Succubus Blues CHAPTER 23

â€Å"Two,† he said after a moment's hesitation. â€Å"Just two.† â€Å"Just two,† I repeated flatly, thinking oh shit. â€Å"Is that including you?† â€Å"Yes.† I rubbed my temples, wondering how I could warn Jerome and Carter that we had two nephilim to deal with now. No one had mentioned that possibility. â€Å"Someone should have known that,† I muttered, more to myself than to Roman. â€Å"Someone should have sensed it†¦ there would have been two different nephilim signatures. That's how Jerome knew it was you. You have a unique signature – no one else has it.† â€Å"No one else,† Roman agreed with a smirk, â€Å"except my sister.† Oh shit. â€Å"Jerome didn't mention more than one – ah.† I blinked in sudden understanding. Jerome, by his own admission, hadn't actually been around for the birth. â€Å"Twins? Or†¦ more?† The archdemon could have fathered quintuplets for all I knew. Roman shook his head, still highly amused at my deductions. â€Å"Only twins. Just the two of us.† â€Å"So this is a family act then? You two hit the road together, going from town to town, wreaking havoc†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Nothing so glamorous, love. Usually it's just me. My sister tries to keep a low profile – spends more time on her job and living her life. She doesn't really get caught up in grand machinations.† â€Å"Then how'd you rope her into this one?† Again, I thought about Erik's words, how most nephilim simply wished to be left alone. â€Å"She lives here. In Seattle. We're on her turf, so I talked her into going in on the final kill with me. She wasn't really into any of the stuff with the lesser immortals.† â€Å"Except beating on me,† I pointed out. â€Å"I am sorry about that. I think you pissed her off.† â€Å"I don't even know her,† I exclaimed, wondering which was worse: a nephilim in love with me or a nephilim holding a grudge. He just smiled. â€Å"I wouldn't be so sure of that.† He reached out to touch me, almost casually, and I backed away, making his smile slip. â€Å"Now what's wrong?† â€Å"What do you mean? You think you can just dump this on me and then expect things to be all peachy between us?† â€Å"Well, why not? Honestly, what have you got left to worry about?† I opened my mouth to protest, but he continued before I could speak: â€Å"I've already told you, I'm not going to hurt you or any of your friends. The only person left on my list is someone you don't even know or care about. That's it. End of story.† â€Å"Oh yeah? What'll happen then? After you kill Carter?† He shrugged. â€Å"Then I leave. I'll find someplace to hang out for a while. Probably teach again.† He leaned toward me, holding my gaze. â€Å"You could come with me, you know.† â€Å"What?† â€Å"Think about it.† He spoke eagerly, excitement growing with each word. â€Å"You and me. You could settle down and do all the things you like to do – your books, your dancing – without any immortal politics to muck your life up.† I scoffed. â€Å"Hardly. It's not like I can stop being a succubus. I still need sex to survive.† â€Å"Yes, yes, I know you'd still have to tag the occasional victim, but think about the times in between. You and me. Together. Being with someone you don't have to worry about hurting. Being with someone simply for the pleasure of it, not for survival. No superiors to harass you about meeting your quotas.† Seth came to mind just then, part of me idly wondering what it'd be like to be with him â€Å"just for pleasure.† Shifting back to my harsh reality, I told Roman, â€Å"I can't just run off. Seattle is my post. I have people to answer to; they wouldn't let me leave.† Cupping my face in his hands, he whispered, â€Å"Georgina, Georgina. I can protect you from them. I have the power to hide you. You can live your own life. No more answering to the bureaucracy above. We can be free.† Those hypnotic eyes hooked me like a fish on a line. For centuries, I had lived out immortality achingly alone, bouncing from one short-term relationship to another, ending any connection that got too deep. Now, Roman was here. I was attracted to him, and I didn't have to push him away. I couldn't hurt him through physical contact. We could be together. We could wake up together. We could live out eternity together. I would never have to be lonely again. Longing surged up within me. I wanted it. Oh God, I wanted it. I didn't want to hear Jerome chastise me for my â€Å"all lowlifes, all the time† seduction policy. I wanted to come home and tell someone about my day. I wanted to go out dancing on the weekends. I wanted to take vacations together. I wanted someone to hold me when I was upset, when the ups and downs of the world pushed me too far. I wanted someone to love. His words blazed through me, piercing my heart. I knew, however, they were only that: words. Eternity is a long time; we couldn't hide forever. Eventually we'd be found, or when Roman finally got destroyed on one of his â€Å"protest† missions, I'd be exposed and have a lot of angry demons to answer to. He was offering me a child's dream, an impractical fantasy with a short-lived, doomed run. Furthermore, running off with Roman meant complying with the outcome of this insane plot of his. Logically, I could understand his angst and desire to lash back. I felt for his sister – even if she inexplicably hated me – who simply wanted to live an ordinary life. I had seen slaughter and bloodshed over the years, the extinction of entire populations of people whose names and cultures no one remembered today. To live with that over and over throughout these long millennia, to always be on the run, hiding simply because of an accident of birth†¦ yes, perhaps I would be pissed off too. Yet, I still could not see that as sufficient reason for the random killing of immortals, simply to â€Å"prove a point.† The fact that I knew these immortals personally made it worse. Carter's attitude still unnerved me, yes, but he had saved my life, and my days with him hadn't been unbearable. If anything, Roman should laud the angel. The nephilim's biggest complaint was that immortals stayed locked into archaic sets of rules and roles, but Carter had broken the mold: an angel who chose friendship with his hypothetical enemies. He and Jerome typified the kind of rebellious, nonconforming lifestyle so advocated by Roman. Too bad that didn't seem to be enough to dissuade the nephilim. I wondered if I could. â€Å"No,† I told him. â€Å"I can't do it. And you don't have to do it either.† â€Å"Do what?† â€Å"This plot. Killing Carter. Just let him go. Let it all go. Violence only begets more violence, not peace.† â€Å"I'm sorry, love. I can't. There's no peace for my kind.† I reached out and touched his face. â€Å"You call me that, but do you really mean it? Do you love me?† He caught his breath, and I suddenly realized he could be just as hypnotized by my eyes as I was by his. â€Å"Yes. I do.† â€Å"Then do this for me if you love me. Walk away. Walk away from Seattle. I†¦ I'll go with you if you do.† I hadn't realized I'd meant it until the words escaped my lips. Running off was a child's fantasy, true, but it would be worth it if I could avert what was to come. â€Å"You mean it?† â€Å"Yes. As long as you can keep me safe.† â€Å"I can keep you safe, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He stepped away from me and paced around, running a hand through his hair in consternation. â€Å"I can't walk away,† he finally told me. â€Å"Almost anything in the world I would do for you, but not this. You can't imagine what it's been like. You think immortality's been cruel to you? Imagine what it's like always running, always watching your back. I have just as much trouble settling down as you. Thank God for my sister. She's the only one I have, the only mainstay in my life. The only one I loved – until you, at least.† â€Å"She can come with us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He closed his eyes. â€Å"Georgina, when my mother was still alive – millennia ago – we lived in a camp with some of the other nephilim and their mothers. We were always running, always trying to stay ahead of those pursuing us. One night†¦ I'll never forget it. They found us, and I swear, Armageddon itself could never be so terrible. I don't even know who did it – angels, demons, or whatever. I mean, when it comes down to it, they're all the same really. Beautiful and terrible.† â€Å"Yes,† I whispered. â€Å"I've seen them.† â€Å"Then you know what they can do. They swept in and just destroyed everyone. It didn't matter who. Nephilim children. Humans. Everyone was considered a liability.† â€Å"But you escaped?† â€Å"Yes. We were lucky. Most weren't.† He turned back to look at me. His heartache made my eyes burn. â€Å"Do you see now? Do you see now why I have to do this?† â€Å"You only further the bloodshed.† â€Å"I know, Georgina. For Christ's sake, I know. But I have no choice.† I saw in his face then that he hated being a part of that bloodshed, part of the same destructive behavior that had haunted his childhood. But I also saw that he was inextricably tied to that. He could not escape it. He had lived too long, so much longer than me. The years of fear and anger and blood had twisted him. He had to see this game played out. Ifight every day to not let the past overtake me. Sometimes I win, sometimes it does. â€Å"I have no choice,† he repeated, face desperate. â€Å"But you do. I still want you to come with me when I'm done.† A choice. Yes, I did have a choice. A choice between him and Carter. Or did I? Was there anything I could do to save Carter at this point? Did I want to save Carter? For all I knew, Carter had slaughtered countless nephilim children over the years in the name of good. Maybe he deserved the punishment Roman wanted to mete out. What were good and evil, really, but stupid categories? Stupid categories that restricted people and punished or rewarded them based on how they responded to their own natures, natures they really didn't have any way to control. Roman was right. The system was flawed. I just didn't know what to do about it. What I needed was time. Time to think about all of this, time to figure out a way that would save angel and nephilim both, if such a feat were possible. I didn't know how to buy that time, though, not with Roman standing there staring at me, aflame with his romantic notion of running off together. Time. I needed time and had no idea how to get it. I had no powers to help in a situation like this. If Roman decided I was a threat, I would be unable to fight against him. A nephilimcould easily blow one of you out of the water. I could not pull divine strings and contracts like Hugh, had no superhuman reflexes and strength like Cody and Peter. I was a succubus. I changed shape and had sex with men. That was it. That was it†¦

Cognitive Coaching Essay

The Effects of Cognitive Coaching on Education and in Supporting Teacher Leadership â€Å"Creating a profession of teaching in which teachers have the opportunity for continual learning is the likeliest way to inspire greater achievement for children, especially those for whom education is the only pathway to survival and success† (Sumner, 2011, p. 10). Educators today are required to have a different set of skills to effectively prepare students to be global competitors in the workplace. Educators cannot make these alterations in teaching methodology and instructional delivery without support. Coaches support and encourage teachers, improve teacher strategies, promote teacher reflection, and focus on desired outcomes (Sumner, 2011). A key ingredient for improving student achievement is high quality leadership. Although leadership skills may come naturally for some, most educators need some form of practice and coaching to become high quality leaders (Patti & Holzer, 2012). What is Cognitive Coaching? Cognitive coaching is a relationship that is learner-centered, where the person being coached is an active participant in their learning process. The coach is responsible for creating an environment that is sensitive to the participant’s needs, providing ample opportunity for self-reflection which enables the participant to learn from their own unique experiences. Garmston (1993) stated: Cognitive Coaching is a process during which teachers explore the thinking behind their practices. Each person seems to maintain a cognitive map, only partially conscious. In Cognitive Coaching, questions asked by the coach reveal to the teacher areas of that map that may not be complete or consciously developed. When teachers talk out loud about their thinking, their decisions become clearer to them, and their awareness increases (p. 57). The relationship that evolves through cognitive coaching is based on a journey of self-discovery for both the coach and the coached individual. The coach is equally responsible for reflecting and learning from their own experiences in an effort to providing the best guidance to the coached individual throughout their coaching relationship. If mentors are to facilitate learning of their mentees, they can best begin by being in touch with the forces in their own lives (Zachary, 2000). The learning that takes place in stages is the focal point of cognitive coaching. Cognitive coaching uses a three-phase cycle: pre-conference, observation, and post-conference. These cycles are used for the sole purpose of helping the teacher improve instructional effectiveness by becoming more reflective about teaching (Garmston, 1993). Cognitive Coaching asserts that instructional behavior is a reflection of beliefs; teachers must analyze and change their beliefs in order to change their behaviors. Coaches ask teachers to reflect on their beliefs about the classroom to facilitate making changes or improvements (Patti & Holzer, 2012). Cognitive Coaching in Education The most valuable asset in the education profession is its human capital – teachers and administrators. Unfortunately, these professionals are typically given limited opportunities throughout their career to enhance their knowledge and skills enabling them to be more effective teachers and leaders. Newly hired recruits into the profession usually receive coaching for a few months during their first year of employment, but the majority will gain experience through their own trial and error. According to Patti & Holzer (2012): Professional development opportunities for teachers and administrators who function in a leadership capacity are often too scarce or narrow in focus to cultivate lasting and effective improvement. Most school systems regularly provide teacher educators with just two or three days per year of professional development, typically aimed at improving literacy and mathematics scores. Effective professional development happens when the adult learner connects personally to the new learning. When educators participate in reflective practices that cultivate self-awareness, emotion management, social awareness, and relationship management, they are in a better position to deliver high quality instruction and leadership (p. 264). The education profession can benefit from implementing cognitive coaching as a way of helping teachers and administrators expand their professional development through self-observation, self-reflection, and self-feedback. An analysis of the findings from these factors will help the professional to become aware of their own self-imposed limitations. In education, coaching has traditionally supported teachers in the acquisition of knowledge, skills and abilities that target student achievement (Patti & Holzer, 2012). The effects of cognitive coaching on teacher efficacy has been positively correlated to increased student performance. Sumner (2011) offers: Coaching is a key method for helping teachers improve student achievement and school culture. Much of this potential school improvement comes from educating teachers in how to be reflective about their practice and in learning how to establish an equal relationship based on mutual desire to improve. Perhaps most importantly, ―a culture of coaching improves teaching and improves student learning (p.47). While the ultimate goal of cognitive coaching is to help foster change in the thinking patterns and behaviors of the coached individual – the end result of this endeavor is improved student performance. Professional development can only work if it is focused on both student and teacher learning and a culture of support for and valuing of quality staff development is present (Sumner, 2011). Cognitive Coaching Supporting Teacher Leadership Cognitive coaching allows teachers to take ownership of their professional development by encouraging them to be accountable of their cognitive learning process. The self-reflection that is involved in cognitive coaching coupled with professional vision enables teachers to become a catalyst of change both in the classroom and beyond. Patti & Holzer (2012) stated: The coaching relationship provides a safe haven for mindful attention to self-change in the areas of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management. It is through this individual process that the teacher and administrative leader positively impact the culture and climate of the classroom and school (p. 270). Every teacher has the capabilities to improve their knowledge and skill and cognitive coaching affords the opportunity of exploration into one’s self, challenging old beliefs and habits, emerging a better, stronger leader. Leadership is not mobilizing others to solve problems we already know how to solve, but to help them confront problems that have never yet been successfully addressed (Fullan, 2007). The reflection learned through cognitive coaching helps develop problem-solving skills as teachers examine their experience, generate alternatives, and evaluate actions. Educators need to model risk taking, open-mindedness, and continuous learning to create schools that are communities of learners (Garmston, 1993). Conclusion â€Å"Effective leaders work on their own and others’ emotional development. There is no greater skill needed for sustainable improvement† (Fullan, 2007). Cognitive coaching enables educators to develop unexplored potential, while expanding their repertoire of teaching methodologies. The implementation of cognitive coaching increases student achievement and teacher efficacy, produce higher order teacher thinking, and provides teacher support (Sumner, 2011). Great schools grow when educators understand that the power of their leadership lies in the strength of their relationships. Strong leadership in schools results from the participation of many people, each leading in his or her own way (Donaldson, 2007). Cognitive coaching is the key to educators’ unlocking their inner power to profoundly impact students’ learning.

Retail Information System Essay

1. What are the benefits of 7-Eleven’s Retail Information System? 1) Increase sales opportunities and gain profits i) Retail Information System can amass information about customer demand, pricing, and interest in new products, such as Diet Pepsi, Zero Coke, Slurpee. Analysis of the data shows which items are selling well in which stores, which items customers are most interested in, seasonal demand for items and which items are most profitable to sell in the first place. Then, 7-Eleven can depend on the above data to order the exact quantities of products & get the maximum of profit. ii) Insights gleaned from the data also help 7-Eleven develop new products such as its fresh-food offerings that attract new customers and increase transaction size. For examples, now some 7-Eleven have the fast food counter to sell the fast food like fish ball, dumplings. It is very popular and meets the needs of the market. 2) Reduce excess inventory Through the Retail Information System, management uses this information to identify sales trend, improve product assortment, eliminate slow-moving products from inventory, and increase same-store sales by stocking products that are high in demand. It can avoid the excess inventory and save the inventory cost includes the expensive rental expenses. 3) Easy to control the inventory Retail Information System provides store managers with information on daily, weekly, and monthly sales of each item to help them determine which items to order the exact quantities they need for their stores. Managers use this information plus their on-the-spot knowledge of the neighborhood to make final order decision. Further, 7-Eleven’s orders for fresh food items are aggregated at 7-Eleven headquarters and transmitted to fresh food suppliers and bakeries for preparation and delivery the next day. It reduces the product spoilage and save the unnecessary costs. 4) Increase the competitiveness of the market 7-Eleven uses the information that they can get the respond to the needs of the customers. By tracking and analyzing its data, it knows its customers as intimately as it did when store owners talked to each customer face-to-face. Understand the customers’ need then increase the sales thus increase the competitiveness of the market. 2. Which of the strategies does the Retail Information System support? Retail Information System supports the strategies of Strengthening customer and supplier intimacy. 7-Eleven through the system to analyze the data shows which items are selling well in which stores, which items customers are most interested in, seasonal demand for items and which items are most profitable to sell in the first place. These information can give it to suppliers then they can determine to import which products from the wholesale, which season import which items, which items would import more to get most profitable. Further, these data can also give it to supplier to develop new products such as its fresh-food offerings that attract new customers. Moreover, the system consolidates these orders and transmits them to suppliers for preparation and delivery the next day of food & drink. It can reduce the transportation costs. Through making transactions in general easier and more user friendly for both customers and suppliers, the intimacy of the firm and customer/supplier will increase. This offers great incentive for both customer and supplier to continue doing business with 7-Eleven. Use information systems to develop strong ties and loyalty with customers and suppliers. It also discovers unsuspected problems, detect unrealized potential, and create a dynamic synergy with customers. They often merge their operations with those of their customers. In the integration of their operations, suppliers become more than merely useful. To tighten long-term relationship and create brand loyalty with customers and suppliers, including increasing switching costs. In conclusion, Strengthening customer and supplier intimacy lead to win-win situation.

Career Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Career - Research Paper Example US department of labour gives a mean hourly rate of $ 45.14 and a mean annual wage of $ 93,900 (US department of labour web). Louisiana is the second paying state for civil engineers with an annual average of $ 111,980 with an hourly average of $ 53, 84. The trend of construction engineers is that this occupation will grow at an average rate to all occupations in California. This is the case nationally because of road repairs, road construction, bridge construction and other structures are expected to rise. Construction engineers work in different environments. When designing projects entrusted to them, they work in a quite office environment. However, if a project is in a remote area, construction engineers have to bear with the cold or hot environment in such areas. Physically they are supposed to be fit to lift up some construction items here and there. In addition, they should have good eyesight to see details at a close range, Knowledge of tools, methods, and materials used in construction. Most construction engineers work full time and in most cases on overtime to complete contractual

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Colonial America to Road to Revolution - Essay Example People also entered America as servants that were required for management of the households and they were kept on the basis of indenture. Smith regards the story of indentured servants as one of the most dramatic event in colonial America. Slaves also ran from their cruel masters and established as respectable citizens and many whose masters were good to them, remained with them after migration. Many felons, thieves and vagabonds also arrived to colonial America in order to escape. Convicts and felons reached America because they were made outcast by English government and were sent to America. Most of the colonial America was populated by English men and women that came to America for various reasons. Therefore, many people from various lands including England reached America and were accommodated in it. People from diverse cultures and different religious ideologies reached America and form a united nation. Wholesomely, I like the essay by Page Smith but while reading, it appeared that I was losing the touch with the central theme of the essay. However, the essay is informative and is rich in terms of historic narration. It informs in detail about formation of America as a nation of diverse

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President John Fitzgerald Kennedys Assassination - Term Paper Example The president was travelling with his wife Jacqueline, Texas Governor John Connally and Connally’s wife, Nelle, in a presidential motorcade (Thompson, 1967). Discussion Kennedy’s assassination came as a shock to the U.S and many investigations were started to establish how the incident took place that fatally caused the wounds to the president and injured two people, Governor Connally and James Taque. Shaw & Harris state that â€Å"Lee Harvey Oswald was killed by Jack Ruby before he could stand trial† (1992, p.3). This added controversy to the investigations of the president’s assassination. This is due to the fact that had Oswald been acting alone, his testimony would not have incriminated any third parties and therefore no sufficient reason for any person to want him dead unless it was a move to silence him. This was a major factor in all investigations that were carried out on the inquest to the president’s assassination. JFK's assassination was not a clear incident to be understood without thorough investigations. The intelligence Agencies including Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and committee of inquiry such as Warren Committee and United States House select Committee on Assassinations (HSCA) were instituted to conduct investigations. The findings of the various Agencies and committees differed in one way or another leading to different theories and speculations regarding the assassination. The Warren Commission On November 29, 1963, President Lyndon Johnson instituted the Commission investigating the assassination of President Kennedy. The commission was chaired by the Chief Justice, Earl Warren and would commonly be referred to as the Warren commission. The commission was instituted by the Executive Order EO 11130 (Twyman, 1997). President Johnson instructed the commission to evaluate and analyze the facts surrounding the assassination of the president and the subsequent murd er of the alleged assassin. The commission was then to compile and report its findings to the president. This was a ten months investigation by a commission of inquiry chaired by Warren. The commission relied on the FBI report of November 24, 1963. FBI was the first authority to investigate, in fact two days after JFK's assassination. The commission agreed with FBI's report of Edger Hoonar – the director of FBI, that 3 shots were fired but disagreed on which shot hit the President and which hit Governor Conally. On December 13th of the same year, the United States Congress passed the joint resolution for the Senate 137 which gave authority to the commission to subpoena all the witnesses directed to testify before the commission. Warren et al. (1964) states that â€Å"Any individual deemed to possess vital information useful to the investigation was thus required to appear before the commission.† The witnesses would testify upon being summoned by the commission. In addi tion, the resolution gave the commission the power to compel or mandate the testimony of the witnesses. Witnesses were granted immunity from being prosecuted as a result of the testimonies they would give to the commission. The Warren Commission presented its report to the president on September 24, 1964. Warren et al. notes that, â€Å"Each member of the commission concurred on the findings detailed in the report† (1964, p.32). This was soon followed by the publication of the 26 volumes of

Plot summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Community culture and change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

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Cryptography Attacks Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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Shagri La Advertisement Analysis Essay Example for Free

Shagri La Advertisement Analysis Essay One of the hallmarks of modern capitalism is advertising, helping fuel the economy by motivating buyers and supporting sellers. A prime promotional tool includes television commercials. It has become apparent over the years that television ads heighten peoples interest in products. Taking this into consideration, television advertising today has overwhelming influence on consumer purchases and   attraction to services. The consumer mind frame is largely weighted by what advertisements encourage and coerce people to buy, do and even believe. A television ad concept is not difficult to actualise, but creating an affective one that will excite audiences is. Television is firstly a visual medium and secondly auditory, allowing short stories to be told by advertisers. This medium allows for maximisation of the creative potential. Brand History Shangri-La is a premier hospitality provider founded in 1971 in Singapore. Its name was inspired by James Hiltons legendary novel Lost Horizon, which encapsulates a placid haven in the Himalayas mountains, called Shangri-La, which cast a spell on its residents. Today, Shangri-La composes of over 70 deluxe hotels and resorts in key cities in Asia Pacific, Canada and the Middle East. Apart from providing hotels and resorts, it has also established spas and luxury serviced apartments. Based in Hong Kong, Shangri-La has plans to expand globally with advancements under way throughout Asia, Europe and North America. The vision of Shangri-La is to be the first choice for their guests, colleagues, shareholders and business partners, with its mission to delight their guests every time by creating engaging experiences straight from their hearts. Target Audiences Instead of highlighting the usual comforts and amenities of the hotel, the ad tries to work on the subconscious level of the consumers. The man is neither familiar with nature of wolves nor with the terrain. This means that ad is not designed for regular loyal customer and Shangri-La is confident of retaining them with its service. Furthermore the ad characterizes a man fighting alone in an adverse condition rules out family as target. Its primary aim is to attract new customer especially working class who are rich enough to spend but are skeptical of service provided. This tactic used is to convey quality   which uses a very fine experience from human life. It is safe to consider this ad to be reaching out to the niche market of business men of middle to upper class stature. However, also not to mention anyone who is willing to pay the price for comfort as well. Objectives Of Commercial The advertisement is excellently scripted and shot to keep viewers glued to the screen when watching it   for the first time. Creatively crafted with such brilliant cinematography and accompanied by an empowering original music piece composed by Bruno Coulais. Audiences would not figure out that this would be a commercial for a hotel until the ending of it. The symbolism used in this ad creates a lasting impression on the viewer’s mind. The ad is designed keeping in view the consumer’s perspective and expectation away from the hotel. Depicted in the commercial is a   man with backpack and equipment that symbolizes a career oriented customer. This person is in an unknown place for work related affairs. He is tired in his endeavors and looking for a place to rest and rejuvenate, namely a hotel or a resort. Wolves are generally associated with sinister and wicked activities and here they depict hotels and resort. It is common perception that hotels and resort charge expensively   and have lot of hidden charges but most of them fail to deliver the value for money spent. The customer doesn’t trust the wolves (hotel) and when he finally gives in to his fatigue, he gets unexpected, friendly and customized treatment from the stranger who are the wolves; Shangri-La staffs. Cultural Impacts In recent years, change and adaptation seem to be the norm for society all around the world. Adaptation to sub-cultures is not always the easiest. Habits and culture change are more often than not the hardest to accept. In this case,   the advertisement emcompasses that entirely. With the man lost in a foreign environment, looking desperately for a place to rest. Unable to familiarize himself to his surroundings, he succumbs to settling down in the cold winter snow. Unexpectedly, Shangri-La, depict as the wolves, show up to comfort the stranger. After which, the tagline, â€Å"To embrace a stranger as one’s own, it’s in our nature† is shown. Hence, audiences are able to gather that no matter where you are across the globe, in a foreign environment, Shangri-La will take you in not as a guest but a kin. Creating a ‘home away from home’. Mass Media Theories There are four main theories that are formulated into the advertisement, namely the cumulative effects theory, attitude effects theory, behavioural effects theory. Cumulative Effects Theory It is necessary for an ad to be repeated several times before an individual consumer attends to and processes the message. This need for repetition is the cumulative effect of actual exposure to the message. Message quality is a critical factor in determining whether communication has any effect. The placing of the Shangri-La ad in cinemas before movie screenings and on YouTube allows for this necessary repetitive exposure. The cognitive and affective responses to the ad (e. g, attention, recall, attitude) initially hikes with increasing repetition over time. By placing it in cinemas over a stretched period of time, movie-goers are more exposed to the ads as it is highly unlikely for them to intentionally avoid it. The placement of it on YouTube before certain videos also ensures that viewers are unable to avert the intrusiveness of the ad. With the behavior attitude effects that derive from the Shangri-La ad, the cumulative effects are elevated. Behavior Effects As Shangri-La has already been established as mature in its industry, one of this commercials purpose is to influence its viewers with social appeal. The motivation that leads a consumer towards selecting Shangri-La usually involves actively seeking to satisfy the need of luxurious accommodation. In relation to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the ad satisfies the psychological, safety and self-esteem needs of consumers. By reminding travelers that Shangri-La will care for travelers as their own, this ad keeps the consumer feeling a sense of safety, which is an important concern in every traveler’s mind. At the same time, while actively motivating them to pursue luxury accommodation, the ad is feeding their self-esteem need of knowing they are capable of affording premium accommodations while traveling, setting them apart from markets that cannot afford so. It is vital for a ad to communicate possible benefits to a consumer as by doing so, they appear more credible and are more able to influence the consumer’s behaviour and choices. Another factor that affects the consumer behaviour in this ad is the subliminal messages it sends. The subliminal message of this ad was intended to cause viewers to think of Shangri-La as the ideal choice while traveling. After a mind picks up a subliminal message, the subconscious mind will tell a person to obey the message the next time he sees something that relates to it. A consumer that has watched the ad will tend to be reminded of Shangri-La when he travels, creating a lasting retention in their minds. Attitude Effects Attitude is a central focus in the fields of advertising and consumer behaviour. Much of research has shown that consumers brand-related beliefs affect brand attitude formation (e. g. , Mitchell Olson 1981) and change. In addition, recent evidence suggests that consumers brand attitudes may be affected by consumers attitudes towards the advertisement themselves. For ad-evoked feelings to become directly associated with a brand, associative mechanisms have to be present. This result could be an effect on the brand attitude or brand choice or both. The Shangri-La ad is an emotional commercial without much information content but evokes thinking and cognitive activity. The feelings of fear, being taken care of and eventually safety that the audience experiences while being exposed to the Shangri-La ad, over time and with multiple exposures, become associated with the Shangri-La hotel. These associated feelings can also change the symbolic meaning that consumers associate with Shangri-La, as it is now seen as not just a hospitality provider but also a part of travelers’ warm experiences. The association of such feelings with the brand leads to Shangri-Las brand imagery and personality, which leads to consumers developing a more positive attitude towards it. This association also directly affects the attitude and buying behaviour that travelers have toward the brand. Conclusion In a nutshell, the advertisement has proven to be a huge success. Having incorporated the use of mass media theories seamlessly into the ad itself was tantamount to having half the battle won. The final pieces of the jigsaw was fitted when Shangri-La went spot on with their intended target audience as well as excellent placement for their ads. Suffice to say, the burgeoning reputation of Shangri-La has allowed the versatility in their advertisements. It is noticeable that throughout the ad, there is not any one time that Shangri-La had to showcase their facilities or services they provide simply because the masses have already instilled in their minds that the company is in a distinguished class of its own. This unconventional way of driving a particular message across to viewers instead of the typical flaunting and showcasing of products and services brings about something fresh to the advertising scene enables them to take a bigger leap forward in drilling the intended message across to the audience.

Effects of Ocean Acidification and Global Warming

Effects of Ocean Acidification and Global Warming Introduction: Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) from our industrial and agricultural activities has resulted in increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration. Over a period of less than a decade, the change in seawater chemistry due to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) levels becomes one of the most critical and pressing issues, identify as ocean acidification. The ability of the ocean to absorb additional atmospheric CO2 is decreasing, and more rapid global warming is led by future CO2 emissions. Ocean acidification is also problematic, the negative effects on marine calcifying organisms, resources and services cause by human societies largely depend energy, water, and fisheries. For example, it is predicted that by 2100 around 70% of all cold-water corals, especially those in the higher latitudes, will live in waters undersaturated in carbonate due to ocean acidification. Recent research indicates that ocean acidification might also result in increasing levels of jellyfish in some marine ecosystems. Aside from direct effects, marine and coastal pollution as global change-induced impacts with ocean acidification and the invasive alien species are likely to result in more fragile marine ecosystems. For example, coastal deforestation and wide-scale fisheries making species more vulnerable to other environmental impacts. The motivation for this research is that although global change and global warming have been topics of intensive research among these years. Potentially profound changes throughout marine ecosystems and in the environmental that research provide to humankind shows that impacts of ocean acidification may be just as dramatic as those of global warming and the combination of both are likely to led worst consequences. Natural environment: For tens of millions of years, acidity level of Earths oceans is relatively stable. The life in todays seas has arisen and flourished because of the steady environment. But research shows that this balance is not keeping anymore and being undone by a recent and rapid drop in surface pH called ocean acidification. It could have devastated global consequences. Human impact: At least one-quarter of the carbon dioxide (CO2) released by burning coal, oil and gas doesnt stay in the air, but instead dissolves into the ocean. Since the beginning of the industrial era, the ocean has absorbed some 525 billion tons of CO2 from the atmosphere, presently around 22 million tons per day. For 2008, total human CO2 emissions were about 10 billion tons of carbon annually (equivalent to one million tons per hour or, on a per capita basis, ~ 0.2 kg person-1 h-1; note that 1 billion tons equals 1 Pg or 1 x 1015 g). Of this amount, 8.7  ± 0.5 billion tons originates from fossil fuel combustion and cement production and another 1.2  ± 0.7 billion tons from deforestation (Le QueÃÅ' reÃÅ'  et al., 2009). After the industrial era the amount of human CO2 emissions close to 560 billion tons. It is certainly enough to be of grave concern as a greenhouse gas leading to climate change, even it is less than half of this anthropogenic CO2 remains in the atmosphere. At first, scientists thought that what happened after industrial revolution might be a good thing because it avoids more carbon dioxide leaves in the air to warm the planet. But in the past decade, they have realized that it does leaf less CO2 in the atmosphere, but it has come as the cost of changing the ocean’s chemistry. When carbon dioxide dissolves in seawater, water (H2O) and CO2 mix, they combine to form carbonic acid (H2CO3). The water becomes more acidic and the ocean’s pH value gets lower. Compare to immense ocean, if there has enough carbon dioxide, it can have a major impact. In the past 200 years alone, ocean water has become 30 percent more acidic—faster than any known change in ocean chemistry in the last 50 million years. Scientists formerly did not worry about this process because they call a stabilizing effect â€Å"buffering, which keep the ocean’s pH stable by carrying enough dissolved chemicals through rivers from rocks to the ocean. But all the CO2 emission is dissolving into the ocean so quickly that this natural buffering has not been able to keep pH stable, and rapidly dropping pH in surface waters. The entire ocean is affected when surface layers mix into deep water. When the term ocean acidification was first coined, scientists have been tracking ocean pH for more than 30 years, even though it really only started in 2003. The current rapid rise in atmospheric CO2 is as much as 30 times faster than natural rates in the geological past, and present levels are higher than at anytime in at least the last 850,000 years and likely several million years (Kump et al., 2009). Consequences: Geologists saw a number of changes about in the time period of 300 million years that share many of the characteristics of today’s human-driven ocean acidification. But the main difference before and nowadays is, CO2 levels are rising at an unprecedented rate, causing endanger situation like the near-disappearance of coral reefs. Also theres a threat of acidification in human society, includes a decline in commercial fisheries and in the Arctic tourism industry and economy. Commercial fisheries are threatened because acidification harms calcifying organisms destroyed the Arctic food webs, such as pteropods and brittle stars. For example, In Scandinavia, acidic water reduced 15% of species populations and that more species were limited in population or declining. The rapid decrease or disappearance of marine life decrease the economic in coast area, it could also affect the diet of Indigenous peoples. Branching corals, lives around natural carbon dioxide seeps, as a model for a more acidic future ocean. The reason the can struggle in the acidic water is because of their more fragile structure. For reef-building corals, calcium carbonate forms complex reefs in order raft house by coral animals themselves. Pre-existing coral skeletons can be corroded by acidic seawater, and limit their reproduce. The growth of new ones slows down, so the reefs will be more easily eroding by storm waves or eaten by animals. It’s possible that weaker and healthy coral reefs will all be eroding more quickly than they can rebuild. Acidification may also effects the eggs and larvae of carols. While they were still in the plankton its not easy to get hurt by acidic water. However, as long as larvae is be in acidic water, it harder to find a good place to settle, preventing them from reaching adulthood. Some types of coral use bicarbonate to build their skeletons, so they have more ways to survive in an acidifying ocean. Some can handle a wider pH range instead of survive without a skeleton after the pH value back to normal. Area that affected by natural carbon dioxide seeps, like on reefs in Papua New Guinea, big boulder colonies have taken over. Probably because this dedicatedly branching has thin branches, its more attackable to dissolving. From this change, many thousands of organisms that live among the coral can be affected. Nevertheless those fish and people eat. Acidification is not the only reason for corals suffer, also warming water, pollution, and overfishing that caused by human also affect them. In general, shelled animals such as mussels, clams, urchins and starfish, are going to face the same problem like the corals. They have trouble building their shells by themselves in more acidic water. From the study we expected that, by the end of the century, Mussels and oysters will grow less shell by 25 percent and 10 percent individually. Urchins and starfish are not as well studied, but they have more weaker shelled that build by calcite, a type of calcium carbonate that dissolves more quicker that corals does. This study shows that the chance of being crushed or eaten of shelled animals will increase because of their weaker acidic affected shelled. Due to the burning of fossil fuels, people produce excess carbon dioxide that cause CO2 bubbles out of volcanic vents in the reef of the coast of Papua New Guinea. Also excess CO2 dissolves into the surrounding seawater, making water more acidic. There are places scattered throughout, lowering the pH in surrounding waters. Scientists study these unusual communities for clues to what an acidified ocean will look like. Plants and many make their energy to survive from combining sunlight and carbon dioxide, it shows that more carbon dioxide in the water is helpful for them, doesnt hurt them at all. As nurseries and home for many larger fish and thousand different organisms in the shallow-water area along coasts, seagrasses in more acidic water area were able to reproduce better, grow healthier. However, the pollution flowing into ocean and other reasons cause the seagrasses in decline, even the help of acidic seawater cant replace the lost of other pollution cause. Coralline algae, which build calcium carbonate skeletons more soluble than regular calcite form. It strengthened coral reefs. It makes space for other types of non-calcifying algae, so it can damage coral reefs about 92 percent less area in acidifying conditions. As we known coralline algae provide a ecosystem for coral before they leave the plankton stage, so it is a terrible situation for carol survive before start a new life on carol reefs. Theres an exception called the coccolithophores, one major group of algae, they also grew weak shells. But in nearly 100 years, this algae was able to adapt the acidic water by growing stronger shells. This evidence shows that they just needed more time to adapt, through the population is growing and changing, they will be more adopted to new environment. To have a overview of the how ocean acidification be like, researchers compared the ability of 79 species of bottom-dwelling invertebrates settled in different areas of the Italian coast. For most species, including worms, mollusks, and crustaceans, the closer more acidic water, the fewer number could survive. Sea grass and brown algae dominated algae and animals that need massive calcium-carbonate. The polychaete worm Syllis prolifers, as the only one species that was more abundant in lower pH water. In some areas, they are replacing corals entirely with large boulder corals, sand, rubble and algae beds. Although fish dont have shells, the effects of acidification can also reflect on them. In humans, for instance, a drop in blood pH of 0.2-0.3 can cause seizures, comas, and even death. A fish is also sensitive to pH as human. To keep the pH value balance, it will burn extra energy to excrete the excess acid out of its blood through its gills, kidneys and intestines. Through the process it can also slow fishes growth. Even slightly more acidic water may also affects fishes minds. In more acidic water, clownfish cannot identify threatening noise and flee from danger. There are unpredictable changes in animal behavior under acidification from the study. Because acidification, they cannot smell there way back. The changes of pH of a fishs body and brain could change how the brain processes information and send the message to react. The more acidic seawater could shift the fish species. It could have major impacts on the food web and on human fisheries. Altogether the ocean’s various habitats will no longer provide the diversity we depend on. Restoration: The most realistic way to lower the CO2 level and keep it from getting even higher, would be burning less fossil fuels and finding more area to restore carbon, such as seagrass beds, and marshes, known as blue carbon. If we did, even it wont change immediately, but after hundreds of years, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and ocean would back to normal and comfort for species to live again. Many organization already started to let more people noticed what is ocean acidification and how it is related to our life. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adopted the Limiting global warming in surface ocean pH of 0.16 from pre-industrial levels. This represents the limit of surface ocean pH. At the same time, organizations have fund raise in order to develop technologies that under the title of geoengineering. Developing engines that reduce carbon dioxide and stable the biosphere.Some idea is to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by growing more of the organisms that use it up: phytoplankton. Adding iron or other fertilizers to the ocean could cause man-made phytoplankton blooms, then absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, and then, after death, sink down and trap it in the deep sea. However, its unknown the effect of this action, maybe seawater will become more acidic. Conclusion: Both ocean acidification and global warming are caused by anthropogenic CO2 emissions. Ocean acidification is not just happened yesterday, it will continue to get worst if we do not pay attention in our biosphere and tracking global CO2 emissions. The ocean acidification is not only impact on biology, but also affect human society and economy, especially with ocean warming, the biosphere various will decrease and the environment is not stable anymore. Generally, the pH of the ocean changes in a natural way, and some ocean organisms are well-adapted to live and reproduce in the changes. It may be hard for different marine species to adapt the more extreme changes, like ocean acidification, in resulting there will likely be extinctions. We dont know the exact number, but there were mass extinctions around 55 million years ago. It happened during the last great acidification event, including deep sea invertebrates were extinct. At the time ocean acidification is intensify, we should aware and learn from the past.