Marketing Audit Hotel

The purpose of this report is to evaluate The Felbridge Park Hotel’s marketing capabilities. This family owned business based in Sussex belongs to the UK Hotel Industry. Elements of Hotel Catering are also included in discussion due to the hotel’s restaurant. The recession is the main economic factor affecting this industry. 2009 has been tougher than 2008, ‘although there has been an increase in the number of consumers taking UK breaks in 2009 , it is the cheaper end of the accommodation market that has seen the most benefit from this, eg budget hotels and the likes of Butlins. (Mintel 2009) (See Appendix Figure 1).The strongest macro-economic factors affecting hotels are political/legal and economic. Nonetheless environmental, socio-cultural and technological are also regarded. External Analysis Macro-Environment PEST Analysis Political/Legal: Licences to operate interfere and they can change with political times. Tort of negligence and discrimination laws are o ther factors affecting Fekbridge Park Hotel as the swimming pool can be a hazard and staff can be accused of negligence. Overbooking is liable to tort of negligence.All these can financially affect the hotel; in addition they might ruin its reputation. There are laws regarding eviction, reasons must be clearly stated. The restaurant is taken separately, having its own legal and political factors, although they are similar to the ones mentioned above. The industry is facing an increased amount of bureaucracy with the ban on smoking in public areas and increasing concerns about binge-drinking. This comes, of course, on top of the existing costs of complying with Health and Safety Legislation.Economical: ‘The hotel market generally has been one of the worst affected by the recession in the field of hospitality, with high levels of insolvencies and redundancies rife as a way of controlling costs. (Mintel 2009) ’ This affects the disposable income, consumers putting a greate r focus on value for money. Another economic factor is pound power, a consequence of the Credit Crunch, which declined against the euro and dollar (Appendix, Figure 10). This is favourable to abroad visitors that might be attracted by the exchange rates.High prices not only on hotel services, but customers see hotel restaurants overpriced as well. ‘Mintel found that 16m people think this. ’ Environmental: Concerning both the hotel and its restaurant is consumer behaviour, which can incline favourable to organic products and environmental friendly services and products. Socio-cultural: A trend of cuisine fusion is rising as people want to enjoy different cuisines. ‘Consumers are increasingly demanding to new styles of food and drink from different parts of the world (e. . French, Italian, Portuguese, Indian, Japanese, Thai, Malaysian and Middle Eastern) and restaurants serving these styles are continually springing up. ’ (Case study) ‘Both the hotel an d hotel catering markets are expected to receive a significant boost from major sporting events being held in the UK in the coming years: the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and the 2015 Rugby World Cup. ’ (Mintel 2010) These cultural events will attract large numbers of visitors, mainly in London which is close to Sussex.On the other hand European Tour Operators Associations argues that the Olympics can harm England as no country has been able to correctly predict demand. They are warning accommodation owners to not increase prices. (Mintel 2010) Technological factors do not have an influential impact on the hotel industry. Micro-environment Markets The Total Revenue of the Hotel Market in 2010 is estimated to 11,516, an increase from 10,968 in 2009. (Mintel 2010) Recession has crushed demand and people started looking for alternatives.‘Camping and caravanning are negatively affecting the hotel market. (Mintel 2009) ‘The proportion of revenue per room in the UK der ived from Food & Beverage (F&B) has declined by 2% between 2006 and 2008: the average F&B revenue received per room for the UK in 2008 was  £9,522, continuing recent declines. ’ (Mintel 2009) Customers Market statistics show a focus on corporate and conferences, followed by leisure. The first, main segment has been drastically affected by credit crunch whereas the second segment increased during recession and after. This proves the importance tourists have for hotel industry and Felbridge Park Hotel adapted fast to this change.Moreover customers choose to stay in UK rather than abroad in 2009. (Mintel 2010) The hotel’s segmentation comprises two consumer segments: business ‘companies from London’ and UK based tourists which are attracted by traditional food and location (between London and South Coast). Regarding the restaurant ‘almost 13m people like the convenience of eating where they’re staying: these consumers tend to be third agers, wh o are generally attracted to menus with simple, traditional dishes. ’ (Mintel 2009) this aspect is favourable to the hotel.The gap in the restaurant hotel market is with ‘11m consumers’ that believe hotel restaurants are mainly for their own guests. (Mintel 2009) Restaurants do not satisfactorily encourage this segment. Competitors Direct competitors are locally based, for both the restaurant and hotel. (Case study) There are also substitutes-competitors, further discussion on the topic later in the report. Porters Five Forces Framework Barriers to entry: High costs and unfavourable economic times, as it is a recovering market. Established hotels including Felbridge Park Hotel whose reputation and fame is growing.High investments in creating a reputation and name are needed. Bargaining power of buyers: Buyers have a high power as they are creating the demand and due to the recession they have emphasised value for money. Their requirements are various and they are affected by many factors in the decision-making process of choosing a hotel and/or hotel-restaurant. Threat of new substitutes is sizeable due to cheap alternatives consumers are searching. It was more powerful in 2009 but decreased in 2010 as the economy is stabilizing.Consumers could have chosen camping, weekend spa treatments or just a backyard barbeque as ways of relaxation instead of scheduled vacations. Threat of industry competitors: Selsdon Park Hotel through its own golf field. Felbridge Park Hotel has a more strategical location in comparison to Selsdon Park Hotel, but it does not own a golf court. Gatwick Hilton is a main competitor. Especially because a significant part of Felbridge Park’s business customers are staying here for easier access to the airport. Bargaining power of suppliers is low as most hotels have the same suppliers; the same for a hotel restaurant.Internal Analysis Profitability The development suffered by the hotel in the last 20 years with not iceable enlargements in number of rooms and additional features, can only suggest that there is a cash flow, hence the hotel is being profitable. Also the increasing reputation of the restaurant is attracting locals, which leads to an assumption that is being productive. Marketing metrics such as customer satisfaction ratings are positive: food is popular with businessmen, good custom from guests; nonetheless there have been complaints with serving times. On a long term it can lead to a negative reputation.Capabilities: Assets and Competencies An asset is the owner’s reputation which increases brand awareness and has been applying to the restaurant as well as the hotel. Permanent staff (assets: people and internal communication) is reliable therefore building customer relationships. Attracting local customers is an asset as it creates consistency and also brand awareness. The swimming pool is an asset. ‘Hotel guests are most willing to pay a premium for a swimming pool or a quality restaurant. ’(Mintel 2009) The culture is represented through ‘a family business’ label which customers might appreciate.Sandra’s background is an effective marketing tool as it created alertness and a name for the hotel. It is still applying today. Strategy As segmentation is concerned they focused primarily on businessmen segment and later on the tourists market. Families are a third segment that has not proved productive. The approach adopted is to offer cut priced services. They have been attracting only UK tourists although their position is optimum for receiving abroad guests. Data interpretation: the present strategy does not completely, effectively and efficiently connect the hotel’s assets and capabilities to the market opportunities.The owner family is not exploiting their marketing tool (Sandra’s reputation); they do not tailor service packages according to their segmented markets. The restaurant opening times can be s een inconvenient by customers. The Marketing Mix – The 7 P’s The hotel’s products are: a swimming pool, 60 standard bedrooms, 20 ‘affluent’ suites and 20 family suites; conference room, bar, bistro and a restaurant. The 60 bedrooms are in their matury stage of PLC (were purchased in 1990, part of the hotel).Assuming the bar, bistro and restaurant aren’t new developments they are as well in their maturity stage. This means sales growth will or are slowing down and competition increases. The swimming pool, 40 bedrooms and conference rooms are in the growth stage of PLC because they are later developments and ‘proved to be attractions in market’. In this stage sales should start increasing. Relating the products to Henderson’s BCG therefore judging from market share and growth, the 20 family bedrooms are question marks as until now they have not proved themselves to generate cash flow.All the others are stars as they have pro ven able to obtain market share (they are all attracting and appealing to consumers) but they are not market leaders to become cash cows. Price: the current strategy has included a price reduction, proved ‘moderately successful’ but on the long term it can affect the business (only 10% of consumer buy on price). Place: the location of the hotel is strategically and can be effective as a marketing tool. It facilitates International tourist activity and International business. For UK tourists and businessmen the hotel is located between London and the South, another plus.Surrounding attractions in combination with Sandra’s reputation are great marketing tools for tourists that want to enjoy golf. Forms of promotion where made through public relations due to the owner’s name and resulted in a widely present recognition. The case study does not provide any other information regarding advertising or any other promotions. Processes regarding restaurant services: only evening service and standardized times do not offer flexibility for the businessmen segment nor variety for the tourist segment.People: complaints about temporary staff can mean not enough training and not shared values as they are not fully integrated in the team. Permanent staff on the other hand is an asset as they create customer relationships. The main physical evidence is related to the restaurant and consists in the English traditional menu which is appreciated by the local market, but questionable for the International market. As trends in the industry show an inclination towards fusion cuisine this present feature might affect the hotel.

Ethical dimensions associated with Information systems Essay

The ethical dimensions linked with the information systems bring professionalism and work ethics to its full extent. It strives to achieve the best quality, effectiveness and decorum in both the process and products of professional work. It must believe in acquiring, nurturing and preserving the organized nature of information systems. Optimally taking care of comprehensive and thorough evaluations of computer systems and their impacts, including analysis of possible risks must be managed (Hoffer, 2002). The very trend of technology would raise ethical issues. The impact of organizations on the trend of the computing power doubling every 9 months would make them more dependent on information systems for the critical execution of operations. Organizations can easily maintain huge databases about employees as data storage capabilities are increasing at skyrocketing speed. As data analysis advances organizations grasp the capability to organize and analyze vast quantities of data to ascertain individual behavior of the resources involved. Networking capabilities make it possible to access remote data quite easily. How the ethical dimensions of are IS different from the behavior of the individuals generally? The ethical choices are decisions made by the individuals are responsible for their actions. The appropriate moral choice which requires to be made when exposed to several options would make the individual ultimately accountable for it. Responsibility is one of the ethical measures which bind an individual with their own decisions they make. The potential duties they perform, they would be responsible for all the cost and obligations with regard to the moral choices they adhere to. It is quite different from the ethical dimensions associated with information systems, where the responsibility has a larger domain and caters to the entire internal and external environment surrounding it. Often the duties and responsibilities they perform make them cover up with a lot of resources involved, such as stakeholders and risk managers who manage the risk and the organisation does not have to take everything on its shoulders alone, it is shared. Accountability is a feature of holding one responsible for what they did and how they reacted. It is all about who took what action (Loudon, 2002). In respect to organisation or system the accountability is shared among a lot of people and other factors. Liability is a feature where the binding laws in place would make the individuals recuperate from damages done to them by other entities or organizations themselves. The information systems in the other place would make the liability spread across a greater domain of stakeholders so that the risk is distributed. Mechanisms for simulating control and their practicability The measures contemplate higher maturity assumptions in dealing with complex situations. Identifying critical and dynamic variables in the atmosphere and capitalizing on them is the key behavior for bringing practicability in the control mechanisms to be exercised. The following are the various control mechanisms: †¢ Identifying and defining clearly the facts: Keeping track of all activities would ensure that every movement is tracked and recorded so that any exception situation is predicted well before it and all measures can be taken to prevent it.  It is usually done so that the opposing parties can be substantiated with greater proof of the facing dilemmas. †¢ Define the problem involved: Defining the problem and the possible solutions would make sure that there is a clear cut solution to a problem and the steps to be adhered to for its resolution. It makes the process quite easy so that appropriate compliance to it would make things quite distinguishable in nature. †¢ Identify the stakeholders: Every ethical environment possess valuable stakeholders who have interest in the initiation and outcome of events and processes.  There are people who have invested in the situation and would expect something productive out of it. Identification of their demands, outlook and desires would focus on resolving of the crucial issues timely and effectively. †¢ Figuring out the viable options that can be taken: It can be found that every option cannot be exercised or ruled out in the light of all situations. The right amount and dimension of the options would make the situation recover faster. Evaluate the circumstances of the options that can be taken: The options must be evaluated and analyzed to match the positive attitude of the situation as not all options would be good for a situation. Placing oneself in the shoes of another person would go a long road to make a feasible solution. Conclusion Ethical dimensions depends on the situation greatly and the approach taken or making the best out of those situation. The various actions to be taken must be evaluated so that they stand quite realistic which would make the situation quite favorable in nature.

Stem Cell Research Legislation Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Stem Cell Legislation - Research Paper Example Finally, this paper will close down with an explicit conclusion that regards the stem cell research. Introduction Stem cells refer to certain unspecialized cells found in multi-cellular organisms that have the potential of dividing and differentiating into specialized cells when subjected under particular physiological conditions. Stem cells are divided into two different groups depending on the manner through which each type is obtained. The first grouping is the adult stem cells that involve cells extracted from the body of an adult human being and that are able to divide and differentiate in order to regenerate tissues resembling the original extraction point. Adult stem cells are commonly present in the skin, liver, bone marrows and brain. Jayachandran (2005) confirms that adult stem cells are held responsible for every repair that occurs on a damaged. Another division of the stem cell is the embryonic stem cells that are obtained from a maturing embryo. The embryonic stem cells have great potential of treating degenerative diseases like diabetes, spinal cord injuries, Parkinson disease, and Alzheimer’s disease among others. ... erent Countries With regard to the burning controversies that surround the human embryonic stem cells research, many advanced countries have standing laws that either prohibit or condone the research, in order to protect the researchers from possible assaults and rejection within their societies. In that aspect, countries like China, Korea, Australia, UK and Switzerland made basic laws contemplated to encourage research in this field (Schechter, 2010). Meanwhile, other countries, including USA, had very strict legislations that stood to contradict the stem cell research, stands that have loosened with time. The USA portrays a good example of country that has undergone series of changes in legislations governing stem cell research within its borders. In1996, a bill named Dickey Amendment was endorsed into law by the Congress. The bill sought for prohibition of the DHHS and the NIH from sponsoring practices involving formation or deformation of human embryo for the sake of research. No twithstanding, Dickey Amendment failed to address the use of private money in funding the research process on stem cells. When a successful isolation of human embryonic stem cell was achieved in 1998, DHHS interpreted the bill in favor of federal funding on the stem cell research, but proposal faced opposition from the critics of embryonic stem cell research. Schechter (2010) reports that on assuming office in 2001, President George Bush provided that the federal funding would be availed for research on already created stem cell lines. Moreover, President Bush used the powers bestowed in his office to reject the amendments that required the government to remove strict restriction of federal funding on research activities involving stem cells. The year 2009 marked a historic turning point in

GLOBAL STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

GLOBAL STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT - Essay Example The second component would be economic, which encompasses cost of production, currency exchange rates, and cost of capital. The third component is the social environment, which encompasses social change and global convergence. The fourth component is the technological environment, which encompasses global technology scanning and technology clusters and the spread of the Internet (Mellahi, 2005, pp. 37-49). Furthermore, another way of analyzing it would be examining the external environment according to Porter’s Five Forces. These forces would be 1) rivalry – how intense is the rivalry/competition among the firms in the industry? 2) buyers – how much power do buyer have? What can be done to neutralize their power? 3) new entrants – how easy or difficult is it to enter the industry? How can entry barriers be erected? 4) suppliers - How much power do suppliers have? What accounts for their power? What can be done to neutralize their power? and 5) substitutes - are there substitute products or services? What effect do these substitutes have? (Ungson & Wong, 2008, p. 59). For the PEST analysis, it is clear that one of the external drivers for this business is the global recession. ... Therefore, the buyers for the products will have more leverage to negotiate. Moreover, this also plays into Porter’s five forces at the supplier level. Weak economies would indicate that suppliers will not have as much power as in a good economy, due to the fact that buyers have more power. Thus, in these economies that are weak, Air Products will also be weak. This is shown in the fact that Air Products is facing pricing pressures, and there is excess in the manufacturing facilities, unanticipated contract terminations and project delays. Moreover, there is competition and the inability of the company to compete effectively, which affects sales and financial performance. This plays into the economic aspect of the PEST analysis and the rivalry arm of the Porter’s five forces analysis. The reason why this implicates the economic aspect of the PEST analysis is that the economics of the different countries is the reason for the inability to compete, and rivalry because riv alry with other countries is the external driver that is implicated by the competition. Also implicated in Porter’s Five Forces is the threat of substitutes, for these rivals might produce products that can be a substitute for the products Air Products produces, and these substitutes might be less expensive, which would further cut into Air Products’ market share. The other external force is the fact that there is a shortage of raw materials, and there are increased costs in energy sources. This implicates the economic end of the PEST analysis, because one of the aspects of the economic end of the PEST analysis is the cost of production. Obviously, a shortage of raw materials or the fact that these raw materials are increasing in price affects the cost of production.

Sleep Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sleep - Research Paper Example The literature reviewed in this paper also confirmed that working women have the potential to experience common stressors, putting them at risk for compromised sleep quality. Table of Contents Sleep Deprivation, Shift work and Women Introduction During the agricultural era, humans structured their sleep-wake patterns with nature's dark-light cycle. They worked during the day and slept at night. Dramatic changes in this natural pattern occurred with the discovery of artificial light and the productivity of the industrial era. Artificial light made it possible for industry to operate 24 hours a day. Thus, employees were scheduled into varying shifts, including evening, night, and rotating shifts. With the information era, carne the reality of cyberspace, and it became possible to work anytime, anywhere. The workplace expanded into homes, and disrupted family and leisure time as well as sleep. Natural sleep-wake patterns were compromised and America evolved into a sleep-deprived society (LeBlond, 2008). Background Between 50 million and 70 million individuals experience frequent sleep problems (LeBlond, 2008), and significant number of workers compromise their health and safety because they mismanage or do not know how to manage sleep. Significant number of Americans are categorized as shift-workers, and most report both decreased quantity and quality of sleep, plus family and social life disruption, and impaired physical and emotional health (Bridges, 2008).Medically, problems with decreased quantity and quality of sleep associated with shift-work are diagnosed as Shift-Work Sleep Disorder, and are clinically diagnosed, by professional nurses, as Sleep Pattern Disturbance (LeBlond, 2008). The ability to cope with shift-work is influenced by a variety of inter-, intra-, and extra-personal factors, including (a) one's attitudes and beliefs about sleep, (b) one's biological clock, (c) domestic and social circumstances, and (d) sleep factors (Monk, 2000). Shift-work specifically impacts biological rhythms, negatively influences the shift-worker's quality of sleep, and disrupts family and social life. In reverse, the quality of sleep, social, and domestic demands influence the shift-worker's ability to cope with an unnatural sleep pattern (Monk, 2000; Bridges, 2008). Problem Statement Shift-workers have been reported to experience decreased quality of sleep comparable to people suffering from jet lag, except shift-workers chronically live at odds with natural sleep-wake patterns. Shift-workers predominantly report increased sleep problems, and many shift-workers may exhibit pathological sleepiness levels on the way to and from work as well as during the work shift (Sekine et al., 2006). The most common problems reported are an increased tendency to fall asleep, increased risk of accidents, impaired mood, and reduced psychomotor performance. Shift-workers, who are able to work away from domestic and social obligations, such as on oil-rigs, report adjusting to this unnatural schedule in 5-7 days. However, shift-workers with domestic and social obligations have major difficulty adjusting, leaving them at high risk for suffering the consequences of poor quantity and quality of sleep (Bridges, 2008; Taskar & Hirshkowitz, 2003). At first, men made up most of the American workforce, but women joined the ranks of the employed during World War II (WWII), and by the 1990's, women's employment patterns replicated men’

Economics Article Commentary Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Economics Article Commentary - Case Study Example The Obama administration is visibly tough on outsourcing. The French President is blatantly threatening the Eastern Europe to repatriate car-manufacturing operations to France. The British Prime Minister is vying for reserving the British jobs for the locals. The residents of the developed world, pressed by the recession, think that protectionism will secure their interest. However, the fact is that it will only deepen the crises rampant in the international trade. Protectionism is the policy of restricting trade between the nations by resorting to restrictive regulations by the government of a state to discourage imports and to prevent the entry of foreign players in the local markets. These restrictive regulations may be of various types. The governments may impose tariffs that are taxes on the imported goods, thereby discouraging the importers and making the foreign goods costlier in the local markets. The other way is to resort quotas that is to limit the quantity of foreign goods, thereby increasing their price. Administrative rules are one other way of curtailing imports. The nations may opt for anti-dumping laws to reduce the entry of cheap foreign imports. A direct subsidy or export subsidy that is extending monetary support to the local industries and exporters is one other way of supporting protectionism. As far as monetary measures are concerned, the developed nations can reduce the price of their currencies by exchange rate manipul ations, thereby making the imports dearer. All this protectionism is against the spirit of free trade, which allows the traders to carry on their business activities without any government interference or regulations. The policy of protectionism will not only weaken the local industries in the developed nations by making them less competitive, but will also jeopardize the economies of the developing nations by disabling them from taking advantage of

Money and banking Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Money and banking - Research Paper Example Despite the government’s efforts to prevent the collapse of the banking system, it did not successfully restore economic growth; the United States entered a deep recession in December 2007 that extended up to June 2009 (Kroszner and Melick 6). FED used the three tools of monetary control: open market operation, reserve requirement, and discount rate to counteract the progression of the financial crisis. Figure 1: The Graph showing the financial crisis between 2007 and 2007 (Source: Gowland 33) The graph above shows that there was constant recession between 2007 and 2009. Financial recovery began to be experienced as from march 2009. Open market operation The most appropriate monetary policy that was used to counter the financial crisis of 2007-2009 constituted the increase the monetary base. Open market operation (OMO) is an instrument of monetary policy, which involves selling and purchasing of marketable securities (Stock and Mark 11). These transactions are conducted in the open market by the central bank as an instrument of controlling the monetary system. Open market operations target the cash balances of held by commercial banks and other non-bank financial institutions including their tills and in relation to their excess reserves at the central bank. The central bank sells its holdings of the government securities to commercial banks to reduce excess reserve held by commercial banks. When the central bank anticipates liquidity deficiency, it injects additional liquidity by purchasing from the existing stock of the government securities. Decreasing the monetary base during the 2007-2009 financial crisis involved the reduced supply of credit, which was used to facilitate the adjustments in financial market in order to achieve equilibrium in money demand and supply. The Federal Reserve had to sell large quantities of securities that were necessary to achieve decreased supply of credit (Stock and Mark 22). Fed would also sold high-quality securities to minimize Fed’s credit risk and the public would be informed that the expansion in the monetary base is temporary; thus, the composition of Federal Reserve’s balance sheet and size of the monetary base would be restored to normal after financial markets and economic activity begin to normalize. The Federal Reserve used the tool of open market operations with an objective of supporting proper functioning of credit markets, reduce the pressure on long-term financial markets and make financial conditions accommodative by selling long-term securities for the Fed’s portfolio. Figure 2: The Open Market Operations Graph (Source: Stock and Mark 21) i represents the nominal rate of interest, Dm represents money demanded and Ds represents the money supplied. The Federal Reserve varies the rates of interest to ensure maintenance of demand and supply of money with the aim of preventing financial crises. Discount Rate The second tool of monetary control that Fed used durin g the financial crisis is the discount rate. Under this policy, the bank can borrow reserves from the Federal Reserve at their discount windows (Stock and Mark 18). These rates are set by the Boards of Directors of the Reserve Banks, but the rates must be subjected to determination and review by the Federal Reserve Board. The Federal Rese

Outlook and policy statement Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Outlook and policy statement - Term Paper Example However, with the recent hike in consumer spending with a 2 ? percent increase annually witnessed during the third quarter of 2010 has provided hope that economic recovery will eventually occur. The increasing investments in equipment and software industry have given a boost to the recovery. On the housing front the hikes in home prices and construction costs have not been able to contribute to this growth and at the same time not drastically affected the recovery process. While the labor market has been unable to accommodate the huge losses of jobs during 2008-09, the number of job openings and the hiring rate is on a constant rise in the past recent months. However, considerable time will be required in order for the unemployment rate to return to normalcy and this time period could have a lasting impact both on the financial status of those unemployed and also on their skills and future employment and earning prospects. The testimony also notes the downward trend witnessed in the inflation rate compared to the previous years. This trend has been mainly attributed to the struggling job market and the associated decrease in utilization of resources. However, the inflation expectations in the long-run are expected to remain stable.

Sherlock Holmes Essay Example for Free

Sherlock Holmes Essay Sherlock Holmes emerged in 1893 as a fictional amateur detective. He had solved many cases and was able to find the villain using scientific evidence. When Sherlock Holmes came out into the open, Britain was a corrupt place as the police force was useless and people used to kill and steal just for the sake of it. Jack the Ripper is the best known pseudonym to date from that period. He used to kill women prostitutes from the slums and cut out their throats. He then sent body parts of his victims to the police showing his superiority. People thought of Sherlock Holmes as a hero because they thought he could protect them from paedophiles and murderers even though he was a fictional character. The mastermind to Sherlock Holmes was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. He based the super sleuth character on his fellow doctor, Dr Joseph Bell. He, like Holmes, was able to use the power of deduction to find out his patients occupation. Conan Doyle created this transcendent character because he was frustrated with other detective stories. Therefore he created a super human like detective who used scientific evidence to solve his cases unlike coincidence like the other detective stories. This made Sherlock Holmes a huge success story and when Doyle killed off the character, there was a public up roar and death threats were sent to his house. Because of this, Doyle brought back the character and his side kick Watson back from the shadows. Doyle managed to keep his audiences interested in Sherlock Holmes by cleverly making a flawless idea. This was to release different stories every month instead of keeping one story and carrying it one month after month. This was a clever and successful philosophy because Conan Doyle knew that if he stuck to one story then people would lose interest because people who missed an issue wouldnt buy the next one whereas if he made a new story every month then people would still buy the issue every month as they didnt miss anything. This is why it became known as Sherlock Holmes adventures. Sherlock Holmes adventures have a very unique structure. This is because it creates a story with in the story. It starts with the victim coming to Holmes about their problem(s). They then explain to him their problem(s). This is where Doyle creates a story within the story. Next, Holmes investigates and then sets out a plan. He eventually catches the villain. Parts of the structure can often vary. This is shown clearly in the story The man with the twisted lip. Instead of the victim coming to Holmes, they come to Dr Watson; Holmes right hand man. This shows us that Doyle is trying to vary his structure. Another thing is that the victims mostly always seem to be of high class. This is not present in the Red Headed League as Jabez Wilson (The victim) is of lower class. Although he is of lower class and his case is a bit dubious (this is because he suddenly stopped getting à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½4 weekly from his secondary job as it just suddenly disappeared) Holmes was still determined to solve his case. This shows us that Holmes will take on any case no matter who his client is or how silly the problem was. A good quotation to support the matter is the strangest and the most unique things are very often connected not with the smaller crimes. The characters that the stories revolve around vary from story to story. There are only two characters that are present in all the 3 stories that I have read (The Speckled Band, The Red Headed League and The man with the twisted lip). These two characters are the sleuthhound Sherlock Holmes and the wannabe detective Dr Watson. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle uses characters as a good device by showing the reader and audience that he has used the six rules of a good detective story. * The crime must be significant * The detective must be memorable * The criminal must be a worthy opponent * The clues must be available to the audience * The suspect must appear early in the story * The solution must be reasonable and possible Because of these rules, Holmes appears to be supernatural to the naked eye but if looked at closer you would find that this mind-blowing character has an idiosyncrasy. This is because he smokes on a regular basis and takes drugs etc. The fact that he smokes is shown clearly in the quotation from the Red Headed League Watson, I beg of you leave me for 1 hour. I believe this is a 3 pipe problem This emphasises the amount that he smokes. 3 pipe problem means he will have to smoke three pipes before he will get the answer which implies that it is a very difficult issue. This is because a determined and intellectual person like him doesnt struggle with much. The quotation in the paragraph above also shows us the way Holmes treats Watson. Holmes treats him like a child who doesnt know much. Another quote to back up the matter is My dear doctor, this is a time for observation, not for talk. We are spies in an enemys country. This is when Holmes replies to Watsons question with an unclear answer. It shows us how disrespectful Holmes can be and that Holmes feels that Watson has a lot to learn. Watson plays the role of the narrator and hooks the reader. Another role of his is the foil. He makes Sherlock Holmes look better. You reason it out beautifully. I exclaimed in unfeigned admiration. It is so long a chain, and yet every link rings true. This extract quoted from Watson, admires Holmes professionalism. It also highlights his deductive skills and scientific methods. Another thing Watson does is draw the mission to a satisfactory conclusion. This is also shown in the quote above. Watson always goes with Holmes on day and night trips to offer protection since he has a revolver. This shows his bravery as he offers his life and limbs to protect Holmes and himself. He often goes voluntarily even after Holmes has told him his life may be at risk. This reinforces his indomitability. Villains in Sherlock Holmes stories are always cunning and a good match for Sherlock Holmes. This makes the story more exciting and intoxicating as we dont know if the villain will get away with his crime. The villains are always of high class which makes them harder to track down or suspect as most people wouldnt question them. The villains in Holmes stories vary from classic villains or victims who are the villains. One classic villain is Dr Roylott. He is of high class and and has one of the oldest families in Britain. Another thing is that he is a doctor who has gone sour. This is reflected in the clothes he wears. As he goes to confront Holmes, he wears a black top-hat, a long frock-coat, a pair of high gaiters with a hunting crop swinging in his hands. This shows us that for a high class man, he has no self-esteem and has probably lost his dignity in the process. This definitely makes him a classic villain as he has no alternative but to become a villain to keep what he has left. All of this has an impact on the reader. It makes the reader second look Dr Roylott as they dont think he is a criminal at first but then it makes them look back at that decision and reassess the matter before making a conclusion that Dr Roylott is the villain. After this hectic period, the reader is left on the edge of their seats to find out if he gets away or if Sherlock Holmes and his accomplice catch him in the act. It builds so much tension as they are an even match. It makes the reader want to keep reading to find out what happens. Tension starts to build as soon as Dr Royllott walks in through the door. It has an impact on the reader as they want to know who the strange man is and why he came. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle manages to paint a picture perfect image of the characters into our heads. Doyle does this by using short but powerful adjectives to describe every unique and common feature of their body. He gives the detail over 1 or 2 lines to make it short and snappy. Even though he does this, he is able to paint the picture in our heads to the very last detail. A very stout florid-face elderly gentleman with fiery red hair This quote backs up the fact that the writer uses 1 or 2 lines of detail and is still able to make you imagine what the character looks like. He uses words like fiery which are short and snappy yet effective. It is ideal to describe Mr Wilsons hair colour. Florid is a good word as it lets the sentence flow and is still capable of using it to maximum effectiveness by describing Jabez Wilsons face. Holmes determination is probably the most important part of all Sherlock Holmes adventures. It is shown in all the stories I have read and has helped solve all 3 of the cases. This is because he always perseveres through the tough and easy times. The most iconic out of the 3 stories I read was probably The man with the twisted lip This is because it took him so long to figure out who the criminal was. Instead of turning his back on the case, he persevered and solved the case. He did this with sheer determination. In the end, the criminal was the victim (Neville St Clair). Overall, Sherlock Holmes is a magnificent character. This is because many people thought he was a real person. This shows how good Doyles writing was. Holmes also gave Victorian people hope as many murders and paedophiles lurked the streets. He even was a role model for the police force as trainee police officers were told to read them to show them how to catch criminals. Sherlock Holmes will be remembered for many centuries to come and his scientific way of thinking has been adopted by police forces. He will always be renowned as the greatest fictional and non-fictional detective the world has ever known. Baker Street also has a house where people post messages to Sherlock Holmes as that is where he is believed to have lived.

Lamb to the slaughter by Roal Dahl Essay Example for Free

Lamb to the slaughter by Roal Dahl Essay Detective mystery fiction started in England in the 1790s. Then later in the 1850s to 1860s authors started writing melodramatic thrillers known as sensation novels perhaps one of the best known of the melodramatic thrillers is the stories written by Wilkie Collins who wrote The woman in white. By the late 1800s Conan Doyle wrote stories featuring Sherlock Holmes, this type of story was called mystery fiction, and is undoubtedly the most influential mystery fiction novel of the 1970s. These mystery fiction novels were based on Sherlock Holmes who is a detective in murder cases and has a side kick called Watson who very much admires Sherlock Holmes as being very clever in solving crimes by gathering the evidence. In the book he narrates the story and makes clear Hes admiration for Sherlock Holmes, this is what influenced other writers in the 20th century to writing mystery fiction stories based on the structure of the Sherlock Holmes. And you can still see the work of Conan Doyle being used as structure for modern day stories and film series, such as the well known CSI crime which is set in America and involves a group of homicide detectives who have an important role in using state of the art forensic techniques in order to work out the murders and accomplices, with a twist to the story to make it more interesting. However in replacement to where Conan Doyle uses cunning detective work the makers of CSI use the forensic science more as the way of catching the murderess. Law and Order uses the same concept as CSI crime but is set in a different part of America. The Bill is a popular TV series about a police force that use cunning police work by working together to solve all crimes. Unlike in the stories of Sherlock Holmes or CSI crime The bill uses more then one detective just like in Sherlock Holmes. Another detective story based on the stories of Sherlock Holmes is the TV series called Colombo who is a homicide detective and is very cunning just like Sherlock Holmes. Colombo however unlike other modern detectives is a very unconventional detective because when hes on a case he acts very senseless and seems as though he isnt a very good detective, however towards the end he solves the murder very cunningly. Another modern but unconventional detective story is the TV series Diagnoses murder the main character of this series is a doctor who works at the hospital and like Sherlock Holmes has nothing to do with the local police so he works alone solving murder cases, which are brought in buy the people he treats at the hospital where he works this therefore makes this detective story very unconventional and is not like Sherlock Holmes in that respect. The detective story The Speckled band is conventional as the settings are normal for a murder story if you take in to account the detective who is cunning with a side kick Watson and the victims you can see that the setting and atmosphere are very conventional for a murder detective story. However Holmes is responsible for the death of DR Grimsby Roylott which is unconventional. However the structure is conventional, the readers realize this as the The Speckled band works backwards from the discovery of Mrs. Helen Stoners death. Helen stoners sister goes to meet Sherlock Holmes and Watson to bring to their attention the murder of Mrs. Helen Stoner. Then later we read about the investigation that Holmes and Watson undertake at Stoke Moran. The narration in The Speckled band is two linear which we find out when Helen stoners sister tells Holmes and Watson about the murder It is of her death that I wish to speak to you, and when Watson narrates I was early.fair play. However in the story Lamb to the slaughter the settings are very unconventional and instead seem like an ordinary familys life but the story has a cunning twist and Mary Maloney (the wife) murders her husband (Mr. Maloney) who is a detective. This is most unusual for a murder detective story and so is unconventional considering a detective got killed, the atmosphere and settings along with the detectives who are the police but in the story seem very half-witted and ironic as they eat the evidence and drink the whiskey in the middle of the murder case whilst Mary Maloney gets away with the murder. The structure of the Lamb to the slaughter is unconventional because the pinnacle of the story is when Mary Maloney kills her husband. This makes the storey we read about the crime being committed and not very much of the investigation as we had seen earlier in The Speckled band. The story The Speckled band begins with Watson (Sherlock Holmess side kick) narrating, he brings in to account the case of the Surrey family of the Roylotts of Stoke Moran, the story continues to the murder of Mrs. Helen Stoner who had just recently been engaged but before her death she said that It was the band! The Speckled band. However the readers are kept in to suspense of the murderers identity, but Sherlock Holmes is called in he finds later long thin marking on Mrs. Helen Stoner indicating that if an animal is involved then it must be long and thin. When Sherlock Holmes was first called in for the case he proved to be a very observant detective and starts to suspect that Mrs. Julia Stoners recent engagement is a threat to her life and that the murderer of Mr. Helen Stoner will kill her as she also like Helen is engaged, so the murder of Helen must be linked to her recent engagement, During the story Watson continues to narrate, later Sherlock Holmes and Watson check out the house were the murder took place and Watsons narrative tells the reader how observant Sherlock Holmes is and creates an image of him as being a detective who never leaves a stone unturned. As Sherlock Holmes checks the house he find out that DR Grimsby Roylott had added some peculiar things about the house like a ventilator and a dummy bell rope. After a while Sherlock Holmes pieces up the clues and realizes that there is something wrong about the crime scene. Sherlock Holmes arranges with Mrs. Stoner to shine her lantern through the window from her bed room at the house in Stoke Moran when DR Grimsby Roylott gets in to his bed room at night, when Sherlock Holmes and Watson saw the signal from outside they climb in to the house through the window through to Mrs. Stoners bed room. After a while in Mrs. Julia Stoners bed room they finally hear a dark lantern being lit later they hear what Watson describes as a Soothing sound and then a cry which Watson explains was a The most horrible cry I have ever listened, Sherlock Holmes tells Watson that they should go into DR Grimsby Roylott room where they had heard the sound, when they entered DR Grimsby Roylott room they find that he is dead and appears to be wearing a sparkling chain around his neck but when Sherlock Holmes approaches him they find that it is a live snake which bittern DR Grimsby Roylott and caused his death, Its a swamp adder Sherlock Holmes explains, and then continues to say that . It is the deadliest snake in India and comes to the conclusion that the snake was the speckled band which Helen Stoner said just before she died. So in the end it becomes apparent to Sherlock Holmes that DR Grimsby Roylott was the murderer and his motive was greed over money which his daughters would inherit from him in the event of their marriage which is why Mrs. Helen Stoner was killed as she was engaged. It becomes apparent to the reader that DR Grimsby Roylott was trying on that night to kill Mrs. Stoner but failed as the snake he put through the ventilator was blocked so the snake turned round and attacked DR Grimsby Roylott.

Every Child Matters Case Study

Every Child Matters Case Study Every Child Matters is a Government approach aimed to ensure all children, regardless of their circumstances or background have the support they need to: be healthy; stay safe; enjoy and achieve; make a positive contribution; and achieve economic well-being. This essay will explore the background of the framework, its aims and other relevant policies and legislation. I will then reflect on how ECM has affected my Local Authority and the school where I will be training. Finally I will then reflect on how ECM will inform my planning and teaching, and what it will mean to me as a professional in the classroom and in developing my practice. In 2003 the Government released the original Every Child Matters: Green paper, it was a response to the Joint Chief Inspectors report on the findings of Lord Lamings (Victoria Climbies death) public enquiry. It highlighted many failings from services to communicate and intervene. It set out proposals on how to address the issues of concern that had been identified and suggested measures that were needed to improve and reform childcare The Green Paper identified four areas of action: Support for parents and carers Effective protection and early intervention Accountability and poor integration Reform of the workforce The aim was to not only protect children but also to enable children to improve and fulfil their lives. The Green Paper built upon the foundations of Sure Start, aiming to eradicate child poverty and raising school standards. The success of the Green Paper led to the paper being transformed in to Every Child Matters: The Next Steps. Alongside this and with the support of the Houses of Parliament, the 1998 Childrens Act was reformed and adapted into The Childrens Act 2004. This Act aimed to encourage. It also aimed to ensure that LAs (Local Authorities) were given more flexibility when implementing their provision. One result of this act was the development of Local Safeguarding Childrens Boards. These boards aimed to co-ordinate between all LAs in a local area in order to safeguard children. The Act also resulted in the formation of the Every Child Matters Framework Every Child Matters: Change for Children, became a national framework. The title Every Child Matters was used to amalgamate all of the documents, that aimed to organise and deliver services that ensured every child and young person became an active member of society. There was also the aim of preventions as opposed to just dealing with the consequences. For this to work the framework suggested multi-agency collaboration from all those working with children and young people. Through this collaboration of services it would hopefully allow children and young people to achieve the five outcomes of the The Children Act 2004 (Section 10). Section 10 requires public services to ensure all children and young people are: -Protected from neglect and harm -Have the right to education, training and recreation Physical and mental health and emotional well-being -Contributing to society -Achieve social and economic well-being These are summarised as enabling children or young people to: Stay Safe, Be Healthy, Make a Positive Contribution, Enjoy and Achieve, and Achieve Economic Well-Being. These five outcomes are referenced to throughout Every Child Matters. To ensure all children and young people progress against these outcomes, policies and practices needed to be developed and implemented. The framework also focused on trying to ensure every child had provision regardless of their background or circumstances, and to enable children and young people to have a greater say about the issues and problems that affect them collectively and as individuals. This was evident in 2005, when the first Childrens Commissioner for England was elected; this gave a voice for children. This was one action aimed to prevent problems rather than dealing with consequences. As well as this the framework was seen as an inescapable moral imperative that it intended to assist a radical reform of services In 2007 The Childrens Plan was published, this aimed to build upon the Every Child Matters framework. The Childrens Plan: Building Brighter Future was a ten year plan that aimed to centralise children and young people, and increasing the focus on parental roles and the wider communities. The Plan focused on the Childrens Trusts, and believed that this was central to delivering quality, and set high expectations of them to deliver. The Childrens Trusts had similar aims to those of the Local Safeguarding Children Boards, they both aimed to collaborate. The Trusts take the child centred approach and use an integrated strategy of joint planning and commissioning, and pooled budgets. This inter agency co-operation aims to be sustainable by using a shared language and similar processes. Working in this manner means that the trust will hopefully be able to deliver a service that is very child centred, and has no restrictions from professional boundaries or any other existing agencies. Other frameworks, initiatives, acts and policies that have been a result of, or linked to, the Every Child Matters policy include Working Together to Safeguard Children (2006) and The Equality Act (2006). My Local Authority has made many changes and developed many policies. The LA has developed a policy on e-safety, explaining the risks and what can be done to stay safe. They have also developed an Assessment and Response to Children System (ARCS). This explains the Common Assessment Framework (CAF) and how it aims to assess The LA are also currently undertaking a consultation of the Thurrocks Draft Children and Young Peoples Plan 2010-2013 (CYPP). This is the revised plan is signed up to by many organisations that provide key services for children and young people in Thurrock (including the Council, the NHS, the Police, schools and colleges and the voluntary sector). It sets out the priorities for the Childrens Trust, based on the analysis of the needs of children and young people, and what has been learnt through various consultations and interactions with children, young people, their parents, carers and professionals. These plans have to be prepared by every area in the country and the Department of Children Schools and Families (DFSF) provide guidance to help them do this. These plans will form the main planning document of all Childrens Trust agencies, and partner agencies, meaning that whatever is done with children and young people in Thurrock it will contribute to achieving the collective ambiti ons everybody has for them. Thurrock Children Young Peoples Plan 2007-10, developed many policies such as Each Child, Every Young Person, All Agencies Our Plan 2007 2010. This identified the priorities that were needed and the goals to be set in order for all children and young people in Thurrock to be able to achieve the five outcomes of ECM. It aimed to improve services in Thurrock over the past three years. The plan was delivered through the Children and Young Peoples Strategic Partnership (CYPSP), which aims to meet the need of children and young people in Thurrock. It sets out 12 goals that they aimed to achieve to be able to meet the ultimate five goals of ECM. In January of this year A Review of School Improvement was also conducted by Peter Wylie for Thurrock Council. It was a review of how effective school improvement services in Thurrock were, and it went on to propose options for the future whilst keeping in mind the local and national policy priorities. One such policy: Your child, your schools, our future: building a 21st century schools system aims to create a school system. It is a system that aims to respond to changes in economy and society and enable every child to enjoy growing up, and develop their potential and talent. It also gives them the broad skills they will need for the future. There are many guidelines, policies and legislation in place to ensure children are protected and achieve wellbeing, and each covers various areas and ensures multiagency collaboration. As a trainee teacher and a qualified teacher I will need to be aware of these because they underpin everything that I do. Within school and within my teaching and planning, the five key principles of the ECM framework must be at the forefront of my mind, they need to be at the heart of every aspect of the school, including. Within Every Child Matters, at the heart of the curriculum it states that ECM requires teachers to be committed and passionate, and offer. It also states that teaching should include activities that are beyond the school, that involve parents and relate to real life experience. It also suggests. The curriculum is designed with ECM at the centre; the design features address all 5 aspects, such as ensuring children are given the opportunity to learn in many subjects, and in a variety of settings and environments. ECM is at the centre when considering and ensuring opportunities for events such as productions and sports days, and when considering the schools routines. Also when considering any extended hours, offering opportunities before, during and after school, and links with health and social agencies. Young peoples lives are centred around school, and they clearly have an important part to play in supporting children to achieve the five aspects of ECM. Schools need to take into account the needs of all learners when planning. I will now consider how each aspect is/can be promoted in the curriculum. Schools can promote being healthy and staying safe by having a positive school ethos, which promotes inclusion. It should also follow many policies and procedures, to ensure children stay safe. When working as a Trainee Teacher and a qualified teacher I will need to be aware of all the policies that the school follows and ensure I am kept up to date with these. For example: safeguarding and health and safety policies. Some procedures for this might be: questioning any adults in the school without a name badge; and safety hinges on doors. I will also need to ensure I promote inclusion by methods such as personalisation. The school in which I am training tries very hard to ensure that children stay healthy. They have gained the Healthy School Award and have recently been given The Sports Unlimited Award. The school now offers a range of after school and lunchtime clubs, and provides healthy snacks for Foundation Stage and KS1 children. The school also brings in coaches to take P.E. lessons, to motivate learners and teach them the sport that they are experts in. Drinking water is provided throughout the day and each child has their own water bottle for them to drink from when in lessons. The school also actively promotes walking or cycling to school, and conducts cycling proficiency for pupils. Over the past year lunchtimes have become more structured with MDA and LSAs taking structured activities. Another good initiative that the school has adopted is the use of peer buddying and mentoring, with each adult in the school mentoring at least one child that is in need. The school also provides opportunit ies for learners to grow vegetables. As well as having regular assemblies taken by police officers and visits from health workers. The school makes many links between the community with visits to sing at old peoples homes and links with reading schemes through the library. When I am planning and teaching I will need to ensure that I use circle time to explore health and personal issues as well as encourage debate and peer decisions. I could also provide a quiet area within my classroom where children are able to take time out. Opportunities should be given to promote and encourage and to learn to be healthy in many subjects. I will need to be aware of this and apply them in my teaching. A few examples include: allowing for leaners to be empowered through making their own decisions, encouraging diversity, respecting difference and teaching them about their own identity, and using mathematics to investigate data on diet and health. History could also be used to explore community history and individual identity. Schools have the responsibility to ensure children are able to enjoy and achieve whilst staying safe when they are at school, through a wide range of policies and procedures. For example rules for how to use equipment safely, safeguarding, carrying out risk assessments, and bullying policies. However the staying safe element of ECM goes much further than the school and it is about. The school in which I am training provides many opportunities to ensure children are able to stay safe. They provide day and residential trips and set rules around the school based upon the schools Core values. With the increase in the use of the internet, the LA have also developed a policy for E-safety. The school provides mentoring and home work clubs to ensure the learners dont fall behind with work and also provide pupils with the opportunities to discuss any issues they may have. The school also has a council that acts as the student voice and gets learners more involved in the school. The school also encourages confidence for children to speak out, and uses role play, performances and presentations to promote this. The school uses visits from outside professionals, such as community police officers, and before any school trips, a safety check has to be conducted. There are also many opportunities to promote staying safe in the subjects that are being taught in my school. For example art, and design and technology could be used to promote safe practice and managing risks that may occur. ICT could be used to develop safety, such as questioning information and how to sit correctly at computer, i.e. .posture. When Teaching I need to be aware of how I can incorporate staying safe in my planning and in my classroom. I would also need to use the schools Core Values to assist safety and set class rules with the children. I will also need to take some responsibility in ensuring the school is safe, because it is everybodys responsibility not just the head teachers or senior managers. I could use stories in my class to deal with behaviours such as bullying and challenging stereotypes, resolving conflict and consequences. Schools need to ensure every child is making a positive contribution by ensuring the environment is created to encourage all to participate. They also give learners a voice, and vary in teaching strategies. The school where I am training has a school council that provides the children with a voice to speak out. In the Every Child Matters, at the heart of the curriculum booklet it states that if the children are aware that they have the opportunity to enrich the lives of others and support and care for them, and ultimately change things for the better, then they are much more likely to be more sociable beyond the school gates. The school I will be training at provides opportunities across the curriculum to ensure children give a positive contribution. The school council gives the opportunity to make decisions such as what equipment shall be built in the playground. It is important that children are able to make choices that have a true impact. Learners are also given various responsibilities around the school such as being responsible for the library, putting books away or giving them out, watering and looking after the garden, and collecting the register. They also encourage learners to participate in clubs and projects around the school. The school offers various clubs and everybody participates in the Christmas plays, as well as using buddying and mentoring schemes. They make links with the community through projects such as Christmas singing and also use such projects to raise money for charities. I will need to be aware of these points to ensure that I incorporate them into my classroom, for example by giving children responsibilities. I will also need to be aware of the ways the children can offer a positive contribution in certain subjects, such as promoting group work in English, including listening, speaking and responding to others, or encouraging children to contribute to a performance in music. When I am teaching I will need to ensure I enable and provide children with an opportunity to speak out and tell me the support they need, and provide an environment which is created for all to be able to participate in. I could use various methods to promote positive contribution such as using talk partners, incentives and mentors. Enjoying and Achieving is promoted in schools by lessons always taking account for different learning styles and abilities, thus ensuring that learners enjoy their learning. To ensure they enjoy and achieve, I may need to refer a child that may need more specialist help, research any needs they may have, differentiate and personalise my lessons, and celebrate achievements. If children are enjoying learning and have good supportive relationships, they are more likely to achieve. Every child has a talent, and it is the responsibility of the school to uncover these talents and ensure that all young people view themselves as a success and can live a fulfilling life. This means that the curriculum needs to be full of challenges and surprises. Children need to be able to build upon their own aptitudes as well as being able to enjoy what they are learning, and should be given opportunities to take on responsibility, whilst always considering each childs individual needs. The school that I am training at offers the pupils many opportunities to achieve and enjoy across the curriculum. The school gives each year group a topic every term, this allows children to see links between subjects, and provides them with opportunities to deeply explore issues. The school provides many trips from adventurous activities to historical sites, and provides opportunities for children to participate in the community through activities and projects. The school also provides many opportunities for children to demonstrate their skills through concerts, plays, and sports, and uses an achievement wall to praise children that achieve and/or participate, as well as having ac hievement assemblies once a week. In the achievement assemblies many awards are given: sporting awards; awards for effort; knowledge and reading; or anything else that is considered an achievement. The school also provides catch-up lessons and additional support through lunchtime and afterschool. I need to ensure that I see the school as a learning community and that I see myself as a lead learner. I will need to ensure that I provide opportunities for children to explore deeply and widely. When I am planning I will try and ensure to incorporate the childrens interest into lessons, and I will also need to ensure I arrange trips to help them to enjoy and achieve. I will need to try and use experts and organisations when teaching, and reach out and use parents where possible. I will also need to fully participate throughout the school to ensure I assist in allowing children to enjoy and achieve. There are many opportunities in lessons where I can plan to ensure children enjoy and achieve. In PSHE I could provide practical learning activities that relate to real life. I could also use real life situations in mathematics or use investigation games and strategies. I will need to be able to incorporate and ensure the children enjoying and achieving is at the heart of my teaching and planning. I must understand that it isnt about just teaching the lesson; it is about them understanding, enjoying and learning from the lesson. Economic wellbeing is about contextualising learning by relating it to the real world, and learners see the value of their learning. It also helps learners to create a. This means that children can achieve a great sense of satisfaction from being responsible for their own future. The school where I will be training uses many opportunities in the curriculum to help children to achieve economic wellbeing. The school provides learning opportunities for children to fundraise, in school or in an outside school setting. The school also encourages children to take on jobs in school such as taking responsibility for the school library or collecting the register. The school also provides leadership opportunities for pupils, such as becoming mentors or part of the school council. The school also actively promotes and embraces cultural difference and diversity. I could help children to achieve economic wellbeing by making them responsible for their dinner money and make it their responsibility to work out any change. I must ensure I encourage children to take on responsibilities in the school and in the class. There are many opportunities for learners to achieve economic wellbeing in subjects. For example I could use English to develop communication skills, and expressing views and ideas effectively. Learners could also develop their skills in obtaining information, analysing it, and evaluating it in science. P.E. could be used to teach children to work both as an individual and as part of team. When considering my personal development, my priority is to learn how to plan correctly, ensuring I use various learning environments and take into account the different childrens contexts. I will need to sit down with my School Based Trainer and maybe the classs last teacher, and consider each childs context. I will then be able to use this to personalise and differentiate planning. It will also inform me of the childrens interests, this will help me to plan for their interests and ensure they enjoy the lessons. ECM has greatly affected education and the way teachers teach. It has impacted many areas from, planning, safety, and dealing with behaviour. It has played a major part in radically reforming many children and young peoples services and lives. It is important however to not only praise the policy but also to criticise the policy in order for it to be developed and improved. This can be seen in the development from the Green Paper. At every stage the original policy aims were evaluated and then reset. For ECM to fully achieve its aims it is important that there needs to be multi-disciplinary work, and that teams and colleagues need to continuously reflect and evaluate. The overall effect of Every Child Matters and been massive, and Im sure that the results will continue to be seen for many years to come.

Critical Review of Two Articles with the Concept of Interpellation Essa

When creating the title for their book, which is dedicated to Stuart Hall, perhaps Paul Gilroy, Lawrence Grossberg and Angela McRobbie did not know that they not only found an exact citation to summarise all the works of this influencing cultural theorists, but also proposed the best phrase to describe Cultural Studies, that is "without guarantee". Indeed, Cultural Studies devotes itself to questioning knowledge "guaranteed" to be true in society and more important, to continuously raising debates as its fundamental method to avoid any "guaranteed" answer. As a central concept of Cultural Studies, "interpellation" precisely reflects those features. First proposed by Louis Althusser in his essay "Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses (Notes Towards an Investigation)" (1971), "interpellation" was defined as a process through which concrete individuals are addressed by ideology and then are produced as subjects. Since Althusser referred to churches, schools, family, communications , to name only a few, as a set of institutions practicing this function of ideology, he challenged social norms which seem to "naturally" come to us from those familiar environments. Although the concept has opened a new epoch in the research of identity, it has still subjected to several critical discussions for further developments. Through their selected works below, Mladen Dolar and John Law contributes to those debates two points of view on the ways in which interpellation is operated within our society and within each individual. The essay "Beyond Interpellation" (1993) of Mladen Dolar is largely based on his obsession of "a clean cut which can be followed on different levels" (p.75) existing in Althusserian theory. Dolar (1993) recognises this ... ... 6(2), pp.75-96. Foucault, M., 1972. The Archeology of Knowledge. New York: Pantheon. Hall, S., 1981. "The Whites of Their Eyes: Racist Ideologies and the Media". In G. Bridges and R. Brunt, eds. 1987, Silver Linings, London: Lawrence & Wishart. Larrain, J., 1991. Stuart Hall and the Marxist Concept of Ideology. In D., Morley & K. Chen, eds. 2007, Stuart Hall - Critical Dialogues in Cultural Studies, USA & Canada: Routledge. Law, J., 2000. 'On the Subject of the Object: Narrative, Technology, and Interpellation". Configurations, 8(1), pp. 1-29. Pà ªcheux, M., 1975, Les và ©rità ©s de La Palice, Paris: Maspero. Sawyer, Keith R., 2002. "A Discourse on Discourse: An Archaeological History of an Intellectual Concept". Cultural Studies, 16 (3), pp. 433–456. Weedon, C., 2004. Identity and Culture: Narratives of Difference and Belonging. Maidenhead: Open University Press.

The Contemporary Conflict of Values :: Morals Ethics Papers

The Contemporary Conflict of Values The conflict between values is the source of many conflicts and problems today. In contrast to the traditional conflict of values, the contemporary conflict is distinguished by these features: (1) extensiveness; (2) complicatedness; (3) profoundness; and (4) continuousness. The plurality and relativity of values is the primary cause of contemporary conflicts. The origin of pluralism lies in an interrelated trio of aspects: commodity economy, democratic politics, and individualism. The contemporary conflict of values is a historical process. Such conflict does not necessarily result in confusion; on the contrary, it can possibly lead to new and higher levels of harmony and vitality. In adjudicating value conflicts, we must (1) permit different values to coexist and respect different choices and the pursuits of values by different individuals; (2) consider the whole and the individual, the entire and the part, the long-term and the short-term, and attempt to have regard for both sides of the conflict; and (3) pursue the best and most suitable. 1. The conflict of values is not the unique phenomenon of our times but the common occurrence in both ancient and modern history. But the traditional conflict of values occurred largely in the moral realm, and its essence and focus lay in the conflict between individual and whole interests. In the premodern times there were also conflicts between various requirements of the same individual self, but this conflict was also moralized because personal life, either inner ideas or outeractions,were put into the scope of moral valuation. Furthermore, traditional morality was double-valued morality of good and evil, and only the requirements benefiting the whole or others was evaluated as moral. Therefore,the traditional conflict of values was in fact moral conflict between good and evil, and significance and function of morality just lay in adjusting and solving all those conflicts. Since the end of the 19th century,however,the conflict of values has become a universal phenomenon. In contrast with the traditional conflict of values, the contemporary conflict of values has four distinguishing charateristics: (1) Extensiveness. Contemporary society is a legalized society, whose greatest difference from moralized traditional society is that such society merely regulates the starting point, not all of people's action, and it does not regulate people's ideology. Thus in traditional society there was almost no possibility of choice in realms other than morality, while in contemporary society,in addition t law, there are many realms possible for people to choose, so that the conflict of values possibly may take place both in the legal realm and other realms.

Habits Speech Essay

It is commonly accepted that a person’s bad habits are bad. Right? Wrong. Today I’ll be giving some examples of habits of mine that are actually in a way, beneficial to me. ANGER – Ever since I remember, I’ve had the habit of getting angry very easily, but it turns out that letting off a head of steam may bring physical benefits. Researchers have found that people who respond to high-stress situations with some righteous anger maintain lower blood pressure and secrete less cortisol, known as the stress hormone, than people who respond with fear or bottle up their feelings. VIDEO GAMES – Despite being blamed for their part in the obesity epidemic, video games can actually help us get fit and lose weight. It turns out it actually boosts your metabolism! Whilst playing video games, a person’s heart rates speeds up; they used more energy and begin breathing faster. This could have a positive effect on health, provided they’re not substituted for real sport. SWEARING – Did you know that swearing is actually good for you? Yes, scientists have proven that swearing eases pain and allows you to withstand pain for longer. Swearing is connected to our adrenaline and when people swear, they have an elevated heart rate, so it could be that swearing increases their aggression levels. Increased aggression has been shown to reduce people’s sensitivity to pain. LAZING ABOUT – This kind of behavior is believed to add years to your life. People who get up early and busy themselves all day long are heading for an early grave. Lazing about is the key to a long life and an antidote to personal stress. People who would rather take a midday nap instead of playing squash have a better chance of living into old age. If you don’t believe me. An example of this is the increased lifespan of zoo animals – for instance lions in t he Serengeti live only eight years, but can live to an age of 20 in captivity. STRESS – Stress, while long periods of stress can leave your immune system depleted and prone to infection, researchers have found that a short stressful incident can boost your learning and memory. Acute stress increases transmission of glutamate, the substance that passes messages to and from the brain. This improves working memory. Stress hormones have both protective and damaging effects on the body. This is why we need stress to perform better, but don’t want to be stressed out. LOUD MUSIC – Most people believe that listening to music very loud is damaging to your ears. This may be true; however it also stimulates part of the inner ear known as the sacculus, which responds to the beat of music. The sacculus, has no hearing function in humans, but is sensitive only to very loud volumes. It has a connection to the part of the brain responsible for drives such as hunger and sex. When these desires are satisfied, the brain is stimulated into releasing feel-good hormones that make us calm, happy and responsive. FIDGETING – It may be irritating, but natural fidgets are doing themselves a favour by fighting obesity. Researchers have found that people who always seem to be on the go are more likely to be slim. The extra motion, whether it is tapping, twitching, stretching or yawning, accounts for an extra 350 calories a day. The amount of this low-grade activity is so large it could be the only thing keeping some from becoming obese. So the next time someone tells you to stop whatever habit it is you’re doing, because they don’t approve. Think twice, and ask yourself. Is it benefitting you!

Reflective essy

Self-reflection essay I remember first arriving in Haiti. The blast of heat stepping off the plane, cramming onto a mini school bus, and staring out the windows at the outskirts of Cap Haitian and the rural road to Milot. â€Å"I'm in Haiti†¦ † , I kept telling myself, trying to absorb all that I was seeing. The landscape, the way people live here, the norms of this culture were so different from anything I had seen before. We walked the streets of Milot that first day and I strongly recall the uncomfortable feeling of all eyes on us, the trash and the pigs in the rivers, and the children crying, â€Å"Blan!Blan! † as we walked past. It's funny what happens after youVe been in a place for a while. It ceases to be constantly foreign and overwhelming. I no longer see only abject poverty out the windows or while we walk through villages. I notice the details, walls painted bright blue, yellow, red, the heart design carved out of brick that make up the windows of every home, the bright red hibiscus flowers and cacti that form walls around each familys plot of land. When I walk through Milot now I expect people to stare, why wouldn't they?I say â€Å"bonjou† to them and smile, and get a â€Å"bonjou† and a smile ack. I look for the goat babies we pass on our runs, and am always comforted by the mountains surrounding this little town. Haiti is poor, yes, and I am reminded of that every day, but there is so much more to it than that. I wrote the above two paragraphs in my blog a little over a month into my trip to Haiti this summer. They sum up my feeling of becoming part of a place, as much as an American medical student can become part of a small Haitian town in 7 weeks. I had a truly amazing, fulfilling, and personally enriching experience.My first learning objective was, â€Å"to ain confidence in applying the clinical skills I have learned thus far, through working with patients every day. † I became very comfortable workin g through an interpreter, as this was the only way to communicate with every patient I interacted with. I had a lot of practice in conducting patient interviews, performing a targeted physical exam, and taking vitals. This opportunity was an amazing way to remember and fine tune all the skills I learned in medical interviewing, physical diagnosis, and CAP.Interviewing patients who speak English will seem a lot easier in comparison. My second learning objective was, â€Å"to learn how to ask public health questions and carry out meaningful research to improve the health of a population. † About half of our time in Haiti was dedicated to conducting a public health project. This was an incredible learning experience even before leaving the US. Three of us and our physician mentor applied for three IRB approvals as a group. That required a lot of research, teamwork, and delegation.We were able to get approval before leaving for Haiti, which let us hit the ground running. We spent about 2 days a week in small illages around Milot, working with translators and going door to door to interview women, or meeting large groups of midwives in village clinics. This experience was a true test of my patience and ability to put my type A, â€Å"get things done now' personality aside. Vans were always late to pick us up, the translators weren't high quality, and there were myriad miscommunications between us and the volunteer coordinator.Nevertheless, we managed to ge interviews conducted. I strongly believe that as a result of our research, positive developments will happen in Milot. This was a rewarding and challenging experience and even more ducational than I thought it would be going into it. My third learning objective was, â€Å"to strengthen my teamwork skills by working closely and effectively with other medical professionals. † I think my teamwork skills were honed best through working with two other students on our public health project.We all learned how to compromise, how to put our opinions forward effectively, and how to cede to other's opinions. We spent a lot of time and mental energy with each other without ever getting angry. There were times when we'd get frustrated with each other, but we were able to talk about it and move on. All seven of us students spent 2417 with each other for seven weeks and our collective ability to work together, to pick each other up when we were down, and to have fun together was like nothing IVe ever experienced.My final learning objective was, â€Å"to improve my communication skills and cultural competence while working with patients and other health care professionals with varied backgrounds and beliefs. † Of all my learning questions, this was perhaps the most important and the most difficult to successfully achieve. It will be a work in progress for my entire career, which is something I didn't really nderstand until this trip. It's not easy to put oneself, with one's own backgr ound, beliefs, and culturally created personality into another's shoes completely.It's also difficult to understand a culture so far removed from your own. Although I say it's difficult, I spent every single day in Haiti trying to improve my ability to do so. From working with doctors who often worked at a pace that made it seem as though they didn't care about their patients, to waiting for 3 hours for a late ride to a village, to the miscommunications that occurred frequently, every day was a conscious effort to nderstand the culture in which I found myself.Finally, I always heard about how hard it is to deal with the dysfunctional systems in third world countries, and I thought I understood. It's a whole different level of understanding when you see what that means on an individual human level in the eyes of the patients in front of you. And you are helpless to change the system. My time in Haiti I will remember, learn from, and be glad I did for the rest of my life. The things I learned, the relationships I made, and the experiences I had in those seven weeks would take a book to write down and do Justice to.

No choice to save land for endangered animals Essay

Nowadays, land supply is one of the critical world problems, which is considered carefully before using that limited land. People transform natural landscapes to human landscapes for farmland, housing, and industry, and it makes many serious problems to wildlife species. Especially to endangered animal, they will lose their shelters and face the end of their kinds. However, there is no choice for tremendous requirements of mankind. There are some main reasons to figure that people need to alter natural landscapes more important than to save for endangered animals. Most importantly, due to the world population keeps increase every year, people need more land to support their lives. In this case, housing issue is a very serious problem of almost every nation. For the large number of population, people cannot live in their limited places, and they need to find proper places to live in. For example, houses in cities are so expensive, that some people cannot afford, so they have the alter native of buying another place. Furthermore, land is needed for cultivation. According to urbanizations, farms which close to towns are lost, so it doesn’t have enough farms to produce food for people. Thus, some parts of forests are cut down for productivities of farmlands. These basic needs are unlikely to shorten but grow endlessly. In another point, human ambitions are not only for their living but also for their developments. In contemporary view, every country has their prospective goals to improve industrial factor that lead to use more land. Since industrial countries are rich and powerful, most developing countries are eagerly follow by trying to absorb as many as possible of investments to gain profit by changing investment climate. For instance, Cambodia tries to attract foreign ventures by providing land and reducing some strict conditions such as allowing foreign shareholders to buy up properties and so on. Last but not least, people need to facilitate their lives with tools and equipments. Similarly, light and heavy industry are grown beneficially in every country, and no one is able to restrict the industrial actions. In short, all these points cannot be omitted according to their functions. Human needs for farmland, housing, and industry are really necessary, and people do not have choice to save land for endangered animals.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 2

Elena couldn't have been out for more than a few seconds. When she came to, everything was the same – although she wondered how she hadn't lethal y cut her own throat on the knife. She knew that the tray with the dishes and cup had gone flying into the darkness in that first instant when she couldn't help flinging out her arms. But now she recognized the grip, she recognized the scent, and she understood the reason for the knife. And she was glad that she did, because she was about as proud of fainting as Sage would have been of doing it. She wasn't a fainter! Now she wil ed herself to sag in Damon's arms, except for where the knife was. To show him that she was no threat. â€Å"Hel o, princess,†a voice like black velvet said into her ear. Elena felt an inner shiver – but not of fear. No, it was more as if her insides were melting. But he didn't change his grasp on her. â€Å"Damon†¦Ã¢â‚¬ she said huskily, â€Å"I'm here to help you. Please let me. For your sake.† As abruptly as it had come, the iron grip was withdrawn from her waist. The knife stopped pressing into her flesh, although the sharp, stinging feeling at her throat was quite enough to remind her that Damon would have it ready. Substitute fangs. There was a click, and suddenly the room was too bright. Slowly, Elena turned to look at Damon. And even now, even when he was pale and rumpled and haggard from not eating, he was so gorgeous that her heart seemed to plummet into darkness. His black hair, fal ing every which way over his forehead; his perfect, carven features; his arrogant, sensual mouth – right now compressed into a brooding line†¦ â€Å"Where is it, Elena?†he asked briefly. Not what. Where. He knew she wasn't stupid, and, of course, he knew the humans in the boardinghouse were hiding the star bal from him deliberately. â€Å"Is that al you have to say to me?†Elena whispered. She saw the helpless softening in his eyes, and he took one step toward her as if he couldn't help himself, but the next instant he looked grim. â€Å"Tel me, and then maybe I'l have more.† â€Å"I†¦see. Wel , then, we made a system, two days ago,†Elena said quietly. â€Å"Everyone draws lots for it. Then the person who gets the paper with the X takes it from the center of the kitchen table and everyone goes to their rooms and stays there until the person with the star bal hides it. I didn't get the lot today, so I don't know where it is. But you can try to – test me.†Elena could feel her body cringing as she said the last words, feeling soft and helpless and easily hurt. Damon reached over and slowly slipped a hand beneath her hair. He could slam her head against a wal , or throw her across the room. He could simply squeeze her neck between knife and hand until her head fel off. Elena knew that he was in the mood to take out his emotions on a human, but she did nothing. Said nothing. Just stood and looked into her eyes. Slowly, Damon bent toward her and brushed his lips – so softly – against hers. Elena's eyes drifted shut. But the next moment Damon winced and slid the hand back out of her hair. That was when Elena gave another thought as to what must have become of the food she had been bringing to him. Near-scalding coffee seemed to have splashed her hand and arm and soaked her jeans on one thigh. The cup and saucer were laying in pieces on the floor. The tray and the cookies had bounced off behind a chair. The plate of steak tartar, however, had miraculously landed on the couch, right side up. There was miscel aneous cutlery everywhere. Elena felt her head and shoulders droop in fear and pain. That was her immediate universe right now – fear and pain. Overwhelming her. She wasn't usual y a crier, but she couldn't help the tears that fil ed her eyes. Damn! Damon thought. It was her. Elena. He'd been so certain an adversary was spying on him, that one of his many enemies had tracked him down and was setting a trap†¦someone who had discovered that he was as weak as a child now. It hadn't even occurred to him that it might be her, until he was holding her soft body with one arm, and smel ing the perfume of her hair as he held an ice-slick blade to her throat with the other. And then he'd snapped on a light and saw what he had already guessed. Unbelievable! He hadn't recognized her. He had been outside in the garden when he'd seen the door to the storage room standing open and had known that there was an intruder. But with his senses degraded as they were he hadn't been able to tel who was inside. No excuses could cover up the facts. He had hurt and terrified Elena. He had hurt her. And instead of apologizing he had tried to force the truth out of her for his own selfish desires. And now, her throat†¦ His eyes were drawn to the thin line of red droplets on Elena's throat where the knife had cut her when she'd jerked in fear before col apsing right onto it. Had she fainted? She could have died right then, in his arms, if he hadn't been fast enough in whipping the knife away. He kept tel ing himself that he wasn't afraid of her. That he was just holding the knife absentmindedly. He wasn't convinced. â€Å"I was outside. You know how we humans can't see?†he said, knowing he sounded indifferent, unrepentant. â€Å"It's like being wrapped in cotton al the time, Elena: We can't see, can't smel , can't hear. My reflexes are like a tortoise's, and I'm starving.† â€Å"Then why don't you try my blood?†Elena asked, sounding unexpectedly calm. â€Å"I can't,†Damon said, trying not to eye the dainty ruby necklace flowing down Elena's slim white throat. â€Å"I already cut myself,†Elena said, and Damon thought, Cut herself? Ye gods, the girl was priceless. As if she'd had a little kitchen accident. â€Å"So we might as wel see what human blood tastes like to you now,†Elena said. â€Å"No.† â€Å"You know that you're going to. I know you know. But we don't have much time. My blood won't flow forever. Oh, Damon – after everything†¦just last week – â€Å" He was looking at her too long, he knew. Not just at the blood. At the glorious golden beauty of her, as if the child of a sunbeam and a moonbeam had entered his room and was harmlessly bathing him in light. With a hiss, narrowing his eyes, Damon took hold of Elena's arms. He expected an automatic recoil like the one when he'd grabbed her from behind. But there was no movement backward. Instead there was something like the leap of an eager flame in those wide malachite eyes. Elena's lips parted involuntarily. He knew it was involuntarily. He'd had many years to study young women's responses. He knew what it meant when her gaze went first to his lips before lifting to his eyes. I can't kiss her again. I can't. It's a human weakness, the way she affects me. She doesn't realize what it is to be so young and so impossibly beautiful. She's going to learn someday. In fact, I might accidental y teach her now. As if she could hear him, Elena shut her eyes. She let her head fal back and suddenly Damon found himself half-supporting her weight. She was surrendering al thought of herself, showing him that despite everything she stil trusted him, stil †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦stil loved him. Damon himself didn't know what he was going to do as he bent toward her. He was starving. It tore at him like a wolf's claws, the hunger. It made him feel dazed and dizzy and out of control. Half a thousand years had left him believing that the only thing that would relieve the starvation was the crimson fountain of a cut artery. Some dark voice that might have come from the Infernal Court itself whispered that he could do what some vampires did, ripping a throat like a werewolf. Warm flesh might ease the starvation of a human. What would he do, so close to Elena's lips, so close to her bleeding throat? Two tears slipped from under the dark lashes and slid a little way down her face before dropping into golden hair. Damon found himself tasting one before he could think. Stil a maiden. Wel , that was to be expected; Stefan was too weak to stand yet. But on top of the cynical thought came an image, and just a few words: a spirit as pure as driven snow. He suddenly knew a different hunger, a different thirst. The only place to ease this need was close by. Desperately, urgently, he sought and found Elena's lips. And then he found himself losing al control. What he needed most was here, and Elena might tremble, but she didn't push him away. This close, he was bathed in an aura as golden as the hair he was touching gently at the ends. He was pleased himself when she shivered in pleasure, and he realized that he could sense her thoughts. She was a strong projector, and his telepathy was the only Power left to him. He had no idea why he stil had it, but he did. And right now he wanted to tune into Elena. The wench! She wasn't thinking at al ! Elena had been offering her throat, truly surrendering herself, abandoning al thought but that she wanted to aid him, that his wishes were hers. And now she was too deeply enmeshed in the kiss to even make plans – which was extraordinary for her. She's in love with you, the tiny part of him that could stil think said. She's never said so! She's in love with Stefan! something visceral answered. She doesn't have to say it. She's showing it. Don't pretend you haven't seen it before! But Stefan – ! Is she thinking about Stefan in the slightest right now? She opened her arms to the wolf-hunger in you. This is no one-day stand, no quick meal, not even a steady donor. This is Elena herself. Then I've taken advantage of her. If she's in love, she can't protect herself. She's stil a child. I have to do something. The kisses had now gotten to the point that even the tiny voice of reason was fading. Elena had lost her ability to stand. He was either going to have to put her down somewhere, or give her a chance to back out. Elena! Elena! Damn it, I know you can hear me. Answer! Damon? – faintly. Oh, Damon, now do you understand – ? Too well, my princess. I Influenced you, so I should know. You†¦? No, you're lying! Why should I lie? For some reason my telepathy is as strong as ever. I still want what I want. But you might want to think a minute, maiden. I don't need to drink your blood. I'm human and right now I'm ravenous. But not for that mess of bloody hamburger you brought me. Elena broke away from him. Damon let her go. â€Å"I think you're lying,†she said, meeting his eyes directly, her mouth kiss-swol en. Damon locked the sight of her inside the boulder ful of secrets he dragged around with him. He gave her his best opaque ebony stare. â€Å"Why should I lie?†he repeated. â€Å"I just thought you deserved a chance to make your own choice. Or have you already decided to abandon little brother while he's out of commission?† Elena's hand flashed up, but then she dropped it. â€Å"You used Influence on me,†she said bitterly. â€Å"I'm not myself. I would never abandon Stefan – especial y when he needs me.† There it was, the essential fire at her core, and the fiery golden truth. Now he could sit and let bitterness gnaw at him, while this pure spirit fol owed her conscience. He was thinking this, already feeling the loss of her dazzling light receding when he realized he no longer had the knife. An instant later, horror just catching up with his hand, he was snatching it from her throat. His telepathic blast was entirely reflexive: What in Hell are you doing? Killing yourself because of what I said? This blade is like a razor! Elena faltered. â€Å"I was just making a nick – â€Å" â€Å"You almost made a nick that spurted six feet high!†At least he was able to speak again, despite the constriction of his throat. Elena was back on stable ground too. â€Å"I told you I knew you knew you'd have to try blood before you'l try to eat. It feels as if it's flowing down my neck again. This time, let's not waste it.† She was only tel ing the truth. At least she hadn't seriously hurt herself. He could see that fresh blood was flowing from the new cut she'd so recklessly made. To waste it would be idiotic. Utterly dispassionate now, Damon took her again by the shoulders. He tilted up her chin to look at her soft, rounded throat. Several new ruby cuts were flowing freely. Half a mil ennium of instinct told Damon that just there was nectar and ambrosia. Just there was sustenance and rest and euphoria. Just here where his lips were as he bent to her a second time†¦and he had only to taste it – to drink†¦ Damon reared back, trying to force himself to swal ow, determined not to spit. It wasn't†¦it wasn't utterly revolting. He could see how humans, with their degraded senses, could make use of the animal varieties. But this coagulating, mineral-tasting stuff wasn't blood†¦ it had none of the perfumed bouquet, the heady richness, the sweet, velvety, provocative, life-giving, ineffable attributes of blood. It was like some sort of bad joke. He was tempted to bite Elena, just to skim a canine over the common carotid, making a tiny scratch, so he could taste the little burst that would explode onto his palate, to compare, to make sure that the real stuff wasn't in there somehow. In fact he was more than tempted; he was doing it. But no blood was coming. His mind paused in midthought. He'd made a scratch al right a scratch like a scuff. It hadn't even broken the outer layer of Elena's skin. Blunt teeth. Damon found himself pressing on a canine with his tongue, wil ing it to extend, wil ing it with al his cramped and frustrated soul to sharpen. And†¦nothing. Nothing. But then, he'd spent al day doing the same thing. Miserably, he let Elena's head turn back. â€Å"That's it?†she said shakily. She was trying so hard to be brave with him! Poor doomed white soul with her demon lover. â€Å"Damon, you can try again,†she told him. â€Å"You can bite harder.† â€Å"It's no good,†he snapped. â€Å"You're useless – â€Å" Elena almost slid to the floor. He kept her upright while snarling in her ear, â€Å"You know what I meant by that. Or would you prefer to be my dinner rather than my princess?† Elena simply shook her head mutely. She rested in the circle of his arms, her head against his shoulder. Little wonder that she needed rest after al he'd put her through. But as for how she found his shoulder a comfort†¦wel , that was beyond him. Sage! Damon sent the furious thought out on al the frequencies he could access, just as he had been doing al day. If only he could find Sage, al his problems would be solved. Sage, he demanded, where are you? No answer. For al Damon knew, Sage had managed to operate the Gateway to the Dark Dimension that was even now standing, powerless and useless, in Mrs. Flowers's garden. Stranding Damon here. Sage was always that blindingly fast when he took off. And why had he taken off? Imperial Summons? Sometimes Sage got them. From the Fal en One, who lived in the Infernal Court, at the lowest of the Dark Dimensions. And when Sage did get them, he was expected to be in that dimension instantly, in mid-word, in mid-caress, in mid – whatever. So far Sage had always made the deadline, Damon knew that. He knew it because Sage was stil alive. On the afternoon of Damon's catastrophic bouquet investigation Sage had left on the mantel a polite note thanking Mrs. Flowers for her hospitality, and even leaving his gigantic dog, Saber, and his falcon, Talon, for the protection of the household – a note doubtlessly pre-prepared. He had gone the way he always did, as unpredictably as the wind, and without saying good-bye. Undoubtedly he'd thought that Damon would find his way out of the problem easily. There were a number of vampires in Fel ‘s Church. There always were. The ley lines of sheer Power in the ground drew them even in normal times. The problem was that just now al those vampires were infested with malach – parasites control ed by the evil fox-spirits. They couldn't be lower in the vampire hierarchy. And of course Stefan was a complete nonstarter. Even if he hadn't been so weak that trying to change Damon into a vampire would have kil ed him; even if his anger over Damon's â€Å"stealing his humanity†could be assuaged, he would simply never have agreed, out of his feeling that vampirism was a curse. Humans never knew about things like the vampire hierarchy because the subjects didn't concern them – until suddenly, they did, usual y because they had just been changed into a vampire themselves. The hierarchy of vampires was strict, from the useless and ignoble to the fanged aristocracy. Old Ones fit in that category, but so did others who were particularly il ustrious or powerful. What Damon wanted was to be made a vampire by the kind of women Sage knew, and he was determined to have Sage find him a vampire lady of quality, one who was real y worthy of him. Other things tormented Damon, who had spent two entire sleepless days pondering them. Was it possible that the white kitsune who had given Stefan the bouquet had engineered a rose that turned the first person to smel it permanently human? That would have been Stefan's greatest dream. The white fox had listened to days upon days of Stefan's ramblings, hadn't he? He'd seen Elena weeping over Stefan. He'd seen the two lovebirds together, Elena hand-feeding a dying Stefan her blood through razor wire. Fortune only knew what ideas that fox had gotten into his furry white head when he'd prepared the rose that had â€Å"cured†Damon of his â€Å"curse.†If it turned out to be an irreversible â€Å"cure†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ If Sage turned out to be unreachable†¦ It suddenly broke into Damon's thoughts that Elena was cold. It was strange, since the night was warm, but she was shivering violently. She needed his jacket or†¦ She's not cold, the smal voice somewhere deep inside him said. And she's not shivering. She's trembling because of al you've put her through. Elena? You forgot all about me. You were holding me, but you completely forgot my existence†¦ If only, he thought bitterly. You're branded on my soul. Damon was suddenly furious, but it was different from his anger at kitsune and Sage and the world. It was the kind of anger that made his throat close and his chest feel too tight. It was an anger that made him pick up Elena's scalded hand, which was rapidly turning scarlet in patches, and examine it. He knew what he would have done as a vampire: stroked over the burns with a silky cool tongue, generating chemicals to accelerate the healing. And now†¦there was nothing he could do about it. â€Å"It doesn't hurt,†Elena said. She was able to stand now. â€Å"You're lying, princess,†he said. â€Å"The insides of your eyebrows are up. That's pain. And your pulse is jumping – â€Å" â€Å"You can sense that without touching me?† â€Å"I can see it, at your temples. Vampires,†with vicious emphasis on what he stil was, in essence, â€Å"notice things like that. I made you hurt yourself. And I can't do anything to help. Also† – he shrugged – â€Å"you're a beautiful liar. About the star bal , I mean.† â€Å"You can always sense when I'm lying?† â€Å"Angel,†he said wearily, â€Å"it's easy. You are either the lucky holder of the star bal today†¦or you know who is.† Again, Elena's head drooped in consternation. â€Å"Or else,†Damon said lightly, â€Å"the entire story of the drawing of the lots was a lie.† â€Å"Think what you like,†Elena said, with at least some of her usual fire. â€Å"And you can clean up this mess, too.† Just as she turned to leave, Damon had a revelation. â€Å"Mrs. Flowers!†he exclaimed. â€Å"Wrong,†Elena snapped. Elena, I wasn't talking about the star ball. I give you my word on this. You know how hard it is to lie telepathically – Yes, and I know that therefore, if there's one thing in the world you'd†¦practice†¦at†¦ She couldn't finish. She couldn't make the speech. Elena knew how much Damon's word meant to him. I'll never tell you where it is, she sent telepathical y to Damon. And I swear to you that Mrs. Flowers won't either. â€Å"I believe you, but we're stil going to see her.† He picked Elena up easily and stepped over the smashed cup and saucer. Elena automatical y grabbed his neck with both hands to balance herself. â€Å"Darling, what are you doing – ?†Elena cried, then stopped, wide-eyed, two scalded fingers flying to her lips. Standing in the doorway, not two yards away from them, was petite Bonnie McCul ough, a bottle of Black Magic wine, nonalcoholic but mystical y exhilarating, held high in her hand. But as Elena watched, Bonnie's expression changed al in an instant. It had been triumphant joy. But now it was shock. It was disbelief that couldn't hold. Elena knew exactly what she was thinking. The whole house had devoted itself to making Damon comfortable – while Damon stole what rightful y belonged to Stefan: Elena. Plus he'd lied about not being a vampire anymore. And Elena wasn't even fighting him off. She was cal ing him â€Å"darling†! Bonnie dropped the bottle and turned, running.