Free sample note on social work benefits of the population

Question: Talk about theSocial Work for Benefit of the Population. Answer: Presentation: The expert use of the standards, qualities and procedures of social work to assist the populace is known as social work practice. The social work involves the psychotherapy with the people and encourages the networks to improve their public activities. The issue of emotional wellness has worldwide effect and is considered as the most noteworthy patron in the weight of illness around the world. The post current viewpoints affected the social work in an emotional manner (Fook Pease, 2016). It added to the individual discernments about our social orders and the procedure of the formation of information. The act of improving psychological wellness in Australia thinks about the information on social, social, monetary measurements and the human advancement alongside the interconnecting factors (Fook Pease, 2016). The social constructivism points of view underscores on the way that the human advancement is straightforwardly identified with the social circumstance and information can be asse mbled from the communications with others. The basic methodologies give an inside and out appraisal of the current circumstance and help to devise reasonable procedures in the psychological wellness practice. Conversations Psychological wellness, as characterized by World Health Organizations (W.H.O), is a condition of passionate just as social prosperity that encourages the people to adapt up to the typical worries of life and thus understand its actual potential (World Health Organization, 2016). An intricate transaction of the social, natural, financial, mental and organic components influences the psychological capacities of the individuals (World Health Organization, 2016). The issues of the psychological wellness are portrayed by impeded social, enthusiastic and subjective working that influences the psychological prosperity of the populace (World Health Organization, 2016). The emotional wellness practice is a piece of the social work area which comprises of the social setting of the dysfunctional behavior. The motivation behind the psychological wellness practice in Australia is the advancement, recuperation and reclamation of prosperity of the network with the goal that the people have improve d abilities to control their own lives (World Health Organization, 2016). The act of social work happens at the interface between the earth and the person. The enlisted suppliers of Australia, Accredited Mental Health Social Workers, are specific psychological wellness specialists who are relegated duties by the Commonwealth Government by Australia to defend the emotional wellness of the populace (Aasw.asn.au, 2016). They are qualified to offer better types of assistance in psychological well-being care projects and better administration of the ceaseless sicknesses (Aasw.asn.au, 2016). They treat different mental issue, for example, state of mind issue, tension issues, misery, character issue, self-destructive musings, psychosis, family clashes, relationship issues, life emergency and others (Aasw.asn.au, 2016). The emotional wellness social laborers ought to have great information on the psychological well-being just as dysfunctional behavior in Australia. It comprises of the mental arrangements, pivotal conditions and the social history of the psychological ailments (Dudgeon, Milroy Walker 2014). It additionally comprises of the recuperation standards, mental intercessions, psychological wellness disciplines and the purchaser issues concerning emotional well-being (Aasw.asn.au, 2016). The psychological well-being social laborers ought to be learned about the training principles in Australia, for example, Practice Standards for Mental Health Social Workers and the Code of Ethics (Aasw.asn.au, 2016). These measures give a thought of the social works on concerning psychological wellness in an Australian setting. The laborers ought to likewise recognize the worth places that put accentuation on this space. There are general rules that ought to be trailed by the social wellbeing laborers partic ipating in psychological well-being. They ought to have regard for people, commitment for social equity, keep up privacy and self-assurance while managing the patients. The social work hypotheses clarify the motivation behind the general public towards the survivors of psychological instability (Aasw.asn.au, 2016). They center around the social condition, human practices and the change forms that rule the emotional well-being space. There is an effect of the monetary, political and social variables on the psychological work practice in Australia. The political clash in a nation influences the day to day environments of the individuals and furthermore the ailment weight of the network. The social laborers need to assess the political situation in Australia and survey the present enthusiastic condition of the network. The patients might be experiencing passionate pressure, uneasiness, dread, conflicting of the national characters or societies, versatility and others (DuBois Miley, 2013). There are a few good situations of the individuals which should be tended to by the emotional well-being social specialists. The political turmoil between the universal limits requests the extraordinary consideration of the emotional wellness social laborers (DuBois Miley, 2013). The political philosophy of the nation decides the strategy taken by the psychological wellness social specialists. The political belief system decides t he significant choices taken by the Government for the improvement of the individuals (DuBois Miley, 2013). The social work is influenced by the political system of the nation as it gives the conceivable game-plan as indicated by the ecological weights (DuBois Miley, 2013). The transformation of the government assistance classes may influence the psychological status of the populace. The monetary factors likewise influence the populace to a huge degree. The downturn influenced the psychological well-being of the populace. The social laborers need to comprehend that the individuals would get inclined to tension and frenzy on account of monetary downturn (Blanchard, Jaumotte Loungani, 2014). The financial downturn likewise influences the joblessness, which thus adds to the pressure of the individuals (Blanchard, Jaumotte Loungani, 2014). The absence of business openings denies the individuals of lodging offices. The psychological wellness social specialists ought to comprehend these boundaries and ought to endeavor to give viable answers for them. They ought to become a close acquaintence with their customers and connection their conditions to the monetary situation of the nation. There would be expanded obligation, which would cause critical dread in the psyches of the individuals. There is a need of directing and understanding the perspectives of the survivors of the dysfunctional behavior (Sue et al., 2015). There is likewise a need to build the help of the intellectually sick patients by making administrative systems. The social specialists ought to endeavor to ensure the work privileges of the intellectually debilitated patients (Sue et al., 2015). They ought not be qualified for diminished business openings (Sue et al., 2015). The emotional well-being social laborers ought to accentuate on the help of the activity places in giving redid work chances to the intellectually impaired patients. The social factors likewise sway the emotional wellness of the individuals of Australia. The impact of the psychological sickness may have incredible effect on the general public. The social issues of the general public like neediness, diminished efficiency because of injury, customs, insufficient government approaches, work pressure, issues in the workplace and others sway the psychological well-being of the individuals. In Australia, the marvel of prejudice is normal, which is a significant reason for mental incapacities among the patients (de Lepervanche, 2013). This causes mental injury among the local individuals, which should be tended to by the psychological wellness social laborers (de Lepervanche, 2013). The social laborers should be cautious about the viciousness in schools which influences the youthful populace. They are additionally defenseless against the passionate awkward nature at the hour of pubescence. The uncalled for work conditions in Australia likewise present g enuine dangers to the psychological wellness of the populace (Milner et al., 2015). The workers may not be happy with their employments which may additionally expand their feelings of anxiety (Milner et al., 2015). The social specialists should be cautious about the issues of the adolescent, who speak to a significant area of the populace. There are expanded occurrences of medication maltreatment among the adolescents. The people group confusion and low neighborhood connection are a portion of the normal reasons of low assurance of the adolescents. The young people from the ethnic minority bunches present more prominent odds of low self-assurance just as low confidence. The social specialists ought to distinguish issues, for example, sexual maltreatment, sadness, self-destructive inclinations and recognizable proof of the high hazard adolescents (Geldard, Geldard Foo, 2015). They should make the medicinal services available to all, particularly the young people. There ought to be mo re social insurance suppliers for the youthful populace (Geldard, Geldard Foo, 2015). The emotional wellness social specialists must comprehend the way that psychological wellness is an essential for accomplishing an ideal personal satisfaction. End The psychological wellness social specialists are urgent in improving the wellbeing status of the populace. The social laborers need to have broad information in regards to the wellbeing status of the network. They ought to survey the effects of the outer situations in the psychological prosperity of the general public. The outside variables incorporate the political, monetary and social boundaries that decide the level of mental inability among the individuals. This paper examines about the emotional well-being circumstance in Australia and the job of psychological well-being social laborers in redesigning the state of the populace. This paper likewise strived to interface the basic social work viewpoints with the methodologies of the psychological well-being social specialist. It would expand the comprehension of the job of the emotional wellness social specialists on the planet, particularly in Australia. References Blanchard

Revisiting The Golden Era Of Hindi Cinema

A nation of 1.2 billion individuals, the antiquated civilisation of India is a mixture of societies and juxtapositions. It is a land that will ambush your faculties all around. The lively hues, fascinating fragrances, bedlam of sounds, and the amalgamation of flavors will both charm and outrage. Inside it in excess of 20 local tongues are spoken. Be that as it may, in this assorted variety there is solidarity found in the normal language of their motion pictures. Such is the force and hold over crowds of Indian movies. In about an obscured film, everybody is equivalent momentarily.The social and monetary partitions that different rickshaw driver from the IT engineer are broken and disregarded. It gives a break from the real world, a definitive dream production line where for those three hours, you can be whoever you need to be. The limitations of status, social standing, riches, religion, instruction are for a second overlooked as the crowd are constrained to lose themselves on the p lanet happening before them on the huge screen.As the biggest maker of movies, the Indian film industry beats both Hollywood and China as far as the quantity of movies produced every year. Having collected such a status through the creation of in excess of 2000 movies in India’s different dialects, it is no big surprise that the mysterious spell give occasion to feel qualms about Indian film goers is a hard one to break.The Golden Era Of Films : 1940s to 1960sThe Indian film industry is one of the most notable film enterprises on the planet today. Indian movies are routinely being included in the top film celebrations and Indian on-screen characters/entertainers are being overflowed with offers from Hollywood. A significant part of the credit for this prominence goes to the movie producers of the 1940s to the 1960s who made some evergreen works of art that caused the world to pay attention of Indian movies. This period denoted the start of development of Indian Cinema however different classifications. We had standard producers like Raj Kapoor who, in the most traditionalist and predictable period, made the absolute generally innovative, individual and engaging movies, for example, Awaraâ (1951) and Shree 420 (1955).Mother India, which many think about the best film of Indian film, was made in 1957. The film got India its first assignment to the Oscars as the best remote film. A portion of the other must-watch motion pictures of this period are Mahal (1949), Do Aankhein Barah Haath (1957), Madhumati (1958) and Mughal-e-Aazam (1960). Motion pictures of different classes, including sentiment, dramatization, satire and disaster, were made, each with extraordinary profundity in storyline, noteworthy characters and heart-contacting portrayal. Another acclaimed chief and author of this time was Mr. Kamal Amrohi. His motion pictures had an expressionist course with a firm structure and lovely style all through, that is absent from the cutting edge Bollywood f ilms. He just made four motion pictures through and through and seeing Mahal it’s clear that his primary vocation was as a poet.The film is loaded with melodious pictures, profundity of separation and shape and characterisations that between relate on a few levels without a moment's delay †the coherent, the mental, the enthusiastic and the supernatural. The Golden Age of Hindi film that bloomed with the studio period of the 1950s and ebbed by the mid 1970s is one of India’s most noteworthy aesthetic accomplishments. A ton of Hindi movies made during that time, could scarcely be called Hindi films.Rather, Hindustani, a blend of Urdu and Hindi, was the most widely used language of the silver-screenâ€a impression of a nation brought together by a fascinatingly differing legacy with semantic impacts from Sanskrit, Farsi, Bengali, Arabic, Panjabi, and a heap of others. Urdu in films was astoundingly accessibleâ€holding a spot for any watcher in each sort. Valid, it is far-fetched the whole crowd saw each word in those melodies. Be that as it may, thusly, film and music could be instructive for the individuals who did notâ€a interesting method of safeguarding the way of life they thought about back. As equal film diva Shabana Azmi appropriately quipped,â€Å"If you contrast today’s tunes and the melodies of the 1960s and 1970s, at that point unquestionably today’s tunes are as indicated by the interest. Be that as it may, in the event that you see, Hindi movies used to secure the Urdu language as they utilized it, yet it is gradually kicking the bucket and I feel terrible for it.† The heritage of Urdu will keep on adding to the appeal and wistfulness of old movies for a long time into the future. For the loss of Urdu is more than the unimportant loss of jargon. Without Urdu in Hindi movies, we have lost our own andaaz â€the way with which we once conveyed our contemplations and emotions, our etiquette, and a rich, significant ornamentation inâ expressing ourselves that can never be supplanted. Popular motion pictures of this time being Mughal-e-Aazam, Pakeeza etc.Some of the most widely praised Hindi movies ever were created during this period. While business Hindi film was flourishing, the 1950s additionally observed the development of another Parallel Cinema development. Despite the fact that the development was principally driven by Bengali film, it additionally started picking up unmistakable quality in Hindi film. Early instances of Hindi movies in this development incorporate Chetan Anand’s Neecha Nagar (1946) and Bimal Roy’s †Do Bigha Zameen - Two Acres of Land (1953).Some of the globally acclaimed Hindi producers engaged with the development included Mani Kaul, Kumar Shahani, Ketan Mehta, Govind Nihalani, Shyam Benegal and Vijaya Mehta. These movies won a few honors broadly and globally and Their basic approval, just as the business achievement, prepared for Indian neorealism and the Indian New Wave. Subrata Mitra, who appeared as a cinematographer with this movie, has been an incredible effect on India and the world in the field of cinematography.Ray is considered as perhaps the best executive ever. Satyajit Ray and Ritwik Ghatak proceeded to make numerous other incredible craftsmanship films, and other gifted executives, for example, Mrinal Sen, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Mani Kaul and Buddhadeb Dasgupta stuck to this same pattern. In the 1960’s, Indira Gandhi, as the Information and Broadcasting Minster, further advanced odd film with the official Film Finance Corporation supporting such motion pictures. The movies got incredible business accomplishment just as basic recognition. Master Dutt’s Pyaasa (1957) and Kagaz Ke Phool (1959) are among the best films ever made.This period was a brilliant age for Indian music too, giving us resonant music that keeps on rousing music chiefs till date. Playback vocalists, for example, Lata Man geshkar, Asha Bhonsle, Kishore Kumar, Mohd Rafi and Manna Dey arrived at the peak of their vocations during this period. We had probably the most astonishing and alluring entertainers like Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand who do magic on the Indian crowds with their new style and acting ability. The most excellent ladies at any point seen on celluloid, for example, Madhu Bala, Vyjayanthi Mala, Meena Kumari and Waheeda Rahman, graced the screen during this period. They had magnificence as well as incredible actingâ talent, which helped them assume the most testing jobs no sweat and perfection.Overall, the 1940s †60s was a period that altered Indian film. Before this period, most motion pictures based on legendary, authentic or family related topics. Sentiment was depicted in the most delightful and touchy way during this period, and in a general public where nearly everybody had organized relationships, it achieved a new influx of thought among the young. The movies deline ated regular daily existences just as bigger social issues in an unpretentious, yet profoundly significant way, and stay as motivation for ages of producers to come.Parallel Cinema : Rise and Fall What is Parallel Cinema?The Indian New Wave, generally referred to in India as Art Cinema or Parallel Cinema as an option in contrast to the standard business film, is a particular development in Indian film, known for its genuine substance, authenticity and naturalism, with a sharp eye on the socio-political atmosphere of the occasions. This development is unmistakable from standard Bollywood film. The term â€Å"parallel cinema† has begun being applied to unique movies delivered in Bollywood, where craftsmanship films have started encountering resurgence. This prompted the rise of a particular sort known as Mumbai noir, urban movies reflecting social issues in the city of Mumbai. In contemporary film, the term â€Å"parallel cinema† is being utilized to depict any out of th e crate movie.Parallel film basically is comprised of the non-standard movies that are not made for business victories or collecting benefits. These are typically low-spending motion pictures, and spotlight on the social or policy centered issues predominant in our country. The convention of equal film can be dated long go into the 1920s and 1930s. The historical backdrop of Indian Cinema can't be told without the notice of India’s greatest chief ever, Guru Dutt. He has been over and over certify with guiding the brilliant time of Indian film. His work was simply aesthetic and melodious regarding content and delighted in business achievement. He was cherished by the crowd in spite of the way that his work depended on subjects that were viewed as no-no at that time.Fall Of Parallel Cinema : Some Hindi movie producers, for example, Shyam Benegal kept on creating practical Parallel Cinema all through the 1970s, close by Mani Kaul, Kumar Shahani, Ketan Mehta, Govind Nihalani and Vijaya Mehta. Be that as it may, the ‘art film’ bowed of the Film Finance Corporation went under analysis during a Committee on Public Undertakings examination in 1976, which blamed the body for not doing what's needed to energize business film. The 1970s in this manner saw the ascent of business film or the purported â€Å"popular cinema†. Numerous films from â€Å"popular cinema† never really become famous; at that point why such motion pictures are called mainstream? They are out of psyche when they are out of sight.Cinema pundits have indirectly named such motion pictures, which are principally proposed to en

El Corazn free essay sample

Steve Earle isn’t precisely a Spanishname, so don’t begin believing that you will require an interpreter forthis CD. Brought up in Texas, he shakes. Obviously, it’s not exactlytoday’s standard sort of rock, which is generally emotional or punk. Hiswork may appear nation, yet it is to a greater degree a blend of the two, countryrock. Steve Earle frequently inclines more toward the stone side of things, buthe is never completely on one side. Discharged in 1997, â€Å"ElCorazon† denoted the arrival of Steve Earle with solid sales.Following the equation of his past â€Å"I Feel Alright,†Ã¢â‚¬Å"El Corazon† mixes people, nation and rock. Earle likewise playsa number of tunes with different craftsmen including Emmylou Harris onâ€Å"Taneytown† and The Fairfield Four on â€Å"TelephoneRoad.† The CD utilizes guitar, harmonica, fiddle, tambourine,organ and saxophone in blends that make a fantastic soundenjoyable for both nation and rock fans. â€Å"I Still CarryYou Around† and â€Å"Other Side of Town† are two of themost down home tunes on the CD. We will compose a custom exposition test on El Corazn or then again any comparable subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Indeed, I accept that, from a rockfan’s viewpoint, Steve Earle plays out the most pleasant countrymusic around. I additionally accept he plays probably the best stone out there.It is deplorable that his music isn't played on mainstreamradio. I prescribe â€Å"El Corazon† to any nation orroot rock fan out there. I likewise energize diehard standard stone fansto give this CD a turn. I have a CD case brimming with Metallica, Pearl Jam,Smashing Pumpkins and Green Day, so I am in that spot with you, yet SteveEarle is an extraordinary craftsman, and â€Å"El Corazon† is an incredible CD.You’ll see.

Why Being Smart Wont Lead To Academic Success

Self-discipline is a balancing act. Many bright, intelligent, ambitious students have crossed my path throughout my years as aone-on-one academic tutor. Sometimes these students’ parents are confused as to why they don’t seem to be getting the grades they should be getting, or why they aren’t as successful as they are very well capable of being. Well, it’s not just the parents who are concerned – more often than not, it’s the students themselves. And when I say students, this applies to sixteen-year-olds in high school, all the way to professionals in their mid-thirties trying to get into a graduate program. What distinguishes top achievers from others? Are they simply smarter? If so, what explains the wide range of performance among individuals of equal â€Å"intelligence†? In a longitudinal study of 140 students by Professor Angela Duckworth, self-discipline predicted final grades, school attendance, and standardized achievement test scores. In a replication with 164 eighth-graders, a behavioral delay-of-gratification task, a questionnaire on study habits, and a group-administered IQ test were added. Self-discipline measured in the fall accounted for more than twice as much variance as IQ in final grades, school selection, school attendance, hours spent doing homework, hours spent watching television (inversely), and the time of day at which students began their homework. The effect of self-discipline on final grades held even when controlling for first marking period grades, achievement test scores, and measured IQ. These findings suggest a common reason for students falling short of their intellectual potential: their failure to exercise self-discipline. Thus, building self-discipline may be the royal road to building academic achievement. Professor Duckworth’s study shows that often, success is not so much about being smart, but about studying smart with the right strategies. For all students, regardless of age or â€Å"intelligence,† the key to high achievement lies in figuring out how to incorporate a productive, efficient study system into their already busy lives. For more study tips from our study skills tutors in Boston and New York, check out these blog posts: Achievement Goals And Why They Matter, Study Skills: 5 Simple Steps for Straight A’s!, and Summer Academics: Make The Most of the â€Å"Lazy† Months. ;

Moral And Ethical Controversies Of Assisted Suicide

Moral and Ethical Controversies of Assisted Suicide The practices of euthanasia and assisted suicide are something that takes place in hospitals around the world both legally and illegally. It is the act of intentionally causing a patients death or allowing a patient to take their own life by prescribing lethal doses of medication. Until very recently, it was only legal in one state in the United States, Oregon. However, just this past November, Washington also hopped on board. Opinions about the topic vary; some justify it by saying they are putting an end to the patient’s suffering, some simply see it as killing, and others think it depends on the situation. With that being said, if it is ok, at what point do we know? How does this fit†¦show more content†¦This is a case in which those who support euthanasia justify themselves. In most cases euthanasia is usually done by giving a patient a lethal injection or giving them an overdose of medication. Assisting a patien t’s suicide can be characterized by a doctor prescribing lethal doses of medication to a patient; â€Å"Pharmacists dispense them, sometimes with instructions to ‘take all of this with a light snack and alcohol to cause death’† (American Thinker). Advocates of assisted suicide strongly believe that no one should be forced to stay alive if they do not want to, but the problem with this is that sometimes it is done without the patient’s consent, or without them being in the correct state of mind to know what exactly they are agreeing to. Anyone has the right to commit suicide if they wish to, but euthanasia and assisted suicide is one person aiding the death of another, and that is what is immoral. It changes from the right to die to the right to kill. Oregon was the first and only state for nearly ten years to legalize assisted suicide. According to USA Today, â€Å"In 1994 Oregon voters by a margin of 51 percent approved the Death with Dignity Actà ¢â‚¬ , which was passed in November of 1997 (USA Today). The Supreme Court ruled that there was no constitutional right or prohibition of euthanasia or physician assisted suicide, thus allowing Oregon to experiment with the legalization of it. The Act â€Å"allows terminally-ill Oregonians to end their lives through

Public Policy Analysis The Affordable Care Act ( Aca )

Introduction â€Å"The purpose of public policy is to direct problems to government and secure government’s response, while politics is the use of influence to direct the responses toward goals† (Milstead, 2013, p. 12). Policies are used as guidelines to reach a common goal. In healthcare, policies can affect and have an impact on how we provide care for our patients’. For this reason, it is important for nurses to be knowledgeable and involved in important healthcare decisions. â€Å"Knowledgeable nurses in advanced practice must demonstrate their commitment to action by being a part of relevant decisions that will ensure the delivery of quality health care by appropriate providers in a cost-effective manner† (Milstead, 2013, p. 1). Public Policy Analysis Health care driver policy was designed to address The Healthcare reform is a public policy that is currently impacting the nursing practice. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was designed to address the cost, quality of healthcare and access to healthcare in the United States. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is â€Å"the 2010 health reform act that could extend insurance coverage to as many as 32 million Americans. The law also included regulations that affect the quality of coverage insurers must offer. Additionally, the law created a range of initiatives focused on encouraging reform in how medical care is organized and delivered, with a goal of reducing costs and improving quality and outcomes. Finally, otherShow MoreRelatedHealth Care Is A Controversial Matter That Unceasingly1502 Words   |  7 PagesHealth care is a controversial matter that unceasingly comprises of disagreements within the government. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is one hot button issue th at has been in the news since being signed into law. 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Not only did the ACA set forth goals to make sure individuals had more access to healthcare it fixed the root of the problem as to why people were not receiving healthcare from the beginning. Goal The Affordable Care Act had the goal of the potentially increasing access to coverage for millions of Americans by implementation of market reforms. As well as the establishing new healthRead MoreBackground Of Affordable Care Act1344 Words   |  6 PagesDescription of the Issue Background of Affordable Care Act The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly called Obama care, or the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. 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Every stateRead MorePersonal Values And Beliefs And Values872 Words   |  4 Pagesbeliefs and values are on par with the present health care policy in the United States (U.S.). I value and believe in compassion, empathy and respect. People have the right to access basic medical care when they are sick. So, there should be universal healthcare for the people at a cost that is affordable to them. The health care charge must be on the basis of income with a cap. The people who are under the poverty line should receive health care at free of cost. As the i ncome level increases, there

Critical Analysis Of The Impact Of Internet And Digital Technologies

Question: Discuss about the Critical Analysis Of The Impact Of Internet And Digital Technologies. Answer: Critical analysis of the impact of internet and digital technologies on each of the Five Competitive Forces External business environment analysis is a vital strategy of the organizations that help them to identify and understand the potential opportunities and threats and take actions accordingly. One of many important and effective tools for external environment analysis is the Porters Five Forces Framework. This tool is beneficial for competition analysis, which addresses the factors, such as, industry rivalry, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, threat of new entrants and threat of substitutes (Rothaermel 2015). Industry rivalry refers to the competition from the existing rivals. This is a major factor that determines the organizational performance as well as competitiveness. A good understanding of the industry rivalry helps in adopting the most suitable marketing strategy. Competition may come from innovation, promotional activities, non-price competition, degree of transparency etc. (Grant 2016). Bargaining power of suppliers originates from the input market. All kinds of supplies can give the suppliers bargaining power with the firm that can have an influence on the business operation. The bargaining power of buyers originates from the output market and the behavior of the customers can shape the organizational performance through the demands and purchasing behavior. Threat of new entrants comes from new competitors in the market. When an industry becomes profitable, it attracts new entrants along with some other impacts. Lastly, threat of substitutes originates from substitute products or services and ease of switching (E. Dobbs 2014). According to Benmamoun et al. (2016), the internet and digital technology sector of Kuwait has become increasingly significant for the economy in the last few years. The mobile and internet infrastructure and the services have presented the great potential for the organizations. However, as the competition is increasing not only in the domestic market, but also in the international market due to increased FDI and global business policies, the external environment analysis required to find out the impact of the digital technologies on the five competitive forces. The impact of internet and digital technologies of Kuwait on the each of the five competitive forces are as follows. Threat of new entrants The digital business has changed the nature of the competition. Here the threats of new entrants not only come from the physical stores, but also from the digital platforms. The biggest example of this type of competition is the emergence and popularity of the e-commerce websites, such as, Amazon, Ebay and Souq. There are digital business models and platforms for new technology, that are available to every business in the industry and there can be arrival of new business entities in the digital world at any point of time due to reduced barriers to entry (Evans 2015). Digital businesses require less capital and can yield large economies of scale at a shorter time. There is also enhanced cyber security resulting in increased value proposition of the business. The nature of business is far more transitory and dynamic due to the enhanced internet and digital technology, which makes the competition intense (Pagani and Pardo 2017). Threat of substitutes In the digital business, the threat of substitutes comes from either purely digital substitute products or from a hybrid digital or physical substitute. The example of hybrid digital business model is that of the taxi services, Uber, Abi Taxi and Q8 Taxi in Kuwait who provide a mobile app to the customers to book the physical service (kuwaitlocal.com 2018). The incidence is similar in case of home delivery services in Kuwait where people choose the app for convenience. The switching cost is less in case of digital business substitutes, for example, it takes smartphones and mobile internet and only a few second to download and install the app and start using the service. Bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers have a great bargaining power in the internet and digital business. They can either speed up or slow down the integration of the digital business model depending on its impact on their own business. If the suppliers follow traditional business model, they would not accept the digital business easily and would enforce their bargaining power for not using the new technology. In case of ride-sharing or room sharing businesses, which is supported by the new technology using businesses are promoted for convenience for both the supplier and the buyers, however, the traditional businesses do not support this type of business idea and hence, may not provide adequate support for the business establishment (Rothaermel 2015). Bargaining power of buyers The consumers have immense bargaining power in the modern world due to instant access to the information through the internet, access to the social media, reviews, feedbacks, access to substitute products or services and price sensitivity (Evans 2015). It is the biggest force of competition as the digital businesses have emerged from the needs, demands and expectations of the customers. The level of convenience and quality of products and services are influenced by the bargaining power of the consumers. Industry rivalry All types of businesses face the challenge of industry rivalry as there are many existing firms in that industry. In case of internet and digital technology industry of Kuwait, there are multiple companies that are close rivals of each other. Some of the major telecom companies of Kuwait are Qualitynet, Orbit Showtime Network (OSN), KIPCO, Mobile Telecommunications Co (MTC) / Zain, Ooredoo Kuwait, Kuwait Telecom Company (KTC) / Viva, FASTtelco, and CITRA (Palejwala 2013). In the age of digital businesses, the intensity and degree of rivalry has increased considerably. The barriers to entry and exit have decreased due to low cost business models. Many times, the entrants do not have to own any physical asset, infrastructure or large capital and hence, they can give hard competition by spending on the quality of products and services and enhancing the customer experience (Palacios-Marqus, Soto-Acosta and Merig 2015). Internet and digital technologies have changed the course of business. These have widened the horizon of business from local to global. The five competitive forces are greatly influenced by the internet and digital technologies that have changed the way of business in Kuwait in the last few years. Four threats of entry to new entrants in small scale entrepreneurship in Kuwait and ways to overcome them The major four threats of entry that the new entrants in the small scale entrepreneurship in Kuwait faces are the government regulations, switching cost, financial constraints, and economies of scale (Koch 2011). Like the other Middle East countries, Kuwaits economy is also heavily dependent on the oil production and export. Although the economy has developed significantly, yet the predominance of oil still exists. Kuwait is an expensive place for doing business. There is requirement to have a Kuwaiti agent for the business entities. The oil and gas production and exploration sector has a closed nature, and their aversion to risk have resulted in slow growth of the business sector, especially for the small scale entrepreneurship (Alhajeri 2012). The small scale entrepreneurs face a lot of government regulations, that make their entry into an established market difficult. Being small in size, these businesses often face challenges to meet the business requirements set up by the government. Switching cost for the customers is high while changing the preference to established companies to new companies. The people in Kuwait mostly prefer to trust and do business with known firms, rather than with new firms. The most common problem for the small scale businesses is the lack of adequate capital (Burns 2016). The small businesses often cannot enter the market due to lack of capital and necessary infrastructure. Lastly, economies of scale is a major threat to entry to the small scale businesses. The sectors are already established and being small scale entrepreneurs, they cannot afford to produce on a large scale and enjoy the benefits of economies of scale. To overcome the above mentioned constraints, firstly, the small scale businesses should focus on getting adequate capital through loans from the banks and other financial institutions. The complex business environment of Kuwait requires patience, persistence and flexibility and hence, to face the government relations, personal relations and careful planning are important in Kuwait (Kenny and Dyson 2016). The small scale businesses should focus on the market entry strategies that would minimize the switching cost of the consumers and should also focus on delivering the best quality of product and services at a lower cost. Once they capture the market share by building a close relationship with the customers, they should focus on expanding and enjoying economies of scale. Thus, it can be said that, Kuwait being one of the most developed countries in the Middle East still has predominance over the oil industry for economic growth. The small businesses face the challenges of inadequate capital, government regulations, switching cost for the consumers and economies of scale that creates threats of entry into a new market. The small scale entrepreneurships in Kuwait must handle these challenges through building relationships and getting adequate finances to establish the businesses successfully in the market. References Alhajeri, A., 2012.The Financing and Success Factors of Small Business in Kuwait. [ebook] Available at: https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/portal/files/5315086/Small_BusinessPDF.pdf [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018]. Benmamoun, M., Sobh, R., Singh, N. and Moura, F.T., 2016. Gulf Arab E?Business Environment: Localization Strategy Insights.Thunderbird International Business Review,58(5), pp.439-452. Burns, P., 2016.Entrepreneurship and small business. Palgrave Macmillan Limited. Dobbs, M., 2014. Guidelines for applying Porter's five forces framework: a set of industry analysis templates.Competitiveness Review,24(1), pp.32-45. Evans, N., 2015.How digital business disrupts the five forces of industry competition. [online] CIO. Available at: https://www.cio.com/article/2976572/emerging-technology/digital-disruption-from-the-perspective-of-porters-five-forces-framework.html [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018]. Grant, R.M., 2016.Contemporary strategy analysis: Text and cases edition. John Wiley Sons. Kenny, B. and Dyson, K., 2016.Marketing in small businesses. Routledge. Koch, D., 2011.Challenges to SME Development in Kuwait. [ebook] UNDP Kuwait. Available at: https://info.undp.org/docs/pdc/Documents/KWT/SME%20Challenges%20Final%20Report%20KUWAIT%20Nov%2011.pdf [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018]. kuwaitlocal.com, 2018.Kuwait Local | Q8 Taxi. [online] Kuwaitlocal.com. Available at: https://www.kuwaitlocal.com/business/q8-taxi [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018]. Pagani, M. and Pardo, C., 2017. The impact of digital technology on relationships in a business network.Industrial Marketing Management,67, pp.185-192. Palacios-Marqus, D., Soto-Acosta, P. and Merig, J.M., 2015. Analyzing the effects of technological, organizational and competition factors on Web knowledge exchange in SMEs.Telematics and Informatics,32(1), pp.23-32. Palejwala, M., 2013.Kuwait Telecom Industry. [ebook] Capital Standards: Industry Report. Available at: https://www.infomercatiesteri.it/public/images/paesi/107/files/Kuwait%20Telecom%20Industry_pdf%202_13%20Capitalstandards.pdf [Accessed 22 Mar. 2018]. Rothaermel, F.T., 2015. Strategic management. McGraw-Hill Education.

The Sword In The Stone Essays - Merlin, , Term Papers

The Sword in the Stone The Sword in the Stone is a book about an adopted child named Wart. He is of royal blood and does not know this. One day when Wart is in the forest, he finds a magician named Merlin. Merlin comes home with Wart and agrees with Sir Ector, Wart's guardian, to become Wart's tutor. Merlin goes about educating Wart by transforming him into different animals. Through each transformation Wart experiences different forms of power, each being a part of how he should rule as king. The first transformation plunges Wart and Merlin into the castle's moat as fish. They proceed to meet the largest fish in the moat, who is the ruler. This fish takes what he wants because of his size. In a speech about power, he tells Wart that, "Might is right," and might of the body is greater than might of the mind. Because of the way the fish-king rules, his subjects obey him out of fear for their lives. Wart experiences this firsthand when the fish-king tells him to leave. He has grown bored of Wart, and if Wart does not leave he will eat him. The king uses his size as his claim to power, therefore his subjects follow him out of fear. In Wart's next transformation into a hawk, he soars into the castle's mews. All the birds in the mews have a military rank. Their leader is an old falcon, who Sir Ector keeps for show. The birds who rank below the falcon, hold her in highest regard because of her age. She applies her power over the other birds with no concern for their lives. In one instance, Wart is ordered to stand next to the cage of a crazy hawk who almost kills him. On the other hand, her seasoned age brings respect, since she had not been released once she outlived her usefulness as a huntress. This allows her to maintain a powerful grip over all the birds she rules through fear and respect. Next, Wart is transformed into an ant and posted within an ant colony. There is a single leader of the ants, and she is the only thinking individual in the whole nest. All the ants are manipulated and overseen by her. Each ant has a specific task, which it completes repeatedly. The absolute power exerted by the leader destroys all individualism, leaving the ants with no creativity. Instead, they use trial and error to complete tasks that should take only a small amount of thought. Wart sees this occur when an ant tries with difficulty to organize three cadavers in a small burial chamber, when a small amount of reasoning would have solved the problem quickly. The ants are of a collective mind, so that what one thinks, they all think. They go about their daily lives oblivious to the control the leader has over them. Wart's fourth transformation places him in a flock of geese. These geese are a peace loving race that never kill. There is one leader to a group who is called The Admiral. He guides them on their flight south for the winter. The Admiral receives his position because of his knowledge of the southern migration route. He is only elected if all the geese in the migration group agree he is capable of doing the job. During the flight the geese obey his choices, since he is their elected leader. But his power ends once they are back on the ground, where he is only looked upon as a respected elder. In the final transformation Wart visits the badger. The badger is a great philosopher who enjoys giving scholarly commentaries. While Wart is visiting him, he explains a story he has written on the creation of the animal kingdom's hierarchy. In his commentary he explains how man answered God's riddle and is awarded control over the animal kingdom. He lives a life of solitude because many other animals do not think at his level. They listen because he is old and experienced, and with this comes respect. Through each of the transformations, Wart sees different uses of power. Wart must choose how he will eventually govern his kingdom. The leaders he visits, govern in their own way, each retaining their power through different methods. When these are combined, the following picture of how a leader should or should not rule emerges: A leader should not attempt to rule his or her people through might and fear, as does the fisk-king.

1964 Storm Essays

1964 Storm Essays 1964 Storm Essay 1964 Storm Essay Dhanushkodi has the only land border between India and Sri Lanka which is one of the smallest in the world just 50 yards in length on a sand dune in Palk Strait. Before the 1964 cyclone, Dhanushkodi was a flourishing tourist and pilgrimage town. Since Ceylon now Sri Lanka is just 18 miles away, there were many weekly ferry services between Dhanushkodi and Thalaimannar of Ceylon, transporting travellers and goods across the sea. There were hotels, textile shops and dharmashalas catering to these pilgrims and travellers. The Railway line to Dhanushkodi–which did not touch Rameshwaram then and destroyed in the 1964 cyclone-went directly from Mandapam to Dhanushkodi. Dhanushkodi in those days boasted of a railway station, a small railway hospital, a post office and some state government departments like fisheries etc. It was here in this island in January 1897, Swami Vivekananda after his triumphant visit to the west to attend parliament of religions held in USA in September 1893, set his foot on Indian soil from Columbo. Before the storm, there was a train service up to Dhanushkodi called Boat Mail from Madras Egmore Now Chennai Egmore and the train linked to a steamer for ferrying travellers to Ceylon. During the 1964 storm a huge wave of about 20Â  ft came crashing on the town from Palk Bay/Strait east of the town and destroyed the whole town, a passenger train, and the Pamban Rail Bridge -tragically all happening at the dead of the night. The storm was unique in many ways. It all started with a formation of a depression with its centre at 5N 93E in South Andaman Sea on 17 December 1964. On 19 December it intensified into a cyclonic storm. The formation of depression at such low latitudes as 5N is rare in Indian seas though such cases of typhoon development within 5 degrees of Equator has been reported in North Western Pacific. The Rameshwaram storm was not only formed at such low latitude but also intensified into a severe cyclonic storm at about the same latitude is indeed a rare occurrence. After 21 December 1964, its movement was westwards, almost in a straight line, at the rate of 250 to 350 miles per day. On 22 December it crossed Vavunia of Ceylon now called Sri Lanka with a wind velocity of 150 kts around 270 Km/hr, moved into Palk Strait in the night and crashed into Dhanushkodi of Rameshwaram island on the night of 22–23 December 1964. It was estimated that tidal waves were 8 yards high when it crossed Rameshwaram. A scientific study of the storm entitled Satellite Study of Rameshwaram Storm by Shashi M Kulshreshta and Madan G Gupta is given at this link external link On that fateful night December 22 at 23. 55 hours while entering Dhanushkodi railway station, the train No. 653, Pamban-Dhanushkodi Passenger, a daily regular service which left Pamban with 110 passengers and 5 railway staff, was only few yards before Dhanushkodi Railway station when it was hit by a massive tidal wave. The whole train was washed away killing all 115 on the spot. All together over 1800 people died in the cyclonic storm. All dwelling houses and other structures in Dhanushkodi were marooned in the storm . The high tidal waves moved almost 10 kilometres onto this island and ruined the entire town. Pamban bridge was washed away by the high tidal waves in this disaster. Eyewitness accounts recollected of how the surging waters stopped just short of the main temple at Rameshwaram where hundreds of people had taken refuge from the fury of the storm. Following this disaster, the Government of Madras declared the town as Ghost town and unfit for living after the storm. Only few fisherfolks now live there. Memorial for Dhanushkodi Victims A memorial erected near the Dhanushkodi bus stand reads as follows: A cyclone storm with high velocity winds and high tidal waves hit Dhanushkodi town from 22 December 1964 midnight to 25 December 1964 evening causing heavy damages and destroying the entire town of Dhanushkodi.

To what extent was the Cold War global in nature Essay

To what extent was the Cold War global in nature - Essay Example First is the issue of spheres of influence. Spheres of influence have usually offered a tactic of control against immense power struggles by, establishing a defence ring of geographic territories around the lands of superpowers (Feste 1992). Certainly, throughout the Cold War the great powers formulated ideals concerning spheres of influence that were somewhat vital. In the initial stages of fierce Cold War struggle, the fight between the Soviet Union and the United States ensued over concerns of the external and internal direction of European countries, which is quite localized in nature. Yet, the regime supported by each of the great power appeared to create â€Å"a credible philosophical and organisational substitute for the old order of European politics† (Feste 1992, 15). The struggle hence becomes globalised. When the aforementioned part of the struggle weakened due to the military standoff and the recovery of Europe, the emphasis of the conflict moved to the developing or colonial nations. At this point, dissimilar from the European condition, the struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States seldom involved political or military domination (Westad 2005). More importantly, it involved the demands of the particular political and social paradigms introduced by the Soviet Union and the United States to the emerging countries. This struggle between the great powers had a major global impact on political reforms in developing and underdeveloped countries. Among other things, it increased the emphasis on social change, on economic progress, and nation building, which the Soviet Union and the United States recognised as the core rationale for these nations in their affairs with either of the great powers (Feste 1992). The global nature of the Cold War, in relation to this great power conflict, is precisely described by Paul Seabury (as cited in Feste 1992,16): Classical great-power competition had stressed principally the respective force capab ilities of states: their command of military power; their ability to build, sustain and manipulate alliances; the reach of their economic and commercial influence. Yet, Soviet-American competition added to this a further element: since both systems claimed to be based upon and legitimated by certain universally valid socioeconomic principles, so their respective performances were then to be judged by supposedly universal norms. The touchstone of performance was thus not merely to be seen in direct matters of power and effective influence when both systems impinged on each other, but in the operational vitality of the principles themselves, both within and outside their respective national and hegemonic realms. Hence the strength of American supremacy stemmed from specific normative ideals not simply assessed in terms of domestic influence and authority. Furthermore, ideology was indispensable as well for the Soviet Union to preserve its position globally, which necessitated support for radical campaigns (Westad 2005). The Cold War had created a particular cluster of organised, global interconnections that held an impression of order and formed a new world balance (Westad 2005). These circumstances depended on a unified group of principles that offered a justification for the interferences of the great powers throughout the Cold War period. Aside from the sphere of influence factor, strategic geographical positioning and ideology made the Cold War a global affair. William Bundy (1989) describes the global nature of the Cold War in terms of ‘balance of power’, arguing that it is difficult to overstate the level of the global supremacy by the Soviet Union and the United States in the initial decades of the post-war period. In terms of

ANOVA Study Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

ANOVA Study - Coursework Example Or value 0 can be assigned to the negative (frustration and depression) moods and value ‘1’ can be assigned to the positive (happiness and calmness) moods. The three levels A, B and C are the groups which consists of three groups of people watching the above said three TV shows. The independent variable in this analysis is the type of TV show and the dependent variable is moods of the people. It is assumed that moods of the people depend on the type of the TV shows they are watching. Based on this assumption, null and alternative hypothesis are formulated. H0: u1=u2=†¦.=uk and Ha: all us are not equal. The F-ratio equals the mean square between groups divided by the mean square within groups. That is, Fobt= MS bn/ MSwn . When F-ratio is found significant, Fobt should be greater than 1 (Heiman, 2003). In our analysis, the results are found to be significant. That is, null hypothesis is rejected and alternative hypothesis is accepted. Type of TV shows has significant role in influencing people’s mood. For Post –hoc comparisons, t-test is conducted. From t-test, we can find out that which type of TV show is more significant role in influencing people’ moods. Among A, B or C, which one leads to the happiness and calmness of the people. In other words, which TV show plays role in leading the people’s moods to depression or frustration. When a factor is analyzed using independent samples in all conditions, it is called between-subjects factor. Our study make use of between-subjects factor ANOVA. The selection of our three sample groups are completely independent. We are gathering information from three different group of people watching different TV shows and hence our analysis is between-subjects factor

The Hunger Game by Suzanne Collins Essay Example for Free

The Hunger Game by Suzanne Collins Essay The novel The Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins. This novel talks about 12 districts that are controlled by the Capitol and the Capitol created The Hunger Games to remind people of the districts about dark day. In the novel, the most prevalent tones are sadness and anger. The Capitol provides 12 districts a dark life, and it also sets a cruel game for the people. All the time, tributes are forced to do something that they do not want to do. Capitol provides 12 districts a dark life. First of all , there is not enough food to feed people, so they have to hunt in the woods, but this is not allowed for anyone. For example, â€Å"Most of the peacekeepers turn a blind eye to the few of us who hunt because they are as hungry for fresh meat as any body is.† ï ¼Ë†P5 Collinsï ¼â€°As the leader of 12 districts, of course the Capitol should provide them a good life, but in fact they are just thinking about themself and do not give their citizens enough food . To support citizens’ life ,these people aret forced to do some things that are not allowed. So people will be happy with a comfortable lifeï ¼Å'and If the life for them is struggleï ¼Å'then that would be very sad. Secondlyï ¼Å'there is a lot of cruel rules for people. For instanceï ¼Å'â€Å"My father could have made good money selling themï ¼Å'but if the officials found out he would have been publicly executed for inciting rebellion.†Ã¯ ¼Ë†P5 Collinsï ¼â€°People need weapons to protect themself in such a dangerous districts. However it is not allowed. the Capitol should not kill people who owns weaponsï ¼Å'because that person may have not done anything. So the rule that weapons are not allowed is so sad for the citizens of Panem. Finally, There is not enough electricity for people,â€Å" But since we are lucky to get two or there hours of electricity in the evening.†(P4-5 Collins) Electricity is very important for living, but the Capitol just gives a few hours of electricity to their citizens, this may bring about bad effect to people’s life. So a life without electricity would be very sad. In conclusion, the life that capitol gives to 12 districts is dark and sad. Th e Capitol created a cruel game to make tributes from 12 districts kill each other. First of all, The Hunger Games breaks many warm families. In detail, each year, there will be two young children chosen from  each district, and at the end, there will be just one tribute left, and other will have died. A child is very important to a family ,but in the game , they are just entertainment tools. At the end of the Games most families of these tributes will lose their child. So the game is so cruel to citizens. In addition, in this game, the tributes’ life are meaninglessï ¼Å'this game is just to make the people merry in the Capitol. As proof, people in the Capitol do not mind tributes die or not, they just enjoy this game , and the Capitol wants make more fun from this game. A life for person is priceless, but capitol just make tributes kill each other. In The Hunger Game ,these tributes are just tools that make the audience happyï ¼Å' so they are being ignored. This is so cruel to the people. Finally, in the Games,the gamemakers give the tributes hope that t wo tributes from the same district would both be the winner,but the Capitol destroyed it at the end. More exactly, â€Å"Under the new ruleï ¼Å'both form the same district will be declared winners if they are the last two alive , Greeting to the contestants of the Seventy-fourth Hunger Games. The earlier revision has been revoked. Closer examination of the rule book has disclosed that only one winner may be allowed.† (P342 Collins) Two people from same district might have mutual feelings with each otherï ¼Å'so the new rule for them is pretty goodï ¼Å'this is a good hope for themï ¼Å'and they can be a team,but at the end, the another new rule is asking two persons that have already formed an alliance kill each otherï ¼Å'that is so cruel for these two people. So what the gamemakers did would make tributes so angry. In conclusionï ¼Å'the rules that the Capitol gives to tributes are so cruel. All the timeï ¼Å'the tributes are forced to do something that they don’t want to do. First of all, Katniss was asked to fall in love with Peeta. In detail, Haymitch wants Katniss and Peeta to get more help from the audience, so he asked Katniss and Peeta to fall in love with each other. Katniss knows that other tributes will be her enemy in the game, include Peeta. So she tries to be far away from Peeta, bu t she just wants to get some help in the game, Haymitch asks her to fall in love with her enemy, and Katniss is so angry about this. Secondly, in the Games, Katniss wants to keep away from the other tributes, but to make more fun, the gamemakers make more danger to try to put all tributes together. For example, the gamemakers are afraid Katniss would not meet another tribute, so they don’t mind whether Katniss dies and they make a fire to change  Katniss’s direction. This game is making the tributes fight by their own and their fate is handed into their own hands, but the gamemakers interfere in the process of the Games. So the tributes are angry with what the gamemakers did . Finally, at the begin of game, what Katniss wants to do is get the weapon ,but she is asked to find water first before the Games started. â€Å"Just clear out ,put as much distance as you can between yourselves and the others, and find a source of water.†(P149 Collins) Katniss has her own thoughts, and she thinks she is good at hunting, so she needs a weapon, this is what she really wants to do at the beginning of the Games, but Haymitch asked her to do other things. This is not the way Katniss wants to do ,so Katniss is so angry about Haymitch’s advice. In conclusion, the tr ibutes always were asked to do what they don’t want to do, this is so sad and creates anger in them. In summery, the Capitol provides 12 districts a dark life ,also creates a cruel game for citizens . All the time , the tributes are forced to do some things that they do not want to do. So The Hunger Games make people of 12 districts and tributes sad and angry. Work Cited Collins, Suzanne. Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, Inc., 2008. Print

The American Dream in A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry Essay

â€Å"Check coming today?† The Life Insurance check that Mama will soon be receiving is the source of all the dreams in the Younger family. A major argument that Lorraine Hansberry makes in her play A Raisin in the Sun is the importance of dreams. Dreams are what each member of the Younger family is driven by. Mama wants to have her own home in a nice part of town; she does not want her children growing up in a place with rats. Walter wants to have a successful business so he can surpass the poverty that has plagued his family. And Beneatha wants to get a good education, become a doctor, and marry a nice man. Dreams are especially important to the Younger family as they come from a poverty laden family and desire to live the â€Å"American Dream.† Every member of the Younger family has a dream but each one is different with a different view on what the true â€Å"American Dream† really is.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Youngers are a very poor family, and this shows in the setting of a tiny Chicago apartment with several people living in close proximity of each other. Hansberry also shows how the Youngers are a proud family by the way everything is arranged in the little apartment. Everything throughout the apartment was â€Å"selected with care and love and even hope – and brought to this apartment and arranged with taste and pride.† This shows that even though the Youngers do not have much, they are still proud of what they have. In a sense their pride is coming from the fact that they al...

Practical Demonkeeping Chapter 8-9

8 ROBERT Robert loaded the last of the laundry baskets full of dishes into the bed of the pickup. The sight of a truckload of clean dishes did not raise his spirits nearly as much as he thought it would. He was still depressed. He was still heartbroken. And he was still hung over. For a moment he thought that washing the dishes might have been a mistake. Having created a single bright spot, no matter how small, seemed to make the rest of his life look even more dismal by contrast. Maybe he should have just gone with the downward flow, like the pilot who pushes down the stick to pull out of an uncontrolled spin. Secretly, Robert believed that if things got so bad that he couldn't see his way out, something would come along and not only save him from disaster but improve his life overall. It was a skewed brand of faith that he had developed through years of watching television – where no problem was so great that it could not be surmounted by the last commercial break – and through two events in his own life. As a boy in Ohio he had taken his first summer job at the local county fair, picking up trash on the midways. The job had been great fun for the first two weeks. He and the other boys on the cleanup crew spent their days wandering the midways using long sticks, with nails extending from one end, to spear paper cups and hot dog wrappers as if they were hunting lions on the Serengeti. They were paid in cash at the end of each day. The next day they spent their pay on games of chance and repeated rides on the Zipper, which was the beginning of Robert's lifelong habit of exchanging money for dizziness and nausea. The day after the fair ended, Robert and the boys were told to report to the livestock area of the fairgrounds. They arrived before dawn, wondering what they would do now that the colorful carny trailers and rides were gone and the midways were as barren as airport runways. The man from the county met them outside the big exhibition barns with a dump truck, a pile of pitchforks, and some wheelbarrows. â€Å"Clean out those pens, boys. Load the manure on the truck,† he had said. Then he went away, leaving the boys unsupervised. Robert had loaded only three forkfuls when he and the boys ran out of the barn gasping for breath, the odor of ammonia burning in their noses and lungs. Again and again they tried to clean the stables only to be overcome by the stench. As they stood outside the barn, swearing and complaining, Robert noticed something sticking up out of the morning fog on the adjacent show ground. It looked like the head of a dragon. It was beginning to get light, and the boys could hear banging and clanging and strange animal noises coming from the show ground. They stared into the fog, trying to make out the shapes moving there, glad for the distraction from their miserable task. When the sun broke over the trees to the east of the fairgrounds, a scraggly man in blue work clothes walked out of the mist toward the barn. â€Å"Hey, you kids,† he shouted, and they all prepared to be admonished for standing around instead of working. â€Å"You want to work for the circus?† The boys dropped their pitchforks as if they were red-hot rods of steel and ran to the man. The dragon had been a camel. The strange noises were the trumpeting of elephants. Under the mist a crew of men were unrolling the big top of the Clyde Beatty Circus. Robert and the boys worked all morning beside the circus people, lacing together the bright-yellow canvas panels of the tent and fitting together giant sections of aluminum poles that would support the big top. It was hot, sweaty, heavy work, and it was wonderful and exciting. When the poles lay out across the canvas, cables were hitched to a team of elephants and the poles were hoisted skyward. Robert thought his heart would burst with excitement. The canvas was connected by cables to a winch. The boys watched in awe as the big top rose up the poles like a great yellow dream. It was only one day. But it was glorious, and Robert thought of it often – of the roustabouts who sipped from their hip flasks and called each other by the names of their home states or towns. â€Å"Kansas, bring that strut over here. New York, we need a sledge over here.† Robert thought of the thick-thighed women who walked the wire and flew on the trapeze. Their heavy makeup was grotesque up close but beautiful at a distance when they were flying through the air above the crowd. That day was an adventure and a dream. It was one of the finest in Robert's life. But what had impressed him was that it had come right when things seemed the most bleak, when everything had gone, literally, to shit. The next time Robert's life took a nosedive he was in Santa Barbara, and his salvation arrived in the form of a woman. He had come to California with everything he owned packed into a Volkswagen Beetle, determined to pursue a dream that he thought would begin at the California border with music by the Beach Boys and a long, white beach full of shapely blondes dying for the company of a young photographer from Ohio. What he found was alienation and poverty. Robert had chosen the prestigious photography school in Santa Barbara because it was reputed to be the best. As photographer for the high school yearbook he had gained a reputation as one of the best photographers in town, but in Santa Barbara he was just another teenager among hundreds of students who were, if anything, more skilled than he. He took a job in a grocery store, stocking shelves from midnight to eight in the morning. He had to work full-time to pay his exorbitant tuition and rent, and soon he fell behind in his assignments. After two months he had to leave school to avoid flunking out. He found himself in a strange town with no friends and barely enough money to survive. He started drinking beer every morning with the night crew in the parking lot. He drove home in a stupor and slept through the day until his next shift. With the added expense of alcohol, Robert had to hock his cameras to pay rent, and with them went his last hope for a future beyond stocking shelves. One morning after his shift the manager called him into the office. â€Å"Do you know anything about this?† The manager pointed to four jars of peanut butter that lay open on his desk. â€Å"These were returned by customers yesterday.† On the smooth surface of the peanut butter in each jar was etched, â€Å"Help, I'm trapped in Supermarket Hell!† Robert stocked the glass aisle. There was no denying it. He had written the messages one night during his shift after drinking several bottles of cough medicine he had stolen from the shelves. â€Å"Pick up your check on Friday,† the manager said. He shuffled away, broke, unemployed, two thousand miles from home, a failure at nineteen. As he left the store, one of the cashiers, a pretty redhead about his age, who was coming in to open the store, stopped him. â€Å"Your name is Robert, isn't it?† â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"You're the photographer, aren't you?† â€Å"I was.† Robert was in no mood to chat. â€Å"Well, I hope you don't mind,† she said, â€Å"but I saw your portfolio sitting in the break room one morning and I looked at it. You're very good.† â€Å"I don't do it anymore.† â€Å"Oh, that's too bad. I have a friend who's getting married on Saturday, and she needs a photographer.† â€Å"Look,† Robert said, â€Å"I appreciate the thought, but I just got fired and I'm going home to get hammered. Besides, I hocked my cameras.† The girl smiled, she had incredible blue eyes. â€Å"You were wasting your talent here. How much would it cost to get your cameras out of hock?† Her name was Jennifer. She paid to get his cameras out of hock and showered him with praise and encouragement. Robert began to make money picking up weddings and Bar Mitzvahs, but it wasn't enough to make rent. There were too many good photographers competing in Santa Barbara. He moved into her tiny studio apartment. After a few months of living together they were married and they moved north to Pine Cove, where Robert would find less competition for photography jobs. Once again, Robert had sunk to a lifetime low, and once again Dame Fate had provided him with a miraculous rescue. The sharp edges of Robert's world were rounded by Jennifer's love and dedication. Life had been good, until now. Robert's world was dropping out from under him like a trapdoor and he found himself in a disoriented free-fall. Trying to control things by design would only delay his inevitable rescue. The sooner he hit bottom, he reasoned, the sooner his life would improve. Each time this had happened before, things had gotten a little worse only to get a little better. One day the good times had to keep on rolling, and all of life's horseshit would turn to circuses. Robert had faith that it would happen. But to rise from the ashes you had to crash and burn first. With that in mind, he took his last ten dollars and headed down the street to the Head of the Slug Saloon. 9 THE HEAD OF THE SLUG Mavis Sand, the owner of the Head of the Slug Saloon, had lived so long with the Specter of Death hanging over her shoulders that she had started to think of him as one might regard a comfortable old sweater. She had made her peace with Death a long time ago, and Death, in return, had agreed to whittle away at Mavis rather than take her all at once. In her seventy years, Death had taken her right lung, her gall bladder, her appendix, and the lenses of both eyes, complete with cataracts. Death had her aortic heart valve, and Mavis had in its place a steel and plastic gizmo that opened and closed like the automatic doors at the Thrifty Mart. Death had most of Mavis's hair, and Mavis had a polyester wig that irritated her scalp. She had also lost most of her hearing, all of her teeth, and her complete collection of Liberty dimes. (Although she suspected a ne'er-do-well nephew rather than Death in the disappearance of the dimes.) Thirty years ago she had lost her uterus, but that was at a time when doctors were yanking them so frequently that it seemed as if they were competing for a prize, so she didn't blame Death for that. With the loss of her uterus Mavis grew a mustache that she shaved every morning before leaving to open the saloon. At the Slug she ambled around behind the bar on a pair of stainless steel ball and sockets, as Death had taken her hips, but not before she had offered them up to a legion of cowboys and construction workers. Over the years Death had taken so much of Mavis that when her time finally came to pass into the next world, she felt it would be like slipping slowly into a steaming-hot bath. She was afraid of nothing. When Robert walked into the Head of the Slug, Mavis was perched on her stool behind the bar smoking a Taryton extra-long, lording over the saloon like the quintessential queen of the lipstick lizards. After each few drags on her cigarette she applied a thick paste of fire-engine-red lipstick, actually getting a large percentage of it where it was supposed to go. Each time she butted a Taryton she sprayed her abysmal cleavage and behind her ears with a shot of Midnight Seduction from an atomizer she kept by her ashtray. On occasion, when she had rendered herself wobbly by too many shots of Bushmill's, she would shoot perfume directly into one of her hearing aids, causing a short circuit and making the act of ordering drinks a screaming ordeal. To avoid the problem, someone had once given her a pair of earrings fashioned from cardboard air fresheners shaped like Christmas trees, guaranteed to give Mavis that new car smell. But Mavis insisted that it was Midnight Seduction or nothing, s o the earrings hung on the wall in a place of honor next to the plaque listing the winners of the annual Head of the Slug eight-ball tournament and chili cook-off, known locally as â€Å"The Slugfest.† Robert stood by the bar trying to get his eyes to adjust to the smoky darkness of the Slug. â€Å"What can I get for you, sweet cheeks?† Mavis asked, batting her false eyelashes behind pop-bottle-thick, rhinestone-rimmed glasses. They put Robert in mind of spiders trying to escape a jar. He fingered the ten-dollar bill in his pocket and climbed onto the bar stool. â€Å"A draft, please.† â€Å"Hair of the dog?† â€Å"Does it show?† Robert asked in earnest. â€Å"Not much. I was just going to ask you to close your eyes before you bled to death.† Mavis giggled like a coquettish gargoyle, then burst into a coughing fit. She drew a mug of beer and set it in front of Robert, taking his ten and replacing it with nine ones. Robert took a long pull from the beer as he turned on the stool and looked around the bar. Mavis kept the bar dimly lit except for the lights over the pool tables, and Robert's eyes were still adjusting to the darkness. It occurred to him that he had never seen the floor of the saloon, which stuck to his shoes when he walked. Except for the occasional crunch underfoot identifying a piece of popcorn or a peanut shell, the floor of The Slug was a murky mystery. Whatever was down there should be left alone to evolve, white and eyeless, in peace. He promised himself to make it to the door before he passed out. He squinted into the lights over the pool tables. There was a heated eight-ball match going on at the back table. A half dozen locals had gathered at the end of the bar to watch. Society called them the hard-core unemployed; Mavis called them the daytime regulars. On the table Slick McCall was playing a dark young man Robert did not recognize. The man seemed familiar, though, and for some reason, Robert found that he did not like him. â€Å"Who's the stranger?† Robert asked Mavis over his shoulder. Something about the young man's aquiline good looks repelled Robert, like biting down on tin foil with a filling. â€Å"New meat for Slick,† Mavis said. â€Å"Came in about fifteen minutes ago and wanted to play for money. Shoots a pretty lame stick, if you ask me. Slick is keeping his cue behind the bar until the money gets big enough.† Robert watched the wiry Slick McCall move around the table, stopping to drill a solid ball into the side pocket with a bar cue. Slick left himself without a following shot. He stood and ran his fingers over his greased-back brown hair. He said, â€Å"Shit. Snookered myself.† Slick was on the hustle. The phone rang and Mavis picked it up. â€Å"Den of iniquity. Den mother speaking. No, he ain't here. Just a minute.† She covered the mouthpiece and turned to Robert. â€Å"You seen The Breeze?† â€Å"Who's calling?† Into the phone, â€Å"Who's calling?† Mavis listened for a moment, then covered the mouthpiece again. â€Å"It's his landlord.† â€Å"He's out of town,† Robert said. â€Å"He'll be back soon.† Mavis conveyed the message and hung up. The phone rang again immediately. Mavis answered, â€Å"Garden of Eden. Snake speaking.† There was a pause. â€Å"What am I, his answering service?† Pause. â€Å"He's out of town; he'll be back soon. Why don't you guys take a social risk and call him at home?† Pause. â€Å"Yeah, he's here.† Mavis shot a glance at Robert. â€Å"You want to talk to him? Okay.† She hung up. â€Å"That for The Breeze?† Robert asked. Mavis lit a Taryton. â€Å"He got popular all of a sudden?† â€Å"Who was it?† â€Å"Didn't ask. Sounded Mexican. Asked about you.† â€Å"Shit,† Robert said. Mavis set him up with another draft. He turned to watch the game. The stranger had won. He was collecting five dollars from Slick. â€Å"Guess you showed me, pard,† Slick said. â€Å"You gonna give a chance to win my money back?† â€Å"Double or nothing,† the stranger said. â€Å"Fine. I'll rack 'em.† Slick pushed the quarters into the coin slot on the side of the pool table. The balls dropped into the gutter and Slick began racking them. Slick was wearing a red-and-blue polka-dotted polyester shirt with long, pointed collars that had been fashionable around the time that disco died – about the same time that Slick had stopped brushing his teeth, Robert guessed. Slick wore a perpetual brown and broken grin, a grin that was burned into the memories of countless tourists who had strayed into the Slug to be fleeced at the end of Slick's intrepid cue. The stranger reared back and broke. His stick made the sickly vibrato sound of a miscue. The cue ball rocketed down the table, barely grazing the rack, then bounced off two corner rails and made a beeline toward the corner pocket where the stranger stood. â€Å"Sorry, brother,† Slick said, chalking his cue and preparing to shoot the scratch. When it reached the corner pocket, the cue ball stopped dead on the lip. Almost as an afterthought, one of the solid balls moved out of the pack and fell into the opposite corner with a plop. â€Å"Damn,† Slick said. â€Å"That was some pretty fancy English. I thought you'd scratched for sure.† â€Å"Was that a solid?† the stranger asked. Mavis leaned over the bar and whispered to Robert. â€Å"Did you see that ball stop? It should have been a scratch.† â€Å"Maybe there's a piece of chalk on the table that stopped it,† Robert speculated. The stranger made two more balls in an unremarkable fashion, then called a straight-in shot on the three ball. When he shot, the cue ball curved off his stick, describing a C-shaped curve, and sunk the six ball in the opposite corner. â€Å"I said the three ball!† the stranger shouted. â€Å"I know you did,† Slick said. â€Å"Looks like you were a little heavy on the English. My shot.† The stranger seemed to be angry at someone, but it wasn't Slick. â€Å"How can you confuse the six with the three, you idiot?† â€Å"You got me,† said Slick. â€Å"Don't be so hard on yourself, pard. You're up one game already.† Slick ran four balls, then missed a shot that was so obvious it made Robert wince. Slick's hustles were usually more subtle. â€Å"Five in the side!† the stranger shouted. â€Å"Got that? Five!† â€Å"I got it,† Slick said. â€Å"And all these folks got it along with half the people out in the street. You don't need to yell, pard. This is just a friendly game.† The stranger bent over the table and shot. The five ball careened off the cue ball, headed for the rail, then changed its path and curved into the side pocket. Robert was amazed, as were all the observers. It was an impossible shot, yet they all had seen it. â€Å"Damn,† Slick said to no one in particular, then to Mavis, â€Å"Mavis, when was the last time you leveled this table?† â€Å"Yesterday, Slick.† â€Å"Well, it sure as shit went catywumpus fast. Give me my cue, Mavis.† Mavis waddled to the end of the bar and pulled out a three-foot-long black leather case. She handled it carefully and presented it to Slick with reverence, a decrepit Lady of the Lake presenting a hardwood Excaliber to the rightful king. Slick flipped the case open and screwed the cue together, never taking his eyes off the stranger. At the sight of the cue the stranger smiled. Slick smiled back. The game was defined. Two hustlers recognized each other. A tacit agreement passed between them: Let's cut the bullshit and play. Robert had become so engrossed in watching the tension between the two men and trying to figure out why the stranger angered him so, that he failed to notice that someone had slipped onto the stool next to him. Then she spoke. â€Å"How are you, Robert?† Her voice was deep and throaty. She placed her hand on his arm and gave it a sympathetic squeeze. Robert turned and was taken aback by her appearance. She always affected him that way. She affected most men that way. She was wearing a black body stocking, belted at the waist with wide leather in which she had tucked a multitude of chiffon scarves that danced around her hips when she walked like diaphanous ghosts of Salome. Her wrists were adorned with layers of silver bangles; her nails were sculptured long and lacquered black. Her eyes were wide and green, set far apart over a small, straight nose and full lips, glossed blood red. Her hair hung to her waist, blue-black. An inverted silver pentagram dangled between her breasts on a silver chain. â€Å"I'm miserable,† Robert said. â€Å"Thanks for asking, Ms. Henderson.† â€Å"My friends call me Rachel.† â€Å"Okay. I'm miserable, Ms. Henderson.† Rachel was thirty-five but she could have passed for twenty if it weren't for the arrogant sensuality with which she moved and the mocking smile in her eyes that evinced experience, confidence, and guile beyond any twenty-year-old. Her body did not betray her age; it was her manner. She went through men like water. Robert had known her for years, but her presence never failed to awaken in him a feeling that his marital fidelity was nothing more than an absurd notion. In retrospect, perhaps it was. Still, she made him feel uneasy. â€Å"I'm not your enemy, Robert. No matter what you think. Jenny has been thinking about leaving you for a long time. We didn't have anything to do with it.† â€Å"How are things with the coven?† Robert asked sarcastically. â€Å"It's not a coven. The Pagan Vegetarians for Peace are dedicated to Earth consciousness, both spiritual and physical.† Robert drained his fifth beer and slammed the mug down on the bar. â€Å"The Pagan Vegetarians for Peace are a group of bitter, ball-biting, man haters, dedicated to breaking up marriages and turning men into toads.† â€Å"That's not true and you know it.† â€Å"What I know,† Robert said, â€Å"is that within a year of joining, every woman in your coven has divorced her husband. I was against Jenny getting into this mumbo jumbo from the beginning. I told her you would brainwash her and you have.† Rachel reared back on the bar stool like a hissing cat. â€Å"You believe what you want to believe, Robert. I show women the Goddess within. I put them in touch with their own personal power; what they do with it is their own business. We aren't against men. Men just can't stand to see a woman discover herself. Maybe if you'd exalted Jenny's growth instead of criticizing, she'd still be around.† Robert turned away from her and caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror behind the bar. He was overcome by a wave of self-loathing. She was right. He covered his face with his hands and leaned forward on the bar. â€Å"Look, I didn't come here to fight with you,† Rachel said. â€Å"I saw your truck outside and I thought you might be able to use a little money. I have some work for you. It might take your mind off the hurt.† â€Å"What?† Robert said through his hands. â€Å"We're sponsoring the annual tofu sculpture contest at the park this year. We need someone to take pictures for the poster and the press package. I know you're broke, Robert.† â€Å"No,† he said, without looking up. â€Å"Fine. Suit yourself.† Rachel slid off the stood and started to leave. Mavis sat another beer in front of Robert and counted his money on the bar. â€Å"Very smooth,† she said. â€Å"You've got four bucks left to your name.† Robert looked up. Rachel was almost to the door. â€Å"Rachel!† She turned and waited, an elegant hand on an exquisite hip. â€Å"I'm staying at The Breeze's trailer.† He told her the phone number. â€Å"Call me, okay?† Rachel smiled. â€Å"Okay, Robert, I'll call.† She turned to walk out. Robert called out to her again. â€Å"You haven't seen The Breeze, have you?† Rachel grimaced. â€Å"Robert, just being in the same room with The Breeze makes me want to take a bath in bleach.† â€Å"Come on, he's a fun guy.† â€Å"He's a fun-gus,† Rachel said. â€Å"But have you seen him?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Thanks,† he said. â€Å"Call me.† â€Å"I will.† She turned and walked out. When she opened the door, light spilling in blinded Robert. When his vision returned, a little man in a red stocking cap was sitting next to him. He hadn't seen him come in. To Mavis the little man said, â€Å"Could I trouble you for a small quantity of salt?† â€Å"How about a margarita with extra salt, handsome?† Mavis batted her spider-lashes. â€Å"Yes, that will be good. Thank you.† Robert looked the little man over for a moment, then turned away to watch the pool game while he contemplated his destiny. Maybe this job for Rachel was his way out. Strange, though, things didn't seem to be bad enough yet. And the idea that Rachel could be his fairy godmother in disguise made him smile. No, the downward spiral to salvation was going quite nicely. The Breeze was missing. The rent was due. He had made enemies with a crazed Mexican drug dealer, and it was driving him nuts trying to figure out where he had seen the stranger at the pool table. The game was still going strong. Slick was running the balls with machinelike precision. When he did miss, the stranger cleared the table with a series of impossible, erratic, curving shots, while the crowd watched with their jaws hanging, and Slick broke into a nervous sweat. Slick McCall had been the undisputed king of eight ball at the Head of the Slug Saloon since before it had been called the Head of the Slug. The bar had been the Head of the Wolf for fifty years, until Mavis grew tired of the protests of drunken environmentalists, who insisted that timber wolves were an endangered species and that the saloon was somehow sanctioning their killing. One day she had taken the stuffed wolf head that hung over the bar to the Salvation Army and had a local artist render a giant slug head in fiberglass to replace it. Then she changed the sign and waited for some half-wit from the Save the Slugs Society to show up and protest. It never happened. In business, as in politics, the public is ever so tolerant of those who slime. Years ago, Slick and Mavis had come to a mutually beneficial business agreement. Mavis allowed Slick to make his living on her pool table, and in return, Slick agreed to pay her twenty percent of his winnings and to excuse himself from the Slug's annual eight-ball tournament. Robert had been coming into the Slug for seven years and in that time he had never seen Slick rattled over a pool game. Slick was rattled now. Occasionally some tourist who had won the Sheep's Penis Kansas Nine-Ball tournament would come into the Slug puffed up like the omnipotent god of the green felt, and Slick would return him to Earth, deflating his ego with gentle pokes from his custom-made, ivory-inlaid cue. But those fellows played within the known laws of physics. The dark stranger played as if Newton had been dropped on his head at birth. To his credit, Slick played his usual methodical game, but Robert could tell that he was afraid. When the stranger sank the eight ball in a hundred-dollar game, Slick's fear turned to anger and he threw his custom cue across the room like a crazed Zulu. â€Å"Goddammit, boy, I don't know how you're doing it, but no one can shoot like that.† Slick was screaming into the stranger's face, his fists were balled at his sides. â€Å"Back off,† the stranger said. All the boyishness drained from his face. He could have been a thousand years old, carved in stone. His eyes were locked on Slick's. â€Å"The game is over.† He might have been stating that â€Å"water is wet.† It was truth. It was deadly serious. Slick reached into the pocket of his jeans, fished out a handful of crumpled twenties, and threw them on the table. The stranger picked up the bills and walked out. Slick retrieved his stick and began taking it apart. The daytime regulars remained silent, allowing Slick to gather his dignity. â€Å"That was like a fucking bad dream,† he said to the onlookers. The comment hit Robert like a sock full of birdshot. He suddenly remembered where he had seen the stranger. The dream of the desert came back to him with crippling clarity. He turned back to his beer, stunned. â€Å"You want a margarita?† Mavis asked him. She was holding a baseball bat she had pulled from under the bar when things had heated up at the pool table. Robert looked to the stool next to him. The little man was gone. â€Å"He saw that guy make one shot and ran out of here like his ass was on fire,† Mavis said. Robert picked up the margarita and downed its frozen contents in one gulp, giving himself an instant headache. Outside on the street Travis and Catch headed toward the service station. â€Å"Well, maybe you should learn to shoot pool if you're going to get money this way.† â€Å"Maybe you could pay attention when I call a shot.† â€Å"I didn't hear you. I don't understand why we just don't steal our money.† â€Å"I don't like to steal.† â€Å"You stole from the pimp in L.A.† â€Å"That was okay.† â€Å"What's the difference?† â€Å"Stealing is immoral.† â€Å"And cheating at pool isn't?† â€Å"I didn't cheat. I just had an unfair advantage. He had a custom-made pool cue. I had you to push the balls in.† â€Å"I don't understand morality.† â€Å"That's not surprising.† â€Å"I don't think you understand it either.† â€Å"We have to pick up the car.† â€Å"Where are we going?† â€Å"To see an old friend.† â€Å"You say that everywhere we go.† â€Å"This is the last one.† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"Be quiet. People are looking.† â€Å"You're trying to be tricky. What's morality?† â€Å"It's the difference between what is right and what you can rationalize.† â€Å"Must be a human thing.† â€Å"Exactly.†