An Astrologer’s Day Essay

â€Å"An Astrologer's Day† has a deceptively simple plot, although the full significance of the story becomes evident only after a second or even third reading. Part of the difficulty arises from the fact that the author deliberately avoids markers that would benefit the reader: there is no clear indication where the story occurs or when it does, although it is possible to make an educated guess about both. The story begins almost in medias res (in the middle) and concludes on what appears to be an ambiguous note. But, in fact, the story is a tightly knit one in which all parts fit together. Description The story begins with a description of the astrologer, who is the central character in the story. In minute detail, his appearance, his clothes, and all the materials he uses to ply his trade are described. The astrologer, who is not given a name, comes across as a type, one of the many street vendors in India, who sit under the shade of a tree or a temporary shed and sell anything from vegetables to newspapers. This astrologer belongs to the same category although, given the nature of his trade, there is a need to dress and behave in a particular manner. He does that effectively by giving the impression of a holy man whose special powers enable him to function as an astrologer. Almost casually, the surroundings of the astrologer begin to take shape. While there are no clear references to a particular city, it is likely, since Narayan consistently uses the fictional city of Malgudi, that this story too takes place in Malgudi. In any event, one gets the impression of a somewhat backward city which still retains a measure of its rural character. The reference to â€Å"municipal lighting† is one of the strategies employed by the author to suggest a sense of the place. In†¦  » Complete An Astrologer's Day Summary

“In The Lake Of The Woods” by Tim O’Brien

In the book (O’Brien, 1995) â€Å"In The Lake Of The Woods† by Author, Tim O’Brien, the author was able to convince me that I was there on September 19, 1986, when the woman disappeared close to the lake in Northern Minnesota. The vanishing of Kathy Wade was eerie and I was constantly asking myself what could have happened to this woman. Did she drown in the lake? The possibilities were endless and the author kept me in suspense as I feared the worst in this situation that took place in the woods. Kathy’s husband John who was a politician seemed to be an immediate suspect in Kathy’s disappearance.His character didn’t seem like one that was very respectable and although he was very handsome, which made him seem less of a suspect, his downward spiral in his political career did raise questions of his innocence. When the Wade family drove to the woods in Minnesota, I knew that they were going to be in for a fearful adventure. The secret tunnels and doors were quite interesting but the underground chamber was terrifying! Anything was liable to happen down there and it did raise vivid images of the spooky quarters. One thing could easily turn into something else at any given moment in this haunting tale.How could John Wade go from being a magician to a killer of the woman that he was supposed to love? From the very beginning of the story, it was as if you knew that Kathy was going to vanish but there was always hope that she would be found, throughout the entire story and I did try to visualize something happening to her that didn’t involve her husband. This story was able to take me backward and forward throughout the book, talking about different periods of time, which all had to do with the ultimate question of â€Å"What happened to Kathy?† John Wade, the soldier, you just didn’t want to believe that he was a murderer, although his friends in Vietnam did refer to him as a Sorcerer because of his magi c tricks, which seemed to flow in the story. Was he capable of love or was that just an illusion or just another one of his many tricks he held up his sleeve. That question was always on my mind. Kathy did know some things about John, because she sometimes called him â€Å"Inspector Clouseau† just another one of the many names that people that had been associated with, called him.He was easily transferred from one title to another, and each title was just as interesting as the last. He was a character with many talents, I suppose, including murder, perhaps? You did have to wonder if maybe Kathy was in that house. Was she a part of the magic that was inside or was she at the bottom of the lake in the woods? This story is very spooky and a little evil. I wonder what kind of mind did the author possess, himself to be able to come up with some of his ideas that made John Wade such an exceptional character in this book.Did the author have some of the same characteristics of this m an, John Wade or did he just make it all up? I think that all authors have some of the traits and qualities that they describe in their writing and I tried to sort through the reading and pick out some of those traits and associate them with the author. Was he into magic tricks and murder or perhaps he fought in a war and wanted to describe some of the events that he was recalling. This book is so engrossed in questions and I still have to wonder how one man could have so many different personalities.He was a politician, possible murderer, fighter in Vietnam, magician. He was handsome and obviously charming because of the fact that he seduced his wife and was successful in marrying Kathy. She must have trusted her husband, fully. I would have liked to have been able to read more about Kathy, while she was still alive in this story. I’m positive that she would have been able to shed more light on this story and possibly talk about the more private side of her husband’s personal life; things that only a wife would know about their mate.She would have been able to talk about his very personal side and maybe shed some light on what was going to happen to her in this story. She could have possibly predicted her own death and talked about it and maybe she could have left behind some clear hints of her ultimate fate. This story is extremely scary and confusing, without any doubt. It tends to make you not trust people, fully. It leaves an empty feeling inside you as if you had witnessed a horrible event. You always want to hold that inch of faith that maybe people aren’t as bad as they probably truly are.In all reality, I think we should trust no human who possesses these traits as did John Wade. If I ever hear of a person talking about being ten different people in one, I will resort back to this eerie story and remember this character, immediately! He was one of those literary figures that gives you horrible nightmares and makes you question som e of his innumerous talents that you may have seen in another human being and never wondered about, before reading the book.I’m sure that I won’t be able to sleep after reading this story. It really wasn’t one of my favorite stories, although it was very interesting the way the author described the characters and events. His description of the events wasn’t lacking. It was the horror of it all that didn’t win my heart. There’s just something about being in the woods that makes you automatically feel like you want to leave, which is great for those people who love horror stories. The secret chambers would be incredible but terrifying!I guess that both John and Kathy were vanished into a crazy existence. Who knows where these two people were but I’m sure it was somewhere in the woods by the lake in Minnesota. Tim O’Brien is an incredible writer and does get the imagination going at full speed! I would like to read more of his wri ting but something a little less frightening, next time! What a crazy and tantalizing story. It is one that I won’t soon forget! Reference Page O’Brien, Tim. (1995). â€Å"In the Lake Of The Woods†. Penguin USA.

Coments Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Coments - Essay Example Support them. Our children are the future mathematician, scientists, performers and the like. They are our hope, supporting them to nurture their talents is the key to make this world rotate with full colors in the future. Aggressive Behavior in Adolescence During adolescence, I believe that children face this challenge of being aggressive. They are curious about the things around them – they want to explore them one by one. Sometimes, aggression can harm other children and people. Parents and guardians must understand that parenting is crucial to solve this problem. They should understand that impulsive behaviors can be triggered with several factors like Television, Internet and Poor Parenting. Parents should be aware that not all programs on television are recommended for children – that’s why television networks urges you to watch TV together with them or else they will pick up shows of their own choice that can worsen their aggressive behaviors. Same with th e internet – all the good and bad can be surfed online so be watchful! However, if you are not ready for parenthood – you will face these major problems because solving and minimizing these impulsive behaviors requires the right parenting and effective problem solving techniques. Stress Effects on Development The most common term you will hear is bullying. What is it and how can it affect the emotional growth of children? Children are often dominated by other children especially in the absence of the adviser, parent or guardian’s supervision. A child can be frightened and this will cause emotional problems like stress and anxiety. I believe that parents should be attentive to their child’s behavior. In my case, if I can sense unusual behavior of my children – like stressful mode – I will find a way to consult them in a nice way. I am ready to listen to them, to laugh with them so they will be at ease in telling me the things that are botheri ng their emotions. Stress effects on development can be minimized if parents care enough for their children’s daily activities. Perceptions of Success in Young Adults The main question is how young adults perceived success? What is success meant for them? Youths want to expand their social participation. They will likely want to build a more complex pattern in thinking, as well as defining their goals. In addition, athletes and non-athletes may have differences on how they identify success. Non-athletes tend to value more intrinsic needs. Helping other students to excel in class can be a great feeling of success for them. Success can be defined differently for athletic teens – although female and male athletes have varying perceptions towards success – but I believe it is motivated by self-esteem. Conflict/Resolution During adolescence, children would experience transition in terms of their physical, mental and emotional behaviors. In connection, they often face social issues. Teenagers love to be in peers – they want belongingness – and sometimes they would struggle to get accepted. If the peers are engaging on drugs – a teen who want to belong himself might take the offer to use drugs as well to alter their moods and to feel the sense of belongingness. How parents can resolve this conflict? I believe that the most effective solution is family love and care. Some parents might be driven by emotion like anger in dealing this issue – but it won’t help. In this case, parents should enroll their teenagers

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 4

Case Study - Essay Example During the period of 2001 to 2004, both HMA patient revenue and HMAs earnings per share increased by approximately 70 percent. However, during this same period, RRMC experienced a significant downturn in patient volume in several key areas. Open heart surgery, cardiac catheterization, and outpatient visits were all down significantly. In addition, the hospital was forced to close its Womens Pavilion in 2003 and no longer operates an obstetrics department. Adding to this low rate of growth is the declining population in the area. Etowah County is 103,000 people, the same population it had in 1980, while Gadsdens population has steadily declined by 50 percent since 1960 and today has fewer than 40,000 people. RRMC executive director Matt Hayes faces significant challenges in the next few years, as he tries to maximize his resources and find areas for growth. This paper will analyze RRMCs market position and make recommendations for Matt Hayes and RRMC to help guide them into an uncerta in future. The general operating environment that RRMC is in is very competitive both locally and regionally. Several large urban areas are a short drive from Gadsden and they have numerous health care facilities available with state of the art care. These include Atlanta Georgia, Chattanooga Tennessee, Birmingham Alabama, and Huntsville Alabama. It has been estimated that Birmingham alone draws as much as 25 percent of the business out of the Gadsden area. The patient revenue lost due to the combined out migration could be responsible for as much as half of RRMCs potential business. Locally, RRMC competes with Gadsden Regional Medical Center, with 248 beds, and to a lesser extent Mountain View Hospital, which specializes in addiction and psychiatric services. In addition to the competitive market, the factor of poverty also plays a significant role in the management of RRMC. Eighty percent of RRMCs patients

Marketing-5 types of customer markets Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Marketing-5 types of customer markets - Essay Example Consumer durables are another subtype. Converse to the characteristics of FMCGs, these goods have low volume but high unit value. This can further be categorized into white goods and brown goods. Refrigerators, pressure cookers, dishwashers, washing machines, microwave ovens, etc are primary examples of white goods. Electronic items such as personal computers, video game consoles, multi-media players, etc are good examples of brown goods. Consumer Products Market are characterized by aggressive marketing campaigns, for consumers tend to be disloyal to brands and can easily switch from one to another. Also, competing companies are focused on innovating and improvising their products and production models to garner greater market share. Another customer market is the Food and Beverages Market. Although some of the products in this group overlap with Consumer Products Market, there is sufficient distinction between the two. The Food and Beverages Market "consists of the sub-markets like markets for dairy products, bakery products, packaged food products, Beverages, Confectionary, Beer, Alcohol, meat and poultry products. This type of Consumer Market is full of growth opportunities because of changing lifestyle of present era.

How One Becomes a General Manager Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

How One Becomes a General Manager - Assignment Example The assignment "How One Becomes a General Manager" talks about the general manager position who needs to be extensively qualified and additionally have sufficient experience in a hotel setting. This is clearly presented by Francisco Giles, who is a hotel manager of Renaissance Dubai Hotel, studied hotel management in Switzerland. Additionally made his way up in the hotel industry as he moved around different countries working in different areas including in the sales department and the food and beverages just to mention a few. This is also reflected by Marguerite Howley, a hotel owner who learned her trade by working for some of the major hotels and professionals such Gordon Ramsey before she managed to open her own hotel. Training is very essential, and the gaining of experience from different countries is vital in making one an international general manager. Based on Paul O’Connell the general manager at Castle Hotel located in Ireland, he believes that an international mana ger would require working in different countries to gain from different cultures and different management styles. A properly qualified GM needs to be in the hotel business for at least 25 years as illustrated by Francisco Giles, who himself has been in the industry for over twenty-five years. A good manager needs to have a diverse personality and be able to deal with the diverse clients. Additionally, a good manager as the hotel industry keeps on changing it would require that a manager is always abreast with the happenings in the hotel industry.

Contemporary Approaches to Christian Education by Jack L Seymour and Essay

Contemporary Approaches to Christian Education by Jack L Seymour and Donal E Miller - Essay Example Literature available on this book suggest that there has been very little innovation or even slightly interesting breakthrough in the field of religious-teaching publishing for the last couple of years. It may be quite in order to point out that theological work has remained unchallenged for sometime now. Ordinary themes as well as common ground in the field of contemporary religion have been studied over and over again, but regrettably all have earthed up very little generative insight or research innovation. Through out the years, it has become evident that spiritual educationists have been unable to fully understand the broad disciplines of educational research as well as the various branches of psychology. In fact the truth of the matter is that fewer of these religious educators possess an adequate understanding of the contemporary philosophy or theology (Westerhoff and Neville). In view of this, various authors have tried to grapple with this unending lack of insight into the contemporary divinity. The Mighty Stories and Dangerous Rituals which is a text done by Anderson and Foley is found to be such an extremely important as well as opportune, and most insightful piece. In addition to being engaging theologians, these two authors also have a considerate and convincing vision of education in theology that is capable of breaking free of the general melancholy of the contemporary field. Taking their work seriously could truly mark a significant breakthrough for injecting new life and direction to an otherwise gray field. Looking at the text, one finds out that it is not only affluent in its application of a wide variety of scholarly research, but also in its depth and maturity of thought (Westerhoff and Neville). To further still give an understanding into the contemporary religion, (Westerhoff and Neville) argues that Jack L. Seymour and Donald E. Miller in their book seek to explore the relation of narrative story and ritual. According to these

English-Rule Only Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

English-Rule Only - Research Paper Example Advantages of the Rule The subject that only English should be used at work places creates very strong feelings. Some individuals may believe that it is wrong to speak in a language that others do not understand. In the same way, speakers of languages other than English may believe that complaints against the usage of another language stem from racism or unnecessary suspicion of what is being spoken. But the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission regulations state that a restriction to speaking English at all times is disadvantageous to an individual’s employment opportunity on the basis of national origin. The commission believes that English-only rules create an atmosphere of inferiority, isolation and intimidation which is based on national origin that could result in discriminatory working environment (Bothwell-Marketing-Inc, 2011). EEOC regulation clearly states that the rule English-only rule is permissible only where the employer can show that the rule is justified by the necessity of the business. Spun Steak offered a justification that the non-Spanish speaking employees felt bad because they were being insulted in Spanish. The company also noted there were some safety benefits to using a language common to most employees. Employers in areas where the rule applied pointed to safety issues, customer service, and business related justifications which are related to their businesses. But opponents say that the U.S has been a country of immigrants coming from various cultures speaking different languages. In the past the new migrants wanted to quickly assimilate into the local culture and adopt the local language. This helped them in their integration with the local society. However currently, many new migrants foster separate almost ghetto-like communities which interact on a limited basis with the outside. As many of them fail to learn English they do not gain the ability to interact outside their own community and thus cannot easily integrate in the society. This inability to communicate is the basis of mistrust, fear and war among the different cultures (ask-Vile, 2006). Statistics show that about 215 million Americans speak English while only 2 million people speak Spanish (Juggle, 2011). There are already 26 states where English is the only official language Most of the migrants also state that they think everyone should learn English if they are to live in the United States. English is spoken in Congress, courthouses, national parks, and Presidential speeches. It is also spoken in almost every business corner. Every where the English language is spoken (Juggle, 2011). But accounting office report that was released shows that 99.94 percent of all federal government documents are produced in English. The English proponents argue that more than 300 languages are

Piper Aircraft Co v Reyno Essay Example for Free

Piper Aircraft Co v Reyno Essay Piper Aztec, co-manufactured by American petitioners, crashed in Scotland in July 1976, killing all on board. The plane was under Scottish air traffic control, registered in Great Britain, owned/maintained by Air Navigation and Trading Co. Ltd. , and operated by McDonald Aviation Ltd. , a Scottish air taxi service. California probate court appointed Gaynell Reyno in July 1977. Procedural Facts:Â  Reyno filed a case against the petitioners, claming negligence and strict liability in the Superior Court of California, while explaining that the rules and law in California were more positive than those in Scotland. The case was removed to the US District Court for the Central District of California, before it was transferred in December 1977 to the US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania, where petitioners filed a motion to dismiss on the ground of forum non conveniens. After finding an alternative forum in Scotland, the District Court granted the motion and dismissed the complaint in October 1979. However, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit reversed the District Court’s decision on the grounds that dismissal is automatically barred when the law of an alternative forum is less favorable for the plaintiff than the law of the forum that has been chosen by the plaintiff.

Porters 5 Forces Essay Example for Free

Porters 5 Forces Essay Competitive strategy is a field of great interest to managers and is mainly based on a thorough understanding of the industrial, trade and service, competitors and environment. However, until the 80s, has offered few comprehensive analytical methods to obtain it. The competitive analysis and formulate corporate strategy, planning also helps to finance, marketing, value analysis and many other aspects of daily life of a business. One interesting for corporate strategy planning approach has been proposed by Michael E. Porter who states that there are five forces that influence the long-term profitability of a market or some segment of it. Therefore, the corporation must assess their objectives and resources against these five forces driving industry competitions, which are described below: 1) Threat of entry of new competitors or the market segment is unattractive depending on whether entry barriers are easy or not to cross by new entrants that may come with new resources and capabilities to seize market share. 2) Rivalry among competitors: for a corporation will be more difficult to compete in a market or a particular segment where competitors are well positioned, are very numerous and fixed costs are high, it will be constantly faced price wars, aggressive advertising, promotions and new product entry. 3) Bargaining power of suppliers: a market or market segment will not be attractive when providers are very well organized or trade union have strong resources and to impose its conditions of price and size of the order (with the aggravating circumstance if inputs that provide or have no substitutes are scarce and expensive). Nor if the provider decides strategically integrated forward and, for example, takes the distribution channels or where a product is distributed. 4) Bargaining power of buyers: a market or segment will not be attractive when customers are very well organized, the product has many substitutes, and it is not very differentiated or low cost to the client, allowing you they can make substitutions equally or lower cost. The growing demands of large buyers are focused on reducing prices, higher quality and best service; therefore, a corporation will be affected profit margins. The situation would worsen if buyers decide to integrate backwards and, for example, acquire d its suppliers or produce their own inputs.

Stimulus measures policy forms

Stimulus measures policy forms Part 1. Some reject stimulus measures in all current policy forms. These economists focus on the damaging activities and decisions of (a) private corporations, (b) commercial banks, and (c) wealthy individuals. How can these three groups that lead our private market system, each in their own way, frustrate and foil the goals of a fiscal stimulus program. The 2009 Stimulus packages that President Obama released were done so with the intentions of trying to fix the recession bound economy. But the question that surfaced was what the long term results of this stimulus package were. Is it more beneficial or more harmful to our already down falling economy? A fiscal stimulus package by the government consists of generally three options either the use of tax cuts, increased transfers or increased government spending. All three options have one problem in common; it will cause the government budget to increase. It can only serve as a temporary boost to the economy, because the government has to find a way to fund this package. When the government needs to spend money that they didnt revenue from taxes it is called a budget deficit, they would need to borrow and most likely from foreign reserve banks or through the selling of bonds. In Keyness economic vision â€Å"the goal of macro policy is not to balance the budget but to balance the economy at full employment.† This does logically make sense because a low availability of jobs would mean an increase of transfer payments including unemployment compensation and welfare benefits. But if new jobs can be created it will decrease the burden of transfer payments and increase tax revenue. An increase of jobs would equal more taxes to collect and less economic problems when unemployment rates are lower. But since the recession and fiscal policy both are signs that suggest, the economic state is not currently at its best for investments. Private corporations are less eager to invest being that from a business perspective their initial intent is to make profit. Without the confidences in future profit rates theres less of an obligation to want to take the risk. I believe that from any business stand point, private corporations are interested in how much profits they can make and maybe secondarily how many jobs a new project or investment can create. Commercial banks on the other hand could result in a â€Å"crowding out effect because the increase in government borrowing will cause a decrease in private sector borrowing†. Crowding out means that theres less progression which is also an â€Å"opportunity cost for government spending†. When the government is shut out of all other options, borrowing money to finance the budget deficits can cause an increase in interest rates. Theres only a certain about of money available for borrowing and if the government borrows, less money is available for business investments. Wealthy individuals would tend to save more and spend less. They may also invest in foreign counties that stand at a better economy. Therefore private corporations, commercial banks, and wealthy individuals are three power groups that hold the foundation of our private market system. They have the general ability to effect consumption rates because of investments. Its a circular flow effect, less jobs cause less overall GDP consumption and less taxes, less confidence in economy, which causes less investment. After all Keynes did say that â€Å"the goal of macro policy is not to balance the budget but to balance the economy at full employment. The main problem here is that there are not enough jobs to boast the economy in the long run. The American dream is to do better than the past generation. Its hard to reach that when jobs arent available and a recession at hand. Part 2. Given our currently high unemployment rate and low inflation rate, argue for or against a Supply-Side policy focus versus a Demand-Side policy emphasis. Aggregate demand or aggregate supply whats a better a choice when you have high unemployment and low inflation rates? I believe that the demand curve is only going to be a temporary answer to the economic problem. â€Å"The demand curve will shift in response to changes in income, changes in expectations (consumer confidence), changes in wealth, changes in credit conditions or changes in tax policy.† The whole purpose of aggregate demand is to stimulate consumer spending. If unemployment is high its unlikely that this will solve the problem. How do you tell someone who is unemployed to buy more? In contrary I think the aggregate supply is a better policy choice to get the economy back and running. â€Å"The policy options to shift AS rightward include: Tax incentives for saving, investment and work, human capital investment, deregulation, trade liberalization and infrastructure development.† This works better because the tax cuts will increase consumption being that it would result in a higher level of disposable income. This means that people would be more motivated to work. Lets just say Person A makes $40,000 a year and taxes used to 10% and now they are down to 5%, this means that instead of paying $4000 in taxes it would just be $2000. Person A is able to work the same amount and have $2000 extra for disposable income. This guarantees that (C+G+I+(x-m) = GPD) GDP will go up if consumption goes up. Human capital investment is a long term effect; people find it worth their benefit to invest in school and training. Our goal is to find a way to both lower unemployment and lower the inflation rates. To do this we have to focus on the supply side or the production part of the market. By producing more (new technology) it would set the platform so that better prices levels are available. The technology is going to be useful for production for a while and the investments in education will increase the standards of living. This means that cheaper goods equal more consumption. Its a long term answer to the economy because the overall GDP will grow. The economy will grow and the production of output rises while unemployment and inflation falls. If all these aspects are intact theres no way that the next generation couldnt do better. I believe that a lot of the economic problems we face today are because of the actions that the government made without thinking of the long term effects. If we want our country to become stronger and stronger we have to think in long term strategies and I believe that the Aggregate Supply Policy is the right one. Part 3. Upon completing ECO 100, you have been hired by the Obama administration to advise them on Foreign Exchange Policy. Their concern is that low interest rates and a large trade deficit have led to a depreciating dollar. Accordingly, first prepare an overview of the way such rates and trade conditions can threaten our currency value. Then secondly, advise the President whether (or not) steps should be taken to strengthen the dollar in foreign exchange markets. What makes euros worth more than dollars and Chinese Yuan to be below both? The answer is that the currency market determines what the exchange rates are worth. The Foreign exchange market is just like the all markets where theres a demand theres a supply. But if there is a more demand than supply then the exchange rate would go up. Meaning if there was a higher demand for U.S dollars; dollar value would increase also known as appreciation. But in this example if there was an excess amount of U.S currency that is above the demand needed then our dollar value fall also known as deprecation. But the rule is that where theres a lost there is always a gain. Meaning if one countrys currency value goes up some other countrys money value has to go down. If the value of the U.S dollars improves in the Foreign Exchange Market then it would increase the overall supply of dollars. If our country has a trade deficit, meaning we import more and export less, we should find a method that attracts more exports. I think that the best approach to take would be to weaken the dollar. But in order for that to happen there had to be a way to alter the supply of U.S currency. In one perspective its a good thing if our dollars are more valuable we would be able to buy more foreign goods with the same dollar. But if theres too much of a supply of dollars the dollar may lose value. â€Å"As dollars become cheaper, American exports effectively fall in price and demand rises.† In order to reduce the amount of our trade deficit we could export more goods. If our dollar rates were low enough to attract foreigners to buy our good and cooperation would still make their profits then it would all work out. A weaken dollar would work until we could clo se the gap of our trade deficit and after that we would create a strategy that will strengthen the dollar by lowering the supply of it.

Essay --

Memory in humans is a complex process and is divided into multiple components. Different areas of the brain are responsible for varying functions relating to memory such as short term memory and long term memory, which can further be broken down into subcategories such as emotional and semantic memory. Using fMRI, brain regions that participate in memory can be pinpointed and changes to memory that are resultant of aging or other neurological diseases and the pathology of the underlying brain structures can be detected as well. An example of a study done on memory was performed by Todd and Marois, with a goal of observing the role of the posterior parietal cortex in visual short term memory. To achieve this, seventeen subjects were given a visual delayed match to sample task during which the subjects were first shown a display of one to eight colored discs and after a timed delay had to indicate whether a probe disc matched one of the discs from the initial sample. In addition, to reduce any effects of the subjects using verbal strategies, the subjects had to simultaneously maintain a two digit number across the delay period. The results showed that the accuracy of responses decreased as the number of discs presented at the start of the trial increased. Moreover, it was established that the average visual short term memory capacity was capped at three to four objects. fMRI data was collected and analyzed from three brain regions: the intraparietal sulcus/inferior occipital sulcus (IPS/IOS), the ventral-occi pital cortex (VO) and the anterior cingulate cortex (AC). Activity in the IPS/IOS seemed to increase as the load of the task increased and it was shown that this region was active during maintenance and encoding. On the other h... ...Alzheimer’s, the roles cognitive reserve and compensatory recruitment can be observed. For example, education level and overall intelligence might alleviate some of the cognitive and memory deficits seen with age and disease related brain changes. Compensatory recruitment, such as bilateral activation of frontal regions on a verbal memory task compared to the left-lateralized activation seen with younger adults during the same task, is observed in older adults as well. These articles illustrate the point that there are multiple memory systems with differing functions. Taken together, these findings help explain why patients with brain damage to different regions do not always exhibit the same neurological deficits associated with memory. The use of fMRI has been extremely successful in identifying which brain regions are necessary for the multiple types of memory. Essay -- Memory in humans is a complex process and is divided into multiple components. Different areas of the brain are responsible for varying functions relating to memory such as short term memory and long term memory, which can further be broken down into subcategories such as emotional and semantic memory. Using fMRI, brain regions that participate in memory can be pinpointed and changes to memory that are resultant of aging or other neurological diseases and the pathology of the underlying brain structures can be detected as well. An example of a study done on memory was performed by Todd and Marois, with a goal of observing the role of the posterior parietal cortex in visual short term memory. To achieve this, seventeen subjects were given a visual delayed match to sample task during which the subjects were first shown a display of one to eight colored discs and after a timed delay had to indicate whether a probe disc matched one of the discs from the initial sample. In addition, to reduce any effects of the subjects using verbal strategies, the subjects had to simultaneously maintain a two digit number across the delay period. The results showed that the accuracy of responses decreased as the number of discs presented at the start of the trial increased. Moreover, it was established that the average visual short term memory capacity was capped at three to four objects. fMRI data was collected and analyzed from three brain regions: the intraparietal sulcus/inferior occipital sulcus (IPS/IOS), the ventral-occi pital cortex (VO) and the anterior cingulate cortex (AC). Activity in the IPS/IOS seemed to increase as the load of the task increased and it was shown that this region was active during maintenance and encoding. On the other h... ...Alzheimer’s, the roles cognitive reserve and compensatory recruitment can be observed. For example, education level and overall intelligence might alleviate some of the cognitive and memory deficits seen with age and disease related brain changes. Compensatory recruitment, such as bilateral activation of frontal regions on a verbal memory task compared to the left-lateralized activation seen with younger adults during the same task, is observed in older adults as well. These articles illustrate the point that there are multiple memory systems with differing functions. Taken together, these findings help explain why patients with brain damage to different regions do not always exhibit the same neurological deficits associated with memory. The use of fMRI has been extremely successful in identifying which brain regions are necessary for the multiple types of memory.

Media vs. Parenting Essay examples -- Effect Cause Parents Impact chil

Media vs. Parenting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What impact does sex, violence, drugs, etc. in the media have on children? What can we do about it? How do we balance the tension between freedom of expression and the need to protect children? When you talk about the media and whether or not it is harmful on children, you must examine the whole industry and all aspects of its effects on children. It is that the media as a whole is not as harmful to children as some intense other can, but over exposure to certain aspects of certain types of media can be harmful. To say that all media can be harmful to children is a fallacy that must be avoided when examining this topic. Most people when analyzing this issue tend to focus on drugs, sex, and violence in terms of the television media. Although those are some of the main topics throughout the history of this topic, there are more important issues then just that as said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is an argument that should indefinitely point out the major impacts on young children. However this will be examining this topic in a much broader sense that will encompass the media as an entity and not focus only on the negative aspects but also the positive aspects of the media to show that the media is not in all ways bad for children. Media affecting children is increasingly rising, and is becoming a big factor among children’s behaviors, but other factors such as parenting will also participate to whether media is harmful to children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the formation of our Constitution, our forefathers had enough foresight to know that one of the most sacred freedoms that a society can have is freedom of the press. They, however, could not envision how many different forms of the press there would be in the years after the Constitution was written. During our nation's formative years, the term press was primarily restricted to media in terms of newspapers and books. Over the years with different courts, congresses, and presidents, we have seen an expansion of the term press. This has been made even more so with advancing technology and the global expansion of the media. Therefore when we examine the media we must take a contemporary approach to this issue rather than looking at the issue based on the past. The media has long been an easy target for the ills of society. If we go back to the times of the beginnings of World War II we can see how man... ...of game has little if any social benefit, to the contrary it in many ways teaches children that violence and objectifying women is ok, just as long as it looks cool. In the long run if games such as these remain popular among children and young adults, we will see a worsening of our already decaying morals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As you can plainly see, we as a society cannot place the blame of the problem of today’s children on the media and saying that the media is harmful to children. True the media can be harmful, but if it is carefully monitor and parents use discretion before saying yes to what their children can play, read, or watch then this problem would be greatly lessened. If we blame the media without ourselves taking action then we are just as responsible because we are allowing the media to cause harm to our children with us just standing by and watching. It is true that the media as an industry must ensure that the products and programming that they are putting out is targeted to the proper markets, but in the end it is ultimately up to the parents to decide what is best for their children. It is the parents responsibility to determine what is or is not harmful to their children. Media vs. Parenting Essay examples -- Effect Cause Parents Impact chil Media vs. Parenting   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What impact does sex, violence, drugs, etc. in the media have on children? What can we do about it? How do we balance the tension between freedom of expression and the need to protect children? When you talk about the media and whether or not it is harmful on children, you must examine the whole industry and all aspects of its effects on children. It is that the media as a whole is not as harmful to children as some intense other can, but over exposure to certain aspects of certain types of media can be harmful. To say that all media can be harmful to children is a fallacy that must be avoided when examining this topic. Most people when analyzing this issue tend to focus on drugs, sex, and violence in terms of the television media. Although those are some of the main topics throughout the history of this topic, there are more important issues then just that as said.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This is an argument that should indefinitely point out the major impacts on young children. However this will be examining this topic in a much broader sense that will encompass the media as an entity and not focus only on the negative aspects but also the positive aspects of the media to show that the media is not in all ways bad for children. Media affecting children is increasingly rising, and is becoming a big factor among children’s behaviors, but other factors such as parenting will also participate to whether media is harmful to children.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During the formation of our Constitution, our forefathers had enough foresight to know that one of the most sacred freedoms that a society can have is freedom of the press. They, however, could not envision how many different forms of the press there would be in the years after the Constitution was written. During our nation's formative years, the term press was primarily restricted to media in terms of newspapers and books. Over the years with different courts, congresses, and presidents, we have seen an expansion of the term press. This has been made even more so with advancing technology and the global expansion of the media. Therefore when we examine the media we must take a contemporary approach to this issue rather than looking at the issue based on the past. The media has long been an easy target for the ills of society. If we go back to the times of the beginnings of World War II we can see how man... ...of game has little if any social benefit, to the contrary it in many ways teaches children that violence and objectifying women is ok, just as long as it looks cool. In the long run if games such as these remain popular among children and young adults, we will see a worsening of our already decaying morals.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As you can plainly see, we as a society cannot place the blame of the problem of today’s children on the media and saying that the media is harmful to children. True the media can be harmful, but if it is carefully monitor and parents use discretion before saying yes to what their children can play, read, or watch then this problem would be greatly lessened. If we blame the media without ourselves taking action then we are just as responsible because we are allowing the media to cause harm to our children with us just standing by and watching. It is true that the media as an industry must ensure that the products and programming that they are putting out is targeted to the proper markets, but in the end it is ultimately up to the parents to decide what is best for their children. It is the parents responsibility to determine what is or is not harmful to their children.

The Lost Duke of Wyndham Chapter Twenty

Outside the carriage, the atmosphere was considerably less tense. The three men remained on horseback, never quite in a line. Every now and then one of them would increase his pace or fall behind, and one horse would pass another. Perfunctory greetings would be exchanged. Occasionally someone would comment on the weather. Lord Crowland seemed rather interested in the native birds. Thomas didn't say much, but – Jack glanced over at him – good Lord, was he whistling? â€Å"Are you happy?† Jack asked, his voice a bit short. Thomas looked back in surprise. â€Å"Me?† He frowned, thinking about it. â€Å"I suppose I am. It's a rather fine day, don't you think?† â€Å"A fine day,† Jack echoed. â€Å"None of us is trapped in the carriage with that evil old hag,† Crowland announced. â€Å"We should all be happy.† Then he added, â€Å"Pardon,† since the evil old hag was, after all, grandmother to both of his companions. â€Å"Pardons unnecessary on my account,† Thomas said. â€Å"I agree with your assessment completely.† There had to be something significant in this, Jack thought – that their conversation kept returning to how relieved they all were not to be in the dowager's presence. It was damned strange, to tell the truth, and yet, it did make one think†¦ â€Å"Will I have to live with her?† he blurted out. Thomas looked over and grinned. â€Å"The Outer Hebrides, my man, the Outer Hebrides.† â€Å"Why didn't you do it?† Jack demanded. â€Å"Oh, believe me, I will, on the off chance I still possess any power over her tomorrow. And if I don't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thomas shrugged. â€Å"I'll need some sort of employment, won't I? I always wished to travel. Perhaps I shall be your scout. I'll find the oldest, coldest place on the island. I shall have a rollicking good time.† â€Å"For God's sake,† Jack swore. â€Å"Stop talking like that.† He did not want this to be preordained. He did not want it to be understood. Thomas ought to be fighting for his place in the world, not blithely handing it over. Because he himself did not want it. He wanted Grace, and he wanted his freedom, and more than anything, right at that very moment, he wanted to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. Thomas gave him a curious look but said nothing more. And neither did Jack. Not when they reached Pollamore, or Cavan town, or even as they rode into Butlersbridge. Night had long since fallen, but Jack knew every storefront, every last signpost and tree. There was the Derragarra Inn, where he'd got himself drunk on his seventeenth birthday. There was the butcher, and the blacksmith, and ah, yes, there was the oatmeal mill, behind which he'd stolen his first kiss. Which meant that in five – no, make that four – more minutes, he would be home. Home. It was a word he had not uttered in years. It had had no meaning. He'd lived in inns and public houses and sometimes under the stars. He'd had his ragtag group of friends, but they drifted in and out of togetherness. They thieved together more by convenience than anything else. All they'd had in common was a shared past in the military, and a willingness to give a portion of their bounty to those who had returned from the war less fortunate than they. Over the years, Jack had given money to men without legs, women without husbands, children without parents. No one ever questioned where he'd got the money. He supposed his bearing and accent were those of a gentleman, and that was enough. People saw what they wanted to see, and when a former officer (who never quite got around to sharing his name) came bearing gifts†¦ No one ever wanted to question it. And through all this, he'd told no one. Who had there been to tell? Grace. Now there was Grace. He smiled. She would approve. Perhaps not of the means, but certainly of the end. The truth was, he'd never taken anything from anyone who hadn't looked as if they could afford it. And he'd always been careful to more thoroughly rob the most annoying of his victims. Such scruples would not have kept him from the gallows, but it had always made him feel a bit better about his chosen profession. He heard a horse draw up next to his, and when he turned, there was Thomas, now keeping pace beside him. â€Å"Is this the road?† he asked quietly. Jack nodded. â€Å"Just around the bend.† â€Å"They are not expecting you, are they?† â€Å"No.† Thomas had far too much tact to question him further, and indeed, he allowed his mount to fall back by half a length, granting Jack his privacy. And then there it was. Cloverhill. Just as he'd remembered it, except maybe the vines had taken over a bit more of the brick facade. The rooms were lit, and the windows shone with warmth. And even though the only sounds were those made by the traveling party, Jack could swear he could hear laughter and merriment seeping out through the walls. Dear God, he'd thought he'd missed it, but this†¦ This was something more. This was an ache, a true, pounding pain in his chest; an empty hole; a sob, forever caught in his throat. This was home. Jack wanted to stop, to take a moment to gaze at the graceful old house, but he heard the carriage drawing closer and knew that he could not keep everyone at bay while he indulged his own nostalgia. The last thing he wanted was for the dowager to barge in ahead of him (which he was quite certain she would do), so he rode up to the entrance, dismounted, and walked up the steps on his own. He closed his eyes and drew a long breath, and then, since he wasn't likely to amass any more courage in the next few minutes, he lifted the brass knocker and brought it down. There was no immediate reply. This was not a surprise. It was late. They were unexpected. The butler might have retired for the night. There were so many reasons they should have got rooms in the village and made their way to Cloverhill in the morning. He didn't want – The door opened. Jack held his hands tightly behind his back. He'd tried leaving them at his sides, but they started to shake. He saw the light of the candle first, and then the man behind it, wrinkled and stooped. â€Å"Master Jack?† Jack swallowed. â€Å"Wimpole,† he said. Good heavens, the old butler must be nearing eighty, but of course his aunt would have kept him on, for as long as he wished to work, which, knowing Wimpole, would be until the day he died. â€Å"We were not expecting you,† Wimpole said. Jack tried for a smile. â€Å"Well, you know how I like a surprise.† â€Å"Come in! Come in! Oh, Master Jack, Mrs. Audley will be so pleased to see you. As will – † Wimpole stopped, peering out the door, his wizened old eyes creasing into a squint. â€Å"I am afraid that I brought a few guests,† Jack explained. The dowager had already been helped down from the carriage, and Grace and Amelia were right behind her. Thomas had grabbed onto his grandmother's arm – hard, from the looks of it – to give Jack a few moments alone, but the dowager was already showing signs of impending outrage. â€Å"Wimpole?† came a feminine voice. â€Å"Who is here at this hour?† Jack stood stiffly, hardly able to breathe. It was his aunt Mary. She sounded exactly the same. It was as if he'd never left†¦ Except it wasn't. If he'd never left, his heart wouldn't be pounding, his mouth wouldn't be dry. And most of all, he wouldn't feel so bloody terrified. Scared spitless at seeing the one person who had loved him his entire life, with her whole heart and without condition. â€Å"Wimpole? I – † She'd rounded the corner and was staring at him like a ghost. â€Å"Jack?† â€Å"In the flesh.† He tried for a jovial tone but couldn't quite manage it, and deep inside, down where he kept his blackest moments, he wanted to cry. Right there, in front of everyone, it was twisting and writhing inside of him, bursting to get out. â€Å"Jack!† she cried out, and she hurled herself forward, throwing her arms around him. â€Å"Oh, Jack. Jack, my dear sweet boy. We've missed you so.† She was covering his face with kisses, like a mother would her son. Like she should have been able to do for Arthur. â€Å"It is good to see you, Aunt Mary,† he said. He pulled her tight then and buried his face in the crook of her neck, because she was his mother, in every way that mattered. And he'd missed her. By God, he'd missed her, and in that moment it did not matter that he'd hurt her in the worst way imaginable. He just wanted to be held. â€Å"Oh, Jack,† she said, smiling through her tears, â€Å"I ought to horsewhip you for staying away so long. Why would you do such a thing? Don't you know how worried we were? How – â€Å" â€Å"Ahem.† Mary stopped and turned, still holding Jack's face in her hands. The dowager had made her way to the front entrance and was standing behind him on the stone steps. â€Å"You must be the aunt,† she said. Mary just stared at her. â€Å"Yes,† she finally replied. â€Å"And you are†¦?† â€Å"Aunt Mary,† Jack said hastily, before the dowager could speak again, â€Å"I am afraid I must introduce you to the dowager Duchess of Wyndham.† Mary let go of him and curtsied, stepping aside as the dowager swept past her. â€Å"The Duchess of Wyndham?† she echoed, looking at Jack with palpable shock. â€Å"Good heavens, Jack, couldn't you have sent notice?† Jack smiled tightly. â€Å"It is better this way, I assure you.† The rest of the traveling party came forward at that moment, and Jack completed the introductions, trying not to notice his aunt going from paler to palest after he identified the Duke of Wyndham and the Earl of Crowland. â€Å"Jack,† she whispered frantically, â€Å"I haven't the rooms. We have nothing grand enough – â€Å" â€Å"Please, Mrs. Audley,† Thomas said with a deferential bow, â€Å"do not put yourself out on my accord. It was unforgivable for us to arrive without notice. I would not expect you to go to any great lengths. Although† – he glanced over at the dowager, who was standing in the hall with a sour look on her face – â€Å"perhaps your finest room for my grandmother. It will be easier for everyone.† â€Å"Of course,† Mary said quickly. â€Å"Please, please, it's chilly. You must all come inside. Jack, I do need to tell you – â€Å" â€Å"Where is your church?† the dowager demanded. â€Å"Our church?† Mary asked, looking to Jack in confusion. â€Å"At this hour?† â€Å"I do not intend to worship,† the dowager snapped. â€Å"I wish to inspect the records.† â€Å"Does Vicar Beveridge still preside?† Jack asked, trying to cut the dowager off. â€Å"Yes, but he will surely be abed. It's half nine, I should think, and he is an early riser. Perhaps in the morning. I – â€Å" â€Å"This is a matter of dynastic importance,† the dowager cut in. â€Å"I don't care if it's after midnight. We – â€Å" â€Å"I care,† Jack cut in, silencing her with an icy expression. â€Å"You are not going to pull the vicar out of bed. You have waited this long. You can bloody well wait until morning.† â€Å"Jack!† Mary gasped. She turned to the dowager. â€Å"I did not raise him to speak this way.† â€Å"No, you didn't,† Jack said, which was the closest he was going to come to an apology while the dowager was staring him down. â€Å"You were his mother's sister, weren't you?† the dowager said. Mary looked a bit baffled at the sudden change of topic. â€Å"I am.† â€Å"Were you present at her wedding?† â€Å"I was not.† Jack turned to her in surprise. â€Å"You weren't?† â€Å"No. I could not attend. I was in confinement.† She gave Jack a rueful look. â€Å"I never told you. It was a stillbirth.† Her face softened. â€Å"Just one of the reasons I was so happy to have you.† â€Å"We shall make for the church in the morning,† the dowager announced, uninterested in Mary's obstetrical history. â€Å"First thing. We shall find the papers and be done with it.† â€Å"The papers?† Mary echoed. â€Å"Proof of the marriage,† the dowager bit off. She looked upon Mary with icy condescension, then dismissed her with a flick of her head, adding, â€Å"Are you daft?† It was a good thing Thomas pulled her back, because Jack would have gone for her throat. â€Å"Louise was not married in the Butlersbridge church,† Mary said. â€Å"She was married at Maguiresbridge. In County Fermanagh, where we grew up.† â€Å"How far is that?† the dowager demanded, trying to yank her arm free of Thomas's grasp. â€Å"Twenty miles, your grace.† The dowager muttered something quite unpleasant. Jack could not make out the exact words, but Mary blanched. She turned to him with an expression nearing alarm. â€Å"Jack? What is this all about? Why do you need proof of your mother's marriage?† He looked at Grace, who was standing a bit behind his aunt. She offered him a tiny nod of encouragement, and he cleared his throat and said, â€Å"My father was her son.† Mary looked over at the dowager in shock. â€Å"Your father†¦John Cavendish, you mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Thomas stepped forward. â€Å"May I intercede?† Jack felt exhausted. â€Å"Please do.† â€Å"Mrs. Audley,† Thomas said, with more dignity and collection than Jack could ever have imagined, â€Å"if there is proof of your sister's marriage, then your nephew is the true Duke of Wyndham.† â€Å"The true Duke of – † Mary covered her mouth in shock. â€Å"No. It's not possible. I remember him. Mr. Cavendish. He was – † She waved her arms in the air as if trying to describe him with gestures. Finally, after several attempts at a more verbal explanation, she said, â€Å"He would not have kept such a thing from us.† â€Å"He was not the heir at the time,† Thomas told her, â€Å"and had no reason to believe he would become so.† â€Å"Oh, my heavens. But if Jack is the duke, then you – â€Å" â€Å"Are not,† he finished wryly. â€Å"I am sure you can imagine our eagerness to have this settled.† Mary stared at him in shock. And then at Jack. And then looked as if she very much wanted to sit down. â€Å"I am standing in the hall,† the dowager announced haughtily. â€Å"Don't be rude,† Thomas chided. â€Å"She should have seen to – â€Å" Thomas shifted his grip on her arm and yanked her forward, brushing right past Jack and his aunt. â€Å"Mrs. Audley,† he said, â€Å"we are most grateful for your hospitality. All of us.† Mary nodded gratefully and turned to the butler. â€Å"Wimpole, would you – â€Å" â€Å"Of course, ma'am,† he said, and Jack had to smile as he moved away. No doubt he was rousing the housekeeper to have her prepare the necessary bedrooms. Wimpole had always known what Aunt Mary needed before she'd had to utter the words. â€Å"We shall have rooms readied in no time,† Mary said, turning to Grace and Amelia, who were standing off to the side. â€Å"Would the two of you mind sharing? I don't have – â€Å" â€Å"It is no trouble at all,† Grace said warmly. â€Å"We enjoy each other's company.† â€Å"Oh, thank you,† Mary said, sounding relieved. â€Å"Jack, you shall have to take your old bed in the nursery, and – oh, this is silly, I should not be wasting your time here in the hall. Let us retire to the drawing room, where you may warm yourselves by the fire until your rooms are ready.† She ushered everyone in, but when Jack made to go, she placed her hand on his arm, gently holding him back. â€Å"We missed you,† she said. He swallowed, but the lump in his throat would not dislodge. â€Å"I missed you, too,† he said. He tried to smile. â€Å"Who is home? Edward must have – â€Å" â€Å"Married,† she finished for him. â€Å"Yes. As soon as we were out of mourning for Arthur. And Margaret soon after. They both live close by, Edward just down the lane, Margaret in Belturbet.† â€Å"And Uncle William?† Jack had last seen him at Arthur's funeral. He'd looked older. Older, and tired. And stiff with grief. â€Å"He is well?† Mary was silent, and then an unbearable sorrow filled her eyes. Her lips parted but she did not speak. She did not need to. Jack stared at her in shock. â€Å"No,† he whispered, because it could not be true. He was supposed to have had a chance to say he was sorry. He'd come all the way to Ireland. He wanted to say he was sorry. â€Å"He died, Jack.† Mary blinked several times, her eyes glistening. â€Å"It was two years ago. I didn't know how to find you. You never gave us an address.† Jack turned, taking a few steps toward the rear of the house. If he stayed where he was, someone could see him. Everyone was in the drawing room. If they looked through the doorway, they would see him, struck, ready to cry, maybe ready to scream. â€Å"Jack?† It was Mary, and he could hear her steps moving cautiously toward him. He looked up at the ceiling, taking a shaky, open-mouthed breath. It didn't help, but it was all he could manage. Mary laid her hand on his arm. â€Å"He told me to tell you he loved you.† â€Å"Don't say that.† It was the one thing he couldn't hear. Not just now. â€Å"He did. He told me he knew you would come home. And that he loved you, and you were his son. In his heart, you were his son.† He covered his face with his hands and found himself pressing tight, tighter, as if he could squeeze this all away. Why was he surprised? There was no reason he should be. William was not a young man; he'd been nearly forty when he married Mary. Did he think that life would have stood still in his absence? That no one would have changed, or grown†¦or died? â€Å"I should have come back,† he said. â€Å"I should have – Oh, God, I'm such an idiot.† Mary touched his hand, pulled it gently down and held it. And then she pulled him out of the hall, into the nearest room. His uncle's study. Jack walked over to the desk. It was a hulking, behemoth of a thing, the wood dark and scuffed and smelling like the paper and ink that always lain atop it. But it had never been imposing. Funny, he'd always liked coming in here. It seemed odd, really. He'd been an out of doors sort of boy, always running and racing, and covered in mud. Even now, he hated a room with fewer than two windows. But he had always liked it here. He turned to look at his aunt. She was standing in the middle of the room. She'd closed the door most of the way and set her candle down on a shelf. She turned and looked back at him and said, very softly, â€Å"He knew you loved him.† He shook his head. â€Å"I did not deserve him. Or you.† â€Å"Stop this talk. I won't hear it.† â€Å"Aunt Mary, you know†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He put his fisted hand to his mouth, biting down on his knuckle. The words were there, but they burned in his chest, and it was so damned hard to speak them. â€Å"You know that Arthur would not have gone to France if not for me.† She stared at him in bewilderment, then gasped and said, â€Å"Good heavens, Jack, you do not blame yourself for his death?† â€Å"Of course I do. He went for me. He would never have – â€Å" â€Å"He wanted to join the army. He knew it was that or the clergy, and heaven knows he did not want that. He'd always planned – â€Å" â€Å"No,† Jack cut in, with all the force and anger in his heart. â€Å"He hadn't. Maybe he told you he had, but – â€Å" â€Å"You cannot take responsibility for his death. I will not let you.† â€Å"Aunt Mary – â€Å" â€Å"Stop! Stop it!† The heels of her hands were pressed against her temples, her fingers wrapping up and over her skull. More than anything, she looked as if she were trying to shut him out, to put a stop to whatever it was he was trying to tell her. But it had to be said. It was the only way she would understand. And it would be the first time he'd uttered the words aloud. â€Å"I cannot read.† Three words. That's all it was. Three words. And a lifetime of secrets. Her brow wrinkled, and Jack could not tell – did she not believe him? Or was it simply that she thought she'd misheard? People saw what they expected to see. He'd acted like an educated man, and so that was how she'd seen him. â€Å"I can't read, Aunt Mary. I've never been able to. Arthur was the only one who ever realized.† She shook her head. â€Å"I don't understand. You were in school. You were graduated – â€Å" â€Å"By the skin of my teeth,† Jack cut in, â€Å"and only then, with Arthur's help. Why do you think I had to leave university?† â€Å"Jack†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She looked almost embarrassed. â€Å"We were told you misbehaved. You drank too much, and there was that woman, and – and – that awful prank with the pig, and – Why are you shaking your head?† â€Å"I didn't want to embarrass you.† â€Å"You think that wasn't embarrassing?† â€Å"I could not do the work without Arthur's help,† he explained. â€Å"And he was two years behind me.† â€Å"But we were told – â€Å" â€Å"I'd rather have been dismissed for bad behavior than stupidity,† he said softly. â€Å"You did it all on purpose?† He dipped his chin. â€Å"Oh, my God.† She sank into a chair. â€Å"Why didn't you say something? We could have hired a tutor.† â€Å"It wouldn't have helped.† And then, when she looked up at him in confusion he said, almost helplessly, â€Å"The letters dance. They flip about. I can never tell the difference between a d and a b, unless they are uppercase, and even then I – â€Å" â€Å"You're not stupid,† she cut in, and her voice was sharp. He stared at her. â€Å"You are not stupid. If there is a problem it is with your eyes, not your mind. I know you.† She stood, her movements shaky but determined, and then she touched his cheek with her hand. â€Å"I was there the moment you were born. I was the first to hold you. I have been with you for every scrape, every tumble. I have watched your eyes light, Jack. I have watched you think. â€Å"How clever you must have been,† she said softly, â€Å"to have fooled us all.† â€Å"Arthur helped me all through school,† he said as evenly as he was able. â€Å"I never asked him to. He said he liked – † He swallowed then, because the memory was rising in his throat like a cannonball. â€Å"He said he liked to read aloud.† â€Å"I think he did like that.† A tear began to roll down her cheek. â€Å"He idolized you, Jack.† Jack fought the sobs that were choking his throat. â€Å"I was supposed to protect him.† â€Å"Soldiers die, Jack. Arthur was not the only one. He was merely†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She closed her eyes and turned away, but not so fast that Jack didn't see the flash of pain on her face. â€Å"He was merely the only one who mattered to me,† she whispered. She looked up, straight into his eyes. â€Å"Please, Jack, I don't want to lose two sons.† She held out her arms, and before Jack knew it, he was there, in her embrace. Sobbing. He had not cried for Arthur. Not once. He'd been so full of anger – at the French, at himself – that he had not left room for grief. But now here it was, rushing in. All the sadness, all the times he'd witnessed something amusing and Arthur had not been there to share it with. All the milestones he had celebrated alone. All the milestones Arthur would never celebrate. He cried for all of that. And he cried for himself, for his lost years. He'd been running. Running from himself. And he was tired of it. He wanted to stop. To stay in one place. With Grace. He would not lose her. He did not care what he had to do to ensure their future, but ensure it he would. If Grace said that she could not marry the Duke of Wyndham, then he would not be the Duke of Wyndham. Surely there was some measure of his destiny that was still under his control. â€Å"I need to see to the guests,† Mary whispered, pulling gently away. Jack nodded, wiping the last of his tears from his eyes. â€Å"The dowager†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Good lord, what was there to say about the dowager, except: â€Å"I'm so sorry.† â€Å"She shall have my bedchamber,† Mary said. Normally Jack would have forbidden her to give up her room, but he was tired, and he suspected she was tired, and tonight seemed like the perfect time to put ease before pride. And so he nodded. â€Å"That is very kind of you.† â€Å"I suspect it's something closer to self-preservation.† He smiled at that. â€Å"Aunt Mary?† She'd reached the door, but she stopped with her hand on the knob, turning back around to face him. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Miss Eversleigh,† he said. Something lit in his aunt's eyes. Something romantic. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"I love her.† Mary's entire being seemed to warm and glow. â€Å"I am so happy to hear it.† â€Å"She loves me, too.† â€Å"Even better.† â€Å"Yes,† he murmured, â€Å"it is.† She motioned toward the hall. â€Å"Will you return with me?† Jack knew he should, but the evening's revelations had left him exhausted. And he did not want anyone to see him thus, his eyes still red and raw. â€Å"Would you mind if I remained here?† he asked. â€Å"Of course not.† She smiled wistfully and left the room. Jack turned back toward his uncle's desk, running his fingers slowly along the smooth surface. It was peaceful here, and the Lord knew, he needed a spot of peace. It was going to be a long night. He would not sleep. There was no sense in trying. But he did not want to do anything. He did not want to go anywhere, and most of all, he did not want to think. For this moment†¦for this night†¦he just wanted to be. Grace liked the Audleys' drawing room, she decided. It was quite elegant, decorated in soft tones of burgundy and cream, with two seating areas, a writing desk, and several cozy reading chairs in the corners. Signs of family life were everywhere – from the stack of letters on the desk to the embroidery Mrs. Audley must have abandoned on the sofa when she'd heard Jack at the door. On the mantel sat six miniatures in a row. Grace walked over, pretending to warm her hands by the fire. It was their family, she instantly realized, probably painted fifteen years ago. The first was surely Jack's uncle, and the next Grace recognized as Mrs. Audley. After that was†¦Good heavens, was that Jack? It had to be. How could someone change so little? He looked younger, yes, but everything else was the same – the expression, the sly smile. It nearly took her breath away. The other three miniatures were the Audley children, or so Grace assumed. Two boys and one girl. She dipped her head and said a little prayer when she reached the younger of the boys. Arthur. Jack had loved him. Was that what he was talking about with his aunt? Grace had been the last to enter the drawing room; she'd seen Mrs. Audley pull him gently through another doorway. After a few minutes the butler arrived, announcing that their rooms had been prepared, but Grace loitered near the fireplace. She was not ready to leave this room. She was not sure why. â€Å"Miss Eversleigh.† She looked up. It was Jack's aunt. â€Å"You walk softly, Mrs. Audley,† she said. â€Å"I did not hear you approach.† â€Å"That one is Jack,† Mrs. Audley said, reaching out and removing his miniature from the mantel. â€Å"I recognized him,† Grace murmured. â€Å"Yes, he is much the same. This one is my son Edward. He lives just down the lane. And this is Margaret. She has two daughters of her own now.† Grace looked at Arthur. They both did. â€Å"I am sorry for your loss,† Grace finally said. Mrs. Audley swallowed, but she did not seem to be near tears. â€Å"Thank you.† She turned then, and took Grace's hand in hers. â€Å"Jack is in his uncle's study. At the far end of the hall, on the right. Go to him.† Grace's lips parted. â€Å"Go,† Mrs. Audley said, even more softly than before. Grace felt herself nod, and before she'd had time to consider her actions, she was already in the hall, hurrying down toward the end. To the door on the right. â€Å"Jack?† she said softly, pushing the door open a few inches. He was sitting in a chair, facing the window, but he turned quickly and stood at the sound of her voice. She let herself in and closed the door gently behind her. â€Å"Your aunt said – â€Å" He was right there. Right there in front of her. And then her back was against the door, and he was kissing her, hard, fast, and – dear God – thoroughly. And then he stepped away. She couldn't breathe, she could barely stand, and she knew she could not have put together a sentence if her life had depended on it. Never in her life had she wanted anything as much as she wanted this man. â€Å"Go to bed, Grace.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"I cannot resist you,† he said, his voice soft, haggard, and everything in between. She reached toward him. She could not help it. â€Å"Not in this house,† he whispered. But his eyes burned for her. â€Å"Go,† he said hoarsely. â€Å"Please.† She did. She ran up the stairs, found her room, and crawled between her sheets. But she shivered all night. She shivered and she burned.

IDEA and Special Education Annotated Essay

Bowen, S. and Rude, H. (2006). Assessment and students with disabilities: Issues and challenges with educational reform. Rural Special Education Quarterly, 25 (3), pp. 24-30. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database. Bowen and Rude pointed out that the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA reflected an effort to align IDEA with NCLB. This article focuses specifically on the problem of accountability, eligibility for special education services, summary of performance, and transition services for special education students. Also included are guiding principles for selecting appropriate accommodations for assessments. Ketterlin-Geller, L. (2007). Recommendations for accommodations: Implications of (in)consistency. Remedial and Special Education, 28 (4), pp. 194-206. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier. The author noted the importance of appropriate accommodations for students who have special needs. Unfortunately, student IEPs are often not aligned with the actual accommodations that are made in the classroom. This disagreement between the classroom teacher and the IEP team results in inconsistent accommodations which, according to Ketterlin-Geller, have a negative effect on student outcomes. The author outlined several possible causes for these inconsistencies. Ketterlin-Geller concluded, â€Å"Regardless of the root cause for the disagreement between IEPs and teachers, the current system is placing teachers in the awkward position of enacting a set of predetermined, legally binding guidelines with the intention of providing the support needed for their students to succeed. † Lynch, S. and Adams, P. (2008). Developing standards-based Individualized Education Program objectives for students with significant needs. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40 (3), pp. 36-39. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier. Lynch and Adams noted the apparent conflict between the expectations of NCLB and the requirements of IDEA described guidelines that may be used to help districts to develop assessments that are inline with student IEPs. This article focuses on developing assessments that address pre-symbolic levels of learning, early symbolic learning, and expanded symbolic levels of learning. National Education Association (2004). IDEA and NCLB: Intersection of Access and Outcomes. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from http://www. nea. org/specialed/images/ideanclbintersection. pdf This 47-page booklet describes the implications of NCLB for IDEA. Section One of the booklet addresses standardized assessments for students with disabilities, including acceptable accommodations under NCLB. The booklet also addresses how special education may affect Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) reports. The text includes several links to documents that may be used for policy guidance for districts that are developing policies for special education. Turnbull, H. (2005). Individuals With Disabilities Education Act Reauthorization: Accountability and personal responsibility. Remedial & Special Education, 26 (6), pp. 320-326. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database. Turnbull noted that IDEA 2004 reflects the concept that the teacher, the school, and the federal government share in the responsibility of improving student outcomes. Turnbull argued that this scope of responsibility must also include parents and students if learning and student achievement are to take place. U. S. Congress (2002). No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Public Law 107-110. 2002. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from http://www. ed. gov/legislation/ESEA02/107-110. pdf This is the full text of NCLB. Altogether, the law is 670 pages long. The sheer volume of NCLB makes it difficult for many parents and school administrators to read through understand. References to IDEA and special education are spread throughout the bill; however, the most reference with the most significance for special education is found on page 1448-1449, in which â€Å"not less than 95 percent† of students, including students in special education, are required to take assessments â€Å"with accommodations, guidelines, and alternative assessments provided in the same manner as those provided† under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). U. S. Congress (2004). Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, Public Law 108-446. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from http://www. copyright. gov/legislation/pl108-446. pdf The full text of the 2004 reauthorization of IDEA. It is interesting to note that although IDEA 2004 was passed 2 years after the enactment of NCLB, there is no reference to NCLB in IDEA 2004. IDEA 2004 does note, however, that â€Å"all children with disabilities are included in all general State and districtwide assessment programs† (p. 40). Provisions are also made for alternative assessments. The philosophy of NCLB is also reflected in the IDEA 2004 requirement that states and school districts shall report the number of students who required an alternative assessment and how those students performed on the assessment (p. 41). Voltz, D. and Fore, C. (2006). Urban special education in the context of standards-based reform. Remedial and Special Education, 27 (6), pp. 329-336. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier. Critics of NCLB have argued that children from low-income families are more likely to have difficulty passing standardized assessments. Voltz and Fore pointed out that education does not occur in a vacuum. To be effective, education reform must be linked to broader social reform, including reforms that reduce poverty and that address the effect of poverty on student achievement. Wakeman, S. , Browder, D., Meier, I. , and McColl, A. (2007). The implications of No Child Left Behind for students with developmental disabilities. Mental Retardation & Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 13 (2), pp. 143-150. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier database. This review addresses how to develop appropriate alternative assessments for children who have developmental delays and the implications of NCLB for curriculum and instruction for these children. The authors encouraged teachers to work towards meeting challenging academic standards for their students with developmental delays and noted that â€Å"there is no research indicating that functional skills must be mastered before academic learning can take place†. Wakeman, et al. , also pointed out that the requirements of NCLB may make it more difficult to recruit and to retain teachers who are qualified to work with this population. Wasta, M. (2006). No Child Left Behind: The death of special education? Phi Delta Kappan, 88 (4), pp. 298-299. Retrieved October 14, 2008, from Academic Search Premier. In this editorial, Wasta argues that NCLB includes unrealistic expectations for the educational outcomes of students with disabilities. Wasta fears that NCLB may lead some schools to eliminate their special education programs altogether. Despite his concerns about NCLB, Wasta contends that special education students should not be exempt from assessments and other provisions of the law. Instead, NCLB should be modified to include realistic expectations for special education students and special education programs.

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 11

Filled with Molten Lava The picture I have of Nikki is a head shot, and I wish I had told her how much I liked it. She paid a professional photographer to take the photo, and she actually had her hair and makeup done at the local salon before going to the shoot; plus she also went to the tanning booths the week before the picture was taken, since my birthday is in late December and the picture was my twenty-eighth-birthday present. Nikki's head is turned so you see more of her left cheek than you do her right, which is outlined by her strawberry blond curly hair. You can see her left ear, and she is wearing the dangling diamond earrings I gave her for our first wedding anniversary. She had gone to the tanning booths just to bring out the freckles on her nose, which I love and miss every winter. You can see the little freckles clearly in the shot, and Nikki said this was the main idea and she even told the photographer to make the freckles the focal point because I love her seasonal freckles best. Her face is sort of like an upside-down triangle, as her chin is sort of pointy. Her nose is like the nose of a lioness, long and regal-looking, and her eyes are the color of grass. In the picture she is making that pouting face I love – not quite a smile, not quite a smirk – and her lips are so glossy that I can't resist kissing the picture every time I look at it. So I kiss the picture again, feeling the cold flatness of the glass, leaving a kiss-shaped smudge, which I wipe away with my shirt. â€Å"God, I miss you so much, Nikki,† I say, but the picture is silent, like always. â€Å"I'm sorry that I did not originally like this picture, because you would not believe how much I like it now. I know that I told you this was not such a great present, back before I started practicing being kind rather than right. Yes, I had specifically asked for a new barbecue, but I'm glad that I have the picture now, because it helped me get through all that time in the bad place and made me want to be a better person, and I'm changed now, so I not only realize but appreciate that you put a lot of thought and effort into this present. It's the only likeness I have of you since some bad person stole all the pictures of us that were in my mother's house – because the pictures were in expensive frames, and – â€Å" Suddenly, for some reason, I remember that there's a video of our wedding, and in this video Nikki is walking and dancing and speaking, and there's even this one part where Nikki talks directly into the camera as if she were talking to me, and she says, â€Å"I love you, Pat Peoples, you sexy stud muffin,† which made me laugh so hard the first time we watched the video with her parents. I knock on my parents' bedroom door, and then I knock again. â€Å"Pat?† my mom says. â€Å"I have to work in the morning, you know?† my father says, but I ignore him. â€Å"Mom?† I say to the door. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"Where's my wedding video?† There is a silence. â€Å"You remember my wedding video, right?† Still, she does not say anything. â€Å"Is it in the cardboard box in the family-room closet with all the other videos?† Through the door I hear her and my father whispering, and then my mother says, â€Å"I think we gave you our copy of the video, honey. It must be in your old house. Sorry.† â€Å"What? No, it's downstairs in the family-room closet. Never mind, I'll find it myself. Good night,† I say, but when I get to the family-room closet and go through the box of videos, it's not there. I turn around and see that my mother has followed me down into the family room. She is in her nightgown. She is biting her nails. â€Å"Where is it?† â€Å"We gave it to – â€Å" â€Å"Don't lie to me!† â€Å"We must have misplaced it, but it's sure to turn up sooner or later.† â€Å"Misplaced it? It's irreplaceable!† It's just a videocassette, but I can't help feeling angry, which I realize is one of my problems. â€Å"How could you lose it when you know how important it is to me? How?† â€Å"Calm down, Pat.† My mother raises her palms so they are both in front of her chest and then takes a careful step toward me, as if she is trying to sneak up on a rabid dog. â€Å"Relax, Pat. Just relax.† But I can feel myself getting more and more angry, so before I say or do anything dumb, I remember that I am close to being sent back to the bad place, where Nikki will never find me. I storm past my mother, go down into the basement, and do five hundred sit-ups on the Stomach Master 6000. When I finish, I am still angry, so I ride the stationary bike for forty-five minutes and then do shots of water until I feel hydrated enough to attempt five hundred push-ups. Only when my pecs feel like they are filled with molten lava do I deem myself calm enough to sleep. When I go upstairs, all is quiet and no light is leaking out from under my parents' bedroom door, so I grab my framed picture of Nikki, take her upstairs to the attic, turn off the ventilation fan, slip into my sleeping bag, set up Nikki next to my head, kiss her good night – and then begin to sweat away some more pounds. I haven't been up in the attic since the last time Kenny G visited me. I am afraid he will come back, but I also feel sort of fat. I close my eyes, hum a single note, silently count to ten over and over again, and the next morning I wake up unscathed.

Case Study Essay Essay

Speed Racer. Like millions of other kids, he couldn’t wait to watch the hero’s slick Mach 5 take on villainous rivals in equally enticing race cars. The show came on at 3:30 p.m. If he was late, he missed it. Back then, there were no VCRs or DVRs to record the show for later viewing. There was no Internet. Like everyone else at the time, Kilar had to watch TV on the schedule dictated by the networks. Perhaps that’s why when Kilar grew up, he set out to change that antiquated model of television watching. By the time Kilar had reached the ripe old age of 36, home-recording devices had been household fixtures for well over two decades. But as far as Kilar was concerned, having to think ahead and set a device to record a show was still too much work. That’s why accepted the task of running Hulu, a joint venture by media giants NBC Universal and News Corporation that serves up TV shows and movies through a slick Web interface, when and  wherever you want to view them. As Hulu began to take shape, speculation quickly turned to skepticism.  What’s a Hulu? In August 2007, this question ricocheted  through the blogosphere to a chorus of derisive laughter. NBC and Fox [News Corps’ TV broadcasting subsidiary] were going to make the Internet safe for television! They were building a â€Å"YouTube killer†! And they were calling it Hulu! It was almost too perfect—an absurdist topper to the idea that two major broadcast networks could devise an Internet video service people would actually use.The name was even more delicious than the venture’s placeholder moniker, NewCo, which the online world had changed to ClownCo.And now Hulu? It means â€Å"snoring† in Chinese, one blogger declared. â€Å"‘Cease’ and ‘desist’ in Swahili,† Michael Arrington reported on TechCrunch. â€Å"Perhaps they should have just stuck with ClownCo,† he added. In Mandarin, hulu actually means â€Å"bottle gourd,† or â€Å"holder of precious things.† But the word’s meaning doesn’t really matter much. What does matter is that since Hulu aired its first television program in March 2008, it has become the third  most-viewed online video site, and it’s still rapidly growing. Entertainment Weekly called Hulu â€Å"some kind of TV addict’s fever dream.† One of the same bloggers who had earlier ridiculed Hulu soon pronounced it â€Å"brilliant.† And Mr. Arrington, coeditor of the famed blog TechCrunch and one of Hulu’s  harshest early critics, ultimately declared, â€Å"Game over. Hulu wins.† The big question is this: Of all the world’s Web startups and video sites, what has made Hulu such an instant and unquestioned success? Focus On the Customer When Jeff Zucker, CEO of NBC Universal, and Peter Chernin,  president of News Corporation’s Fox network, hired Jason Kilar, they handed him a relatively empty canvas in an industry mired with complexities. Kilar could have set any of a thousand different priorities in creating Hulu. But Kilar focused first on one primary priority that would guide the entire venture: the viewer. He insisted that Hulu be â€Å"obsessed with users.† If Hulu didn’t work for viewers, they simply wouldn’t tune in. Kilar wanted to capture the best parts of watching television the oldfashioned way and combine them with the best that modern technology could offer. He and his Hulu team considered all the barriers to watching television and movie programming via the existing options and then set out to squash them. Hulu is Web based, so it overcomes two of the most common  inconveniences to watching regular TV It’s available 24/7, and .  it doesn’t require that viewers set a device for recording. But all Web video sites offer those advantages. Beyond these basics, to ultimately draw people away from their TV sets to watch their favorite shows online, Hulu had to offer more. So Kilar and his team focused on some very specific benefits. User-friendly The top Internet services—Google, Flickr,  YouTube—earned their top spots because they’re simple. Hulu needed to do more than just claim user-friendliness—its site needed to be clean, clutter-free, and have high-quality video. The site needed intuitive controls and navigation tools. And it needed to work seamlessly with all the popular Web browsers, without requiring additional downloads or special players.That obstacle had limited the success of many online video services. Kilar’s test for simplicity? His 62-year-old mom, Maureen, had to be able to cue up any video on the site within 15 seconds. As a result, Hulu emerged as the sleekest, easiest-to-use, and most professional video site on the Internet. According to Will Richmond, president of research firm Broadband Directions, Hulu â€Å"set the gold standard† for a TV-watching experience. â€Å"It has optimized all of the ingredients—quality of video, navigation, and controls.† Videos stream almost instantly in high resolution on a large or even full screen, instead of a â€Å"postage-stamp-size screen with grainy video,† as Kilar puts it. What does Kilar’s mom think? â€Å"She talks a big game, but she’s not technical,† said Kilar. But when Maureen discovered how easy it was to pull up episodes of the old TV classic Alfred Hitchcock Presents on Hulu, she was hooked. A Ton of Content Kilar also knew that slick and easy  wouldn’t be enough without having programming that people  wanted to see. When given the initial list of programs that  would be available on Hulu, Kilar was very disappointed. â€Å"It was one piece of paper,† he said. â€Å"I wished it was a phone book.† CC1 CC2 Company Cases Kilar informed the gurus at NBC and Fox that for Hulu to work, the two companies needed to provide access to every movie  they had ever made and every show they had ever aired. The  network chiefs explained that existing contracts and legal  complexities made that virtually impossible. But Kilar held his ground, and NBC and Fox quickly came around, digging deep  to gain legal clearance for everything that they could.  To give viewers even more content, Kilar suggested a strategy to Fox and NBC executives verged on heresy. He wanted to show programming from competing networks and production  companies—to sell the competition’s products. In fact, he wanted Hulu to be perceived as its own entity, not tied to any existing network. â€Å"Hulu is about the shows, not the networks,† Kilar argued.â€Å"The shows are the brands that users care about.† Once the idea settled in, Chernin and Zucker agreed. As a result, when Hulu went live, it boasted more than 250 TV shows and 100 movies from Fox, NBC, Universal, their affiliated cable channels, and more than 50 content partners such as Warner Brothers and indie film studio Lionsgate. In  addition to hosting content on its own Web site, Hulu links  seamlessly to video content on other video sites, even those of competing networks. In the time since Hulu began airing programs, the number of content partners has swelled to 130 and its library has grown exponentially. That library includes full episodes and even full seasons of television programs, clips from shows (clips of NBC’s Saturday Night Live are among the most viewed on the Internet), movies, and even instructional Web videos such as â€Å"How to Make Stuffed Crust Pizza.† Cost (as in Free!) Kilar also knew that for Hulu to succeed, it had to be free. After all, that’s how people had been watching broadcast television for decades. And on the Internet, people have come to expect â€Å"free.† But offering free content created a problem. Such programming had to be supported with ads, and  viewers don’t like those either. So Hulu created a very  reasonable compromise. The standard for broadcast television is eight minutes of ads per half-hour of programming. Hulu  inserts only two minutes of ads per half hour. Given all that they get, viewers don’t seem to mind the brief interruptions. Great Quality, User-based Programming, and Embed  Codes A great video player and lots of free programs are  things that viewers want most. But in his relentless pursuit to please viewers, Kilar went even further. He went for first-class quality, in both selection and viewing. Hulu relies on a small army of film students to screen every minute of footage,  looking for video and audio glitches. And instead of having  Hulu executives set programming priorities, Hulu lets users do it. Popularity alone moves a show up in the ratings. As a result, some rather odd shows have risen to the top. One of most  highly rated shows on Hulu is It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, an FX series starring Danny DeVito. Another is Arrested Development, a cult favorite that won Emmys and  critical acclaim but was canceled by Fox because of poor  ratings. In yet another â€Å"Is this guy crazy?† move, Kilar decided that Hulu should provide embed codes so that users could post  content on their own sites. Not only does Hulu feature content from the competition, it gives its own content away! Users  love this because they can share programming with others. It works for Hulu because it doesn’t really give the content away. It enables its videos to go viral, bringing more viewers to  sponsors’ ads. Embracing the Future Hulu’s focus on pleasing viewers is certainly showing results. In only a few months, Hulu ranked among the Web’s top-ten  video sites, besting even ESPN.com. The month following  Hulu’s airing of a very clever ad featuring 30 Rock’s Alex Baldwin on Super Bowl XLIII, the site’s viewership increased by 55 percent to 7.8 million with 332 million streams. This catapulted Hulu past Microsoft and Viacom,  putting it at the heels of number-three Yahoo! (with 353 million streams) and number two MySpace (with 462 million streams). A few months later, Hulu passed Yahoo! In the world of online video sites, YouTube still dominates with 5.3 billion streams every month. But the market offerings of YouTube and MySpace are very  different from Hulu’s, so Hulu lays claim to being the market leader for TV-oriented sites.   Despite its success in such a short time, Hulu ‘s future is hardly guaranteed. Consumers are fickle, especially in a world of constantly changing technologies where what’s hot today may be old news next year. NBC and News Corp recently  added Disney and it’s ABC library to the partnership. But numerous other user-friendly, TV-style sites lurk in the shadows, including CBS’s TV.com and Viacom’s Joost.  And don’t forget one of the biggest competitors of all: viewers themselves.A major reason that NBC and Fox created Hulu in the first place was to combat video piracy. They were constantly having to intervene to pull clips of their shows off of YouTube and other video sites. And peer-to-peer BitTorrent  networks were threatening to inflict the same damage on the  television industry that the likes of Napster inflicted on the music industry.  Shortly after their initial plans leaked out, Chernin addressed the piracy problem head on. â€Å"You can’t protect old business models artificially,† he proclaimed. Unlike music industry executives who held back far too long, Chernin and Zucker realized that if they didn’t put their shows online, someone else would. â€Å"The best way to combat piracy is to make your content available,† said Zucker. â€Å"We want to make sure consumers know they don’t need to steal our content. That’s what Hulu is all about.† But while the minds at Hulu feel that their product will do  a great deal to combat piracy, they are more concerned about a bigger issue: Giving the consumer everything they want may not always be the best thing for the business. From a profitability standpoint, the impact of making  content available with minimal commercials could have adverse effects on the  business models that have worked for decades. As viewership  Company Cases  turns from the TV to the Web, can the revenue generated  through the new media replace that which will undoubtedly be lost through the old?  Jason Kilar himself best captures the opportunities and  threats presented by the volatility of the industry. â€Å"The world has turned completely upside down. I find that very inspiring. Others might be scared out of their wits. But to me, this is the way media always should have been.† Questions for Discussion 1. Describe Hulu’s market offering in detail. What value is Hulu really offering to users? 2. Is Hulu customer-driven? Why or why not? 3. Think about the three considerations underlying the societal marketing concept. Is Hulu sustainable? Support your conclusions for each consideration. 4. What recommendations would you make for Hulu’s  future? Sources: Jessi Hempel, â€Å"Hulu’s Hurdles: Internet Video Sharing Site Tries to Serve Fans and Networks Alike,† Fortune, February 24, 2009, accessed online at www.money.cnn.com; Frank Rose, â€Å"Free, Legal, and Online: Why Hulu is the New Way to Watch TV,† Wired, September 22, 2008, accessed online at www.wired.com; Chuck Salter, â€Å"The Fast Company 50: #3 Hulu,† Fast Company, March, 2009, p. 59; Lynne d’Johnson, â€Å"In Only One Year, Hulu Becomes Fourth-Largest Video Site in U.S.,† Fast Company, March 23, 2009, accessed online at www.fastcompany .com.