Black House Chapter Eleven

11 BEEZER'S JOURNEY BEGAN with Myrtle Harrington, the loving wife of Michael Harrington, whispering down the telephone line to Richie Bumstead, on whom she has an industrial-strength crush in spite of his having been married to her second-best friend, Glad, who dropped down dead in her kitchen at the amazing age of thirty-one. For his part, Richie Bumstead has had enough macaroni-tuna casseroles and whisper-voiced phone calls from Myrtle to last him through two more lifetimes, but this is one set of whispers he's glad, even oddly relieved, to listen to, because he drives a truck for the Kingsland Brewing Company and has come to know Beezer St. Pierre and the rest of the boys, at least a little bit. At first, Richie thought the Thunder Five was a bunch of hoodlums, those big guys with scraggly shoulder-length hair and foaming beards roaring through town on their Harleys, but one Friday he happened to be standing alongside the one called Mouse in the pay-window line, and Mouse looked down at him and said something funny about how working for love never made the paycheck look bigger, and they got into a conversation that made Richie Bumstead's head spin. Two nights later he saw Beezer St. Pierre and the one called Doc shooting the breeze in the yard when he came off-shift, and after he got his rig locked down for the night he went over and got into another conversation that made him feel like he'd walked into a combination of a raunchy blues bar and a Jeopardy! championship. These guys Beezer, Mouse, Doc, Sonny, and Kaiser Bill looked like rockin', stompin', red-eyed violence, but they were smart. Beezer, it turned out, was head brewmaster in Kingsland Ale's special-projects div ision, and the other guys were just under him. They had all gone to college. They were interested in making great beer and having a good time, and Richie sort of wished he could get a bike and let it all hang out like them, but a long Saturday afternoon and evening at the Sand Bar proved that the line between a high old time and utter abandon was too fine for him. He didn't have the stamina to put away two pitchers of Kingsland, play a decent game of pool, drink two more pitchers while talking about the influences of Sherwood An-derson and Gertrude Stein on the young Hemingway, get into some serious head-butting, put down another couple of pitchers, emerge clearheaded enough to go barrel-assing through the countryside, pick up a couple of experimental Madison girls, smoke a lot of high-grade shit, and romp until dawn. You have to respect people who can do that and still hold down good jobs. As far as Richie is concerned, he has a duty to tell Beezer that the police have finally learned the whereabouts of Irma Freneau's body. That busybody Myrtle said it was a secret Richie has to keep to himself, but he's pretty sure that right after Myrtle gave him the news, she called four or five other people. Those people will call their best friends, and in no time at all half of French Landing is going to be heading over on 35 to be in on the action. Beezer has a better right to be there than most, doesn't he? Less than thirty seconds after getting rid of Myrtle Harrington, Richie Bumstead looks up Beezer St. Pierre in the directory and dials the number. â€Å"Richie, I sure hope you aren't shitting me,† Beezer says. â€Å"He called in, yeah?† Beezer wants Richie to repeat it. â€Å"That worthless piece of shit in the DARE car, the Mad Hungarian? . . . And he said the girl was where?† â€Å"Fuck, the whole town is gonna be out there,† Beezer says. â€Å"But thanks, man, thanks a lot. I owe you.† In the instant before the receiver slams down, Richie thinks he hears Beezer start to say something else that gets dissolved in a scalding rush of emotion. And in the little house on Nailhouse Row, Beezer St. Pierre swipes tears into his beard, gently moves the telephone a few inches back on the table, and turns to face Bear Girl, his common-law spouse, his old lady, Amy's mother, whose real name is Susan Osgood, and who is staring up at him from beneath her thick blond bangs, one finger holding her place in a book. â€Å"It's the Freneau girl,† he says. â€Å"I gotta go.† â€Å"Go,† Bear Girl tells him. â€Å"Take the cell phone and call me as soon as you can.† â€Å"Yeah,† he says, and plucks the cell phone from its charger and rams it into a front pocket of his jeans. Instead of moving to the door, he thrusts a hand into the huge red-brown tangle of his beard and absent-mindedly combs it with his fingers. His feet are rooted to the floor; his eyes have lost focus. â€Å"The Fisherman called 911,† he says. â€Å"Can you believe this shit? They couldn't find the Freneau girl by themselves, they needed him to tell them where to find her body.† â€Å"Listen to me,† Bear Girl says, and gets up and travels the space between them far more quickly than she seems to. She snuggles her compact little body into his massive bulk, and Beezer inhales a chestful of her clean, soothing scent, a combination of soap and fresh bread. â€Å"When you and the boys get out there, it's going to be up to you to keep them in line. So you have to keep yourself in line, Beezer. No matter how angry you are, you can't go nuts and start beating on people. Cops especially.† â€Å"I suppose you think I shouldn't go.† â€Å"You have to. I just don't want you to wind up in jail.† â€Å"Hey,† he says, â€Å"I'm a brewer, not a brawler.† â€Å"Don't forget it,† she says, and pats him on the back. â€Å"Are you going to call them?† â€Å"Street telephone.† Beezer walks to the door, bends down to pick up his helmet, and marches out. Sweat slides down his forehead and crawls through his beard. Two strides bring him to his motorcycle. He puts one hand on the saddle, wipes his forehead, and bellows, â€Å"THE FUCKING FISHERMAN TOLD THAT FUCKING HUNGARIAN COP WHERE TO FIND IRMA FRENEAU'S BODY. WHO'S COMING WITH ME?† On both sides of Nailhouse Row, bearded heads pop out of windows and loud voices shout â€Å"Wait Up!† â€Å"Holy Shit!† and â€Å"Yo!† Four vast men in leather jackets, jeans, and boots come barreling out of four front doors. Beezer almost has to smile he loves these guys, but sometimes they remind him of cartoon characters. Even before they reach him, he starts explaining about Richie Bumstead and the 911 call, and by the time he finishes, Mouse, Doc, Sonny, and Kaiser Bill are on their bikes and waiting for the signal. â€Å"But this here's the deal,† Beezer says. â€Å"Two things. We're going out there for Amy and Irma Freneau and Johnny Irkenham, not for ourselves. We want to make sure everything gets done the right way, and we're not gonna bust anybody's head open, not unless they ask for it. You got that?† The others rumble, mumble, and grumble, apparently in assent. Four tangled beards wag up and down. â€Å"And number two, when we do bust open somebody's head, it's gonna be the Fisherman's. Because we have put up with enough crap around here, and now I am pretty damn sure it's our turn to hunt down the fucking bastard who killed my little girl † Beezer's voice catches in his throat, and he raises his fist before continuing. â€Å"And dumped this other little girl in that fucking shack out on 35. Because I am going to get my hands on that fucking fuckhead, and when I do, I am gonna get RIGHTEOUS on his ass!† His boys, his crew, his posse shake their fists in the air and bellow. Five motorcycles surge noisily into life. â€Å"We'll take a look at the place from the highway and double back to the road behind Goltz's,† Beezer shouts, and charges down the road and uphill on Chase Street with the others in his slipstream. Through the middle of town they roll, Beezer in the lead, Mouse and Sonny practically on his tailpipe, Doc and the Kaiser right behind, their beards flowing in the wind. The thunder of their bikes rattles the windows in Schmitt's Allsorts and sends starlings flapping up from the marquee of the Agincourt Theater. Hanging over the bars of his Harley, Beezer looks a little bit like King Kong getting set to rip apart a jungle gym. Once they get past the 7-Eleven, Kaiser and Doc move up alongside Sonny and Mouse and take up the entire width of the highway. People driving west on 35 look at the figures charging toward them and swerve onto the shoulder; drivers who see them in their rearview mirrors drift to the side of the road, stick their arms out of their windows, and wave them on. As they near Centralia, Beezer passes about twice as many cars as really ought to be traveling down a country highway on a weekend morning. The situation is even worse than he figured it would be: Dale Gilbertson is bound to have a couple of cops blocking traffic turning in from 35, but two cops couldn't handle more than ten or twelve ghouls dead set on seeing, really seeing, the Fisherman's handiwork. French Landing doesn't have enough cops to keep a lid on all the screwballs homing in on Ed's Eats. Beezer curses, picturing himself losing control, turning a bunch of twisted Fisherman geeks into tent pegs. Losing control is exactly what he cannot afford to do, not if he expects any cooperation from Dale Gilbertson and his flunkies. Beezer leads his companions around a crapped-out old red Toyota and is visited by an idea so perfect that he forgets to strike unreasoning terror into the beater's driver by looking him in the eye and snarling, â€Å"I make Kingsland Ale, the best beer in the world, you dimwit cur.† He has done this to two drivers this morning, and neither one let him down. The people who earn this treatment by either lousy driving or the possession of a truly ugly vehicle imagine that he is threatening them with some grotesque form of sexual assault, and they freeze like rabbits, they stiffen right up. Jolly good fun, as the citizens of Emerald City sang in The Wizard of Oz. The idea that has distracted Beezer from his harmless pleasures possesses the simplicity of most valid inspirations. The best way to get cooperation is to give it. He knows exactly how to soften up Dale Gilbertson: the answer is putting on a baseball cap, grabbing its car keys, and heading out the door the answer lies al l around him. One small part of that answer sits behind the wheel of the red Toyota just being overtaken by Beezer and his jolly crew. Wendell Green earned the mock rebuke he failed to receive on both of the conventional grounds. His little car may not have been ugly to begin with, but by now it is so disfigured by multiple dents and scrapes that it resembles a rolling sneer; and Green drives with an unyielding arrogance he thinks of as â€Å"dash.† He zooms through yellow lights, changes lanes recklessly, and tailgates as a means of intimidation. Of course, he blasts his horn at the slightest provocation. Wendell is a menace. The way he handles his car perfectly expresses his character, being inconsiderate, thoughtless, and riddled with grandiosity. At the moment, he is driving even worse than usual, because as he tries to overtake every other vehicle on the road, most of his concentration is focused on the pocket tape recorder he holds up to his mouth and the golden words his equally gold en voice pours into the precious machine. (Wendell often regrets the shortsightedness of the local radio stations in devoting so much air time to fools like George Rathbun and Henry Shake, when they could move up to a new level simply by letting him give an ongoing commentary on the news for an hour or so every day.) Ah, the delicious combination of Wendell's words and Wendell's voice Edward R. Murrow in his heyday never sounded so eloquent, so resonant. Here is what he is saying: This morning I joined a virtual caravan of the shocked, the grieving, and the merely curious in a mournful pilgrimage winding eastward along bucolic Highway 35. Not for the first time, this journalist was struck, and struck deeply, by the immense contrast between the loveliness and peace of the Coulee Country's landscape and the ugliness and savagery one deranged human being has wrought in its unsuspecting bosom. New paragraph. The news had spread like wildfire. Neighbor called neighbor, friend called friend. According to a morning 911 call to the French Landing police station, the mutilated body of little Irma Freneau lies within the ruins of a former ice-cream parlor and caf? ¦ called Ed's Eats and Dawgs. And who had placed the call? Surely, some dutiful citizen. Not at all, ladies and gentlemen, not at all . . . Ladies and gentlemen, this is frontline reportage, this is the news being written while it happens, a concept that cannot but murmur â€Å"Pulitzer Prize† to an experienced journalist. The scoop had come to Wendell Green by way of his barber, Roy Royal, who heard it from his wife, Tillie Royal, who had been clued in by Myrtle Harrington herself, and Wendell Green has done his duty to his readers: he grabbed his tape recorder and his camera and ran out to his nasty little vehicle without pausing to telephone his editors at the Herald. He doesn't need a photographer; he can take all the photographs he needs with that dependable old Nikon F2A on the passenger seat. A seamless blend of words and pictures a penetrating examination of the new century's most hideous crime a thoughtful exploration into the nature of evil a compassionate portrayal of one community's suffering an unsparing expos? ¦ of one police department's ineptitude With all this going on in his mind as his mellifluous words drip one by one into the microphone of his upheld cassette recorder, is it any wonder that Wendell Green fails to hear the sound of motorcycles, or to take in the presence of the Thunder Five in any way, until he happens to glance sideways in search of the perfect phrase? Glance sideways he does, and with a spurt of panic observes, no more than two feet to his left, Beezer St. Pierre astride his roaring Harley, apparently singing, to judge from his own moving lips singing huh? Can't be, nope. In Wendell's experience, Beezer St. Pierre is far more likely to be cursing like a navvy in a waterfront brawl. When, after the death of Amy St. Pierre, Wendell, who was merely obeying the ancient rules of his trade, dropped in at 1 Nailhouse Row, and inquired of the grieving father how it felt to know that his daughter had been slaughtered like a pig and partially eaten by a monster in human form, Beezer had gripped the innocent newshound by the throat, unleashed a torrent of obscenities, and concluded by bellowing that if he should ever see Mr. Green again, he would tear off his head and use the stump as a sexual orifice. It is this threat that causes Wendell's moment of panic. He glances into his rearview mirror and sees Beezer's cohorts strung out across the road like an invading army of Goths. In his imagination, they are waving skulls on ropes made of human skin and yelling about what they are going to do to his neck after they rip his head off. Whatever he was about to dictate into the invaluable machine instantly evaporates, along with his daydreams of winning the Pulitzer Prize. His stomach clenches, and sweat bursts from every pore on his broad, ruddy face. His left hand trembles on the wheel, his right shakes the cassette recorder like a castanet. Wendell lifts his foot from the accelerator and slides down on the car seat, turning his head as far to the right as he dares. His basic desire is to curl up in the well beneath the dashboard and pretend to be a fetus. The huge roar of sound behind him grows louder, and his heart leaps in his chest like a fish. Wendell whimpers. A rank of kettledrum s batters the air beyond the fragile skin of the car door. Then the motorcycles swoop past him and race off up the highway. Wendell Green wipes his face. Slowly, he persuades his body to sit up straight. His heart ceases its attempt to escape his chest. The world on the other side of his windshield, which had contracted to the size of a housefly, expands back to its normal size. It occurs to Wendell that he was no more afraid than any normal human being would be, under the circumstances. Self-regard fills him like helium fills a balloon. Most guys he knows would have driven right off the road, he thinks; most guys would have crapped in their pants. What did Wendell Green do? He slowed down a little, that's all. He acted like a gentleman and let the ass-holes of the Thunder Five drive past him. When it comes to Beezer and his apes, Wendell thinks, being a gentleman is the better part of valor. He picks up speed, watching the bikers race on ahead. In his hand, the cassette recorder is still running. Wendell raises it to his mouth, licks his lips, and discovers that he has forgotten what he was going to say. Blank tape whirls from spool to spool. â€Å"Damn,† he says, and pushes the OFF button. An inspired phrase, a melodious cadence, has vanished into the ether, perhaps for good. But the situation is far more frustrating than that. It seems to Wendell that a whole series of logical connections has vanished with the lost phrase: he can remember seeing the shape of a vast outline for at least half a dozen penetrating articles that would go beyond the Fisherman to . . . do what? Win him the Pulitzer, for sure, but how? The area in his mind that had given him the immense outline still holds its shape, but the shape is empty. Beezer St. Pierre and his goons murdered what now seems the greatest idea Wendell Green ever had, and Wendell has no certainty that he can bring it back to life. What are these biker freaks doing out here, anyhow? The question answers itself: some creepy do-gooder thought Beezer ought to know about the Fisherman's 911 call, and now the biker freaks are headed to the ruins of Ed's, just like him. Fortunately, so many other people are going to the same place that Wendell figures he can steer clear of his nemesis. Taking no chances, he drops a couple of cars behind the bikers. The traffic thickens and slows down; up ahead, the bikers form a single line and zoom up alongside the line crawling toward the dusty old lane to Ed's place. From seventy or eighty yards back, Wendell can see two cops, a man and a woman, trying to wave the rubberneckers along. Every time a fresh car pulls up in front of them, they have to go through the same pantomine of turning its occupants away and pointing down the road. To reinforce the message, a police car is parked sideways across the lane, blocking anyone who should try to get fancy. This spectacle troubles Wendell not at all, for the press has automatic access to such scenes. Journalists are the medium, the aperture, through which otherwise prohibited places and events reach the general public. Wen-dell Green is the people's representative here, and the most distinguished journalist in western Wisconsin besides. After he has inched along another thirty feet, he sees that the cops riding herd on the traffic are Danny Tcheda and Pam Stevens, and his complacency wavers. A couple of days ago, both Tcheda and Stevens had responded to his request for information by telling him to go to hell. Pam Stevens is a know-it-all bitch anyhow, a professional ball-breaker. Why else would a reasonably okay-looking dame want to be a cop? Stevens would turn him away from the scene for the sheer hell of it she'd enjoy it! Probably, Wendell realizes, he will have to sneak in somehow. He pictures himself crawling through the fields on his belly and shivers with distaste. At least he can have the pleasure of watching the cops giving the finger to Beezer and crew. The bikers roar past another half-dozen cars without slowing down, so Wendell supposes they plan on going into a flashy, skidding turn, dodging right by those two dumbbells in blue, and zooming around the patrol car as if it didn't exist. What will the cops do then, Wendell wonders drag out their guns and try to look fierce? Fire warning shots and hit each other in the foot? Astonishingly, Beezer and his train of fellow bikers pay no attention to the cars attempting to move into the lane, to Tcheda and Stevens, or to anything else up there. They do not even turn their heads to gape up at the ruined shack, the chief's car, the pickup truck which Wendell instantly recognizes and the men standing on the beaten grass, two of whom are Dale Gilbertson and the pickup's owner, Hollywood Jack Sawyer, that snooty L.A. prick. (The third guy, who is wearing an ice-cream hat, sunglasses, and a spiffy vest, makes no sense at all, at least not to Wendell. He looks like he dropped in from some old Humphrey Bogart movie.) No, they blast on by the whole messy scene with their helmets pointed straight ahead, as if all they have in mind is cruising into Centralia and busting up the fixtures in the Sand Bar. On they go, all five of the bastards, indifferent as a pack of wild dogs. As soon as they hit open road again, the other four move into parallel formation behind Beeze r and fan out across the highway. Then, as one, they veer off to the left, send up five great plumes of dust and gravel, and spin into five U-turns. Without breaking stride without even appearing to slow down they separate into their one-two-two pattern and come streaking back westward toward the crime scene and French Landing. I'll be damned, Wendell thinks. Beezer turned tail and gave up. What a wimp. The knot of bikers grows larger and larger as it swoops toward him, and soon the amazed Wendell Green makes out Beezer St. Pierre's grim face, which beneath its helmet also gets larger and larger as it approaches. â€Å"I never figured you for a quitter,† Wendell says, watching Beezer loom ever nearer. The wind has parted his beard into two equal sections that flare out behind him on both sides of his head. Behind his goggles, Beezer's eyes look as if he is aiming down the barrel of a rifle. The thought that Beezer might turn those hunter's eyes on him makes Wendell's bowels feel dangerously loose. â€Å"Loser,† he says, not very loudly. With an ear-pounding roar, Beezer flashes past the dented Toyota. The rest of the Thunder Five hammer the air, then streak down the road. This evidence of Beezer's cowardice brightens Wendell's heart as he watches the bikers diminish in his rearview mirror, but a thought he cannot ignore begins to worm its way upward through the synapses of his brain. Wendell may not be the Edward R. Murrow of the present day, but he has been a reporter for nearly thirty years, and he has developed a few instincts. The thought winding through his mental channels sets off a series of wavelike alarms that at last push it into consciousness. Wendell gets it he sees the hidden design; he understands what's going down. â€Å"Well, hot doggy,† he says, and with a wide grin blasts his horn, cranks his wheel to the left, and jolts into a turn with only minimal damage to his fender and that of the car in front of him. â€Å"You sneaky bastard,† he says, nearly chuckling with delight. The Toyota squeezes out of the line of vehicles pointed eastward and drifts over into the westbound lanes. Clanking and farting, it shoots away in pursuit of the crafty bikers. There will be no crawling through cornfields for Wendell Green: that sneaky bastard Beezer St. Pierre knows a back way to Ed's Eats! All our star reporter has to do is hang back far enough to stay out of sight and he gets a free pass into the scene. Beautiful. Ah, the irony: Beezer gives the press a helpful hand many thanks, you arrogant thug. Wendell hardly supposes that Dale Gilbertson will give him the run of the place, but it will be harder to throw him out than to turn him away. In the time he has, he can ask a few probing questions, snap a few telling photos, and above all! soak up enough atmosphere to produce one of his legendary â€Å"color† pieces. With a cheerful heart, Wendell poodles down the highway at fifty miles per hour, letting the bikers race far ahead of him without ever letting them pass out of sight. The number of cars coming toward him thins out to widely spaced groups of two and three, then to a few single cars, then to nothing. As if they have been waiting to be unobserved, Beezer and his friends swerve across the highway and go blasting up the driveway to Goltz's space-age dome. Wendell feels an unwelcome trickle of self-doubt, but he is not about to assume that Beezer and his louts have a sudden yearning for tractor hitches and riding lawn mowers. He speeds up, wondering if they have spotted him and are trying to throw him off their trail. As far as he knows, there is nothing up on that rise except the showroom, the maintenance garage, and the parking lot. Damn place looks like a wasteland. Beyond the parking lot . . . what? On one side, he remembers a scrubby field stretching away to the horizon, on the other a bunch of trees, like a forest, only not as thick. He can see the trees from where he is now, running downhill like a windbreak. Without bothering to signal, he speeds across the oncoming lanes and into Goltz's driveway. The sound of the motorcycles is still audible but growing softer, and Wendell experiences a jolt of fear that they have somehow tricked him and are getting away, jeering at him! At the top of the rise, he zooms around the front of the showroom and drives into the big lot. Two huge yellow tractors stand in front of the equipment garage, but his is the only car in sight. At the far end of the empty lot, a low concrete wall rises to bumper height between the asphalt and the meadow bordered by trees. On the other side of the tree line, the wall ends at the swoop of asphalt drive coming around from the back of the showroom. Wendell cranks the wheel and speeds toward the far end of the wall. He can still hear the motorcycles, but they sound like a distant swarm of bees. They must be about a half mile away, Wendell thinks, and jumps out of the Toyota. He jams the cassette recorder in a jacket pocket, slings the Nikon on its strap around his neck, and runs around the low wall and into the meadow. Even before he reaches the tree line, he can see the remains of an old macadam road, broken and overgrown, cutting downhill between the trees. Wendell imagines, overestimating, that Ed's old place is about a mile distant, and he wonders if his car could go the distance on this rough, uneven surface. In some places, the macadam has fissured into tectonic plates; in others, it has crumbled away to black gravel. Sinkholes and weedy rills radiate out from the thick, snaking roots of the trees. A biker could jounce over this mess reasonably well, but Wendell sees that his legs will manage the journey better than his Toyota, so he sets off down the old track through the trees. From what he took in while he was on the highway, he still has plenty of time before the medical examiner and the evidence wagon show up. Even with the help of the famous Hollywood Sawyer, the local cops are mooning around in a daze. The sound of motorcycles grows louder as Wendell picks his way along, as if the boys stopped moving in order to talk things over when they came to the far end of the old back road. That's perfect. Wendell hopes they will keep jawing until he has nearly caught up with them; he hopes they are shouting at one another and waving their fists in the air. He wants to see them cranked to the gills on rage and adrenaline, plus God knows what else those savages might have in their saddlebags. Wendell would love to get a photograph of Beezer St. Pierre knocking out Dale Gilbertson's front teeth with a well-aimed right, or putting the choke hold on his buddy Sawyer. The photograph Wendell wants most, however, and for the sake of which he is prepared to bribe every cop, county functionary, state official, or innocent bystander capable of holding out his hand, is a good, clean, dramatic picture of Irma Freneau's naked corpse. Preferably one that leaves no doubt about the Fisherman's depredations, whatever they were. Two would be ideal one of her face for poignancy, the other a full-body shot for the perverts but he will settle for the body shot if he has to. An image like that would go around the world, generating millions as it went. The National Enquirer alone would fork over, what two hundred thousand, three? for a photo of poor little Irma sprawled out in death, mutilations clearly visible. Talk about your gold mines, talk about your Big Kahunas! When Wendell has covered about a tenth of a mile of the miserable old road, his concentration divided between gloating over all the money little Irma is going to siphon into his pockets and his fears of falling down and twisting his ankle, the uproar caused by the Thunder Five's Harleys abruptly ceases. The resulting silence seems immense, then immediately fills with other, quieter sounds. Wendell can hear his breath struggling in and out, and also some other noise, a combined rattle and thud, from behind him. He whirls around and beholds, far up the ruined road, an ancient pickup lurching toward him. It's almost funny, the way the truck rocks from side to side as one tire, then another, sinks into an invisible depression or rolls up a tilting section of road surface. That is, it would be funny if these people were not horning in on his private access route to Irma Freneau's body. Whenever the pickup climbs over a particularly muscular-looking length of tree root, the four dark heads in the cab bob like marionettes. Wendell takes a step forward, intending to send these yokels back where they came from. The truck's suspension scrapes against a flat rock, and sparks leap from the undercarriage. That thing must be thirty years old, at least, Wendell thinks it's one of the few vehicles on the road that looks even worse than his car. When the truck jolts closer to him, he sees that it is an International Harvester. Weeds and twigs decorate the rusty bumper. Does I.H. even make pickups anymore? Wendell holds up his hand like a juror taking the oath, and the truck jounces and dips over another few rutted feet before coming to a halt. Its left side sits noticeably higher than the right. In the darkness cast by the trees, Wendell cannot quite make out the faces peering at him through the windshield, but he has the feeling that at least two of them are familiar. The man behind the wheel pokes his head out of the driver's window and says, â€Å"Hidey-ho, Mr. Bigshot Reporter. They slam the front door in your face, too?† It is Teddy Runkleman, who regularly comes to Wendell's attention while he is going over the day's police reports. The other three people in the cab bray like mules at Teddy's wit. Wendell knows two of them Freddy Saknessum, part of a low-life clan that oozes in and out of various run-down shacks along the river, and Toots Billinger, a scrawny kid who somehow supports himself by scavenging scrap metal in La Riviere and French Landing. Like Runkleman, Toots has been arrested for a number of third-rate crimes but never convicted of anything. The hard-worn, scruffy woman between Freddy and Toots rings a bell too dim to identify. â€Å"Hello, Teddy,† Wendell says. â€Å"And you, Freddy and Toots. No, after I got a look at the mess out front, I decided to come in the back way.† â€Å"Hey, Wen-dell, doncha ‘member me?† the woman says, a touch pathetically. â€Å"Doodles Sanger, in case your memory's all shot to hell. I started out with a whole buncha guys in Freddy's Bel Air, and Teddy was with a whole ‘nother bunch, but after we got run off by Miss Bitch, the rest of 'em wanted to go back to their barstools.† Of course he does remember her, although the hardened face before him now only faintly resembles that of the bawdy party girl named Doodles Sanger who served up drinks at the Nelson Hotel a decade ago. Wendell thinks she got fired more for drinking too much on the job than for stealing, but God knows she did both. Back then, Wendell threw a lot of money across the bar at the Nelson Hotel. He tries to remember if he ever hopped in the sack with Doodles. He plays it safe and says, â€Å"Cripes, Doodles, how the hell could I forget a pretty little thing like you?† The boys get a big yuck out of this sally. Doodles jabs her elbow into Toots Billinger's vaporous ribs, gives Wendell a pouty little smile, and says, â€Å"Well thank-ee, kind sir.† Yep, he boffed her, all right. This would be the perfect time to order these morons back to their ratholes, but Wendell is visited by grade-A inspiration. â€Å"How would you charming people like to assist a gentleman of the press and earn fifty bucks in the process?† â€Å"Fifty each, or all together?† asks Teddy Runkleman. â€Å"Come on, all together,† Wendell says. Doodles leans forward and says, â€Å"Twenty each, all right, big-timer? If we agree to do what you want.† â€Å"Aw, you're breakin' my heart,† Wendell says, and extracts his wallet from his back pocket and removes four twenties, leaving only a ten and three singles to see him through the day. They accept their payment and, in a flash, tuck it away. â€Å"Now this is what I want you to do,† Wendell says, and leans toward the window and the four jack-o'-lantern faces in the cab.

God Loves Uganda Response Paper Essay

I was aware of strong anti-homosexuality prejudice in Uganda from discussions with friends and some news coverage I saw on the internet. However, I was unaware of the influence of U. S. evangelical missionaries until I saw the documentary God Loves Uganda. The film’s director, Roger Ross Williams, illuminates how American missionaries in Uganda campaign to condemn homosexuality and ban condoms as part of their abstinence only education. Missionaries in the film hail from the International House of Prayer (IHOP) in Kansas City, Missouri. They take direction from the charismatic Lou Engle, who is a prominent leader of the evangelical Christian right. Throughout the documentary, these missionaries speak candidly about their core religious beliefs without coercion or the trickery of film editing. The American pastor behind the anti-gay vitriol spread by these â€Å"well-meaning† IHOP missionaries is Scott Lively. It is important to note that Scott Lively is quite the conspiracy theorist and anything he says should be taken with a grain of salt. He co-founded the anti-gay group Watchmen on the Walls and authored books such as The Pink Swastika: Homosexuality in the Nazi Party, 7 Steps to Recruit-Proof Your Child, and The Poisoned Stream: â€Å"Gay† Influence in Human History (Scherr). Lively has forged relationships with Ugandan religious leaders, who preach his toxic message to their congregations. Two of the biggest myths that Lively and IHOP missionaries teach in Uganda are that homosexuality is a Western import trying to recruit children and that homosexuals can choose to be heterosexual. In Uganda, Same-sex relations have been deemed â€Å"unnatural† and laws against it have been in place forever. However, in 2009, anti-gay fervor reached new heights when the Ugandan Anti- Homosexuality Act was introduced to parliament. The bill criminalizes homosexual relations, which are punishable by life in prison or even death for serial offenders. Inspiration for the AntiHomosexuality Act directly stems from Scott Lively’s seminar titled, â€Å"Exposing the Truth Behind Homosexuality and the Homosexual Agenda†, which he presented before Ugandan Parliament. (Lapin) In conjunction with anti-homosexual propaganda, the missionaries preach that condoms should be banned, as abstinence is the key to lowering the HIV rate. The Ugandan government supports this flawed abstinence only policy. As a result, both hetero and homo sexual relations are stigmatized and condoms are not used. Therefore, disease continues to spread and wreak havoc on Ugandan society. Race and colonialism are not explicitly mentioned in the film but they are undeniable factors. Race has been beneficial to the missionaries. As ex-communicated, Bishop Christopher Senyonjo says of Ugandan’s relationship to the missionaries, â€Å"Because they are white, people believe them. † Colonizing of values is certainly happening. Africa has always been a place in which colonial aspirations come to fruition. Rather than exporting a way of governing to the colonies, missionaries are exporting religious governance. In addition to building orphanages and other good works, IHOP missionaries have exacerbated the anti-gay climate in Uganda. These people infiltrate Uganda in the name of God, demonize homosexuality as part of Biblical law, and then leave citizens to take the real law into their own hands. Consequently, LGBT people in Uganda fear for their lives. Now I must ask, is this what Jesus would want? Bibliography Lapin, Andrew. â€Å"God Loves Uganda. † The Dissolve. The Dissolve, 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. Scherr, Sonia. â€Å"U. S. Anti-Gay Activists Under Fire for Role in Uganda. † Souther Poverty Law Center. Intelligence Report, Apr. -May 2010. Web. 23 Oct. 2013.

Ending the War Against Japan Essay

In the article, Ending The War Against Japan: Science, Morality And The Atomic Bomb, the author provides information on the war in the Pacific which involved the United States and Japan. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the United States entered the second World War in 1941. United States gained control of Okinawa in 1945 which meant that the U.S had control, in the months of May through August there were major air attacks on Japan, the Manhattan Project and the two atomic bombs the United States dropped in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were part of the choice out of the many options that might have been given to President Truman and Secretary of War, Henry Stimson. They felt that dropping the atomic bomb was the best way to get the Japanese to give an unconditional surrender. The three options that the author gives in this article are based on three different outcomes that could have changed the way the Pacific War ended. The first option would allow President Truman to end the war peacefully, and it would have also allowed the Japanese to withdraw from the war without shame to their leader and save the thousands of Japanese individuals by not making the United States have to make the choice of dropping the atomic bombs. This option would have let Truman show that â€Å"We as Americans have not sunk to the level of our enemies† â€Å"We should end the war now in a manner that reflects the value we place on the sanctity of human life and the dignity of the individual†. The author gives Truman a second option and this option approaches the war in the Pacific with a demonstration of the atomic bomb in efforts to force the Japanese to surrender without condition. This includes the uprising of the Manhattan Project which gave the United States the â€Å"weapon of almost inconceivable power† with the scare tactics of the demonstration this gives the Japanese leaders an idea of what would come if they continued on resisting a withdraw. The American people felt as though they have put everything on the line to defeat the Japanese and would like nothing less than to see them surrender unconditionally and as long as we are taking responsible authority on our terms of the Japanese surrender we can end the war and increase strength and peace. The third and final option that Truman could have chosen would be to go fourth with the complete plan without the demonstration of the atomic bombs in the deserted Pacific a demonstration provided little purpose.† The Japanese have fought a merciless war of aggression. They neither expect nor deserve mercy†. We were in need of a quick victory and the only way to make japan admit failure and surrender was with strong military force. It was too late for any negotiations with the Japanese emperor, this plan gave President Truman the chance to save more American lives many of the other choices might have resulted in more American deaths. With the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the torture of allies this option to drop as many bombs as needed without warning might have been the only way to send an effective message to the emperors of Japan. After reading the options that the author gives about the different outcomes Truman could have made and If I were Truman and I was making the decision I would have chosen option number two, Because I feel as though the atomic bomb being used for a scare tactic is a great way to show our power but also show our respect for the Japanese. The demonstration of the bombs would allow us to strengthen our roles in America and prevent the unmoral killing of Americans and Japanese.

Critical review from an Business Strategy Article Essay

Critical review from an Business Strategy Article - Essay Example Therefore, the concept of core competencies as an application strategy for businesses, require advanced focus and learning the trends and change within an industry, and then identifying one or a few areas of the changing trends that are likely to merge, then working towards producing a product that serves that exact merging point of need (Prahalad & Hamel, 80). Informed by the principle of competitiveness, the strategy of core competencies works on the basis of building a portfolio of competencies, at the expense of a portfolio of businesses, meaning that attaining competiveness for a business organization is no longer about building a chain of related business within an industry, through diversification, but analyzing the specific areas a business can have a competitive advantage, and then capitalizing on that area to build on the competitiveness (Prahalad & Hamel, 81). Nevertheless, while applying the strategy of core competencies, it is paramount that focusing on new areas of busi ness where others have not yet perceived opportunities should not relent, so that an organization can build a stable competitive platform, which makes it difficult for others in the same industry to compete. The main strengths of the article is that it demonstrates the major arguments through the application of real organizational examples, detailing the process of such organizational businesses, and showing how the core competencies strategy made an overall difference. This way, it becomes easy to understand the strategy advocated, since real life examples are applied. A better demonstration is when the information technology industry was evolving in the early 1980s, where GTE was the company poised to take the advantage of the opportunity... Informed by the principle of competitiveness, the strategy of core competencies works on the basis of building a portfolio of competencies, at the expense of a portfolio of businesses, meaning that attaining competiveness for a business organization is no longer about building a chain of related business within an industry, through diversification, but analyzing the specific areas a business can have a competitive advantage, and then capitalizing on that area to build on the competitiveness (Prahalad & Hamel, 81). Nevertheless, while applying the strategy of core competencies, it is paramount that focusing on new areas of business where others have not yet perceived opportunities should not relent, so that an organization can build a stable competitive platform, which makes it difficult for others in the same industry to compete. The main strengths of the article is that it demonstrates the major arguments through the application of real organizational examples, detailing the process of such organizational businesses, and showing how the core competencies strategy made an overall difference. This way, it becomes easy to understand the strategy advocated, since real life examples are applied. A better demonstration is when the information technology industry was evolving in the early 1980s, where GTE was the company poised to take the advantage of the opportunity and see significant growth in its size, sales and revenues, considering that it was already well established in the industry, as opposed to NEC, which was a relatively small company in the industry

IKEAs International Strategy and the Establishment of New Stores Research Paper

IKEAs International Strategy and the Establishment of New Stores - Research Paper Example One of the key policies of the IKEA group is that it does not target the rich and instead sells to the smart (Crampton 2008, n.p). The interpretation of this is that it struggles to minimise the prices of its goods as much as possible. This means that the production has also to minimise costs. According to (Bowman 1988, p. 67) this strategy may have two implications; an increase in market share due to the competitive prices or a reduction in market share due to the reduced quality caused by a reduction in production costs. This is illustrated by the quality of the IKEA goods that cannot be described as the best (Thomson 2009, p. 184). The disadvantage is that the customers are not satisfied with the goods. In one case, a customer claimed that he was happy with none of the products from the store (Scholes 2010, p. 5). In the end, the reduction in price may turn out to be a disadvantage as the group loses customers due to poor quality. A large number of firms offering the same services in the market makes it a competitive market. This means that the group has to have competitive prices in accordance with product value if it is to compete successfully (Doyle 2011, p. 258). If IKEA was the only player in the market it could increase prices without value addition. However, due to the market conditions, the company is able to offer cheap and quality goods which is an advantage. A key part of the IKEA’s strategy is to act as the market’s low-cost leader (Jacobsen 2009, p. 144). The idea is to balance low margins with high volumes by driving the prices down.

Corporate Social Responsibility within Islamic prospectives Literature review

Corporate Social Responsibility within Islamic prospectives - Literature review Example The values and the principles which have been in place since the time of Prophet Mohammed serve as the CSR foundation in Islam. Islam fundamentals are not subject to change. They include aqidah, referring to belief and faith, ibadah, which means worship and akhlaq, which refers to morality and ethics. In secondary fields such as economics, business and other activities the manifestation of these fundamentals will need flexibility and development in accordance with the time and space. Hence, in Islam the idea of CSR is always subject to change depending on the various needs of the community and the society. According to Islam human represents God and that the whole creation was formed by God. Human being God’s representative therefore, has a great obligation to look after the creation of God. The CSR concept In Islam covers an extensive meaning, in that it embraces God consciousness dimension which is referred to as the taqwa. In all situations, group of individuals takes up di fferent roles and responsibilities as servants. According to Hassan (2002), values of truthfulness, fairness, kindness, uprightness instead of envy and discrimination inspires the relationship with God. This normally manifested naturally in various activities in business and even in the relationship with all the stakeholders.

State appeal courts Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

State appeal courts - Assignment Example The decision making relies on the information recorded from other court proceedings (American Bar Association, 2004). This responsibility ensures justice prevails in the court system. The purpose of the courts is to ensure that the decision made in other court system is appropriate. Moreover, Hume (2009) is of the assumption that the state appeal courts ensure that all evidence available for a case are exhausted. The state appeal courts also analyze the decision process made for other courts. If the process is not clear and justified by legal provisions, the court may cancel the prior ruling made. The main purpose of the courts is to provide the final judgment of case. A case handled by the state appeal courts may be announced closed at the end of a trial. Different from other courts in the United States, the state appeal court make the final decision of a case. Its judgments cannot be appealed or challenged in other court

The role of leadership in organisational change Essay

The role of leadership in organisational change - Essay Example This tendency is caused by companies’ desire to be successful and earn money hand over fist. Let us refer to appropriate sources in order to define the role of leadership in organizational change. Elving in conducted research (2005, pp. 129-138) claims that organizational change requires changes in communication. This study suggests that communication in organization creates a community and serves as an informative methodology. The researcher presents six propositions of communication factors which influence changes rejection. Nevertheless the author underlines that informative role of communication can positively influence readiness for changes in organization while it develops organizational commitment and give certainty to employees. Bovey (2001, pp. 534-548) explores resistance to organizational change. The author interestingly emphasizes that resistance to change is rooted not in individual, but in organization itself. He offers 5 mechanisms to resist organizational changes. Thus in case of following suggested mechanisms such as humor, anticipation etc employees and managers will easily adapt to newly introduced changes. Caldwell’s research (2003, pp. 285-293) explores change leaders as transformed managers. The author claims that change leaders are on the top of the company and they work out strategy of change and change managers translate their strategies into actions. We can correlate this study with the work by Smith C. (2002, pp. 448-460) on leading change which intrigues us with its correlation with Jungian interpretations of the book of Job. The story of Job from the Bible is considered to be the basis of current organizational life. The image of Job is a predecessor of modern leader. Transformation of Job in modern manager and change leaders as transformed managers has many traits in common. Modern world is anxious and modern leaders should have skills to react to all evoking

For the Research Assignment, you will compose a research project that Proposal

For the Assignment, you will compose a project that can be used as a springboard for your Capstone projects. Y - Research Proposal Example On the contrary, it has been widely been cited that oversees field experience encourages brain drain given that most managers and students get absorbed oversees after completing their studies given that there are better working conditions and better pay than it is the case in their home countries. This way, home countries end up losing skilled persons. This shows that international field experience does not add value on the overall managerial skills of managers as earlier thought but instead encourages brain drain. Conclusively, international filed experience has heavy financial impacts to students, as well as the company involved, it causes brain drain, and alters the overall character traits of good managers, therefore, it should be discouraged. In this context, this paper seeks to oppose the practice of sending managers and students oversees with a view that it impacts negatively rather than positively on business management. Introduction. The thesis indicates that there is a rela tionship between International Field Experience and Business Management. In this context, International Field Experience refers to situations in which students, or those in management positions explore studies oversees with a view to gain knowledge, skills and experience. ... Contrary to what is believed by many who apparently have been arm twisted to incline towards believing such studies, international field experience have more disadvantages than advantages and, therefore, they should not be encouraged. As research would have it, international field studies practically bear heavy burden to business organizations than it is thought. With, limited research conducted in support of discouraging international field experience on business management, it is an issue worth subjecting to scrutiny. For this reason, this paper proposes a study to investigate the pros and cons of international field experience with a view to oppose the practice of business organizations sending students oversees for studies. The thesis of this investigation is, therefore, that the International Field Experience bears heavy negative impacts on business management and it should be discouraged. Purpose of international field experience. This subject is of great importance in business management. Its main purpose has always been to enlighten managers a better view than it has erroneously been thought. Although, in the business students’ academic program, field experience plays a crucial role as it gives students a room for application of the knowledge gained while in the classroom, as well as giving students a chance to continue learning under a professional supervisor during the field work. It bears heavy cost to an organization and it encourages brain drain. The objective of the research. This is a research work that is set out to among other things achieve one key objective. Thus, the overarching objective was to find out supportive evidence for the negative impacts of international

People Who Need People Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

People Who Need People - Essay Example A comprehensive social contract theory would depend upon the ideas of Stuart Mill, Thomas Locke, and John Rawis. John Stuart Mill’s ideas would be helpful in developing a perfect relationship between the individual and the state. The state, as an entity of authority, should work towards satisfying the individual’s interests. The state, therefore, should ensure that the individual attains the maximum satisfaction possible while also minimizing pain an individual faces. For instance, in terms of food, the state should ensure that a citizen becomes satiated. Similarly, the state should minimize hunger in the individual. The state, however, only performs these duties as long as the satisfaction of an individual does not compromise on the welfare of other individuals. Besides, the state should define a society form the individual’s disposition rather from the communal view (Jeske and Fumerton 163). The state should create an environment that enables the individual conform to oneself rather than conform to the society. Thomas Hobbes’ ideas are crucial in determining the finite capacity of the state in governing individuals’ affairs. Hobbes defines human beings, in their natural state, as unruly and asocial beings whose interests are rarely unified. This imposes the necessity of the state in harmonizing the interests of individuals. The state, therefore, is a natural consequence of individuals’ disorganized nature. Eventually, states behave as human beings as they develop asocial nature. In this perspective, the state should be subject to regulations that ensure it operates within responsible confines. Individuals should not hold the state as an entity that cannot err. This is because the state reflects the magnitude of disorganization present in a society. It is essential for individuals to create structures that ensure unrelenting transformation of the state towards perfection. John Rawls’ theory is essential in rationalizing the John

Marketing of services (research on O2, a telecommunications provider Essay

Marketing of services (research on O2, a telecommunications provider in United Kingdom) - Essay Example This commercial sub-brand of the Telefonica UK Limited till date has attained a total customer size of about 23 million. Adding to that, as per the ranking of Ofcom, which is an UK based industry, involved in the regulation and competitiveness measuring of various telecommunication industries, O2 has attained the highest ranking in context to customer satisfaction levels. This commercial sub-brand provides 2G, 3G and 4G network services all across UK. Apart from these, O2 also provides Wi-Fi services. It also owns nearly half of the shares of the Tesco Mobile Limited which is another network operator operating within the UK markets (Telefonica UK Limited, 2014). The main focus objective of this discussion is to effectively evaluate this commercial sub-brand (O2) and provides answers to the following provided questions which have been described in the discussion part of the report. Subsequently, conclusion and recommendation will also be provided accordingly in the later parts of this essay. As can be predicted, the main process for a telecommunication company is all about providing high quality communication and online data services to its customers. However apart from just the service provision activities, other services such as effective customer complaint handling, identification of the needs of the customers and fulfilling them accordingly and effective handling of all the organizational processes also falls under the process part of the extended marketing mix (O2online, 2009). The same goes for this UK based Telecommunication Company (Continuum Learning Pte Ltd, 2010). Moreover, as can be understood from this company’s insights that it provides utmost importance towards delivering high quality of communication service to its customers. Adding to that, the company also believes in context to establishing long term relationships with its customers through bringing about improvisation within their customer

Effective research based strategies Essay Example for Free

Effective research based strategies Essay Reading is an activity closely linked in the person’s ability to keep record. Readers aim to understand the meaning of the written text to enhance his or her knowledge and evaluate the significance of what they had read. Effective way of reading will be achieve by using the research based strategy of summarizing and note taking. This strategy will be a good help for the reader to recognize better the content of what he or she had read. Taking down notes of the unfamiliar words or phrases are useful tactic in reading. Those phrases and words will be a great help in the process of analyzing. Using the note taking strategy such as taking the important part of the text and looking for the meaning of the unfamiliar words will be an easier technique in understanding the flow of the reading assignment. Subsequently, summarizing what was given for a reader to read will be an effective way for him or her to know the useful content of the text. Removing the nonsense content and leaving the main points of the text will result a shorter and straightforward reading task. This will be easier and faster for a reader to evaluate the contents. In summarizing, the reader can also construct ideas in a way he or she can be aware of the same content of the text. One example intended for implementation of effective summarizing and notes taking strategy will be when there was a given assignment to increase a reading conception of a person. First, they should be well instructed on how to summarize the text. Teach them that while reading the content they should know how to remove words, sentences or phrases that doesn’t have much value and idleness, make the unfamiliar words uncomplicated to be known by giving terminologies that are simple to understand, likewise retain all the important points to be aware in the reading assignment, give a sentence that states the min idea of the paragraph. This was usually to be found at or near the beginning of the summary. Mathematics Mathematics as what defined to us is the study of connection between numbers or quantities. This kind of study usually needs of analyzing problems and familiarization of tricky formulas. Some persons are good in numbers and some are not, with this, the strategy in homework and practice will be a good help in learning. Particularly for students, it will be a good manner for them to do often solving problems not only at their schools but also at home. Given practice and home works sets of math problems will help students intimately familiarize their learning at this matter. Practice is one of the perfect ways in learning things because in doing it frequently has the high tendency to retain awareness and improve the performance. Homework in addition will train the students to have a study habit at home and must be in the guidance of their parents. Teachers will also be sure that their students are enforced to study their lessons especially when it was graded. They were sure that studying math problems by their students will be continued at home and not be left at schools only. An example for this will be giving students math problems to be done at home. Homework should fit the time of the students to answer and just to be sure that they will have a practice at home for more familiarity in solving math problems Implement proper instructions on how they have to answer the problems and appropriate recognition for finishing the given homework. Emphasize that they can ask support to someone at home but they should be the one to answer the problems, someone who will help them will only serve as guide for them to learn additional strategies and lessen the difficulties they encounter upon solving. Homework should be presented the next day after it was given to discuss and assess the result. So that if there will be a poor outcome it just imply that students still have to practice more concerning the topic and the teacher will know how to give his or her support to improve the learning system. Social Studies Social studies as we all know is the study that involves the relationship among people, and the environment. It also identifies the challenges and benefits of living in a different cultural and ideological society. Identifying similarities and differences will be an effective strategy to apply in this learning because here the learners will be able to connect ideas and make some patterns in order to construct thoughts on how they view their society. The difference and similarities can be use in societal study because in giving characteristics of that particular thing we have to make some comparisons and then develop system on how to organize such descriptions. Even correlations can still present the similarity of a thing and do some of comparisons by going further than the limited thinking of the learner and this will challenge him or her to much effective way in learning. Knowing the similarity and difference will explore more the thinking of the learner for the topic given and will be able to connect ideas easily. Example on how to execute similarity and differences for social studies will be in giving a topic concerning a particular society and let the learners explore their knowledge on how they can arrive to the similarity and difference of that topic. For the case of the societies before and nowadays, how can they build ideas by expanding their opinions in evaluating the scenarios occurred? Let the learners present all their ideas focusing on the topic then organize them by distinguishing the similar and difference. Thoughts that learners already know will serve as patter for them for create much higher thinking by knowing what they already know to that given topic. Integration of ideas through identifying similarity and difference will be an effective way to learn more in given topic and a good way to increase knowledge. Uses of realistic diagram such as images in comparing will also be effective to better analyze the particular situations and make it easier, this was the new approach on how learners express their ideas in creative manner. Reference: Focus on Effective Research Based Strategies, Retrieved August 16, 2007, http://www. netc. org/focus/strategies/them. php.

Cancer Stem Cells: Properties, Concepts and Models

Cancer Stem Cells: Properties, Concepts and Models Tumours are made up of a heterogeneous population of cells which are distinct in terms of their differentiation competencies, proliferative capabilities as well as functional properties. [A] The mechanisms responsible for such heterogeneity are the subject of research, and two models have been put forth in order to explain the phenomenon – Cancer stem cells (CSCs) and clonal evolution. [A] Cancer stem cells are a subset of the total population of cells in a tumour that have the ability to undergo self-renewal, as well as to differentiate into the different types of cells that comprise the tumour. [A] These CSCs are said to be responsible for tumorigenesis as well as for driving tumour growth. [U] Evidence supporting the existence of cancer stem cells Differences in clonogenicity among cancer cells were first documented in cases of leukaemia and multiple myeloma. It was found that 0.01 – 1% of the cells were capable of extensive proliferation, and able to establish colonies when grown in vitro (Park, C. H., Bergsagel, D. E. McCulloch, E. A. Mouse myeloma tumor stem cells: a primary cell culture assay. J. Natl Cancer Inst. 46, 411–422 (1971). Two possible explanations existed for this – either leukemic cells had a low overall capacity for proliferation, or only a definite subset of these cells were clonogenic. In 1994, John Dick and his group of researchers carried out a landmark study where CSCs were isolated from a mouse model that had been transplanted with human AML cells. [Z15] This was the first conclusive evidence for the existence of a subset of the leukaemia cells that were highly clonogenic, in comparison to the remaining cancer cells. It was later observed that a similar condition exists in the case of solid tumours, where only a small subset of the total cell population is tumorigenic. [G] Origins of cancer stem cells Several contradictory theories exist regarding the cellular origins of cancer stem cells. Some state that these cells are derived from normal stem cells that have acquired oncogenic mutations [G], others refute this with the claim that cancer stem cells can arise from a committed progenitor cell that has acquired the properties of a stem-cell during its cancerous transformation [Z1], while yet others suggest that these cells could arise as a result of a fusion event between a stem cell and a tumour cell. [N] The idea that cancers could arise from normal stem cells is highly plausible because not only do they continuously undergo divisions, but they are also long lived, allowing them to accumulate multiple mutations, as is required for a cancerous transformation. [B] Apart from the accumulation of mutations, the interaction of a cell with its local microenvironment also influences the tumorigenic process. Mouse leukaemia models have been able to provide evidence that given suitable niche conditions, a progenitor cell is capable of de-differentiating to form a CSC. [V] However, since most progenitor and mature cells have a relatively short life-span, it seems unlikely that will be able to acquire the oncogenic mutations required to render them tumorigenic. [I] Despite these explanations, the exact origin of most tumours and cancer stem cells remains unknown, and can only be speculated based on experimental findings. [A] Additionally, irrespective of the origin, the identification and isolation of CSCs in a tumour indicates that there exists a functional hierarchy exists within the tumour tissue. [L] Properties of cancer stem cells These cells can undergo symmetric as well as asymmetric divisions, which results in the expansion of the cancer stem cell population itself, as well as an increase in the number of differentiated cells that constitute the bulk of the tumour. [Z1] THE CANCER STEM CELL MODEL As previously mentioned, two models have been put forth to explain the heterogeneity of a tumour cell population. The first model is the CSC model, also known as the hierarchical model, which states that within a tumour, there exist different classes of cells and that the CSCs represent a biologically distinct subpopulation of cells that are capable of propagating the tumour. [C] It suggests that the characteristics of the cells within the tumour are intrinsically determined and therefore only certain cells possess the ability to undergo extensive proliferation to initiate tumour formation, these cells are called the CSCs; while the remaining cells are incapable of tumorigenisis. According to the CSC model, although most cancers arise from a group of cells that are genetically monoclonal in nature, the high level of tumour heterogeneity is a result of the interaction between cells that are in different states of differentiation after have initiated from a common precursor. [Z12] Evidence supporting this hypothesis emerges from the observation that though tumours may initially respond well to chemotherapy, there is often a case of relapse; which could occur due to the CSCs that persist post-treatment and are then able to re-initiate tumour formation. [Z13] There are, however, limitations to the CSC model; the first being that all studies that support it have only addressed the potential of the cells to proliferate and give rise to tumours, but not the actual fate. [D] Since the conditions applied to test the tumorigenic potential of these cells may vary considerably from the conditions experienced by the cells in vivo, we do not know which of these cells actually contribute to the establishment and growth of the primary tumour. It is also noteworthy that it has been found that if the population of cancer cells acquires an immense number of mutations and aberrations, then almost all of them begin to show stem-like properties. [C] In such a case, the CSC model becomes irrelevant. On the other hand, the stochastic model states that cells in a tumour are biologically equivalent, and that each cell has the ability to act as a CSC, given the right circumstances. A combination of intrinsic and extrinsic influences is said to determine the proliferative capacity and the ultimate fate of a cell. [C] Behaviour of a cell is therefore not pre-determined by intrinsic characters alone and tumour initiating cells cannot be enriched. It is however likely for both these paradigms to be observed in vivo, in different cancers. Some cancers may follow the CSC model, while others may not. Based on transplantation studies in mice, it has been found that only in a fraction of cases, does AML follow the CSC model while in others there is no evidence for the existence of a highly tumorigenic sub-population of cells that continue to display CSC activity upon serial propagation. [F] Therefore, although CSCs may be responsible for driving the growth of a majority of tumours and cancers, there are studies which indicate that certain malignancies may be sustained primarily by the bulk of the tumour cells. [F] IDENTIFICATION AND ISOLATION OF CANCER STEM CELLS Cancer stem cell assays Purification and enrichment techniques CSC markers CSCs in various cancers HETEROGENEITY IN CANCER STEM CELL POPULATIONS Based on the study of the CSC model, the question arises as to whether similar hierarchical subpopulations of tumorigenic and non-tumorigenic are observed in patients suffering from the same type of cancer; and whether these tumorigenic CSCs can be isolated based on conserved cell- surface markers. However it has been found that there are often phenotypic differences in CSCs even within the same cancer sub-type. [E] For example, though it has been found that the CD44+/CD24- population of breast cancer cells are generally tumorigenic, this is not universally the case and in certain cases, it has been found that cells of diverse phenotypes are able to act as CSCs. (Al-Hajj, M., Wicha, M.S., Benito-Hernandez, A., Morrison, S.J., and Clarke, M.F. (2003). Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 100, 3983–3988.) Similarly, in gliomas CD133 expression is not always associated with CSCs, and in certain instances CD133- cells have also been found to be tumorigenic. (Beier, D. et al. CD133+ and CD133– glioblastoma derived cancer stem cells show differential growth characteristics and molecular profiles. Cancer Res. 67, 4010–4015 (2007). Apart from the phenotype, the frequency of CSCs in a solid tumour or population of cancer cells is also variable. In melanomas, CSCs constitute anything between 1.6 to 20% of the total cells, while in the case of colorectal carcinomas, they represent between 1.8 to 24.5% of the cells. [A] Additionally, in general, the percentage of CSCs in solid tumours has been found to be significantly higher than the percentage of leukemic stem cells. [Z15] This heterogeneity has implications on the prognosis of the disease as well as the outcomes of various therapeutic interventions. It is envisioned that with the identification of more refined markers and improved methods for determination of CSC frequency, we may eventually be able to correlate the percentage of CSCs with the tumour grade and the outcome. [A]

Operations Management Assignment Concept Design Services

Operations Management Assignment Concept Design Services Concept Design Services (CDS), Linda Fleet, marketing director of CDS is working with design house, providing end-to-end product design, manufacturing and high-quality designer goods distribution integrated service provider. All three types of operations management responsibilities have been working, the implementation of CDS which helps them succeed. Direct responsibility, is directly related to the service and delivery of products and production activities. Before that, they used to do industrial moldings as aerospace and some cheap household goods. According to Linda fleet management, they found that they could also become one of the main advantages of high produce profitable business. They all went to the companys customer service, so retain revenue customers and win new customers the ability to contribute. Indirect responsibility is involved in activities with other parts of the CDS interact. However, CDS new products need more complex mechanical and longer working hours. As the company grows, enlarged the demand for their products, operations management is to achieve time efficiency is very important. This is crucial, because it makes the right production plan through coordination between sales, manufacturing activities and design. Promote the companys costs, so if effectively managed, can reduce the cost of the entire enterprise. Broad responsibilities involve scanning is a political environment, social and business in which the existence of the organization is to understand the broader context of its mission. In its production process and the complexity of delivering services require good management, if they are to meet their customers needs time to succeed. Through proper operation and management, stock appeared greatly accurately forecast sales lead to lower delivery costs reduced. If managed properly, could damage the product and customer traffic adversely affect the companys reputation. In any case, the role of operations management can be highlighted by achieving business goals. Minimize costs, maximize revenue and avoid excessive investment, and the development of future innovation capacity. Operating performance objective is to ensure the proper operation of resource allocation, there are performance necessary to monitor, review the operation and record. A solution role in this process is the performance that relates to the internal and external factors that are associated with the appropriate measures to identify administrative competitiveness. This enables organizations to describe performance goals to measure its results of operations of the five basic operations are performance objective are quality, speed, reliability, flexibility and cost. Quality is very important in our list of performance objective, as many authorities believe it is the most important. The meaning of quality is a service and product, as it should be. In other words, it is consistent with its specification. CDS external influences customers complain less, this will make it easier for customers and good quality satisfaction. This brings more revenue CDS. If the CDS high quality consistency for all business processes and activities will progress is being made very few mistakes. This usually means that, CDS costs are saved, and increased reliability of the response speed increases. Speed is saying responsiveness of speed shorthand. This means that the external or internal customer requests a product or service, and they get it to the interval. CDS external speed is important, because it helps to quickly respond to customers. This is usually a positive consumer will be more prospective to return with more business observation. Sometimes it is possible to charge a higher price when the service is fast. Have a great impact on the speed of the internal relationship between cost reduction will mean faster throughput customers reduce costs. When the material system in the long hang around, as well as more opportunities for them to get lost. Dependability refers to the time customers receive their products or services on. External Dependability is generally considered a good thing by the customer. Of course, late delivery of goods and services can be considerable stimulus customers. CDS can guarantee its sustainability and success is also equipped with an increase in customers provide more opportunities for companies and of brands CDS return. CDS internal reliability is to save time, save money directly and through a CDS stability to enable it to improve its efficiency. Flexibility always means to change the operation in some way. Flexibility subdivided into different types of products or services flexibility , delivery flexibility, mix flexibility, volume flexibility. For external flexibility to benefit CDS, CDS they can let consumers to customize their new product or service and they want to deliver by the CDS. It also allows CDS to make a huge number of products or services in order to reduce costs. (Slack, 2007). It allows the internal impact of CDS, to meet our customers faster response in dealing maintain the reliability of the change based on market demand and contribute to the provision of goods and CDS save time and money. First, the cost structure of different company can vary significantly. Note how the costs of different types of four different examples. Second, and most important, the other four performance objective are caused by internal, to reduce costs. CDS must manage their own products, a large number of products produced. It can save more costs, it can make more profit. Price is very important for each customer. If cheap, you can get good quality products, every customer will buy as much as they can. Volume: It is considered high. While this case study does not specify the amount of production, it can be inferred yield. Another sign of mass production is, CDS from its key line subcontract to other mounding company, so they can focus on producing its own concept. Variety: It considers the reasons for the high cause CDS market is a highly competitive, innovative design which determines the corporate life. CDSs capacity of develop products that are stylish, and its adaptability to change, because change is the key to the fashion business survival. Change: It also believes that the reasons for the high variety, CDS is forced to continue to produce innovative design, will retain their customers are interested in, and therefore maintain a high demand for the same reason. Visibility: You can consider is the high and low. When there is the visible part of the operation of final product I do not think theyll like this better if they insist they know best plastic molding, specializing in it, which makes standardized speed up production processes and reduce their unit costs. In operation, I believe that if they separate from other business cooperation activities, but mainly decided to do or from a central executive body, it works to their advantage. This is because, through the provision of priority, designers, which caused delays and friction within the company as well as to customers waiting. For the CDS must also improve their business, they need to develop a more accurate and reliable sales forecasts in order to achieve : higher utilization , better customer service and cost savings. Provide cross-training between designers and marketing departments in order to improve sales forecasting additional activities can be carried out. From product testing to scheduling and forecasting work closely with all aspects of those unit costs will be reduced, because the waste reduction will be minimal, and provide feedback to the designer. This will let them know what the feedback of marketing products out there getting greetings, EM brass and what is and what is not. The company seems to be more and more clients from a narrow El has been re -based accounts, which is why the separation operation, so that more concentration should be placed on them to ensure they select and hire guaranteed, and tell them they are a priority for some can easily change their states that its operation is visible, but not to their satisfaction. As for the other part of the normal activities of daily orders and can be set to meet the flexibility and scope of these commands so that you can request from that seems to take longer, so deal with a wider range of color variations speeding customers who may not have weighty order to allow both types of client needs treatment.

How Lomax and Fellow Prisoners are Treated Essay -- Prison Alan Lomax

How Lomax and Fellow Prisoners are Treated In this essay I will be looking at ways in which Lomax conveys how he and his fellow prisoners are treated here in this passage from the book. To show evidence of this I will select quotes which show choices of form, style, vocabulary and narrative viewpoint. Overall I aim to highlight the ways in which the attitudes and values are conveyed to the reader. Lomax Perfectly describes his transition from a P.O.W camp to Outram Gail. 'What our captors were in fact doing was consigning us to a lower circle of hell'. This extremely poignant statement shows use of imagery in a way that stands out to the reader. He uses 'lower circle of hell', which is a simile to emphasize the absurdity of prisoners being sent to Gail. Lomax goes on to describe the horrible neglect that prisoners of Outram road were experiencing. 'This was a place in which the living were turned into ghosts, starved, diseased creatures wasted down to their skeletal outlines'. Like the first quote this is Lomax being very graphic, morbid about what he has witn...

Act 2 Scenes 8-10 Essay -- Aboriginals Moore River Australia Essays

Act 2 Scenes 8-10 The scene starts at superintendent’s office at Moore river Native settlement, the date set 10 April 1933. It represents an institution of white power-a place of forced confinement and conformity. The importance of the construction of this place is to give a medium for the Aboriginals to resist such conformity, as demonstrated by Joe and Mary escaping from white control. It reinforces the theme of the play –‘the refusal of aboriginal people to submit to the ways of European invaders’ The 1930’s represented two major political turning points of Western Australia. Firstly, the loss of the James Mitchell’s seat as the premier of Northam to the labor government epitomises changing white attitudes by electing a fairer government system. In previous scenes, Mitchell’s desperate attempt to win the election by sending the Aboriginals to Moore River as an act of racial segregation reflects his inequality and exploitation of his political hegemony. The second political concern at this historical point was the success of the secession referendum vote. This secession of the 1930’s was led by the organisation Dominion League of Western Australia and in success of secession, Western Australia would break away from federation and the rule of the Commonwealth of Australia, therefore having dominion status similar to that of New Zealand. Despite the favoured votes for the secession referendum, by 1935 the proposition to Parliament was denied and WA still remained pa...

A Streetcar Named Desire

Williams also reinforces his implied themes with many motifs and symbols, such as music, drunkenness, and bathing. Towards the end of scene three, Blanche turns on the radio and â€Å"waltzes to the music with romantic gestures [while Mitch imitates] like a dancing bear† (57). Because Blanche is accustomed to her insanity, which is represented by the Varsouviana Polka, she is able to move along with the music fine while Mitch, who is accustomed to reality (and has primitive traits), is unable to gracefully match Blanche’s movements and grace. Not only does the Polka music represent Blanche’s descent into insanity, but also tends to appear at moments when she is in a state of panic. Secondly, drunkenness is a major symbol throughout the play. Stanley states that â€Å"[one thing that] belongs on a poker table [is] whiskey† while Blanche lies and says â€Å"[she isn’t] accustomed to having more than one drink† (54). Stanley and the men seem to drink for social reasons, and they sometimes end up becoming violent or barbaric. Blanche, however, seems to drink in an almost anti-social manner while keeping it a secret, and the results of her drunkenness usually end up causing her to deceive herself. Although the author never states the illness that Blanche is eventually diagnosed with, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a guide used by modern day psychologists to classify types of mental disorders, would classify her as a paranoid schizophrenic. In addition to music and drunkenness, bathing also is an important symbol that is implanted into the play, which is evident when Stanley becomes violent and his friends bath him with â€Å"the water . . on full tilt [and later] comes out of the bathroom [and] breaks into sobs† (59). Because he was violent (and drunk), Stanley’s friends cleanse him of his bad actions with water. He then comes out of the bathroom afterwards and feels regretful, calling out to his love and wanting to be forgiven. Throughout the history of the world and its culture, men and women have had gender-based roles in society which usually portrays men as being primitive and lacking emotion while portraying women as being more delicate and fragile. Such depictions can be seen in a work of Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire, which is based on a woman’s false beliefs that slowly lead her into a descent of insanity. Throughout scene three, many subtle cues embedded into Tennessee’s work, which include lighting, stage directions, colors and more are used to help portray the traits of certain characters and especially Blanche Du Bois’ inability to overcome reality. In conclusion, Tennessee Williams uses many motifs and symbols in his works of literature, with A Streetcar Named Desire being a very prime example. You can read also  Similarities and Conflicts in † a Streetcar Named Desire† Primitiveness and fantasy’s inability to overcome reality are represented in many things including lighting, music, colors, drinking, and even bathing. Tennessee Williams uses setting, lighting, and costumes to reinforce theme by describing the setting and events in the rawest and most articulate manner, which gives readers a detailed and symbolic image of the content in scene three including the primitiveness of men and fantasy’s inability to overcome reality. When the author first describes the setting, he states that the men are â€Å"at the peak of their physical manhood, as coarse and direct and powerful as the primary colors† (45). Because the men are very up-front and â€Å"coarse,† Tennessee reinforces the theme of the primitive and the primal by describing the physique and status of the men at the poker table. He also compares them to the primary colors, which helps back up the description of their rawness and vigor. Secondly, Tennessee Williams uses lighting to help give the readers more insight on the novel. For example, when Mitch and Blanche are together in the room, she tells him to â€Å"put [the new lamp shade she just bought] over [a] light bulb† (55). Although Blanche lets many people see her in daylight, she only allows Mitch to see her in dimly-lit areas and even lies to him about many things including her age because she likes him and doesn’t want him to discover her slowly fading beauty. The theme being inferred here, fantasy’s inability to overcome reality, is also represented by Blanche’s past haunting her due to the death of her husband, the loss of her Old Southern family estate, and her dismissal from work due to an improper affair with a student. Lastly, the themes of both the primitive/primal and Blanches inability to overcome reality are represented in the author’s choice of costume assignment, which is evident when Blanche is dressing and â€Å"stands in her pink silk brassiere and white skirt in the light through the portieres† (51). Unlike the men in the novel, who are portrayed in colors that are raw and primary, the absence of primitiveness is shown in the many descriptions of Blanche’s pastel-colored clothing. The silhouette that also appears as Blanche stands in the light of the portieres also helps create the foundation of Blanche’s fantasy world (the darkness of the silhouette) that is enclosed and trapped by reality (the light around her). A Streetcar Named Desire A Streetcar Named Desire is one of the most famous and noted plays in American history. The play was written by Tennessee Williams and won him the 1948 Pulitzer Prize for Drama (Spoto, 1997).The main characters of the story, Blanche DuBois, Stanley Kowalski and Stella Kowalski represent the social and personal conflicts of post-war American society. One of the most interesting elements in the play that contributed to the success of the play is the manner by which each of the character’s perspectives and illusions are used to bring insight to the reality.Naturalism was depicted in the play by incorporating existing social conditions, language and through references to events, personalities and issues. This is evident in the backgrounds and demeanors of characters and in the manner of their interactions. Another factor that represents naturalist elements to the play is the use of developing sciences and issues into the story such as Stella’s nervous condition, Stanleyâ₠¬â„¢s involvement with the growing violence and vice of the city and   Blanche's rape and nervous breakdown.Another use of naturalism in the play is seen in the lack of dramatic role reversals among the characters and instead the characters are portrayed as individuals simply with lives that can go beyond their ability to control (Williams & Miller, 2004).Another factor that has contributed to the appeal of the play was because of the ease of reference with audience. The main reason for this is the realism of the characters. Blanche’s situation of having to leave the South was a common to the era as economics became an issue in the region. Stella represented common issues regarding rights and independence being raised for women.Stanley represented the stiff challenges of the city which requires aggressiveness and dominance. Though the characters are representations of social segments, Williams gave them their individual idiosyncrasies and vulnerabilities which made persons to the audience.ReferencesSpoto, Donald (1997). The Kindness of Strangers: The Life of Tennessee Williams. Chicago: Da Capo PublishingWilliams, Tennessee and Miller, Arthur (2004). A Streetcar Named Desire. New York: New Directions Publishing Corporation.  

Hershey Foods Corporation Essay

Suggested Discussion Questions: 3. Based on your valuation of HFC, do you feel it was fairly valued by the market before the announcement of the sale? Are the Nestle–Cadbury Schweppes and Wrigley bids fair to their own shareholders (i.e., what needs to happen in order for these bids to create value for the bidding companies)? I think that Hershey’s Foods Corporation was fairly valued by the market before the announcement of the sale. I think that many of the shareholders were not happy with the selling because it tied into the community. I think the shareholders knew that it was a good idea because they would make more money and be able to diversify the company from their sale. I do not think that Nestle-Cadbury Scweppes and Wrigley bids are fare to their shareholders because I do not think that they are getting as much say as they should within the company. In order for these bids to create more value for the bidding companies I believe the company needs to diversify. I think their best option would be stock repurchase. This would allow the to have less stocks outstanding and make the company more profitable. Final Case Exam Questions: 1. What is the nature of Wrigley’s business? Is this a healthy, growing company? What would a major recapitalization of Wrigley signal to investors? (15 points) 2. What will be the effect of issuing $3 billion in new debt and using the proceeds to repurchase shares on:(a)Wrigley’s market value per share? (15points) (b)Wrigley’s number of outstanding shares (15 points)? (c)Wrigley’s book value and market value of equity (15 points)? 3. Would book value and market value weights change as a result of the recapitalization? (10 points) 4. What is Wrigley’s WACC before the repurchase? (15 points) 5. What will be the new WACC if the repurchase is undertaken? (15 points)

Establishing Special Courts Catering to Human Trafficking Cases Essay

Last 2012, Ms. Joy Ngozi Ezeilo, an envoy from the United Nations visited the Philippines to observe the situation of human trafficking in the country. Ms. Ezeilo stated that â€Å"the Philippines is undoubtedly a source country for human trafficking, and the problem is not declining. † One of the solutions she proposed to address the problem were special courts catering to human trafficking cases. (Reyes, 2012. ) Human trafficking thrives in poverty & lack of education, which are the main catalysts for individuals to be ushered into trafficking. (â€Å"An introduction to Human Trafficking†, 2008. These are some of the problems the government is facing, and the two are very interconnected because they are the cause and effects of each other. Poverty leads to lack of education, and lack of education leads to poverty. The government is doing what they can to help minimize the issue, but they admit that it would take some time. (Sisante, 2008. ) Education is a way to combat trafficking, due to the fact that education leads to decent employment, and a well-informed individual would be more aware of the dangers of being trafficked, thus preventing it to happen in his/her life. However, ideal this may sound, it is not possible to solve poverty and lack of education in a snap. There has to be other solutions to consider that could be done now and would have a great impact. The establishment of special courts tackling specifically human trafficking-oriented cases is a practical solution that would greatly expedite the process of punishing human traffickers and by extension greatly reduce the number of cases of human trafficking in the Philippines, helping alleviate its social, economic, and political consequences. Before special courts as a solution is to be discussed any further, it is important to define what a special court is. Specialized courts are defined by the International Journal for Court Administration as â€Å"tribunals of narrowly focused jurisdiction to which all cases that fall within that jurisdiction are routed. † (Zimmer, 2009) The following paragraphs are going to discuss the counterarguments against special courts, and would be briefly refuted before the three main arguments in favor of special courts are presented. The opposition may claim special courts as an unnecessary expenditure and inaccessible. They claim that it is unnecessary because the creation of new courts is onerous and constitutes unnecessary expenditures, particularly if cases are seasonal, and funds could go to waste if it remains idle. (Zimmer, 2009. ) The creation of a court would automatically imply expenditures. The court has to pay for the administrative costs, the physical court, and other expenses needed to assist the victims, like court psychiatrists. It would also require effort on the judiciary, and the Supreme Court, due to the fact that special courts have to be set-up with care in order for its potential in eliminating cases to be maximized. Zimmer, 2009) However, funding is not a strong argument, because the government has money. It is the proper allocation of the funds, or budgeting that is in question. The government has established special courts for environmental cases in 2008, 117 to be exact. (Salaveirra, 2008) If the government has placed effort enough to set up courts to save the environment, shouldn’t it be a priority to set up courts to fight for human trafficking victims, who have been robbed of their rights? Human rights should always be kept in the priority list of the government. Recently, it has been reported that the government is funding the Department of Health with 500 million pesos for contraceptives for the year 2013. One of their aims was to ‘combat poverty’. (Fernandez, 2012. ) This shows that the government tries to prioritize the poor, however it just shows that they haven’t thought of more practical ways to combat poverty, without being morally questionable, and without robbing humans the right to life. Chief Justice Puno stated that preservation of human rights and the right to life should be considered more than the financial burden a special court entails. Rempillo, 2007. ) This is what the special court for human trafficking should be for, to fight for rights. A $1. 5 million budget or almost ? 65 million is allotted by the national government to support operations against human trafficking, prosecution of offenders, and for the protection of the public. (IACAT, 2012. ) The special courts would allow this budget to be maximized to its full potential in expediting human trafficking cases. Public access could also be limited. Some judges prefer not to be in a special court setting because it limits their trials to criminal cases. Bakker, 1997) Public access may also be limited due to the fact that you cannot establish it everywhere, and the judges are most likely to stay in their respective courts. If public access is considered a problem, then strategically locating these physical courts would be the solution. To place special courts in accessible areas in which the cases are numerous could actually help the victims to easily access justice. Some judges may not want to be in a special court setting because it limits their trials to specific criminal cases. (Bakker, 1997. However, this could turn into an advantage because if they keep seeing the same class of cases over and over again, they could render out decisions faster and more efficiently, due to a better understanding of the cases that they deal with. (Zimmer, 2009. ) There are three solutions to human trafficking: prosecution, prevention, and protection. (EHTN, n. d. ) The establishment of special courts would aid in prosecution, due to the speedy justice it serves, prevention, since it is an effective deterrent for criminals involved, and protection, due to its aims in protecting the victims, and the witnesses during the timeframe of the case. The following paragraphs would elaborate more on why special courts should be established. Firstly, special courts would aid in prosecution and are practical. This is supported by the prevalence of human trafficking, the poor enforcement of justice, specifically in human trafficking cases, the need to distinguish human trafficking as a family of cases that should be differentiated from labor contract violations, the legal precedents such as previous special courts set-up for heinous crimes, and the successful implementation of human trafficking courts in other nations. Human trafficking is a serious issue in the Philippines. As pointed out by the UN envoy Ezeilo, the Philippines is a source country for human trafficking. (Reyes, 2012. ) This is due to the fact that when Filipinos go abroad for work opportunities, they get vulnerable to recruitment by fraudulent recruitment agencies. Internal trafficking is also a serious issue because forced labor, prostitution, child labor, and other forms of trafficking are victimizing people who are moving from rural areas to urban centers. [para, US Department of State, 2011 as cited by (â€Å"Human Trafficking in East Asia & Pacific.. , n. d. )] The rise of human trafficking cases in the Philippines, particularly in the Visayas region, is 97% in 2012, in comparison to the cases filed in 2010. There were 436 human trafficking victims in Central Visayas alone. (â€Å"State prosecutors see increase.. †, 2012) Another alarming detail is the prevalence of child labor. There has been an estimation of more than 2. 2 million working children aged 15-17 in the country. (US Department of State, 2011. as cited by (â€Å"Human Trafficking in East Asia & Pacific.. †, n. d. It is also believed that 60,000-100,000 Filipino children are involved in prostitution rings. (Challenger, 2010. ) The previous information stated imply that there are thousands of potential cases to be filed, and special courts would help in fast-tracking the cases to avoid backlog, and to insure fair and speedy justice. The government has fallen short in the enforcement of justice in dealing with human trafficking cases. There were 680 pending or ongoing cases, and an additional 129 cases pending at the Department of Justice during the year 2012. â€Å"Trafficking in Persons.. †, 2012. ) This shows a huge amount of backlog and ongoing cases, which shows the prevalence of the cases, and the lack of efficiency on the part of the judiciary when it comes to dealing with human trafficking cases. In the Philippines, it takes three to four years to conclude human trafficking cases, which supports the previous statement about the inefficiency of the judiciary. Human trafficking is a family of cases. It is an organized criminal activity in which human beings are treated as possessions to be controlled and exploited. Forms of human trafficking include sex trafficking, forced labor, child labor, selling of organs, and recruitment of children in military work, are forms of human trafficking. (â€Å"Human Trafficking: Organized Crime.. †, 2012) These crimes (except for the selling of organs) are usually confused with labor contract violations, in which the special court would come in handy. In 2012, there have only been two out of twenty-nine traffickers convicted for labor exploitation, showing that the judiciary is not paying enough attention to it. â€Å"Trafficking in Persons†¦ †, 2012. );(Reyes, 2012. ) The special court would help differentiate the two, and allow the human trafficking cases to be dealt with properly. (â€Å"Trafficking in Persons†¦ †, 2012) Expertise and uniformity are traits of special courts, and could be put to good use so that there is consistency in applying the law. The expertise of judges in specialized courts are likely to produce better decisions in the respective cases and are less likely to generate appeals to be taken. (Zimmer, 2009. ) The judiciary has established several special courts for other cases, which gives a legal precedent for human trafficking courts. The Administrative circular no. 104-96 from the Supreme Court discusses the establishment of special courts that cater to heinous crimes for speedy and efficient justice. (â€Å"Administrative Circular No. 104-96†, 1996) This document shows that special courts have been done before, so it implies that it can be done again. Environmental courts, extrajudicial killings, and tax courts are some of the examples of special courts established in the Philippines. Representative Mel Senen Sarmiento of the first district of Samar is pushing for the creation of special courts for human trafficking, saying that â€Å"the Philippines is close to Somalia and Myanmar as regards trafficking, merchandising their people like cattle. If congress can create courts for drug traffickers why not a court for human traffickers too? † (Quirante, 2010. ) In other nations such as Dubai and India, special human trafficking courts have been effectively established. Dubai believes that the special human trafficking courts established would speed up cases. Constantine, 2010. ) Meanwhile, the human trafficking court in Mumbai disposed a large backlog of cases in a span of a year, which included 438 cases, and convictions in 81 cases. It also ordered the closure of 11 brothels. (â€Å"US Officials Impressed†, 2011) This proves that it is an effective solution to exercise justice, and to help bring criminals behind bars. A political benefit that the Phili ppines could gain from establishing special courts is the improvement of the nation’s ranking in the United States’ Trafficking in Persons Report. Currently, the nation is ranked in tier 2, which means that the country is making significant efforts to fight human trafficking, but it does not yet meet minimum standards. Why should the nation take an effort in improving our tier ranking? If the nation falls into tier 3, the US would withhold or withdraw non-humanitarian, non-trade-related foreign assistance as a consequence. (â€Å"Tiers: Placement†¦ †, 2011) This is important because not only would the country be able to maintain the implementation of rights, but also maintain good diplomatic relations with the United States. Secondly, special courts would help prevent human trafficking. This is due to the fact that the courts would be an effective deterrent to the criminals involved in the crime. It would lessen the economic advantages and benefits that make the industry appealing to people, and it would help alleviate the economic and political consequences of human trafficking. When the suspects, and people who are interested in getting involved in the industry, see that justice is being enforced, they will eventually act on their fear of being caught and possibly stop in their advances. If not, the possibility of them being caught could possibly increase as society becomes more and more aware of human trafficking, and more confident in filing complaints as they see justice being served. Not only would it put criminals behind bars, but it would also put their name to shame. In the first quarter of 2013, a new law was signed by President Benigno Aquino. Republic Act 10364, the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012, removed the confidentiality provision in the previous law, RA 9208. RA 9208 does not allow the names and circumstances of the victims and the criminal to be made public at any stage of investigation, rescue, prosecution and trial. With the confidentiality clause removed, this allows the public to know the identity of the criminals, so as not to risk being victimized by them. (Punay, 2013. ) With the special court at hand, the criminals would not only be humiliated publicly, but they will be put to justice quickly. Special courts could aid in alleviating the loss of human resources due to trafficking. In human trafficking, the labor force is misused and therefore, is kept from contributing to the nation’s economy that causes the loss of revenue. (â€Å"An introduction to Human Trafficking†, 2008) The labor force should be able to provide for their family and contribute to taxes for the betterment of the nation, but with the potential labor force being exploited in human trafficking, this does not allow them to do so. With putting the criminals behind bars in a more efficient way, it prevents people from being trafficked in the first place. Special courts could also eventually help stop the unlawful distribution of national wealth, and influences markets, political power, and societal relations. (â€Å"An introduction to Human Trafficking†, 2008) Traffickers affect fair competition due to the fact that some companies outsource their productions for a cheaper price, not knowing that trafficked people are used in the factories. Traffickers make 32 billion annually. Not only is it untaxed, but people who actually provided the labor do not gain from this. (â€Å"An Introduction to Human Trafficking†, 2008. ) Special courts would also lessen human trafficking’s political implications due to illegal immigration. Migration policies are tightened because of illegal immigration. Due to these policies, victims are forced to enter other countries illegally, and when they are caught, the may be considered as collaborators which makes the implementation of rights as an issue. (â€Å"An introduction to Human Trafficking†, 2008. ) This could also lead to giving people difficult time in looking for better work opportunities abroad, due to the fact that they could not migrate easily. It benefits people in a way that trafficking could be prevented, but traffickers find other ways to get the victims through the borders. Trafficking victims and smuggled people are different because smuggled people gain their freedom when they reach their destination while trafficked victims are not. (â€Å"An introduction to Human Trafficking†, 2008. ) With the courts established, and the criminals sent behind bars, the opportunity for them to traffic more innocent people in ther nations, where they are subject to human rights violations. It is important to refer to the Mumbai Special court, that was successful in eradicating trafficking in the city to some extent due to the closing of human-trafficking related businesses, and justice being served to the criminals. (â€Å"US Officials Impressed†¦ †, 2011) Lastly, special courts would reintegrate the victim to society faster. Human trafficking, as a grave violation to human rights, has a psychological effect on vic tims. The protection of the victims and the witnesses during the timeframe of the case’s trial is also a vital need required of the law, and without this protection, the timeframe is lengthened. There is also a need to make society realize that the victim was at no fault to push it to accept the victim again. How do these things contribute to faster reintegration of the victim to society? Psychological and medical help is required of the law, and it is the court’s duty to make sure that the victim gets to enjoy these benefits. RA 9208, 2003. ) Most human trafficking victims experience post-traumatic stress, which should be brought into attention so that it could be alleviated, thus helping the victim live a normal life again. (Williamson, Dutch, Clawson, 2012. ) This is due to the victims being drugged or being deprived of their basic needs such as food as â€Å"motivation† to work by their traffickers. (Challenger, 2010. ) It is presumed that the specialized court wou ld assist the victims properly, and according to their needs. (Reyes, 2012. ) Another responsibility of the court is to ensure protection of not only the victim, but also the witness. It is required by the Anti-Trafficking law. (RA 9208, 2003. ) This would insure protection so that both victims and witnesses won’t be afraid to tell the truth. (Reyes, 2012. ) Dubai believes that the special human trafficking court would provide a safe environment for witnesses. (Constantine, 2010. ) Fear suppresses the implementation of justice. Fear of retaliation causes the victims and/or witnessed to withdraw or decline cooperation which leads to a lengthy trial. In 2010, only 3 trafficking cases were assisted by the Department of Justice due to unwillingness of the victims. (US Department of State, 2011. as cited by (â€Å"Human Trafficking in East Asia & Pacific.. †, n. d. ) The less time it takes to conclude the case, the easier it is for the victim to cooperate, because in slow trials, there is a fear of the possibility of the accused party could retaliate and scare off the victim and/or witnesses. In Philippine Special Courts, mandatory continuous trial that should be terminated within 60 days and the decision should be rendered within 30. â€Å"Administrative Circular No. 104-96†, 1996) This timeframe is reasonable enough to allow the court to collect evidences and investigate, and for the judge to study the case well in order to render a fair decision. Special courts, when they implement justice, would help society realize that the victim was not at fault. It would help society accept the victim. In most cases, being traf ficked affects the social stigma of the victim, who is disapproved for returning without promised wealth. Society has the tendency to blame the victim for disgracing his/herself and his/her family due to the fact that they don’t realize that the trafficker is at fault, and not the victim. (â€Å"An introduction to Human Trafficking†, 2008. ) With the special court, it would be made clear that the victim was, indeed a victim, and did not consent to the injustices that he/she suffered. This would also show that the government is, indeed, taking the issue seriously, and will do what they can to make sure that the offenders pay for their crimes. It would also help society become aware of the seriousness of human trafficking as an issue in the country. The establishment of special courts is a good and practical solution that could be immediately applied by the nation. With the implications that the establishment of the special courts is to be well-studied by the judiciary for good implementation, resulting in good, educated decisions in choosing qualified staff, strategic placement of physical courts, then the special court would be maximized in helping towards the eradication of human trafficking.