Major Abnormal Behavior Theories of Psychology

Major Abnormal Behavior Theories of Psychology Luciano Lara PSY 303 William Ross, Ph. D. July 13, 2009 Major Abnormal Behavior Theories of Psychology Abnormal behavior has been witnessed by humans throughout the age of modern man.From the pre-industrialized societies of the past that correlated abnormal behavior to evil spirits and supernatural and magical forces to be cast out by spiritual healers or magician with magical spells and holy ritualistic incantations, to the purveyors of modern day scientific medical and psychological treatments that include psychotherapy and genetically engineered medicines, human abnormal behavior has been scrutinized and reconstructed under countless theories of causation through the annals of history.Witches from the middle ages on were thought to cast evil spells or hexes on people that would cause them to act in unusual ways. Well into the age of The Renaissance, demonic possession was believed to be one of the chief causes of abnormal behavior tha t could only be cured through religious rituals known as exorcisms. Even with the prevalence of such ideas throughout much of the past, progress was made towards identifying where the causes of such abnormal behavior might originate.Examples of attempt to move away from the beliefs that abnormal behavior was a form of punishment delved out by the gods towards those who angered or offended them can be seen from some of the great thinkers of the ancient Greeks such as Hippocrates, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle who rationalized that such behaviors could possibly occur from diseased brains. â€Å"Another general approach to the cause of abnormal behavior reflects what might be called the psychological perspective.According to this point of view, behavioral disturbances are caused by inadequacies in the way an individual thinks, feels, or perceives the world. According to the psychological perspective, people are at least potentially capable of examining their own thinking and modifying their behavior in light of that examination. † (Sarason & Sarason, 2005, p. 11).References Sarason, I. G. , & Sarason, B. R. (2005). Abnormal psychology: the problem of maladaptivebehavior (11th ed. ). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Howard Gardner -Theory Essay

Most learning institutions generally focus education on the linguistic and mathematical intelligence. Children in pre-school are first taught to know their ABCs and to count from one to ten. Those who can recite the alphabet well are considered bright students. Learners who can do addition at an early age are placed on the honors list. It had been that intelligence is measured using IQ tests. The higher the IQ is the smarter the person is. But the Theory of Multiple Intelligences, proposed by Howard Gardner in the year 1983, states otherwise. The theory basically implies that other than linguistic and mathematical competence, there are other or multiple aspects of the learning that should be considered as intelligence also. Likewise, the theory points out that standardized IQ tests is not a sufficient measurement of smartness or dumbness of a person. Gardner’s theory stirred the psychological and educational communities. It received varied reactions. Some were impressed and readily accepted the theory as it explains the differences of each students. Yet, some raised their eyebrows and issues sprouted as questions of validity and empirical evidences of the theory may not sustain the claims of the theory. There have been a lot of debates pertaining to multiple intelligences. Several writers have also expressed their varied opinions regarding the topic. Indeed the theory   proves to be an interesting milestone in the study of human learning and cognitive sciences. It also gives a lot of insight on how education in the future would affect the different abilities of each person. The theory, which is more than 20 years old, is already accepted and even integrated in some school but at the same time still in the middle of scrutiny. Howard Gardner was born in 1943 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. His parents   were originally from N ‘rnberg, Germany. They went to the US in 1938 with their three-year old son Eric. Before Gardner was born, Eric died in a sleighing accident. These were not known to Howard during his childhood but have a fairly significant impact upon his thinking and development. He was discouraged from trying risky physical activities and was rather   encouraged to develop his creative and intellectual abilities. As he began to find out his family history, he realized that he was different from his parents and friends. For his education , he went to a preparatory school in Kingston , Pennsylvania against his parents wish to send him to Phillips Academy in Andover , Massachusetts . After that, Gardner attended Harvard University and took up a course in history in preparation for a career in law. In Harvard he was able to study under scholars like Eric Erickson, sociologists David Riesman and cognitive psychologist Jerome Burner. Howard Gardner’s theory on multiple intelligences attempts to provide a comprehensive view of intelligence. In the psychological era where the single theory prevailed, Gardner broke away and stopped from settling with just a single factor to be held responsible for intelligence. He rejected the idea of measuring intelligence through IQ tests. According to Howard Gardner, human beings have nine different kinds of intelligence that reflect different ways of interacting with the world. Gardner developed the well-known theory of eight multiple intelligences, consisting of verbal/linguistic, musical, logical/mathematical, visual/spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, and naturalist intelligences. For Gardner, a person must satisfy a range of these criteria in order to quality as a person possessing intelligence. This is a much better theory, because it does not limit itself to a single entity. Compared to a single theory of intelligence where the theorist must restrict himself into choosing one that would provide the answer to measuring a person’s knowledge and abilities, Gardner’s theory opens itself to the possibility that there could be many areas where a person could demonstrate his skills and knowledge. The advantage of Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences lies in its being an â€Å"account of human cognition in its fullness†. It takes into account that man is equipped with a basic set of intelligences and that each man is unique with respect to which different components of the set of intelligences he may possess. This leads to the notion that man has the opportunity of taking advantage of his uniqueness by tailoring his education in accordance with his strengths and weaknesses. Howard Gardner introduced his theory of multiple intelligences in 1983. Multiple Intelligences is a theory about the brain that says human beings are born with a single intelligence, that cannot be changed, and is measurable by a psychologist. Gardner believes that that there is eight different intelligences in humans. Most intelligence tests only one or two intelligences, usually language and logic. Six others according to Gardner are musical, spatial, bodily-kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, and naturalist. Gardner believes that everyone acquires all eight of these intelligences, and through environment, genetics, and different experiences no two people have the same make up of intelligences. Because of these differences we need to look at educating students differently. We can either overlook these differences in our students and teach them all the same way, or realize that all students have different intellectual strengths and weaknesses, and factor these differences into the way we teach our students. Unfortunately in our schools if a student has an understanding of the intelligences language, and logic, than they will have no problem passing the kind of tests that are given in school, which in turn will make them feel that they are very smart. But another student who may have weaker language, and logic intelligences but is altogether just as intelligent as the other student, will never is able to pass the tests required in our schools. And in turn these students will grow up feeling as if they are not smart, when in fact they can be extremely intelligent. Some students may have a better understanding of subjects if only they were taught to use any other of their intelligences to understand a particular subject. Students and educators need to figure out how a particular mind works, for them to better learn and understand. If a student at an early age feels that they are not as smart as the other students, it will affect them for their whole lives. They will feel differently about themselves, and school. This will also cause a low self-esteem which will hurt them, and keep them from reaching their full potential. Gardner believes that a student first needs to try to improve their language, and logic intelligences, but if they can’t they should know that they still have the ability to learn, and should try using many of their other intelligences. Basically educators and students need to realize that no two people think the same way, and need to modify the curriculum to help every student learn and understand. Gardner believes that elementary school should not be a time of strict, disciplined learning, but a time to teach the joy of learning. Young children need to learn the differences between, opinions, beliefs, and evidence, and this will carry them throughout the later education years.   I think that in our schools we have some a few programs like classes for gifted students, and classes for slower students. But when it comes down to it everyone is taught the same material in the same way, and is everyone is expected to pass the same test. I think that seeing what Gardner believes in our classrooms today would be encouraging, and wonderful. But I also think that realistically it would be very difficult to be carried out in all of our schools. But when it comes down to it we as a nation needs to realize that our children are the future of our country. Resources: Website: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/gperf/education/ed_mi_overview.html July 19, 2010 http://www.thelearningweb.net/chapter10/page365.html

An Explanation of Spring and Fall

â€Å"Over Goldengrove unleaving? (line 2), Goldengrove may be metaphorical for her childhood and her lack of knowledge in life and death, because Goldengrove sounds very playful and beautiful like a garden or playground. †Leaves, [like the things of man]/ With [her] fresh thoughts care for, can you? † (line 3 and line 4), once again Hopkins uses questioning his poem, asking the young girl how she could care about such unimportant things as leaves. With line three of his poem, Hopkins also implies that Margaret is showing characteristics of man by caring about the leaves. He continues that idea in: â€Å"Ah! s the heart grows older/†(line 5). Hopkins is trying to tell Margaret that as she grows older into womanhood, her heart will as well. â€Å"It will come to such sights colder. † (line 6), this idea is even further continued in line six, where Hopkins tells Margaret that leaves falling from a tree is only the beginning of her sadness, because as she gets older, she will see worse things than that. â€Å"Nor spare a sigh/[Though worlds of] wanwood leafmeal lie†(line 8) Hopkins tells Margaret that as she grows older and sees how bad things are she will not dare to cry at the sight of fallen leaves ever again. But, Hopkins assures her that she will indeed still cry, â€Å"Now no matter, child, the name† (line 10). Hopkins then tells the child that she won’t know or be able to verbalize why she feels so sad: â€Å"Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed† (line 11). Hopkins continues with â€Å"It is the blight man was born for,† (line 13) meaning that everyone is born to do one thing, and that is die. As Hopkins’s poem comes to an end, the last line reads, â€Å"It is Margaret you mourn for. † (line 14). This says that Margaret will mourn her whole life away, grieving about her own unavoidable demise, and that she will never even realize that is why she is sad. An Explanation of Spring and Fall â€Å"Over Goldengrove unleaving? (line 2), Goldengrove may be metaphorical for her childhood and her lack of knowledge in life and death, because Goldengrove sounds very playful and beautiful like a garden or playground. †Leaves, [like the things of man]/ With [her] fresh thoughts care for, can you? † (line 3 and line 4), once again Hopkins uses questioning his poem, asking the young girl how she could care about such unimportant things as leaves. With line three of his poem, Hopkins also implies that Margaret is showing characteristics of man by caring about the leaves. He continues that idea in: â€Å"Ah! s the heart grows older/†(line 5). Hopkins is trying to tell Margaret that as she grows older into womanhood, her heart will as well. â€Å"It will come to such sights colder. † (line 6), this idea is even further continued in line six, where Hopkins tells Margaret that leaves falling from a tree is only the beginning of her sadness, because as she gets older, she will see worse things than that. â€Å"Nor spare a sigh/[Though worlds of] wanwood leafmeal lie†(line 8) Hopkins tells Margaret that as she grows older and sees how bad things are she will not dare to cry at the sight of fallen leaves ever again. But, Hopkins assures her that she will indeed still cry, â€Å"Now no matter, child, the name† (line 10). Hopkins then tells the child that she won’t know or be able to verbalize why she feels so sad: â€Å"Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed† (line 11). Hopkins continues with â€Å"It is the blight man was born for,† (line 13) meaning that everyone is born to do one thing, and that is die. As Hopkins’s poem comes to an end, the last line reads, â€Å"It is Margaret you mourn for. † (line 14). This says that Margaret will mourn her whole life away, grieving about her own unavoidable demise, and that she will never even realize that is why she is sad.

Investment Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Investment Report - Essay Example on and depreciation allows investors to limit the risks they expose their investments to provided that different industries are affected differently by economic factors. Thus, as part of the Portfolio Theory directives, I decided to purchase stocks/ETF/Mutual funds from Hyperdynamics Corp (HDY), CNET, SinoCoking & Coke Chemical Industries Inc. (SCOK), Charles Voegele Holding AG (DE:VCH), and CyberArk Software Limited. The merit for selecting these stocks is due to the nature of their trading trends. Currently, most of the stocks from the five companies have a positive appreciating trends which was originally not the case. At the time of investment, August 25, 2014. Most of the stocks did not have the potential they currently have. However, provided that different investment plans were applied such as the consideration of the potential companies worth growing one’s investment value to favorable levels. On the other hand, the stocks with minimum potential at the time of investment were considered on the basis of their potential to grow in the future. While the option of investing in stocks that have the same value as my industry, my strategy did not match this criterion as the result of investing in such stocks is like banking with a low-interest-rates’ financial institutions. According to course book, â€Å"Street Smart, Book Smart†, rule number two warns investors from investing on stocks that do not exceed or reach the 1 million volume threshold. These type of stocks are weak and indicate economic instability of the trading company at hand. As of the current purchase of Hyperdynamics Corp (HDY), CNET, SinoCoking & Coke Chemical Industries Inc. (SCOK), Charles Voegele Holding AG (DE:VCH), and CyberArk Software Limited the daily stock volumes of these companies are not above the 1 million mark and therefore this rule applies with every investment consideration made. 2. Rule one of the course textbook indicates that whenever investors are buying stocks, they

Criminology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Criminology - Essay Example Despite the application and side effects of the drug under consideration, the entity has become a viable entity towards the sustenance of cultural affiliation. Drugs have been utilized to complete the achievement of a desired state whether hyperactive or eliminate a disease within the body. The entity has had the presentation to include the effects on the functioning of the body with the composition of the element. Some drugs are required to sustain the current body conditions while others applied to complete the achievement of a body state. Over the years, drugs have replaced traditional beliefs, and the presentation on outdated measures to achieve cure. The norm has become the sole position to deliver satisfaction to unsatisfactory health state. The advertisement of drugs and the effects of using the substance suggest that the features have been applied as products in daily living (Varian 2006). There is the desire to inform the public of the manufactured products and their value in completing satisfaction. Likewise, drugs present the similar provision in offering value to human living (Varian 2006). Like any other commodity, drugs are applied in completing lifestyle satisfaction. However, variable drugs hold varied side effects and may be applied differently. Despite the contribution made to societal living, drugs are advertised to inform the public of their

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Factory collapse by tran tran - Essay Example Prior to construction, the factory should have quality material in use. Some contractors may work too consume the minimum costs hence ends up using poor quality materials that pose extra risks to the factory. In addition to that, the machines the factory will also use act as a determining factor to the strength of the foundation. In such cases, some factories use machines that are at the dispensation of continuous vibration hence weakening the foundation of the building. All these can be on achievement when there is close monitoring and evaluation by a qualified architect and the rest of a multidisciplinary approach (Reynolds and McKeown, 660). Therefore, a societal strict policy should be in place to ensure that all the constructors utilize the quality steel and cement when constructing the factories avoids any future predicament. Such proactive approach is likely to ensure that there are no cases of factory

Transition from Middle to High School Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Transition from Middle to High School - Essay Example In support of evidence-based practices, various Web-based collections of "best practices'" are now available, but not all programs included in such databases have been rigorously tested. Three databases that included programs broad enough to be useful in a school setting were selected. Criteria to screen and then assess available studies were used according to the process set out by the Evidence for Policy and Practice Information and Co-ordinating Centre {EPPI-Centre) for non quantitative review's-search, screen, describe, map and refine and appraise and synthesize'. The author has also provided a clear paragraph on the method used for screening and the criteria used for exclusion and inclusion as well. The research findings of the article have highlighted that after 246 programs were located and the initial screening criteria were met, almost 242 were excluded based on the criteria. The four which were left out are as follows: '( I ) School Transitional Environmental Program (STEP); (2) Skills, Opportunity, and recognition (SOAR), formerly Seattle Social Development Project; (3) Positive Action through Holistic Education (Project PATHE), and (4) Fast Track. The results of applying the inclusion criteria are presented in Table I'. A detailed analysis of each of the four has also been provided in the article. The author has provided a very clear and concise discussi

Facebook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Facebook - Essay Example The internet has a variety of different social networking websites such as MySpace, Netlog, Hi5, Yahoo and Facebook. This essay will examine and scrutinize Facebook and its varied features. It will begin with Facebook as a business and determining its industry from different aspects. Second, it will move to some information about Facebook, as well as details, such as Facebook background and some other facts. Third, this paper will go through a rundown of different business theories and strategies that Facebook uses like SWOT and PEST analysis, for instance. Fourth, this piece will take a look at Facebook data via explaining market share and financial issues. Fifth, we’ll be defining the different application of theories and strategies to data being used by the Facebook management. Ant then finally, this document will conclude with  looking at Facebook as a new business field, and how technology has been an effective aspect in that field, and not to forget, going through priv acy and risk management in this organization.   According to Techterms (2011), Facebook is a web site and a social network service, which means that it is an online service and platform that mirrors and builds social relations among people, for example, sharing interests and common activities. In February 2004 Facebook was launched, and it was operated privately and owned by Facebook. The name was acquired through papers that were given to new students and staff. By July 2011, Facebook had reached more than 800 million users. An American 23, Mark Zuckerberg born in 14th of May 1984 founded Facebook by following and associating computers, with fellow students Chris Hughes, Eduardo Saverin and Dustin Moskovitz, all of whom were his roommates. Zuckerberg is an Internet entrepreneur and computer programmer. A number of social networking websites were already developed by Mark Zuckerberg while he was still studying Psychology at Harvard University. The idea of

Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining an Overview Research Paper

Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining an Overview - Research Paper Example Reference is also made to collective bargaining as an important aspect of labor relations. Moreover, the cost of labor contracts is analyzed, as possible, as this cost is differentiated across industries and enterprises. The examination and the analysis of the above elements of labor relations leads to the following assumption: labor relations are necessarily influenced by the local economy and social ethics, as this influence is reflected in the cost of labor contracts and the level of success of collective bargaining. From this point of view any effort for the improvement of labor relations would be based on the following criteria: close monitoring of the costs involved and cooperation with unions, as representatives of an important part of the local population. The form of labor relations worldwide is based on similar criteria: the need for employee safety, for trust in the workplace and for increased protection of employees’ compensation, including salary and potential benefits. For many decades, legislators in all countries have tried to develop a legal framework for ensuring the protection of rights of both employers and employees, as incorporated in labor relations. However, the enforcement of relevant laws has been often proved problematic, a fact that is reflected in the high number of legal texts emphasizing on the particular sector. Moreover, it should be noted that the intervention of legislators and judges in labor conflicts has not been always in favor of employees. In the study of Holley, Jennings, and Roger it is mentioned that ‘in 1884 a judge in the state of Tennessee wrote: all may dismiss their employees at will’ (Holley, Jennings, and Roger 522). In any case, the need for effective management of labor relations, in all their aspects, has been a priority for politicians, legislators and theorists. An example is the theory

Cause and Effect Essay Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Cause and Effect Assignment - Essay Example Parents may adopt a given set of strategy and action based on the normal situations or the circumstances in which they are forced to bring about an action in response to the lack of values and behavioral respect shown by their children. The disciplinary action is originally meant to bring about resoluteness and respect in the manners and behavior of the children. The impacts can be multi fold. It can be either building up a very well groomed and looked after children or in certain cases it may also include the deviation in the form of excessively restrictive environment and behavioral response by the children. Surveillance based parenting includes parenting keeping a close and unannounced check on the children. This may include observing their activities, observing their belongings in their absence and other similar actions. The disciplinary action based parenting includes adopting a relatively formal method of parenting. This may include taking punitive measures which at times even may include physically controlling. Disciplinary actions may also include grounding of children and restricting their activities. Remuneration based treatment of children is the broader form of disciplinary action. Many experts on the subject of parenting and good skills with regard to children’s brought up advocate the use of counseling, sharing, and intimacy based build up of relations. In this kind of relationship and atmosphere presence, the child feels secure, easy and gives out the information easily which allows the parents resolving their issues relatively easily and flexibly. The child does not fear any threat, punishment that may come from the parents end in the case of violation as is the case in the form of disciplinary form of parenting and guidance by the parents. Effect of counseling may lead to increased good and open relationship between the child and parent. Since it is the human nature that the

Traditional Japanese History Essay Example for Free

Traditional Japanese History Essay Japanese literature spans over a large period of time for writing. Earlier literature work was greatly influenced by Chinese literature, but after opening its ports to Western trading, Japan eventually developed its own style and quality of literature. Like most literature around the world and through history, we can learn a lot about Japans history through its literature. The Heian, Kamakura, Muromachi, and Tokugawa periods are the time period in which we see the development of a Japanese culture that resembles less Chinese culture than the time periods we see in the previous period in Japanese history. The Heian period was between 794 and 1185 and was named for the location of the imperial capital. This time period within Japanese history is characterized by the flourishing culture of the court aristocracy, which actively pursued aesthetic refinement which led to new developments in art and literature (Heian Period). From one of the groups I chose â€Å"The Tale of Genji† because it is a great record of life for the nobility during this time period, it also considered some of the best literature in the world. The Tale of Genji† displays the complex relationship between the literary past and its later transformation from the material you find within the story (Janet Emily Goff, 1982: p. 144). To the poets in Japan during this age, the Tale of the Genji epitomized Heian court life in its depiction of the life of Prince Genji and his affairs with various court ladies, while the inclusion of nearly eight hundred poems had offered poets a guide to proper poetic expression on a wide variety of occasions. The Tale of the Genji falls under the category of ancient literature and is considered to be one of the world’s first novels. The book is just full of poems between men and woman during the Heian period and how they communicated among each other (Web Page Template). Court life was able to flourish during this time period because of the development of the shoen, large estates of land that were owned by the kuge, the court in Kyoto, but were run by managers sent money to the kuge and this is what the Tale of the Genji tells us historically about Japan (Web Page Template). During this time period, women could not be seen or communicated with except during certain occasions, like festivals, so many woman wrote poems and in journals to communicate to men. This means that by looking at literature during this time we can find out a lot between the gender roles and how men and women communicated during this time period, which in turn can be very important when studying a culture and how life was on a day to day basis, because primary documents within the study of history are the most important documents you can find. Another documents that I looked at was the â€Å"Kagero Nikki† which is an autobiography narrative that covers the years 954 to 974, part memoir and part dairy, written by the second wife of Fujiwara no Kaneie who was a high official of the Heian court. The author who is Mitchitisuna no Haha’s intention of the writing was to give readers and alternate, more realistic view of the life of a lady of the Heian court. Her goal was to capture on paper, the elements of a real social situation without evasion or idealization (Motivations of the Author of the Kagero Nikki). In a general sense though, the dairy is in a way her protest against the marriage system of the time, and supports the idea that men are beasts. But what is important is that we see a time period where woman are able to write literature and become educated, but they must write this literature in Japanese because it is forbidden that they do it in Chinese like the men. What we can see from this is a beginning of Japanese literature that strays away from the Chinese influence and also a literature that is not dominated by men, The next period to take place in Japan after the Heian period was the feudal periods which were the Kamakura and Muromachi periods. The Kamakura period began with the transfer of power from the imperial court to the Kamakura shogunate and this time period is also considered the medieval age for Japan. The third piece of Japanese literature I look at was â€Å"The Tale of the Heiki† which is Japans most famous war story. The war story was composed during the 14th century and is an account of the Genpei War which was the war that ended Heian period which makes the literature so important when taking a look into Japanese history from that time period (Oyler, Elizabeth). The story portrays the war as a heroic clash between two great warrior lineages, the Minamoto and the Taira. This literacy work is important within Japanese history, because it is believed to be the first to reach people of all social classes in that you didn’t have to know how to read in order to hear or understand the story. Even those who could not read could listen to the tale because it was sung in public areas and performers often spread the tale and traveled around Japan in order to do so (Oyler, Elizabeth). In today’s world, the tale is often viewed as both a source of stories about Japanese history and also as a eulogy for the spirits of the dead. The tale was also a great source for medieval and early modern codes of warrior behavior which is very similar to the westerns worlds’ idea of Knights chivalry during their medieval age. During this time period, Buddhism was also prominent due to the ongoing large influence of Chinese culture, and central to Buddhism is the impermanence of life. Buddhists according to Robert Oxnam see a need to announce worldly attachments to escape the sufferings of human existence, and that Japanese literature reflected these beliefs. The literature work of Kamo no Chomei called â€Å"An Account of My Hut† can give us a good outlook on the life of a Buddhist during this medieval time period within Japan, along with the transformation in Buddhism, since the book is Kamo no Chomei’s own transformation into the religion and beliefs of Buddhism as a Buddhist monk. Within the literature, Kamo no Chomei describes of the most disastrous periods for any important city in history. He describes the great fire, the Whirlwind, the moving of the capital, the famine, and the earthquake, all while civil war between the Taira and Minamoto clans is going on (Hojoki). The late medieval period of Japan was considered a time of the development of a number of Buddhists and the influence it had in Japan. This is what I believe makes this literature so important when reflecting on the Japanese history because it gives us a outlook on the perspective a Japanese Buddhist during this time period that turned out to be quite disastrous. The literature of the time reflected the unsettled nature of the period and we can see this perfectly within An Account of My Hut because it describes the turmoil of the period in terms of the Buddhist concepts of impermanence and the vanity of human projects. So both of these Japanese works of literature: The Tale of the Heike and An Account of My Hut both reflect on the Warrior spirit within the medieval time period of Japan along with its distress and cause, which both define the Kamakura and Muromachi periods. The next piece of Japanese literature I looked into was â€Å"Hizakurige† which is considered the most humorous and entertaining book in the Japanese language by some. It is story of two irrepressible men from Edo along the Tokaido, the great highway between Kyoto and Edo. It is considered by many that the literature of the Tokugawa period is inferior to earlier achievements by Japanese writers (Japanese Literature). The literature during this period was much more peaceful than the Japanese literature we would find during the Japanese medieval period and this was because there was a lack in war now and there was a rise in of the working class within Japan and the country had lost a bunch of money, and I think that this is what defined this period for Japan. And we can see that the literature from this time period represents the economic struggle in which Japan was having. The last piece of Japanese literature I looked at was The Love Suicides at Sonezaki which is the most famous and best loved play by Chikamtsu. It was based off of real events and instantly became a big hit during its time. The play also reflects the cycle of Buddhism, in that the numbers of suicides that take place during the play reflect the subtle cycle of Buddhism. Buddhism by the Edo period or late Tokugawa period was widely established and practiced under the acceptance of the Tokugawa government. The Love Suicides at Sonzaki also reflect on the marriage customs during that time for the Japanese people The connection that I see during these historical phases of Japan is that all three have some emphasis on literature and the beginning and continuing of separating Chinese and Japanese literature. But in reality I think that each period is very different. For example the medieval period of Japan was full of chaos and war while the ancient period of Japan was considered much more peaceful. The rulers and government rulers changed by period also. During the Heian Period, the Fujiwara family controlled the political scene (Japanese History: Nara, Heian Periods). But the Fujiware family rule came to an end when the Tiara family took charge until they were beat out of rule by the Minamoto Yoritomo family. During the Kamakura period the ruler was Minamoto Yoritomo who would be replaced by Ashikaga Takauki for the start of the Muromachi period. And during the Edo period the head of government were the shoguns and the government was considered the Tokugawa shogunate. Japanese literature is important within its culture and we can learn a lot from any counties or cultures literature. As I reflected on these literary pieces by Japanese I found that they all reflected on some kind of event that was taking place from within Japan, and what makes these pieces so useful for historians is that they are the insight from someone who was there during that period. It is obvious that a Japanese citizen will look at these periods differently than a Japanese citizen that is living today. Each period has its own effort and growth put into Japanese literature to make it what it is today.

German and UK Approaches to Immigration

German and UK Approaches to Immigration Over the last number of decades, migration into the EU has become a key phenomenon. According to figures from the OECD, towards the end of the 20th century an estimated figure in the region of 20 million migrants where living in the EU. That accounted for 5.3% of the total population. That figure has grown to 7.3% in 2003. These migrant movements come from various backgrounds. Many factors including political instability, media, and transport services, demographic and economic development have led to greater migration into the EU. The large influx of immigrants to the UK from India and Pakistan in the 1960s resulted in educational and cultural diversity policies to develop. In the 20th century EU countries have not intentionally â€Å"set out to build a multicultural society†. What we mean by a multicultural society is a â€Å"society consisting of many cultural or ethnic groups sharing the same space†. There are many economic and political reasons which lead to both a long term and a short term migration into the EU. Countries that saw a huge influx of migrants from neighbouring countries faced â€Å"similar challenges with regard to integration†. There was no one system by which these countries set out a list of policies to accommodate these migrants, but each â€Å"developed a different approach†. In this paper I will discuss the difference between two major countries when it comes to dealing with immigrants. These two countries/states are Germany and the United Kingdom. Each country will have its point of view when it comes to: education systems for both, children and adult migrants, employment systems, how they accommodated their religious beliefs. I have decided to not to generalise the EU as a whole, but chose countries that I feel have had different approach to immigrants. All countries adhere to basic democratic values and human rights; they are also submitted to the same European Courts of Justice. By their very logic these values and rights cannot be restricted to citizens, but must generally be granted to non-citizens. The migrants have the same rights as the autochthonous, except political rights in the narrow sense. They are entitled to the same civil, economic and social rights. This was seen in the 1955 Treaty between Germany and Italy which gave the Italian workers the same conditions of pay, health insurance, unemployment and pension benefits.†Ã¢â‚¬  Germany never defined itself as a country of immigration. This ambiguous stance has been reflected in its approach towards the integration of immigrants.† The main migrant groups in Germany are â€Å"Guestworkers† who entered Germany between 1950 and 9175. Their immigration was considered temporary and there was â€Å"no need for integration†. The second group were â₠¬Å"Ethnic Germans from eastern Europe†. These immigrants are of German origin. Immigrants who had â€Å"German ancestors. Education A study carried out by the Economic Cooperation and Development in Germany on the 15th of May 2006 show that German schools have failed when it comes to â€Å"educating immigrant children†. The study compared the native German students to those what we consider â€Å"first-generation immigrants† between 18 countries, one of which is Germany. The results were quite unsettling as the OECD showed that, students born outside of Germany â€Å"perform well below the average first-generation immigrants† in the list of countries surveyed. This was not the first time that Germany’s education system was criticised. In 2000, Program for International student Assessment (PISA) carried out a survey in which Germany was placed in the â€Å"bottom third of industrialised nations surveyed†. The next day the results were made public. Annette Schavan, the minister of Education requested â€Å"for money to be spent on schools†. Annette quoted saying â€Å"we a lso need a new funding concept†. Policies were taken to ensure the development of better education system for first and second generation children in Germany. In July 12th 2007, Chancellor Angela Merkel revealed the National Integration Plan. â€Å"This plan will provide local and state officials with a federal framework for conducting immigrant integration programs†. The NIP highlighted better â€Å"educational opportunities† for first and second generation youth. It ensured that more immigrants â€Å"enter the upper educational tracks†. In contrast, the UK has shown surprisingly very different results. Surveys also carried out by the OECD showed that first and second generation immigrant students have â€Å"on average higher levels of education† when compared to native students. However, these â€Å"educational advantages† have not resulted in successful employment for these immigrants. In fact, the gap in terms of employment for both groups is â€Å"quite dramatic† despite the fact that the same system of education is provided for both immigrants and â€Å"white natives†. When it comes to education in the UK, they have noticed that minority â€Å"children do in fact acquire a good knowledge of the English language from their peers outside school as well as from listening to their teachers†. Despite that the education system was altered slightly, whether it’s taking a decision to hold a child a year back in order to improve his English, so as to be prepared for 2nd level edu cation or the addition of extra English classes. In Ireland, a similar method was used. Employment As mentioned in the introduction, the majority of immigrants in the UK in the 1960s were from India and Pakistan. Study carried out by the LFS which compares â€Å"British born ethnic minorities and white natives† showed that the majority of immigrants were able to attain jobs. This was great news but there was one problem which the UK faced and that was: the difference between male and female minorities being employed is quite big. Figures show that more female women are being employed then to that of males. The UK had to take action in order to resolve the issue. The LFS found out that the main reason for this was that most immigrants have â€Å"remarkably strong educational backgrounds†. Figures also show that employment â€Å"probabilities of Pakistanis† male was as low as 23%. The labour market in the UK was described as a â€Å"bleak picture†. The chances of male workers attaining jobs are very low. To resolve the issue, new English language schools was set up by the government to balance these figures. In 2001, the LFS showed that such action was very successful as the ratio of male to female was balanced. In recent years the labour market in Germany for the integration of immigrants was quite similar to that of the natives. But Germany faced the opposite problem to that of the UK. Female immigrants had very low employment rates. The Turkish female immigrants, â€Å"stand out as having particularly low rates of well below 40%. Germany faced â€Å"economic stagnation† in the early 1990s. There was large decrease in immigrant employment when compared to nationals. Figures show that in 1990 there was a 10% decline in immigrant employment as opposed to 3% decline in natives being unemployed. Unlike the UK, the increase in unemployment for immigrants was not because of education but because of economic crisis. In order to rebalance the figures, a very different approach was taken. Germany had to take economic and political decisions. There was no action to limit the number of immigrants aloud into Germany but instead policies were more focused on international trade and attracting m ultinational companies. Between 1998 and 2000, the survey carried out by the LFS showed that there was a 12% increase in foreigners being employed. Religion Many people consider Germany as a â€Å"diverse country†. Many also anticipate that it will become increasingly so over time. In 2006, there was what was considered a â€Å"social cohesion† as such that German politicians â€Å"began to perceive hostility toward Muslims†. The PFRPL (Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life) ran a survey which showed that there are approximately 4.5 million Muslims living in Germany. This accounted for 5.1% of the population in 2013. The German society is a â€Å"homogenous† one. Racism is still pervasive in Germany. The image of Muslims after the September 11 has deteriorated as such Muslim religious believers has â€Å"trickled into the German national public dialogue† or in German Diskurs-Raum. There was a study carried by the University of Munster in 2010 found that Germans have a â€Å"worse perception of adherents of non-Christian religions† then any European country. Aggressive of violent attack on Muslims were expressed on Mosques and Muslim people. In oder to deal with this, Angela Merkel â€Å"initiated an integration summit† which opens the door for Germans to understand and learn about other religions and diversity. Many studies and research provided the natives with fact about Muslims in order to avoid any potential threats. There are over 1.1 million Muslims in the UK in 2001. This figure has tripled over the last decade to an astonishing 3.5 million within a decade. The Muslims have been very well accepted in the UK to a stage that there are now over â€Å"85 Islamic Sharia courts†. The British law accepted the Sharia Principles. There are over 110 mosques in the UK. The Muslim population has multiplied â€Å"10 times faster than the rest of the society over the last decade†. Conclusion In my opinion both societies have succeeded in converging with migrants. The education systems were altered slightly in both countries to accommodate migrant children as well as adults. Although I think the suggested approach to allow the cultures to â€Å"coexist† would truly show that the societies in the UK have accepted the migrant culture. Regarding the religious beliefs, the UK seem to have a slight advantage it terms of give the Muslims a sense of power. Many mosques in UK are involved in political debates as well as the fact that, some we’ll know politicians are Muslims. In Germany, there were no barriers when it comes to having permission to build mosques. A very high figure of 2,200 religious organisations shows that Germany has accommodated the religious beliefs of migrants. When it comes to employment, again both countries have provided the migrants with suitable jobs even though they might have had problems due to the lack of the native language. Overall most European societies have converged with the migrants. Reference Migration and Social Integration of Migrants 2003, Luxembourg, accessed 11 February 2014, http://www.oi.acime.gov.pt Steven vertovec / SuSanne WeSSendorf. 2004. Assessing the backlash against multiculturalism in Europe. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.mmg.mpg.de/fileadmin/user_upload/documents/wp/WP_09-04_Vertovec-Wessendorf_backlash.pdf May, Stephen, 2001. Multiculturalism and education in Britain: an internally contested debate. International Journal of Educational research, [Online]. 35, 305-317. Available at: http://www.tariqmodood.com/uploads/1/2/3/9/12392325/multiculturalism_education_britain.pdf . Spiegel. 2006. Integration and Education: Immigrants in Germany Falling Behind. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.spiegel.de/international/integration-and-education-immigrants-in-germany-falling-behind-a-416429.html. Eric Leise. 2007. Germany Strives to Integrate Immigrants with New Policies. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.migrationinformation.org/Feature/display.cfm?id=610. Dustmann,C. and Theodoropoulos, N. 2010. ETHNIC MINORITY IMMIGRANTS AND THEIR CHILDREN IN BRITAIN .Oxford Economic Paper, [Online]. 62, 1-24. Available at:http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~uctpb21/Cpapers/SubmissionOEP_June.pdf Bmfsfj. 2001. Family policy challenges in the organisation of migration and integration. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.bmfsfj.de/RedaktionBMFSFJ/Broschuerenstelle/Pdf-Anlagen/PRM-23893-Broschure-Integration-von-Fami,property=pdf,bereich=bmfsfj,sprache=de,rwb=true. Thomas Liebig. 2007. The Labour Market Integration of Immigrants in Germany. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.oecd.org/els/38163889. Naika Foroutan. 2013. Identity and (Muslims) Integration in Germany. [ONLINE] Available at:http://www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/TCM-Germanycasestudy.pdfSoeren Kern. 2011. Britain vs. Muslim Immigration. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/2056/britain-vs-muslim-immigration

Market Analysis And Market Entry Strategies For Brazil

Market Analysis And Market Entry Strategies For Brazil Accompanied by the globalisation the necessity and need for every company to rival on a global level in order to prevail arises. Hence, more and more companies pursue an expansion strategy out of reasons such as product diversification, lower costs, economies of scales and country incentives (Shook, 2008). Therefore this report will concentrate on the expansion of the sandwich chain Pret a Manger with a special focus on their market entry into the Brazilian market. Beneath Russia, India and China, Brazil is one of the BRIC countries and has on the one hand a highly developing economic growth and on the other hand a huge customer potential for the sandwich chain as Brazil has a population of approximately 185 million (Embassy of Brazil, 2010). The English sandwich chain was founded in 1986 by the college friends Sinclair and Julian and is headquartered in London, England. With its 225 shops, which are amongst some shops in the U.S. and in Hong Kong mostly located within the UK, Pret has a turnover of approximately 200 million pounds per year and employs around 4000 people. Their USP is the offering of fresh made food, avoiding preservatives and additives, which sets the company apart from the normal fast food chains (Pret, 2010a). According to their USP the company collects and distributes the food that hasnt been sold on that day to charity organisations every evening. Moreover the company directs its attention to sustainability concerning food purchasing, packaging, carbon emission, energy, waste and recycling (Pret, 2010c). When planning to expand globally a company needs to develop a global marketing strategy. Therefore this report will deal with the analysis of the Brazilian market on the one hand, including tools such as BERI Index, PESTLE analysis, Porters 5 Forces and MIS to be able to constitute the attractiveness of the market and to spot opportunities and threats that may arise when entering this market (Aaker/McLoughlin, 2010). On the other hand this report will concentrate on a possible market entry strategy for the companies products and services which will enable the company to achieve their objectives and to be successful within the Brazilian market. Market Analysis 2.1. BERI Index The Business Environment Risk Intelligent Index is an index to assess and forecast the political, financial and economic situation of a country for international lenders. The single factors are scaled from zero to four, with zero constituting unacceptable conditions to four constituting superior conditions, and are weighted to their valued importance. Looking at the BERI Index of Brazil it can be said that the country, with 61, 5 points, can be classified as an immature economy with investment potential (Hollensen, 2007, p.251). With an overall score of 10, economic growth is the highest ranked factor within the BERI Index, as Brazil is a newly industrialized country and has a therefore a huge growth potential. The lowest ranked factor is local management and partner because of among others the doubtfulness of corruption (Economist, 2010).  [1]   2.2. PESTLE Analysis The factors of the external macro environment can be analysed with a PESTLE analysis. This framework includes the political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors, which are country specific and are mostly factors a company cannot control. Changes in the external environment can either depict threats or opportunities for a company. Therefore a company that wants to enter a new market must conduct a PESTLE Analysis to be aware of the external circumstances (Nejati et al., 2008). For Pret a Manger, planning to expand their sandwich chain to the Brazilian market this report will examine the most important success-factors, which are in the context of this company the social, political and economical factors. The three major changes that can be exposed in this context are: Strong economic growth (BRIC) (Euromonitor, 2009a) Emergence of wealthier income classes (Datamonitor, 2009) Orientation towards healthier lifestyles (Euromonitor, 2009a) The detailed PESTLE analysis can be inspected in Appendix D. 2.3. Porters 5 Forces Porters 5 Forces is a framework that helps every company to better understand the circumstances in which a firm operates, by analysing the five forces that are influencing each industry, ranking them from 1 to 5. The benefit of this framework is that when having analysed the environment of the aimed industry and being aware of the industry structure a company can gain competitive advantage when positioning itself according to that structure (Grimm et al., 2006). Looking at the Brazilian foodservice industry the first point to consider is the competitive rivalry within this industry. According to the competitive rivalry Brazil can be rated as strong (4). This is due to the fact that Brazil has a highly competitive market as there is a strong culture of eating out. Moreover the fast food sector is continuously growing and well-known fast food chains such as Mc Donalds are spreading all over the country and challenge local providers (Euromonitor, 2009a). The threat of new entrants can also be ranked as strong (4), as many companies are attracted to the Brazilian market due to the rapidly growing economy. Beyond that entry and exit costs are low, which makes the market attractive for potential foodservice companies. These days many foreign foodservice chains are entering the Brazilian market which makes the threat of new entrants strong because the middle class continuously rises and therefore increases the customer base for these companies as w ell. Overall customers dont tend to stick to a single chain. Home cooking, leisure activities and food retail are substitutes for the foodservice industry. But the threat of substitutes can be ranked as moderate (3) as Brazilians like to eat out (Euromonitor, 2009a). Regarding the buyer power it can be said that switching costs for buyers are low (2) but an individual consumer has only little bargaining power concerning price-negotiation. The supplier power can be seen as moderate (3) as suppliers have more bargaining power than consumers. Besides farmers and food manufacturers staff can also be seen as a supplier. As long as labour costs are high in the foodservice industry, which is known as a low-margin industry, staff has bargaining power too. 2.4. Hofstede According to Geert Hofstede (2010a) culture is more often a source of conflict than of synergy. Cultural differences are a nuisance at best and often a disaster. Therefore every company must specifically look at the cultural differences that may occur, when entering a new market. Hence, looking at the cultural differences between the UK and Brazil is essential for Pret a Manger to be able to react accordingly. Those differences are depicted in Table 2. There are significant differences between the Brazilian and the UK culture. Collectivism beats individualism in Brazil and the power distance and the uncertainty avoidance index show that Brazilians prefer rules. These are significant cultural differences and Pret a Manger has to monitor all its steps in Brazil to be able to adjust problems that might occur due to these differences immediately. 2.5. Segmentation To be able to offer custom-tailored products and services each company, which doesnt want to pursue a mass market strategy, has to define market segments to be able to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their marketing endeavours. When a company is able to specifically align their products and services to the customers needs it is more likely to record cost savings as there is only minimal marketing wastage and the involvement of the customer is likely to increase which will in the end be a boon to the company (Conrady et al., 2008). Demographics, psychographics and behaviour are the three areas of the segmentation process. Looking at the demographics Prets average customers are between 25 and 45 years, are business women/men with middle to high income level. On the psychographic side Prets consumer segment has a lifestyle that could be mentioned as yuppie as consumers are active, busy and fashionable. Furthermore, looking at the behaviour of the consumers, it can be said t hat there is a tendency to fast and convenience food due to a lack of time. In Prets targeted segment brand loyalty is not high as there are various opportunities for consumers to buy food. As the segments of UK and Brazil are identical, this would match Levitts standardisation approach. But as there are slightly different preferences in Brazil Pret has to make local adjustments to fulfil the customers needs. Therefore Pret has to follow a polycentric approach. 2.6. Marketing Information System A marketing information system (MIS) is a helpful tool to collect and analyse customer information to support the marketing planning, by assessing market research data (Armstrong, 2003). Therefore Pret establishes a branch of its marketing research office in Sao Paulo, Brazil. To gather all the required information the 12 C-Framework can be used and its most important points to develop a profile of the Brazilian market (Doole/Lowe, 2008). For example Pret needs to know more about the consumer behaviour and when and how they prefer to eat sandwiches. Concerning the consumption the company has to consider how many sandwiches they can sell per day per store. Moreover the commitment needs to be assessed respective how the consumers feel about the product and whether they appreciate the freshness and sustainability of the offered products. Another interesting point are the choices to evaluate in how far the local taste has to be integrated within the menu. The capacity to pay is another e vident point as every nationality is different regarding the capacity and willingness to pay. Therefore the Big-Mac-Index could be a good figure to measure this and to establish prices in foreign currencies, but Pret needs to think about whether this index would be useful for them or whether it wouldnt be better to research a sandwich index. All those questions have to be answered by Prets research office. Market Entry 3.1. Objectives The targets given by Prets management concerning the market entry to Brazil are To develop a strong position in Brazil To establish a consistent brand globally in the long term To gain 10% market share in the first year To increase sales by 3% year on year for the next five years To secure long term profitability To stay in a budget of  £250 million Business objectives are essential for every company and a key for business success. Their aim is to set up targets on which every single person can orientate itself, to conduce as a measure of success and failure of the company and an overall guideline (Stockton, 1998). 3.2. Entry Strategy Pret a Mangers entry strategy for Brazil is going to consist of starting 200 wholly-owned subsidiaries. With this concept Pret is able to navigate and control the whole process and is able to adapt their strategy if things dont work out the way they should. Looking at the store concept Pret will on the one hand establish their common store concept Local Pret, where there is an outside area, a lounge, a dining area and a refrigerated self-service counter to provide a second home for their customers (Pret, 2010d). On the other hand Pret invented a new store concept called Kiosk Pret especially for the Brazilian market, where the food is sold through a window directly to the customer and will be set up in busy areas, where the people have time constraints. This idea arose out of market research, where they found that this concept is quite popular and successful in the Brazilian market (Maria Brazil, 2010). Concerning the location Prets Shops will be set up mainly in the city centres, shopping centres, in tourist areas near attractions, in business areas and in airports and stations. As you can see in figure 2 for their first market entry to Brazil Pret has targeted to open up stores in Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Victoria as those cities have a huge population-density (altogether around 55 million) and are the main attraction for tourists. 3.3. Food and Internal Structure According to the food supply Pret decided to do local sourcing in Brazil to guarantee the freshness of the offered products for their customers. Therefore the company has to make contracts with local bread, milk and other suppliers. To guarantee the freshness of the offered products Pret establishes two distribution centres, one in Sao Paulo and one in Rio to be able to deliver the food just in time. Furthermore Pret will establish a quality control management which is responsible for the operational such as the presentation of food, service and food quality. As Brazilians like to eat sandwiches Prets bread range will comprise baguettes, sandwiches and hamburger rolls. Because Brazilians prefer to eat sandwiches in the morning and in the evening, Pret includes one speciality Feijoada Completa in their product range which is to be offered at noon. This speciality is a stew of beans with beef and pork meats which is a typical Brazilian dish. Concerning cultural differences it can be said that Brazilians dont like to touch their food by hand (Maria Brazil, 2010). Therefore Pret invented a napkin wrap, so that the food is covered and ready to eat for them without having the risk that they wouldnt buy it. The UK packaging, which is cardboard packaging, will be maintained in Brazil as there arent any cultural differences concerning this. Despite the fact that Brazilians are aware of the overall obesity rate and are searching for healthier options (Euromonitor, 2009a) one of the most famous burgers in Brazil is the X-Everything, which has 1300 calories and contains several ingredients such as chicken, sausage, ham, bacon, cheese and so on (Ribeiro, 2010). As this is not a healthy option Pret is likely to succeed with its niche positioning, offering a product range that represents a better and healthier alternative to other fast food chains. With regard to the internal structure for Brazil Pret will acquire and train the stuff continuously as they have chosen to only enter the market with wholly-owned subsidiaries. Moreover Pret will hire one UK estate manager, who will be responsible for 10 shops in general. To comply with the law and to have good working conditions, which also contribute to a good company image, Pret will establish a two-shift system. The opening times for the city centre will be from 8 am to 6 pm and shops within shopping centres will be opened from 10 am until 11 pm. 3.4. Branding There are four steps of building a strong brand that are contained within the customer-based brand equity model. This branding ladder has an ordering, which means all the steps are interdependent. It helps to define/describe the brand and helps to assist the overall brand building process. To achieve those 4 steps the company has to establish brand building blocks. The most valuable block is the resonance as this implies that the customer has a great loyalty to that brand (Keller et al., 2008). Those for steps are depicted in figure 3.  [2]   If the company wants to be successful and to be able to reach as many customers as possible they should meld the left hand side of the pyramid, which contains product related associations, and the right hand side of the pyramid, which contains non product related emotional associations (Keller, 2001). The CBBE Pyramid of Pret is depicted in Figure 5. The Brand identity is about the creation of perceptual salience, which should ensure that the consumer is aware of the companies offered products. It is important that the customer, when wanting to buy a sandwich, associates Pret with the selling of sandwiches. Prets brand identity is that they can be identified as a sandwich provider. To create a brand meaning the company must develop an image that stresses how the brand should be perceived from their target group. This derives either from the performance or the image. The customer associations arise either from self experience or advertising. Whereas the brand performance is geared towards communicating and providing a product that meets and satisfies customer needs, the brand image is more about how people should experience the brand in an abstract way. The brand meaning of Pret is that they are all about freshness, health and sustainability. Moreover they deliver good quality, mee t convenience needs and have a dependable service (Pret, 2010b). If the brand is perceived as unique it supports in the next step a great brand response. As the word implies brand response is all about how consumers feel about and respond to the brand which can either happen due to rational judgements or feelings. Consumers judgements originate after assessing all perceived performance and imagery points like the quality, credibility and superiority of the brand. The brand feeling is about what the customer feels, when he thinks of the brand which can amongst others be warmth, fun, excitement or security. Therefore the brand response, when the brand meaning is perceived correctly, should be positive in that kind of way that the customer realizes that Pret is a healthier alternative to other fast-food providers because it is seen as unique and credible. If Pret gets this brand response they are able to build a loyal brand relationship with their customers, because they have only a few direct competitors with a similar branding and are able to const antly increase their brand resonance (Keller, 2001). 3.5. Marketing To create a favoured brand image Pret has to plan actions within their marketing strategy that are necessary to achieve their marketing goals. The marketing plan for Brazil is adjusted to local preferences. Therefore Pret signed a contract with Robinho, a famous football player, who will be the endorsement for their city-light campaign underlining the healthy concept. This campaign starts half a year before Prets opening to raise peoples interest in the brand and the banners will be placed at top locations. One week before opening Pret will print a full-page ad in the local newspapers to make people aware of the companys upcoming opening. To maximize event exposure advertisements take place on the peak hour commute to and from work two weeks prior to store opening. Prets event sponsoring will comprise beach soccer, as Robinho is a football player and beach soccer is the most famous sport in Brazil. Concerning the prize and taste promotion Pret will provide free nibbles on the opening day as well as special prices to attract potential customers. Moreover Pret is establishing a one-to-one marketing concept to be able to inform the people about new variations of products directly regarding to their preferences. Branding and Positioning 4.1. Branding Despite the product, which is a tangible asset of a company, a brand is much more than that as it compasses the companys values and when established successfully would even exist in the customers minds when a disaster would destroy all tangible assets. In todays competitive landscape in which the products are homogenous, brands are an important factor to differentiate the company from its competitors and to gain competitive advantage by achieving customer loyalty (Armstrong et al., 2009). For consumers brands are quiet helpful as they help them to: identify the source of product, devolve the responsibility to the company when the product doesnt work, reduce the perceived risk as the brand guarantees a special quality reduce time efforts as consumer is able to immediately find its brand in the store function as a symbolic device (Parameswaran, 2008) The key to success for every company is therefore not only to communicate their brand values to affect the perceptions of the customers but to over-satisfy their expectations to be able to compete in todays highly competitive market (Nilson, 2000). How important the establishment of a powerful brand is can be clarified with the example of a blind-test, where people where asked to make a comparison between Coke and Pepsi. Whereas in the blind test the majority of people preferred Pepsi (51%) rather than Coke (44%)  [3]  the open test revealed that with 65% Coke was more popular than Pepsi with only 23%  [4]  (Chernatony et al., 2002). This once more underpins the importance of building a strong brand. The advantages for companies that have a strong brand are that they have a risk reduction because they have a huge loyal customer base and therefore their future sales and revenues are ensured (Kapferer, 2008). As delineated in chapter 3.4. branding is about how the company communicates their brand to their customers whereas brand equity is the value that is being ascribed to a brand from a customers point of view. For Pret a Manger wanting to open up stores in Brazil it is important to decide whether they want to build a global brand with or without adaptation. According to Levitt (1983), who is a proponent of the standardization approach, a straight extension strategy by which the same promotion and products are offered globally is the best way to generate economies of scale. Contrary Aaker (2000) stresses that those global brands that incorporate different cultural needs are perceived as successful, whilst managing to retain a similar brand identity and advertising strategy across all countries. For Pret a Manger the establishment of a unique global brand is essential to be successful in the long run as the company wants to further internationalise its business. Nevertheless the company needs to be aware of the differences in consumer behaviour according tastes, perceptions, aesthetic preferences to be able to adjust to different cultural needs in every country to gain market share. As mentioned in chapter 3.3. Brazilians are aware of their high obesity rate and are searching for healthier options. Therefore entering the market with a concept of healthy food options is a good choice as Brazilians are already aware of this issue. Brazilians are proud of there culture simultaneously they are open for foreign companies entering their country as those are connected with better quality for most people living in BRIC countries. Nevertheless the influence of culture in the food sector is quite high as they are reflected in local needs and tastes. Therefore Pret adapts their food to the local needs as mentioned in chapter 3.3. and uses Robinho in their advertising campaign to elicit national pride. To successfully extend their brand equity on a global scope Pret builds on a human concern that is omnipresent nowadays: sustainability and healthiness, which helps them to reach consumers regardless of their cultural background and gives them the additional value of being perceived as a global brand. Due to this Pret is able to be approved at local level, while beyond that having the advantages of economies of scale (Hollis, 2008). Positioning Rise and Trouts (2001, p.2) definition of product positioning emphasizes Positioning is not what you do to the product. Positioning is what you do to the mind of the prospect. The quintessence of this definition is that the ultimate battleground of marketing is the prospects mind. When customers want to purchase a special product or service they tend to assess the differences between the objects of comparison. Hence, they create a mental picture of the relevant objects of comparison through the allocation of features. This signifies that the single objects are positioned by the prospects mentally (Kotler and Bliemel, 2001). Therefore it is important for every company to understand the costumers mind to position its brand in the right mode to come first into mind when consumer are thinking about a special product. This is especially important in a time, where information overload is omnipresent and consumers are selective to either take or ignore presented information (Trout, 1996). According to Trout (1996) the principles of brand positioning are: Establish a position in the targeted costumers minds Provide a simple and consistent message, which conveys the companies benefits Differentiate a company from other companies Focus the companies efforts; do not provide all things to all people. (Lovelock et al., 2002) Prets USP is the offering of fresh made food, avoiding preservatives and additives, which sets the company apart from the normal fast food chains and therefore differentiates it with the help of their products (Pret, 2010a). Moreover Prets customers dont have to queue for their products as they are freshly prepared on that day, which isnt common for brands like Subway and Co.; this strengthens their rapid customer service respective service quality and makes them unique (Sanai, 2001). Gaining competitive advantage can either be achieved by selling products at a lower price or by increasing the benefit to customers in order to charge higher prices. The important factor of differentiating a company through the offering of higher value is that a company has to provide higher value to be perceived as trustworthy (Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). Pret pursues latter strategy as their benefit is the offering of healthy and fresh made food; in communicating and putting across the benefit of their new concept, which none of their competitors are offering to that extent, Pret will be able to gain the first mover advantage and charge a premium price (Johnson et al., 2008). The positioning map is a tool to visualise the average perception of the target audiences of your company against competitive brands while comparing USPs and position is what the management wants the company to be in the future. If the perceived positioning doesnt match the companies desired position it has to communicate this message with the help of the marketing mix (Kotler and Armstrong, 2010). For Pret a Manger the positioning map is useful as it helps them to reveal their current positioning and its potential in contrast to rivals. Figure 6 exemplifies the perceptual map for the Brazilian fast food market. When there are many products on the map perceived as equal some companies have to face the problem of being a me-to product, which can lead to the fact that they will never be in the top of customers minds in that category. Therefore it is important to define the category, where you are positioning yourself according to customer needs (for Pret: fresh and healthy food). For Pret a Manger in Brazil it is important to pursue a distinct positioning, to become more competitive in the overall fast food sector. The positioning as a healthy option addresses a special target group and will exclude others that arent interested in that topic. Moreover a clear healthy positioning can lead to a repositioning of competitors, as they could be perceived as unhealthy (Nilson, 2000). Looking at the competitors in Brazilian food sector it can be revealed, that there is no single chain with an overall focus on healthy and fresh made sandwiches, except minor local stores. The overall trend in Brazil is the investment in healthier food options and the provision of fast food as the increase in disposable income and the rising amount of working women leads to time constraints and the need for healthy food because of the obesity issue. Therefore brands such as McDonalds are adapting their product range and offer salads and wraps. The main competitors of Pret are: McDonalds, Habibs, Bob, Giraffa and Subway (Euromonitor, 2009b). Looking at the perceptual map it can be said that every fast food chain in Brazil has the attempt to offer fresher products therefore they are perceived as mostly equal in the mind of the customers and for some it will be difficult to come into customers mind in the first place. Pret has a unique selling proposition as they provide fast and fresh products and can therefore charge a premium price as they are offering a perceived added value. To be able to maintain that position Pret has to adjust all their marketing activities to retain it. Standardization or Adaptation The discussion over standardization vs. adaptation of a companies marketing strategy in international markets originated in the 1980s through an article of Levitt (Kapferer, 2008). According to Levitt (1983) successful companies pursue a global standardization approach throughout their entire marketing mix rather than customizing it in different countries to be able to offer low prices due to economies of scale whilst being advanced, functional and reliable. Global companies have, according to Levitt, a better economical performance than those trying to serve several markets by adjusting their marketing mix. He stresses that consumers culture steadily converges across markets nowadays and names technology for one of the main reasons, which leads from his point of view to the fact that the whole marketplace is pitilessly homogenized and has common features. In his article he predicts the downfall of multinational firms as global companies, pursuing a standardization approach, that enter the same market will have several advantages against latter. However, contrary perceptions are represented by other authors. Aaker (2000) and Kapferer et al. (2004) consider that there shouldnt be a clear cut between those two views suggesting that there should rather be a mixture of both; creating an international brand that incorporates different cultural needs whilst standardizing those parts of the marketing mix that doesnt necessarily need to be adjusted. This underpins the ubiquitous saying think global, act local, which means that a company can be perceived as a global brand with all its advantages, although acting global and local at the same time to react to similarities and differences of their targeted markets which can additionally generate competitive advantage (Kapferer, 2008).Pret a Manger wants to further internationalize its business, but nonetheless they are adjusting their marketing mix where perceived as necessary. Therefore the company follows a polycentric approach and must particularly decide about how to tackle each of the seven marketing mix components (Kotler, 2001). For Pret adjustments have to be made especially concerning product, promotion and physical evidence whereas the other components are standardized to achieve economies of scale. As mentioned in chapter 3.3. Brazilians only prefer to eat sandwiches in the morning and in the evening; therefore Pret serves a local speciality at noon. Moreover Pret adapts their packaging because of the cultural fact that Brazilians dont want to touch their food by hand as they would otherwise have to face the problem that they cant sell their products. Concerning the promotion Pret pursues a global promotion strategy, but adjusts to different preferences. As mentioned in chapter 3.5. Robinho is used as an endorser and

Sieze The Day :: essays research papers

Sieze the Day!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Andrew Marvell wrote his short poem â€Å"To His Coy Mistress† in a persuasive tone to allow the speaker to convince his mistress, the listener, to succumb to his want. Marvell uses meter, imagery, and tone to persuade his lady to further commit in their relationship. This poem has a very strong carpe diem or seize the day theme which Marvell conveys throughout the poem.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In general, the meter of the poem is iambic tetrameter. Marvell uses pauses as well as enjambment to break up the neat pattern that the rhyme scheme of the poem imposes. The first two lines, for example, contain internal pauses that break the tetrameter into shorter units; â€Å"Had we but world enough, and time, This coyness, lady, were no crime.† The third line contains no pauses and runs directly into the fourth, so that the rhyme runs opposite the rhythm of the couplet. Near the end of the poem, the lines seem to be coming out faster than at the beginning, creating a sense of urgency as the speaker talks. These last few lines are the lines in which the speaker talks about how the two should seize the day and live life to the fullest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The use of imagery throughout the poem is also an effective means of conveying his message to the lady. His references to the Great Flood and the conversion of the Jews are both examples of biblical imagery. The timelessness of the Bible backs up his eternal love towards his lady. The references of the tomb are perhaps the greatest images of all, the images of death. Nothing depicts the urgency and shortness of life better than the expectation of death. Images implied in the last stanza are those of a race against time. The goal is to try to beat time, and although time will eventually win, the â€Å"runners† must try to keep up with time for as long as possible, and actually beat it for awhile with the moment of love. And because no way exists to beat time, Marvell suggests that they must live with life they have to the fullest.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Marvell’s excellent use of tone also helps to prove his argument with his mistress. In the first section, the poem takes a loving, romantic tone; â€Å"We would sit down, and think which way to walk, and pass our long love’s day.† Marvell’s romantic style of writing helps to prove his allegation that he loves his mistress more than anything in the world. The tone undergoes a drastic change in the second stanza, however; â€Å"I always hear time’s winged chariot hurrying near.

Fahrenheit 451 as a Criticism of Censorship Essay -- Fahrenheit 451 Es

Fahrenheit 451 as a Criticism of Censorship      Ã‚  Ã‚   Ray Bradbury criticizes the censorship of the early 1950's by displaying these same themes in a futuristic dystopia novel called Fahrenheit 451. In the early 1950's Ray Bradbury writes this novel as an extended version of "The Fireman", a short story which first appears in Galaxy magazine. He tries to show the readers how terrible censorship and mindless conformity is by writing about this in his novel.    In Fahrenheit 451, Bradbury uses "artificial stimulus", such as television and radio, to provide the reader with a feeling of how isolated the public is and how their minds are being controlled by this conformist government in the twenty-first century. He uses technology, like the Mechanical Hound and also drugs, to show the oppressiveness of the government in his novel. Ray Bradbury chooses to write this book after seeing many of his fellow writers and other entertainers being "blacklisted" by Senator Joseph McCarthy in the early 1950's. While he couldn't just openly oppose this behavior, for he would surely be censored, Bradbury writes about an exaggerated version of his own government in which books are burned along with the houses that harbors them. This is to demonstrate to the readers how letting the government censor their art could lead to more drastic measures. Such as editing one line in a book; then a page; then the whole book is condemned and burned along side the many other books and ideas that do not agree with the government. This then leads to the eventual condemnation of all books and forms of entertainment, which is not "politically correct" and/or agreeable to the government's ideas.    Bradbury uses artificial stimulus... ...writers, and other entertainers were blacklisted by McCarthy and some were even brought to trial under suspicion of being Communist.    In conclusion, Bradbury's criticism of the 1950's censorship and conformity opened the eyes of the public to the wrong-doings of the government at the time. Many people began to realize that they were being censored for almost everything and art, for example in the form of writing and film, was being simplified to almost nothing.    Works Cited Eller, Edward E. Essay on: "Fahrenheit 451" Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol.1. Detroit: Gale1997.pg 150-53 Wood, Diane S. Essay on: "Fahrenheit 451" Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol.1. Detroit: Gale1997.pg 153-55 Johnson, Wayne L Essay on: "Fahrenheit 451" Novels for Students. Ed. Diane Telgen. Vol.1. Detroit: Gale1997.pg 156-57   

Japanese Aum Lesson For The World :: essays research papers fc

JAPANESE AUM’S LESSON FOR THE WORLD On 20 March 1995, Aum members simultaneously released the chemical nerve agent sarin on several Tokyo subway trains, killing 12 people and injuring up to 6,000 more. Today’s law enforcement is constantly dealing with smaller and smaller terrorist groups. Throughout history, large armies have fought battles, but today individuals fight battles. With modern technology and an open market for weapons of mass destruction, terrorism has reached a level obtainable by even the smallest groups. The Japanese Aum taught the world a lesson on how easily an organization can threaten a nation with chemical and biological terrorism. The Aum Shinrikyo (meaning the Aum Supreme Truth) was built on the belief of one man being the messiah. Chizuo Matsumoto was born blind in one eye and partially sighted in the other to an extremely poor craftsman of straw mats. As a young boy, Chizuo attended local schools, dreamt of being a leader, and even boasted to peers of one day being the Prime Minister of Japan. Chizuo went out to find wealth with his disadvantages and came up with a plan that started a cult, the Aum Shinrikyo. Under this new cult Chizuo was named Shoko Asahara, due mostly in part to a messiah needing a more flashy name (Kaplan, 12). This new self-made messiah has proved that anyone with a little charisma can influence people to do extraordinary acts that would normally not be considered. Unlike other leaders of terrorist organizations, for example bin Laden, Asahara did not have a lot of money to start a new organization. This is only one example of how easy it was for one charismatic person to get an organi zation ready for an attack with chemical and biological weapons. The Aum Supreme Truth organization was established in 1985 with Asahara as the modern-day messiah. Very quickly, Aum collected a large following through various means, including, but not limited to, leafleting and street corner proselytizing (Susumu, 387). Aum’s classes on yoga, herbal healing and meditation also played a part. Additionally, Aum owned a number of computer stores, bookstores and noodle shops through which it was able to gain recruits. Using these methods for enrollment, the Aum was able to gather a following for the new messiah to lead them to peace and tranquility. These acts of street corner recruitment and storefront displays showed that there is no place safe from a terrorist organization’s reach to influence the public mind.

Bite Me: A Love Story Chapter 19

19. Being the Chronicles of Abby Normal: Oh Day Dwellers Doth Betray Me? My heart has been torn asunder, and I am faced with the revelation that my most awesome-haired mad scientist of passion may in fact be an uncaring assbag who has sullied my innocence and whatnot and then cruelly cast me aside. So, that sucks. ‘Kayso, like it says in the Bible, â€Å"with great power, comes great responsibility,† which I totally learned by pushing my vamp abilities too far in trying to show off for Foo by diving through our boarded-up windows. So I was â€Å"doh,† and I passed out-real passed out, like head-injury passed out, not vampyre passed out. But in my unconsciousness, Foo and Jared gave me blood, and I healed, so when I woke up in the bedroom, I came leaping out into the living area, my claws ready to rend flesh and kick ass. And I was all, â€Å"Rawr!† And who do I see there but the vampyre Flood, my most recently escaped master gone mad, who has never even seen me in this outfit, let alone as a vamp. So I was all, â€Å"Rawr!† hoping my fangs were showing. And he was all, â€Å"Hi, Abby.† And I was all, â€Å"Rawr! Fear me!† And he was all, â€Å"That's not a thing. Saying rawr is not a vampyre thing.† And I'm like, â€Å"It is too. I'm totally showing my animal power and fierceness.† And he's like, â€Å"No, you're not, you're just saying rawr in a big voice. It's not a thing.† â€Å"It could be a thing,† I go, in my defense. And Jared is like, â€Å"I don't think it's a thing, Abs.† And I'm like, â€Å"Well then how about I drain you until you're dust and put you in the cat box, Jared? Is that a vampyre thing?† And he was all, â€Å"‘Kay. I'm sorry. Rawr is totally a thing.† So I looked at Flood with pity, having humiliated him on the field of battle. But it is in the gentler monster that humanity is revealed, so I'm like, â€Å"It's a thing for some of us. So, check it, I'm nossssss-feratu. Like you, only, you know, not fashion retarded. Speaking of, why do you look like the window at Banana Republic?† Flood was always sort of jeans and flannel before, like he was caught in some '90s grunge vortex, but now he was like linen and tan leather. And Flood's like, â€Å"I was running around the streets naked until a few hours ago.† And I was like, â€Å"‘Kay. My bad.† So he's all, â€Å"Abby, we need to go. I need to find Jody and I need your help.† And then Foo, who has been doing science stuff in the kitchen, comes over and he's like, â€Å"Abby, I can switch you back. I can switch you both back. I already have Tommy's serum made from before.† And I'm like, â€Å"You are trs cute when you're threatened.† And I jump over there and kiss him deeply-like I can hear a couple of his vertebrae crack. But then I go to slap him, so he won't think I'm a slut, and Tommy catches my hand. And he's all, â€Å"Abby, you have to stop doing that. You could kill him.† I'm like, â€Å"Really?† He's all nodding. And Foo's all mouthing â€Å"thank you† to him, like I don't have vampyre hearing and don't know that he's being a total little bitch about it. So I, like, turn on Foo and go, â€Å"Rawr.† I don't care what Tommy says, Foo trembled in fear. And Tommy's like, â€Å"Let's go, Abby.† Like Foo hasn't said a word. And I grab my Pirate Bunny messenger bag and start to pack in my laptop and charger, and Flood is all, â€Å"Leave that here.† And I'm like, â€Å"How will I express my angst and dark inspirations and whatnot?† And Flood is like, â€Å"I thought we'd go suck the blood out of some people.† And I was like, â€Å"‘Kay, but I'm still taking my laptop. I have to do my blog. I have subscribers.† I do. Well, a subscriber. And he's like, â€Å"If we have to go to mist you'll lose it.† And I'm like, â€Å"You don't know how to do that.† And he's all, â€Å"I do now.† And I'm all, â€Å"Teach me. I didn't go to ancient evil vampyre school like you.† And he's like, â€Å"I'm nineteen, remember? I went to public school. In Indiana.† And Foo's like, â€Å"You're only nineteen? You're not even old enough to drink?† And Jared is like, â€Å"Shut up. He's her dark lord. Our dark lord.† And Foo's like, â€Å"Fine. Go. Be careful. Text me. I'll be here trying to save the world.† And Tommy's all, â€Å"I'm just going to try to save the woman I love, and that's as good as the world to me.† And I was like-nothing. I just looked at Tommy. But I would have done him on a bed of carpet tacks right then. So outside the love lair, which is technically not mine and Foo's anymore, now that the rightful owners are not imprisoned in bronze, I go, â€Å"So, where do we start?† And Flood is all, â€Å"We start by finding a safe place to sleep during the day.† And I'm all, â€Å"The love lair. Foo and Jared will be our minions and whatnot.† And he's like, â€Å"The last time I went out there I woke up inside a statue, and the last time you were up there your love ninja gave you blood with a sedative.† And I'm all, â€Å"No.† And he's all, â€Å"Yeah.† And I'm all, â€Å"Foo, you crapacious little geek! Can I go slap him around a little?† And Flood is all, â€Å"He was going to change you back. To save you.† And I go, â€Å"Without even asking? I think not, noble vamptard. As soon as we find the Countess I'm coming back. There will be screaming.† And Flood's like, â€Å"You don't have any confrontation issues, do you?† And I'm all, â€Å"No, I'm very insecure, actually, but I have found that if you roll up screaming like a madwoman, hair on fire, guns blazing, no one is going to mention the zit on your forehead.† Which is totally true. â€Å"Okey dokey,† goes the vampyre Flood. â€Å"We'll look for someplace low or high. Low is probably safest, we can look for maintenance closets in the BART tunnels, but that keeps us out of the north end of the City, because there's no subway there. High, harder to find a place, but it gives us more choice, and it's less obvious, if Rivera and Cavuto are looking for us. There are a lot of utility sheds and meter shelters on roofs.† So I'm like, â€Å"Are we going to sleep together?† And Flood's like, â€Å"No, but we'll be dead in the same space.† And I was thinking, â€Å"How romantic,† but I go, â€Å"Let's get high.† And Tommy's all, â€Å"I think that's a good idea. Jody lived in the north end of the City and so did I. It makes sense that's where she'd go. We need to get into the upper floors of a tall building and look down on other roofs, look for a shed or something. Climbing up won't be a problem. You can tell if there's people in it by looking for heat. You know you can see heat now, right?† And I'm like, â€Å"I was figuring that it was that or that every lightbulb was leaking into the sky. But how do you know all this other stuff?† And Tommy's like, â€Å"I have no idea.† And I was like, â€Å"If we find a roof shack with a pigeon coop by it we'll have snacks when we wake up.† I know, perky. I must resist the perky. Must resist the perky. So, like, an hour later we've found our sweet roof grave on a building in the financial district, and Flood and I are walking up Powell Street, toward California and the Fairmont, where the Countess was last seen. And we are totally alive with the night. There's like two cities in the City. I didn't see it before. There's like the indoor city, the daytime city, with people inside of apartments and restaurants and offices, and they have, like, no fucking clue about the outside city. And there's the outside city people, who are in the streets all the time, and who know every hiding place, and every tree, and where it's dangerous, and where it's just creepy. The outside city people live on, like, a different plane of existence, like they don't even see the inside people either. But when you're a vampyre, the two cities are all lit up. You can hear the people talking and eating and watching TV in their houses, and you can see and feel the people in the streets, behind the garbage cans, u nder the stairs. All these auras show, sometimes right through walls. Like life, glowing. Some bright pink, like Foo's, some sort of brown, or gray, like on the AIDS vet panhandling at the corner of Powell and Post. And I'm totally losing my ability to appear bored, because it's fucking awesome. I'm trying to be chill for Flood, but I want to know. So I'm like, â€Å"What's with the pink ring around people?† And he's like, â€Å"It's their life force. You can tell how healthy they are by it. You'll be able to smell if they're dying, too, but you won't know that right away.† I know, whoa. So I'm like, â€Å"Whoa.† And he's all, â€Å"You see it for a reason.† And I'm like, â€Å"‘Splain, s'il vous plaà ®t.† And he's all, â€Å"Because you're only supposed to take the sick, the dying. It's part of our predator nature. I didn't know that before I-I was lost, but I know it now.† I know, whoa. So I'm like, â€Å"Okay, how do you turn to mist?† And he's like, â€Å"It's mental. Completely. You can't think about it, you just have to be.† And I'm like, â€Å"You're fucking with me, aren't you?† And he's all, â€Å"No, if you think, it doesn't work. You have to just be. Words get in the way. I think that's why the cats do it instinctively. That's the key. Instinct. I don't function well on instinct. I'm a word guy.† And I'm all, â€Å"I'm a word guy, too,† like a total dwee-bosaurus. I know. How is it that I, acting Mistress of the Greater Bay Area darkness, can be reduced to spewing nano-brained beauty-queen dialog when I should be enjoying the heady power of my vamp immortality? Simple, I am a romance slut, and there's nothing I can do about it. If a guy does or says something romantic, I'm all, â€Å"Oh, please excuse me, kind, sir, let me dial down my IQ and oh, if it would please sir, may I offer you this moist, yet helpless va-jay-jay that seems to have lost its way.† I was clearly born in the wrong time. I should have been born in Wuthering Heights times. Although if I was Cathy, I would have hunted down that Heathcliff guy and beat him with a riding crop like a sado-hooker with his Black Card on file. Just sayin'. So there's nothing at the Fairmont. We talk to the bellman and the guy at the concierge desk, who talks to the front-desk guy who says that he's not at liberty to talk about guests, when I whip a hundred-dollar bill on him and he says â€Å"the redhead† never showed up again after the day the cops came around asking for her. He said the cops took a cooler from her room. And Tommy's like, â€Å"She just vanished.† And I'm all, â€Å"Do you want to get coffee? I have a bag of blood and ten thousand dollars in my messenger.† The nosferatu can totally drink lattes as long as they put some blood in it, unless they're lactose intolerant. And he stops and looks at me. He's like, â€Å"Really, ten thousand? Think that will be enough?† And I'm like, â€Å"Well, you'll have to drink the cheap stuff, but I like to drink my lattes directly out of the veins of a toddler, and those little fuckers aren't cheap.† And he's like, â€Å"Okay, you just completely creeped me out.† So I'm all, â€Å"You suck at this. Let's go get coffee and do some vamp stuff, like beat up some pimps and whatnot.† â€Å"Since when is beating up pimps a vampyre thing?† â€Å"Since I was looking for the Countess and they kept trying to recruit me because I'm am so awesome sexy that desperate losers will totally pay to do me, which is flattering and whatnot, but I still kind of feel like they would have taken advantage of me because of my youth and naivety.† â€Å"So you want to go beat them up.† â€Å"I want to try that kung-fu thing where you tear their heart out and show it to them while it's still beating. Trs macabre, non? Plus, I'll bet the look of surprise on their faces will be worth it. Did you do that when you were out slaughtering people with Chet?† â€Å"I don't remember any of that. I don't remember slaughtering people.† â€Å"That's why the pimps were trying to recruit me. You and Chet ate all their hos.† â€Å"You make it sound so sordid.† â€Å"Okay, you make eating hos sound pretty. Talk poetry to me, writer boy.† And he looks all heartbroken and whatnot. And he's like, â€Å"That's what Jody calls me.† And I'm like, â€Å"Sorry. Where do you want to look for her now?† â€Å"I don't know. What time is it?† And I look at the watch that the Countess gave me, and I'm all, â€Å"A little after one,† in my I am total poop on a stick voice. † Polk Street.† And I'm all, † Why Polk Street?† He's like, â€Å"Because I'm out of ideas and we need to resort to magic.† And I'm like, â€Å"Sweet! Let's rock the dark magic!† I was tempted to do a booty dance of total dark magic celebration, but I thought it might reveal my secret. ‘Kayso, we roll into this coffee shop on Polk Street, and it's all full of hippies and hipsters and couples on dates and drunks sobering up and whatnot. And everyone turns and looks at us. I'm about to chuck a spaz, because I realize that I haven't fixed my makeup since I bounced my face off the plywood in the love lair. So I'm all, â€Å"Tommy, psssssst, do I look like a cannibal corpse on crack?† And he stops and looks at me for a second, and he's like, â€Å"No more than usual.† And I'm all, â€Å"Do I have raccoon eyes?† And he's like, â€Å"You've kind of taken your broken clown look to the next level, with the crusted blood around your mouth. You look cute.† Flood can be very sweet for a doofus from Indiana. I felt like I had made the right decision to choose him to be my Dark Lord, even if he was only nineteen instead of five hundred. So I feel like I should say something nice back, so I'm like, â€Å"You're not as pathetic in those clothes.† Then I realize that didn't sound as nice as I liked, so I'm all, â€Å"I want a triple soy latte with type O in it while we're waiting for magic and whatnot.† And Flood is all, â€Å"She's here.† I know. I'm like, â€Å"Whaaaa?† ‘Kayso, Flood sends me for coffees and says he'll meet me at a table in the back, so when I show up, he's sitting with this ginormously fat gay guy, wearing a purple silk wizard robe with silver stars and moons on it, and his head is shaved and there's a pentagram tattooed on it, just like I drew on Ronnie's head with a Magic Marker. I know! And he has a crystal ball on his table on a stand made out of dragons, and a sign that says MADAME NATASHA, FORTUNES TOLD $5.00, ALL PROCEEDS GO TO AIDS RESEARCH. And so I come up and Flood is all, â€Å"Madame Natasha, this is my minion, Abby Normal.† And I'm all, â€Å"Enchant,† in, like, perfect fucking French. â€Å"Most fly eye-liner, Madame.† He had like spider fake lashes and glitter liner out to his ears. And Madame Natasha is all, â€Å"Oh, sweet of you to say, child. Your ensem is trs chic as well. But you should have a jacket, little thing like you could freeze in the fog.† And I'm all ready to throw down anti-mom you're-not-the-boss-of-me-talk on him, then I'm kinda okay with it. Like maybe I would get along with the Motherbot better if she were a ginormous gay guy. And I sit down next to Madame Natasha, because Flood is, like, in the client seat, and Flood's all, â€Å"Madame Natasha told my fortune when I first came to town, and said that I would meet a girl, but the death card kept coming up, so she couldn't figure it out.† Then he turns to Madame and is like, â€Å"You were right on the money, I ended up meeting a dead girl.† And Madame's all, â€Å"Oh my,† and she pulls this little fan out of one of her chins and starts fanning herself. ‘Kayso, I pull out the bag of blood and squeeze a little into my coffee, then into Flood's, and he's all, â€Å"Abby, put that away.† And I'm all, â€Å"Why?† And he's all nodding toward people, who are totally not looking at us now, but like really reading or texting hard. And he's like, â€Å"They'll freak.† And I'm like, â€Å"Oh bitch, please. They all saw my eye makeup, they saw how I'm dressed, they saw my dark and mysteriously colored hair, and they think I'm just trying to freak them out by pretending to pour blood in my coffee. So they are all furiously not freaking out so as to not give me the satisfaction because then they wouldn't be sophisticated City peeps. This is not my first funeral, Red State.† â€Å"Oh, I like her,† goes the Madame. â€Å"She's got spunk.† And Flood is like, â€Å"Okey dokey.† And I'm like, â€Å"If you keep saying ‘okey dokey' I will be forced to replace you as my Dark Lord.† And Madame is all, â€Å"It does sound a little corn-fed, love.† And Tommy is all, â€Å"Never mind how I talk. You remember, right, Madame? You remember me?† And the Madame is all â€Å"Oh, yes, yes, I do now. You were the one who had achieved Olympic levels in masturbation, weren't you?† And Flood was all, â€Å"Uh, no, that part was someone else, uh-â€Å" So, like, the master needed a hand, if you know what I mean, so I was like, â€Å"Oh chill, it's a stress thing, everyone does it. I'm flicking the bean under the table right now just to dial the tension back a little. Yes. Yes. Yes! Oh-zombie-jeebus-fuck-me-Simba-lion-king-hakuna-matata! Yes!† So I spaz-gasmed a little and kind of slid down in my seat breathing hard. Then I like look up at the Madame with one eye and I'm like, â€Å"They're freaking out now, aren't they?† And she just kind of nodded with big eyes and whatnot. So, you know, embarrassment for my Dark Lord totally diverted. But this one crusty day dweller is all looking up from his Wall Street Journal at me with a disgusted face, so I'm all, â€Å"Rawr.† And Flood looks at me. And I'm like, â€Å"Shut up, it's a thing. He shouldn't even be allowed out at night, using my dark without permission.† So I rawred Wall Street again for eavesdropping. So we sort of drank our coffee for a while and Madame looked at her cards and then, like, looked up seemed disappointed that we were still there, but Flood was on it. He's all, â€Å"The woman you told me I would meet, I met her. We live together.† And the Madame holds up her hand, which means, â€Å"shut the fuck up† in fortune-teller language. And she looks at her cards some more. Then she looks at her tip jar. Then Flood looks at me and like does the tip jar nod. So I pull a hundred out of my messenger bag and drop it in the jar. And Flood's like, â€Å"Abby!† And I'm like, â€Å"Hello, woman you love? You want to bargain hunt?† And he's all, â€Å"‘Kay.† So Madame Natasha puts down a few more cards, and goes, â€Å"A redhead.† And we're all, â€Å"Yeah.† And she's all, â€Å"She's hurt, but she's not alone.† And we're all, â€Å"Uh-huh.† And she lays out about six more cards, and she goes, â€Å"That can't be right.† And Flood is like, â€Å"If you're getting the dead thing again, that's okay, we've worked through that.† And Madame is like, â€Å"No, it's not that.† And she shuffles the cards, not cool, like a dealer, but gentle, and every which way on the table, like she's really trying to confuse the cards. Then she lays them out again. And her eyes are getting bigger as she goes-each card, bigger eyes-until she lays down the last in her pattern and she's all, â€Å"Oh my.† And we're all, â€Å"What? What?† And she's, â€Å"This has never happened, in thirty years of consulting the cards.† And we're, â€Å"What? What?† And she's, â€Å"Look.† There were fourteen cards on the table. All kinds of pictures and numbers. And I'm like, ready to go, â€Å"‘Splain, please.† But then I see what she's big eyes about. They are all the same suit. So I'm, â€Å"They're all swords.† And she's like, â€Å"Yes. I'm not sure how to even interpret this.† And I'm all, â€Å"She's hurt, she's not alone, and all the cards came up swords?† And she's, â€Å"Yes, dear, that's what I just said, but I don't know what it means.† And I'm, â€Å"I do. Can you do them again?† And I slap another hundred in her jar. And she's, â€Å"‘Kay.† Then she lays them all out again, and this time there's a lot of swords, but also other cards. And I'm, â€Å"Well?† And she's all, â€Å"In this configuration, the swords signify north, but also, the air, a sailing ship perhaps. It doesn't make sense.† And we're like, â€Å"What? What?† And she's like, â€Å"A sunken ship?† And I'm like, â€Å"It makes total sense.† And Flood is like, â€Å"It does?† And I'm like, â€Å"Stay right there, Madame. We may be back.† And Flood is like, â€Å"What? What?† And I'm all, â€Å"I forgot to tell you about the little guy with the sword.† And he's like, â€Å"You really adjust to this magical stuff fast, Abby.† And I'm like, â€Å"Are you trying to say I'm perky? Because I'm not. I'm complex.† I am. Shut up, I am. He's looking at me right now, like we should be going. Even though I am typing at awesome speed. Okay, that's it, dude, you're harshing the depth out of my literature. I'm coming. What a whiner. Gotta go. We're going to run out of dark. Byez. THE OLD ONES Makeda put on the glasses and watched the bricks at the corner of the building light up. They'd find the cats by behavior, because even vampire cats are cats, and they marked their territory. Elijah had told them where it had started and where it was likely to move. The special sunglasses, combined with their vampire vision, allowed them to see the phosphorus expelled in the cats' urine as glowing. They could even see a half-life, of sorts. Something marked days ago would glow much dimmer than something marked only a few hours ago. â€Å"That way,† said Makeda. Rolf cocked his head toward the boarded-up loft apartment on the second floor. â€Å"That's the loft where Elijah said he turned the first cat. There are people up there. Sounds like two.† â€Å"That's also where he was fried by a jacket covered with sun lights,† said Makeda. â€Å"I say we clean up the cats first, they're less tricky.† Rolf nodded to Makeda, who bolted down the alley without another word. They followed the trail, a mark here and there, many blocks until they reached the Mission, where the trail started to sunburst out. â€Å"I don't know which way to go,† said Bella. â€Å"We need to get a vantage point.† Rolf looked around and spotted the tallest building in the area. â€Å"How about that one, the one that looks like a robot pterodactyl is perched on it? He pointed to the black glass Federal Building. Makeda said, â€Å"It's an abomination.† â€Å"Said the abomination,† snarked Rolf. â€Å"I'll go. I have to go up solid, I need the glasses.† He shrugged off his overcoat and dropped his weapons on top of it. â€Å"Well go to mist if you lose your grip,† said Makeda. â€Å"I'll catch your glasses. If you fall off of that thing solid we'll have to scrape you into a bag to get you back to the ship.† He grinned, showing his fangs, then started a steady climb up the sheer corner of the building. Bella pulled a pack of cigarettes from her jacket, shook one out, lit it, then blew a long stream of smoke up after Rolf. â€Å"What if Elijah lied about turning more humans? He's lied before.† When they'd retrieved the old vampire from the City initially he'd brought along a blond vampire woman, claiming she was the only one. She hadn't survived the first month at sea. Weak vessels, they called her type. â€Å"He didn't admit turning the cat, either, until we found the news stories on the Internet.† â€Å"We need to talk to him again when we get back to the ship, if there's time.† Rolf thumped to the pavement beside them. â€Å"That way. About six blocks. There's a sunburst pattern that's centered there and spreads out ten blocks or so in every direction. I could actually see a hundred or so cats on a roof there.† â€Å"Let's go, then,† said Makeda. â€Å"That's not all,† said Rolf. â€Å"There is a group of men hunting them. Eight of them.† â€Å"How do you know they're hunting the cats?† â€Å"Because two of them lit up their coats. If I hadn't been wearing the glasses I'd be blind. They're wearing the sun jackets that Elijah warned us about.† â€Å"Well, fuck,† said Makeda. â€Å"That's eight more we have to kill.† â€Å"At least,† said Rolf. â€Å"How much time before daylight?† â€Å"Two and a half hours,† said Bella, checking her watch. â€Å"Don't we have a sniper rifle on the ship?† â€Å"Somewhere,† said Rolf. â€Å"Well, they can't turn on a sun jacket if they're dead before we're within five hundred yards.† â€Å"Messy,† said Makeda. â€Å"Bullets leave bodies.† â€Å"I'd rather have to dispose of a couple of bodies than get fried by a sun jacket,† said Bella, taking charge now. â€Å"Rolf, you and I will go after the cats. Take out as many as we can. Makeda, follow the hunters, keep your distance, see where they go, and meet us back at the ship. Tonight cats. Tomorrow night, humans.† â€Å"I hate cats,† said Makeda. â€Å"I know,† said Bella. â€Å"There's something else,† said Rolf. â€Å"There was something else on the roof with the cats. Something bigger.† â€Å"What do you mean ‘something'?† asked Makeda. â€Å"I don't know,† said Rolf, â€Å"but it wasn't putting out any heat, so it's one of us.†