An Analysis of Uchumi Supermarkets’ Financial Ratios

alysis of Analysis of Analysis of Analysis of Analysis of Analysis of Analysis of Analysis of Financial RatiosFinancial RatiosFinancial RatiosFinancial Ratios Financial Ratios Financial RatiosFinancial RatiosFinancial Ratios Financial Ratios - Uchumi Supermarkets Uchumi Supermarkets Uchumi Supermarkets Uchumi Supermarkets Uchumi Supermarkets Uchumi Supermarkets Uchumi Supermarkets Uchumi Supermarkets Uchumi Supermarkets Uchumi Supermarkets Financial Ratios are relative magnitudes of select numeric items of a company’s financial statements. The assessment of the operating performance of a company is based on five main types of ratios. These are liquidity, gearing or solvency, activity, profitability and investor ratios. Profitability ratios†¦show more content†¦Despite the positive gross profit margin, the negative values in the other ratios indicate a strong inability to cover operating expenses. These ratios should be relatively constant. Retailers generally have lower profit margins than other industries, with food retail averaging 3%margins. The rising competition may 1 Gross Profit Margin GP / Rev 14.42% 16.27% 17.31% 15.40% 16.84% 2 Operating Profit Margin EBIT / Rev -8.13% -2.85% 1.01% 1.90% 6.25% 3 Net Profit Margin PAT / Rev -8.68% -2.29% 0.63% 1.12% 3.92% MBA 8101 Assignment: Financial Ratios - Uchumi Supermarkets 4 force reduction in prices and this would also not auger well with the current margins of the company. Overall, not good. b. Return on Investment Amount of profit relative to the assets employed to produce that profit. The returns to investors have sharply decreased with time. Currently they are negative values. These indicate inability to efficiently apply the resources to generate proportionate wealth. It also suggests difficulty in servicing its debt. Not good. 4 Return on Investment ROI PAT / TA -21.16% -5.95% 1.97% 4.57% 13.39% 5 Return on Equity ROE PAT / TL -21.90% -7.46% 3.10% 8.80% 23.84% 6 Return on Capital Employed ROCE EBIT / ( TE + NCL ) -123.00% -36.60% 8.57% 16.10% 48.76% D. Activity Ratios Efficiency in applying resources/assets. How well assets are used. Usually turnover rations and indicate the benefits produced by specific assets in classes or collectively. The turnover days onShow MoreRelatedFactors That Influence the Capital Structure Decision of the Firm9372 Words   |  38 PagesThe main objective of this study is to ascertain the factors that significantly influence capital structure decisions. The factors tested are: The firm’s age, size, growth, tangibility, profitability, business risk and non-debt tax shield. From my analysis all these factors were found to be significant but at varying levels, with profitability and company growth as the most significant. TABLE OF CONTENTS Declaration ii Acknowledgement iii Abstract iv Table of Contents Read MoreEffect of Corporate Governance on Financial Performance14210 Words   |  57 PagesREVIEW†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 13 2.1 Introduction..†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦....13 2.2 theoretical framework†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..13 2.3 Good corporate governance and operating costs†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.†¦18 2.4 Correlation between good corporate governance and performance ratios†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...20 2.5 Chapter summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 24 3.0 CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLGY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦25 3.1 Introduction †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 25 3.2 Research design†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦25 3.3 Population †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦......Read MoreThe Effects of Ownership Structure, Board Effectiveness and Managerial Discretion on Performance of Listed Companies in Kenya27922 Words   |  112 Pagesthe whole research would have come down crumbling for lack of analytical tools. I also thank Dr. X. N. Iraki for sharing with me his special statistical and analytical skills and insights that have proved exceedingly useful in the course of data analysis. Professor Germano Mwabu, Prof. Winnie Mitula, Dr. Philip Nying’uro, Dr. Otieno Agwanda, Dr. Mwenda Mbatia, Dr. Oriare Nyarwath, Dr. Seth Gor, David Onuong’a, Luther Otieno-Odhiambo and Ambrose Ochieng’ Oloo kept me on my toes to complete the

Social Networking and Pinterest Essay - 602 Words

Pinterest is a website that allows a person to â€Å"pin† picture items online. Instead of emailing it to their selves, bookmarking, or printing the selected item they desire for their own personal ideas, the person could pin them on this website after creating an account where it can be easily saved and accessed. It allows people to pin such as recipes, pictures, crafts, home items or clothing that is much loved. It also allows a person to create their own ideas and pin them to their own pinterest board where friends or other people can view them and repin them to their own board for inspiration. Pinterest has become very popular for start up businesses to promote their ideas to create a bigger clientele nationwide. Also allow businesses to†¦show more content†¦The website has been also used by instructors in education to create a lesson plan to help students use their creative thinking in projects. Pinterest has made significances in southern cuisine, soul food, Lat in favor, dessert, snack bar, and many other cultural food, as well as cultural musician, museums, art galleries, events, education, entertainment, history, medicine, and many other differences around the world. Even though facebook and twitter website have the highest traffic flow, people view pinterest as a website with the higher value of information. Just as their competitors Facebook and Twitter, pinterest has a high access to public interaction through friends, family member, and other groups shared ideas and creativity. The site has reinforced people to view upon cultural differences for society to instantly gratify other points of view and cultural recognition. Pinterest as well as other social networking sites show people how to market directly, share, and socialized. It has developed a positive outcome towards our future using technology. 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Comparison/Contrast Essay Eng101 Free Essays

Name Professor ENG 101 November , 2012 British PSA is the best choice Although both the â€Å"British PSA† and the â€Å"ATT PSA† use the fear of injury and death to discourage texting while driving, the British PSA is more effective than the ATT PSA because it focuses on the details of the injury and death during the accident. Both the British PSA and the ATT PSA show the â€Å"life changing† and â€Å"life ending† consequences that can occur when a person chooses to text while driving. The British PSA shows a deadly multi-car crash that occurs because the texting driver crosses the centerline and hits another car head-on only due to the fact that she and her teenage passengers were distracted by a text message on her cell phone. We will write a custom essay sample on Comparison/Contrast Essay Eng101 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Likewise, the ATT PSA shows several different people whose lives have been destroyed by tragic car accidents (involving injury or death) caused by texting while driving. Both videos show the devastating effects that texting while driving can have on the texting driver and other innocent people, but the â€Å"British PSA† is the more effective video. The ATT PSA shows three separate storylines of people who have been affected by injury and/or death because of texting while driving. The 1st storyline is about a teenage girl who died a year earlier when she was texting while driving. The story has a policeman describing the accident scene and the victim’s family and friends describing their loss. The 2nd storyline is about a teenage boy who killed a man on a bicycle when he was texting while driving. The 3rd storyline shows a mentally and physically disabled young man who became disabled from a car accident in which he was texting while driving. These 3 storylines bring out strong feelings in the audience of compassion for the loved ones, sadness for the injured, and concern that something like this could happen to you or your loved ones. However, this video does not show any details of the actual accident, therefore making it difficult for the viewer to imagine this all came from just a simple text message. In contrast, The â€Å"British PSA† clip uses a dramatic approach by showing the details of a full-fledge highway multi-car accident. The clip shows the terrifying effects of a deadly head-on collision in slow motion. Immediately after the head-on collision, the car with the 3 teenage girls gets broad-sided (T-boned) by a third car travelling at a high rate of speed. It provides a bloody and graphic example of the devastating effects that texting while driving can bring and strives to promote staying off cell phones while operating a vehicle by depicting an event that the audience would never want to live through. Instead of just showing the aftermath or the long term effects of the accident, The â€Å"British PSA† uses an approach to shock the audience and literally scare them from ever wanting to text while driving by showing the injury and death of several people involved. The â€Å"British PSA† is more effective than the â€Å"ATT PSA† because it allows the audience to witness the horrible details of a car accident instead of just hearing about the aftermath several months later. Works Cited ATT Don’t Text While Driving Documentary. (2010). Retrieved November 22, 2012 from http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=DebhWD6ljZs. PSA Texting While Driving U. K. Ad. (2009). Retrieved November 22, 2012 from http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=R0LCmStIw9E. How to cite Comparison/Contrast Essay Eng101, Essay examples

Summit Series free essay sample

Summit Series is a hockey series between Canada and the Soviet Union. It took place during the time of the Cold War when the East and West were fighting to prove who was better. The 1972 Summit Series proved that we are the greatest hockey nation creating great nationalism in Canada despite that it was part of the cold war. It showed that Canada is the greatest hockey nation, the Summit Series brought all the people of Canada together and it took place at a time during the Cold War. These points will be further explained in the following paragraphs. Firstly, the 1972 Summit Series proved that Canada is the greatest hockey nation ever. â€Å"The NHL long regarded itself as the worlds elite, but the overwhelming superiority of the Soviet Union in international amateur play in the 1960s led to a dramatic 1972 summit series between Team Canada (Canadian NHL players) and the Soviet national team,† (Columbia encyclopaedia, sixth edition). We will write a custom essay sample on Summit Series or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This tells us how before the series the Soviet Union was known as the best international team ever. This series came into play to show who was truly better. Canada ended up winning so it turns out that we are a better hockey nation. Here’s a shot. Henderson makes a wild stab for it and falls,† Foster Hewitt breathlessly described. â€Å"Here’s another shot. Right in front. They score!! Henderson has scored for Canada! † (1972summitseries. com). This quote is when Henderson scored the goal that would put them ahead in the final game of the serious and the goal that would make them win the series! This proves that Canada is the greatest hockey nation because they won the series with this goal. â€Å"What that team did, I don’t think there has been a greater feat in sports. It was an unbelievable comeback against a great Russian team. I’ve never seen anything like it,† said Bobby Orr (1972 Summit Series Quotes). This quote came from one of the greatest hockey players of all time, so that makes it very special. Bobby Orr is explaining how the Russians were a very strong team but we took them down in an amazing series. So it tells us that Canada is better because we beat the amazing Soviet Union team. In conclusion, Canada has earned the title of the greatest hockey nation ever. Secondly, this great series created great nationalism between all Canadians in this beautiful country. â€Å"There was no such thing as francophone or a Westerner, or anything else. We were all Canadians. The series brought us all together. It brought an entire country together. It was Canada playing, not team Canada. It was us against them and every Canadian somehow seemed to have a sense of ownership of that team. I guess war is the only thing that could bring a country together like that series did,† said Paul Henderson (1972 Summit Series Quotes). This quote shows us that this series brought every Canadian together. No matter the race or nationality of the person, they all gathered together to support out country in the 1972 Summit Series. Erik Floren says â€Å"During the series, kids and adults skipped school studies and workplace to amass around radios or TVs. Far from a friendly exhibition- the games exploded into war on ice. The sheer intensity galvanized Canadians of all creeds, colour, and both official languages. † (www. 1972summitseries. com) The Summit Series must have been really important to all Canadians because this quote tells us how every Canadian, even if they don like hockey, skipped out on there duties to watch this exciting seven game series. In Canada today, the Summit Series remains a source of much national pride, and is seen by many as a landmark event in Canadian cultural history† (Global Oneness Encyclopaedia II). The 1972 Summit Series meant a lot to all Canadians, and still does. It is still an important part of our past and always will be. For those who were alive at the time when this occurred, they will definitely never forget this amazing series. This series brought Canadian s together like no other event could. Everybody took pride and honour from this victory whether they were hockey fans or not. Lastly, the Summit Series was a part of the Cold War. The Cold War is when the West and East of the world were fighting to prove who was better. A member of the team Canada, Phil Esposito says, â€Å"It was a war, our society vs. theirs† (1972 Summit Series Quotes). He means that it was a war between communism and democracy. Our society is a democratic society, and people over here think that it is better then communism. The Soviet Union is a communist country and they were fighting to show that they were better. â€Å"By the early 1970’s, the Soviet Union was at the peak of its power. The Communist Party remained the sole political force in the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union attempted to assert itself as the world’s dominant superpower† (Cold War (1972-1989): the Collapse of the Soviet Union). The East was starting to become even more powerful and the West didn’t know what to do to stop them. For every time that Russia had a great accomplishment, the U. S or the West would take a step back instead of forward. The Summit Series helped slow down the East on their rise to the top and gave the West a big step on becoming better. It was war and yes, hell for us whether we wanted it or not† (1972 Summit Series Quotes) said Phil Esposito. This means that team Canada could not back out of this series even if they wanted to. It was a big part of the Cold War and meant so much to all the people in the West. So the players basically didn’t have a choice, they had to play and win or else people would have been angry and it would not have turne d out well. This series came alive at a time during the Cold War and helped the West to become the better side of the world. This great hockey serious which took place in 1972, showed the entire world that Canada is the best hockey nation in the world and that no other country can even compare. The 1972 Summit Series also brought every Canadian together, no matter what race, religion, or gender together like no other event or thing could. Lastly, this epic battle took place at the time of the Cold War, when there was a feud between communism and democracy. They were fighting to prove who was better, the East or West. The 1972 Summit Series could possibly be the most defining point in Canadian history and it will never be forgotten.

Ghost Stories Essay Research Paper Ghost stories free essay sample

Ghost Stories Essay, Research Paper Ghost narratives, they have the power to throw us into another universe, taking us to non merely fright for the characters within the novel but for ourselves as the shades seem to follow the reader around hebdomads afterwards. It is the command of description that enslaves our heads as readers. Ghost narratives paint graphic images inside the head as they force us to come face to face with our deepest frights. Imagining ourselves as the chief characters we become a portion of the narrative, seeing, hearing, and experiencing everything that the writer is brave plenty to dig into the darker side of his or her subconscious. The narratives give a sense of flight, by leting the reader to partake on the journey along side the characters, they are given the opportunity to go larger so life, making things they would neer be able to carry through in their mundane life. We will write a custom essay sample on Ghost Stories Essay Research Paper Ghost stories or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They defeat the monster and come out the conquest hero, neer burying the memory of their conflict. Even after the book is done the scenes replay themselves over and over within the reader? s head. They hold such an impact over their reader? s, and that is a true achievement, non all genres of novels can win in such a effort. Now, I want you to sit back in your most comfy chair, draw a cover up around you, and catch a nice, warm cup of chocolate while I tell you one of my favorite shade narratives. Vivian plunked the last of the dusty, composition board boxes down on the wooden floor. She breathed to a great extent as she eventually allowed herself to fall in into the Bourgogne softness of the cushiony chair seated in the far corner of the maestro sleeping room. Thunder tore its manner through the silence of the room. Vivian jumped, she didn? Ts like being entirely in the dark, moldy house, particularly during a boom storm. She remembered when she and her hubby, Jake, had foremost visited the house. It had been the center of summer and after reading an article in the paper about the house, they had made the thrust out to Osgood to see it. They fell in love with the house from the minute they laid their eyes on it. A big bay window looked out over the front lawn, and following to it were French doors taking out to a wrought Fe balcony. A white washed porch encompassed the organic structure of the house, it? s tracks intertwined with ruddy roses that blessed the thick summer air with their sweet olfactory property. It had seemed so welcoming so, Vivian idea to herself as she rose from the chair, tiredly acquiring ready for bed. She pulled one of her hubbies perspiration shirts from one of the many boxes that were spread across the room and set it on. Vivian laughed to herself as she passed by her contemplation in the old-timer amour propre mirror, the shirt hung off of her little frame about making all the manner down to her articulatio genuss, and her long auburn hair was piled untidily upon her caput. Another clang of boom sent her diving childishly to the safety of the male monarch size, four station bed where she pulled the munificent vino coloured eiderdown up over her caput. Jake will be here tomorrow she repeated after she had turned off the visible radiation. He? ll be here tomorrow she kept reassuring herself as she fell into an uneasy slumber. Vivian hadn? t spent a dark off from her hubby since they had been married 18 months ago, the mere idea of him non being beside her haunted her subconscious as she slept. It was dark outside when Vivian awoke, a wash of pale bluish visible radiation cast itself over the sleeping room. Slowly Vivian eased herself out of the heat of the huge bed and made her manner towards the hallway. The hall was indistinctly illuminated with tapers and it seemed to travel on everlastingly, the freshness of gold from the tapers melting as you followed them down into a dark cave. The sound of the tremendous, oak door gap followed by a strong blast of chip, early winter air current sharpened Vivian? s senses as she began to run down the dark hall towards the top of the stairway. ? Jake? ? she called, making the top of the steps. ? Oh Jake, honey, is that you? ? she said running down the steps. When she reached the bottom she let a little suspiration flight as her spirit sank, he wasn? T at that place. I couldn? Ts have merely imagined the whole thing, Vivian idea to herself, person came into the house I heard them. ? Jake? Are you here? ? she yelled stepping into the center of the anteroom, her echo bounce off the empty walls of the house, vibrating inside her caput. The house is excessively quiet Vivian idea to herself as she inched her manner back to the stairway. ? Jake? ? she whispered urgently. She placed her pes quietly onto the first measure, a disgusting slurp arose from under her pes. Instinctively she looked down, her tummy churned as all the coloring material drained from her face. A steady watercourse of blood had made its manner down the steps, it dripped warmly off of each separate measure make fulling the ruby pool on the one below it. Vivian stood frozen unable to believe the seeping mass that was roll uping at her pess. Behind her the heavy wood of the door crashed unfastened sending icy gasts of harsh, acrimonious air current whirling through the house. Not able to command her panic any longer Vivian darted up the stepss, the thickener pools of blood lodging to the undersides of her pess, sprinkling up over her au naturel legs with every measure. Cryings poured down her colorless face as she ascended up the stepss. Turning down the amber hall she collided with a dark, pillar that was barricading the corridor. She had collided with such force that she had been sent winging backwards, set downing in a bent pile about four pess off. Vivian rose distressingly to a sitting place glancing towards the shadowed figure she had hurtled herself into. Slowly, it started to shut in upon her. The figure was a mass of darkness, it draped itself over her, conveying with it the acrid malodor of decay. Slowly the figure bent down until what was left of his face rested merely inches from hers, the odor occupying every pore of her organic structure doing moving ridges of dizzying sickness to turn over through her. The adult males pale face moved with Cascadess of maggots as they fought to get away the deep cavities where his eyes should hold been. They fell onto Vivian? s legs, should could experience them creeping all over her. She tried to travel but found that she couldn? T, a bear-like appreciation had clamped itself around her arm effortlessly keeping her to the land. With his free, frigid manus he started to fondle her cheek, pass overing the cryings off as they fell from her eyes, he moved in closer, opening his chapped oral cavity, a black sludge poured from it, dribbling down over Vivian? s gray perspiration shirt. The figure climbed on top of her, she was powerless to halt it. She was surrounded by the odor of decease, the hungry maggots, and the putrescent black that dripped its cold wetness onto her face. Vivian woke up shouting. Her organic structure trembled with complete and arrant panic, her apparels and eiderdown were soaked with perspiration. The dream had been so existent, she could still experience the biting cold from the adult male? s touch, her anterior nariss still consumed by the smell. Just so she heard a blare of footfalls rushing towards the sleeping room, Her musculuss stiffened and her tummy lurched, the door explosion unfastened. ? Viv? Are you all right? ? Jake raced to the side of his convulsing married woman and gathered her into his weaponries. ? Oh my God, what happened? ? he cupped her face within his custodies and looked into her eyes. ? I? m so glad you? re here. ? she said wrapping her weaponries tightly around his warm organic structure. ? Our first dark off from each other and I have a incubus. I guess it all goes to demo how independent I am. ? she joked, attending her eyes off from her hubby? s worried regard. Jake gently pressed his lips to her brow and smiled, taking her dank manus within his ain and drew her up. ? Come on, I made us some breakfast. ? Vivian clutched on to his manus as they entered the hallway, it looked nil like it had in her dream, it was brilliantly lit with wall lamps leting her to see the really last door at the terminal of the hall. Relief came to her as they reached the inviting odor of bacon in the kitchen. Everything was as it should be, there was no trail of warm, sallow blood dripping its manner steadily down the steps, there were no wintry breezes that stung her organic structure, and there had been no dark figure waiting for her. It was for that fact that she was most thankful. Jake set out the white China home bases heaped with steaming battercakes and scintillating bacon, every bit good as rich, dark cups of java, filled to the lip. Vivian curled her fingers around the warm walls of her mug and sipped at it meagerly as she told Jake about her dream. She sat in a shock, live overing the whole experience, she couldn? t retrieve a clip when she had been so frightened. Jake? s being there helped her to remain strong, he comforted her through the whole thing, reassuring her that it was merely a dream. When she was done he crouched down beside her chair and looked up at her. ? ell I? m here now, and I? m non traveling to allow anything ache you, non even in your dreams. ? Vivian knew that he was stating the truth, he wouldn? t Lashkar-e-Taiba anything ache her, she trusted him with her life. Upstairss in the house a image frame crashed to the floor, spraying it? s sherds of glass clumsily across the wooden floor. ? What was that? ? Vivian had jumped from her chair and now stood cleaving to her hubby? s fleece thorax. ? Don? T concern, it was likely nothing. ? he said as he unhinged her fingers and started for the steps. Still shaken from her dream and non desiring to be left entirely Vivian followed carefully behind his certain, steady stairss. Jake entered their sleeping room go forthing Vivian waiting in the room access. ? Damn it! Ahh, God darn. Viv, you? re non traveling to believe this. ? Vivian entered the room warily. Jake was sitting on the Bourgogne chair nursing a bleeding pes. Blood, Vivian thought as she remembered her dream one time more. she began to run over to where her hubby was sitting? Careful! ? he shouted. ? There? s glass all over the floor. ? Vivian stopped dead and looked about her, a Ag frame with vine like spirals engraved in it lay on the floor, the image inside it was of their nuptials twenty-four hours. They were sitting on a white bench with red roses intermixing into the background of the slowly puting Sun. She was have oning a simple tusk gown with bantam pink flowers embroidered carefully onto the bodice, her hair swept upwards with soft wisps hanging slackly across her cervix. Jake wore the traditional black dinner jacket which complimented his wide shoulders and strong physique that he had been of course blessed with. The Sun danced across his aureate hair giving it a ruddy freshness. That had been the happiest twenty-four hours of her life, now the image lay torn in half on the land. ? Viv, can you travel happen us a broom so we can acquire this all cleaned up? ? Jake asked seeking to conceal the hurting of his firing pes. ? Of class. Are you all right? Desire me to acquire you anything? ? as she drew her attending to the goggling cut in his pes. ? Oh my God, the expressions like it needs stitches. ? she was horrified. ? I don? t even retrieve take outing that image, I? m so regretful baby. ? ? Just what are you apologising for? ? he laughed. ? It? s my ain mistake for bear downing in here without watching where I was traveling, so don? T you even get down to fault yourself. I? ll be all right, you merely travel and happen that broom, approve? ? he forced a smiling, Vivian smiled back and left the room. She ventured out into the hallway, she had run into a storage cupboard the other twenty-four hours while researching the house, she was certain she? d be able to happen something to brush up the glass in at that place. She had reached the cupboard, the boss on the door was ice cold, directing pilomotor reflexs instantly up her arm the 2nd she touched it. Ignoring the little jar of fright that had passed through her she opened the door, the broom was lying in the corner, a dust pan near by. Bending down to pick up the corroding metal of the dust pan Vivian got the sense that she was non entirely, person was watching her she was certain of it. The heavy blaze of eyes was smothering, doing the air around her to thin until she had to heave in deep breaths. Slowly standing up she saw something travel out of the corner of her oculus, a speedy flash of coloring material disrupting the hush of the house for a fleeting 2nd before disappearing into the watching air. Vivian dropped the broom and dust pan, allowing them fall thunderously to the land, as she sprinted down the hallway and into her her hubbies weaponries. ? Viv? What? s incorrect? ? Jake asked gazing down at her on his lap, he stroked the hair back from her face. ? I swear to god something? s in the house. I saw something out in the hallway. It was there and so it merely vanished. ? she cried. ? I feel like I? m losing my head, foremost the incubus and now this, God, what? s incorrect with me? ? she wrapped her weaponries around Jake? s waist and buried herself in his thorax. ? Vivian, look at me. ? she looked up, her eyes were swollen and ruddy with cryings. ? You? re non losing your head, I promise, you? ve merely been under a batch of emphasis recently, with the move and all. Here? s an thought, I? ll clean up this muss and take out the boxes that are left while you rest. ? he rose from the chair, Vivian still in his weaponries. The first measure down on his pes caused him to groan in hurting. ? Oh, Jake your pes, you can? t do all that work, you can hardly even walk. You lie down while I clean the muss, I? thousand mulct now really. ? she said as he plopped her down onto the bed fall ining beside her. ? No you? re not. ? he laughed. ? Expression at yourself you? re trembling. ? Vivian knew that he was non traveling to give in, she hated it when he became obstinate like this and stood up briskly in protest. Her caput spun, the objects in the room became a kalidoscopic fuzz, the sound of Jake? s voice was distant and clouded, everything bled into one another until a drape of black swept in. Vivian awoke an hr subsequently, her caput was thumping and her back felt like person had thrust a knife into it and twisted the blade so that the lesion wouldn? T near. Jake raced to her side, his face was creased with concern. ? Hey you, how are you experiencing? This, ? he said widening his arm to a Eskimo dog, small adult male with white curly hair. ? is Dr. Myles Jeffery, he? s traveling to take a expression at you okay? If you need anything I? ll be merely outside. ? he squeezed her manus tightly, nodded in the way of Dr. Jeffery and left the room, the door snaping shut behind him. Jake paced back and forth outside the door, his head was racing, how could he hold let her make all the unpacking by herself? He knew that she had been under a batch of emphasis. He should hold been at that place for her, non out in Philadelphia wrapping up a concern trade that could hold been managed over the phone. ? I can? t believe how stupid I am! ? he scolded himself, he had neer been so frightened for person in his full life. The hallway grew cold, Jake hugged himself abstractedly, still pacing, the hairs on the dorsum of his cervix stood on terminal as a shadow swept by him. Jake flung himself around, nil was at that place. He laughed, the alone voice danced down the hall and died. The sound of the sleeping room door opening behind him brought Jake back to full attending. Dr. Jeffery was smiling. ? You can see your married woman now, she has something to state you. ? he said in his soft, sort voice. ? I? ll Lashkar-e-Taiba myself out. ? Jake ran into the room, Vivian Saturday on the bed her weaponries folded across her tummy, her face soaked with cryings. When she saw Jake she drew her handle up and rubbed at her eyes. Jake didn? T know what to do of the image he proverb before him and easy inched his manner to the bed, anticipating the worst. Vivian patted the eiderdown beside her and yieldingly he sat down. She took his manus and looked into his eyes and started to shout. ? What is it? ? Jake was couldn? t comprehend the expression on his married woman? s face, he? d neer seen her expression this manner before. ? What did Dr. Jeffery state? ? ? He sa # 8230 ; he said. ? she paused choking back her cryings and smiled. ? We? re traveling to hold a baby. ? she laughed conveying on more moving ridges of cryings. Jake could experience his eyes get downing to well up, as he started to laugh. ? Were holding a babe? ? Vivian nodded as Jake leaned over cupping her face and began to excitedly snog her face once more and once more. ? We? re holding a babe. I can? t believe it. ? he said puting his manus fondly onto her tummy, brushing his pollex across it soothingly. ? Well believe it, in eight months you are traveling to be a pa. ? ? And you, ? he bent down to snog her tummy. ? are traveling to be a mom. ? he kissed her once more and once more, she reached her manus down and pulled him up to snog her oral cavity, the warm weight of his organic structure pressed up against hers. He stopped to draw the naval forcess fleece up over his caput exposing his still tanned tegument, Vivian? s custodies instantly went to touch the bare flesh, while? s Jake? s manus crept it? s manner to the lamp beside the bed. ? I love you. ? he whispered into her ear as he climbed mediate the screens. Vivian Saturday in moonily in the bath bath, allowing the steamy H2O rippling around her organic structure, wheedling her to kip. She looked down at her tummy and patted it gently, everything is so perfect now, she thought to herself. A little splash caught her attending, a little, white worm riggled for life in the peaceable H2O, Vivian? s tummy sank as more and more of the worms splashed disgustingly into the bath. Jumping out of the H2O she wrapped herself in a deep ruddy towel slinking off from the creeping bath. She backed up against the door, seeking to turn the grip but found that it would non stir, cryings welled up inside her eyes as she sank impotently down to the floor. ? Stop, delight stop. ? she whispered as she banged on the door. Why is this go oning to me? She thought. ? Please, merely travel away. ? she pleaded over and over once more. The bath was now overruning with the little, white worms, they poured onto the floor the heap writhing over one another. The dark figure she had seen before passed through the door. Vivian Drew in a deep, staggered breath, the figure took no notice of her, it walked right past her bent signifier into the center of the bathroom. He turned, his pess skiding over the multitudes of maggots and stared right at her. His face was different this clip, his eyes were seeable and his oral cavity didn? t trickle with the black liquid, it drawn and picket, his eyes communicated a deep sorrow, he tilted his caput precariously as he raised a finger to Vivian. He extended his manus, a serpent easy started to gyrate around it, he looked down his eyes make fulling with hatred so looked back up at Vivian. A shrilling noise assaulted her ears as he brutally whipped the serpent against the big, crystal mirror. Vivian? s eyes shot unfastened. She lay in the comfort of Jake? s weaponries, she was safe. She breathed a suspiration of alleviation as she carefully slipped out from under Jake seeking non to aftermath him. Out of the bed she reached for her snow white, terry fabric robe and wrapped it around her chill organic structure. She made her manner down to the kitchen, the clock read eight O? clock, she and Jake must hold slept through the full eventide. She made her manner sleepily to the bench place by the window, outside all that could be seen was the huge array of trees that made up the Osgood forest. Vivian curled up onto the blue checkered shock absorber leaning her caput, resting it against the frame of the window. She stared out the window watching intently as a cardinal landed in the square soft visible radiation from the window, and started to pick the moistness land in hunt of worms. ? I? m coming for you. ? the words rang thorough Vivian? s caput like a fog horn blasting through the deathly silence of a warm summer? s dark. She looked up and screamed, the adult male from her dreams stood four pess from the window. He stared at her, his deep, black eyes didn? t move, they merely peered through the window. I? m dreaming, I have to be woolgathering Vivian idea madly but she knew it was non true. This clip she wasn? T dreaming, there was no flight. She sat gazing at him, excessively petrified to turn away, swearing that if she did he would walk through the window and kill her. The cardinal that she had been watching flew up and perched on his shoulder, without rupturing his eyes from hers he snapped his manus up and flattened the bird, taking the maimed ball of plume? s from his coat and threw it off. The birds still warm blood could be seen on the dark shoulder of his jacket. His manus excessively was stained with the blood, Vivian could see it dribble easy down his arm, he brought it to his oral cavity and licked the ruby juice off. Vivian felt like she was traveling to be sick. He smiled at her. ? Soon. ? the silence spoke to her. ? Hey gorgeous, how long have you been up? ? Vivian broke the hypnotic enchantment that the figure had placed upon her and looked off to see Jake walk into the room. A 2nd subsequently, when she looked back through the window, the adult male was gone. Unable to control her nauseating tummy any longer she sprang up and ran to the bathroom merely outside the doors of the kitchen. When she eventually emerged from the bathroom, 20 proceedingss subsequently, Jake greeted her with a buss and a large bowl of steaming poulet noodle soup. ? I idea that forenoon illness was purely designated to the forenoons. ? ? I saw him Jake. ? Vivian said, gazing in the way of the window. ? He looked right at me, oh my God I was so frightened. ? ? What? Who did you see? ? Jake asked taking the bowl from her custodies puting it carefully on the tabular array before returning to his married woman. ? The adult male from my dream, he? s existent I saw him right outside the window. Oh my Gods Jake I saw him, I watched him kill a central with his bare hand. ? Jake brought her closer to him, seeking to give her at least some comfort, he knew that it wasn? t working but in all honestness he held her stopping point for his ain comfort as good, there was something about the house that frightened him excessively. ? Are you certain it was him? ? ? Of class I? thousand sure. ? ? Okay you stay here while I see if I can happen anything, okay? I? ll be right back, I promise. ? he said and was gone out the door before Vivian had clip to protest. She ran to the kitchen window where she saw Jake stumble about in the cool dark, he stooped down over the organic structure of the little cardinal, looked about himself and so disappeared from sight. A minute subsequently he walked in through the kitchen doors. ? Well I saw the cardinal, hapless thing, but there was no mark of anyone crawling about the house, non one individual footprint. ? he rubbed Vivian? s shoulder? s reassuringly. ? No, of class there were no footmarks. He? s a ghost. ? she said nervelessly non taking her eyes from his for an blink of an eye. At that exact instant the visible radiations began to waver throughout the whole house, both Jake and Vivian looked approximately urgently as the visible radiations flashed on and off above them accompanied by the unmistakable sound of laughter. Six months subsequently Vivian and Jake found themselves loosen uping in their knoll, basking in the warm may sun. There had been no mark of the white faced shadow that had haunted Vivian? s dreams since the dark he had shown himself to her. From that point on everything had merely stopped. The voices, the incubuss, even the unwelcoming air that seemed one time to devour the house had vanished. Vivian was now in her 7th month of gestation and she looked it, her tummy had swollen out so greatly that it looked as if she might detonate any 2nd. Jake easy combed through her hair as they lazily rocked back and Forth. ? What do you believe about the name Bailey? ? Vivian asked. ? For male child or miss? ? ? Either. Hmm, how about this, if it? s a miss we use it as the in-between name and happen a more girlie foremost name, what do you believe? ? ? What about Laura? Yeah, Laura Bailey. I think it has a nice ring to it, wear? T you? ? he went up on his side to look down at his married woman a big childlike smile brushing over his face. ? I think that it? s perfect. ? she said making up to snog Jake? s smooth lips. ? Now what if we have a small male child? I know, Benjamin, Benjamin Alan, do you like that? ? she said seeking for a mark of blessing on Jake? s face. He nodded merrily, utilizing his right leg to gently sway them. ? Well, I don? T know about you but we are ready for dinner. ? Vivian chuckled as she waddled her manner out of the knoll. ? Now that sounds like a good idea. ? Jake sprang up and bounced his manner in through the heavy forepart doors and into the kitchen, keeping the doors and obeisance as Vivian walked through each one. ? You? re so crazy. ? Vivian laughed, slapping his natess. ? Hey, you keep that up and we? ll neer acquire to dinner. ? he said raising her up on to the island in the centre of the room. He kissed he neck tenderly, running his fingers up and down her spinal column in a rhythmic form. ? How about we take this upstairs? ? Vivian breathed into his ear. * * * * * ? Here we go, one two-base hit fudge Brownie sundae, merely as you ordered. ? Jake announced as he entered the sleeping room transporting a wooden attempt in his weaponries. He set it down on the bed and so climbed in beneath the light weight sheets. ? Personally I think that all of our dinners should be like this. ? Vivian leaned her caput against his shoulder. ? Mmm, I agree. ? she said as she placed the first spoonful onto her lingua. ? But cognize what I like even more than this? ? she lifted her caput on an angle to run into his downward regard. ? You, I love being with you. ? she said snoging the tip of his mentum. ? And I you, ? he whispered. ? and I you. ? he lifted a spoonful of the rich cocoa to her lips, she ate it feverishly. They stayed lying in each other? s weaponries until every last bite of the cragged sweet was gone and afterwards, excessively full to travel fell fast asleep. Gregory emerged organize the shadows mutely, his pale face was aglow in the soft visible radiation of the Moon. He inched his manner towards the bed where Vivian and Jake slept, gazing at the synchronised rise and autumn of their organic structures. He stared at them for what could hold been an infinity so floated onto the vino coloured sheets, his organic structure go forthing merely the slightest indent where he lay. He reached out and touched Vivian? s bare back with a long, boney finger, his nail excavation into her flesh go forthing a little cut, ? Tomorrow? he whispered in to her open ear. Vivian stirred in her slumber. Gregory disappeared. ? Oh my God Viv, what happened to your back? ? Jake burst out in the bathroom the following forenoon. ? Did you hit it on something crisp? ? ? No. Why, does it look like I did? ? she said seeking to see it in the mirror. ? What, you didn? T feel that when you did it? Viv it? s a cut, like person cut you with a razor blade. ? he said shocked. ? Let me bind you up O.K. ? Let me cognize if I? m aching you. ? he had retrieved the gauze from the medical specialty cabinet and rapidly began to patch up the infected lesion. ? There all better. ? he kissed the patch. ? Thank you. ? she said. ? You? re my hero. ? she mocked. ? Well, I try. ? he grinned. ? Okay, so Dr. Jeffrey is coming for your cheque up today about seven right? ? Vivian nodded. ? Well so, that leaves us with precisely ten hours to ourselves, sound good? ? ? That sounds astonishing, possibly we could even # 8230 ; ? ? Work on the babys room? ? Jake questioned. ? Am I that predictable? Would you mind? ? she slumped against the counter as she ever did when she was experiencing unsure of herself. ? We can make anything you want to make gorgeous, all you of all time have to make is ask. ? he said, go forthing the washroom. Vivian took one last expression at herself in the mirror, I can? t delay until this is all over with and I can shrivel back down to my normal size she thought to herself as she sighed and left to the babys room. They had painted the room a pale yellow with blue and pink ducks swimming along the lodgers. A lacy cot had been set up within the indenture of the bay window that overlooked the front lawn of the house, a Mobile with violet buffoons danced above it. Already the cupboard was filled with an array of little pulverization smelling apparels, and the manus carved toy thorax brimming with teddy bears and dolls. Vivian smiled, it wouldn? T be long until the room was complete, all that needed to be done could be finished within the twenty-four hours. She was so aroused she could hardly maintain from leaping up and down. Jake and Vivian spent the whole twenty-four hours in there puting everything in merely the right order so that when the babe came place it would be every bit comfy as possible. At five Os? clock they had finished, it was the prototype of flawlessness, they had found a particular topographic point for everything. ? Do you mind if I take a speedy sleep? ? Jake asked, he had been up early that forenoon to settle a concern trade in Japan. The remainder of his company had flown over seas to see the trade to a stopping point while Jake had told them to? hold merriment with out him. ? when Vivian heard this she was so proud of him, he had eventually done it, he? vitamin D said no. ? Of class you can baby. ? she said wrapping her weaponries around his waist as they left the babys room. ? Want me to wake you in an hr for dinner? ? she drummed on his hard tummy. He turned about and kissed her passionately before stepping through the door and out of sight. ? Is that a yes, or a no? ? Vivian laughed, through the door she heard the exultant shriek of? yes. ? and still express joying waddled her manner easy down the stepss to brand dinner. Jake undressed, set on his waiting bathrobe and climbed under the beckoning head coverings of covers on the bed. He lay his caput down on the feathery pillow and closed his eyes. Jake had been lying at that place for seven proceedingss when he heard motion within the room, a few minutes subsequently and he felt a little weight articulation him in the bed. ? Supper done already? ? he asked sleepily as he opened his eyes to splinters and rolled over onto his side to look at his married woman, Jake froze in panic, in Vivian? s topographic point lay a picket faced adult male in his early mid-thirtiess his eyes solemn pools of black that were fixed un-moving into his ain. Jake scrambled up off the bed falling onto the unsympathetic, wooden floor with a thump. He crammed himself up against the wall, seeking to happen protection within it. Oh *censored* , he thought out loud, it was the adult male from Vivian? s incubuss, what the snake pit was he traveling to make? He glanced back towards the bed, the figure had vanished. Relieved Jake rose to his pess and collapsed into the wall resting his brow on the thenar of his manus he exhaled easy. An icy, cold appreciation shooting out all of a sudden and enclosed around Jake? s cervix, raising him two pess into the air. His eyes bulged from their sockets, Gregory looked maliciously up at Jake, a smirk passing over his blackened lips as he tightened his clasp, cutting off all Jake? s air manner. Jake? s pess lashed out against what should hold been his aggressor? s legs but there was nil at that place, he gasped for what small breath he attained, toads like gurgles bubbling up in his pharynx. As Jake? s battle weakened the manus loosened and brought Jake down so that his pess could grate against the wood of the floor as Gregory leaned over puting his oral cavity over Jake? s. ? Hey baby, are you up? Dinner? s ready. ? Vivian chirped as she entered the chilled sleeping room, the door swung shut behind her. The lone visible radiation in the room came from the beams of early eventide Sun that managed to mouse their manner past the to a great extent drawn drapes. She walked over to the bedside lamp and clicked it on, Jake sat in the center of the bed gazing out into infinite. Vivian walked over to him, sitting down on the bed. ? Jake? ? he sat undisturbed by her soft voice. ? Oh my God, what happened to you? ? she cried out in dismay, touching the purple bruises that had started to look around his cervix. His cervix was stop deading cold. ? Jake? ? she whispered, at this he easy started to turn his caput to face her, Vivian could experience her tummy spring into her pharynx, the eyes that stared back at her were distant, black. She jumped off the bed, shouting. ? Oh God, Jake. ? ? Jake is no longer here. ? the voice protruded from her hubbies oral cavity, yet she didn? T acknowledge it, it was rough and crackled with a vibrating bass tone. Vivian ran out the door every bit fast as she perchance could. The cryings were pouring down her face as she walked down the hallway, the visible radiations in the whole house flickered and went out go forthing merely the wash of the deceasing Sun to illume the manner. Down stairs the forepart doors crashed unfastened a ululation zephyr charged indoors. ? Jesus. ? Vivian muttered as she kept edging her manner towards the stepss non cognizing whether it was safer to turn back to what was left of her hubby or maintain traveling frontward towards the unknown. The zephyr disappeared and the distinguishable sound of the mammoth oak doors rang throughout the house. ? Hello? ? she could hardly acquire the words out of her oral cavity. ? Vivian? ? a familiar voice called out to her from down stepss. Dr. Jeffery. It was Dr. Jeffery, she ran down the steps and into his weaponries, unable to command her violent trembling. ? Vivian? Vivian what? s incorrect? ? he asked taking her to a close by chair in the anteroom. Her external respiration was rapid and her bosom round so insistently that she thought it might explode within her thorax. ? I # 8230 ; it # 8230 ; ? s Jake. ? she stammered out through her paroxysms and pant of air. ? Okay, I? ll travel and look into on him while you sit here and seek to quiet down, approve? ? he said brushing the hair off her face. ? I? ll be back in two minutes. ? he turned and walked off, Vivian watched him mount the steps until he was out of sight down the gold hall. Ten proceedingss subsequently the sound of laughter flittered through the air, Vivian sat up to attending as she watched Dr. Jeffery and Jake walk in stride down he corridor. ? Vivian, your hubby is all right, you have no demand to worry. ? Dr. Jeffery smiled as they approached the top of the stepss, Vivian? s regard focused on her Jake, he looked normal, she thought, there was no resemblance to the distant face of decease that she had left behind upstairs, but still she did non loosen up, something wasn? t right. Her eyes widened in panic as Jake? s eyes flashed. ? Look out! ? she screamed to Dr. Jeffery but it was excessively late, Jake had already swooped out a long, claw like arm raising the physician high into the air before hurtling him down onto the crisp stairss of the stairway. His skull explosion unfastened with the sicken crunch of bone, his lifeless organic structure tumbled down the steps go forthing a trail of midst, warm blood behind it. Vivian sprang from her chair and ran every bit fast as she could into the kitchen, catching a little, sharpened knife from the counter where she had been fixing dinner earlier that dark, before returning to the dark anteroom. Jake was gone. ? Jake. ? she screamed, the noise echoed through the house. She reached the stepss. For a minute she stared down at the rumpled, pile that was left of Dr. Jeffery, his face was mangled beyond acknowledgment, his encephalon and blood pooled around him. Vivian clutched at the knife in her right manus as she placed her pes onto the step and began to mount. The blood beneath her squished up through her toes, the revolting sound of suction slurped as she moved her pes from measure to step until she had reached the top. Silence was all about her as she walked towards the sleeping room doors. Merely as she was approximately to open them she felt something coppice against her back, she turned, Jake was standing right in forepart of her. She tried to run but his manus snapped out and held her fast. He threw her backwards into a wall with such force that she left a hole in the plaster, a foul odor began to envelop upon her as she strived to stand but found that she was unable to. She gave a painful groan as she crawled along the floor, Jake was right on top of her, he bent down gyrating his fingers around her slender cervix. Vivian scratched madly at his face seeking to acquire off. Panic overcame her as she began to choke from deficiency of air, the knife where was the knife? She screamed inside her caput. Out of the corner of her oculus she saw the visible radiation from the puting Sun reflect off of it? s cool steel. She sprawled out her arm, clawing at he land, her fingers edging nearer and closer to the blade and with her last sum of strength she reached it tightly wrapping her manus around its grip. She thrust her arm upwards experiencing the blade of the knife enter her hubbies chest. Jake sank backwards, seizing at his thorax, a steady watercourse of blood pouring down from the knife. The figure of the shadow remained over Vivian, it? s oral cavity oozed black blood, maggots dripped from it? s eyes, she watched as the figure melted on top of her organic structure, soaking her apparels with the vulgar sludge and wrestling field of worms. It? s over she thought to herself as she crawled over to the topographic point where Jake had collapsed. He was doing short, staggered efforts to breath, coughing up blood in the procedure. She crouched down at his side conveying his caput gently upon her lap, brushing through his hair with her fingers. He looked up at her through watery-eyed eyes. ? Hang on, I? ll get help. ? she said flexing down to snog his brow before puting his caput gently back on the land and hotfooting to a phone. The ambulance had gotten to their house in under 30 proceedingss, the caches of bright visible radiations and people entered the house, assisting Jake and Vivian flight. Jake was loaded into the ambulance right off, they had stopped the hemorrhage but were diffident to the sum of harm the knife had caused him internally. ? Well this was some night. ? a constabulary officer said to Vivian, she looked at him. ? There? s no hint of the interloper though, good set out a vicinity ticker for him of course, but it? s my conjecture that he won? T show up around here of all time again. ? he took a deep breath as two more stretchers went by, one held the organic structure of Dr. Jeffery but Vivian couldn? t think who was under the cover of the other one. ? Who? s that? ? she asked indicating towards the about level, sheet covered stretcher. ? We found that in one of the walls upstairs, likely neer would hold found it if the wall hadn? T been cracked down. I think it? s the chap who used to populate here, Gregory Hanes, he was a existent nut occupation. Yeah, he was rumoured to hold snapped and killed his married woman one dark, so experiencing so guilty broke down a wall walked indoors and plastered himself in. No one of all time believed the narrative though, but I guess this proves it right. Of class we won? T cognize for certain until we get the castanetss run through forensics. ? He said looking mournfully at the gurney. Vivian followed his regard before turning easy off from the house. She hopped into the dorsum of the ambulance with Jake and breathed a suspiration of alleviation as it pulled off, it truly is over now. The End. Now why Don? T you go upstairs to your nice cosy room and acquire some slumber? Don? T concern I? thousand certain no 1 will express joy at you if you leave the visible radiations on, we? ve all done it from clip to clip.

LBSS Honors Chemistry Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers

LBSS Honors Chemistry Essays - Free Essays, Term Papers LBSS Honors Chemistry Independent Science Research Project ExploraVision All LBSS Honors Chemistry students are required to complete an independent science research project that will be evaluated by an outside expert in addition to teacher evaluation. Students are to work in groups of three. Competition Deadline: January 15, 2015. What will the finished ExploraVision project look like? Abstract (1 page) Description (11 pages) Bibliography (1 page) Sample Web Pages (5 pages) Abstract Summarize your proposed future technology and other relevant information. This document must precede other project components and should be on a separate page. It does not count as part of the description. Mandatory criteria: No more than 150 words (typed, double-spaced and clearly labeled). This will be the LAST component you complete! Description Prepare a written description of the project on no more than 11 typed, double-spaced pages (you may also use a combination of text and artwork). This is a long term project and if you completed all the required "research and worksheets' as suggested, these documents will be combined to create the 11 page description. The description must include the following 6 sections in this exact order: Present Technology (1): Give an overview of the present form of the technology, including some scientific principles involved in how it functions. Define a key challenge or limitation of this present technology that you will address in your ExploraVision project. History-Technology Timeline (2): Research and describe the history of the technology from its inception. Future Technology (3): Describe the team's vision for what this technology will be like in 20 years - including scientific principles involved in developing the technology. Breakthroughs (4): Research and describe breakthroughs that are necessary to make the future technology design a reality. Why doesn't this future technology exist today? Choose one of your required breakthroughs and describe a research project that would have to be planned and carried out to test your ExploraVision project. If possible, include the kind of data or measurements that would be collected in the investigation. Design Process (5): Describe three alternative ideas or features the team considered for this ExploraVision project. The ideas and features should be directly related to the project, not a list of other projects you may have submitted. Describe why the team rejected each feature and idea in favor of the ones in the submitted ExploraVision technology. Describe how your future technology feature is better than the rejected design feature. Consequences (6): Recognizing that all technologies have positive and negative consequences, describe the potential positive and negative consequences of the new technology on society. Tip: The Future Technology, Breakthroughs, Design Process and Consequences sections are the most heavily weighted when assigning points in the judging. Therefore it makes sense to devote at least two-thirds of the description to these areas. Bibliography-use APA format All sources used in researching the chosen technology should be referenced here. (This does not count as part of the description.) Mandatory criteria: Sources must be clearly labeled and include title, author, publisher and copyright date. Also include Internet sources, interviews and non-original graphics. Footnotes are encouraged, but not required. Before Deadline ONE... . Team Formation and Registration . Brainstorming: during this time, students will name existing technologies they would like to explore. . Introduce Research Methods |Due Dates at a Glance (deadlines are tentative and may change) | |October 30 Deadline ONE | |Getting to Know the Subject | | | |Suggestion: I will create a shared folder for your project in GoogleDocs | |Use GoogleDocs to hold all independent research project information (including this| |paper). | |Create Pages within your Google folder for the following: | | | |Present Technology History Future Technology | |Breakthroughs | |Design Process Consequences Bibliography | |Web Pages | | | |Parent and Student Document of Understanding signed by student and parent. (This | |can be found at the end of this packet). One for EACH student. | |Complete Worksheet: Choosing a Topic | |After you have your team, it's time to choose a topic. You might pick something | |that you've always wondered about ("Why doesn't X do this?") or that has always | |interested you ("How could I build a better X?"). As a team, brainstorm some ideas | |and see if there are any ideas or areas of study that stand out. Consider these | |tips when selecting a topic: | |Get ideas from everyday life. Look at the tools and technologies people use every | |day - it could be as simple as a pencil or as complex as a quantum computer. | |Solve a problem. Identify a problem that a current technology does not solve, and | |then imagine possible solutions. | |Talk

Risk Analysis - Information Security and Infrastructure protection Assignment

Risk Analysis - Information Security and Infrastructure protection - Assignment Example To protect the organization’s information assets and mission from threats related to organizations mission, the organization has to perform without partiality the risk management role. Bearing in mind the weight the risk assessment bears in the development of the organization, the organization should keep a lot more attention to it than leave it as just the function of the information technology department. The essence of close monitoring and attention is by the fact that the main goal for risk management process in an organization is to protect the ability of an organization to achieve their mission and protect the organization as a whole. Therefore, in a bid to achieve the organizations missions by the risk assessment, there are several goals in the risk management process. An improved secure information technology system used in the storage transmission and processing of the organizations information, and the risk management makes it possible for an organization to have a well-informed decision with risk management and to give the reason for budgeting for the same as part of the budget allocated for the information technology department. The target audience includes both the experienced and the non-experienced, non-technical and technical people, who get involved in the utility of the risk assessment process with the information technology systems. The people involved here include the owners of the mission who takes part in making the decisions on the information technology budget, and they comprise the senior management. Chief Officer in charge of information ensures that the risk assessment process is implemented and does spearhead maintenance of the systems security. In order to allow information technology system to operate, the designated approving authority personnel must approve and allow the system; hence, the fact makes him/her an integral part. The quality assurance personnel are among the audience; this is for the fact that these personnel

In Pursuit of an Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

In Pursuit of an Education - Essay Example The modern society is experiencing a sharp decline in higher education. The significant decline is often accrued to a number of factors such as the high fees, prevalent student debt coupled with the declining financial and educational returns. Arguably, the societal perception regarding education has changed with a significant number fostering the belief that education is not a good investment. The present education policy also fails to attract qualified, motivated teachers thus limiting the quality of education (Gordon â€Å"The Great Stagnation†). Resultantly, the decline in higher education is a compelling problem in the community that poses a serious threat to the society. The decline in higher education is problematic as it negatively impacts the country’s economy, development, and societal well-being. First, students who are unable to complete their education tend to end up with lower wages. Furthermore, students who end up failing to complete their education end up unable to break even in terms of student debt. Overall, the failure to achieve quality education limits the country’s ability to compete successfully on a global scale. Consequentially, the global position of the country declines as it is unable to compete in terms of technological advancements and development in every aspect of life. In the speech, the 1st lady point out that it is through education that individuals can participate as full citizens of the country (Obama 288). This is because education increases the opportunity for a better job.

Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Drama - Essay Example In this paper I will argue how on many occasions in Oedipus the King, Oedipus and other prominent characters make such comments which emphasize varying levels of power each of them is awarded with. Facts and discussion presented in this essay are basically meant to illuminate the reality of the claim that though Oedipus is presented as the absolute ruler of the city of Thebes by Sophocles, he is actually overtaken or even thwarted at some points in moments of hotheadedness by other influential characters who in a discreet way have more polished sociopolitical and spiritual understanding. It is evident that Oedipus has at least sufficiently more power than his wife (or mother) Jocasta because no amount of pleading or persuasion from her inflicts any effect on him and he maintains an inexorable, persistent, and adamant attitude about hearing the truth from Tiresias who is the oracle of God Apollo. Jocasta does not have enough power which could make her stand up resolutely against Oedip us in order to stop him from going to Tiresias upon listening from Creon that the plague existed in the city because the murderer of Laius remained in the city. Their spiritual ideologies also set in contrast to each other because unlike Oedipus who is moved after being condemned by Tiresias, Jocasta bluntly expresses that he should not worry in the least because all prophets are flawed or phony which is something very controversial or notorious to be said about the spiritual or religious matters for those times. Also, the political power that Oedipus has surpasses that of Jocasta’s because even though she tries to talk him into not punishing Creon on any account, he refuses to second guess his decisions and goes on to banish his royal colleague (Creon) from Thebes because he says, â€Å"my one-time friend Creon attacks me secretly for wealth and power† (li. 452, Bartel). The title of king and the associated power is desired by Creon even more than Oedipus and he comes across as a shrewder politician with more reasonable social vision than King Oedipus who is often hotheaded, frenzied, and exposed unlike the secretive, calm, and manipulative attitude of Creon. But, that does not mean that Oedipus does not get his share of miseries or defeats in the play only because is the sole ruler of the city who could not be intimidated by anyone else. Tiresias, for example, is one character who is not at all influenced or scared by the political power of Oedipus. When Oedipus accuses Tiresias that â€Å"you are blind in mind and ears/as well as in your eyes† (li. 370-5, Goldhill 219) after listening from him that the plague existed in the city because of himself, the oracle without considering the fact that he is in the presence of a king replies pointblank, â€Å"you are a poor wretch to pile upon me insults which everyone soon will heap upon you† (li. 370-5, Goldhill 219). He also fearlessly tells Oedipus that â€Å"although you are the rule r, we have equal power to speak. I am not a slave to you, but I serve Apollo. You insult my blindness, but you, who are not blind, cannot see your own suffering† (li. 410, Sophocles’ Oedipus Tyrannus). The powerful functions of the Chorus or Choragos are also very prominent in Oedipus Rex. The Chorus have sufficient power over Oedipus in that they try to contribute wisdom by telling him to stay clam like a smart ruler and stay away from seeking trouble. The Chorus have

Howard Becker and the term moral entrepreneur

Howard Becker and the term moral entrepreneur Howard Becker is hailed as the founder of modern labeling theory. He also developed the term moral entrepreneur to describe persons in power who campaign to have certain deviant behavior outlawed (Becker, 1963). He claims that many laws are established for such purposes, and that behavior that is defined as criminal is dynamic and changes throughout time. Therefore, the actual criminal behavior is irrelevant to the theory. What really matters is which outlaws are arrested and processed by the criminal justice system (Becker, 1963). As a result of the belief that personal and societal factors do not contribute to motivations for criminal behavior there has been little study of the criminal him/herself and the aforesaid factors. As one might expect, this aspect of Labeling Theory is still being debated. There is one exception to this belief, however most labeling theorists claim that the system is biased toward the lower class, which constitutes the overwhelming majority of arrests and convictions within the American criminal justice system (Wellford, 1975).   This Labeling Theory, found in  Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance  (1963), is perhaps his most important and influential contribution to sociology. Influenced by Cooleys  looking-glass self, Meads theories on the internalization of the self, and Lemerts  social constructionism, Becker explains that deviance is based on the reactions and responses of others to an individuals acts. The label of deviant is applied to an individual when others observe their behavior and react to it by labeling that person as deviant. No particular act is inherently deviant until a group with socially powerful statuses or positions label it as such (Becker, 1963). This theoretical approach to deviance has influenced criminology, gender, sexuality and identity research.   This work became the manifesto of the labeling theory movement among sociologists. In his opening, Becker writes: social groups create deviance by making rules whose infraction creates deviance, and by applying those roles to particular people and labeling them as outsiders. From this point of view, deviance is  not  a quality of the act the person commits, but rather a consequence of the application by other of rules and sanctions to an offender. The deviant is one to whom that label has been successfully applied; deviant behavior is behavior that people so label.[8] While society uses the stigmatic label to justify its condemnation, the deviant actor uses it to justify his actions. He wrote: To put a complex argument in a few words: instead of the deviant motives leading to the deviant behavior, it is the other way around, the deviant behavior in time produces the deviant motivation.[9] INFLUENCES Beckers theory evolved during a period of social and political power struggle that was amplified within the world of the college campus (Pfohl 1994). Liberal political movements were embraced by many of the college students and faculty in America (Pfohl 1994). Howard Becker harnessed this liberal influence and adjusted Lemerts labeling theory and its symbolic interaction theoretical background. The labeling theory outlined in Outsiders is recognized as the prevailing social reaction approach by Lemert as well as most other sociologists (www.sonoma.edu ). Beckers approach has its roots in the symbolic interaction foundation of Cooley and Mead, and the labeling influences of Tannenbaum and Lemert.  Ã‚   Charles Cooleys  Human Nature and the Social Order  (1902) examines the personal perception of oneself through studies of children and their imaginary friends. Cooley develops the theoretical concept of the looking glass self, a type of imaginary sociability (Cooley 1902). People imagine the view of themselves through the eyes of others in their social circles and form judgements of themselves based on these imaginary observations (Cooley 1902). The main idea of the looking glass self is that people define themselves according to societys perception of them (www.d.umn.edu  ). Cooleys ideas, coupled with the works of Mead, are very important to labeling theory and its approach to a persons acceptance of labels as attached by society. George Meads theory is less concerned with the micro-level focus on the deviant and more concerned with the macro-level process of separating the conventional and the condemned (Pfohl 1994). In  Mind, Self, and Society  (1934), Mead describes the perception of self as formed within the context of social process (Wright 1984). The self is the product of the minds perception of social symbols and interactions (www.d.umn.edu  ). The self exists in objective reality and is then internalized into the conscious (Wright 1984). The idea of shifting the focus away from the individual deviant and looking at how social structure affects the separation of those persons considered unconventional has a great influence on how Becker approaches labeling theory. Social Pathology  (1951) outlines Edwin Lemerts approach to what many consider the original version of labeling theory. Lemert, unhappy with theories that take the concept of deviance for granted, focuses on the social construction of deviance (Lemert 1951). Lemert (1951) describes deviance as the product societys reaction to an act and the affixing of a deviant label on the actor.  Social Pathology  details the concepts of primary and secondary deviance. According to Lemert (1951), primary deviance is the initial incidence of an act causing an authority figure to label the actor deviant. This initial labeling of a deviant act will remain primary as long as the actor can rationalize or deal with the process as a function of a socially acceptable role (Lemert 1951). If the labeled deviant reacts to this process by accepting the deviant label, and further entrenches his/herself in deviant behavior, this is referred to as secondary deviance (Lemert 1951). Lemert considers the caus es of primary deviance as fluid, and only important to researchers concerned with specific social problems at a certain time. In the years following  Social Pathology, Lemert argues for the decriminalization of victimless crimes, advocates pre-trial diversion programs, and has backed away labeling determinism (Wright 1984). BECKERS LABELLING THEORY Howard Beckers approach to the labeling of deviance, as described in  Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance  (1963), views deviance as the creation of social groups and not the quality of some act or behavior. Becker (1963) criticizes other theories of deviance for accepting the existence of deviance and by doing so, accept the values of the majority within the social group. According to Becker (1963), studying the act of the individual is unimportant because deviance is simply rule breaking behavior that is labeled deviant by persons in positions of power. The rule breaking behavior is constant, the labeling of the behavior varies (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) describes rules as the reflection of certain social norms held by the majority of a society, whether formal or informal. Enforced rules, the focus of Beckers (1963) approach, are applied differentially and usually facilitate certain favorable consequences for those who apply the label. In short, members of the rul e-making society may label rule breaking behavior deviant depending on the degree of reaction over time (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) views those people that are likely to engage in rule breaking behavior as essentially different than members of the rule-making or rule-abiding society. Those persons who are prone to rule-breaking behavior see themselves as morally at odds with those members of the rule-abiding society (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) uses the term outsider to describe a labeled rule-breaker or deviant that accepts the label attached to them and view themselves as different from mainstream society. Deviants may consider themselves more outside than others similarly labeled (Becker 1963). Deviant outsiders might view those rule making or abiding members of society as being the outsiders of their social group (Becker 1963). The final step in the creation of a career delinquent involves the movement of a rule breaker into a deviant subculture (Becker 1963). The affiliation of the labeled deviant with an organized provides the person with moral support and a self-justifying rationale (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) describes how those involved in an organized crime may learn new forms of deviance through differential association. Becker (1963) also focuses on those in positions of power and authority that make and enforce the rules. Rules are created by a moral entrepreneur, a person that takes the initiative to crusade for a rule that would right a society evil (Becker 1963). The moral entrepreneurs motive may be to elevate the social status of those members of society below him/her (Becker 1963). The success of the crusade may lead to the entrepreneur to become a professional rule creator (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) states that the success of each moral crusade brings along with it a new group of outsiders, and a new responsibility of an enforcement agency. According to Becker (1963), the enforcement of societys rules is an enterprising act. The enforcement of a rule occurs when those that want a rule enforced, usually to some sort of gain to their personal interests, bring the rule infraction to the attention of the public (Becker 1963). The rule infraction, brought to the attention of those in positions of authority, is dealt with punitively by the entrepreneur (Becker 1963). The enforcement of the rule may involve the mediation of conflicts between many different interest groups by those in positions of power (Becker 1963). The enforcers themselves may have a moral crusade to stop crime, but most engage in the process strictly as a part of their occupation (Becker 1963). Rule enforcers use the process of formal enforcement to satisfy two major interests, the justification of their occupation and the winning of respect from the people he/she patrols (Becker 1963). The enforcer is armed with a great deal of discretion and may use his/h er power to label an innocent person in order to gain respect (Becker 1963). The misuse of labeling powers by enforcers may create a deviant out of a person who otherwise would not be prone to rule breaking behavior (Becker 1963). Beckers work pays particular attention to the way society reacts to people with criminal labels. He proposes that this label becomes a persons master status, meaning that this is a constant label, affecting and over-riding how others will view them. The status people use to identify and classify a person will always be that of a criminal. Any other statuses a person occupies are no longer heeded. A person could be a parent,  employee, spouse, etc., but the first and major status that will come to mind to other people and themselves is that of the criminal (Becker, 1963).   Beckers  Outsiders  (1963) uses two cases to illustrate his approach to labeling theory. Becker (1963) analyzes the history of marijuana laws in the United States and how individuals progress into the recreational use of the drug. Becker (1963) chooses to analyze marijuana because the progression of use can be observed. The first time user of marijuana finds the experience as somewhat unpleasant, but as the user imitates peers he/she learns to perceive the effects of marijuana as enjoyable (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) identifies three stages of marijuana use: the beginner, the occasional user, and the regular user. The three self-explanatory categories of marijuana users can be manipulated through the use of social controls (Becker 1963). Control of the marijuana supply has both positive and negative effects (Becker 1963). A diminished supply of marijuana may lead to a decreased use of the drug among some people, but it may also drive a user to associate with an organized group of deviants to obtain marijuana (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) believes that while control of marijuana supply is an important social control, it does not deter use. The best way to deter a user is to control his/her individual moral view of marijuana use. A marihuana user is labelled to be deviant as it contravenes the rules and norms of the society. Becker researched on marihuana users and used it in supporting his  labelling theory  . Becker notes that this deviant behaviour is based on the given kind of behaviour as an end product of a sequence of social experiences during which the person acquires a comprehension of the meaning of the behaviour, the perceptions and judgements of objects and situations, all of which makes the activity possible and desirable. An individual will only be able to use marihuana for pleasure if he goes through a process of learning to conceive of it as an object where he is able to recognise the effects and connect them with drug use; to inhale in a way that produce real upshot; and learning to enjoy the sensation he comprehends. Once the ability to achieve enjoyment is acquired, he will continue to use it. (continuing usage of the marihuana is the secondary deviant) Considerations of morality and ap propriateness, occasioned by the rejoinder of society, may hamper and impede use, but use persists to be a possibility in terms of the notion of the drug. The act will only be impossible when the ability to achieve the enjoyment is vanished, through a revolutionize of users conception of the drug occasioned by certain kind of experience with it. Becker (1963) uses a participant observation study of the lives of Chicago dance musicians to illustrate the social life of a deviant subculture. Although dance musicians as a group are law-abiding, their unconventional lifestyles lead them to feel as outsiders (Becker 1963). Becker (1963) describes how being a dance musician involves a change in attitudes and opinions in order to conform to the subculture. The culture of the dance musician is rich in its own language and gestures (Becker 1963). Many of the dance musicians live a conventional family life during the day and change into their role as musician at night (Becker 1963). Another aspect of labelling theory in which Becker outlines as problematic, is the concept of morality. He questions a situation where the researchers sympathies should lie. He contemplates on whether one should side with the underdog or simply judge criminal behaviour as inherently wrong? He stresses the sociological difficulty of this decision. He claims that the researcher, whether taking either side, will be accused of taking a one-sided and distorted view, but how is it possible to see the situation from both sides simultaneously (Becker, 1963)? Despite many contributions, the evaluation of labelling theorists is normally considered with an excessive amount of criticism. Becker concludes  Outsiders  (1963) by emphasizing the need for empirical research of his approach to labeling theory. Social scientists produced a vast amount of literature in response to Beckers request. Much of the research involving labeling theory directly reflects Beckers approach, while others use Becker (1963) as a foundation for theory development. APPLICATION Gideon Fishman tests Beckers labeling theory by studying a sample of midwestern juvenile delinquents (Friday and Stewart 1977). Fishmans research design measures negative self-perception and whether this self-perception affects future delinquency (Friday and Stewart 1977). The results of Fishmans study show that secondary deviance is not universal and individuals react to deviant labels in different ways (Friday and Stewart 1977). A popular application of Beckers labeling theory (1963) is in the area of mental health. Thomas Scheff embraces Beckers approach to labeling and describes how people are labeled mentally ill in order to explain certain rule-breaking behavior that society cant categorize (Holstein 1993;  www.sscf.ucsb.edu  ). Scheff is not concerned with occasional acts of deviance, rather it is the residual or episodic deviance that often falls under the label of mental illness (Wright 1984; Pfohl 1994). People labeled as mentally ill adopt the behaviors of the stereotypical mental patient as portrayed through the mass media (Wright 1984). Scheff argues that those who express the stereotypical behavior of the mentally ill are rewarded by enterprising psychology professionals (Wright 1984; Pfohl 1994). According to Scheff, everybody expresses the popular symptoms of mental illness at some point in their life and labels are attached to those without power (Wright 1984). Scheff provides empirical ev idence in the form of several studies of the process of mental hospital commitment (Holstein 1993; Pfohl 1994; Wright 1983;  www.sscf.ucsb.edu  ). Many social scientists challenge Scheffs arguments on theoretical and empirical grounds. James A. Holstein (1993) attacks Scheffs approach for focusing on the deviant and not the moral entrepreneurs that attach the labels. Florence Ridlon (1988) criticizes Scheffs work for being deterministic and argues for a less causal model to explain mental afflictions such as alcoholism. Walter Gove (1980), an adamant critic of Scheff, believes that Scheff should not dismiss the influence of psychopathological variables on mental illness. Gove (1980) also criticizes Scheffs empirical methodology and operations. Edwin Schur modifies Beckers labeling theory in  Labeling Deviant Behavior  (1971) by shifting some of the focus to the individual deviant. Schur (1971) also theorizes that as persons labeled deviant gain power and organize, they progress in social definition from an uprising, social movement, and civil war to the formation of a mainstream political party. Schur argues in  Labeling Women Deviant  (1983) that women in America are automatically labeled deviant by the male-dominated society. Women accept the deviant label as their master status and limit their life chances (Schur 1983). CRITICISMS Beckers theory of labeling, while maintaining a great deal of popularity today, does encounter several criticisms (Pfohl 1994;  www.mpcc.cc.ne.us  ; Ridlon 1988). Many sociologists view labeling theory as untestable and, by definition, not a true theory (Ridlon 1988). Becker (1963) acknowledges that his labeling theory is a theoretical approach, not a true theory, and that sociologists should attempt to establish empirical tests for his approach. Another major criticism of labeling theory is its failure to explain primary deviance (www.mpcc.cc.ne.us  ). Both Lemert (1951) and Becker (1963) believe that primary deviance is influenced by many different and changing variables and the research of primary deviance causes is futile. Pfohl (1994) details the criticism of many sociologists that labeling theory is causal or deterministic. Becker (1963) qualifies his approach to social reaction theory by stating that some groups of rule-breakers may be able to choose alternative courses of action. Beckers immensely popular views were also subjected to a barrage of criticism, most of it blaming him for neglecting the influence of other biological, genetic effects and personal responsibility. In a later 1973 edition of his work, he answered his critics. He wrote that while sociologists, while dedicated to studying society, are often careful not to look too closely. Instead, he wrote: I prefer to think of what we study as  collective action.  People act, as Mead and Blumer have made clearest,  together. They do what they do with an eye on what others have done, are doing now, and may do in the future. One tries to fit his own line of action into the actions of others, just as each of them likewise adjusts his own developing actions to what he sees and expects others to do.[10] Francis Cullen reported in 1984 that Becker was probably too generous with his critics. After 20 years, his views, far from being supplanted, have been corrected and absorbed into an expanded structuring perspective.[11] From a logical standpoint there are flaws within the main points of labeling theory. Initially the theory states that no acts are inherently criminal (Wellford, 1975). Meaning that acts are only criminal when society has deemed them as such. The implications of this being that criminal law is dynamic and ever-changing, differing from society to society. But if this is true then why are certain acts illegal within the majority of the civilized world? Murder, rape, arson, armed robbery. All these are considered crimes in any society or country one could care to name.   Also the theory claims that for a criminal to be successfully labeled an audience must be present to provide a reaction to the crimes committed. Does this mean that if a murder is committed where the killer has successfully avoided anyones suspicion that the act is then not criminal and the killer will not think of him/herself as such? Its probable that the murderers socialization and/or value system could initialize self-labeling, but the theory clearly states the labeling must come from a 3rd party (Hagan, 1973).   For the sake of argument, if self labeling is possible and a person has obtained a self-initialized criminal master status/label, how do they react to it? Do they become criminals or try to rationalize as stated by Foster, Dinitz, and Reckless (Foster Dinitz Reckless, 1972)?   Beckers  labelling theory  has also drawn to a considerable criticism. One of such is that his  labelling theory  failed to answer the etiological question about  primary deviance, for example: What causes deviance?  Jack Gibbs  pointed out that the theory failed to provide ample answers to three etiological questions: Why does the prevalence of a particular act vary from one population to the next? Why do some persons commit the act while others do not? Why is the act in question considered deviant and criminal in some societies but not in others? This clearly shows that  labelling theory  is mere humanistic-antideterministic or voluntaristic hypothesis only . Then again, recent activists of the theory beginning to shift the  labelling theory  into a more scientific, deterministic one, and this approach is apparent in empirical studies of the  secondary deviance. Instead of describing the process of interaction between labellers and the labelled that leads to   secondary deviance, these revisionists defined, operationalised or measure labelling as a causal variable of secondary deviation.   CONCLUSION Social scientists disagree on the future of labeling theory. Pfohl (1994) recognizes labeling theory as very influential in todays studies of deviance. Some social scientists view labeling theory as declining in importance due to lack of empirical support and a conservative political climate (www.mpcc.cc.ne.us  ). Becker (1963) believes the future of labeling theory lies in the widespread empirical study of deviance and kinds of deviance. Beckers analysis gives us a dynamic account of how a person can be funneled into a deviant career by labeling processes. This is also a compellingly humanistic theory of deviance. We can identify and sympathize with the deviant who has been the victim of labeling processes, even to the extent of realizing that it could happen to any of us. In this and many other respects, Beckers micro-relativistic approach to deviance theory contrasts markedly with normative theories that emphasize in a detached, objective way the fundamental differences between deviants and nondeviants. If Becker makes us understand the  human  implications of reactions to deviance, then he has accomplished one of his major theoretical goals. In attempting to evaluate the contribution of the labelling theorists to the study of the sociology of deviance, it can be said that it depends on how the theory is viewed. If the theory is considered as a theory, with all the achievements and obligations that go with the title, then its flaws are many. Yet if, as Backer suggests, we attempt to consider the theory as it were intended, that is, as a mere way of looking at deviance, then the contribution can be said to be weighty, as it opened up a whole new study of the individual after he has committed an act of deviance. At this point it must be mentioned that labelling theorists do not merely consider the after-effects of the deviant act, as it is sometimes suggested. Becker, for example, considers the individual and how he begins to smoke marijuana. As Schur sums up, labelling theory is not a revolutionary new approach to the analysis of social problems but rather a recording or emphasis of such analysis, a reordering that may hel p us to view deviance and control in a realistic, comprehensive, and sociologically meaningful light. As such, one can conclude that labelling theory continues in its usefulness, as long as deviant behaviour continues to exist.