The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 7 Free Essays

string(115) " likely Raoul would get distracted by some other irritant before dawn and take out his anger on somebody close by\." The house was a big, log cabin?Cstyle affair, tucked into a hol ow in the pines with no sign of any neighbors for miles around. Al the windows were black, as if the place were empty, but the whole frame was trembling from the heavy bass in the basement. Diego went in first, and I tried to move behind him like he was Kevin or Raoul. We will write a custom essay sample on The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 7 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Hesitant, protecting my space. He found the stairs and charged down with a confident tread. â€Å"Trying to lose me, losers?† he asked. â€Å"Oh, hey, Diego’s alive,† I heard Kevin answer with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. â€Å"No thanks to you,† Diego said as I slipped into the dark basement. The only light came from the various TV screens, but it was way more than any of us needed. I hurried back to where Fred had a whole couch to himself, glad that it was right for me to look anxious because there was no way to hide it. I swal owed hard as the revulsion hit, and curled up in my usual spot on the floor behind the couch. Once I was down, Fred’s repel ent power seemed to ease up. Or maybe I was just getting used to it. The basement was more than half empty since it was the middle of the night. Al the kids in here had eyes the same as mine – bright, recently fed red. â€Å"Took me a while to clean up your stupid mess,† Diego told Kevin. â€Å"It was almost dawn by the time I got to what was left of the house. Had to sit in a cave fil ed with water al day.† â€Å"Go tattle to Riley. Whatever.† â€Å"I see the little girl made it, too,† said a new voice, and I shuddered because it was Raoul. I felt a little bit of relief that he didn’t know my name, but mostly I just felt horrified that he’d noticed me at al . â€Å"Yeah, she fol owed me.† I couldn’t see Diego, but I knew he was shrugging. â€Å"Aren’t you the savior of the hour?† Raoul said snidely. â€Å"We don’t get extra points for being morons.† I wished Diego wouldn’t taunt Raoul. I hoped Riley would come back soon. Only Riley could curb Raoul even the littlest bit. But Riley was probably out hunting dregs kids to bring to her. Or doing whatever else he did while he was away. â€Å"Interesting attitude you got, Diego. You think that Riley likes you so much he’s gonna care if I kil you. I think you’re wrong. But either way, for tonight, he already thinks you’re dead.† I could hear the others moving. Some probably to back Raoul up, others just getting out of the way. I hesitated in my hiding spot, knowing I wasn’t going to let Diego fight them alone, but worried about blowing our cover if it didn’t come to that. I hoped Diego had survived this long because he had some crazy combat skil s. I wasn’t going to have much to offer in that department. There were three members of Raoul’s gang here, and some others that might help out just to get on his good side. Would Riley get home before they had time to burn us? Diego’s voice was calm when he answered. â€Å"You’re real y that afraid to take me on alone? Typical.† Raoul snorted. â€Å"Does that ever work? I mean, besides in movies. Why should I take you on alone? I don’t care about beating you. I just want to end you.† I rol ed into a crouch, tensed to spring. Raoul kept talking. He liked the sound of his own voice a lot. â€Å"But it’s not gonna take al of us to deal with you. These two wil take care of the other evidence of your unfortunate survival. Little what’s-her-name.† My body felt icy, frozen solid. I tried to shake it off so I could fight my best. Not that it would have made a difference. And then I felt something else, something total y unexpected – a wave of revulsion so overpowering that I couldn’t hold my crouch. I crumpled to the floor, gasping with horror. I was not the only one to react. I heard disgusted snarls and retching sounds from every corner of the basement. A few people retreated to the edges of the room, where I could see them. They strained against the wal, stretching their necks away as if they could escape the horrible feeling. At least one of these was a member of Raoul’s gang. I heard Raoul’s distinctive growl, and then heard it fade as he took off up the stairs. He wasn’t the only one to make a break for it. About half of the vampires in the basement cleared out. I didn’t have that choice. I could barely move. And then I realized this had to be because I was so close to Freaky Fred. He was responsible for what was happening. And as horrible as I felt, I was stil able to realize that he’d probably just saved my life. Why? The sensation of disgust faded slowly. As soon as I could, I crept to the edge of the couch and took in the aftermath. Al of Raoul’s gang was gone, but Diego was stil there, on the far end of the big room by the TVs. The vampires who remained were slowly relaxing, though everybody looked a little shaken. Most of them were shooting cautious glances in Fred’s direction. I peeked at the back of his head, too, though I couldn’t see anything. I looked away quickly. Looking at Fred brought back some of the nausea. â€Å"Keep it down.† The deep voice came from Fred. I’d never heard him speak before. Everyone stared and then looked away immediately as the revulsion returned. So Fred just wanted his peace and quiet. Wel, whatever. I was alive because of it. Most likely Raoul would get distracted by some other irritant before dawn and take out his anger on somebody close by. You read "The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 7" in category "Essay examples" And Riley always came back at the end of the night. He would hear that Diego had been in his cave rather than outside and destroyed by the sun, and Raoul wouldn’t have an excuse to attack him or me. At least, that was the best-case scenario. In the meantime, maybe Diego and I could come up with some plan to steer clear of Raoul. Again, I had a fleeting sense that I was missing an obvious solution. Before I could figure it out, my thoughts were interrupted. â€Å"Sorry.† The deep, almost silent mutter could only have come from Fred. It looked like I was the only one close enough to real y hear. Was he talking to me? I looked at him again and felt nothing. I couldn’t see his face – he had his back to me stil . He had thick, wavy blond hair. I’d never noticed that before, not with al the days I’d sat hiding in his shadow. Riley wasn’t kidding when he’d said that Fred was special. Gross, but real y special. Did Riley have any idea that Fred was so†¦ so powerful? He was able to overwhelm a whole room of us in a second. Though I couldn’t see his expression, I had the sense that Fred was waiting for an answer. â€Å"Um, don’t apologize,† I breathed almost silently. â€Å"Thank you. â€Å" Fred shrugged. And then I found I couldn’t look at him anymore. The hours passed slower than usual as I waited for Raoul to come back. From time to time I tried to look at Fred again – to see past the protection he’d created for himself – but I always found myself repel ed. If I tried too hard, I ended up gagging. Thinking about Fred was a good distraction from thinking about Diego. I tried to pretend I didn’t care where he was in the room. I didn’t look at him but focused on the sound of his breathing – his distinct rhythm – to keep tabs. He sat on the other side of the room from me, listening to his CDs on a laptop. Or maybe pretending to listen, the way I was pretending to read the books from the damp backpack on my shoulders. I flipped pages at my usual rate, but I didn’t take anything in. I was waiting for Raoul. Luckily, Riley came first. Raoul and his cohorts were right behind him, but not as loud and obnoxious as usual. Maybe Fred had taught them a little respect. Probably not, though. More likely Fred had just angered them. I real y hoped Fred never let his guard slip. Riley went to Diego right away; I listened with my back to them, eyes on my book. In my peripheral vision, I saw some of Raoul’s idiots wandering, looking for their favorite games or whatever they’d been doing before Fred had driven them out. Kevin was one of them, but he seemed to be looking for something more specific than entertainment. Several times his eyes tried to focus on where I was sitting, but Fred’s aura kept him at bay. He gave up after a few minutes, looking a little sick. â€Å"I heard you made it back,† Riley said, sounding genuinely pleased. â€Å"I can always count on you, Diego.† â€Å"No problem,† Diego said in a relaxed voice. â€Å"Unless you count holding my breath al day as a negative.† Riley laughed. â€Å"Don’t cut it so close next time. Set a better example for the babies.† Diego just laughed with him. From the corner of my eye, it seemed like Kevin relaxed some. Was he real y that worried about Diego getting him in trouble? Maybe Riley listened to Diego more than I realized. I wondered whether that was why Raoul had gotten crazy before. Was it a good thing if Diego was that in with Riley after al ? Maybe Riley was okay. That relationship didn’t compromise what we had, did it? Time didn’t pass any faster after the sun was up. It was crowded and unstable in the basement, like every day. If vampires could get hoarse, Riley would have lost his voice entirely from the yel ing. A couple of kids temporarily lost limbs, but nobody got torched. The music warred with the game tracks, and I was glad I didn’t get headaches. I tried reading my books, but I ended up just flipping through one after the other, not caring enough to make my eyes focus on the words. I left them in a neat stack by the end of the couch for Fred. I always left my books for him, though I never could tel whether he read them. Couldn’t look at him closely enough to see what, exactly, he did with his time. At least Raoul never looked my way. Neither did Kevin or any of the others. My hiding place was as effective as ever. I couldn’t see if Diego was smart enough to ignore me, because I was ignoring him so thoroughly. No one could suspect that we were a team, except maybe Fred. Had Fred been paying attention as I prepared to fight alongside Diego? Even if he had, I didn’t worry too much about it. If Fred felt any particular il wil toward me, he could have let me die last night. Would have been easy. It got louder as the sun started to go down. We couldn’t see the light fading here underground, with al of the windows upstairs covered just in case. But waiting through so many long days gave you a good sense for when one was almost over. Kids started getting antsy, bugging Riley about whether they could go out. â€Å"Kristie, you were out last night,† Riley said, and you could hear the patience wearing thin in his voice. â€Å"Heather, Jim, Logan – go ahead. Warren, your eyes are dark, go along with them. Hey, Sara, I’m not blind – get back here.† The kids he shut down sulked in the corners, some of them waiting for Riley to leave so they could sneak out in spite of his rules. â€Å"Um, Fred, must be about your turn,† Riley said, not looking in our direction. I heard Fred sigh as he got to his feet. Everyone cringed as he moved through the center of the room, even Riley. But unlike the others, Riley smiled a little to himself. He liked his vampire with skil s. I felt naked with Fred gone. Anyone could focus on me now. I held perfectly stil, head down, doing everything in my power not to cal attention to myself. Lucky for me, Riley was in a hurry tonight. He barely paused to glare at the people who were clearly edging for the door, let alone threaten them, as he headed out himself. Normal y he’d give us some variant on the usual speech about keeping a low profile, but not tonight. He seemed preoccupied, anxious. I’d have bet he was going to see her. That made me less excited about catching up with him at dawn. I waited for Kristie and three of her usual companions to head out, and I slipped out in their wake, trying to look like part of the entourage without irritating them. I didn’t look at Raoul, I didn’t look at Diego. I concentrated on seeming inconsequential – no one to notice. Just some random vampire chick. Once we were out of the house, I split off from Kristie immediately and beat it into the woods. I hoped only Diego would care enough to fol ow my scent. Halfway up the side of the nearest mountain, I made my perch in the top branches of a big spruce that cleared its neighbors by several meters. I had a pretty good view of anyone who might try to track me. Turns out I was being overcautious. Maybe I’d been too cautious al day. Diego was the only one to come looking. I saw him from a distance and backtracked to meet him. â€Å"Long day,† he said, giving me a hug. â€Å"Your plan is hard.† I hugged him back, marveling at how comfortable this was. â€Å"Maybe I’m just being paranoid.† â€Å"Sorry about Raoul. That was close.† I nodded. â€Å"Good thing Fred is so disgusting.† â€Å"I wonder if Riley knows how potent that kid is.† â€Å"Doubt it. I’ve never seen him do that before, and I spend a lot of time around him.† â€Å"Wel, that’s Freaky Fred’s business. We have our own secret to tel Riley.† I shuddered. â€Å"Stil not sure that’s a good idea.† â€Å"We won’t know until we see how Riley reacts.† â€Å"I don’t real y like not knowing, as a general rule.† Diego’s eyes narrowed speculatively. â€Å"How do you feel about adventure?† â€Å"Depends.† â€Å"Wel, I was thinking about club priorities. You know, about finding out as much as we can.† â€Å"And†¦?† How to cite The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner Chapters 7, Essay examples

Wendys Marketing Strategy free essay sample

The industry is going from strength to strength as the nation’s appetite for personal services and retail goods continues to grow and the business model attracts new industries. Facts The number of franchise chain has jumped by 21. 4%, from 700 in 2002 to 850 in 2004, according to Franchising Australia and it is growing. 2010 Reported double-digit increases in revenue and profits and expect the same this financial year Industry Segmentation 0. 20% 8. 70% QSR 31. 80% Takeaways Leisure Locations Mobile Street Vendors 59. 20% Wendy’s History †¢ †¢ †¢ Start up: In 1979 opened the first shop in a shopping centre in South Australia; Business Model: Adopted a franchising model; Growth: 250 stores in Australia and New Zealand over 30 years. Position: Fast food industry within the treats segment. Wendy’s with use of franchising model (lower risk capital and fast expansion into new locations) now has 250 stores. †¢ Positioning in franchising industry: †¢ Low cost entry †¢ Low royalty and marketing fees †¢ Easy and fun to run †¢ No special skills required †¢ Initial support guidance for recently established franchisee . Strategic Challenges facing the business Strategic Challenges Industry Maturity: †¢ The fast food industry is competitive and mature. With little room for growth and still more players coming into the industry and soaking up the available profits. The public awareness of negative health consequences of fast food †¢ Increased focus on the quality of food served in fast food restaurants. Fast food companies have responded by adopting healthier choices and have had some measure of success, but the shadow of bad press still hangs over the industry. The rise of commodity prices †¢ Increase in produce prices significantly crunched many fast food franchises. The affect of the GFC †¢ During GFC there was some increase in consumer visits as people choose cheaper fast food options over fast casual or traditional restaurant choices. But overall, the recession hurt spending, and consumers overall purchased less with each trip. Regulation: †¢ With issues concerning public health (obesity) as well as the quality of produce (Horse Meat Scandal, Free Range Chicken) being the source of controversy both here and overseas. The industry could face tighter sourcing, manufacturing and labelling standards in the future. 1. Environmental Analysis Environmental Analysis Political / Legal: Health campaigns – healthy eating, obesity Deregulation of shopping centre / store hours likely New food nutritional guidelines just released Increasing minimum wages + superannuation costs (labour intensive nature of the industry means 16. 8% of costs are wages) Discussions about ‘sugar tax’ Economic: GFC has meant decreases in overall consumer spending, and increase in propensity to save. Fast food is sensitive to consumer confidence levels (which have been low in recent years). High levels of competition in the fast food industry, a small number of global players doing well and significant local startup activity and competition. Availability and price of produce can have an impact – for example bananas when there was flooding, fruit when we have droughts, milk production when there was very high rainfall in Victoria. Fast food / ice cream may be seen as an affordable luxury, and even in challenging economic times certain segments can tend to reward themselves. IMPLICATIONS: Increased focus on healthy / low fat options means most participants in the industry will spend increasing time on new product development in this area, so to stay competitive will require investment in this area. Social / Demographic Trends: Aging population – initial indication that aging population may be a negative for the industry (assumption that they consume fewer treats). Areas with higher concentration of teenagers has seen increased demand for fast food compared areas with more mature aged customers. Single dwellers (rather than families) – go for convenience aspect Trend for healthier options as awareness builds with consumers, and fast food and high fat/sugar foods continue to get poor media exposure. Time poor consumers – convenience is increasingly important. Technological Trends Smartphone technology now widespread – allows customers to find local stores and provides ability to order online. Allows company to more effectively segment and market at a local level (though messaging, offers etc). Particularly for tech savvy younger customers. Packing technology – Improvements and innovations packaging for fast food, snacks and treats. eg Individual packaging which has allowed sliced fresh fruit to stay crisp and fresh for longer. POS technology – self serve, and other POS technology now widespread – can have an efficiency as well as a novelty value. Social media / marketing – increased use of social media and online marketing, in addition to traditional marketing approaches. 1. Market Analysis and Segmentation Market Analysis Wendy’s is positioned in the fast food industry, within the treats (ice-cream / deserts) sub-industry. They refer to their positioning within this larger market as â€Å"masters of taste and masters of providing the most indulgent, fun, I HAVE to come back here again treat experience. † Australia is one of the largest consumers of Ice-Cream. However, the increased emphasis on health and nutrition has caused demand for traditional ice cream and other similarly high-sugar and fatty foods to fall overall. Emerging Submarkets – low fat, health focused submarket of the ‘treat / icecream’ market. Market Profitability Fast Food Ice cream markers are profitable, though margins are lower than in some other industries due to heavy competition. Key Success Factors – product innovation (for example new lower fat options), attractive product presentation (to make offering more appealing, to maximise impulse purchases) , having a clear market position (brand and positioning is clear on what segments and products its offering – whether a health positioning, indulgent treat etc), Convenient access (good locations with high walk/drive by traffic, access to parking, proximity to other complimentary retailers or businesses), stock control (ability to manage stock and stock costs – to minimise logistics cost, wastage etc), human resources (reliable, customer focused staff). Segmentation A number of segmentation approaches were considered including customer demographics (eg gender, age), customer lifestyle (families, young singles, retirees), product benefits (taste, quality, prestige, diary content, low-calorie), channel preference (shopping centre, stand alone/high street, home delivery, take away), price sensitivity (low cost, high cost) and customer needs based. A needs based segmentation was chosen as it allows the most useful combination of Segment 1 Family Needs Convenient Fast speed of service Type and size of package Indulgent Treat (Reward / Satisfaction) Economical Convenience Segment 2 Gourmet / Specialty Indulgent Treat (Reward / Satisfaction) Quality ingredients Quality positioning Brand prestige Convenient location Special Features / differentiators Quality Segment 3 Health / Lifestyle Indulgent Treat (Reward / Satisfaction) Convenient location Quality ingredients Lower fat / healthier choice Range of serving sizes Healthier Choice Primary Driver Competitors Mr Whippy Gellatisimo Baskin Robbins Krispy Kreme Cold Rock New Zealand Natural Andersens of Denmark Ben Jerries Haagen-Dazs Michels Patisserie Most competitors now have a ‘low fat’ range, but competitors such as Wow Cow and other frozen yogurt companies tend to position their product to this segment. New Zealand Natural Wow Cow Boost Juice Higher proportion of women exist in this segment, with higher levels of importance places on lower calorie treats (lower fat and sugar). Segment Characteristics Consumers prefer products that offer strong value for money. Purchasers are generally not the consumer. A high level of price sensitivity exists in this segment. Higher proportion of consumers in this segment tend to be single or couples without kids. Prepared to pay higher price point, and to pay for quality add ons such as. Brand appeal and prestige can be more important (thus many international / imported brands operate in this segment). 50% % of Market 25% 25% 1. Competitor identification and analysis Competitors Core needs provided by Wendys: Fast food consisting of sweet snacks, cold beverages, light meals and coffee. Strengths and Weaknesses Position in the Marketplace Strengths Branding Coverage – 320 stores Specialisation Donuts Weaknesses Lack of healthy alternatives Strengths Strong brand Coverage – 300+ stores Usually has eat-in options Weaknesses Mass produced food Limited healthy alternatives Strengths Branding/Marketing Fundraising efforts Distribution through 7-Eleven Weaknesses Mass produced Extremely un-healthy Strengths Unique concept Visually enticing store Good coverage (100 stores) Good product selection Weaknesses Only stock seasonal products Targeted to a limited market (kids) Strengths Coverage (700 stores, 22 countries) Wide range of products including healthy alternatives Take home packs available Weaknesses Products made overseas (NZ) Seasonal products Usually positioned within the fresh food/supermarket area of major shopping centres, Donut King targets casual shoppers and those requiring family deserts. Located within major centres Michel’s targets shoppers for a casual light meal /coffee or a take-home desert. Situated in a variety of locations including air-ports, shopping centres and standalone stores, Krispy Kreme targets adults who desire a sweet snack or milkshake for an affordable price. Positioned at children mainly in beachside locations. Unique concept of creating your own unique ice cream. Mainly situated in shopping centres and beach side locations, New Zealand Natural targets adults wanting premium ice-cream for immediate consumption or take home packs for family desert. 1. Strategic Challenges facing the business SWOT Wendys Competitors STRENGTHS: Australian icon with strong branding. Long standing history with the first store open in 1979. Geographic coverage with 250+ stores across Australia. Positioned in high foot traffic areas generally in shopping centres. Wide product range (cold beverages, light meals, frozen yoghurt ice cream). Affordable franchise fees (lt; $100,000). Easy to operate stores. WEAKNESSES: Limited speciality in a particular product. Minimal healthy options available. Mainly seasonal products. Wide spread of product purchases by the market (as seen in segmentation). Generally has young staff with limited customer experience STRENGTHS: Mostly consist of Australian Icons. Wide geographic coverage. Visually enticing stores (attribute to most franchises). Strong branding and marketing. Most make products fresh. Majority are seen as a gourmet offering. Wide consumer target market WEAKNESSES: Majority sell seasonal based products. Higher end products tend to be priced high. Most are seasonal offerings (summer products). Majority do not offer a wide range of healthy alternatives OPPORTUNITIES: Capitalise on a larger market share by offering healthier alternatives. Potential to offer organic products. Potential to offer customised ordering. Offer seating options to customers. Offer take home ice-cream packs. Partnership with complementary businesses. Expand products into alternative locations such as cinemas. THREATS: Any future fast food tax. Rising popularity of healthy fast food alternatives. Rising cost of retail rents. Rising popularity of take home ice cream packs. OPPORTUNITIES: Expand into alternative locations such as cinemas or schools. Frozen yogurt is not common amongst competitors. Expand healthy alternative range. Expand into offerings for winter THREATS: Any future fast food tax. Rising popularity of healthy fast food alternatives. Rising cost of retail rents. Rising popularity of take home ice cream packs from supermarkets 1. Outlook Outlook Growth Existing Business Model: The growth prospects for the Fast Food industry and Wendys is good as long as they can follow consumer trends which are largely optimised by the push toward eating healthier. This is demonstrated both in consumer habits as well as a diversification of many of the larger fast food businesses also trying to over a broader variety of options for consumers (McDonald’s Healthy Menu). Wendys strong brand and low cost of entry for investors (franchisees), the business is perfectly positioned to look at other products or even new business altogether that tap into healthier eating and dispositions of the Australian Consumer. There is also opportunity in the market to better segment their geographic footprint and premiumise their existing franchise business. Looking at areas with higher socioeconomic traits and not only serve different products but create a more upmarket environment for their products to be consumed in with an emphasis on quality. Growth Existing Products New Models: With the Wendys brand commanding a popular place in Australian consumers hearts. There is a very real possibility that Wendys could viably follow in the foot steps of some of its American counter parts such as Ben Jerries, to start selling branded CPGs supermarkets. With a variety of SKU’s that they could initially focus on to help people take their Wendys experience home with them. This could include, tub ice-cream, shakes and ice-cream cakes. Growth, New Markets and Products: With their understanding of the Franchise business and strong supplier relationships. Wendys could also look at either starting an alternative, healthier product range, that could also be distributed through a new brand and store. Leveraging their existing competencies and supplier relationships to capture different, perhaps more affluent and currently Wendys averse consumers. 1. Appendix References Anonymous2010, Sep 21. Franchises in Australia Expect Double-Digit Revenue,profit Rises. Asia Pulse. https://www. mja. com. au/journal/2011/195/1/advertising-fast-food-children-australian-television-impact-industry-self Schaper, M, Gehrke, J 2013, FRANCHISING REGULATION IN AUSTRALIA: RECENT TRENDS AND CURRENT ISSUES, International Journal Of Franchising Law, 11, 1, pp. 3-13, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 20 April 2013. Fast Food Industry Profile: Australia 2010, Fast Food Industry Profile: Australia, p. 1, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 20 April 2013 http://www. news. com. au/national-news/obesity-levels-show-australia-is-the-chubby-country/stor y-e6frfkvr1226064083008 http://www. ibisworld. com. au/industry/default. aspx? indid=2005 http://www. franchisehelp. com/industry-reports/fast-food-industry-report WILLIAMS, M. 2013. Fuel Retailing in Australia. In: WORLD, I. (ed. ) IBIS World Industry Report. EDWARDS, J. 2013. Ice Cream Manufacturing in Australia. In: WORLD, I. (ed. ) IBIS World Industry Report. CONNELL, S. 2013. Fast Food Services in Australia. In: WORLD, I. (ed. ) IBIS World Industry Report.

Poaching in Africa free essay sample

The verb poaching, according to the Oxford Dictionary, is defined as, [to] illegally hunt or catch (game or fish) on land that is not ones own or in contravention of official protection. While this definition is quite solid, it does not convey the true atrocities that happen during poaching is or why people poach, though both are necessary understand what makes poaching so bad for the environment and dangerous to the human species in general. Poaching is a barbaric, dangerous, and illegal act which should have more public attention and should be fought more gainst. One of the two major reasons people poach is for food. Hunting for food in of itself does not lead to poaching; as in many regions around the world, such as the US, allow people to hunt traditional foods, deer and rabbits being a good example. However in the many nations of Africa bushmeat, meat which was traditionally hunted in the wilds otherwise known as the bush of Africa, has spread into a massive trade. We will write a custom essay sample on Poaching in Africa or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Although the hunting of bushmeat itself is not illegal many animals that make up traditional bushmeat are primates, who are losing their homes due to he deforestation of Africas Jungles, and therefore are on the endangered species list. And although hunting of many primates, who in recent times have been accepted as very intelligent creatures, is illegal they are extremely vulnerable to bushmeat hunters because it is very hard to simply stop people from hunting their traditional foods. One study in Cameroon showed that among the poor families bushmeat made up 20% of the meat they ate (Lerner). Growing African cities also play a role in the distribution of the bushmeat, because the more they grow the loser they get to rainforests and now poachers have a larger market to sell to. Finally when logging companies are hired to clear space for roads to be built, companies encourage employees to kill the local wild life for food, rather than have to deal with the logistics sending food to the logging camps (Lerner). These logging camps often serve a role in the hunting of bushmeat by sending the meat back to officials in the company who can sell it on the worldwide black market. However, with the ease of hunting of bushmeat in Africa, the illegal trade is on he upswing and does not only affect Africa, but Europe and many parts of Asia as well. Getting bushmeat into Europe is often achieved through smuggling the bushmeat in. However in many parts of Asia bushmeat although illegal, is less often checked for and more easily snuck in than in Europe, however that does not imply that bushmeat rarely gets into European nations. In fact according to studies, roughly five tons of bushmeat is snuck into Paris through its main airport, Roissy- Charles de Gualle airport, on a weekly basis (Lerner). To top it off the five tons represent a single airport in a single European city This implies hundreds ot tons ot bushmeat is snuck into Europe weekly, and assuming an equal amount or greater is shipped to Asian nations, that would bring the weekly smuggling amounts of bushmeat out of Africa to a minimum of roughly eight hundred tons. And then you add to the native African population of who, as previously noted, often eat bushmeat you have a number of tons that one can only speculate at perhaps, it could reach 5,000 tons for all we know. And when one asks, how could some many animals be illegally poached and hunted that these ridiculously large numbers of lack market bushmeat to exist? The answer no one truly knows because the protection on the wildlife in Africa is almost nonexistent. The second reason why people poach is for money. Often times the poaching is done for the fur of an animal or other parts of its body that will either not grow back, or be harvested easily, such as ivory and claws. This kind of poaching is the most familiar kind to westerners and has been commended by many nations around the world. Governments even give money to other nations to assure that the animals that are targeted get proper protection. Many nations in Africa have accepted the money to protect their endangered species and species which are often poached, however in recent times elephant and rhino poaching has increased (Department of Environmental Affairs Republic of South Africa). The reason for the increased poaching is twofold. The first reason is due to the demand of ivory on the black market in nations such as China. This is a serious problem because China is a major investor in Africa and could easily end most of the poaching which is taking place there, but does nothing to stop it (Elephant Slaughter: Editorial). The reason why is not clear, but it is assumed that it is because Chinas leaders do not want to fess up to the amount of animals they caused to die. The second reason for increased poaching is that Africa is warlords. Warlords in Africa in order to fund their armies, poach elephants, take their ivory and sell it on the black market (which eventually makes its way to China). The warlords have the equipment the murder of elephants and can easily overpower the rangers who protect the wildlife preserves and still make enough money to continue their acts of terror on the humans of the area. However the way in which the poaching done is equally as disturbing to the crimes the armies commit against people. There are stories of how entire herds of elephants were slaughted from the sky by military helicopters, their tusks cut out, and their bodies left to rot (Elephant Slaughter: Editorial). These wrongs cant be allowed to be continued. There are many reasons why poaching should be discontinued, however when the reasons are broken down you have four general categories. The first reason people should stop poaching is because of biodiversity. The world is a beautiful and its life is uite diverse, however due to many environmental factors and human factors the world is becoming less and less diverse. One such human factor is poaching. The second reason people should quit poaching is that it ruins the natural course of evolution. The logic behind this is that the poachers dont hunt the weakest wolves or the chinchillas with an odd color fur, poachers only hunt the finest creatures of a species and when they do it allows the weakest to survive. Although nothing sounds wrong with this with a casual observation when looked at in depth it makes sense. For example due to elephant poaching over the last century, the amount of elephants without tusks has increased from 2% of the total population to 38%. Although this may sound great because now those elephants wont be poached, it is a false hope because elephants without tusks are missing the tools used for digging for water and roots, foraging, and competing for a mate. So, not only do the tusk-less elephants die of dehydration and starvation, they also do not mate as often. The third reason for stopping poaching is that African warlords make money and supply their troops hrough poaching. If wildlife preserves were better protected, and the park rangers given better equipment to protect them, warlords would be crippled financially and stopped easier. Finally due to the hunt of bushmeat and the close contact that occurs when a person is exposing a primates bodily fluids, while either gutting them, eating them, skinning them, or encountering any liquids from the primates bodies, may cause a new viral infection that can cross from their species to ours (Alic). This is incredibly dangerous and totally possible, because the virus that causes AIDS and the SARS outbreak were caused by human interaction with chimpanzees and bats, respectively (Lerner). This is even more dangerous because the longer the logging crews stay in the Jungle the more surrounded they are by new viruses and bacteria, and the higher the chance that the viruses mutate and affect humans. In summary due to poaching a viral disease can spread that could cripple the human race. Poaching is a wrong, brutish, and simply cruel act. It is the funding behind many a African warlord, the destruction of the bio-diversity of the planet, and the cause of a otential virus which can severely cripple the human race. However, even with all these reasons to stop, poaching still continues. Poaching is a complex problem and cannot be solved simply, but there are three steps which can be taken to stop poaching. The first involves giving food to the hungry, so they wont have to poach or buy bushmeat from poachers. The second regards the forcing logging companies to figure out the logistics to send food to men in logging camps. The third and final way to end poaching is by putting higher security on nature reserves, and equipping the angers with the proper tools to defend against warlords and their armies.

Learning about Computers Essay

Learning about Computers Essay Learning about Computers Essay In the first lesson I learned that Databases are generally organized into individual entries or records of data, each of which include certain categories of data or fields. Records would be individual words and fields would be how it is pronounced or spelled. In the second week with, I learned that a database can be used to look up individual plants not only by scientific name and common name, but by the various plant characteristics. In the 3rd lesson, I learned that there is case sensitivity for example "home" is different from "Home" which are both different from "HOME". Also a wildcard search symbol is a *. The fourth week I learned that The Dublin Core has a basic set of 15 Metadata Elements and they are: Title, Creator, Subject, Description, Publisher, Contributor, Date, Type, Format, Identifier, Source , Language, Relation, Coverage , and Rights. The fifth lesson I learned that in a spreadsheet you have the option to filter data. This will temporarily remove unwanted records from view. The records still exist, the filter just needs to be removed in order to bring the records back. The sixth lesson I learned that, different types of charts are better suited for data. For Instance if showing data on a percentage, it would be better to use a pie chart. I also learned that some data could be misrepresented and that too much data can confuse a person looking at a chart. In the next week we learned about record management. I learned how important records were

Veterans Day Quotes to Moisten Every Patriots Eyes

Veterans Day Quotes to Moisten Every Patriots Eyes It takes courage for a soldier to risk life and limb for his country. The least we civilians can do is to honor these heroes. That is the basis of the Veterans Day celebration- to venerate these great men and women with words of appreciation. The edifice of our society stands on the martyrdom of these selfless souls. Here are some inspiring Veterans Day quotes. They remind the younger generation of their duty towards their country and inspire them to uphold the tradition of liberty, fraternity, and equality. Arthur Koestler The most persistent sound which reverberates through mens history is the beating of war drums. Sun Tzu Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the deepest valleys. Look on them as your own beloved sons, and they will stand by you even unto death! Allan Keller The only war is the war you fought in. Every veteran knows that. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit The more we sweat in peace the less we bleed in war. Publius Cornelius Tacitus In valor there is hope. James Baker If youre not gonna pull the trigger, dont point the gun. Abraham Lincoln Dont interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties. Frederick the Great The most certain way of ensuring victory is to march briskly and in good order against the enemy, always endeavoring to gain ground. Francois de la Rochefoucauld Perfect valor is to behave, without witnesses, as one would act were all the world watching. Richard Watson Gilder Better than honor and glory, and Historys iron pen,Was the thought of duty done and the love of his fellow-men. Michel de Montaigne Valor is stability, not of legs and arms, but of courage and the soul. Oliver Wendell Holmes Lord, bid wars trumpet cease;Fold the whole earth in peace. Elmer Davis This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave. Thomas Dunn English But the freedom that they fought for, and the country grand they wrought for, Is their monument to-day, and for aye. Maya Angelou How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes! Andrew Bernstein The hero is the man dedicated to the creation and/or defense of reality-conforming, life-promoting values. John Fitzgerald Kennedy As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. Earlene Larson Jenks Have the courage to act instead of react. Sidney Sheldon My heroes are those who risk their lives every day to protect our world and make it a better place- police, firefighters, and members of our armed forces. Michel de Montaigne When our perils are past, shall our gratitude sleep? Dwight D. Eisenhower Neither a wise man nor a brave man lies down on the tracks of history to wait for the train of the future to run over him. Mark Twain In the beginning of a change, the patriot is a scarce man, and brave, and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot. Jim Ramstad Americas veterans deserve the very best health care because theyve earned it. Ronald Reagan History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap. Steve Buyer Americas veterans embody the ideals upon which America was founded more than 229 years ago. Jennifer Granholm We cant equate spending on veterans with spending on defense. Our strength is not just in the size of our defense budget, but in the size of our hearts, in the size of our gratitude for their sacrifice. And thats not just measured in words or gestures. John Doolittle Americas Veterans have served their country with the belief that democracy and freedom are ideals to be upheld around the world. Buckminster Fuller Either war is obsolete or men are. Solomon Ortiz As a former veteran, I understand the needs of veterans, and have been clear- we will work together, stand together with the Administration, but we will also question their policies when they shortchange veterans and military retirees. Zack Wamp Thank you for the sacrifices you and your families are making. Our Vietnam Veterans have taught us that no matter what our positions may be on policy, as Americans and patriots, we must support all of our soldiers with our thoughts and our prayers. Gary Hart I think there is one higher office than president and I would call that patriot.

International service quality (the validity of a mystery shopper) Essay

International service quality (the validity of a mystery shopper) - Essay Example The benefits and drawback, strategic issues in hospitality organizations and recommendations which are later followed by possible improvements suggested with the help of the quality control tool. As the competitiveness kept on rising in the market economy the companies had to come-up with strategies that would always take it to higher position and retain it. The welfare of a company is based on the products it offers, the quality of the products and the main concentration rests upon customer satisfaction. As customers are treated to be the major factor for a company's expansion, there was a necessity to gather feedback and conduct surveys on its own services. The procedure of gathering information in feedback sheets and then appointing few analysts was a lengthier process and was also vulnerable to inappropriate results. This very issue was addressed by appointing a Mystery Shopper. A Mystery Shopper basically makes a purchase at one of the company outlet as a customer (Cybershoppers.co.uk, nd). The services that he was provided with are considered as a feedback to the quality of service at the company's outlet. These results play a vital role in evaluating the company's fun ctioning and helps in stimulating a progress. One of the golden strategies followed by the emperors ca... The services that he was provided with are considered as a feedback to the quality of service at the company's outlet. These results play a vital role in evaluating the company's functioning and helps in stimulating a progress. Validity of a Mystery Shopper One of the golden strategies followed by the emperors can be implemented to obtain the right feedback i.e. by disguising oneself and then checking out the functioning yourself. But these days it is almost impossible to perform this act on our own because of time constraints, so the best way is to appoint a person who can work for the client. But appointing an employee who does, the inspection periodically would always leave an opportunity for the particular outlet of the company to set things right overnight. In the instant generation an approximate of six hours is sufficient to change the complete look of the outlet with the help of instant tools. To avoid such situations and tampering of the reports by some corrupt employees a Mystery Shopper would be the best solution. An approximate of $1 billion is invested in the Mystery Shopping strategy per annum through out the world (Maret, 2005). There is another issue wherein the customers do not wish to spend time on the feedback forms or would try and avoid any sort of personal contacts to invest their time in some other activity than to speak up for the problem and elaborate on it. The easiest way out for a customer would be to pretend that the services are good and avoid further contacts (Mystery-shoppers.co.uk, nd). It basically concentrates the quality of customer services which is the best strategy to gain a grip over the competitors in the market economy though the quality and cost of the product are almost equivalent. Mystery

Exam Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Exam Case Study - Essay Example It should be noted that as bureaucratic leader, he has set out specific procedures and guidelines which should be strictly followed by his subordinates. Being task oriented, his main concern is efficiency, which he strongly believes to be attainable only by following the preset work directives. In his aim of having ultimately control of the plant, he even devises a system where all the administrative processes supporting craftsmen still needs his approval. He has little or no concern that his employees are demoralized by his behavior. His only interest is to get work done through people. He ultimately treats workforce as resources which should be used in order to attain organizational goals without considering the issues of motivating and retaining them. Eradour should be commended in his recognition that efficiency is the top priority of his plant. As previously discussed, production cost of aluminium is relatively high which necessitates the focus on efficiently utilizing organizational assets in order to reduce wastage thereby reducing production cost. Being a plant which operates on highly technical processes, the carbon plant thus needs to be guided with procedures to ensure that processes are being carried out as they should. The most important issue in the Carbon Plant is the lack of employee empowerment. The organizational structure is very centralized noting that Eradour is in control of almost everything through his establishment of guidelines which should be followed at all times. The manager should look into giving more autonomy in making some decisions. The fact that problems still arise amidst the strict guidelines signal that there are inevitable situations which should be left at the discretion of the employee. Giving enough empowerment leaves the workforce more motivated as this communicates that his insights are valued. More empowerment should be given most especially to the craftsmen. Intervention in this department