You Suck: A Love Story Chapter 11~13

Chapter Eleven Then, When They Woke Up â€Å"Oh my God, that stuff turned me completely orange.† â€Å"Not completely.† â€Å"I look like the Great Pumpkin.† â€Å"Good grief, Tommy, you do not.† Chapter Twelve Blood, Coffee, Sex, Magix – Not necessarily in That Order Just after sundown. They watched the coffee dripping out of the filter like they were distilling nitroglycerine and the slightest bit of inattention might cause an explosion. â€Å"It smells really good,† Jody said. â€Å"It's like I never noticed it before,† Tommy said. â€Å"You'd think it would smell sickening, since it's indigestible,† Jody said. The last time she'd taken a sip of coffee, her vampire system had rejected it so violently that she ended up convulsively dry-heaving on the floor, feeling like forks were twisting inside of her. â€Å"This might work,† Tommy said. â€Å"You ready?† â€Å"Ready.† He poured a tablespoonful or so of coffee into a glass cup. Then he uncapped one of the syringes that held William's blood and squirted a few drops into the coffee. â€Å"You first,† he said, swishing the cup around in front of her. â€Å"No, you,† Jody said. As good as the coffee smelled, the memory of her nausea held her back. Tommy shrugged and threw the coffee back like a tequila shooter, then set the cup down on the counter. Jody stepped back and snatched a tea towel off the fridge handle in preparation for the coffee's return trip. Tommy rolled his eyes, shuddered, then grabbed his throat and fell to the floor, twitching and choking. â€Å"Dying,† he croaked. â€Å"Suffering and dying.† Jody was barefoot and didn't want to stub her toe, so she pulled the kick to his ribs. â€Å"You suck, you know that.† Tommy rolled on the floor giggling, curling himself around her foot. â€Å"It works! It works! It works!† He sort of dog-humped her leg in rhythm and tugged at the hem of her robe. â€Å"You never have to be grumpy again!† Jody grinned. â€Å"Pour cups, grommet! Full cups.† Tommy climbed to his feet. â€Å"We don't even know the blood-to-coffee ratio yet.† â€Å"Pour!† Jody was in the fridge in an instant, grabbing another syringe. â€Å"We'll wing it.† The she heard the downstairs door open and spun on her heel. â€Å"William?† Tommy listened to the footfalls coming up the steps and shook his head. â€Å"Nope, too light.† They could hear the key fitting into the lock. â€Å"You said you didn't give her a key,† Jody said. â€Å"I said I didn't give her a key to the bedroom,† Tommy said. â€Å"Lord Flood, there's a stinky dead guy with a huge cat on your landing,† said Abby Normal as she came through the door. THE CHRONICLES OF ABBY NORMAL: Dedicated Servant of the Vampyre Flood I have been to the lair of the vampyre Flood. I am part of the coven! Kinda. Okay, back up. So I like slept till eleven, because we're on Christmas break, only it's called winter break now because Jesus is AN OPPRESSIVE ZOMBIE BASTARD AND WE DO NOT BOW DOWN TO HIS BIRTHDAY! At least not at Allen Ginsberg High School, we don't. (Go, Fighting Beatniks!) But it's all good, 'cause I'm going to have to get used to getting up later if I'm going to be a creature of the night. So, like first thing, I made some toast, and it burned, as black as my soul, and I was so bummed that my tears of despair fell like cold bits of crystal, to be destroyed on the unforgiving rocks of this miserable life. But then I saw that Mom had left a twenty out on the counter with a note: Allison (Allison is my day-slave name – my mom named me after some song by some Elvis guy, so I totally refuse to accept it), here's your lunch money, and please stop at Walgreens and pick up some RID shampoo for Ronnie's head lice. (Veronica is my sister, who is twelve and a total tumor on the ass of my existence.) So, I was like, Sweet! Starbucks! It took forever to pick what I was going to wear, and not just because I'd never rented an apartment before. The lightbulb burned out in my closet and we didn't have any extras, so I had to take everything out in the living room to look at it in the light. Like the song says, I wear black on the outside to reflect the black I feel on the inside, but OMG, it's impossible to tell one thing from another in a dark closet. Since it was going to be a business thing, I decided on my striped tights with my red PVC mini, my skull-and-crossbones hoodie, and my lime Converse All Stars. I went with just a plain stud in my nose, a barbell in my eyebrow, and a simple silver ring in my lip – understated and elegant. I carried my hot-pink biohazard messenger bag. Ronnie was all, â€Å"I wanna come with you, I wanna come with you,† but I pointed out that she was a scourge on humanity and that if she came along I would tell everyone on the bus she had lice, so she elected to stay home and watch toons. It was then that I ventured into the undiscovered country, and called the number that the vampyre Flood had given me. And the woman was totally a bitch. She was like, â€Å"Hello. Blah Blah Property Management.† And I was like, â€Å"I need to rent an apartment.† And she was all, â€Å"How many bedrooms and did you have an area in mind?† And I was all, â€Å"What's with all the questions, bitch? Are you some kind of thought police or something?† And she was like, â€Å"I'm just trying to help.† â€Å"Right, help. Like tuberculosis.† So she's all, â€Å"I beg your pardon,† like the queen of freakin' France or something. And then I remembered that I was supposed to ask for a specific person, so I was like, â€Å"Oh, I need to speak to Alicia DeVries, Is she there?† And the bitch connected me. So it turns out that Alicia DeVries is this crusty hippie who is like as old as my grandma, but wants to be all Earth Mother and everything, which I'm not against, because old hippies have the best pot and they'll just give it to you if you pretend not to notice that they're crusty and old. So Alicia picks me up in her crust-mobile rainbow peace-and-love Jeep CJ and I give her the requirements of the vampyre Flood, which were bedroom with no windows, a washer and dryer, private entrance with lockout, and, at least above the ground floor, windows looking down on the street. And she's all, â€Å"We have to have a Social Security number and driver's license number for the paperwork – you have to be eighteen.† So I'm, â€Å"My client will provide all the information you need, it's just that he's very busy and can't deal with pissant details during the day.† Then I waved the cash that Flood gave me and she went all spacey, overmeditated,  «namaste » on me, like it's not about the money when it's really about the money. Then she takes me to this loft, which it turns out is only like a half a block from the address where Flood said to meet him at sundown. Sweet! So I'm all, â€Å"Excellent, the master will be pleased.† And she's like, â€Å"I'll make you out a receipt.† Then she starts to lecture me about respecting myself as a woman, and not allowing myself to be subjugated to the desires of an older man and shit – like I'm this corporate fuck-puppet for some creepy businessman or something. I didn't want her to get suspicious and try to rescue me, so I'm like, â€Å"No, you misunderstand, I call him the master because he's the sensei of my jujitsu dojo – he's not boning me or anything.† Luckily I have an extensive martial-arts background from watching anime with Jared and I knew that one must never bone the sensei. So she like reaches over and pats my knee. All, â€Å"That's okay, sweetheart.† And I'm like, â€Å"Step off, rug-muncher!† I mean, I'm as bi as the next person, but not with some crusty old hippie – I need music and some X, and then only if some guy has rejected me and thrown my heart into the gutter like an abandoned vegetarian burrito – and even then I draw the line at making out. So she gave me the keys and took my money and just, like, left me there. So I called Lily, who came over with a two-liter of Diet Green Tea, a bag of Cheese Newts (I still hadn't had breakfast), and some book she found called The Big Book of Death. So we looked at the book, which is this how-to thing with great art, and drank tea and ate Cheese Newts until she had to go to work. I wanted to tell her about the vampyre Flood, but I promised that I would keep his secret, so all I told her was that I had discovered my Dark Lord, and he would soon satisfy my every desire and I couldn't tell her anything else. So she was all, â€Å"whatever, ho,† which is what I like about her – Lily is trs noir. So I walked over to the Sony Metreon and watched the flat-screens until it started to get dark. I was already about ready to pee with nervousness when I got to Flood's door, but then, just as I get my key in the door, this big Hummer limo pulls up, and these three college-age guys climb out followed by this blue woman in a silver dress with ginormous fake boobs. And they're all, â€Å"Where is Flood? We need to find Flood?† And she's all, â€Å"Where did you get the key? You need to let us in before it gets dark.† I'm not intimidated – because I know that her boobs are fake. And it's so obvious that they hunt the nosferatu that it's not even funny. Inside, I was like: â€Å"Ha, suck my spiky rubber strap-on, vampyre hunter!† But on the outside I was totally chill. And I'm like, â€Å"I don't know who you're talking about. This is my apartment.† Then I opened the door and inside, lying on the landing, there's this dead guy with a huge bald cat in a red sweater on his chest. And the cat hissed at me and I screamed just a little bit and slammed the door. â€Å"You have to go,† I said. â€Å"My boyfriend is naked and he gets mad if strangers see his enormous unit.† I looked right at the blue bitch when I said that, like: Oh yeah, some of us are confident enough in our own femininity that we don't need fake tits to get a guy with a huge unit. And the black guy is like, â€Å"I just talked to Flood here last night.† And I was like, â€Å"Yeah, he moved.† Then the Asian guy checked his watch and was like, â€Å"Dude, too late, it's officially sunset.† And it was like it was on cue or something, the cat on the dead guy let out a long scary yowl, and even the blue skank backed away toward the limo. â€Å"You'd better go now,† I said, all ominous and full of foreboding and dread. And she was all, â€Å"We'll be back.† And I was like, â€Å"So?† So they went. But then I had to get past the cat and the dead guy and go up the steps. I have to say, that as much as I'm all about the peace of the grave and the glorious gloomth of the nonliving and all, it's different when there's a real dead guy you have to walk over, not to mention a really big, angry cat in a sweater. NOTE TO SELF: Always carry Kitty Treats for Self-Defense (because evidently they don't like Skittles, which I tried). Since I didn't have any kitty treats, I got by the preternaturally big-ass cat by opening the door wide and yelling, â€Å"Hey, kitty, go away!† Much to my amazement, the cat ran out of the doorway and hid under a parked car. It was like I already had vampyre powers to command the Children of the Night. Then I had to get past the dead guy on the landing, which was sort of like dead-guy hopscotch, but I got up the stairs and managed only to step on one of his arms. I was hoping he really was dead, and not one of the nosferatu, because then he might be pissed off when he rose. He certainly smelled dead, the fetid stench of the charnel house emanated from him like a foul miasma of evil, as they say in the books. So I opened the door, and I go, â€Å"Lord Flood, there's a stinky dead guy with a huge cat on your landing.† Thinking that I would get total loyal-servant brownies. Then I saw her, the ancient vampyre mistress – her skin like alabaster, or you know, no zits at all, and she seemed to glow with inner power. I could see why even a powerful vampyre like Flood might be helpless under her awesome strengths, gathered over the ages by sucking the lifeblood of thousands of helpless victims, probably kids. And she was like, drinking a cup of coffee out of a Garfield mug, as if flaunting her immortality in the face of us petty, insignificant mortals. She had on only a bathrobe, which was partly open in front, so you could see that she had like great cleavage, ancient total skank that she was. So I'm like, â€Å"Hi.† And she's like, â€Å"So, Wednesday, you know Buffy's not a real person, right?† Bitch. â€Å"What do you mean, dead?† Tommy said. He ran to the door and flung it open. â€Å"He's not here.† He bolted down the steps in his bare feet, leaving Jody standing across the breakfast bar from Abby. â€Å"I'm going to look for him,† Tommy called. The downstairs door closed, the lock clicked. Jody pulled her robe closed when she saw Abby Normal staring. She could hear the girl's heart pounding, could see her pulse beating in her neck, could smell nervous sweat, clove cigarettes, and some kind of cheese snack. They stared at each other. â€Å"I found you an apartment, Mistress,† Abby said. She dug into the pocket of her hoodie and came out with a rent receipt. â€Å"Call me Jody,† Jody said. Abby nodded conspiratorially, like she was acknowledging it was only a code name. She was a cute kid, in a scary, will-probably-poison-the-dog-and-then-molest-him kind of way. Jody had never really had a problem with younger women as competition. After all, she was only twenty-six, and with the extreme antiaging treatment she'd gained from her vampirism, right down to her baby toes straightening out and every freckle she'd ever had disappearing, she felt superior, even a tad maternal toward Abby, who was a little knock-kneed in her red plastic skirt and green sneakers. â€Å"I'm Abby,† Abby said, and she curtsied. Jody choked, sprayed coffee out her nose, and turned quickly so as not to laugh in Abby's face. â€Å"Are you okay, Mistress – I mean, Jody?† â€Å"No, I'm fine.† It was strange just how sensitive the vampire sinus is to hot liquids. Jody was sure that she might never smell anything but bloody French roast again, and her eyes were watering, or so she thought, but when she turned back around, Abby jumped back six feet and yelped. â€Å"Holy shit!† Abby had backed against the futon frame and was about to tumble over backwards. Jody was around the breakfast bar, steadying the girl in less than a tenth of a second – which caused Abby to jump straight into the air about three feet. Jody could tell the girl was going to fall. Abby was going to come down with one foot on the back of the futon frame, one in midair, and she was going to tumble over and land on her shoulder and head on the hardwood floor. Jody saw this coming, could have caught Abby and set her gently on her feet, but instead, she felt that maternal instinct kick in – the realization that if the child didn't take a knock or two, she'd never learn – so Jody stepped back into the kitchen, where she picked up her coffee and watched as the kid hit. â€Å"Ouch!† Said Abby, now a black-and-red heap on the floor. â€Å"Boy, that looked like it hurt,† Jody said. Abby was on her feet, limping and rubbing her head. â€Å"What the fuck, Countess? I thought you had my back.† â€Å"Yeah, sorry,† Jody said. â€Å"Why the freak-out?† â€Å"There's blood running down your face. I guess it startled me.† Jody dabbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her robe, leaving little red spots on the white terry cloth. â€Å"Well, would you look at that?† She was trying to be casual, trying to act like someone four or five hundred years old might behave, but the blood tears were disturbing her more than a little. Change the subject. â€Å"So, this apartment you found, where is it?† â€Å"Don't you want to wait for Flood?† Abby asked. â€Å"Flood? What Flood?† â€Å"Flood, the orange-colored vampire who just ran out the door.† â€Å"Oh, him,† Jody said. Tommy and his tanning lotion. He was out running around on the street with no shirt or shoes. Orange. â€Å"Was he orange?† Abby threw out her nearly nonexistent hip. â€Å"Hello? You're crying blood and your partner is orange and you didn't notice? Do you guys get senile over the years or what?† Jody set her cup down on the counter, just to make sure that it didn't shatter in her hand. She drew on her experience working in the claims department at Transamerica, where her immediate supervisor was a complete ass-bag, and it took everything she could do, every minute of the day, not to bang the woman's skull repeatedly in a filing drawer. She liked to think of it as her professional face. So instead of snapping Abby's pale little neck, she smiled, counting to ten as she did. At ten, she said, â€Å"Go get him. Bring him back.† Another smile. â€Å"Okay, sweetie?† â€Å"But why is he orange?† â€Å"The shedding is upon him,† Jody said. â€Å"Every hundred years or so, we shed our skin, and a few weeks prior we turn orange. It's a very dangerous time for us. So please, go find him.† Abby nodded furiously and backed away toward the door. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Really,† Jody said, nodding gravely. â€Å"Quick, away with you, the time of the shedding is upon him.† She waved toward the door the way she thought a five-hundred-year-old countess might. (Where did the countess thing come from, anyway?) â€Å"Right,† Abby said, and she took off out the loft door and down the steps after Tommy. Jody went to the bathroom and used a damp washcloth to wash the blood tears off her face. I may actually be evil, she thought. She knew it should bother her more, being evil and all, but after she put on a little mascara and some lipstick and poured herself another cup of blood-laced coffee, she found that she was okay with it. Chapter Thirteen Moving Day Jody sipped her coffee and sighed, satisfied, like she'd just had a gentle coffee orgasm, the sort of pleasurable release you only see people have in commercials for froufrou coffee and hemorrhoid cream. This blood-beverage phenomenon added a whole new twist to their lives. A glass of wine? A diet cola maybe – wait, screw diet – a sugary, teeth-rotting cola. What about solid food? Sure, being a godlike creature of the night was great, but what about a jelly donut? French fries? She was Irish, she felt a deep-seated need for potatoes. She was musing on the idea of heading up to McDonald's on Market Street and spooging a syringe full of William's blood all over a supersized box of deep-fried nirvana when the phone rang. The caller ID number was blocked, it just said mobile. It might be Tommy. He'd activated the disposable mobile phones they'd bought, but he probably hadn't written down the numbers. â€Å"Hey, pumpkin,† Jody said. She heard a clattering at the other end of the line. â€Å"Sorry, I dropped the phone.† Oops. Not Tommy. â€Å"Who is this?† â€Å"Uh, it's, uh, it's Steve. I'm the med student who called you about your condition.† He'd found her when she'd gone to a Blood Drinkers Anonymous meeting in Japan Town, which turned out to be a bunch of nerds with problems distinguishing fantasy from reality. Had watched her from a distance and called her on a pay phone from blocks away, ready to jump in his car and bolt if she came near him. He knew what she was. He'd said that he had examined one of the bodies left by the old vampire. Elijah had snapped their necks so the bodies would be found, instead of turning to dust. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"Well, like I said, I'm a med student at Berkeley. Actually, I'm in research. Gene therapy.† â€Å"Yeah, next lie, please.† Jody's mind was going ninety miles and hour. Too many people knew about her. Maybe she and Tommy should have left town. â€Å"What lie?† Steve asked. â€Å"Berkeley doesn't have a med school,† Jody said. â€Å"So what do you want?† â€Å"I don't want anything. I've been trying to tell you, I've studied the blood of the victims. I think I may be able to reverse your condition. Turn you back. I just need some time in the lab with your blood.† â€Å"Bullshit, Steve. This isn't biology.† â€Å"Yes it is. I told your boyfriend the night you turned him.† â€Å"How did you know†¦?† â€Å"I was on the phone with him when you told him you were going to be together for a very long time.† â€Å"Well, that was rude, just listening like that.† â€Å"Sorry. I've managed to get cloned cells from the throats of victims to revert to their natural human state.† â€Å"Which is dead,† Jody said. â€Å"No, living cells. I just need to meet with you.† He'd pressed this before, and Jody had been willing to meet with him, but unfortunately, while she was sleeping, Tommy had put her in the freezer for a few days and she'd missed the appointment. â€Å"No meeting, Steve. Forget you know anything about this. You'll have to write your dissertation on something else.† â€Å"Well, take my number if you change your mind, okay?† He gave her the number and Jody wrote it down. â€Å"It's a burner cell phone,† Steve said, â€Å"So you can't find me through it.† â€Å"I don't want to find you, Steve.† â€Å"I promise I won't reveal your – your condition to anyone, so you don't need to find me.† â€Å"Don't worry,† Jody said. â€Å"I don't want to find you.† Get over yourself, she wanted to add. â€Å"What about the other one you warned me about?† Jody looked at the bronze statue that held Elijah Ben Sapir. â€Å"He won't bother you either.† â€Å"Oh, good.† â€Å"Steve?† â€Å"Yeah?† â€Å"If you tell anyone, I'll find you, and I'll slowly snap every bone in your body before I kill you.† Jody tried to make it sound cheerful, but the threat sort of cut through the bright, friendly lilt in her voice. â€Å"Okay then. Bye.† â€Å"Yeah,† Jody said. â€Å"You take care.† â€Å"The shedding?† Tommy said as he came through the door. Jody stood at the counter in her new red leather jacket, boots, and mist-tight black jeans. Jody could hear Abby locking the downstairs door, so they had a few seconds alone. â€Å"Look, did you want me to tell her you were just a big orange doofus?† â€Å"I guess not. Hey – â€Å" â€Å"She calls you Flood?† â€Å"I couldn't tell her ‘Tommy. I'm her dark lord. Your dark lord can't be named Tommy. ‘Flood' has an air of power.† â€Å"And dampness.† â€Å"Yeah, it's got the dampness thing going for it, too.† Abby came in, breathing hard. She'd been sweating and her eyeliner was running in two black streaks down her cheeks. â€Å"We didn't find him. I could have sworn he was dead. He smelled like it.† â€Å"You got something against dead people?† Jody said – tough-guy voice. â€Å"Are you saying there's something wrong with dead people? Is that what you're saying? Are you saying you're too good for the dead, is that what you're saying?† Abby stepped behind Tommy and peeked around. The kid was still out of breath from trying to keep up with Tommy, and now she was frightened, too. â€Å"No, Mistress, I think the nonliving are great. I'm all about dead people. I have a ‘I Fuck the Dead' T-shirt even. I can wear it tomorrow if you want. I didn't mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's okay, Abby,† Jody said, waving it off. â€Å"Just fucking with you.† â€Å"Jody!† Tommy said, scolding. â€Å"Don't scare the minion.† â€Å"Sorry,† Jody said, thinking, once again, that she might be evil. â€Å"What about the new apartment. Did you look at it?† â€Å"We went by it. It's only a few doors down. We don't even have to cross the street.† â€Å"You think that's far enough? They won't find us there?† â€Å"Well, at least they won't find us here. I don't think anyone's going to think that we'd only move a few doors down. They'll think we've at least left the City. What kind of idiot would only move a few doors away? It's brilliant.† â€Å"Plus an easy move,† Jody said. â€Å"You guys can do it without a truck.† â€Å"You guys?† â€Å"Well, I've got to find William, and you can't exactly run around until the shedding has subsided. Abby, do you have enough makeup to cover his face and hands?† â€Å"Tons,† Abby said. She held up her messenger bag. â€Å"But I can only help for a little while. I have to get home.† â€Å"Why?† Tommy asked. â€Å"We require your services.† He meant to sound sophisticated and European, but it came out sounding lecherous. â€Å"He means moving,† Jody said. â€Å"I've got his other services covered.† â€Å"I can't,† Abby said. â€Å"My sister has lice.† â€Å"So,† Abby said, â€Å"the countess is kind of a bitch.† â€Å"No, she's just a dark creature of unspeakable evil,† Tommy said. He had the futon on his back and was making his way down the street as Abby followed him with a lamp in one hand and a blender in the other. â€Å"In a nice way,† he added – thinking that maybe he'd already made enough of an impression on Abby. Although it was early in the evening, and it was a little unusual to see a guy walking down the street carrying a futon, followed by a Goth girl carrying a lamp and a blender, it was just unusual enough that people would have felt stupid if they asked what was going on and someone pointed out it was modern dance, or performance art, or people robbing an apartment. San Francisco is a city of sophisticates, and except for a homeless guy who remarked on the tackiness of Tommy's Pier 1 Imports decor, they had moved half of the furniture and clothing without comment. â€Å"Do you need to feed?† Abby asked when they got back to the old loft. They were standing in the living room, where there was little left except some bookcases and the three bronze statues. â€Å"Huh?† Tommy replied. â€Å"I'm guessing that you need to feed,† Abby said, pulling her hoodie aside and offering up her neck. â€Å"And I have to get going. I have to get to Walgreens and catch the bus home before the parental unit goes critical. Go ahead. I'm ready.† She closed her eyes and started breathing hard, as if bracing for the pain. â€Å"Take me, Flood. I'm ready.† â€Å"Really?† Tommy said. Abby opened one eye. â€Å"Well yeah.† â€Å"You're sure?† Tommy hadn't bitten another woman. He wasn't sure if it might not be cheating. What if the whole sex thing went off the way it did with Jody? That kind of activity would kill a normal human woman, plus, he was pretty sure that Jody would not approve. â€Å"Maybe a little from the wrist,† Tommy said. Abby opened her eyes and pulled up her sleeve. â€Å"Of course, so you don't leave the mark of nosferatu.† She said it with a hiss – nasss – sssss – fer-a-too – like she was speaking snake. â€Å"Oh, it won't leave any marks,† Tommy said. â€Å"You'll heal up like instantly.† He was starting to feel the hunger rise in him, he could feel his fangs pressing down from the roof of his mouth. â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Oh yeah, Jody bit me almost every night before I changed over, and no one ever noticed down at the store.† â€Å"The store?† Oops. â€Å"The ye olde porridge and leeches store, where I worked, in the ye old days.† â€Å"I thought you were a lord?† â€Å"Well, yeah, I mean, I owned the store, and some serfs, and scullery maids – couldn't get enough of the scullery maids – but I put in a shift now and then. You know, help to stir the porridge and inventory the leeches. Serfs will steal you blind if you don't watch them. Well, enough business, let's get to that feeding.† He took her wrist and pulled it to his mouth, then stopped. She was looking at him, one eyebrow sort of cocked in the air, and there was a silver ring in it, so it felt more incredulous than a normal eyebrow. He dropped her arm. â€Å"You know, maybe you should get home before you get in trouble. I wouldn't want my minion on restriction.† Abby looked hurt now. â€Å"But, Lord Flood, have I offended you? Am I not deserving?† â€Å"You were looking at me like you thought I was fucking with you,† Tommy said. â€Å"Weren't you?† â€Å"Well no. This is a two-way street, Abby. I can't ask for your loyalty if I don't give you trust in return.† He couldn't believe the bullshit that was coming out of his mouth. â€Å"Oh, okay then.† â€Å"Tomorrow night,† Tommy said. â€Å"I'll bleed you within an inch of your life, I promise.† The things you never think you'll hear yourself say. Abby rolled down her sleeve. â€Å"Okay then. Will you be able to get the rest by yourself?† â€Å"Sure. Vampire powers. Duh.† He laughed, waving at the heavy bronze statues like they were nothing. â€Å"You know,† Abby said, â€Å"the man and the turtle are cool, but that woman statue, you should get rid of that. She looks kind of skanky.† â€Å"You think?† Abby nodded. â€Å"Yeah. Maybe there's some church or something that you could donate it to. Like, to show how you don't want your daughter to grow up. Oh, sorry, Lord Flood, I didn't mean to say church.† â€Å"No, I'm okay,† Tommy said. â€Å"I'll walk you out.† â€Å"Thanks,† Abby said. He followed her downstairs and held the door to the street, then at the last minute, as she was walking away, she turned and kissed him quickly on the cheek. â€Å"I love you, Lord Flood,† she whispered in his ear. Then she turned and ran up the sidewalk. Tommy felt himself blush. Dead as he was, he felt heat rise in his cheeks. He turned and trudged back up the steps, feeling the full weight of his four, maybe five hundred years of life. He needed to talk to Jody. How long could it take to find one drunk guy with a giant cat? He dug his cell phone out of his pocket and dialed the number of the phone he'd given Jody. He could hear it ringing on the kitchen counter where she had left it.

Animal Protection Decision Essay

In â€Å"Why Do Species Matter? †, Lilly-Marlene Russow argues that humans have a moral obligation to protect and to ensure the continued existence of things of aesthetic value which includes some but not necessarily all animals. In this paper, I will argue that the subjectivity involved in determining aesthetic value makes it an insufficient element for determining moral obligation to the protection and preservation of some animals. Russow begins the argument by separating humanity’s obligations toward species from obligations to individual members of a species. This is to allow consistency with the disapproval of speciesism. Russow admits that by protecting individual animals we may, as a byproduct, protect some endangered species but members of the endangered species should be treated no differently than those of a flourishing one. She states that the concept of having interests, as it relates to determining value, cannot be applied to species but rather only to individual animals. Russow then uses several test cases to draw some conclusions about humanity’s confusion around what a species really is and what it is about certain species that we are trying to preserve or, in some cases, we do not care to preserve. Next, Russow provides objections to three traditional arguments for why species do matter. The first is the argument for stewardship which Russow dismisses due to its assumption that species are valuable. The second is the argument for extrinsic value of species regarding their contribution to big picture of life. Russow objects to three different extrinsic value perspectives by 1) stating that we cannot use a specie’s declination as a sign that humans are doing something wrong because that cannot account for unforeseen events, 2) stating that not every species is required for ecological stability, and 3) denying the evolutionary chain argument because extinction and development of species are both part of evolution. The third argument objected to by Russow is the argument for intrinsic value. Ironically, Russow’s main objection to this argument is the same objection that debunks her own argument. What gives intrinsic value? How much intrinsic value does something have? Drilling into intrinsic value further, Russow objects the biodiversity view claiming if diversity is virtuous than we would be obligated to create as many new species as possible, however useless they may be. She also objects to the aesthetic value view of species in that other benefits, such as economic, may override aesthetic value of a species. However, Russow does believe that the aesthetic value view is correct but must be applied more granularly to individual members of species. Russow argues that humans value the aesthetics presented by a single member of a species, not the species itself giving the example of valuing the beauty of a specific Bengal tiger we might encounter but not the species Panthera tigris. She also argues that we value the continued existence of â€Å"individuals like that† which sounds very similar to species. This is odd since the argument for aesthetic value related to species was previously objected by Russow. I argue that aesthetic value is a very subjective concept that is incapable of providing information that would be useful in determining the fate of some animals. Furthermore, aesthetic value is not an appropriate measure for making any relative comparisons to other individuals’ aesthetic value or other worldly good things or benefits in order to make logical decisions concerning the individuals in question. Much like the case of inherent value, there is not a reliable method for determining what has aesthetic value or not. Russow uses the rarity of encountering a member of a species and the desire to see a member of a species again as possible qualifiers for assigning aesthetic value. Other factors include beauty, intriguing environmental adaptations, and awesomeness. However, not all humans are going to consider these factors equally when determining aesthetic value of an animal. For instance, using Russow’s Case 1 as an example, one person may admire the survival techniques of the snail darter enough to protest the building of the dam while another person may not care at all about the snail darter’s existence because they are disgusting and unnecessary. One objection to my argument concerning the subjectivity of aesthetic value may be an appeal to the majority. Opponents may draw a comparison to the case of moral good and evil. A heavy majority of people believe that murder is wrong. Society determines murderers are immoral and governs accordingly. Therefore, if many people find something to be beautiful that a minority finds ugly, the case might be made that the minority is incorrect or somehow lacks the proper aesthetic judgment to make a proper determination of the thing’s value. To tackle this argument, I look no further than my own home. My wife is ophidiophobic, i. e. she has an irrational fear of snakes. I on the other hand greatly admire the beauty and intrigue of snakes. If there were a vote to be made on whether to annihilate a rare species of snakes in order to develop the land which they reside, I would most likely vote against. Conversely, my wife would rally supporters and be first in line to vote for eradicating the snakes; simply for the fact the snakes would be gone. Even if it was known that these snakes ate some kind of potentially harmful insect that would not matter to her. A 2001 study from Gallup, Inc. suggests up to 50% of Americans may possess a fear of snakes so I feel she would not be alone in this decision. We cannot determine who is right or wrong in this situation. I can’t say my wife is wrong because no snake will ever have a drop of aesthetic value to her. Meanwhile, to argue against a case for preserving a snake population to aid in eliminating a harmful insect population doesn’t seem correct either. This leads back to my original objection which is that there is simply too much subjectivity involved in determining aesthetic value for the idea to be relevant in decision making related to the protection of animals.

Allogeneic MCSs to make Cartilage for Knee Function

Allogeneic MCSs to make Cartilage for Knee Function    INTRODUCTION: – 1.1 What is Osteoarthritis? Articular cartilage is a highly resilient hyaline tissue composed of chondrocytes and surrounded by extracellular matrix present in a joint which act as shock absorber, protects the bones from the friction and wear and helps in smooth movement of the joint (Bhumiratana et al. 2014). Osteoarthritis is a disease of joint where lack of cartilage causes musculoskeletal pain and restriction of the movement or disability of the joint for the patient. (Ahmed and Hincke, 2010) (Duthey, 2015). Reasons for cartilage damage are: – The impact / blow caused during sport activities or accident Wear and tear because of overuse of a joint (Observed in elderly people) Lack of movement (Medical News Today, 2017) Figure No.1. Osteoarthritis Affected Region Image Source: – www.osteoosteoOsteoarthritisresearchuk.org Osteoarthritis can affect any joint present in the body. As the knee-joint Osteoarthritis is the most commo n type of Osteoarthritis, in this report, we will discuss about knee-joint Osteoarthritis only. Tibiofemoral and patellofemoral are the two articular surfaces that the knee consists of. As it can be seen in the below image, the damaged cartilage, reduces the gap between joint and friction is generated between the bones which ultimately results in bone erosion and causes muscle pain or inflammation or restriction to the movement. Figure No.2. Osteoarthritis affected Knee Image Source: – http://www.bupa.co.uk/health-information/directory/o/Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis is estimated to affect 250 million people worldwide. Osteoarthritis sufferers include men and women, children and adults. And according to World Health Organization, 30% of men and women over the age of 65 have Osteoarthritis (Woolf and Pfleger, 2003). Worldwide, 9.6% of men and 18.0% of women over the age of 60 years have symptomatic Osteoarthritis. Approximately 80% of those with Osteoarthritis will have limit ations in movement, and 25% cannot perform their major activities of daily life (Duthey, 2015). Figure No.3. Prevalence of Osteoarthritis of Knee Image Source: – Burden of major musculoskeletal conditions, Bulletin of the WHO 2003 1.2 Treatments available for Osteoarthritis: – There are various ways to cure Osteoarthritis when it is at the initial level, such as: – Exercise and weight loss Bracing Medication Viscosupplementation Nutritional supplements (Duthey, 2015). But when it becomes incurable by exercise and medication, surgical operations must be performed. Surgical procedures include: – Debridement i.e. Smoothening of the cartilage using surgical instruments Marrow Stimulation, a treatment which helps in regrowth of cartilage in the joint (but this process is less reliable) (Treatment Options for Osteoarthritis in the Knee, 2017). Mosaicplasty, a process where the cartilage from some other joint of body is used. But this process h as size limitations (Medical News Today, 2017). Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation, a treatment in which a small part of no-load bearing cartilage is removed from the joint of the patient by Arthroscopy, regrown and multiplied in the laboratory and then implanted back in the body by a procedure called arthrotomy. (Cartilage Repair, 2017) (Ahmed and Hincke, 2010) (Duthey, 2015). Even though the Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation seems effective and easy, it has many disadvantages such as: – The patient’s cartilage sample must be removed by a medical procedure, marked/tagged and treated separately just like blood sample. This treatment requires big Logistics and Supply Chain. It requires a lot of time (approximately 6 weeks) for cells to multiply. Hence, till then the patient will suffer from pain (Peretti et al. 2000). 1.3 Proposed Treatment for Osteoarthritis: –

Principal and Vice Principals Leadership Styles Research Paper

Principal and Vice Principals Leadership Styles - Research Paper Example Educational management can be described through the management and leadership theories. Bush (2003) identified various models that describe the two main theories. The management theory can be classified into six models that include; formal, collegial, political, subjective, uncertainty, and cultural models. The six models that describe leadership theories in education management include; the moral model, contingency leadership, transactional and managerial leadership, the post-modern as well as participative leadership styles. The formal models describe a hierarchical arrangement in the management structure. In this model, the school heads treat the institution as a system where bureaucracy is maintained (Bush, 2002). There is a system of instruction which is usually top-down while reporting must follow the various ranks to the top. This model is evident in Matador High School. The principal is the overall head and the vice principal reports to him. The vice principal acts as a middl e-level manager in contemporary organizations, supervising the teaching staff, but he too has some lessons that he teaches. All teachers are accountable to the principle and have performance targets that are set for the accomplishment of the overall goal of the school. The formal management structure is matched with the managerial leadership of the principal. This is a leadership style where managers are focused on their purpose in helping the organization to accomplish their objectives. They ensure that all processes are accomplished according to plan and that every person is in the designated place at the right time (Cheng, 2002). Leadership in Matador was top down with the teachers being expected to behave and accomplish tasks according to the laid out procedures in the school.  Ã‚  

Corporal punishment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Corporal punishment - Essay Example Although corporal punishment’s aim is to impose discipline, parents, guardians and the like must carefully re-consider its effects on the child’s emotional, psychological, and physical well-being. In effect, corporal punishment is not an option in disciplining a child, but is basically a threat towards the child’s overall development. By definition, corporal punishment is the deliberate infliction of pain, intended to correct behavior or to punish (Wikipedia, 2006). Various efforts in support of this corporal punishment attest that such form of discipline must be considered as the pains an individual suffer early in life is translated into feelings of emotional wholeness. Children who underwent corporal punishment strive harder to reach greater goals in life. Proponents of this concept emphasize that fact that it is the most effective form of discipline, particularly for uncontrollable and unmanageable children. Delinquent children are uncontrollable simply because they think their parents do not care about whatever they do. At times, they think their actions are admissible due to their parents’ lack of interest. On the extreme side, their parents do dissuade them against harm’s way, but in effect these types of children are still unthreatened by their parents’ disciplining ways. As the end justifies the means, corporal punishment becomes the only viable solution to delinquent children or to those children who have uncontrollable behavior. Furthermore, it is the easiest way to impose and manage discipline. In addition, parents’ use of harder forms of physical punishment may have less impact on a child, as opposed to the use of emotional violence. There are children who view corporal punishment as a way to feel the love and respect of their parents. By means of spanking, children are able to perceive that their parents still care for them; hence they still spend time and attention through the discipline they impose. If

Rapid Change in Sentencing Processes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Rapid Change in Sentencing Processes - Essay Example In addition, use of evidence-based research has also enhanced fairness in the sentencing process. In a bid to promote peace and unity in the country through the sentencing and correction process, the state adopted the restorative and community justice (Allen, Latessa and Ponder, 2009). This program provides new ways of viewing and responding to crimes in the country. The fundamental assumption of this program is that crime is destructive and results in poor relationship ties in the community. The sentence decision-making process involves the offender and the victim with the rest of community members free to contribute their views. Though this program is in effect in the country, it is only useful in limited cases. The program is adopted in cases that involve juveniles and minor offenses in the society. In addition, the decision of the Supreme Court to abolish the mandatory use of federal sentencing guidelines also impacted positively on the sentencing process. In the past decades, the government expected judges to follow the federal guidelines strictly to determine cases. These guidelines provided a range of jail terms for different cases committed. Besides the guidelines provided exact fines for various offenses committed. The decision of the Supreme Court gave judges freedom to perform their work efficiently. The decision meant judges were at liberty to make their decisions concerning sentencing and fines for various crimes. Although the decision gave judges freedom, the decisions they make must be rational and wise. The need for fairness and independence of judges and other arbitrators necessitated this decision. Furthermore, it also brought the much-needed fairness in the judicial system for both the judges and the victims. In addition, the judicial system adopted evidence-based corrections (Mackenzie, 2001). Currently, the legal system uses research-based evidence as opposed to the previous verbal based corrections. The sentencing

Religious and Ethnic Identities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religious and Ethnic Identities - Essay Example So, religious and ethnic identities can have positive or negative effect upon individual and societies. Thesis statement: Within a closed group, religious and ethnic identities have a positive effect upon individuals and societies but within an open (say, multiracial and multicultural) context, the same leads to negative effect upon individuals and societies. Religious and ethnic identities: positive or negative effect? As pointed out, religious and ethnic identities have a positive or negative effect on individual and societies in varied situations. To be specific, within one’s religion/community, religious and ethnic identities have a positive effect because it leads to cohesion and co-operation among the members. On the other side, within a multiracial context, religious and ethnic identities have a negative effect upon individuals and societies because there is high possibility for discrimination and marginalization based upon identity. A. Effect of religious and ethnic id entities on individuals One can see that religious identity of an individual can undergo change. For instance, conversion from a particular religion can change one’s religious identity. At the same time, religious identity is a part of one’s ethnic identity. ... ?One major reason why ethnic identities remain important for many ethnic minority people is that, in many situations, they are still subject to forms of racism and reminded of their difference† (141). One can easily identify that religious and ethnic identities of an individual can promote one’s acceptability within his or her personal/ public domain. For instance, one’s involvement in religious rituals and social gatherings ensure acceptance from other members of the same religion/ community. On the other side, an immigrant’s religious and ethnic identities, within a less flexible context lead to a number of problems like alienation, discrimination and marginalization. For instance, a nation with rigid religious belief may not show acceptance towards an immigrant’s religious and ethnic identities. Within this context, the immigrant will be forced to undergo a number of problems related to his or her religious and ethnic identities. From a different angle of view, the foretold problem is faced by individual who are newly converted to a religion. When one’s religious identity undergo change, there exists high possibility for the problem of non-acceptance in one’s private and public domains. To be specific, religious identity exerts less pressure upon an individual in a liberal social setting. There are many nations where a number of religions flourish without any problem related to one’s religious identity. But an individual’s ethnic identity is much more complex than one’s religious identity because the same is interconnected with one’s real identity in the society. Kostov states that â€Å"Democratic societies facilitate the emergence of multiple identities and modern technologies allow both large and small ethnic diasporas to survive and keep in

Names are rigid designators so the description theory of names is Essay

Names are rigid designators so the description theory of names is wrong - Essay Example Some of the contributors to the development of this theory' is attributed to Kripke, Putnam and Wettstein. According to Kripke, proper names and definite descriptions are designators. That is, in every possible world they designate the same object. Kripke distinguishes the meaning of a designator and the way its reference is determined. Then he puts forth his causal theory of naming: initially, the reference of a name is fixed by some operation such as description then the name is passed from link to link. A name is not identified by a set of unique properties satisfied by the referent: the speaker may have erroneous beliefs about those properties or they may not be unique. The name is passed to the speaker by tradition from link to link. Kripke rejects the view that either proper or common nouns are associated with properties that serve to select what they are referring to. Both proper and common names have a referent. The property cannot determine the reference as the object might not have that property in all worlds. For example, gold might not be yellow in all worlds. Kripke's causal theory of names assumes that names are linked to their referents through a casual chain. A term applies directly to an object via a connection that was set in place by the initial naming of the object. A nonrigid designator is a term that changes its referent across possible worlds. The Nature of Names Consider, for example, a Biology class out on a field trip. Walking in the woods, the professor asks the students to identify the plants that they encounter. A student is asked to identify a plant. Seeing that the plant has thorns, has red flowers that are well known to be a symbol of love and lives in the wilderness, the student names the plant as a Wild Rose. Thus, the naming was based on descriptions that were learned and passed on to the student. Can we therefore say that naming, specifically proper names, are based on descriptions That is, is the Old Theory essentially correct In this paper we, argue that naming is not essentially descriptive but is actually an exercise of designating rigidly. Nevertheless, in this paper, we also argue that naming does have some degree of descriptive being. Naming Without Conceptualization In this philosophical argument, we find that there is a need to use real world examples to do away with the abstractions and complications that a discussion such as this would entail. The unifying string of this paper's argument is that a person could refer to an object by indicating its name without actually knowing the descriptions of the object that he doesn't have a concept of - no knowledge of any descriptions or whatsoever that may give the person naming an idea of the object/person being named. It would then follow that it is possible to name an object without substantial conceptualization. If it is possible to name objects without such conceptualization, then a theory of the meaning of names should not be secluded to such elements. Note that we use the word secluded. By conceptualization,

Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 36

Case Study - Essay Example The expenses that are incurred in buying a new or second hand printer are as follows; By comparing the prices above, it is evident that buying a second hand high speed printer is more cost effective/cheaper than buying a new high speed printer. However, this printer is four year old, and it is estimated that it will cost the company  £15,000 of expenses for repairs and lost business. The expenses incurred in maintaining the second hand printer is large enough to reduce revenue significantly. It is, therefore, not recommendable to obtain a high speed digital printer by buying a second hand Xerox DocuPrint 135MX high speed digital printer. Although a new printer will cost higher than a second hand printer, it will last longer without involving repair and maintenance costs, while in the warranty period, and it is also a fixed overhead. The only disadvantage it has is that it will potentially generate  £33,950 in revenue. This revenue, however, is the actual profit margin, which is usually accepted at approximately 20 percent profit margin, and this means that it will take the company owner at least seven years to recover his investment. It is evident from the two illustrations above that both buying a brand new and a second hand high speed digital printer will make the company incur large losses. In order to avoid these loses, I recommend that my brother should acquire the printer on a monthly leasing deal, with a get out clause built in after every year, should the machine not work well, or new versions with new technology are introduced into the market while the printer is on a leasing. Through leasing, repair and maintenance costs are incurred by the leasing company, and this will be additional overhead to be considered by the manager if he wants to buy a new

What are the main sources of international competitive advantage Think Essay

What are the main sources of international competitive advantage Think about a successful product in your country, what are the - Essay Example Focus Strategy: When a business implements any of the cost leadership or differentiation strategy but in a specific customer target group like in a specific geographical area, the niche segment or a specialized line of products. Competitive advantage is achieved by making optimal use of the resources and the capabilities of then business to create a structure with lower cost or a differentiated product. Achieving a sustainable competitive advantage makes a firm capable of creating more value for its customers and deriving super profits from the business. The main sources of competitive advantage are the asset resources, capabilities and the key success factors. In this report we consider the Porsche cars to study the process of competitive advantage achieved by this line of products. Discussion Porsche is a highly profitable company which manufactures luxurious premium cars. The brand offer elegance and comfort in their products and is segmented as a premium product. Porsche cars hav e gained enormous competitive advantage by implementing a focus differentiation strategy. ... To ensure serving these customers effectively and ensure brand loyalty, Porsche has developed unique aligned capabilities. The mission statement of Porsche is perfectly aligned with their strategic planning thus creating an authentic and unique product. The brand has achieved ultimate competitive advantage by strategically combining quality and uniqueness in its products. The lean production system adopted in the manufacturing of the cars is a key factor in gaining competitive advantage for the product. The resources maintained by the company is carefully chosen and highly maintained. The human resources and the physical resources of the brand add to the value chain. Porsche recruits highly qualified people as their staff and extensively train them to make them competent enough. The employees are imparted with necessary skills through training centres all over the world and in Germany especially. The company supports and motivates their staff by maintaining a financial incentive stru cture where a percentage of the yearly turnover is given as incentives to the employees of Porsche according to the company results. The physical resources of the company are of high quality and the manufacturing process involves using materials of high quality and the use of advanced technology (Porter, 2008, p. 68). The Research and Development team of Porsche in Germany tries to innovate and create superior quality and unique products so as to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. The configuration of the manufacturing plants is concentrated and every department of production is maintained in the closest possible place. Only few parts are imported from other countries or taken from other

The other sister reflection Essay Example for Free

The other sister reflection Essay This movie portrays how a family, who has a member with a disability, encountered and overcame adversities from within triggered by several environmental factors. The protagonist, Carla Tate, who has an intellectual disability, seeks freedom from her mother, acceptance from others, and attention/love from opposite sex. Eventually she got those as the story developed. This only means that a disability should never serve as a hindrance in achieving your dreams. On the other hand, it lso gives us an idea that persons who have siblings with a disability are also crying out for their parents attention because they too have needs. I never had the chance to experience having a sibling but I wish I had one. Actually, I cant even relate when my cousins/friends speak of sibling rivalry. The bottom line of this is parents should be fair with their children; there should be no room for favoritism because it can serve as the root of quarrels and divisions. One thing that really intrigues me a lot is its title. It made me think about why it is called The Other Sister. When I heard it (the title), I supposed that the protagonist is an illegitimate child. Then as I watch, I realized that I was wrong with my presumption and I ponder that its more far from but deeper than that. I remembered her lines, mies, I can if you will give me a chance, mother, which drew me to a fact that more often than not, our parents worry too much to the point of impeding our capacity to grow. For me, she struggles a lot of being alienated inside her family when she felt at first uncomfortable with hem, when they sent her away to a far special school, and when they still cant fully accept (in denial of) her disability. Alienation because they seem cant hear the voiceawhich cries aloud within her, cant feel the hunger in her heart and cant see the real her. They want to view her the person they want her to be. It might be because they still have in their minds the little Carla whom they can easily dictate or manipulate. She is hardly begging for a chance a chance not only to be independent but also to search for self-identity and to contemplate whom she wants o be despite of her disability. I can hardly bear how much it would be difficult for persons with disability to fght for their right to be heard. Given the fact that they have a disability, still we should not forget that they also have life and right to live it to the fullest. The best part for me is when finally her mother granted her that chance to explore and celebrate life. Though its hard in her part to give that but indeed it was the best decision she made for Carla. Admit it or not, we also undergo/ undergone that same process. To tell you the truth, even l, also experience unending expectations and it sometimes irritates me. Although its not bad for others to expect from you but when youre being bound with too much expectations, it can actually exhaust you, overrule you, and even destroy you. This might serves as a boundary in achieving your goals. Yes, others opinions, including your familys, matter but sometimes it hinders what and who you really want to be. Lesson: never allow others to dictate who you will be; at the end choice is yours. -Remigio, Czarine EFR1-3 the day, its still your lite, which means

Dignity for the Working Person Essay Example for Free

Dignity for the Working Person Essay Even where abuse is common place and chaos and mismanagement make pride in accomplishment difficult, workers still find ways to create meaning in work and to work with dignity. Human dignity is necessary for a fully realized life. One might ask, but what is dignity? (Hodson 19) There are two different meanings to the idea of dignity, the first is that people have a certain inherent dignity as a consequence of being human, like a dying persons dignity may be reduced if their physical being is prolonged unnecessarily (Meyer and Parent 11). The second is that people earn dignity through their actions like the human dignity of a worker can be violated by mismanagement or dignity can be attained through noble action or enduring great suffering like valiant soldiers, moral leaders, victims of injustice and enduring workers (Castel 135). To defends ones dignity means to insist on being treated with respect, (Freeman and Rogers 1). A dying person may refuse life support or the worker may curse the abusive boss and walk off the job. Resisting abuse is an act by taking back ones dignity, (Vredenburgh and Brender 1337). The worker who works effectively inspite of all the obstacles achieves dignity through work. Working with dignity are ones inherent human rights and are worthy of respect by oneself and others (Hodson 20). In this next paragraph it will reflect the challenges of working with dignity and the joy that can be found when these challenges are met. At Electrical Components Limited, the assembly work is hard and unrelenting, giving rise to chronic overwork and exhaustion (Cavendish 1). At Electrical Components Limited which is in a foreign country the workforce is made up of mostly female workers on assembly lines that produce small electrical components. The work is physically challenging, the stress is considerable, there is no freedom of movement, no taking of short breaks or even a walk around. These stresses are increased by the workers need to keep up with completed task on a fast paced assembly line so that work does not pile up in front of her, (Cavandish 32). The speed of the line is constantly being pushed to the limits with increasing speed pushing the rejection rate up, but the company will toletrate this because it was cheaper to have rejects and two women to fix them than to have a slower line†¦ especially since the exhausting effect of the fast line would make their numbers go up, (Cavendish 111). In this setting the machine breakdowns on the line are a blessing for the women who are switched to packing or other lighter duties. After packing all day, many women have aching arms and legs but they were able to move around more and haven’t had to face eight hours of automated pressure to keep up a steady pace (Cavendish 39). The unpleasant work on the line is rigidly controlled by the time clock. There is only one clock for fifty women to clock in and clock out at exactly 4:15 or their pay will be docked (Cavendish 88). The supervisors post a supervisor at the clock to keep the women working until the last minute. Pregnant women were allowed to stand at the front so all the women would say they were all pregnant (Cavendish 89). The senior worker pays no attention to the concerns of the other workers on the line and upholds rules or breaks them in a self-serving fashion in order to reduce her work load because she has a second job as a janitor at a shopping mall and never chips in with the other workers by contributing for cakes or treats (Cavendish 26). Her inconsiderate actions are a threat to the other women on the assembly line because of the chronic pressures and overwork, these women are just trying to survive through solidarity and mutual support by shifting work to each other. The quality of work is tested by having two strong-willed workers sit opposite each other, one to check the electrical circuits and one to check the mechanical part. Faulty devices supposed to be pulled and checked by the checker with a circuit tester, but that is not done and it is put in the box and the problem is not fixed. These two women talk all day about their personal lives even though they despise each other (Cavendish 36). In this working situation there is no co-worker support, no resisting management emands, no improving output, no making life at work more bearable. Overwork has reduced work like to a dog-eat-dog shared fundamental traits. Bad supervisor practices are driven to maximize production at all cost (Cavendish 82). At Electrical Components Limited, chronic pressure and overwork significantly undercut both good supervisory behavior and supportive co-worker relations. How do workers respond to excessive and repetitive work that leaves them exhausted at the end of the day? The development of the assembly line at Ford Motors quickly led to the birth of the United Auto Workers as workers organized to seek alleviation from the distress and unrelenting strictness of the assembly line through collective bargaining action (Brecher 1). But for the many employees like the women of Electrical Components Limited, who do not have the benefit of a union, and even for many of those who do, the most common reaction may be it is their unavoidable fate. In many assembly jobs, workers are expected to have a closed mind when they enter the factory gate.

Theories of Ethics and Morals

Theories of Ethics and Morals ESSAY Are Morals and Ethics different? Moral are the worries identified with the principles of good and awful direct or got from the set of accepted rules that is right or agreeable in a particular culture while Ethics are moral decides that speak to a mans lead or the main of an activity or the ethical rightness of a showed direct. Moreover, morals frequently suggest a segment of subjective slant, while ethics tend to clarify methods for comprehensive sensibility and the theme paying little heed to whether an action is trustworthy. (Merriam Webster, 2017) Maybe you dont fancy Kim Kardashian, or her family, or her morals dont adjust to yours, or you simply believe its awkward that she had some plastic surgery, likes to do make up in an absolute expert manner. (Boboltz, 2016) When taking somewhat profound burrow on the contrasts amongst ethics and morals you may find that ethics and morals show up the same on the root of it, however if one was to separate, there is obviously some refinement. That says if a person wants to have some meat for dinner it is absolutely ethical for him as there is no law that says you cant eat meat but if the person starts to think the other way around then he might think that killing an animal is not an acceptable thing to do. This recommends ethics describe the code that an overall population or get-together of people hold quick to while morals quality plunges into great and terrible at an impressively more significant level, which is both individual and supernatural. The ethics that a man takes after too are influenced upon by outside factors like the nation, society, peers, religion, and could vary with a conformity in any of these affecting components. (Kumar, 2017) For example, killing a fox was not against law and it was totally ethical to slaughter one as it was a tradition there but then they passed the law due to heavy protests saying that you cant slaughter any animal just for the sake of the sport. Hence it became unethical to do so. But taking Morals into considerations, they do not change so easily or quickly. They are made of solid stuff, and customarily dont differ. It will for instance reliably be shameless to execute another individual, paying little heed to who the individual is. (Kumar, 2017) Ethics are all around portrayed and appropriately set down. Take the occasion of specialists like therapeutic experts and legitimate counsellors. They understand what the morals of their calling direct. An authority will never uncover his patients restorative history to anyone unless affirmed by the patient. In like manner, a legitimate instructor will never exchange off his clients points of interest despite his own mentality towards his client. Yet, regardless, ethics are of a subliminal sort and settling on what develops them is quite muddled. (Kumar, 2017) Ethical decisions see the conditions inside which they are set. That is, they ought to see that commitments can be situated in a movement/special request (for example, to stop at a setback to render help trumps the assurance of meeting for coffee); equivalently, results can be situated too. While in moral choices the importance of others and their honest to goodness situation on the planet, is seen, assemble decisions rely on upon trade between every one of those on whom the decision impacts. That talk hopes to be far reaching, non-coercive, self-intelligent, and search for accord among honest to goodness people, rather than search for a dubious altogether great truth. (Kumar, 2017) UTILITARIANISM Utilitarianism is an institutionalizing ethical speculation that places the locus of good and awful only on the outcomes (results) of picking one approach over various courses of action. It moves past the degree of ones own focal points and considers the welfare of others. (Online Guide to Ethics and Moral Philosophy, 2017) There are two sorts of utilitarian ethics sharpened at work, rule utilitarianism and act utilitarianism. Rule utilitarianism is set up to benefit by far most by using the most alluring systems possible whereas the Act utilitarianism selects the best option thats achievable and in good interest of all. An example of rule utilitarianism is the segment pricing. For instance, the automobile industry has different pricing system for the different models of one car of their brand that offers from a basic level accessories to an automatic standard. Customers who pay higher prices for more accessories for the same model of the car helps the company to lessen its financial burden and make more basic level models for the same car for other customers who cant afford the top models of the cars. An instance of act utilitarianism is a pharmaceutical association throwing out a product in the market that has been officially avowed with known side effects in light of the way that the drug can help a more prominent number of people than are chafed by the minor responses. Act utilitarianism consistently illustrates the end legitimizes the signifies mentality. The biggest limitation for putting utilitarianism into practice is the self-oriented behaviour of the people in the work force who try to achieve their personal goals first regardless of the other persons interest or welfare. (Future Of Working, 2017) COMMUNITARIANISM Communitarianism is a social rationale that, in many-sided quality to hypotheses that underline the centrality of the individual, underscores the noteworthiness of society in articulating the great. Communitarianism is routinely showed up contrastingly in connection to radicalism, a theory which holds that every individual should arrange the immense on his or her own. Communitarians examine the ways shared starts of the immense are encircled, transmitted, upheld, and actualized. Along these lines, their energy for gatherings (and great talked inside them), the bona fide transmission of characteristics and approve values -, for instance, the family, schools, and ponder affiliations (checking spots of adoration). (Etzioni, 2017) Under communitarianism, there can be no wiping out all government affect from business issues as the state is accountable for the welfare of its kinfolk whose money related lives must be thought about. Communitarianism, in any case, does not require any more government impedance than what is totally vital. It leaves the way open for private movement yet is set up to furnish to its with some opportune help when private action crashes and burns. It secures and additionally earnestly progresses all endeavours grasped for the advantage of everybody. It purposely respects the benefits of the individual and of the family, does not endeavour to usurp their commitments, additionally, helps them by offering openings. It also does not stop itself from correcting abuse, by institution if basic, when it gets the opportunity to be particularly obvious that private effects cant adjust to them. (Arjoon, 2005) RAWLS JUSTICE AND FAIRNESS THEORY Justice as fairness is Rawls speculation of value for a free society. As a person from the gathering of free political starting points of equity it gives a structure to the true-blue usage of political power. Be that as it may, credibility is quite recently the insignificant standard of good sufficiency; a political demand can be honest to goodness without being basic. Justice sets the maximal standard: the course of action of social foundations that is ethically best. Rawls fabricates justice as fairness around understandings of the considerations that nationals are free and ascend to and that society should be sensible. He views it as settling the strains between the musings of adaptability and correspondence, which have been highlighted both by the comrade examine of liberal lions share rules framework and by the direct explore of the present-day welfare situation. Rawls holds that justice as fairness is the most populist, and furthermore the most conceivable, translation of these basic ideas of radicalism. He likewise contends that equity as reasonableness gives a better comprehension of equity than that of the predominant convention in present day thinking of utilitarianism. (Rawls, 2017) Justice as fairness expects to portray an only course of action of the bureaucratic and social establishments of a free society: the bureaucratic composition, the legitimate framework, the economy, the family, etc. Rawls calls the game plan of these organizations a general publics essential structure. The key structure is the territory of equity in light of the way that these establishments proper the essential preferences and weights of social life: who will get social affirmation, who will have which essential rights, who will have chances to get what sort of work, what the dissemination of pay and riches will be, etc. (Rawls, 2017) The sort of an overall populations central structure will adequately influence the lives of inhabitants. The essential structure will affect their life forecasts, and in addition more significantly their destinations, their perspectives, their associations, and their attributes. Foundations that will have such unavoidable effect on the lives of people require side interest. Since relinquishing ones overall population is not a down to earth decision for a large number individuals, the legitimization cant be that inhabitants have consented to a fundamental composition by continue to stay in the nation. Furthermore, since the principles of any key composition will be actualized, consistently with brutal punishments, the demand to legitimize the weight of a specified course of action of guidelines raises. In laying out the justice as fairness theory, Rawls acknowledge that the free society being alluded to is separate by sensible diversity as depicted earlier, and besides that it is unde r sensibly great arrangements that there are adequate possessions for it to be attainable for everyones major ought to be met. Rawls creates the revamping supposition that the overall population is autonomous and closed, with the objective that subjects enter it when they are born and leave it when they die. He furthermore constrains his thought for the most part to flawless theory, regardless of the questions of criminal justice.(Rawls, 2017) References (2017, Mar 3). Retrieved from Oxford Dictionaries: https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/ethics Arjoon, S. (2005). A Communitarian Model of Business:. Journal of Markets Morality, 478. Boboltz, S. (2016, October 12). The Huffington Post. Etzioni, A. (2017, March 5). Communitarianism. Retrieved from https://icps.gwu.edu/sites/icps.gwu.edu/files/downloads/Communitarianism.Etzioni.pdf Future Of Working. (2017, March 4). Retrieved from http://futureofworking.com/workplace-example-of-utilitarianism-ethics/ Kumar, M. (2017, Mar 3). Difference Between.net. Retrieved from Difference Between.net: http://www.differencebetween.net/business/difference-between-ethics-and-morals/ Manuel Velasquez, C. A. (2017, Mar 3). Santa Clara University. Retrieved from https://www.scu.edu/ethics/ethics-resources/ethical-decision-making/what-is-ethics/ Merriam Webster. (2017, Mar 3). Retrieved from Merriam Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/moral Mura, C. (2016, October 18). Indiana Daily Student. Online Guide to Ethics and Moral Philosophy. (2017, March 5). Retrieved from http://caae.phil.cmu.edu/cavalier/80130/part2/sect9.html Rawls, J. (2017, March 05). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved from https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/rawls/ SCHOOL, I. B. (2017). Resource Book. The Conversation. (2017, Mar 3). Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/you-say-morals-i-say-ethics-whats-the-difference-30913

A Philosophical Examination of Language Essay -- Phylosophy

A Philosophical Examination of Language "Philosophy is language idling." —Ludwig Wittgenstein    Language and philosophy have an intimate connection to one another; without a philosophical examination of the meanings and structure of language, we cannot easily ascertain the objective truth of the statements we make, nor can we usefully discuss abstract concepts. The philosophy of language seeks to understand the concepts expressed by language and to find a system by which it can effectively and accurately do so. This is more difficult than it appears at first; philosophers are looking for a theory of language which avoids the minute errors of meaning and usage which occur in all discussions of abstract concepts and which tend to lead those discussions into complicated dead-ends. Since so much of philosophy is currently concerned with the linguistic representation of reality, the bond between the philosophical and the linguistic is growing stronger. Philosophers can only write syntax for the languages they want to use in expressing theory with some knowledge of linguistics; and linguists can use philosophical principles to solve problems of meaning and syntax (Moravcsik 89). This strong link can be exploited to the advantage of both sides. In recent history philosophers have struggled with the question of precision in language and have sought to construct a system under which meanings can be discussed without danger of falling into circular or metaphysical traps. Two major approaches to this question have arisen in scientific circles of the twentieth century. Logical empiricism, also known as logical positivism, seeks to produce a language which consists of symbols combined precisely in accordance with sp... ...ohns Hopkins P, 1969. Katz, Jerrold J. The Philosophy of Language. New York: Harper & Row, 1966. Malcolm, Norman. Nothing is Hidden: Wittgenstein's Criticism of his Early Thought. Oxford: Basil Blackwell, 1986. Moravcsik, J.M.E. Understanding Language: A Study of Theories in Linguistics and in Philosophy. The Hague: Mouton, 1975. Qadir, C.A. Logical Positivism. Lahore: Ripon P, 1965. Quine, Willard van Orman. "Two Dogmas of Empiricism." Readings in the Philosophy of Language. Eds. Jay F. Rosenberg & Charles Travis. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall, 1971. Rahim, Syed Ataur. Logical Positivism and Metaphysics. Hussainabad/Karachi: Rahim P, 1990. Sengupta, Kalyan Kumar. Language and Philosophy. Bombay: Allied P, 1969. Stevens, Allan. On Belief. [Online] Available http://www.duke.edu/~kellogg/Classes/Mentation/Issue1/stevens.htm, December 16, 1997.

San Andrea Fault Essay example -- science

San Andrea Fault Introduction The San Andreas Fault is a geologic fault zone between two tectonic plates that runs from San Francisco south to San Diego in California. It is an area of frequent earthquakes caused by the plates sliding past each other. It is so called because it runs along the San Andreas Valley. The San Andreas fault was brought dramatically to world attention in 1906 when sudden displacement along the fault produced the great San Francisco earthquake and fire. This earthquake was but one of many that have resulted throughout its life of about 15-20 million years. Body The entire San Andreas fault system is more than 800 miles long and extends to depths of at least 10 miles within the Earth. The fault is a complex zone of crushed and broken rock from a few hundred feet to a mile wide. Many smaller faults branch from and join the San Andreas fault zone. The Pacific plate is moving northwest in relation to the North American plate, and it is believed that the total displacement along the fault since its formation more than 30 million years ago has been about 350 mi. Movement along the fault causes earthquakes; several thousand occur annually The basic science is pretty straightforward. The earth lurches from time to time because its outer shell is broken into huge, solid plates floating on a layer of molten rock that has the consistency of Silly Putty. These tectonic plates are constantly jostling each other, like rafts crowded into a...

History Of Human Behavior Essay -- essays research papers

PSYCHOLOGICAL HUMAN BEHAVIOR Psychology is the very important perspective for human nature. It is very much important for the individual environment. Psychology is very much a product of the Western tradition.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Whereas a new psychology of the year 2000 contains both the eastern as well as the Western tradition (Frey, 04/06). Psychologist self-concept attitudes. Its related to Psyche means call a persons self concepts it includes what a person perceives from the persons the integrate part of human mind motion connected to those with bodily concepts. It however reflects true relationship with the mind-body concept. ATTITUDES AND SOCIAL COGNITION addresses those domains of social behavior in which cognition plays a major role, including the interface of cognition with overt behavior, affect, and motivation. (Primis, 119). Major perspectives in Now, what’s the concept of psychoanalysis is also a psychology at this point includes psychoanalysis, humanism and sociobiology. Very important perspective. As a therapy, psychoanalysis is based on observation that Individuals are often unaware of many of the factors that determine their emotions and Behavior. (Frey, 04/06). It is, in addition, a method for learning about the mind, and also a theory, a way of understanding the processes of normal everyday mental functioning and the stages of normal development from infancy to old age. (psychology.com). Furthermore, since psychoanalysis seeks to explain how the human mind works, it contributes insight into whatever the human mind produces.(apa.org) Sigmund Freud was the first psychoanalyst. Many of his insights into the human mind, which seemed so revolutionary at the turn of the century, are now widely accepted by most schools of psychological thought. Although others before and during his time had begun to recognize the role of unconscious mental understanding its importance. Although his ideas met with antagonism and resistance, Freud believed deeply in the value of his discoveries and rarely simplified or exaggerated them for the sake of popular acceptance. (apa.org) He saw that those who sought to change themselves or others must face realistic difficulties. But he also showed us that, while the dark and blind forces in human nature sometimes seem overwhelming, psychological understanding, by enlarging the realm of reason and responsi... ...ture. But Both Freud and Wilson said a lot about the core of the personality, no matter in what instincts they explained it. It was their ultimate goal towards the concept of interpreting the human beings focusing towards the aspects and moralities of the core effecting the human nature. Their theories helped a lot for the human society in finding the relative core of the human nature. And these theories of Psychology is still much worth regarding the personality as well as the human instinct of true self, true nature as well as their behavior. BIBILOGRAPHY:- 1. Freud Sigmund, Civilization and Its Discontents, Tr:- James Stretcher, New York, W.W. Norton & Company, 1985. 2. Wilson, Edward O., On Human Nature, Massachusetts, Harvard University Press, 1998. 3. Frankl, Victor E., Mans Search For Meaning, New York, Washington Square Press, 1985. 4. Social Science, Primis, New York, Mc Graw Hill, 1998. 5. http://www.psych.nwu.edu 6. http://www.psychology.com 7. http://www.psychology.ucdavis.edu 8. http://www.psychology.net 9. http://baldwin.apa.org:88/best/index.html 10. http://www.apa.org 11. http://www.runet.edu/~lridener/courses/SOCBIO.HTML

Management a Factor of Production and Also an Economic Resources Essay

Management can be defined in various ways. In the words of Pride et al, management is the process of coordinating the resources of the organization to achieve the primary goals of the organization. It is also defined as the organization and coordination of the activities of an enterprise in accordance with certain policies and in achievement of defined objectives. Taylor defined management as knowing exactly what men do, and the seeing that they do it in the best and cheapest way. Today, however, management is obviously a much more complex problem than the above definition portrays. Griffins(1996) defines it as the process of planning, organizing, leading and controlling an organization’s human financial, physical and information resources to achieve organizational goals in an efficient and effective manner. Management is a dynamic process of getting things done with and through the co-operative effort of others. It involves utilizing the various resources of an organization a nd combining them in such a way that the organization’s goals are attained. Effective management is crucial to an organization’s overall success. Individuals who are responsible for helping organizations achieve their goals are designated MANAGERS. A MANAGER is someone whose primary activities are of the management process. Specifically, a manager is someone who plans, organize, leads and control human, financial, and physical and information resources (Griffin 1996). In order words, he or she is responsible for allocating human and material resources and directing the operations of an organization. Thus, managers are fully responsible for the realization of results through the concerted efforts of other people. Today’s managers face complex, difficult and exciting quality of work life, increased diversity of the workplace, more social and ethical responsibilities, environmental protection and other legal requirements. They plan for the future, explore avenues of motivating employees and strive to increase their company’s overall efficie ncy, effectiveness and productivity. The managerial function is one of the approaches to understanding the dynamic and complex process called management. The managerial functions are general administrative duties that need to be carried out in virtually all productive organization. The most popular approach has been to describe what managers do, which is considered the functional view. It specifies the management process as a sequence of logical and rational steps. The manager’s functions are interrelated and are often performed simultaneously to achieve desired objectives. Fayol (1949) identified five of these functions as: planning, organization, command, coordination and control. Over the years, Fayol’s list of five managerial functions has been updated and expanded by management scholars to include decision- making, staffing, communication, leading and motivating. These functions are briefly explained as follows: a.Planning: This is a dynamic process of deciding today what actions should be taken at sometime in the future and how best to tackle them. Developing a strategy for guiding an organization to a desired posi tion at a given time in the future is referred to as STRATEGIC PLANNING. Planning helps maintain managerial effectiveness by guiding future activities b.Organizing: Once a workable plan has been established or developed, the next phase is to arrange and allocate work, authority and resources among an organization’s members in order to achieve the organization’s goals. Other basic concepts of organizing include departmentalization, chain of command, division of labour, spans of control, coordination and specialization. Proper organizing helps ensure the efficient utilization of human resources. c.Leading: The leading function involves directing, influencing and motivating employees to perform assigned tasks. Managers try to create the atmosphere and peaceful organizational climate, inspire their subordinates by serving as role models and adapt their management style to the demands of the situation. d.Decision-making: Decision making involves choosing from among alternative courses of action. It connects the organization’s present circumstances to actions that will move the organization into the future. Past expe riences plays a major role in determining the choices that managers take. e.Staffing: This is an integral part of the management process. It includes human resources planning, recruitment, selection, orientation/socialization, training and development, performance appraisal and compensation. It is believed that organizations are as good as the people in them. f.Motivating: The term motivation refers to the psychological process that gives behavior purpose and direction. Through motivation, managers try to get people to willingly channel their efforts towards the attainment of organizational goals. g.Communicating: This is the transfer of information and understanding from one individual to another by means of meaningful symbols. It is a process that requires both a sender –who initiates the process and a receiver-who completes the communication link. Managers use the communication process to carry out their functions and roles. For instance, no decision can be implemented until the managers effectively communicate it to the relevant individuals. h.Controlling: The final phase of management process. It involves the following key elements: establishing standards of performance, measuring current performance, comparing this performance to the established standards and taking corrective actions if deviations are detected. The controlling function helps keep the organization on track. Having discussed and defined management and its functions, we look at management as a factor of production. Production is the action of manufacturing, growing, extracting things especially in large quantities. In economics, production means creation or an addition of utility. While factors of production means inputs and finished goods means output. Output depends upon input. Input is the starting point and output is the end point of the production process. The input – output relationship is called production function. Factors of production (or productive inputs or resources) are any commodities or service used to produce goods and services. Factors of production may also refer specifically to the primary factors which are including land, labour (the ability to work) and capital goods applied to production. The primary factors facilitate production but neither become part of the product (as with raw materials) nor become significantly transformed by the production process (as fuel used to power machinery). The requirements or rather the factors of production are usually classified as the following: a.Land: Land is the natural resources available for production. It includes the natural resources within the land such as mineral deposits like coal and iron-ore. Some nations are endowed with natural resources and exploit this by specializing in extraction and production of these resources. For example: the development of the North Sea oil and gas. This is an important factor of production as modern factories extend on one level and require space for storage and parking. The returns or payments to land are called RENT. Land is not only the site of production but also natural above or below the soil. b.Labour: This is the human effort, whether manual or mental that contributes to production. This also includes all human resources; it may be skilled, semi-skilled or unskilled. Local labour markets vary in size and nature of the pool of labour. Cheap, unskilled and semi-skilled labour may be an important location factor for multinational companies while skilled labour is significant in high technology industries. For example, most products are manufactured in China because they offer cheap labour. Industries may be capital-or-labour intensive. Not all labour is of the same quality. Some workers are more productive than others because of the education, training and experience they have received. The reward or payments for labour is called WAGES. c.Capital: To an economist, capital has several meanings – including the finance raised to operate a business. But normally the term capital means investment in goods that can produce other goods in the future. This is also denoted as machinery or tools which are used in combination with labour for the purpose of making goods. It covers all man- made aids to future production. There can be fixed or circulating capital. The former relates to goods such as buildings or machinery while the latter refers to the stock of goods a firm has ready for use in the future, raw materials and components. Capital is the only factor of production which itself is created in the production process. Increases to the capital stock of a nation are called investment. Investment is important if the economy is to achieve economic growth in the long run. INTEREST is the returns for capital. d. Entrepreneurship: This is sometimes referred to as Management. Entrepreneurs are people who organize other productive resources to make goods and services. Some economists regard entrepreneurs as a specialist form of labour input. Others believe that they deserve recognition as a separate factor of production in their own right. The success or failure of a business often depends critically on the quality of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship can also be referred to as the managerial, innovative and risk taking qualities which an individual displays when combining the other factors of production in order to generate output. Management skills are a vital factor of labour and production under the heading of entrepreneurship. Management is often included as a factor of production along with machines, materials and money. According to the management guru Peter Drucker (1909 – 2005), the basic task of management is of two folds: marketing and innovation. Innovation in the sense of creation of new products, ideas or services and marketing in the sense that management not only combines the available resources and other factors of production in the most suitable techniques of production in order to produce goods and services but it also ensures that these goods and services get to their final consumers in a perfect shape thereby maximizing profit which is the returns for entrepreneurship. Quite often the term management is used to refer to both the persons who occupy managerial positions as well as activities which managers perform. Management as a discipline consist of the interlocking of functions of formulating corporate policy and organizing, planning, controlling and directing an organization’s resources to achieve the policy’s objectives. Management can be said to be the chief or main factor of production because it controls and directs the other factors of production through various ways: land- it is management that decides the best and most suitable site for production and it also knows and organizes for the expansion of the industry’s production site if need be. Management also sources for capital or funds to run a business, it also sources for raw materials and machines needed for the effective production of goods and services. Management also influences the human behavior which is essential factor of production. Every worker is individually different from the other workers as regards to his ability, knowledge, skills, socio-economic status, attitudes and ideologies. Management is concerned with the integration of individual efforts and how to decentralize them towards achieving the desired goal or result. Most workers tend to perform better when they are being supervised; this supervision is also carried out by management or manager. Finally, having enumerated the role of management in the production process, you will strongly believe the assertion that management is a factor of production and also plays a vital role in an organization. In fact, without management, there will be no production and organization. Management is the chief head of all the factors of production because it is the only factor that assembles and integrates the other factors of production MANAGEMENT AS AN ECONOMIC RESOURCE Economic resources can be defined as the commodities that include goods, services, properties, merchandises and supplies that produce and generate income in the country. These are the assets (things of value) which an economy or business may have available to supply and produce goods and services to meet the ever changing needs and wants of individuals (as in the case of business) and society (in the case of society as a whole) Economic resources are scarce relative to the infinite needs and wants of people and businesses operating in the economy. It is important to use these resources efficiently in order to maximize the output that can be produced from them. According to an economist, management is one of the factors of production, the other factors of production being land, labour, and capital. In a small enterprise, the owner may act as the manager. But in large corporations, there is a divorce between ownership and management. Management is the most active factor of production b ecause it assembles the other factors. The efficient use of land and capital depends upon labour which is in turn governed by management. Management coordinates the other Ms (manpower, methods, markets, materials, machinery and money) of an organization and therefore, it occupies a unique place among the productive factors as can be seen. The efficiency of management factor can be improved through training and development of executives. The importance of management increases with the tempo of industrialization. The economic and social development of mankind since the 2nd world war has occurred as a result of systematic and purposeful work on developing managers. The directors and managers have the power and responsibility to make decisions to manage enterprise. The size of management can range from one person in a small organization to hundreds or thousands of managers in multinational companies. In large organizations, the board of directors formulates the policy which is then implemented by the chief executive officers. Some business analyst and financiers accord the highest importance to the quality and experience of the managers in evaluating an organizations current and future worth. As an economic factor of resources, management makes a productive enterprise out of physical and human resources. Efficient management is the most important input in the success of an organization. The inputs of manpower, materials, machinery and money do not by themselves ensure growth; they become productive through the catalyst of management. Finally, having defined management and discussed management and also economic resources, it is obvious that management is a multipurpose organ that manages a business and manages managers and manages worker and work. Without management, there will be no organization and vice versa. Entrepreneur should ensure that the management team in their organization is effective and efficient in carrying out their duties as managers. The entrepreneur can also engage the management team in on the job training, seminars and other forms of training in order to improve their knowledge and at the long run improve the company productivity. The success and failure of a business often depends on the quality of the management team.