Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 28

The three of us tore out of the chapel. As soon as we left the Richards' estate grounds we were plunging through woods. Saplings stung our legs as we pitched downhill through the wet night, and tall pines blocked whatever moonlight might have slipped between the clouds. If we had been human, our feet would have surely skidded on the forest floor of decaying leaves. Unable to see more than a yard or so in front of us we would have crashed into the giant trunk of a tree. Instead, we moved like predators, coursing through the night like vampires had for hundreds of years: streaking through the wilds to the next village of potential victims, chasing down someone who had foolishly separated from the herd and decided to travel at night by himself. It felt good to be racing this way, with a few ounces of human blood zinging through my veins. I was almost able to lose myself in the flight, forgetting about what it was we were fleeing from. Then there was a noise. It started out like the beginning of a long roll of thunder, climbed into a crescendo of inhuman groaning, and ended in a screech of despair. The noise was everywhere, filling our ears, the valley we were descending into, the sky above us. The three of us stopped, startled by the sound. â€Å"Well, I guess the vampire is free,† Damon huffed. â€Å"Margaret – † I began. â€Å"Trust me, she's fine. Did you see what she did to him?† Damon pointed out. â€Å"What is she, though?† I asked. â€Å"A witch.† â€Å"Like Emily?† I wondered, my theory confirmed. Was the world simply full of witches, vampires, demons, and who knows what else, most of which were invisible to human eyes? â€Å"I had a feeling there was something different about her when I couldn't compel her†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damon explained. â€Å"So I asked. And she answered. Pretty straightforward, that one.† â€Å"So she†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Cast a protective spell around herself and her family, and was burning his brain meats with some mental ability or other to buy us a little time. Emphasis on the word little,† he added. â€Å"Hope that protective spell is still up.† There was another roar. â€Å"Keep moving,† Lexi ordered, and we began again. The woods grew blacker as if nature herself dreaded his approach, and we could feel the earth tremble with his every footstep. Damon and I leaped over a giant log, and for one fleeting moment our motions were perfectly synchronized. But then the three of us came to skidding halt at the edge of a cliff that looked out over all of upper Manhattan. â€Å"Huh,† my brother said doubtfully, peering over its edge. â€Å"We'll have to find some other way down,† I said, starting to look back the way we came. â€Å"A path, or†¦Ã¢â‚¬  With a cry, Lexi hurled herself over the edge of the cliff. I watched her, wide-eyed with horror. â€Å"Find another way down?† Damon said, shaking his head disappointedly at me. â€Å"Still thinking like a human, brother.† And he dove after her. I swore under my breath, watching him disappear into the branches below. Then I followed. As frightening as that fall was, there was something very freeing about it. I was weightless, swimming through the air. The world whistled through my outstretched fingers and hair. It almost felt as though I were flying. I smashed down through thick leafy canopy and rolled into a ball, eventually coming right side up with a twisted ankle that reset itself almost before I noticed it. Damon and Lexi were standing still. She had her head cocked, listening to the strange quiet we suddenly found ourselves in. â€Å"He lost us,† Damon said, triumphantly. â€Å"He didn't realize we went down the cliff! He's†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"He's in front of us,† Lexi breathed, eyes widening. The silence to the south was in fact complete, as if every living thing had quieted or died. We waited, unsure what to do, though it was hard to say for what. Then came the sound of a single blade of grass bending and breaking. â€Å"RUN!† Lexi screamed. We took off. I made the mistake of looking behind me. What I saw and what I heard didn't match up; on the one hand, it briefly appeared that an older man was following me with surprising swiftness. But the shadow cast by the moonlight was of something far bigger and inhumanly shaped. Bushes and trees fell and crashed out of his way before he even touched them. I doubled my pace. We had no choice but to head south. The woods thinned and civilization began to rear its ugly head: a lonely, last farm, a cluster of abandoned holdings, a large estate, a hotel, dirt roads to paved avenues still crowded with horses and carriages and cabs and people even in the middle of this night. And behind us, gaining power from every shadow through which he passed, was the old one. We turned a corner around a fruit stand, knocking down baskets, and the stench of decay that issued from his raggedy breathing mouth was hot on my neck. We dashed through a slum, avoiding clotheslines and open pits of raw sewage, and he was there, throwing aside things and people to get to us. When we thought we had pulled ahead, twisting through narrow alleys and confusing side streets, we could still feel his Power, his frustration vibrating through the night. Lexi led us, and whether it was her own Power or a familiarity with the city, she managed to find just the right fire escapes to leap to, just the right piles of garbage to roll over. Perhaps this was not the first time she had fled from a demon of this stature. â€Å"The seaport,† she hissed. â€Å"It's our only chance.† Damon nodded, for once having no trouble taking orders from someone else. We made our way to the west, to the avenues bordering the mighty Hudson. Lexi's eyes suddenly narrowed and she pointed. A clipper ship, a pretty shiny blue vessel just pulling away from the dock, filled with all sorts of New York goods to sell overseas. With a mighty leap Lexi cleared the water between the dock and its deck, arms poised in the air like a cat leaping upon its prey. Damon and I followed suit, silently landing on the dark deck. By the time we recovered ourselves she was already compelling a shocked sailor who had seen the manner of our arrival. â€Å"We're on the manifest. My brothers and I have a berth below. We did not just leap aboard†¦.† Damon surveyed the ship with interest, pleased with his new locale. I looked back toward shore. There stood a single, innocuous-seeming man leaning against the rail of the wharf, pale as if he had sucked all the moonlight into himself. He stood casually, like he was just there to watch the ships come and go. But the look in his eyes was deadly and eternal – and unforgiving.

School Discipline

No school administrators in their right mind would ignore school discipline as one of their most important responsibilities. Nearly every survey of school administrators in recent years lists school discipline and school safety as one of or their most important areas of emphasis. Although serious acts of crime and violence are relatively rare in schools, fighting, bullying, acts of disrespect, and insubordination still remain as problems faced by school administrators every day. A study by Public Agenda (Johnson, 2004) indicated that seven in ten middle and high school teachers surveyed say their schools have serious problems with students who disrupt classes. Most experienced school administrators in charge of school discipline would say that students who continually disrupt classes make up less than 5% of students enrolled, but that 5% of enrolled students can take 90% of their time. School Discipline Introduction The word discipline is a strong word for most of us. It carries with it some preconceived description words such as â€Å"weak,† â€Å"strong,† â€Å"good,† and â€Å"bad†. It is a word that has serious ramifications for all those who are engaged in the field of education. Having â€Å"good† discipline is a goal of every classroom teacher. Principals never want the reputation of having â€Å"weak† discipline at their schools. The public demands that schools be places of effective discipline that create environment where teachers can teach and students can learn. Discipline; From the Latin term disciplina, meaning: 1. A branch of knowledge or learning; 2. Training that develops self-control, character, orderliness or efficiency; 3. Strict control to enforce obedience; 4. Treatment that controls or punishes; 5. a system of rules. It is interesting that the definitions of the term suggest that discipline can have quite different implications for schools. The component of the definition that relates to teaching seems much more positive than the components that include the negative expressions such as punishment and strict control. Rosen, 5) The Strict Control to Enforce Obedience There is no doubt that someone needs to be in charge of our schools. As long as schools are composed of hundreds or thousands of students who are required by law to reside in an institutional setting for several hours a day, several times a week, there must be someone in control. Control does not mean being a warden at a prison. It means maintaining order and discipline. One needs only a short time at a school campus to d etermine whether or not someone is in control. Someone is in control of school when: 1. Students are where they are supposed to be at any given hour the school day. 2. There are few interruptions of class time. 3. The campus is clean and free to graffiti. 4. Campus visitors are screened and required to wear a visitor's badge. 5. Communication devices are visible and readily available. 6. Supervisory personnel are visible. 7. Students, teachers, and administrators have a good working relationship. Discipline: Ex-pupils' observations. There are many views about school discipline, varying from those held by the freedom advocated like A. S. Neil and his discipline to the grinding regimentation of Mr. M'Choakumchild and his factotum Mr. Gradgrind. It would, however, be agreed that a good discipline in a school would be such as to be accompanied by reasonable orderliness, respect for others and their property—not forgetting school property—and a pleasant atmosphere, which means among other things that there is no feeling of rebelliousness against what are felt to be unnecessary regulations. There will sometimes be conflict between the head's idea of what is satisfactory discipline and that of the pupils; if he pushes too hard to reach unreasonable and maybe unattainable standards of obedience, the school either starts to resemble a prison or his most unreasonable laws are broken by all sundry, and later his reasonable rules are also endangered; if alternatively he is too lax the pupils are educated into wrong attitudes to the school, to schoolwork and even to society, and poor educational progress is one of the least of the prices to be paid. So the head and staff have to steer a middle path between the extremes, and this is concerned with whether this is more easily attained—for whatever reason—in a co-educational school rather than a single-sex one. For the most part it presents the point of view of mature and responsible ex-pupils, especially of those who have attended schools of both types and can look back and compare their experiences in the two schools. Their conception of discipline will not only be that of pupils, because they are all learning how to teach in schools themselves, and their views will certainly be colored by what they as beginning teachers consider to be good discipline. (Dale, 156,616) Research indicated that more teachers leave teaching because of discipline problems than any other reasons. Losing good teachers is a serious problem for all schools, be they public or private. A troublesome student can cause many a good teacher a loss of sleep and aggravation. Teachers enter the teaching field because they are interested in teaching not wrestling with students who continually disrupt classroom time. School administrators need to be a supportive tool of teachers in their classroom management routines and practices. Helping teachers to have good classroom management practices has become an important part of the school disciplinarian's role. Disciplinary Traditions It is difficult to generalize about the differing models of discipline applied within schools throughout the world. Taking a very broad perspective, it could be argued that discipline models reflect the way a society sees education as meeting either collective or individual needs. For example, in china there has been a tradition that child should be socialized as early as possible to confirm the cultural expectations. This meant that in China, not only was attendance compulsory but so also was achievement. Disciplinary practices have been undertaken in a collectivist spirit with the intention of forming â€Å"good† behaviors. In countries such as China and India there are strong masculinist traditions in the teacher-pupil relationship, and yet this field of research, school discipline and gender, is still to be fully developed. (Kramarae, Spender, 395) As Treatment to control or Punish The term punishment is usually related to some type of suffering or derivation. To be realistic, people must admit that punishment exists because of the expectations of society. This is particularly true in schools. When students misbehave, adults expect them to be punished. The degree of punishment may depend on the community in which the school is located. For example, in the southern part of the nation, corporal punishment is much more acceptable than in other parts. In 1993, there were 613,514 instances of paddling reports in United Stated. Most of those paddling cases occurred in southern states. Corporal punishment is still legal in 26 states. Corporal punishment may not only be accepted but expected in Deep South, but in Rhode Island, administrators can lose their credentials if they strike a student for any reason. (Rosen, 5) Conclusion â€Å"Discipline is not the art of rewarding and punishing, of making pupil's speak and be silent; it is the art of making them perform, in the most appropriate, easy, and useful manner, all the duties of the school. † The definition of â€Å"school discipline,† by the Conference Society of Capelian, is evidently too broad. â€Å"The elementary school ought, by the spirit ruling within, and by its instruction, so to operate upon the children that they shall receive a preparation, adaptation to their ages and capacities, for temporal and eternal life. † (Sabin, 181)

Marketing Plan- Victoria House Hotel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Merge of Southwet and Air Tran Airways Case Study

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Apply Legal and Ethical Parameters to Nursing Practice Essay Example for Free

Apply Legal and Ethical Parameters to Nursing Practice Essay 1. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (The National Law 2009) has great importance on the governance of the conduct of registered and enrolled nurses. The National Law allows national boards to manage the development of health profession standards. The National Law has requirement for national boards to enterprise wide range consultation on registration standards, codes and guidelines. The National Law organise a national scheme which include registration arrangement, accreditation arrangement, complaints, conducts, health and performance arrangements, privacy and information-sharing arrangement and transitional arrangements. 2. (a). 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(c) Management of care: Enrolled nurses participate to form care plans with RN through accurate data collection and report of health and functional status of individuals and groups, through identification of expected healthcare outcomes, through evaluation of progress of individuals and groups to achieve expected outcomes with RN. ENs manage nursing care of individuals and groups by implementing planned nursing care to get identified outcomes, by recognizing any change in health and functional status, report and document it accurately and on time. (d) Enabling: Enrolled nurses promote safety, security and personal integrity of individuals and groups, which include their actions of safety, create and maintain effective communication, applying strategies for promotion of self-esteem of individual and groups, actions to maintain dignity and integrity of individuals and groups. Enrolled nurses provide support and care to individuals and groups and participate with members of healthcare team to achieve effective healthcare outcomes. 4. The NMBA new Code of Ethics August 2008 define the nursing profession’s commitment to respect, promote, protect and support the fundamental rights od receiver and provider of nursing and healthcare. Its impact on practice of enrolled nurses is to: Provide quality nursing care, taking action on reasonable ground Respect the individual’s ethical values with gentleness Understand different culture and languages influence the nursing and healthcare Demonstrate the ability to reasonably and equitably provide services depends on needs, social standings, ethnicity, age, race, level of income, gender Support culture of safety because safety is everyone’s responsibility Document all information accurately, non-judgmentally and relevant to health, acre and treatment of a person and should be confidential Prevent, minimize and overcome the harmful effect of economic, social or ecological factors on health Promote and maintain the trust between nurse care receiver Perform ethically 5. The purpose of NMBA new code of Professional Conduct August 2008 for nurses is to: Specify a base to consumer, regulatory, employing and professional bodies for evaluating professional conduct of nurses Form a set of minimum national standards of conduct, nurses are supposed to support Inform the community of standards of professional conduct, it can sustain nurses in Australia References: 1. Nursing and midwifery board of Australia, 27 October 2009, consultation paper on registration standards and related matters, viewed 16 August 2014, www.ahpra.gov.au 2. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2010, Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Law 2009, viewed 16 August 2014, www.ahpra.gov.au 3. Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency, 2014, Mandatory notification, viewed 15 August 2014, www.ahpra.gov.au 4. Australian Institute of Family Studies, 8 August 2014, What is mandatory reporting?, viewed 15 August 2014, www.aifs.gov.au 5. Hughson, J, 2013, ‘Nursing: Historical, present and future perspectives’, The Tabbner’s Nursing Care (6th edition), Kesteven S., Libby Houston, Chatswood, NSW, pp. 11-12 6. Australian Nursing Midwifery Council, 2008, Codes of professional conduct and ethics for nurses and midwives in Australia, viewed 17 August 2014, http://dlb.sa.edu.au/tsftfmoodle/pluginfile.php/998/mod_resource/content/0/COMMUNICAT E_AND_WORK_EFFECTIVELY_IN_HEALTH/element_1/ANMCwebsiteversion.pdf 7. Nursing and midwifery board of Australia, 2014, Codes of Professional conduct for nurses in Australia, viewed 17 August 2014, www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au 8. Nursing and midwifery board of Australia, 2014, Codes of Ethics for nurse august 2008, viewed 17 August 2014, www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au

Private Sector Participation in Water Supply

Private Sector Participation in Water Supply ASSESSMENT OF PRIVATE SECTOR PARTICIPATION (PSP) IN WATER SUPPLY IN ABRAKA AND ITS ENVIRONS, DELTA STATE, NIGERIA S. I. Efe Department of Geography and Regional Planning Delta State University, Abraka. Delta State, Nigeria ABSTRACT This study assessed the level of private participation in water supply in Abraka and the likely problem militating against their effective operation. This study involved personal field observation and questionnaire survey to all the private owners of water projects in Abraka. This gives a total of 188 questionnaires administered. The data collected were presented in tables and statistical diagram. Percentages were also us ed for the data analysis. The result revealed a high level of private participation in water supply in Abraka. This is evident from 188 out of 202 functioning water projects in Abraka, thus. it indicate that over 93% (percentage) of water projects in Abraka are owned by private individuals. The operators are however faced with the problem of epileptic power supply, hike in pump process of fuel (diesel and petrol, theft and maintenance cost, it is therefore recommended that Abraka should be linked to the national grid and more feeder transformers should be supplied t o Abraka communities 4.y Delta State government. Government should also resuscitate the existing public water system in Abraka to minimise the money spent on water by Abraka inhabitants. Keywords: Private Sector, Participation, Water Supply, Abraka INTRODUCTION The supply of water to the inhabitants of urban areas has been the responsibilities of Local, State and Federal government. As such, there has been pressure in government resources and the government can no longer foot the servicing and maintenance of many socio infrastructures in the countries (Adesuyi, 1996). For instance in Nigeria many hydraulic facilities have been incapacitated and break down completely because of pressure from the increasing population of cities without corresponding expansion or maintenance in these water projects. And some even breaks down soon after commissioning (Efe, 2003). In Abraka its population has increased from 5,006 in 1985 to 57,444 in 1998, and it’s projected to increase to over 66,738 by 2005 and there is no expansion in the existing water facilities. Presently little could one identifS’ any government owned water project that provide water effectively and regularly to the inhabitants of Abraka, except dilapidated overhead tanks. T hus there has been acute shortage of water supply to Abraka communities. As such, the inhabitant now trek long distance at an average of 1-3km to river Ethiope and Ovwuvwe to get drinking and other domestic water, there they bath and do most of their washing (Plates, Clothes ete). Because of this problem there are complains by the inhabitants to government and private individuals, but there was no change of operational attitude by government. However, there has been large increased in Private Sector Participation (PSP) in water supply in recent times in Abraka. This view has been noted Oyebande (1981), Adesuyi (1996) and John (2002). So the private individual seize this opportunity to drill boreholes in their compound for personal use and commercial uses as well. Though the price of water is on the high side for example 20 litres can cost as high as N5.00 to N8.0O in most of the communities. Recently the government of Delta State came out with a policy that every borehole owners sho uld come to the state capital to register with Nb, 000.00 for commercial bores and N3,500.00 for private and pay an annual subscription rate of N2,500.00 and NI,500.00 for commercially and privately owned bore holes in the state. But the owners of these private boreholes are hesitant to register and pay the said amount saying that water is a free gift of nature, and the government who suppose to provide water has failed, and even electricity to power their submersible pump government is not providing, why then is the demand for registration. Based on the foregoing, this study is aimed at assessing the level of PSP in water supply, the willingness of the private sectors to register and pay the annual subscription and to identify the limiting factors militating against effective PSP in water supply in Abraka. STUDY AREA Abraka is located between latitude 5Â °45’ and 5Â °50’ North of the equator and longitude 6Â ° and 6Â ° 15’ East. It covers an area of 168.43 sqkm, and a height of 45m above sea level. It is drain by two rivers, River Ethiope to the West and River Ovwuwve to the south eastern extent at the landmass. It has a gentle slope to the two rivers. The area is made of loamy and sandy soil (Efe and Aruegodore, 2003). Abraka fell within the tropical environment that enjoys the tropical rainforest climate (AF) of Koppen in 1919 and the wet equatorial of Strahier in 1969.Generally speaking, Abraka and its environs had an annual mean temperature of 3 0.6Â °C, and mean monthly temperature that span from 30Â °C in September to 31.1Â °C in June and July. The area experiencing heavy amount of rainfall that spans for 12 months period. Annual rainfall generally ranges from 2,703mm in 1977 to 3,647mm in 1989. However, the annual mean rainfall is 3,098mm. This indicates that Ab raka experiences heavy and torrential rainfall throughout this period. The mean monthly distribution of rainfall in Abraka span 25.8mm in the month of December to 638.9mm in September. This indicates that December recorded the lowest rain amount while September recorded the month with the highest rainfall amount; as such there is no distinct dry season. In recent time Abraka has witnessed a rapid population increased, from a population of 55 510 during the 19991 Census, to estimated population value of 60 000 in 2004.This is as a result of the increase in the population of Delta State University students. This increase has also led to rapid urban development and without commensurate growth in infrastructural facilities of the areas. MATERIALS AND METHODS The research designed employed in this study involves a field survey of personal observation and questionnaire administration to all the operators of bores in Abraka. Abraka was stratified into five zones based on the 5 political delineation (wards) already in existed. The researcher and 20 of his field assistants (hydrology students) visited each of the zones at five different occasions between March — May 2005 (one zone each ‘thy) to count the total number of hydraulic project existing in them and to administered questionnaire to each of them. The researcher waited for them to fill them and collect the questionnaire at the spot from them. The questionnaire covers the following; when the bores are sunk, the owner’s cost (prices) of water supply and their willingness to register with government and pay the annual water rate fees and likely problem encountered during operation. This took us to Umeghe, Uhuoka, Ekrejeta, Abraka urban, Ajalomi, Urhuovie, Erho, Oria wa terside, Ovwodo, Ekreseme, Urhuagbesa, Otorho and Ugono. A total of 188 questionnaires were administered to the 188 private operators of boreholes in Abraka. The data collected re summarised in table 1 —4 and expressed in percentages. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION The results from the field observations are presented in table 1,2,3, and 4 and discussed below: Table 1: Number of water projects in each community and their owners Source: Author’s fieldwork, 2005. Table I showed that a total of 202 hydraulic projects (bores) were located in all the communities in Abraka and its environs, Abraka urban (town), which housed the Delta State University recorded the highest concentration of bores, with a value of 68, out of which 63 hydraulic projects were owned by private individuals, 2 owned by non-governmental organisation and 3 owned by governmental They are sited at Delta State University to serve the need of staff and students on campus. This signifies 93%, 4% and 3% respectively lhr private, government and nongovernmental organisation. The 3 governments owned bores were sited at Delta State University, Abraka. Urhuoka and Ekrejeta follow this with 26 with 34 bores owned solely by private individuals respectively. Others are Oria waterside, Urhuovie, Ovwodo and Umeghe with 16, 13 and 109 bores respectively. At Oria waterside, Ovwodo and Uineghe all the boreholes are owned by private individuals, while at Urhuovie, out of the 13 water project, 10 are owned by private, 1 by community effort and 2 by government. These showed that private individuals own 77% of the water projects at Urhuovie. While the community and government own 8% and 15% of the bores respectively. The rest communities on table 1 showed less than 8 bore with the exception of Erho with 9 bores (8 private and 1 government owned). Generally, out of the 202 bores that is presently located in Abraka and its environs, 188 are owned by private individuals, 8 by government. 5 by non — governmental organisation and I by community effort (see fig 1).Fig.1: Operators of Bores in Abraka Source: Author’s fieldwork, 2005 This showed that there is a high level of PSP in provision of water to the inhabitants of Abraka. Thus water supply in Abraka is mostly under the auspices of the PSP. The reason for increased PSP in water supply according to the operators of the bores is that; government has failed in its entirety in providing this basic necessity of life to the ever increasing population of Abraka, and also to make life better for their own people in Abraka and the student who resides off campus, lastly because of the fact that all the water projects owned by urban and rural water board in Abraka have packed-up and no attempt by the government to repair them. Most water from the private bores in Abraka urban is connected to hostels for students use. For instance out of the 68 bores located in Abraka main town; 35 were connected to hostels, where majorities of the inhabitants are students, 25 sunk solely for commercial and household use, while 8 have been connected to private homes similarly 135 (ove r 71%) of the 188 water projects in Abraka and its environs, are used for commercial purpose (see table 2). Some owners of these bores also have their house connected to their owned bores. Table 2: Types of bores in Abraka Source: Author’s fieldwork, 2005 On the other hand, less than 30% of the privately owned boreholes were connected to private houses and solely for private uses. However most of the boreholes were sunk between 2000 and 2005 respectively. For instance, out of the 202 functioning water projects existed presently in Abraka 153 were sunk between 2000 2005 while 49 were sunk during or between 1989 — 1999 (see table 3) Table 3: Years bores were sunk Source: Author’s fieldwork 2005. Table 3 also showed that out of the 219 water projects seen in Abraka, 15 were sunk before 1989, 51 in 1989 and 1999, and 153 between 2000 and 2005. Out of these, 17 are bad and stop functioning few years after commissioning; Leaving 202 bores. According to the inhabitants, most of these packed-up projects sunk by petroleum trust fund (PTF) during the Babagida regime. However the year 2004 witnessed rapids sitting of bores in Abraka. For instance the field observation revealed that a total 58 bores were sunk in 2004 alone. Presently there are 23 drilled bores not yet connected to the overhead tank (i.e. they are still under construction) when asked they said they occasionally pump water from these bores for block moulding and building of houses. The owners of these bores capitalised on the non-existence of public tap to increase the price of water in the area. For instance, 20 litres of water is sold as high as 5.00 — N8.00 in some communities (most especially in Abraka urban) . An interview with some of the inhabitants seen buying water from these sources revealed that though these privately owned bores have really alleviated the problem of water shortage in Abraka, because of their short distances and efficiency, but the price of the water is very high. For instance the price of 20 litres can cost as high as N5.00 or N8.00 on the average in most of these communities. Due to this high price most households have to down size the quantity of water use per day and ‘whenever it rains, they fill all available bowls with rainwater, and little quantity of about 20 litres for drinking is usually bought from the private bores. The interviewed also revealed that high proportion of the bores owners in Abraka are willing to pay and register with the Urban Water Board provided the government of Delta State could provide regular supply of electricity to their communities. This is evident from 153 out of the 188 private bores owners who indicated their willingnes s to register with the Urban Water Board at Asaba (see table 4) Table 4: Number of bores owners who are will to register with government Source: Author’s Fieldwork, 2005 Their justification of willing to pay is that ground water is one of the natural resources that are owned by the government, and anybody extracting natural resources pays certain amount of money to the government. The operators of the bores outlined the following as a limiting factors in order of severity; epileptic power supply, high prices of diesel and fuel, theft and maintenance cost. They all generally stressed that because of the epileptic power supply they no longer depend on electricity (NEPA) rather on generating plants to power their water project, and that the prices or diesel and petrol have further increased the running cost, which they shifted to the consumer. Thus a change in the price of 20 litres cans from N2.00 to N5.00 or N8.00 depending on the circumstances. Similarly, because of the high rate of insecurity most of the submersible pump have been lost to theft, and now they engages the services of security men to guard these water pumps, which according to them cos t as high as N4, 500.00 or N7, 500.00. They therefore call on the government of Delta State to provide more transformers, in Abraka or if possible linked Abraka to the Ogorode power line, since it will serve the Main Campus of the Delta State University, Abraka. The major problem militating against effective water supply to the inhabitants of Abraka are ascribed to high cost of hydraulic equipment and drilling of the bores, epileptic power supply, theft and the recently introduced 1 0, 000 and N3, 500 bores registration fees by the Delta State government. CONCLUSION This study has been able to show that there is a high rate of PSP in water supply in Abraka. Out of the 202 functioning water project in Abraka 188 are owned and maintained by private individuals. The study also revealed that 188 privately owned bores, supply water regularly to the inhabitants of Abraka, though the price of N5.00 — 8.00 is on the high side. The problem of epileptic power supply and theft are major limiting factors to effective water supply. It is therefore recommended that Abraka community should be regarded as a priority or special area and linked to the national grid or Ogorode power supply. When this is done it will enhanced regular power supply that will better the entire life being of the residents of Abraka. REFERENCES Adesuyi, D. (1996), Nigeria Produces 25 year water Master Plan. Ultimate Water Technology and Environment 1(1): 17-19pp. Efe S.I. (2003), Water quality and its utilisation in the Nigerian rural setting of Abraka Delta State International Journal of Ecology and Environmental Dynamics Maiden (ed) 81-86;;. John, T. (2002), Opinion World Summit of Sustainable development, private sector participation in the water sector in the water sector published by international institute for environment and development U.S.A., UK. Oyebande, L. (1981) The hydrology of water supply: A case of Jos in P.O. Sada and J.S. Oguntoyinbo edited Urbanisation Processes in Nigeria, Ibadan University press. 141-149.

Ethnicity And Democracy In The Case Of Kenya Politics Essay

Ethnicity And Democracy In The Case Of Kenya Politics Essay Ethnicity is derived from Greek word ethnos, which means a nation or a people. The term ethnicity may also mean a race or group of people with common racial features and common cultural uniqueness. Once consciousness of being part of an ethnic group is created, it takes on a self preservation dimension and is passed from one generation to another. Also, Max Weber  [2]  defined an ethnic group as those human beings or groups that entertain a subjective belief in their common descent because of migration or colonization in such a way that this belief is important for the continuance of non-kinship communal relationships. Ethnic affiliation is deeply embedded inside peoples consciousness and is difficult for them to break away from it. Thus ethnicity is natural and innate in human beings as part of their nature, which is inevitable. Every human being has a natural inclination towards identifying with other persons whom he/she share common interests, history or origin. Mans sense of belonging makes him associate with people he/she is closely related with, which results in the formation of an ethnic group with its unique and peculiar way of life. A fundamental unity between the different persons in an African community, that is, a unity of human relationship, underlies Traditional African morality. African morality places considerable value on the conformity of the individual to the social group in order to preserve the unity of communal associations. It could be said that in a way, African thought is indeed more concerned with the relationship than with the different entities which constitute the relationship. All human behavior is thus expected to conform to this value to ensure social harmony. Kenya is a multicultural and multi ethnic country comprising of more than forty two ethnic identities each with its own unique way of life. In the opinion of this study, good governance is the starting point for Africas recovery, not only for the benefit of Africans themselves, but also to pacify western fears of failed states which may harbor volatile dissidents or terrorists. According to the Wests experience, a fundamental element of improving governance is the transition to a democratic society. While it is accepted that dictatorships tend to offer more stability, democracy if all of the conditions are met is promotive of the best outcomes in terms of human liberty. Legitimate democratic governments are less violent towards their citizens, and because they permit opposition, are less likely to result in bloody revolutions  [3]  . Negative ethnicity still remains a dominant political force and it has brought with it poverty and exploitation which have for a long time held Kenya hostage. Since Independence, Kenyan politicians have manipulated ethnic divisions for their own myopic political and economic agendas, maintaining ethnicity at the forefront of the collective psyche. Despite being a powerful tool for conflict, ethnicity has simultaneously evolved into a valuable resource for access to economic stability for corrupt politicians, and opportunities to plunder state resources. In Kenya, state fund allocation is distributed by ethnic region, creating disparities and animosities between different ethnic groups. In fact the major reason that caused the infamous 2007 post election violence and skirmishes in which over 100 people lost their lives and property worth millions of dollars destroyed, was due to the perceived marginalization of some Kenyan communities denying them access to state resources and employm ent opportunities. In terms of democratic elections, ethnic or tribal affiliation dictates loyalties. Regardless of electoral platform, the Kenyan citizenry will almost exclusively vote for their ethnic representative. In the 2007 presidential elections, ethnicity played a crucial role. Mr. Mwai Kibaki, a Kikuyu, got few votes in Nyanza province which is predominantly Luo, whereas his opponent Mr. Raila Odinga, a Luo, got minimal votes in Central province which is predominantly Kikuyu. Kenyan politics has always been practiced based on a high degree of ethnic exploitation and opportunism. Kenyan politicians frequently base their political campaigns by appealing to tribal fears, stereotypes and ethnic expectations thus relegating to the backseat broad-based genuine and ethnically inclusive and equitable democratic platforms. Because I am from your tribe, you can trust me I will not eat alone please Vote for me, with the implied meaning that you cannot trust those who do not belong to your tribe and they will not share with you the national cake. This is because voters think that having their tribesmen and women in power necessarily translates to better life for them. So when ones kinsperson loses a competitive election, violence usually breaks out. This can be explained by the fact that when an individual wins an election whether fairly or through fraud, he/she diverts all state resources to his/her region and the rest of the country has to wait for five years until elections are held for them to get a chance to have one of their own in power. Kenyans vote as ethnic blocs partly because the economic inequalities in the country has brought with it widespread poverty and political illiteracy. People who are politically illiterate and poverty stricken need basic needs like food and not freedom of thought and conscience. They do not care about their right to vote and how it affects them. Thus potential voters always sell their electors cards for a loaf of bread or for a sum of less than one US dollar to their tribal kingpins. The less fortunate are the majority in Kenya and thus more vulnerable to ethnic manipulation by crooked politicians and lords of impunity. The Kenyan electorate has become sycophantic and in most cases rarely make autonomous choices when voting due to negative ethnicity. This violates an individuals ability to exercise his/her voluntariness. This is ones ability to make a choice without being unduly pressured to make a particular choice for any specific reason. Being free in making a decision means that w e own the decision as ours and that one ought to have a better option. The principle of voluntariness removes coercion or any influence as possible so that the decision is the individuals and not someone elses. The purpose of coercion and undue influence is to do an end run around a choice or judgment so that an individual will do what he/she might not ordinarily have done in the absence of such irrationally persuasive techniques. An individuals decisions and choices at their very best ought to be as a result of his /her own self determination. The well being of a nation depends on the capacity of the electorate to choose leaders wisely and prudently. Ethnic voting patterns undermine the common good in terms of the quality of leadership since in most cases the ones whose ethnic group is more populous even if their leadership qualities are deficient, are the ones who get elected. Taken to its extreme, negative ethnicity results in coups and revolutions. In Kenya ethnicity has been used as a partial criterion for apportioning benefits and burdens among the citizenry. This practice is rampant during employment and discharge of public services in which special and undue consideration is given to a person on the basis of his/her ethnic identity. Here meritocracy is not the criterion. Negative ethnicity has undermined the common good by placing unqualified persons to positions of responsibility. It is also worth noting that the current president Mwai Kibaki has on many occasions been accused of favoring his community in making public appointments. Plum government jobs are held by people from his Mount Kenya region and Kikuyu community. It is not surprising to see key government ministries like that of Finance, Trade, energy, Provincial Administration among other plum ministries are being run by people from the presidents community. Corruption is rife in these ministries as no one is willing to blow up the whistle since it is one of their own eating (muntu wa nyumba, a slang word people from the presidents community use to identify one another). This has not only denied the qualified and deserving persons the opportunity to actualize their potential but has also led to ineffectual performance of duty and services to the public. Negative ethnicity violates the principle of equity, which allows discrimination by reference to morally relevant differences and forbids discrimination in the absence of such differences. It is fair to discriminate in favor of the needy or the meritorious or the able; it is unfair to discriminate between people who are equally able by merely appealing to ones ethnicity. Loyalty to ones ethnic group is highly celebrated in Kenya and this has become more rampant than moral rules in shaping behavior. The culture of us versus them is so ingrained in our country that politicians have coined all types of ethnic expressions and innuendos to whip up ethnic emotions among the citizenry. Phrases such as Eshienyu ne Eshienyu (ours is ours however rotten or bad it may appear to others), Kamwene (it has its owner, it belongs to us not them) have taken centre stage in Kenyas political lingo. A public office is seen to belong to a whole community by virtue of one of their own being the holder of that office. Consequently any positive criticism aimed at the holder of the office is taken to be an affront and assault on the entire community. Thus this way obligation to ones ethnic group often take precedence over those of public office, resulting in political leaders deviating from established rules and thus sowing seeds of corruption and impunity. Ethnic loyalties and other primordial ties have made political leaders develop a sense of obligation that is inconsistent with ethics of public office. Failure to discharge these obligations even if inspired by a need to follow moral rules and values may result in a backlash from the persons respective ethnic community. Ethnic chauvinism is an extreme form of collective self interests where ones ethnic group is the centre of everything and all others are scaled and rated with reference to it. Thus, ethnocentrism is responsible for many armed conflicts in Kenya and Africa at large. When ethnic loyalty becomes the guiding principle in awarding burdens and benefits in society, there is no objectivity in carrying out public appointments, awarding contracts or recommending individuals for rewards and benefits. The choices are not based on merit but on ethnic identities. Political power allocation of resources, jobs and services cannot be left at the mercy of ethnic self interest, private ownership and personal possession because this can have adverse effects on the basic inherent rights of others whose interests have been excluded. Social exclusion damages the social self thus spoiling personal identity. Social inclusion and participation in terms of access to the material conditions of well being in society is an important pre-condition for human freedom. If people are excluded from such access, the development of their social self becomes impaired. In the language of Plato and Aristotle, equal shares ought to go to equals and unequal to unequal. In Politics III, 12, Aristotle puts it thus if flutes are to be distributed, they should go only to those who have the capacity for playing flutes, that is, benefits and responsibilities should be proportionate to the worth of those who receive them. Thus it is fair to discriminate in favor of the needy or meritorious but unfair to discriminate between people who are equally needy and equally meritorious. Justice which is one of the basic pillars of humanity deals with the distribution of burdens and benefits of goods and services according to a just standard to all human beings in any society. Negative ethnicity in Kenya has hindered the growth of democracy. This is because the Kenyan electorate votes along ethnic lines. Thus the electorate will vote for a candidate who is from their ethnic community even if he/she does not have good leadership qualities. This in turn has affected the quality of leadership in our country since undeserving candidates (tribal jingoists) whip up ethnic emotions of their community to rally behind them. This has bred leaders who distribute national resources along ethnic lines. Thus one can only access national resources and privileges if he/she has a member of his/her community holding a public office. This has sowed seeds of corruption, ethnic strife and impunity. Thus it is not strange to see two communities forming an alliance to defeat a candidate from a community they consider to be their common political enemy. This cultural myopia is destructive and undermines the quality of leadership and also quality of life of the entire Kenyan citiz enry. It is also worth noting that currently a group of politicians led by the current Vice President, Mr. Kalonzo Musyoka, are at the moment touting of forming a tribal alliance called triple K (KKK) comprising of three ethnic communities, the Kamba, Kikuyu and Kalenjin so as to front one candidate whose myopic agenda is to block the current Prime Minister Mr. Raila Odinga from winning the 2012 presidential elections. Such alliances undermine democracy and the rule of law in Kenya. This has bred impunity and entrenched corruption since one can get away with theft of public resources as long as his/her kinsperson is in power. Majority of Kenyans have great expectations in the International Criminal Court (ICC) stepping in, and helping entrench the rule of law in a country in which tribe matters than law. This is because without the rule of law being entrenched in society, there can never be any meaningful democracy in a country. Socrates set the agenda of reflectively questioning common beliefs and explanations carefully distinguishing those beliefs that are reasonable and logical from those which however appealing they may be to our native ethnocentrism, even if they serve our vested interests, may lack adequate rational foundation to warrant our belief. In the opinion of this study ethnic loyalties that discriminate against others on the basis or arbitrary criterion of ones tribe undermine human dignity. Jesus Christ affirmed that Love your neighbor as you love yourself. This is the way in which dignity fulfills itself. It means transformation from being self centered. Human dignity is destroyed by self love. Self interests are good when united with others interests to form common interests and bad when fulfilled at the expense of others. Ethnic common interests as represented in a democratically organized society are the best way of guaranteeing everyone some basic means of existence. Ethnicity per se however, is not divisive or alienating when not taken to the extreme as is the case with tribal jingoists. This paper argues for the enhancement of criticality among Kenyans to curb negative ethnicity. Kenyans need to be thoroughly reflective in every area of their lives. Such criticality will enhance individuality in the Kenyan electorate. This will transform people into persons who, motivated by high order value of truth, universal well being of all ethnic communities and the inter-relatedness of humanity would transcend personal and group egoism. This will inculcate tolerance among the various ethnic groups in Kenya. A critical thinker thinks for himself/herself as an individual and only accepts what has been proved or demonstrated to the satisfaction of reason. A critical thinker cannot be short circuited in his/her decision making process so as to choose one alternative rather than another. Autonomy empowers a person to have a strong sense of personal responsibility for his/her own choices and actions. Critical thinking will minimize incidences of blind unquestioning ethnic loyalties and conformity to established cultural norms that perpetuate ethnic chauvinism and impunity..

Revolutionary Opinion :: essays papers

Revolutionary Opinion They all say, ?Taxation without representation is tyranny.? Those revolutionary fools! Surely they jest! I am well aware that many of my fellow townspeople believe in this notion. It is rather sensible, after all. Who really likes to pay taxes? Not I! However, all those that subscribe to this train of thought are living in a dream world. In reality, it is the other way around. ?Representation without taxation is tyranny.? Revolution is futile and will only result in more taxes for the whiners to gripe and moan about. Frankly, I?ve had enough. A few days ago, I saw some protesters walking down the road chanting and marching with signs that read "Taxation Without Representation Is Tyranny.? I seem to remember that other Americans also once expressed similar views. Most people would now regard that point as a fair one. I am no great fan of democracy, as I prefer liberty, but even I can agree that people who are taxed but not allowed to vote are likely to be more than averagely oppressed by those who can vote. This then prompted me to consider the converse proposition: Representation Without Taxation Is Tyranny. It would, of course, be a fallacy to think that this is entailed by the first proposition, but surely it is just as reasonable. If we must have state services, it should at least be for those who pay for them to vote for which services they want and how much they wish to pay. To allow those providing, or living off, the services to vote is like allowing a shopkeeper to vote on what you must buy from him, or a beggar to vote on what you must give him. Naturally, I hear them say, ?but doesn't everyone pay tax, at least on goods and services?? Furthermore, is it not trivially true, insofar as morals can be ?true?? No, they do not and it is not. Not by a long shot. Lord Grenville, everyone?s favorite exchequer, has recently been parading around town saying how he realizes that the recent practices of taxation have been unfair and how he relates to the feelings of the townspeople. He even went so far as to state, or shall I say lie, about how much he strongly dislikes his job because he, like everyone else, has to pay taxes.

A Real Virtual End :: Matrix Virtuality Reality Essays

A Real Virtual End Whether you watch a science fiction movie, or read a science fiction novel, mother earth seems to no longer be a concern of the human race. The concern of humans has been shifted to a new medium, virtual reality. In the movie The Matrix, earth has been destroyed and people live underground. But, in the peoples virtual reality, where they plug themselves into called the matrix, everything that is desired can be downloaded for them in seconds. In the novel Snow Crash, earth is rapidly being destroyed by humans through negligence. Once again, the more important concern on the human mind is the virtual reality called the Metaverse. Just like the matrix, the Metaverse fulfills desires with a few strokes of the keyboard. What if reality didnt exist? Could there still be a virtual reality continuing on? It seems to me that these two science fiction stories promote laziness and to ignore our ongoing destruction of earth. The main character and hero in the movie The Matrix, Neo, is a young software engineer and part-time hacker who is singled out by some mysterious figures who want to introduce him into the secret of the matrix. What Neo thinks is the real world is no more than a computer-generated dreamscape, a virtual reality created by the artificial intelligence that really controls things to distract our human minds while our bodies are systemically plundered as an energy source to keep those machines up and running. The re al world has actually been destroyed by humans through nuclear warfare. Upon Neos enlightenment of the real earth, he is forced to make a decision to choose between the matrix and what is thought to be reality. Choosing the matrix, Neo has to re-think and re-learn his old ways and adapt to the new ways through which he will need to survive. Finding his niche in the matrix, Neo becomes god-like here. Although he was just a mere hacker whom had little power in reality, the matrix turns Neo into a force not to be messed with. Neos unbelievable hand-eye coordination and miraculous maneuvering separates him from the other humans that are locked into the matrix. Neo is filled with huge amounts of information at an alarming rate to help create him into being the One. The matrix allows you to receive anything you want, and to be downloaded any piece of information known to man. A Real Virtual End :: Matrix Virtuality Reality Essays A Real Virtual End Whether you watch a science fiction movie, or read a science fiction novel, mother earth seems to no longer be a concern of the human race. The concern of humans has been shifted to a new medium, virtual reality. In the movie The Matrix, earth has been destroyed and people live underground. But, in the peoples virtual reality, where they plug themselves into called the matrix, everything that is desired can be downloaded for them in seconds. In the novel Snow Crash, earth is rapidly being destroyed by humans through negligence. Once again, the more important concern on the human mind is the virtual reality called the Metaverse. Just like the matrix, the Metaverse fulfills desires with a few strokes of the keyboard. What if reality didnt exist? Could there still be a virtual reality continuing on? It seems to me that these two science fiction stories promote laziness and to ignore our ongoing destruction of earth. The main character and hero in the movie The Matrix, Neo, is a young software engineer and part-time hacker who is singled out by some mysterious figures who want to introduce him into the secret of the matrix. What Neo thinks is the real world is no more than a computer-generated dreamscape, a virtual reality created by the artificial intelligence that really controls things to distract our human minds while our bodies are systemically plundered as an energy source to keep those machines up and running. The re al world has actually been destroyed by humans through nuclear warfare. Upon Neos enlightenment of the real earth, he is forced to make a decision to choose between the matrix and what is thought to be reality. Choosing the matrix, Neo has to re-think and re-learn his old ways and adapt to the new ways through which he will need to survive. Finding his niche in the matrix, Neo becomes god-like here. Although he was just a mere hacker whom had little power in reality, the matrix turns Neo into a force not to be messed with. Neos unbelievable hand-eye coordination and miraculous maneuvering separates him from the other humans that are locked into the matrix. Neo is filled with huge amounts of information at an alarming rate to help create him into being the One. The matrix allows you to receive anything you want, and to be downloaded any piece of information known to man.

The Rich Brother by Tobias Wolff Essay -- Sibling Rivalry, Rich Brothe

The short story, "The Rich Brother," by Tobias Wolff represents the same concept that everyday people all over the world encounter. This portrays how having siblings can be an enormous part of a persons life. The rivalry between siblings is often very competitive, but at the same time similar to magnets. When they are not connected it may seem they are independent and whole, but when examined closely it is obvious they are really relying on each other to function properly. Although Pete and Donald's life are separate and completely different, they are in fact very dependent on each other. The meaning of dependence is the act of being influenced, relying on, or needing someone for aid or support. Dependence is one of the main characteristics that both Pete and Donald portray without it being easily comprehended. Pete needs Donald as much as Donald needs Pete on an emotional level. Throughout this short story Donald is the one that seems to have a life incomparable to Pete's but both brothers are missing something, and that something is each other. The story begins with Wolff describing the two brothers, Pete is the conceited successful brother with a life people dream about, and Donald is the younger brother who attempts to do something for everyone else when he could. Donald had made odd decisions, such as going to live on a farm in which members of his community had bought to form a family of faith. When Donald became unhappy he became dependent on Pete because he had no where to go, no car, and no money. Pete took action and drove out to pick him up to bring him ba ck to his house. If Pete did not care about Donald, even though they are brothers, he would have made Donald be independent and live in the real world. Pete's a... ...e this unfair life for Donald to come out ahead in the end." Donald had invested the one hundred dollars the Pete gave him on what Pete thought was extremely outrageous then got worried when he felt Donald would do something to out smart him. In conclusion, co-dependency and rivalry is very common in the world today. Though it is not a big issue out in the open, it is an emotional attachment that only one can define. In this short story the two main aspects of having siblings is the theme which revolves around codependency and rivalry. Having siblings is a part of everyday life and problems do occur which sometimes makes a person, or changes a person in ways. In this situation, Pete and Donald are completely different people but they are in fact very dependent upon one another. Work Cited Wolff, Tobias. â€Å"The Rich Brother.† Back in the World. New York: Bantam.

Say No to Crazy Fan

Argumentative Writing Say No to Crazy Fan Do you have a friend or roommate who is crazy about a pop icon? I have. She would never like to miss any launching ceremony of new album even if she has to skip all day’s classes. She spent most of her allowance buying all products about the pop icon even if she has no money for a decent meal. She can’t concentrate on homework because some people are criticizing her idol on the Internet and she must defend his image for him. This is a typical example of celebrity worship syndrome. It is likely that you may just like my friend suffer from this syndrome which does no good to personal growth.As the result of this syndrome, you may get physically and psychologically hurt and your moral standards may become vague. So what you need to do is getting rid of this syndrome and saying no to crazy fan. To begin with, being a crazy fan of pop music icons can ruin your health. As you are a crazy fan that means you have to follow your idol eve rywhere; you have to spend every cent of your allowance proving you are a devoted supporter and you have to collect every piece of news of your idol. Your life quality becomes lower, no healthy meals, not enough sleep and no leisure time.What’s worse, some crazy fans want to resemble their idols in appearance so they turn to plastic surgery. For example, a Superman fan, Herbert Chavez, a 35-year-old Filipino man who had had cosmetic surgery to make him look like Superman. A psychiatrist told Bandila News that Mr. Chavez could be suffering from body dysmorphic disorder, meaning that he is obsessed with making cosmetic changes to his body(Daily Mail,2011). It is obvious that the obsession to superman has totally destroyed the man, because plastic surgery absolutely makes irrecoverable and damaging changes to his body.This case may be a little extreme; however, it reminds you that sometimes being a crazy fan, you have to sacrifice your health or face with physical damages. Anoth er reason is if you are too obsessed over a pop icon, you will tend to be psychologically abnormal. It seems like the only thing you care about is your idol. Your family and career is far more insignificant than your favorite icon. You become irrational and cold-blooded, even losing your mind. You must still remember Yang Li-juan, who had idolized Andy Lau for 13 years. She quit school.The only thing she cared about in life was to meet her idol. The newspaper Guangzhou Daily said Yang lijuan is the victim of popular star worship. Li Zixun, a well-known Chinese psychologist, told Chongqing Times that she must be paranoiac to take these extreme actions. Not everyone would be the same as Yang, but it is probable you put yourself at the risk of some unhealthy psychologies when you choose to be a crazy fan. Lastly, the crazy love for an icon may lead you to vague moral standards. Not all pop icons can set a good example for the public.Some of them do something immoral or against the law. For instance, in 2007, Lindsay Lohan, American actress, was arrested in Los Angeles for suspected of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs after a crash on Sunset Boulevard(Guardian,2007). In 2011, she pleaded not guilty to stealing a $2,500 necklace from a Los Angeles jewelery store(New York Times, 2011). It is quite possible your idol’s misbehaviors may mislead you to do something immoral; meanwhile you won’t take it seriously because those pop icons can always get away with it.However, rules change when it applies to you: you may get severe punishment and regret what you did for the rest of your life. So being a crazy fan and following your idol blindly, you may lose your precious morality and virtues. In a word, it is evident you have to sacrifice a great deal in order to become a crazy fan. It is worthless to take the risk of physical and psychological damage and losing morality. Being a crazy fan is harmful for personal growth. So please say no to craz y fan! [702] ReferencesEwen MacAskill(2007, May 28) Actor Lohan arrested after car accident Retrieved October 26, 2012, from http://www. guardian. co. uk/world/2007/may/28/film. usa? INTCMP=SRCH Damien Gayle (2011, October 8) Obsessed Superman fan has cosmetic surgery to look like his hero Retrieved October 26, 2012, from http://www. dailymail. co. uk/news/article-2046303/Superman-fan-cosmetic-surgery-Herbert-Chavez-ops-look-like-hero. html China. org. cn by Zhang Rui (2007, March 30) Celebrity Worship Turns Tragic Retrieved October 26, 2012, from http://www. china. org. cn/english/entertainment/205460. htm

Principle of Marketing

Principles of Marketing Promotion: Overview and Personal Selling Promotion Mix Personal Selling Advertising Publicity Sales Promotion Elements in the Communication Process (Fig. 14. 2) Promotion Strategy Strategic Objectives Appropriate Tasks Budget Implementation Evaluation and Control Strategic Issues Integration Relationships Goals: Information, Persuasion, Reminder Consumer Considerations: AIETA Model Target Integrated Marketing Communications (Fig. 14. 1) Advertising Personal selling Sales promotion Public relations Direct marketing A View of the Communications Process Marketers View Communications as the Management of the Customer Relationship Over Time Through the Following Stages: Preselling Preselling Selling Selling PostPostConsumption Consumption Consuming Consuming AIETA The Adoption Process Product Life Cycle AIETA and the Promotion Mix: The right tool for the job. Awareness Advertising -teaser campaigns -pioneering ads -jingles/slogans -outdoor -internet banners Publicity -newsworthy â€Å"stunts† -news announcements -trade announcements Interest Advertising -information ads -image ads Evaluation Advertising -persuasion ads -image ads -testimonials -comparative ads Trial Advertising -retailer co-op ads -POP materials -sales promotion ads Adoption Advertising -reminder ads Publicity -news coverage -human interest stories Publicity -consumer welfare reports Personal Selling -mentions -samples -brochures, etc. Personal Selling -benefits (prepared or formula approaches) Personal Selling -consultative selling Personal Selling -closed deal Personal Selling -consultative selling Sales Promotion -demonstrations -displays -tie-ins Sales Promotion -trade discounts -trade allowances Sales Promotion -samples -coupons -rebates -price packs -premiums Sales Promotion -patronage rewards -contests Promotion Targets—Push/Pull Promotion Mix Strategies Strategy that Calls for Spending A Lot on Advertising and Consumer Promotion to Build Up (Pull) Consumer Demand. Strategy Selected Depends on: Type of ProductMarket & Product Life-Cycle Stage Strategy that Calls for Using the Salesforce and Trade Promotion to Push the Product Through the Channels. Setting the Total Promotion Budget One of the Hardest Marketing Decisions Facing a Company is How Much to Spend on Promotion. Affordable Percentage of Sales Percentage of Sales Based on What the Company Can Afford Based on a Certain Percentage Based on a Certain Percentage of Current or Forecasted Sales of Current or Forecasted Sales Based on the Competitor’s Based on the Competitor’s Promotion Budget Promotion Budget Objective-and-Task Objective-and-Task Based on Determining Based on Determining Objectives & Tasks, Then Objectives & Tasks, Then Estimating Costs Estimating Costs Competitive-Parity Competitive-Parity Objective and Task Method Example of Objective and Task Budgeting Sales Management and Personal Selling Strategic objectives: Awareness—mentions, samples, etc. Interest—benefit information, missionary Evaluation—consultative selling Trial—consultative selling (closing) Adoption—consultative selling The Role of the Sales Force Personal selling is effective because salespeople can: probe adjust negotiate build Major Steps in Sales Force Management (Fig. 16. 1) Designing Salesforce Strategy and Structure Designing Salesforce Strategy and Structure Recruiting and Selecting Salespeople Recruiting and Selecting Salespeople Training Salespeople Training Salespeople Compensating Salespeople Compensating Salespeople Supervising Salespeople Supervising Salespeople Evaluating Salespeople Evaluating Salespeople Some Traits of Good Salespeople Selecting Salespeople Sales Aptitude Sales Aptitude Other Characteristics Other Characteristics Selection Process Usually Evaluates a Person’s Personality Traits Personality Traits Analytical and Analytical and Organizational Skills Organizational Skills Sales Force Organization In-house Flexible Directed Low variable costs Resource drain High fixed costs Agents (â€Å"Mfr. Reps†) Simple Low fixed costs Less control High variable costs Designing Sales Force Strategy and Structure Sales Force Size productive and expensive assets shrinking in size workload approach Sales force size Increases with Decreases with Training Salespeople The Average Sales Training Program lasts for Four Months and Has the Following Goals: Help Salespeople Know & Identify With the Company Learn About the Products Learn About Competitors’ and Customers’ Characteristics Learn How to Make Effective Presentations Understand Field Procedures and Responsibilities Compensating Salespeople To Attract Salespeople, a Company Must Have an To Attract Salespeople, a Company Must Have an Attractive Plan Made Up of Several Elements Attractive Plan Made Up of Several Elements Fixed Fixed Amount Amount Usually a Usually a Salary Salary Variable Variable Amount Amount Usually Usually Commissions Commissions Or Bonuses Or Bonuses Expense Expense Allowance Allowance For Job For Job Related Related Expenses Expenses Supervising Salespeople Directing Salespeople Directing Salespeople †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Identify Customer Targets & Identify Customer Targets & Call Norms Call Norms †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Develop Prospect Target Develop Prospect Target †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Use Sales Time Efficiently Use Sales Time Efficiently Annual Call Plan Annual Call Plan Time-and-Duty Analysis Time-and-Duty Analysis Sales Force Automation Sales Force Automation Motivating Salespeople Motivating Salespeople Organizational Climate †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Organizational Climate Sales Quotas †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Sales Quotas Positive Incentives †¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Positive Incentives Sales Meetings Sales Meetings Sales Contests Sales Contests Honors and Trips Honors and Trips Merchandise/ Cash Merchandise/ Cash How Salespeople Spend Their Time (Fig. 16. 2) Service Calls 12. 7% Administrative Tasks 16% Telephone Selling 25. 1% Face-to-Face Selling 28. 8% Waiting/ Traveling 17. 4% Companies Look For Ways to Increase the Amount of Time Salespeople Spend Selling. Evaluation Match the measures with the objectives Profit Sales Satisfaction New products New accounts Costs Steps in the Selling Process Prospecting Prospecting Qualifying Qualifying Preapproach Preapproach Approach Approach Salesperson Identifies Qualified Potential Salesperson Identifies Qualified Potential Customers. Customers. Process of Identifying Good Prospects Process of Identifying Good Prospects and Screening Out Poor Ones. and Screening Out Poor Ones. Salesperson Learns as Much as Possible Salesperson Learns as Much as Possible About a Prospective Customer Before About a Prospective Customer Before Making a Sales Call. Making a Sales Call. Salesperson Meets the Buyer and Gets Salesperson Meets the Buyer and Gets the Relationship Off to a Good Start. the Relationship Off to a Good Start. Steps in the Selling Process Presentation Presentation Handling Handling Objections Objections Closing Closing Follow-Up Follow-Up Salesperson Tells the Product â€Å"Story† to Salesperson Tells the Product â€Å"Story† to the Buyer Using the Need-Satisfaction the Buyer Using the Need-Satisfaction Approach. Approach. Salesperson Seeks Out, Clarifies, and Salesperson Seeks Out, Clarifies, and Overcomes Customer Objections to Overcomes Customer Objections to Buying. Buying. Salesperson Asks the Customer for an Salesperson Asks the Customer for an Order. Order. Occurs After the Sale and Ensures Occurs After the Sale and Ensures Customer Satisfaction and Repeat Customer Satisfaction and Repeat Business. Business. SPIN Selling â€Å"Professional selling† Preliminaries are not important Questions/Answers SPIN Situation Problems Implications Needs-Payoffs SPIN selling â€Å"Easiflo† S: B: S: B: S: Do you use Contortomat machines? Yes, three of them. And, are they difficult for your operators to use? Yes, rather hard, but they eventually learn. We could solve that operating difficulty with our new Easiflo system. B: What does your system cost? S: The basic system is about $120,000, and†¦ B: $120,000!!! Just to make a machine easier to use? You must be kidding! Example: Selling â€Å"Easiflo† S: Do you use Contortomat machines? (Situation) B: Yes, three of them. S: And, are they difficult for your operators to use? (Problem) B: Yes, rather hard, but they eventually learn. (Implied need) S: We could solve that operating difficulty with our new Easiflo system. (Solution) B: What does your system cost? S: The basic system is about $120,000, and†¦ B: $120,000!!! Just to make a machine easier to use? You must be kidding! SPIN selling â€Å"Easiflo† S: And, are they difficult for your operators to use? B: Yes, rather hard, but they eventually learn. S: You say they’re hard to use. What effect does this have on your output? (Implication) B: Not much. We’ve specially trained three people. S: If you’ve only got three people who can use the Contortomats, doesn’t that create bottlenecks? (Implication) B: No, really, it’s only when an operator leaves that we have trouble. While we’re waiting for a replacement to be trained. S: It sounds like the difficulty of using the Contortomat machines may be causing a turnover problem with operators. Is that right? (Implication) B: Yes, people don’t like using them, so operators usually don’t stay with us long. S: What does this turnover mean in terms of training costs? (Implication) Well, it takes a couple months to get proficient— that’s maybe $4000 in wages. Plus we pay Contortomat $500 for training. And, $1000 for travel, since that training is off-site. Hey, that’s about $5000 per—and we’ve trained at least five this year. S: So, that’s $25,000 in training costs in less than 6 months. If you’ve trained that many people in so little time, the turnover must result in production losses, doesn’t it? (Implication) B: Not really. As I said, we avoid bottlenecks by getting the other operators to work overtime. Or, we send the work out. S: Doesn’t the overtime add even more to your costs? (Implication) B: Yes, that’s true. And, even at double pay, the operators don’t like working it. That probably contributes to the turnover. S: I can see how sending the work outside must increase your costs, but are there other implications? Does the quality stay the same? (Implication) B: That’s actually the biggest problem. I can control the quality in house, but not the contract stuff. S: I suppose that sending work out puts you at the mercy of the contractor’s schedule? (Implication) B: You don’t want to know! I just got off the phone— three hours, chasing down a late delivery. S: So, from what you’ve said, because the Contortomats are difficult to use, you’ve spent $25,000 in training costs this year and you’re getting expensive operator turnover. You’ve got bottlenecks in production, and they result in expensive overtime and force you to send jobs outside. But sending jobs outside reduces quality and creates scheduling problems. B: When you look at it that way, those Contoromat machines are creating a very serious problem indeed. Wrong approach Contortomats are hard to use. $120,000 is far too much money to solve that problem SPIN approach Contortomats cause: Difficulty in use $25,000 training Turnover Overtime costs Cost of outside work Loss of quality Scheduling problems $120,000 may be a bargain Build implications. â€Å"Let† the customer discover value.