Using the Strengths-Based Model for Social Work Practice...

Utilizing strengths based perspective with clients enables social workers to focus on the client and family strengths and abilities instead of focusing on the client and family’s problems, bad behaviors and pathologies. The strengths based perspective applies six principles that guide the social worker professional in assisting client’s with the strengths based model; we all have areas of strength, but sometimes it takes an unbiased third party to notice and help others clearly see what they are capable of achieving, even in the midst of their crisis. Every Individual, Group, Family and Community Has Strengths Weick (1992) states â€Å"every person has an inherent power that may be characterized as life force, transformational capacity,†¦show more content†¦18). Trauma and Abuse, Illness and Struggle May Be Injurious, but They May also be sources of challenge and opportunity Many people come to social workers with a victim mentality, feeling helpless and without a future based on their past. They have been discouraged, beat down and made to feel broken. Being a victim of abuse, trauma, toxic relationships or a victim of assault are all unfortunate circumstances, but they can be overcome. It may seem like a challenge, but it is possible with assistance and God. As social workers we are to provide client’s who have experienced repeated trauma with support and resources to assist them in their journey to a hopeful life. Painful experiences seem to get the best of us at times, but focusing on the client’s ability to survive these horrific events can give the client just the push they need to see that they are a survivor. Helping the client to realize their own strengths and skills used to overcome their trauma, instead of focusing on the trauma itself, is a powerful way to help clients achieve a positive outcome. Kisthardt (1992) states â€Å"intervention will work best when there is â€Å"an orientation to, and appreciation of, the uniqueness, skills, interests, hopes, and desires of each consumer, rather than a categorical litany of deficits† (p. 60-61). Kaplan and Girard (1994) state â€Å"people will be motivated to change and grow when their strengths areShow MoreRelatedArgumentative Essay : Generalist Social Work Practice1192 Words   |  5 PagesGeneralist Social Work Practice Dating back to the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century two women who impacted the field of social work and its beginning were Jane Addams and Mary Richmond. These two ladies pioneered something that later became one of the most influential evidence based practices that has helped to bring social justice and social support to communities, individuals, and groups. The area of social work later developed the generalist practice model toRead MoreCognitive Theory And Ego Psychology With Young Domestic Violence Victims1280 Words   |  6 Pagesfrom birth. Originally, in psychoanalytic theory, Freud believed that the ego was â€Å"derived from the need to reconcile drives within the constraints of social living† (Hutchison, 2015, p. 132). Now, ego psychologists view the ego as being present from the time of birth. In comparison to cognitive theory, ego psychologists believe that there are developmental stages in which the ego goes through. While it is true that the ego does not need to be learned in order to be in existence, it does haveRead MoreConceptual Model For Professional Practice1409 Words   |  6 PagesNAME: ___________Adeline Kuwera___________________ NURS 3000 CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE IN NURSING MID-TERM 30% of grade PURPOSE: To demonstrate an understanding of and use of theoretical nursing models. Using peer-reviewed, on-line and library sources: 1. a.) identify a nursing model not covered in class. (1 point) Patricia Benner s Novice to Expert model Read MoreLeadership As A Problem Solver And People Motivator854 Words   |  4 Pageshow they work together. Conversely, I also have Business Analysts in my title and that is the people leadership part of my job. While reading I found myself thinking that I wanted to be like each new approach in the reading and trying to figure out how it fit me and what I do day-in and day-out. In the end I keep coming back to the Skills Approach. The skills approach describes leadership from the skills perspective. Notedly, things that you can get training on and develop with practice. This approachRead MoreSocial Theories Essay1467 Words   |  6 PagesTask 5: Compare two models of assessment, planning and coordination practice for working with disabled, older people, or a specific group of people. STRENGTH-BASED MODEL The strength based approach is a concept that firmly adheres to the belief that people or groups of people have existing competencies. It is an empowering approach that focuses on the individuals capabilities rather than their disabilities. People are generally seen as able to learn new skills, involved in discovery, have theirRead MoreSocial Perspectives on Juvenile Delinquency Essay903 Words   |  4 Pagesfrom the family values that their parents grew up with and tried to pass along to them but there are many loop holes in the generations of yesterday and today. 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He would agree that social interactionRead MoreMy Goals As A Social Worker Practitioner1737 Words   |  7 Pagesthe constructed nature of reality and the need for collaborative relationships between client and social worker/therapist. Social workers that use postmodern approach examine socio cultural issues such as how client problems and beliefs become socially constructed, the need for empowerment of marginalized clients, the politic al nature of therapy, and a need for social justice. As a healthcare social worker working with multicultural population it is important to understand how the culture play aRead MoreTreatment Models Chosen For Comparison1241 Words   |  5 Pages Treatment Models Chosen for Comparison 1. Narrative Therapy the role of the therapist, views of people and their problems, and the approach for helping. Narrative therapy is a way to look at a person’s life story and their struggles from an outside looking in approach. The problems become separate from the individual. Narrative therapy helps the client examine their life story from a strengths perspective. Instead of focusing on the problems the worker helps the client identify their strengthsRead MoreThe Theories And Interventions That Can Be Applied For The Srs s Cps Program1393 Words   |  6 PagesIn considering this case and within the social work profession, there are many theories and interventions that can be applied to the SRS’s CPS program including: contingency, conflict resolution, organizational, systems, and empowerment theories. These theories do not operate alone, instead they are combined with one another. The conflict resolution theoretical approach will be utilized through the task-centered model with evidence of NASW’s Code of Ethics, because this is specific to this case.

Dow Pbb Free Essays

Dow Chemical By Kai Draaisma Laurens de Blij Diedrik Oost Eva Sloff Lesley Flohil 13-11-2012 Duisenberg School of Finance Executive summary 1. Summary of Facts. With an annual revenue of $20. We will write a custom essay sample on Dow Pbb or any similar topic only for you Order Now 2 billion Dow held the leading market position worldwide in ethylene and polyethylene (exhibit 1b). To consolidate all of Bahia Blanca’s polyethylene activity under Dow’s control a three-stage plan was developed. The first stage involved taking control of PBB, the second stage involved acquiring Polisur’s two polyethylene plants, and the third stage involved building a new ethylene cracker. To determine a proper risk premium Dow had to consider possible country risks. Currency and government policy risk may have had an impact because of possible future crises and changing government policies relevant to foreign investments. Furthermore, because of the ending of the convertibility law Dow also had to consider a possible exchange-rate risk. Dow created a holding company, Dow Investment Argentina, to invest in the project, then they had to decide whether they will use general corporate funds or raise debt for the PBB bid. 2. Statement of problem . 1General analysis Rational for Acquisition of PBB Dow Chemical’s corporate strategy is to look for horizontal- and vertical integration, achieve technological leadership and gain international presence. Dow will benefit from a more integrated production process by lowering their cost of production. PBB will also create stable supplies of ethane for Dow allowing them to achieve operating rates near 100%. Cracking ethane in the region will result in lower operating risk for Dow meaning the supply/input risk for the production of Polyethylene. An increase in the production output of Dow will allow them to benefit from economies of scale. Overall Dow will gain technology leadership and operational excellence from adding PBB to their company and enhance them with a costleader position in the market required to compete with the government-subsidized chemical complexes. Risk measurement In this section we provide a brief risk analysis. Table 1 is designed to give a compact overview of the different risks, possible mitigating actions and whether the risks are integrated in the cash flow or discount rate. Not every risk was applicable in the acquisition of PBB. The risk that influenced our cash flows the most is the currency risk caused by a possible liquidity crisis in Argentina. Argentina has experienced eight major currency crises (tijd/reference)and there is a risk of a new currency crisis in the future. When this happens, Dow will not be able to sell its output to the home country and will have to increase its export. Revenue de We have also taken into account that the convertibility law that now provides stability could eventually stop. This will also have a significant impact on inflation. Operating risk is the second risk with a large impact on projected cash flows. This is mostly the risk of not meeting the full operating capacity. For the first 3 years we keep the operating rate of the plant at 65% and from 1995 we increase the operating rate by 5% each year. Other risks had less of an impact on our cash flows. Information risk was less of an issue because Dow was already present in Argentina and PBB was important to the government of Argentina. Corporate Governance risk in Argentina is not expected to have a significant additional impact on cash flows. This risk is already included in the discount rate for similar projects in the US. Table 1: Risk overview| Risk| Mitigating actions| Cash Flow (CF) or Discount rate (DR)| Corruption risk| 1. Have a large bank loan from a national bank. 2. Government stake of 49% here is a mitigating factor | DR| Expropriation risk| Same actions as for corruption risk| CF (tax wil increase 5%)| Operating risk (only post/ completion risks )| n/a| CF| Sovereign risk| Through the convertibility law, the peso has been anchored to the USD to prevent hyperinflation. | DR| Currency/ Foreign exchange risk| 1. Dow is a well diversified investor, therefore this should be mitigated. 2. Buy put options on the Arg peso. | CF| Corporate Governance risk| Give shares to management to align incentives. | DR| Repatriation risk| Current political climate is stable, not likely that Arg will impose limits on fund outflows. | DR| Information Risk| Dow Chemical already has presence in Argentina, therefore are more likely to receive high quality information. | n/a| Adjusted discount rate All risks that are not used for adjusting cash flows are integrated in the adjusted discount rate. These risks include but are not limited to corruption risk, information risk, hyperinflation, sovereign risk, repatriation risk and other residual risks. These risks are partly mitigated, however all the different risks combined constitute a premium which we will add on to the the given discount rate for similar projects in the US of 8%-10%. A reasonable assumption for the combined premium will be [ ]. The auumed premium results in a discount rate of [ ] which we will use in our further valuation. 4. Recommendation Bidding decision Competing bidders need to comply with certain covenants (exhibit 6). Competitors Perez Companc S. A. and Copesul do not comply with the requirements of having a statement of net worth of at least 5 billion. Even if the two companies would merge they do not meet the the requirements. This makes Dow the sole bidder for PBB. This has a profound impact on the internal valuation. Appendix 1 Risk Information risk. When you are doing a cross-border valuation you have to take into account that there may be information risk. This includes the risk of outside investors getting the wrong information because of poor disclosure in the financial statements. However since Dow entered Argentina in 1957 we assume they are familiar with the market and accounting rules, therefore information risk for this project is low as Dow chemical has already collected country experience in Argentina via Dow Quimica. Because this is difficult to quantify we have taken this into account in our discount rate. Corruptionrisk. The risk of corruption includes the illegal payments and favors outside the rule of law. Corruption exists to some extent in all countries, but there are large differences across countries. According to the Global Corruption Index by Transparancy international, the level of corruption for Argentina in 1995 was given a 5. 24 out of a possible score of 10. This gave them a ranking of 24 out of 42 countries surveyed. All of which were assumed to be developed countries. However, Dow somehow secured itself thanks to PBB’s importance and the Argentine government’s intention to keeps 49% which is an advantage and not a disadvantage. The Argentine government will also appreciate the jobs being created in the later project stages, if successful, and a good relationship with the government willlikely also be beneficial when discussing with YPF about long-term ethane supply. Mitigation: Part of this risk can be mitigated by taking a loan in Argentina to finance the project as the government will not want Dow to default on their debt resulting in an overall bad outcome for Argentina’s economic situation. Furthermore part of this risk is mitigated as the government has a stake in the company so it is also in their interest to keep the company strong. Currency risk: As Argentina has experienced 8 major currency crises in the past there is the risk of a new currency crisis occuring in the future. Even though the convertibility law took away some of the risk, Dow will still have to bear in mind that when a crises happen, they will not be able to sell their output to the home country and will have to increase its export. This risk is taken into account in the cashflows. Expropriation risk. Political instability or expropriation is small as they company has had a stable democratic government past 12 years. However, changes in the policy of the government will cause a risk for Dow and their foreign investments. At that moment there were no restrictions on borrowing abroad and there were no limits imposed on payments of foreign loan principal and interest. If something changes in this regulations it may have an effect on the acquisition of Dow. For this reason we will also include this risk in our discount rate. Furthermore the government has no limits on cash flows going out of their country but can eventually decide to do so. We consider the risk of the government taking over the company to be low as the production of polyethylene and deriving ethylene from hydrocarbon crackers is complex. This is a process for skilled people and not just anyone can therefore run the company properly. The risk of expropriation is therefore low. As the production of ethylene and derivatives such as polythylene is a highly complicated process, requiring large captial investment and a high operating leverage, not many companies will be able and willing to take over the business. Furthermore as Polythylene is a commodity product that trades globally with a narrow price range. Mitigation:Dow can decrease the risk exposure by taking on a loan in Argentina to finance their project. This will decrease the risk exposure as Dow can only default on their debt when the government decides to raise taxes, which will not lead to a company default. Foreign Exchange Rate Risk. Foreign Exhange rate risk will be low because of Dow Chemical’s international presence and the assumption that shareholders are sufficiently diversified. The convertibility law which ensured a fixed Argentine peso and U. S. dollar at exactly one already decrease the foreign exchange rate risk. However we need to take into account the risk that the convertibility law might come to an end. Mitigation: The risk can be decreased by setting up binding financial contracts with the governmetn to make sure the deal will happen. Furthermore Dow could decide to place a put option on the peso to protect themselves when the peso collapses. Operating risk Pre-completion: as the project is already completed there is no risk concerning the technology risks or other completion risk. Post-completion: we have included the post-completion risk in our cashflows as we run the risk of not meeting the full operating capacity. For the first 3 years we keep the operating rate of the plant at 65% and from 1995 we increase the operating rate by 5% each year. As the company provides their own input this risk does not need to be taken into account. Operating risk would likely matter but we handled that risk by adjsuting down our casfhlows in stage 1 so we do not take it into account for adjusting our cost of capital Sovereign risk Politcal events suchs as wars, labor strikes, terrorism and changes in laws can happen in any country you work with and therefore needs to be taken into account. Since it is hard to quantify this risk we have handled it through the discount rate. Appendix 2 | | Source: Erb, Harvey Viskanta, ‘Poltical risk,Economic risk and Financial risk’, Fuqua School of Business Working Paper No. 9606, 1996. | ——————————————– [ 1 ]. For broader explanation of the different risks see Appendix 1 [ 2 ]. According to the Global Corruption Index by Transparancy international the level of corruption for Argentina in 1995 was given a 5. 24 out of a possible score of 10. This gave them a ranking of 24 out of 42 countries surveyed. All of which were developed countries more or less. Source: http://archive. transparency. org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/previous_cpi [ 3 ]. See Appendix 1 for an explanation of the mitigating factors of the before mentioned risks [ 4 ]. This conclusion was reached byTaking the ‘total assets’ as net worth on the financial statements of Perez on Copesul (exhibit 8a 8b). How to cite Dow Pbb, Essay examples

Management of Menopause Symptoms Samples †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Management of Menopause Symptoms. Answer: Introduction Menopause is an aeging process and typically occurs in both men and women at approximately 49-52 years of age. Male menopause is the more commonly referred to as andropause. The term is generally used to describe male hormonal changes that are related to increasing age. The condition is also known as late-onset hypogonadism or androgen deficiency. It involves a drop in testosterone production (Cunningham, 2013). On the other hand, the cessation of menstrual periods in females is referred to as menopause. It involves loss of follicles from the ovary (Murphy et al., 2013). This condition can also arise due to surgical removal of ovaries. The follicles present in the ovary lose their capability to respond to the secretion of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). A particular population survey conducted in the United Arab Emirates showed that the 48 years was the mean age for incidence of natural menopause, and it was lower than the mean age observed among people living in the West (Hamid et al., 2014). Another study showed that women living in the UAE reported less severity and fewer symptoms of menopause than women living in the western countries (Hamid et al., 2014).The assignment will illustrate the observable signs and symptoms of menopause, the data from several laboratory studies and the various treatment or interventions used to prevent its occurrence. It will further illustrate the future nursing implications to treat this condition in clinical settings. Therefore, it will help in providing a deeper understanding of the services that need to be employed to treat menopause and promote the holistic wellbeing of the target population. Symptoms Menopause is considered as a natural change. The periods generally become irregular before the incidence of menopause. The most common symptoms are observed in the form of vasomotor symptoms orhot flashes that last from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. The hot flashes are often associated with sweating, shivering,and reddening of skin, and are reported by more than 80% of women experiencing menopause. Other observable symptoms includetrouble in sleeping, sexual difficulties, vaginal dryness, itching, urine leakage, decreased libido, and mood changes (Altaweel Alharbi, 2012). Menopause increases the likelihood of getting affected with atherosclerosis and acute myocardial infarction. Some of the common risk factors that contribute to the condition are hypertension, tobacco smoking, increased body weight and increasedblood lipids. The risk for osteoporosis andosteopenia also rises (Topatan Y?ld?z, 2012). Hormonal fluctuations give rise to several psychological changes like irritability, mood swings, increasing anxiety, poor memory and lack of concentration. The UAE census conducted in 2010 reported that there were 468,888 Emirati women of whom 83,784 were from Dubai. At least 50% of the population was female (222,875). The census reports revealed that life expectancy is 39.4 years at 45 49 years and 34.4 years at 50 54 years (Dsc.gov.ae, 2017). Thus, it can be deduced that women live one-third of their lives beyond the incidence of menopause. Diagnosis People are often advised to undergo the Follicle-stimulating hormone test is by doctors to assess the levels of estrogen and FSH. An increase in FSH levels and decrease in estrogen levels are generally observed. The Greene Climateric Scale is aquestionnairetool used byto study menopausesymptoms. Furthermore, doctors often test for lipid profile, where an abnormal increase in low density lipoproteins (LDL) and decrease in high density lipoproteins (HDL) show an elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases. Performing thyroid function tests exclude the occurrence of thyroid diseases because they share some common symptoms with menopause. Swabs are used to check pH levels of the vagina. This is due to the fact that vaginal pH levels increase to 6 during menopause (Panda et al., 2014). Treatment Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is used as the standard treatment for menopause. This therapy is used to control to the psychological, vasomotor and urogenital irregularities, and osteoporosis. The routes of administration of this therapy are subcutaneous, oral, intravaginal, transdermal and intrauterine. It is most effective in treating hot flashes. However, the risks of blood clots and stroke increase upon its use (Fantasia Sutherland, 2014). The therapy has also proved effective in treating osteoporoticfracture and bone loss. Moreover, there is a concern that this therapy can increase incidence of ovarian cancer, breast cancer and cardiovascular disease among postmenopausal women. The symptoms associated with menopause are also treated by acupuncture. Results from a randomized controlled pilot study also showed that Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture were successful in reducing hot flushes and improving quality of life among postmenopausal women (Nedeljkovic et al., 2014). Recent studies provide evidence for the use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors to treat menopause symptoms. A systemic review conducted in Saudi Arabia reported improvements in vasomotor symptoms and severity of hot flashes with the use of SSRI such as, fluoxetine and venlafaxine (Shams et al., 2014). Some of the commonly used GABA analogs to treat hot flashes are pregabalin and gabapentin (Imai et al., 2013). The effects of yoga on menopausal symptoms were demonstrated by a randomized controlled trial that showed improvement of menopause related insomnia symptoms among women who practiced yoga for 12 weeks (Newton et al., 2014). Prevention and lifestyle modifications- Natural menopause cannot be prevented. However, certain lifestyle changes can be adopted that can delay onset of early menopause. Factors such as, high intake of dietary fat, smoking, high cholesterol, and caffeine consumption accelerate the onset of the physiological phenomenon. Hence, there should be a reduction in alcohol and cigarette consumption and women should consume food rich in calcium and vitamin D to avoid occurrence of menopause related osteoporosis. Balanced diet, regular exercise and maintenance of body weight will also help to prevent the incidence of cardiovascular disorders (Gold et al., 2013). A reduction in alcohol consumption also helps to reduce hot flashes and disturbances in sleep patterns. Nursing assistance Nurses, working in menopause clinics play a vital role in informing women about menopause symptoms and its management.. Nurses are responsible for assisting women to understand the potential health implications of menopause management. They formulate and lead several specialist menopause services and works towards ensuring that the services produce good patient outcomes (Sewerynek et al., 2013). It is of utmost importance to allow the patients to express their attitude and feelings about menopause. Nurses are involved in taking consultations that include psychological, physical and historical assessments. Referrals and counselling are taken by them to advise patients on complementary therapies and lifestyle modifications that will optimize long-term health outcomes. Their role requires them to encourage patients to exercise for 30 minutes, thrice a week. They also assist the patients to maintain a healthy diet rich in fresh vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Patients are advised to consume food that is low in fatty acid content. Conclusion In conclusion, it can be stated that menopause is a physiological event that occurs among all aging population. However its symptoms and degree of impact on the quality of life vary among individuals. There are several environmental and lifestyle factors that can affect that age of onset of menopause. Most common symptoms are observed in the form of physical and psychological changes. Hot flashes are most commonly seen. One of the widely prevalent management techniques is hormone replacement therapy, in addition to use of SSRI. Future recommendations These include conduction of educational sessions that provides adequate information on the age of onset, symptoms, risk factors, management and lifestyle changes to cope with menopause. Psychological assessments will help in considering and addressing individual needs. Group discussion will also provide assistance to people to discuss on their experiences, negative emotions and coping strategies related to menopause. Thus, it can be concluded that nurses play an essential role in screening women for menopause symptoms and teaching them the different management options. References Altaweel, W., Alharbi, M. (2012). Urinary incontinence: prevalence, risk factors, and impact on health related quality of life in Saudi women.Neurourology and urodynamics,31(5), 642-645. Cunningham, G. (2013). Andropause or male menopause? Rationale for testosterone replacement therapy in older men with low testosterone levels.Endocrine Practice,19(5), 847-852. Dsc.gov.ae. (2017).Home.Dsc.gov.ae. Retrieved 3 November 2017, from https://www.dsc.gov.ae/en-us Fantasia, H. C., Sutherland, M. A. (2014). Hormone therapy for the management of menopause symptoms.Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, Neonatal Nursing,43(2), 226-235. Gold, E. B., Crawford, S. L., Avis, N. E., Crandall, C. J., Matthews, K. A., Waetjen, L. E., ... Harlow, S. D. (2013). Factors related to age at natural menopause: longitudinal analyses from SWAN.American journal of epidemiology,178(1), 70-83. Hamid, S., Al-Ghufli, F. R., Raeesi, H. A., Al-Dhufairi, K. M., Al-Dhaheri, N. S., Al-Maskari, F., ... Shah, S. M. (2014). Womens knowledge, attitude and practice towards menopause and hormone replacement therapy: a facility based study in Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates.Journal of Ayub Medical College Abbottabad,26(4), 448-54. Imai, A., Matsunami, K., Takagi, H., Ichigo, S. (2013). New generation nonhormonal management for hot flashes.Gynecological Endocrinology,29(1), 63-66. Murphy, M. M., Verjee, M. A., Bener, A., Gerber, L. M. (2013). The hopeless age? A qualitative exploration of the experience of menopause in Arab women in Qatar.Climacteric,16(5), 550-554. Nedeljkovic, M., Tian, L., Ji, P., Dglon-Fischer, A., Stute, P., Ocon, E., ... Ausfeld-Hafter, B. (2014). Effects of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine (Zhi Mu 14) on hot flushes and quality of life in postmenopausal women: results of a four-arm randomized controlled pilot trial.Menopause,21(1), 15-24. Newton, K. M., Reed, S. D., Guthrie, K. A., Sherman, K. J., Booth-LaForce, C., Caan, B., ... Cohen, L. S. (2014). Efficacy of yoga for vasomotor symptoms: a randomized controlled trial.Menopause (New York, NY),21(4), 339. Panda, S., Das, A., Santa Singh, A., Pala, S. (2014). Vaginal pH: A marker for menopause.Journal of mid-life health,5(1), 34. Sewerynek, E., Horst-Sikorska, H., St?pie?-K?os, W., Antkowiak, A., Janik, M., Cie?lak, K., ... Stuss, M. (2013). The role of counselling and other factors in compliance of postmenopausal osteoporotic patients to alendronate 70 therapy.Archives of medical science: AMS,9(2), 288. Shams, T., Firwana, B., Habib, F., Alshahrani, A., AlNouh, B., Murad, M. H., Ferwana, M. (2014). SSRIs for hot flashes: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials.Journal of general internal medicine,29(1), 204-213. Topatan, S., Y?ld?z, H. (2012). Symptoms experienced by women who enter into natural and surgical menopause and their relation to sexual functions.Health care for women international,33(6), 525-539.

Spy Games Creative Essay Example For Students

Spy Games Creative Essay Being an international spy is no walk in the park. Death canbe waiting for you around the corner or around the world. Howeverwhen youre only 17 years old, death is the furthest thing fromyour mind. So here we were on a hot summers day playinginternational espionage. Of course to six of us playing, it wasjust another Saturday of playing spy. Myself, Tim Wolfe, David Sullivan, Peter Shore, JenniferStrong (who was the only female to be amongst us) and Frank Robbmade up the group. At this age it was suppose to be above us toplay in these spy games. We were going to be graduating in a year or so after all. Thuskeeping the game secret was good practice for all of us. It alsomeant lying to a lot of people as to why we were always busy onSaturdays. Mind you, we never considered it lying. We preferred torefer to it as clouding the truth. Many of us wanted to becomeemployed in the intelligence area. So really, we though of it moreas an act of deception. We will write a custom essay on Spy Games Creative specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We took our game very seriously. In fact we never evenreferred to is as a game. Mostly because we were working ourmaneuvers on real people who didnt know we were just a group ofteenagers pretending to be spies. Every week wed have at least onemeeting at my house to talk about how things were going. Sometimesdepending on the case or goal we were pursuing, the meetings wouldrun on into the late of night. I guess it could be said that I was leader of our group. Themeetings were held at my house, and I was the one who broughttogether the present group of agents. In the theme of espionage,we referred to everyone as an agent. Never as a friend. However wepreferred to think of our agency, which we had given the name ofthe Renegades, as a collective. That is, everybody had a say inwhat we did. My bedroom was in the basement of our house, and I had theentire basement at my disposal. Against the far wall was a roomwith my bed, stereo, and the usual stuff youd find a bedroom. Perhaps the one difference being I had posters of famous spies onmy walls rather than sports heroes. Igor Grouzenko is a goodexample. Outside my room was a large table where we held most, ifnot all, of our meetings. Thanks to a door located in the cellar,it made for easy access to the outside. In most cases my parentsnever knew we held meetings on into the dead of night. The dooralso made it easy to sneak out at night. Agents do their work bestunder the cover of darkness you know. Today our meeting was going to be a good one. Last Thursdaywe had decided to draw up entire new names and careers forourselves. Agents usually have more aliases than friends, so wedecided to change ours every month. It was kind of hard jugglingschool work and memorizing new alias information each month. Yetwhen we were out in the real world doing maneuvers it all seemsworth it. The table was round, so there really was no one at the headof it. From left to right there was Tim, David, Peter, Frank, Jen,then myself. I trust everyone had no problem coming up with a newalias I asked. Everyone nodded in agreement. From there we went about thetable saying who we now were and what our profession was. My aliaswas John Inglis, and I went to one of the local high schools. Asa part time job I supposedly worked for McDonalds. Everybodysmain story was that they went to high school. It helps givecredibility to your story. Perhaps the only thing that varied fromperson to person was their name, and their part time job. After some more talking, we decided on our next target. Wewere going to find out how much money the local computer storetakes in on a daily basis. Naturally they would not divulge suchinformation to a bunch of teenagers. The way we go about gatheringour information is the basis for our intelligence game. Finding outstuff about people and things which theyd rather have us not know. Since many of us had a chemistry test next morning, we keptthe meeting short. We all agreed to meet back at my house tomorrow Friday night to discuss our plan of action. As a parting wordI suggested that a cleaning of our guns during study breaks woulddo us some good. Both to help us relax to study, and ensure theguns worked properly. With that we said our good-nights. When I mention gun, Im not talking about the kind that carrybullets and actually kill people. The guns we carry are of a muchless harming sort. We carried CO2 powered paint guns which firedpaint pellets. Although they could do some damage if they hitsomeone in the eye, we always ensured that the enemy was hit on thebody. Preferable in the heart to ensure what would normally bedeath. We could carry the guns where-ever we wished, under onecondition. They must always be concealed. If your weapon could beseen, it was considered that you were as good as dead. Personally,I carried mine tucked into my pants behind my back. After a few hours of studying, I didnt think any more chemwould sink in. So, it was off to bed. Tomorrow Id write the test,and then get to thinking about our weekend of intelligence work. * * * * *The test went ok. Its always hard to concentrate fully whenyou know that youre doing spy techniques the following day. Withthat I went home around 3:30 and waited for my fellow agents toarrive. Eventually everyone showed up and we began to plan out whatwed be doing tomorrow. The plan was to have Jen and Frank headdown to the store tomorrow with the front of wanting to buy acomputer. The rest of us would wait out in the car and watch whowent in and out of the store. Saturday rolled around and Tim came by around 10am. Since Timwas the only one who owned his own car, he ended up doing most ofthe driving. It seems I was the last one to be picked up, aseveryone else was present and accounted for. By the time 10:30 hadrolled around, we were all down at Compu-Tech. Jen and Frank left the car, leaving the rest of us to sit andlisten to the radio. Time drags slowly when youre sitting and notphysically partaking in a mission. I mean aside from watchingwhose coming and going, there wasnt much else to do. About half and hour later Jen and Frank emerged. Chit chattingabout what they had seen and what the salesman had told them. Asalways we decided not to talk about anything concrete until we wereback at my place. Arriving home, we descended into the basement and took ourusual seating. Jen started the meeting by telling everything andeverything about the store. Frank sat beside her and interjectedhis opinion every now and then. By the time Jen had given us herreport we felt fairly comfortable with the information we hadheard. Yet we still didnt know what their daily income was. One more thing Jen said. One of the sales people was TammyContenda. Maybe she can give us the information were after. Tammy Contenda was a girl we all knew from high school. Although she was fairly popular, none of us could be considered hergood friend. Acquaintances is perhaps a better word. None the less,we had our lead. Now all we had to do was pump the information fromher. If she could tell us about Compu-Tech without any of usentering the building ourselves, so much the better. It was decided that myself and Dave would approach her. Afterall, she may recognize Jen and Frank from the store if they decidedto talk to her. We spent the rest of our day figuring out step bystep what we would do in the following weeks. Many of our missionstook about a month to finish, sometimes even longer. So speed wasnot of the essence. * * * * *On Monday I began Dave and I will approach Tammy to seewhat we can get find out about Compu-Tech. Chances are good thatshe wont volunteer the information readily. So, it may take sometime.What, instead of waiting a week for this project to come toa close we may end up waiting three or four? This was Petertalking. Pete always was in a rush to get our missions over anddone with. Were it not for the fact that he was an incredibleagent, and excellent at recruiting people, we might have let himgo. These factors alone were enough to keep him in the Renegades. Unfortunately it just might I replied. You know as well asanyone else that having Tammy tell us how much money the storebrings in lessens the risk to us. I know I know said Pete. I just wish it wouldnt take solong. Monday arrived before we knew what happened. Saturdays arealways dedicated to Renegade work. That means Sundays are left todoing homework. At school, Dave approached Tammy under the guiseof needing help in Algebra. As luck would have it, her and Davewere in the same class. Later on into the conversation, I happenedby and Dave introduced me to her. Bingo, contact had been made. Thegroup of us dont hang around together at school, so there waslittle chance of Tammy associating our intentions with Frank andJen. Still we decided to play it safe, so they ate lunch on theother side of the cafeteria. By Wednesday, Dave and Tammy had made arrangements for algebratutoring outside of class time. I had more or less fallen from thepicture as Dave had become good friends with her. Aside from aguest appearance here and there, that was it for me. At our regularThursday meeting though, we found just how good a friends theyreally had become!She what? exclaimed Frank from across the table. She asked me to go to prom with her repeated Dave. A chorus of laughter could be heard coming from the rest ofus. The prom wasnt for another two months, and tickets had justgone on sale at the beginning of the week. Its a safe bet that noneof us had even thought of getting a prom date. Plus considering ouroriginal plan was too just involve Tammy and then end it, this wasan interesting turn of events. Have you decided what youre going to tell her? Frankcontinued to probe the issue. I couldnt help but pick up a hintof jealousy in his voice. Of course. I told her that Id love to go with her. Silence echoed through my basement for what seemed like aneternity. At last I asked Have you found out anything about Compu-Tech? This seemed to throw everyone for a loop. Wed all beenwrapped up in the gossip concerning Daves life that we forgotabout Compu-Tech. Yeah, Ive been able to find out a bit about the place. Tammys told me about the establishment. Its owned by a husbandand wife team Linda ; Jason Proton. Business seems to run inspurts.How long has Tammy been working there? asked Jen. In thisshuffle of prom dates, everyone had forgotten to consider hermatters on the situation. She told me shes been there for about a year and a half. Business seems to come and go in spurts according to her. Thesummer months including September along with Christmas time aretheir peak times.Any complaints with regards to her treatment from them? Jencontinued. None really. Just the usual you know. More pay, not to workon Friday nightsYeah yeah I interjected. Any word on what were after?Nope, not yet. I plan on asking her Friday night.Friday night? we all seemed to ask in unison. Yeah, when we go to the movies together.Again, laugher could be hard all around the room. * * * * *Saturdays meeting was relatively short one. Everyone was atmy place by 1pm, and the meeting begun. How was your date lastnight, stud man? asked Frank. You could tell from the tone in hisvoice that he was mocking Dave. Fine thanks Dave replied, not lowering himself to reply withany snide comments. Incase you were wondering, I asked her aboutthe information were after. Oh yeah, asked her between kisses I suppose eh? quipped Frank. Now listen Dave began. My love life is none of your, orfor that matter anyones business, so if you dont mind IdDaves voice was tensing as we could sense his anger. Ok, ok Dave. We understand your point I stated. Now, if youwill continue your report on what Tammy told you, Im sure wedall be glad to hear it. Well, according to her, Compu-Tech pulls in around $500,000a year. Mind you, keep in mind that these figures are just comingfrom the top of her head.Would it possible for her to find out the exact amount ofmoney the store pulls in? Jen inquired. I suppose she has access to that kind of information. Yet howto propose I ask her? Wouldnt you become a bit suspicious ifsomeone asked you to find out the exact financial position of thebusiness you worked for?Well, I suppose I would Jen continued. What if you askedher to take a look at one of their accounting programs, under theguise that you wanted to buy a computer system. Then you could askher to use the real numbers from Compu-Techs income.I suspect it might. Yet I dont really dont want to putmyself in such a position. It could jeopardize my relationship withTammy.Mind you, it could be done, right? I asked. Ok, ok. Ill see about doing it. If I lose my prom date overthis though, you can count me out of the Renegades.Well take that chance Tim commented. After that comment, the meeting broke down. Jen and I stayedback to do a bit of target practice in my back yard. The targetswe used were of cut-outs of people which we propped up. Ideallywed like to have them jump out at us; as in real target practice,yet such a feat was not possible. So, we stood about 40 feet back from the target and began totake aim. We aimed for the heart area and the head. In real lifethough, with a real gun, youd aim for the persons head. Afterall, leaving any witnesses around was sealing your fate. Howeverwith only paint pistols, we didnt want to take any chances onhitting someone in the eye. For that reason we concentrated ourshots to the persons heart region. Jen was a much better shot than me. Where 8 out of 10 shotsof mine would hit the proper area on the target, all 10 of Jenswould land perfectly. I was jealous yes, but there wasnt much thatcould be done. We worked on various techniques. Such as doing aforward summer salt, standing up and shooting at the target. Another one was to walk by the target unsuspiciously, the quicklyremove your gun and shoot. The later was my strong area while Jen seemed to have masteredthem all. In a while, both targets were covered in red paint. Aquick hose down with water, and they looked as good as new. Nothing like an afternoon of target practice to relieve a bitof stress eh? I said. Yeah, now all we have to do is improve your aim.Thinking to myself, I decided that this would be a good timeand place. Jen I began. Already I could feel the sweat formingin my palms. I mean I could pull of this spy stuff with noproblems. Yet when it came to asking a girl out, I was as weak asthey come. Would you like to go the prom with me? There, Id saidit. Now all that was required was the word -yes- and everythingwould be perfect. Well its really sweat of you to ask oh oh, here it comes Ithought to myself. Yet Ive already said Id go with Dan Scoff. .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940 , .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940 .postImageUrl , .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940 , .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940:hover , .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940:visited , .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940:active { border:0!important; } .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940:active , .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940 .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u90c0d83f99974c531ccd92630ec26940:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Tell Tale Heart Analysis EssayI hope youll understand.Sure I replied. Inside my heart dove to the bottom of mystomach and began to be burned by its acid. Shot down again. Ahwell, thats life. Jen helped me put the targets away and I bid her good-bye. Looking at my watch, I noted the time was close to 4pm. I decidedto head inside and help Mom with dinner. For a guy whose supposeto feel great about his accomplishments, I sure never felt lowerin my life. * * * * *Sunday evening I found myself staring at my Physics book. Nothing was sinking in. My mind seemed to race everywhere. School,girls, Jen, the prom, the Renegades, everything. Suddenly the phonerang. How soon can you get over to my place? It was Dave. From thesound of his voice something was up. If I can get the car, Ill be over in about 5 minutes. Soonenough for ya?Perfect. and with that Dave hung up. Usually Dave can go onand talk your ear off. In fact the two of us usually sit around andchat on the phone from time to time. Out of everyone in the groupId say I knew him the best. Putting on my Levis and grabbing a baseball cap I proceededupstairs. A quick check with Dad that I could take the car, and Ifound myself headed towards Daves place. In my rush to get out thedoor, I didnt bother phoning any of the other Renegades. Nomatter, if Dave had wanted them at his place, he would have calledthem himself. Arriving at Daves I saw the familiar appearance of everyonescar with the exception of Pete. Since Tim and Pete live on the samestreet, I assumed that Tim had brought Pete along with him. Parkingmy car I walked up to the door and rung the bell. Within a matterof seconds Dave was standing at the door. Quickly, come in, come in Dave said closing the door behindme. In all my years of being friends with Dave Id never seen himso pale. Go on upstairs, everyone else has already arrived.Whats up Dave? I asked. Just get up stairs. Ill tell you once were in my room.I climbed the stairs to Daves room, passing family portraitsof him and his brother growing up. The odd family portrait of thefour of them. Kind of makes me wonder why my parents stopped at onechild. Anyway, before I knew it I was walking into Daves room. I walked past Jen and sat beside Tim. Whats going on here?I asked him?Beats me. I just received a call telling me to get my buttdown here. Yourself? replied Tim. Same.Now, youre probably asking yourselves why I called you hereat this time of night. began Dave. Well, its about Tammy. ShePete cut in She what? Found out you have frog lips?No you monkey head. howled Dave. Shes been kidnapped!* * * * *Kidnapped! I exclaimed. Are you sure? Who told you this?When did you find out? The questions just seemed to roll off mytongue. All I know is that when I called her tonight her Mom told methat Tammy hadnt come home from work on Saturday. She figured thatTammy had gone out with me or was spending the night at a friendshouse. Yet when I called at six tonight she still hadnt comehome. replied Dave. We all sat silent for a few moments. Everyone seemed takenback by this information. I was letting it sink in. Trying to findsome hole or something that I could say to indicate it may not havebeen a kidnapping. Then Jen spoke up. Have you tried to contact the owners of Compu-Tech? Perhapsthey know what happened to her.Mr Mrs Contenda tried to contact them. Yet she doesnthave their home number written down. Besides, its an unlistednumber so information is out of the question. We have to dosomething!! exclaimed Dave. This is what weve been training forall these years. To actually get out and use our talents. Well,nows the time!Hang on a sec here Dave I began. Were not even sure thatsome foul play has happened here. Why dont we wait until Mondayand find out what the police have to say. Then we can take it fromthere. Agreed?Agreed everyone said in unison, although Daves may havebeen a bit less then enthusiastic. Slowly we stumbled out of Daves house. On way out we mumbledour dont worry, everything will work out speech and what haveyou. We had decided to hold a meeting tomorrow after school and getorganized. The original plan of finding out the income of Compu-Tech seemed to be of minor concern in the recent news. I was home and in bed in no time. Sleep though didnt smileupon me tonight. My mind was racing through the potentialkidnapping that Dave had dropped on our laps. Although I issued mywords of encouragement to Dave along with the others, I couldnthelp but think Dave was on to something here. * * * * *School came and went. By 4:00pm everyone was assembled in mybasement, ready to figure out our next step. Tammy wasnt in algebra today Dave began. I called herplace when I arrived home from school and still no luck. None ofher friends have seen her either.Have the police been contacted yet? asked Frank?Yeah, Mr. Contenda said he went down to the station thismorning and filled out a missing person report. The officer on dutytold him theyd be in touch if anything turned up.Well, calculus was not the most exciting class today. So,rather than pay attention I came up with a game plan of sorts. Doyou folks have any objection to hearing me out? I said. Everyone seemed to nod in agreement, so I proceeded. Now from the way I look at things Tammy was a good kid. Theonly reason someone would want to have her kidnapped would be ifshe found out something she shouldnt have. As I understand it, theContendas are not the richest people in the world. So a possibleransom reason may be hard to swallow. For that reason this is what I propose. Jen and Dave head downto the hall of records. Photocopy or write down everything you canfind on the owners of Compu-Tech Mr. Mrs. Proton. Maybe theyvehad some bad dealings or what ever. Ill head down to the police station and see if I can get alook at the missing person report. I doubt theyll just show it tome, so I may have to push a few buttons if you will. Pete, Id like you to head down to Compu-Tech and see what youcan find out. Just kind of browse around and look and/or listen foranything. If youre approached talk like you want to purchase acomputer. In the small talk that ensues, ask about Tammy. You know,as any nosey customer would. Anyone have any questions?Yeah, what am I suppose to do? asked Frank. You and Tim are in charge of coordinating all the informationwe gather. Go over everything with, as the saying goes, a finetooth comb. Maybe youll be able to tie things together and makesome sense out of it.Ah bummer man said Tim. How come we stuck with the loserjob while the rest of you get to rock and roll? If we lived neara beach, Tim would have been on the waves 24 hours a day. Ihonestly think he should have been born in California rather thanOntario. From the way he talks youd think surfing was all he livedfor. Come on Tim, give it a break. Not everyone can have theglamorous jobs you know? I replied. Yeah yeah, I know dude. Its just Id rather be out rockenand rollen with you catsWe sat around for a while and talked about the specifics ofour assigned missions. Everyone seemed happy with theirassignments. Even Tim and Frank seemed pleased with what I hadassigned them, albeit they did grumble a bit. Dinner will be ready in 15 minutes my Mom yelled down thestairs. Will your friends be staying with us tonight?I glanced around the room and everyone shook their heads. No,they have to be heading home. I replied. With that we decided to call the meeting to an end. Wed haveour usual meeting on Thursday when everyone could tell us whattheyd managed to find. I saw everyone out the door in thebasement, and reassured Dave as he left. As Jen approached the doorI turned away and half heartily said see ya. Ever since shedsaid no to me about the prom Id been treating her coldly. Notintentionally mind you. I just couldnt relate to her anymore. Ifelt like shed ripped my heart out by saying no. Dave she began. Ah, look. Dinners almost ready otherwise Id love to sit andchat with you I interjected. Yeah, right Jen snapped back. Tim was the last to leave, and he closed the door behind him. I stood for a moment in silence and starred at the meeting table. For about 1 year we had been doing our spy stuff. In all the timewed never actually tried a real case. I chuckled to myself in thesilence. Just to think of it. A group of kids calling themselvesThe Renegades, was going to try and solve a possible kidnappingcrime. It all seemed a bit hard to believe. * * * * *I arrived home from school around quarter to four. Dad washome, so I asked him for the car. I fabricated some excuse aboutgoing to the library for research a school project. Telling himthat I was on my way to the police station would just result in abunch of questions which I was not in the mood to answer. Before I left the house I gave Dave a call. I wanted to knowif hed had the presence of mind to ask the Contendas if they knewthe officers name who took the missing person report. Dave toldme the name was Lublanski. I thanked him and hung up the phone. Thedrive to the station was a relatively short one. In the area offifteen minutes at the most. Parking the car, I walked up to the front desk and asked foran Officer Lublanski. Over there replied the desk Sergeant in a deep voice. Ithanked him and made my way over to the corner of the building. Sitting at a desk with what mounds of paper folders everywherepossible, was Officer Lublanski. She seemed like a fairly youngcop, fresh out of the academy. I guessed her age at 23 maybe 24. A pen wedged behind he left ear indicated that she was a lefty. Intelligence officers notice everything. Well, at least we had thatin common. Officer Lublanski? I asked as I approached her desk. Yes she replied. What can I do for you?Hi, my name is John Inglis I began, giving her my aliasrather than my real name. I was hoping you could give me someinformation on a friend of mine. Her parents seem to have reportedher missing to you a couple of days ago.In reality they had filed the report only yesterday. I didntplan on telling the cop any more than I had to though. Hmm, whats the name? she asked. Contenda, Tammy Contenda.The officer opened up a drawer and started flipping though afew files. Before long she pulled out a file and placed in on herdesk. In the corner was written Contenda, Tammy K. K must have beenher middle name. I was beginning to wonder what it may be when Iwas brought down to earth again by Lublanskis voice. What interested do you have in this case? she asked me. Doyou have any information that can help us out?Unfortunately I dont I began. Great. How was I going totell her I was interested with the case without looking like acomplete fool. Then, I remembered Tammy worked at a computer store,I decided to go at it from that angle. Tammy sold my Dad acomputer when she was working at Compu-Tech. The two of us struckup a friendship for a while. When we moved I kept in touch withher. My dad had to come to Toronto for business and I decided togive her a call. When I found out she may be missing, well Idecided to come down and see what you people could tell me.The cop looked at me for a while. Trying to figure out if Iwas for real I guess. None the less, she swallowed my story becausethe next thing I know she handed me the file. So far, its all weve got. Do you have any idea of the numberof abductions we get on a daily basis. Then their man power cuts,and what have you. It all makes for an increasing pile of work.I mumbled my yeah, I can relate reply, and poured myselfover the file. It contained the usually information such as age,hair colour, address, etc. nothing out of the ordinary really. Iwas just about to hand back and thank her when something caught myeye. It seemed that the last reported citing of Tammy the policehad was one of in a red pick-up parked outside the local 7-eleven. To our knowledge the last time anyone had seen Tammy was when shewas at work. I handed back the file and asked It says here the last timeshe was seen was at 7-eleven.Yeah. One of the workers saw her sitting in the passengerseat of the truck. He thought it odd that the girl was sitting withthe windows up when it was such a hot day outside.Windows up eh? Could indicate the driver of the truck didntwant Tammy making a scene of anything. Id tell my friends aboutthis info later. Thanks for all your help I said. Before I go, do you havea business card I could have? Ill be in town for a while longerand if I find anything out Ill give you a call. Sure, here you go. Thanks.Youre quite welcome she replied. From there she dove backinto the files piled up on her desk. * * * * *Jen and Dave arrived at the Hall of records shortly afterfour. Upon entering the building, they noticed that was close toempty. I guess not many people care about history Dave remarked. They made their way down the hall into a room containing thecomputer catalogs. Dave having the more experience with computersystems sat down. The main screen presented him with many choices. Lets see Dave began. What do you say we pick name search.Sounds good to me replied Jen. The question was a rhetoricalone, although Jen must have felt compelled to answer. Dave typed in Proton where it asked for last name andpressed return. The next display on the screen contained a listingof five people with the last name of Proton. Not know the firstname of the Protons who own Compu-Tech, Dave decided to print outthe information on all of them. Returning to the main screen, the next choice was a businessinquiring. Dave typed in Compu-Tech and was greeted with a screenshowing all of the information about the business. A print-out ofthis information was also obtained. Well, I guess thats about it eh? said Dave. Should we findout any thing else while were here?Na. We can always come back if we have to replied Jen. * * * * *Pete walked in to Compu-Tech and walked around for a while. Looking at the various IBM computers that were on display. Aftera while, an older looking gentleman approached him. The name on theclerks tag read Rajiv. May I help you he asked. Yeah, Im heading off to university next year and wasinterested in buying a computer. What can you tell me about them?From there the man started spouting off information ofmegahertz, memory, and everything under the Sun. Pete was quitebored with the information being thrown at him. He already owneda computer and knew everything the sales clerk was telling him. None the less, he put up with it and let him finish. Ok, so this one here is a 386, right? asked Pete. Correct replied the salesman. Hmm, Im kind of torn between the 386 and 486. A friend ofmine Tammy Contenda works here. Is she around? I love to hear whatshe has to say on this issue Pete said. Looking a little flustered and nervous the man replied Tammyhasnt been in to work since Saturday. I was under the impressionshe had gone missing. Hadnt you heard?No, I hadnt heard. Replied Pete. Do you know anythingabout it?Nothing. Now look. The police have already been in hereasking me questions and everything. Just whats your connection toher? asked the clerk. .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37 , .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37 .postImageUrl , .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37 , .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37:hover , .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37:visited , .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37:active { border:0!important; } .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37:active , .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37 .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u9ddb1606966092ba163b562352af9e37:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: My Filipino Heritage EssayIt was obvious form his reaction and tension that somethingwas bothering him. Pete decided to play it cool. Nothing, were just friends. Anyway, thanks for theinformation on the computers. Ill get back to you. With that he shook the clerks hand and left the store. Drivinghome, Pete couldnt help shake the feeling that the clerk knewsomething which he wasnt letting on to. * * * * *Thursday and our meeting came before I knew what had happened. Suddenly everyone came running in to my basement. After the usualround of pleasantries were sorted out, we sat down to business. Hey dudes, check this out echoed Tim. These cats, theProtons are heavily into debt. Check out the mortgage the have ontheir pad. Theres also this problemo of all the computer surplusthey have on hand at the stores. Whenever Tim started talking, I always had the shivers. Something about his surfer persona bothered me. I think it was thefact he actually look like a surfer. The long blonde hair, the airheadish attitude, everything. None the less, he was right. What are you suggesting then Tim? That the Protons kidnappedTammy for ransom? asked Jen. Uh, no way dudette. I was just making a causal observation. Chill out will ya?Id have to agree with Tim on this one I began. So what do you propose then, McDuff? asked Pete. I sat in silence for a while trying to think. Things hadbecome so clouded all of a sudden. Issues with Jen and I were stilltense. I think we should head down to Compu-Tech and see if we cantalk to the Protons. Maybe theyll crack under pressure and saymore than they should. Comments?Everyone sat and nodded in silence. Good, then its agreed. I propose that Pete and Dave be the ones to go in the store andtalk with them. Dave is already known to be with Tammy, so theowners will not be curious is Dave goes in there asking question. Pete, I just want you to look for anything suspicious. Ok?Both Dave and Pete nodded. Hey, I was talking with Tammysfolks last night began Dave and they told they found a computerdisk in her room when they were looking for clues as to where shemay have gone.Well bring that sucker in here. It may have valuable stuffon it! I replied. From here the meeting deteriorated. We decided to order insome pizza and sit around shoot the shit. I tended to keep mydistance from Jen as she did from me. It seems that when she shotme down for the prom I was more hurt than I realized. * * * * *Monday afternoon we met at my place and went down to Compu-Tech. After fifteen minutes Dave and Pete came out. Both haddefeated looks on their faces. Nothing they said as they entered the car. What happened dudes? No wave action or what? said Tim. Naw, the Protons have taken off for an unspecified amount oftime. It appears that this Rajiv guy is going to be running thingsuntil they return.Did he mentioned why theyd be returning?Naw, the guy said nothing. Then he tried to sell us somecomputer. Dave and I spent the entire fifteen minutes trying toleave the bloody place.Hey said Dave. I have that disk from Tammys place back atmy own. Why dont we go get it and take it over to Petes. Maybetheres something on it we can use. Shortly the six of us were al crowded around Petes computeras he drew up a directory on his disk drive. Nothing here but a bunch of lotus 1-2-3 files said Pete. Dude, do you have Lotus asked Tim. Yeah. I suppose I could load them in to the computer and seewhat theyre all about.A few whirls of Petes hard disk brought up the Lotus programand in a short while we were starring face to face with the Lotusfiles from the disk dave obtained from Tammys folks. Hey, do you realize what this is I screamed out. A bunch of meaningless numbers?Naw, this is the financial report for the company. This isthe stuff we were original after. And look at this. Looking atthese files shows their company is making major bucks. Yet when welooked at their government records, it showed they were loosingmoney. My fellow Renegades, I think weve found what we wereafter.* * * * *I think everyone felt better now that we knew the Protons werebehind Tammys appearance. We all agreed that Tammy must havediscovered the Protons were taking money off the top of theircompany and falsifying their tax records. Scared that Tammy wouldexpose them, they decided to get rid of her. This news did not sitwell with Dave. He was still pretty upset over her disappearance,and knowing her life may be in danger did not quell his nerves. However it was decided to call it night. Tomorrow wed hold anemergency meeting of the Renegades to figure out what to do. At 4pm sharp everyone arrived at my place. Ok, we know the Protons are behind this I began. Now thequestion is what to do from here. Ideas?Like, lets take this to the police cat. remarked Tim. And what? Tell them a bunch of 17 year olds know whokidnapped Tammy Contenda. Do you honestly think theyd believe us?A chorus of nos went around the room. Tim could be heardletting out a muffled bummer in the background. Suddenly Jenstood up. I have a plan she boldly said. We listened to her idea, and after and hour of hammering outthe details, we knew exactly what we were going to do. The planwent something like this. I was to call Compu-Tech and tell them I knew all about theirplot involving Tammy. From there Id tell them if they valued theirbusiness, they should meet me Friday night behind the local AP. Even though Rajiv told us they were on vacation somewhere, we feltthat he was relaying messages to them somehow. The next day when I arrived home from school the plan was setin motion. Rajiv told asked me my name, which as all good spies do,gave him a false one. I always warmed up to the name of JimMackinnon, so that was the name I gave him. Rajiv told me he didntknow what I was talking about, but hed try to get the messageacross to the Protons. I thanked him an hung up. Quick phone calls followed to my fellow Renegades telling themthe trap had been set. I think calling Jen was the hardest call inmy life. None the less, I made it. * * * * *Friday seemed to take for ever to arrive. However when it did,everything was planned out. Jen being the crack shot, hid herselfbehind a few milk crates. Derek was there with her hold a taperecorder. Tim was nearby in a parked car ready to pick them up. Over a bit closer to me were Dave and Frank. Again, the two of themwaiting in a parked car to get me. Everything was in place. Suddenly, from across the parking lot, a pair of car lights cameat me (us). Slowing, the car eventually came to a stop. Out emergedthe Protons. Who are you Mr. Jim Mackinnon and what have I done againstyou?Slow down there Jason Proton I started. The only thing Ihave against you is that youre endangering the life of a friendof mine. I want to see her returned.What are you talking about? The police are handling theContenda investigation as a teen-age runaway. I have better thingsto do with my time than stand here and be insulted by the likes ofsome 18 year old. In reality I was only 17, but hey. Jason Proton thinks Imolder, so much the better. Slowly, the two of them began to getback in their cars. I know about the imbezeling I screamed. That comment surestopped them in their tracks. Even from where I was standing Icould here his jaw hit the ground. WhatWhatTammy had no right to tell you that. the wordsseemed not to flow so easily for Mr. Proton now. Oh it wasnt Tammy. YOu see I have this little computer diskhere I said holding up a computer disk. You scum, thats breaking and entering!! he began to runafter me. Daves car engine roared to life as I dove in the back seat. Tims engine could be heard starting up as well. Then the noise ofa gun going off a few times was heard next. Not an ordinary gunhowever. Jens CO2 powered gun. I looked up from the back seat ofto see Jason Protons shirt covered in paint. I honestly believehe though he was shot. Argh!! he screamed as he fell to the ground. Im not sureif he was playing up the effects for all they were worth of ifphysiologically his mind told him a bullet had ripped through him. Whatever the case, Jen and Derek jumped intos Tim car and bothcars sped off into the night. We met no more than ten minutes back at my place. Quickly Ipulled out officer Lublanskis business card and called her athome. Even though it was 12:30am, I still felt she should know whathe had found out. To say the least, she was not amused that I hadwoken her up. She did however remember my name (luckily Iremembered the alias I had given her) and that shed be glad tohear what we had to say tomorrow morning. After begging andpleading my case she finally relented to see us tonight. Hurriedly I jotted down the directions to her house and within10 minutes were at her house. With bed head and all, officerLublanski came to the door and welcomed us in. I didnt even botherintroducing my companions. Tammys life is in great danger I blurted out. What do mean? she asked kind of sleepy like. We have proof that her employers may have done something withher spurted out Dave. Wait, who are these people? she asked. These are fellow Renegades. Look, I dont have time toexplain it all to you now. Please, just get a police car over tothe Contenda house hold. Please!!Officer Lublanski looked at us like we were nuts. However shemust have figured we had a good reason for being there. After all,why else would we wake up a police officer at 12:30? You guys hadbetter be right about this she mumbled. Stumbling off to the kitchen she invited us in to sit down andrelax. We looked exhausted as she put it. She was right to. Thesix of us clasped in the furniture she had set about her livingroom. In a few minutes she was on her way back over. Ok, a squad car is on its way over. Now, John do you care totell me what this is all about?With the mention of the name John, looked at me. They neverever though Id actually give a false name to a police officer. Well, its a long story I began. For starters, my real nameis not JohnI guess the story didnt take as long as I though, becausejust as I was finished up with how we had met the Protons tonight,her phone rang. After the usual yeahs and okays she hung upthe phone. I dont believe it she was saying as she approached us. Ijust dont believe it. We all jumped up as she came back. Well, dont keep ushanging' exclaimed Tim. I dont know how to tell you this, but the police found Tammyalive and well. It seems that when the Protons found out theirscheme was up, they didnt bother going back home. Tammy hadmanaged to take off her gag and was screaming at the top of herlungs for help. The police took her home. Shes going to be ok. The group of us let out a collective sigh of relief and sankback into our chairs. Speaking going home, I should be heading outmyself said Derek. Everyone murmured their agreement and we stoodup to leave. Id like to see you all down at the police station tomorrowis you dont mind officer Lublanski began. You know, to clear upall the lose strings and stuff. Sure, no problem. Good night we more or less said in unison. * * * * *We agreed to meet as a group and head over to the station at9am. When we arrived reporters and journalists were everywhere. Thepolice kept saying no comment. As we emerged from our car, theyall ran over to us. A tad intimidated with the rush of media types,we ran at full tilt into the police station. Bursting though thedoors we found ourselves face to face with the Protons. You little scum bag. I dont even know a Jim Mackinnonscreamed Jason Proton. Officer Lublanski was standing beside him and looked my way. I just smiled and said old habits are heard to break.I bet they are she replied. We caught these two at theairport. It seems they were making a run of Brazil. We arrived justin time to foil their plot.At the moment Tammy came running into the room and ran up toDave giving him a huge hag. Dave, its so nice to see you again.The rest of us turned away politely, not wanting to stare. If you dont mind, Id like all of you to come into my officeplease.We looked over to our left and saw an older type man with grayhair standing infront of an office. It didnt take a genius tofigure out it was the chief of police. I cant speak for theothers, but I was pretty scared. I mean we had interfered with apolice investigation. We had shot a firearm at someone. Technicallywe could be in a lot of trouble. Entering the office we noticed seven chairs infront of thechiefs desk. Pease, take a seat he motioned us as he closed thedoor behind him. Dave and Tammy sat together, holding hands. Forthe first time since Jen shot me down I sat beside her. For somestrange reason it felt good to be beside her. Id like to begin by saying that Im very glad miss Contendais ok. The last thing we need in this area is another homicide. Inthat respect Id like to congratulate you group, the Renegadesisnt it, on a job well done. began the Chief. Whew, that wasntso bad I thought. But as yes, theres always a but what youdid was terribly dangerous. Shooting off a fire-arm without apermit. Stealing personal information, endangering your lives,interfering with police workUh, sir asked Tim. For me it was the first time I hadntheard him talk like he was out at the beach. Are we going to berockin and rollin in jail. Ah there it was. Rockin and Rollin. I knew the surfer in Tim couldnt stay hidden. The Chief of Police let out a little chuckle. No, youre notgoing to be rockin and rollin as you so put it. In fact Im goingto honour you all with distinction medals. How does that sound?Totally tubular exclaimed Tim. I think our comrade speaks for all of us sir said Derek. Great. Then lets go outside and give the press what they camehere for. With that, we stood up and proceed to meet the media * * * * *It was a dream come true. Although spies dont want theirpicture published on the front page of a daily paper, that didntbother us. After all, its not every day a high school student helpssolve kidnapping cases. The group of us decided to put Renegade activities on holduntil school was out for the summer. The prom turned out to be afun time for everyone. I ended up going stag, which wasnt too bad. Derek and I managed to share costs for a limo as he went stag aswell. I had the front page of the newspaper in which we our pictureappeared framed. It now hangs at the head of my bed, reminding methat all the hard work wed done over the years finally amountedto something. The six of us, Tim Wolfe, David Sullivan, PeterShore, Jennifer Strong, Frank Robb, and myself Edward Cohagen. Nomore would we be embarrassed to tell our friends we were playingspy. Although we were no longer a spy agency. Now we were TheRenegades Private Investigators for Hire.

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis †Literature Essay

Main Street by Sinclair Lewis – Literature Essay Free Online Research Papers Main Street by Sinclair Lewis Literature Essay Evil and corruption can lurk just below the surface where we least expect it, the intensity and fever of living in places one might propose as perfect and peaceful can drive people to act in very disturbing ways. Main Street by Sinclair Lewis is the tale of a woman from the city who marries a small town man and moves into that town with him. As the book discusses, it has always been an American myth that the small towns were idealic, prosperous and peaceful. â€Å"This is how people keep up the tradition of the perfect home-town, the happy boyhood, the brilliant college friends. We forget so.†1 However, the picture that Lewis paints of the small town is one of racism, fear, and hatred. One where hate crimes are readily accepted so long as done in the name of the Republican Party and what they view to be biblical. Where neighbors spy on each other, watching for anything to gossip about, and use this gossip to destroy people’s lives. Where women are held to an unrealistic standard while men are allowed to do as they please, so long as what they please does not involve socialism. But perhaps most dangerous of all, it is an environment that slowly absorbs those who come to it and bite them with th e â€Å"Village Virus† until they become as twisted and wicked as those around them. Yet, from non-fictional sources it appears as though Lewis was not exaggerating his case at all. That in fact, these attitudes and these acts were embraced, where performed and the Gopher Prairie that Main Street resides within is not even the worst of all possible cases. One of the biggest topics the villagers of Gopher Prairie talk about with a sense of fear is that of Socialists. The town lives off of milking the farmers, if the farmers were ever to organize then those of the small town would lose quite a bit of their wealth. As put in the words of the character Jack Elder â€Å"Lord knows what’s come over workman, nowadays- don’t appreciate a good job†¦ What they ought to do is simply to hang every one of these agitators, and that would settle the whole thing right off.† 1 Although Jack Elder’s suggestion of hanging is said in frustration rather than a declaration of real intent, in reality there were such an attitude in the United States in those days and sometimes those words were acted upon. Fredrick Lewis Allen in his book Only Yesterday describes an event where â€Å"the patrioctic citizenry took out of the jail a member of the I.W.W- a white American, be it noted- and lynched him by tying a rope around his neck and throwing him off a bridge.† 2 Although this was a single event, it certainly showed that socialists in general were being targeted and summarily executed by mobs. This seems to be a strange contrast, mobs of the lower classes attacking and killing those who would work for the good of the lower class. However, business men have the ability to speak much louder than a ragtag group of political uprisers and can stir up quite a bit of fear and discontentment. The citizens often stood not so much against what the socialists wanted for fear of their own loss of profit like Jack Elder, but often because of fear of their own safety. The socialist movement in Russia had taken off and was quite successful. It seemed to many Americans that socialism would sweep across Europe and jump over the Atlantic. â€Å"They seriously thought- or at least millions of them did- that a Red revolution might begin in the United States the next month or next week, and they were less concerned with making the world safe for democracy than making America safe for themselves.† Thus the American people as a whole quickly turned on and viciously assaulted those amongst them who would stand up against their oppressors and try to create a better world for them and their children. During World War I, the difference between a socialist and a German could hardly be understood by the average American citizen. Despite the fact that the Germans were in an imperialistic system that put them directly at odds with the Socialists, the average citizen was ignorant enough of the world to not be able to understand the difference. Further, any American with German descent would be targeted and attacked as they were expected to be a German sympathizer regardless of what else their family had done. This is illustrated very blatantly in Main Street when it states â€Å"Cy got much reputation by whipping a farm boy named Adolph Pochbaur for being a ‘damn hyphenated German’†¦ This was the younger Pochbauer, who was killed in the Argonne, while trying to bring the body of his Yankee captain back to the lines.† 1 Thus the village cheered on the brattiest child in all their midst for beating a very patriotic and heroic American citizen simply for his racia l heritage. However, a person with a different heritage and who would be critical of the United States in time of war may well have been considered to have a death sentence on their head. In Only Yesterday it mentions an event where â€Å"a jury in Indiana took two minutes to acquit a man for shooting and killing an aien because he had shouted ‘To hell with the United States’† 2 German descendants were not only attacked and beaten, but often they were forced to buy war bonds even if they could not afford to do so. This too is illustrated in Main Street when after his wife dies a near-penniless Sweedish Socialist leaves town and it is said of him, â€Å"the citizens’ committee ought to have forced him to be patriotic- let on like they could send him to jail if he didn’t volunteer and come through for bonds and the Y.M.C.A. They’ve worked that stunt fine with all these German farmers.†1 Thus the anti-German fever was at such a high point that they were considered to be freely open to be beaten while at the same time expected to prove themselves to be more patriotic than any of the Yankees would themselves. The roles of men and women were kept very separate and stringent as well. While the walls preventing a woman from going to college had been broken down, a woman was expected to dress a certain way and was immediately to blame if anything should happen to her. In the clothing area, one area that seemed to have obsession in the early years of the twentieth century was a woman’s ankles. When Cy is speaking of Carol early in the book he says â€Å"some ankles she’s got, heh?† 1 which causes Carol in turn to feel like â€Å"she was being dragged naked down Main Street† 1 Later it is spoken about the new dances and clothing, â€Å"We used to waltz and dance contra dances. None of these new jigs and not wear any clothes to speak of. We covered out hides in those days; no tight skirts like now.† However, if they did not like the cut of Carol’s dresses then, they would be appalled at what could come shortly later. In Only Yesterday it says â€Å"a f ashion-writer reported in the New York Times that â€Å"the American woman†¦ has lifted her skirt beyond any modest limitation,† which as another way of saying the hem was now all of nine inches above the ground† 2 The skirts continued to go higher and higher during the twenties. However, the fashions of men were similarly held in check. When a Swedish tailor comes into down they speak of him â€Å"isn’t he the perfect lady though! He talks so refined, and oh, the lugs he puts on- belted coat, and pique collar with a gold pin, and socks to match his necktie† 1 They refer to this boy, Erik, as ‘Elizabeth’ for the rest of his stay in town. However, he is soon chased away only to end up becoming a movie actor later. Only Yesterday states that â€Å"Short-haired women, like long-haired men, are associated with radicalism, if not with free love.† 2 Actions of women were similarly held in check. In Main Street, it tells of the town school teacher who is escorted to a dance by one of her students. The student gets drunk and then tries to molest her as he drives her back home. Yet, despite that she did everything as she should have as soon as rumors surface she is fired from her job and finds it impossible to get work elsewhere. It is said by the most sympathetic party, â€Å"Not any of us would believe a word Cy said, not if he swore it on a stack of bibles, but still, after all this gossip, Miss Mullins wouldn’t hardly be the party to chaperon our basket-ball team† 1 Thus gossip itself would prove to be a woman’s undoing. These acts were brought to light through the small town tradition of watching one’s neighbors looking for anything that could be construed against them. Carol feels in the book as if â€Å"Enemies leered through the windows, stole on her from the hall.† 1 Only Yesterday says t hat the code of the day was that â€Å" â€Å"Women were the guardians of mortality; they were made of finger stuff than men and were expected to act accordingly. Young girls must look forward in innocence (tempered perhaps with a modicum of physiological instruction) to a romantic love match which would lead them to the alter and to living happily ever-after; and until the â€Å"right man† came along they must allow no male to kiss them. It is expected that some men would succumb to the temprations of sex, but only with a special class of outlawed women† 2 A good deal of this break-down was from those who has returned from war. â€Å"In France, two million men had found themselves very close to filth and annihilation and very far from the American moral code and its defenders; prostitution has followed the flag and willing mademoiseels from Armentieres had been plentiful; American girls sent over as nurses and war workers had come under the influence of continental manners and standards†¦ It was impossible this generation to return unchanged when the ordeal was over.† Thus the very war that those of the old ways had encouraged and shouted on, the war they had attacked and killed dissenters over became the wooden stake to end the old ways themselves, or at least put them under for a time. However the most insidious thing about small town life that Main Street speaks of is that which it calls the Village Virus. â€Å"The Village Virus is the germ which- it’s extraordinarially like the hook-worm- it infects ambitious people who stay too long in the provinces.† It goes on to describe that the virus cuts people off from the literary and political world until they have found that they have become as small-minded and simple as the people they looked down upon. Those who lived in the town of Gopher Prairie always spoke of it as if it, and they in turn, were perfect. It would seem as though from looking at Only Yesterday as though all contained within the pages of Main Street was not at all an exaggeration of the situation. The people of the town were so caught up in mob mentality while watching to make sure no one else strayed from the flock, that they were completely oblivious to their own problems and short comings. But while they professed all was perfect in their town, none were truly very happy. When asked for help to fix up the town, one of its oldest residents unknowingly lets out his true opinion, â€Å"I’ve had people that have traveled all over the world tell me time and time again that Gopher Prairie is the prettiest place in the Middle-west. Good enough for anybody. Certainly good enough for Mama and me. Besides! Mama and me are planning to go out to Pasadena and buy a bungalow and live there.† 1 Research Papers on Main Street by Sinclair Lewis - Literature EssayNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraWhere Wild and West MeetThe Spring and AutumnEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationTwilight of the UAWHonest Iagos Truth through DeceptionRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andQuebec and Canada

3 Cases of Superfluous Wording

3 Cases of Superfluous Wording 3 Cases of Superfluous Wording 3 Cases of Superfluous Wording By Mark Nichol Certain types of words that may be of no use nevertheless often stealthily make their way into sentences like gate crashers. In conversation, to mix metaphors, they serve as pothole fillers, meaningless placeholders that allow speakers to gather their thoughts and navigate an extemporaneous statement without stumbling before the finish line, but in writing they are expendable. The discussion after each sentence below describes why one or more words in the example do not contribute to the construction of the statement; revisions demonstrate how the sentences stand just as well without the omitted words. 1. More than half of all companies are currently pursuing some form of major information-technology transformation. Currently, which echoes the present-tense verbs it invariably is associated with, is rarely necessary or helpful; retain it only if it clarifies an ambiguous statement (in which case an alternative solution is to revise the statement to eliminate the ambiguity): â€Å"More than half of all companies are pursuing some form of major information-technology transformation.† 2. Management must then determine whether or not the activities for recording, accumulating, and summarizing material information are designed and operating effectively. Some writers don’t realize that the second and third word in â€Å"whether or not† should almost always be omitted. Others know this but automatically write it without noticing or don’t know when it is valid and when it is not. However, a simple test exists- if â€Å"whether or not† can be replaced by â€Å"regardless of whether,† the usage is valid, but if the phrase can be replaced by if, â€Å"or not† is extraneous: â€Å"Management must then determine whether the activities for recording, accumulating, and summarizing material information are designed and operating effectively.† 3. We have managed projects for both healthcare providers as well as medical-device manufacturers. Sometimes the solution is revision rather than omission. For example, in this sentence, â€Å"as well as† is redundant to both, so retain one or the other, but not both: â€Å"We have managed projects for both healthcare providers and medical-device manufacturers† or  Ã¢â‚¬Å"We have managed projects for healthcare providers as well as medical-device manufacturers.† Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:100 Beautiful and Ugly Words10 Types of Transitions48 Writing Prompts for Middle School Kids

Animal Rights in Islam Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 9000 words

Animal Rights in Islam - Research Paper Example Animals should not be exploited under any circumstances1. Whether animals can talk or whether they can reason cannot be a matter of consideration, because animals have equal capacity like human beings to feel pain, sorrow, love, frustration, fear and pleasure. As human beings, people have the moral obligation to think twice before engaging in any sort of activities that will damage the environment and basic needs of animals2. People who support the rights of animals believe that animals have worth that is inherent and it is completely separate from their usefulness and service to human beings. They believe that every living being on earth has the will to live and so should be given rights and freedom to live life on their own terms that is devoid of pain and suffering3. Animal rights is not only a subject for philosophy, it is a moral issue that challenges the traditional belief of the society that animals are born on this planet only to serve human kind in various manner. Ingrid New kirk who is the founder of PETA (People for the ethical treatment of animals) said that â€Å"When it comes to pain, love, joy, loneliness, and fear, a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy. Each one values his or her life and fights the knife.† Human beings because of their own prejudices refuse to believe that other living beings have equal rights and so do not hesitate to eat the meat of animals4. Human beings have the tendency to show respect and love to animals according to their own convenience and moral thinking. While in some cases they show moral support to certain animals, at other times they turn blind eye to the cruelty and suffering inflicted on animals. For example, people demonstrate anger when they hear about â€Å"puppy mills†, because they feel that dogs are not given proper treatment by the operators of such places.

International marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 4

International marketing - Essay Example Coming up with novel, more competitive products and continuously improving its offer strengthens Asseco Group position while opening new market and client opportunities. As of January 2010 the Asseco Group employed over 8500 people. Asseco Poland SA is in the process of trying to introduce its Customer Care Integration and Operation system in to renowned big banks and financial institutions in the UK, but without much success at the moment (Bennett, & Blythe, 2002). This is a system that aims to integrate customer care operations of the bank in to the main functions of the bank –that is seamless integration. That is if a customer calls the bank, their calls will be automatically recognized by the system and routed to the proper area of the bank. Asseco Poland SA is interested in targeting the UK market, London in particular as it’s the number one financial center in the world, as there are a number of small and medium scale banks and financial institutions. It is aiming to target these medium and small scale banks and financial institutions in UK. Product placement strategy related opportunities. Company can place the product in well researched market segments like small and medium scale banks and financial institutions in cities such as London. The current UK legislation may have a negative impact due to increase in taxes. If taxes increase this increase may have to be passed down to the customer. Thus price of the product will increase. This will affect the business of the company. The threat of new software companies coming to the market is mitigated to a great extent by the fact that investing in the software industry is an expensive deal. Developing sophisticated software is expensive, thus this is a barrier against new companies entering the market. While many stakeholders – internal and external – would show an equally great amount of interest in the successful outcome of the event, there can