilibrium. A good mystery story needs to be effective, dramatic and surprising. The story of The Red Room begins with an unnamed confident, determined narrator visiting Lorraine castle. There he talks to three elderly people, two men and one woman, none of which are named. The narrator is visiting the castle to spend a night in the dreaded ‘red room of Lorraine castle’ after hearing all the myths about ghosts haunting it because a woman once died in there years ago. Each of the elderly express their fears of their being terrible ghosts in the room and not to take his over night stay to lightly, but the narrator does not believe them and asks to be taken to the room. After finding his way through the series of long passage ways and stairs of the castle, he enters the red room. The room is secluded away from the heart of the house and is full of dated furniture. As the narrator settles himself inside the room, the candles lit around it start to extinguish themselves. At first the narrator suggests it’s a draft but before long, fear overtakes him, and he ends up running into the locked door and knocking himself out. He awakes with the three elderly people next to him, and when they ask him what is inside the room, he says ‘†¦there is no ghost in their at all; but worst, far worst-‘. At the end of the story the narrator is no longer confident and determined, but scared and defeated. H. G Wells had many reasons to write this story. The clear conclusive ending could suggest that he wanted to remind the Victorians that there was still some mystery left in the world. Wells would have wanted to put this message across because there were vast amounts of scientific progress during Victorian times. The famous book ‘Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species’ had just been published suggesting that everything has an explanation, so there was a lot of debate about how the world had been formed. The Red Room leaves questions unanswered, this is very effective because the reader has to solve the mystery themselves, and ‘Fear itself is in that room. Black fear’ is there anything causing that fear? Even know the story is written in Victorian times, it does not seem to reflect the Victorian context, ‘There are two big mirrors in the room, each with pairs sconces, bearing candles†¦chintz covered arm chairs’. These references to old fashioned furniture makes the story seem old fashioned than it really is. The reader might be confused about the exact time period the story is set in, this could also suggest that fear is timeless. The references to old furniture also suggest that the Red room has been undisturbed for many years, suggesting there is a reason why no one dares enter. The plot of this story is very important because it plays a key part in making it effective. The plot is like a rollercoaster, it starts of slow and then builds up to a dramatic ending, ‘I was now frantic with horror’ and ‘the candle fell from my hand’. The dramatic climax happens fast, in some cases the reader might have to read this part again. Wells sets his story at Lorraine castle, ‘The great room of Lorraine castle’. Setting the story here gives the story a gothic feel. The castle would be ancient and spooky adding to effect and fear. This was good because the Victorians liked gothic and horror genres. Suspense and horror are also key elements of a mystery story. The positioning of the Red room inside the castle is a crucial part for the reader’s enjoyment, ‘you go along the passage†¦through that is a spiral staircase†¦long corridor’. This quotation shows how far away the Red room is away from the main room. The Red room is secluded and lonely, away from the safety of the kitchen, the heart of the home. The three elderly people add to the suspense and tension in the story, ‘the man with the withered arm’, ‘the old woman’ and ‘the man with the shade’. All three of these elderly people are unnamed and are not speaking of what will happen once the narrator is in the Red room; this suggests that something will happen later on in the story, foreshadowing the ending of the story. H. G Wells deliberately leaves the characters unnamed. The protagonist is unnamed and narrates the story from first person perspective. When a mystery story is written in first person, the reader knows exactly what the character is thinking and feeling throughout the story. This is a good way of keeping the reader interested and involved with the story. Another effective part of the story is how much the protagonists state of mind changes, ‘I can assure you that it will take a very tangible ghost to scare me’ to ‘there are no ghosts in there at all; but worst, far worst. ’ As you can see the character is confident and determined that there is no ghost but quickly his mood and thoughts change to scared and defeated after being inside the room. There is a lot of good language used in this story, ‘germinating darkness’, ‘silence and solitude’ and ‘supernatural’. These quotations are very interesting because it could suggest that darkness overtakes good. Theses quotations are very good example of imagery used in the story, creating pictures in the readers mind, creating even more tension and effect. This story uses dramatic irony. ‘I can assure you that it will take a very tangible ghost to frighten me’ and ‘eight and twenty years I have lived and never a ghost have I seen as yet’. These quotes foreshadow what will later happen later on in the story. It is easy to see that mystery stories are still as popular to day as they were in Victorian times. Mystery genres are confined in books, games, TV dramas and films. The two stories have many similarities and differences. The two stories begin with a confident and bold protagonist; although each story does not have the same ending the beginnings are very similar. Both stories are written in the same genre and at the same time period, the Victorian times. The two mystery stories are set in gothic buildings, the speckled band features an ancient manor house and the red room uses a lonely castle. Using these gothic settings adds to the tense and mysterious scenes of the story. The stories also start with some background information, a story within a story. This information in both stories is of a woman who has died, in other words a damsel in distress. Using a damsel in each of these stories lets the reader know a lot about the status of women at the time. Both stories also feature one particular room, where a lot of dramatic events take place. Both rooms from each story are very enclosed and trapped, suggesting even before the events take place, that something will happen later on. As well as similarities there are also many differences. The speckled band gives a lot of detail gives a lot of detail about who the characters are and background information about them, in the speckled band lots of information is given about the girl Helen Stoner. When the author writes a story within a story, it can help the reader to feel empathy towards the character, so the reader will go on to care about that particular character throughout the story. One obvious difference is that only one story contains a real and obvious villain. The speckled band’s suspected villain is Dr Roylott from the very star, whereas no one knows who or what is the villain in the red room. The red room has no references to modern culture, this makes it difficult to know when the story was set, whereas the speckled band includes lots of references to modern culture such as trains, the Victorians would have loved this because they loved all things modern. The two protagonists have very different states if mind throughout the story. In the speckled band, Sherlock Holmes has a very logical mind and thinks there is an explanation for everything. But the red room’s narrator is convinced about one thing at first, but by the end of the story, he does not know what to believe. One last point is that each story has a very different ending. In the red room there is an unsatisfactory ending, because there is no explanation, but the speckled band there is a clear conclusive ending. Both these endings would have influenced and made the Victorians relate the stories ending with the newly published book Charles Darwin’s origin of species.