Evaluate the appropriateness of the operating systems elements in Essay

Assess the propriety of the working frameworks components as far as their commitments to profitability and generally adequacy - Essay Example The Toyota creation framework like some other framework has its own particular manner of completing its tasks. It has a technique of improving relying upon the set gauges. This targets including the investment of its staff to help kill pointless squanders. The goal of the framework is make the conveyance increasingly successful by decreasing time taken between when a request is given and when conveyance is made to the customers. Much the same as any association or framework, the Toyota Production System centers around making their results of high caliber as well as of lower cost of creation, to augment on the benefits. Also, it is targeting accomplishing laborers fulfillment, reasonable treatment, and professional stability among its laborers (Chiarini 2012 pg 345). The last target is to give the organization adaptability in relationship with patterns in the neighborhood and worldwide markets, to accomplish most extreme benefit through decrease of overhead expenses and understanding a manageable flourishing. Complete disposal of all waste, lopsidedness in all areas of work and overburden, permits individuals from staff to work easily and productively. Furthermore, fundamental beliefs of the framework are based on normalization that guarantees safe techniques for creation and supported nature of creation. Toyota people group is steel trying to improve its standard procedures and strategies so as to get most extreme quality, kill squander, and expand proficiency in a procedure known as kaizen. The procedure is applied in all the creation components of the organization. Kaizen is a center component in the Toyota creation framework. Like in all huge scope creation frameworks, Toyota requires all undertakings both mechanical and human be indicated and correctly normalized to guarantee highest caliber, improve creation proficiency, and take out waste. In this area of creation framework, the individuals from staff follow intently these normalized works and

Exploratory Study Of Improving Manufacturing Process In India And Aust

Question: Talk about the Exploratory Study of Improving Manufacturing Process in India and Australia. Answer: Foundation Conventional assembling in Australia has been on decay and yet new ways to deal with assembling have developed quick. Assembling associations are presently focused towards bringing advancement and as opposed to selling items; they work to convey answers for their clients. Associations currently chip away at organized connections and data streams to cause enhancements in the frameworks so as to contend in the worldwide scene. The assembling associations have blends of produced arrangements that can be mass modified, customized, high worth high volume and low worth low volume(Young, 2008). Definitions Procedure Improvements: Process upgrades can relate significantly to progress in the nature of procedures. Lean: Lean reasoning depends on the rules of waste end from different degrees of the board and procedures. Six Sigma: It includes execution of specific standards and methods detailed to achieve demonstrated quality in forms. Legitimization According to the data gave via Automotive Products Manufacturers Association, the sum spent on the assembling development by Australian organizations between the years 2007 and 2011 was $4.5 billion. 5% of the absolute worth expansion was contributed by the vehicle producing part. The advantages of advancement have likewise changed the manner in which gracefully chains work. For example, assembling of light-weight segments as carbon-fiber composites created utilizing metals like aluminum and titanium can diminish the vehicle mass, improve fuel utilization and lessen gas outflows from vehicles. Be that as it may, regardless of these changes, the ongoing years have seen a decrease in assembling industry yield in Australia and in this way, there is a need to make upgrades in assembling forms in Australian and Indian associations (Mentha, 2013). Indian assembling industry shows a moderate development as it is tormented by an assortment of difficulties since the period of industrialization. In spite of being in the best ten rundown of the assembling nations of the world, Indian assembling esteem includes is just 1.8%. Indeed, even at the hour of the world budgetary emergencies, the decrease in MVA development in India was very noteworthy when contrasted with different nations like Australia. While the normal decrease on the planet was from 5.4% to 2% for MVA, in India the development was down from 7.3% to 0.2%. It has been seen that absence of mechanical and advancement capacities are the significant reasons for assembling difficulties. In this manner, there is a requirement for making enhancements in assembling associations in India(Alba, 2014). Point and targets Point of this examination is to investigate the innovative upgrades that can be made in the assembling procedures of Australian and Indian associations. To accomplish this point, goals of the exploration would be: Investigation of assembling innovation patterns Comprehension of techniques utilized by associations worldwide to improve their assembling practices(Mastellari Renegar, 2015) Investigating producing practices of the Indian Australian associations to distinguish scope for development Making suggestions for improving assembling practices of Indian Australian associations. Writing survey Joined Nations International Standard Industrial Classification gives the meaning of assembling as any physical or concoction change of crude materials or any parts to make new items. ABS isolates producing into nine sub-divisions, 46 gatherings, and 153 classes(UK SIC, 2016). Figure 1: Australian Manufacturing Landscape (Clark, Geer, Underhill, 1996) Australian Scenario In Australia, there is an immense assortment of exercises that are done under assembling for different enterprises like food, material, wood, printing, minerals, metals, hardware and others(Srivastava Jena, 2011). Assembling represents the 10% of the GDP of Australia and the two columns on which the business remains steadfast in the nation are advancement and productive individuals the board rehearses. The methods utilized by Australia fabricating associations endeavor to make an incentive notwithstanding expanding productivity with the end goal that business destinations of an assembling association can be met. It has been seen that associations that are overseen better can show a higher profitability of work and in this way, the element of the administration of representatives is another significant zone of training in Australian assembling organization(Green, 2009). Indian Scenario Lower FDI, lower levels of Research Development exercises, absence of innovative refinement, and inaccessibility of talented labor are a portion of the significant difficulties looked by Indian assembling organizations(Kanda, 2013). The requirement for this improvement is increasingly articulated while considering the ongoing patterns of ruling imports influencing activities of Indian producers. Prior, Indian assembling organizations were rehearsing isolation among household and abroad market to such an extent that greater items were traded while second rate quality merchandise were sold inside the nation. Be that as it may, with merchandise originating from different nations, this methodology gets incapable. The opposition originating from these imports and from associations coordinating entering Indian through FDI, there are decrease in costs, upgrades in quality, upgrade in execution, assortment in item ranges, and improvement in services(Mandal, Shah, Love, 2000). On the off chance that Indian makers need to continue this opposition, it is tough time that they receive more up to date and improved practices to hold their fairly estimated worth. These associations may need to look for new procedures, new plans and new channels to improve its offices and bring productivity. Upgrades are required in a few measurements including quality, innovation, gracefully chain, and item introductions(Chandra Sastry, 1998). Requirement for Improvement Improvement in the nature of procedures and upkeep of worthy execution levels is vital for an assembling association. There are an assortment of progress strategies that are accessible for the assembling area, for example, lean, six sigma, Agile administration, TQM, JIT, Kiazen, Poka-Yoka, Process Excellence, Hoshin Planning, reengineering, structure of tests, thus on(MURUGESAN, RAJENTHIRAKUMAR, CHANDRASEKAR, 2016). Assembling organizations for the most part utilize scoring framework for posting process improvement execution models and study different systems best approach might be picked for development. The greater part of the Fortune 500 organizations have Six Sigma programs executed for process upgrades in their administration structure itself(Gershon, 2007). There is a reasonable requirement for development in the assembling forms utilized in India just as its human asset the board rehearses need improvement. Hence, the exercises gained from the assembling associations worldwide that show great execution considering the development and individuals factor can help plan upgrades in Indian manufacturing(Low, Kamaruddin, Azid, 2013). In this way an investigation is proposed on the assembling procedure enhancements to such an extent that the acts of assembling associations from Australia and India would be concentrated just when contrasted to such an extent that exercises can learn with think of requirements for improving assembling forms utilized in Indian and Australian assembling industry. With these enhancements, it very well may be normal that Indian producers would have the option to pick up the abilities of developing and would realize more productivity in their current practices(Achtmeyer, 2008). Task Organization With the end goal of this investigation, a solitary assembling association of Indian root would be thought of. The picked association is Ashok Leyland which is the second biggest maker of business vehicles in India and has a turnover of over US $2.5 billion. The examination would investigate the assembling procedures of the association and distinguish that procedure related difficulties that are looked by the association with the end goal that the exercises gained from investigation of Australian assembling can be utilized to make explicit proposal for the association to improve its assembling processes(Krishnaveni Vidya, 2015). Ends This paper introduced a proposition which planned for learning the strategies for assembling process improvement from Australian assembling industry and apply the exercises to improve the assembling practices of Indian associations. For this, an examination was proposed which would incorporate an investigation of Australian assembling and Indian assembling with the end goal that the two locales can be thought about and fabricating improvement techniques are recommended. An Indian assembling association, Ashok Leyland which makes business vehicles was picked for getting further into the assembling practice and applying the exercises by and by to a genuine association. The final product of the examination would be suggestions for development of assembling procedures of Indian associations. References Achtmeyer, W. F. (2008). Ceaseless Process Improvement at Deere Company. Fold School of Business. Alba, J. M. (2014). Modern improvement in North African nations A factual profile. UNIDO. Chandra, P., Sastry, T. (1998). Intensity OF INDIAN MANUFACTURING: Findings of the 1997 Manufacturing Futures Survey . Vastrapur, Ahmedabad : Indian Institute of Management . Clark, C., Geer, T., Underhill, B. (1996). THE CHANGING OF AUSTRALIAN MANUFACTURING. Ward of Australia. Dudman, A., Wearne, S. H. (2003). Proficient Engineers Needs for Managerial Skills and Expertise . EMTA. Gershon, M. (2007). Picking Which Process Improvement Methodology to Implement. Sanctuary University. Green, R. (2009). The executives Matters in Australia: Just how gainful right? Australian Government. K

Riot Recommendation Funny Family Memoirs

Riot Recommendation Funny Family Memoirs This round of Riot Recommendation is sponsored by Biographile. Love true stories about fascinating people? So do the folks at  Biographile, a website dedicated to helping readers discover a rich mix of real lives through author interviews, news updates, reviews, essays, contests, and more. One of their latest QAs is an  exclusive interview  with the hilarious comedian and actor Jim Gaffigan, whose  explosively funny memoir  recounting the joys and horrors of raising five kids (in a two-bedroom apartment) is just out from Crown. _________________________ Family life is funny. It just is. And it doesnt matter if youre from a fun family, or one that puts the fun in dysfunctional. Youve got stories. The only thing better than laughing til you cry while you recount your own ridiculous family moments is  reading about someone elses. So today we want to know: what are your  favorite side-splitting family memoirs? Sign up for True Story to receive nonfiction news, new releases, and must-read forthcoming titles.

Shaming Offenders Essay - 654 Words

Shaming Offenders The shaming of offenders has been in existence since the late 18th century. It was a form of corrections that was used to serve justice by offenders who had committed criminal acts. Offenders who had committed crimes against person or property were likely to be handed a sentence of shaming. In lieu of serving a sentence in a cell or incapacitated place, an offender could be sentenced to some degree of public punishment that would attempt to reform the offender and help him see the error of his ways. Popular methods of late 18th century shaming included the whipping post, the pillory, stocks, branding, banishment, the dunking stool, and the use of the brank. All of these devices were used to demonstrate public†¦show more content†¦But an offender must feel some effect from the shaming process in order for it to be functional. According to Douglas Litowitz and his article Shaming Offenders, any for of public humiliation serves all four goals of corrections consecutively. The rehabilitation process is met by the admission of the offenders guilt. Restitution is achieved by having the offender publicly apologize for the wrong doings that have been committed against the general public. The goal of deterrence is met by the humiliation of the shameful act that must be performed by the offender. Protection of the public is made visible to all in society by the shameful act being visible to all those around. If the shaming of an offender carries out one of the four purposes listed above, then it has done its job. Or has it? There are many people out there that feel that shaming does not help reduce crime and the recidivism rates of criminals. In the Litowitz reading, it says that the shaming of an offender will only work if the offender knows what shame is. It is a case of a person possessing the concept and emotion of shame. Those who have it or know what it brings can be deterred from the shaming experience. But for those who are foreign to shame, the proces s of shaming is of little to no use. Offenders who do not know what shame is are more likely to exhibit ulterior emotions such asShow MoreRelatedThe Criminal Justice System Deals With The Risk And Management Of Sex Offenders2679 Words   |  11 Pagesways in which the criminal justice system deals with the risk and management of sex offenders. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), from December 2013 to December 2014, the amount of recorded sexual offences has risen by 32 percent to 80,262 for England and Wales (ONS, 2015:13). The most serious cases of sex offending will result in a custodial sentence. From 2005 to 2011 the proportion of offenders who received a custodial sentence for committing sexual offences is between 55 andRead MoreThe Strengths And Weaknesses Of Braithwaite s Reintegrative Shaming Theory869 Words   |  4 PagesWith the limitations of traditional criminological theories and the failings of the traditional criminal justice system, John Braithwaite’s reintegrative shaming theory provides a refreshing alternative to previous retributive and penal approaches (Braithwaite, 1989; White, Haines Asquith, 2012). With its emphasis on cultural integration, the theory has shown utility amongst practitioners and academics (Kim Gerber, 2012; Hay, 2001). However, despite its value, Braith waite’s theory has not beenRead MoreCritic of Shame Is Worth a Try790 Words   |  4 Pagespotential of shaming know that it is â€Å"cheap, efficient, and an appropriate alternative to short jail sentences† (571). Any crime that is committed must have a punishment linked to it to avoid a repeat of the offense. Serious crimes, for example, those that involve a murder obviously need the jail sentence that comes along with them. Nonviolent crimes, such as theft or littering could receive cheap and personal punishments with the implementation of shaming. Those against shaming are mostly thoseRead MoreThe Role Of Shaming And Its Effect On Society1713 Words   |  7 PagesAccording to John Braithwaite (1989), â€Å"Cultural commitments to shaming are the key to controlling all types of crime† (p. 55). Shaming is related to showing expressions about a certain act and making the offender feel guilty for the criminal act that they engaged in. The two different ways to shame criminal offenders are reintegrated and disintegrative. These two ways of shaming are extremely different, yet have a similar effect on the offenders after they commit a crime. These two different ideas bothRead MoreRestorative Justice Essay954 Words   |  4 Pagesthe offender from committing further crimes, but it does neither repair the harm caused, nor help them acknowledge their responsibility, instead it stigmatises them, worsening the situation instead of improving it (Johnstone 2003). â€Å"Stigmatisation is the kind of shaming that creates outcasts; it is disrespectful, humiliating† (p.85). It breaks the moral bonds between offender and community and can result in the creation of a destructive cycle that may result in fear and isolation. The shaming by stigmatisationRead MoreSociety s Ideology On Crime1163 Words   |  5 Pagesreintegrating offenders back into society. Society’s ideology on crime is often shaped from what they see and what they hear. The media often times places a strong emphasis on punishment when a crime is committed and the idea of reintegrating a variety of offenders back into society is unsettling for many. This can create stigmas and barriers for offenders to become productive members of society. â€Å"Simply defined, offender reintegration is all activity and programming conducted to prepare an offender to returnRead MoreTaking a Look at the Labeling Theory909 Words   |  4 Pagesdefined as a crime to be problematic. Among the issues addressed by labeling theory are defining deviance ba sed on primary deviance through implementing a label on the offender, discrimination by formal institutions, as well as the public based on what is defined as deviance, and continued deviance based on the label placed on offenders, which is known as secondary deviance in the labeling theory. Unlike traditional theories of deviance that use an absolute definition of deviance, labeling theory isRead MoreThe Four Theories Of Restorative Justice844 Words   |  4 PagesReintegrative Shaming Theory- The main claims of the theory are: â€Å"(1) tolerance of crime makes things worse; (2) stigmatization, or disrespectful, outcasting shaming of crime makes crime worse still; while (3) reintegrative shaming disapproval of the act within a continuum of respect for the offender, disapproval terminated by rituals of forgiveness, prevents crime† (Braithwaite, 2003, pg.47). According to Braithwaite, the restorative nature of the theory have work in Asia and the West. The shaming from theRead MoreCommunity Service For Nonviolent Offenders1159 Words   |  5 Pagesas a law-abiding citizen, although many people have suggestions on what is less cost-effective on how to rehabilitate a criminal and to free up the prison system for the violent offenders. A few think that community se rvice for nonviolent offenders can help them understand their wrong doings, others believe that shaming is beneficial, and some believe that putting them in prison is another form of rehabilitation. Therefore, I believe that if a person wants to change it will need to come from withinRead MoreA Article On Condemn The Crime, Not The Person1179 Words   |  5 PagesIn her article, â€Å"Condemn the Crime, Not the Person,† June Tangney argues that shaming causes more harm than good. She focuses on alternatives to traditional sentences instead of shaming and incarceration. As a more recent trend, officials are using shaming sentences more and more. Tangney states that it is important to know the distinction between shame and guilt. Tangney states, that research has shown feeling of guilt â€Å"involve a sense of tension and regret over the bad thing done.† Guilt makes

Parenting Styles And Their Influence On Children - 1264 Words

In some point of your life you may become a parent but just because you have a child or children does not mean you have the fundamentals of being a good parent. Raising children you should be ready to teach, construct develop have conformity in the home and nature skills into your child so they are ready for society and the world in their near future. When parenting a child there are serval ways to raise children. Many parents prefer different methods over others. Some parenting styles are use more than others and are much favorable than others. Different parenting styles bring out different characteristic and different reactions in a child social life and the way he or she may respond to life situations. Sometimes the style of parenting can even change as the child gets older and develop. Parenting styles could be understood as a context that moderates the influencing of specific parenting practices on the child (Darling Steinberg (1998). According to Windsor, A.L., Murrell, V.S, Magun-Jackson., S. (2015) Baumrind (1967) distinguished three main parenting skills Authoritarian, Authoritative and Permissive based on the degree of prenatal responsiveness and prenatal demandingness provided to the child. Years later Maccoby and Martin (1983) added Neglectful parenting styles to Baumrind three parenting styles models. You have some parenting styles that can destroy a child mentally, physical, emotionally and sometimes spiritually. To continue, as I mentioned there are fourShow MoreRelatedParenting Styles And Their Influence On Children798 Words   |  4 PagesParenting styles have a direct correlation to how a parent interacts with their child and how their child interacts with them. Diana Baumrind was a developmental psychologist that came up with four basic parenting styles that influence how children behave throughout their life (Kopko,2007). The parenting styles consist of authoritarian, authoritative, permissive and uninvolved. An authoritarian style is characterized when a parent barely shows warmth to their child and has desires to control theirRead MoreParenting Styles And Their Influence On Children995 Words   |  4 PagesParenting Styles Today, being a parent is obviously challenging in several different directions. Every parent has different opinions on how they believe they should parent and punish their children. Parenting styles can be described as the way in which a family is structured. There are four major parenting styles that are all used today. The four styles include authoritarian, authoritative, permissive, and uninvolved parenting. Each one of these styles have their advantages and disadvantages. EvenRead MoreParenting Styles And Their Influence On Children951 Words   |  4 Pages In this day in age there are various approaches to raising children. 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Majority of us are born with two arms, two legs, a head andRead MoreAttachment Theory and Parenting Style Influence on Children Essay1185 Words   |  5 PagesHow the child is raised and the parenting style used is a significant influence on that development by affecting the relationship between parent and child. This supports the Attachment theory in which emphasizes relationship between the child and caregiver as a key factor in development. My Caregiver’s Parenting Style My parents, my father specifically, believed that children should obey their elders without question and without hesitation. This outlook on parenting stems from their cultural backgroundRead MoreHow Parenting Styles Influence Children s Learning And Development1976 Words   |  8 PagesAs we have discovered, children are active learners from birth and parents are seen as children’s first educators. â€Å"Children of all ages need encouragement, adequate nutrition, shelter, parental interest in their schooling, and consistency in rules and expectations† (Barnes, 2006; Mental Health America, 2009, in Lamanna, Reidmann and Stewart, 2014:230) this should be in correspondence to the child’s age or development level. This chapter is going to explore theory from Baumrind to discover how differentRead MoreConsequences to Authoritarian Parenting 868 Words   |  4 Pagesadolescence offers the prospect to influence the child regularly. Parenting styles figures in as a prime part of a child’s mental health and behaviour. Parenting refers to the parent’s actions and reactions to their child, including expectations, beliefs and values. Diana Baumrind (1971, 1991), psychologist, based parenting on two aspects including control and warmth. Baumrind used the combination of these aspects in different ways to identify the four styles of parenting used today, consisted of, authoritativeRead MoreThe Fbi Behavior Analysis Unit1443 Words   |  6 PagesKarley Pecosky Psychology Parenting Styles The FBI Behavior Analysis Unit can profile a person down to the type of household they grew up in. Behavior as an adult, especially of a psychopath, is usually in correlation to a traumatic event of their childhood, usually involving their parents. The FBI has the ability to analyze all the behaviors of a person and tell you what kind of car they are mostly likely to drive, what profession they are most likely involved in, and in most cases, links toRead MoreDevelopment Of Infancy And Early Childhood1385 Words   |  6 Pagesdevelopment that occur during this time set the stage upon which further and more specific aspects of development will occur. There are many different external and internal components which influence and guide development during this time. These components include the individual’s family, including more specific parenting styles, as well as early education and the individual’s social environment. Each of these various aspects of development plays a critical and widespread role in these initial stages of developmentRead MoreEssay on Infancy and Early Childhood Development1654 Words   |  7 Pagesinteraction. Development begins during the prenatal period on up to the early years and depends on the nutritional, medical, emotional, and intellectual support of parents, family members, caregivers, and teachers (Cherry, 2011). Parenting styles also play a role in what influences development as well as early childhood education programs. During the prenatal period when a child’s development begins, thus being aware of many factors that can damage the fetus and the development of a healthy child. In

Night World Secret Vampire Chapter 8 Free Essays

string(103) " what do you eat for a midnight snack\?† Phil asked, his green eyes somber and almost childlike\." When the Jetta turned into the parking lot of a7-Eleven, James smiled. There was a nice isolatedarea behind the store, and it was getting dark. He drove his own car around back, then got out to watch the store entrance. We will write a custom essay sample on Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 8 or any similar topic only for you Order Now When Phil came outwith a bag, he sprang on him from behind. Phil yelled and fought, dropping the bag. It didn’tmatter. The sun had gone down and James’s powerwas at full strength. He dragged Phil to the back of the store and put him facing the wall beside a Dumpster. The classicpolice frisking position. â€Å"I’m going to let go now,† he said. â€Å"Don’t try torun away. That would be a mistake.† Phil went tense and motionless at the sound of hisvoice. â€Å"I don’twantto run away. I want to smash your face in, Rasmussen.† â€Å"Go ahead and try.† James was going to add,Makemy night, but he reconsidered. He let go of Phil, who turned around and regarded him with utter loathing. â€Å"What’s the matter? Run out of girls to jump?† hesaid, breathing hard. James gritted his teeth. Trading insults wasn’t going to do any good, but he could already tell it was going to be hard to keep his temper. Phil had that effect on him. â€Å"I didn’t bring you out here to fight.I brought you to ask you something. Do you care about Poppy?† Phil said, â€Å"I’ll take stupid questions for five hundred, Alex,† and loosened his shoulder as if gettingready for a punch. â€Å"Because if you do, you’ll get her to talk to me.You were the one who convinced her not to see me,and now you’ve got to convince her that shehastosee me.† Phil looked around the parking lot, as if calling for somebody to witness this insanity. James spoke slowly and dearly, enunciating eachword. â€Å"There is something I can do to help her.† â€Å"Because you’re Don Juan, right? You’re gonna heal her with your love.† The words were flippant,but Phil’s voice was shaky with sheer hatred. Not just hatred for James, but for a universe that would givePoppy cancer. â€Å"No. You’ve got it completely wrong. Look, youthink I was making out with her, or trifling with her affections or whatever. That’s not what was going onat all. I let you think that because I was tired ofgetting the third degree from you-and because Ididn’t want you to know what we weredoing.† â€Å"Sure, sure,† Phil said in a voice filled with equal measures of sarcasm and contempt. â€Å"So whatwereyou doing? Drugs?† James had learned something from his first encounter with Poppy in the hospital. Show and tellshould be done in that order. This time he didn’t sayanything; he just grabbed Phil by the hair and jerked his head back. There was only a single light behind the store, butit was enough togive Phil a good view of the baredfangs looming over him. And it was more thanenough for James, with his night vision, to see Phillip’s green eyesdilate as he stared. Phillip yelled, then went limp. Not with fear, James knew. He wasn’t a coward.With the shock of disbelief turning to belief. Phillip swore. â€Å"You’rea †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Right.† James let him go. Phil almost lost his balance. He grabbed at theDumpster for support. â€Å"I don’t believe it.† â€Å"Yes, you do,† James said. He hadn’t retracted hisfangs, and he knew that hiseyes were shining silver.Philhadto believe it with James standing right infront of him. Phil apparently had the same idea. He was staringat James as if he wanted to look away, but couldn’t.The color had drained out of his face, and he keptswallowing as if he were going to be sick. â€Å"God,† he said finally. â€Å"I knew there was something wrong with you. Weird wrong. I could neverfigure out why you gave me the creeps. So this is it.† I disgust him, James realized. It’s not just hatred anymore. He thinks I’m less than human. It didn’t augur well for the rest of James’s plan. â€Å"Now do you understand how I can help Poppy?† Phil shook his head slowly. He was leaning againstthe wall, one hand still on the Dumpster. James felt impatience rise in his chest. â€Å"Poppy hasa disease. Vampires don’t get diseases. Do you needa road map?† Phillip’s expression said he did. â€Å"If,†James said through his teeth, â€Å"I exchangeenough blood with Poppy to turn her into a vampire,she won’t have cancer anymore. Every cell in herbody will change and she’ll end up a perfect specimen: flawless, disease-free. She’ll have powers thathumans don’t even dream of. And, incidentally,she’ll be immortal.† There was a long, long silence as James watchedthis sink in with Phillip. Phil’s thoughts were toojumbled and kaleidoscopic for James to make anything of them, but Phil’s eyes got wider and his facemore ashen. At last Phil said, â€Å"You can’t do that to her.† It was thewayhe said it. Not as if he were protesting an idea because it was too radical, too new.Not the knee-jerk overreaction that Poppy had had. He said it with absolute conviction and utmost horror. As if James were threatening to steal Poppy’ssoul. â€Å"It’s the only way to save herlife,†James said. Phil shook his head slowly again, eyes huge andtrancelike. â€Å"No. No. She wouldn’t want it. Not atthat cost.† â€Å"What cost?† James was more than impatientnow, he was defensive and exasperated. If he’d realized that this was going to turn into a philosophical debate, he would have picked somewhere less public.As it was, he had to keep all his senses on the alertfor possible intruders. Phil let go of the Dumpster and stood on his owntwo feet. There was fear mixed with the horror in his eyes, but he faced James squarely. â€Å"It’s just-there are some things that humansthink are more important than just staying alive,† hesaid. â€Å"You’ll find that out.† I don’t believe this, James thought. He sounds likea junior space captain talking to the alien invadersin a B movie.You won’tfind Earth peoplequitethe easymark you imagine. Aloud, he said, â€Å"Are you nuts? Look, Phil, I wasborn in San Francisco. I’m not some bug-eyed monster from Alpha Centauri. I eat Wheaties forbreakfast.† â€Å"And what do you eat for a midnight snack?† Phil asked, his green eyes somber and almost childlike. â€Å"Or are the fangs just for decoration?† Walked right into that one, James’s brain told him.He looked away. â€Å"Okay. Touch?. There are somedifferences. I never said I was a human. But I’m notsome kind of-â€Å" â€Å"If you’re not a monster, then I don’t knowwhat is.† Don’t kill him, James counseled himself frantically.You have toconvincehim. â€Å"Phil, we’re not like what you see at the movies. We’re not all-powerful. We can’t dematerialize through walls or travel through time, and we don’t need to kill to feed. We’re not evil, at least not all of us. We’re not damned.† â€Å"You’re unnatural,† Phillip said softly, and James could feel that he meant it from his heart. â€Å"You’rewrong. Youshouldn’t exist.† â€Å"Because we’re higher up on the food chain thanyou?† â€Å"Because people weren’t meant to †¦feed †¦ on other people.† James didn’t say that his people didn’t think ofPhillip’s people as people. He said, â€Å"We only do whatwe have to do to survive. And Poppy’s already agreed.† Phillip froze. â€Å"No. She wouldn’t want to becomelike you.† â€Å"She wants to stay a!ive—or at least, she did, before she got mad at me. Now she’s just irrationalbecause she hasn’t got enough of my blood in her tofinish changing her. Thanks to you.† He paused, then said deliberately, â€Å"Have you ever seen a three-weekold corpse, Phil? Because that’swhat she’s going to become if I don’t get to her.† Phil’s face twisted. He whirled around and slammed a fist into the metal side of the Dumpster.†Don’t you think I know that?I’ve been living withthat since Monday night.† James stood still, heart pounding. Feeling the anguish Phil was giving off and the pain of Phil’s injured hand. It was several seconds before he was ableto saycalmly,†And you think that’s better than whatI can give her?† â€Å"It’s lousy. It stinks. But, yes, it’s better than turning into something that hunts people. Thatusespeo ple. That’s why all the girlfriends, isn’t it?† Once again, James couldn’t answer right away.Phil’s problem, he was realizing, was that Phil wasfar too smart for his own good. He thought too much.†Yeah. That’s why all the girlfriends,† he said at last,tiredly. Trying not to see this from Phil’s point of view. â€Å"Just tell me one thing, Rasmussen.†Phillip straightened and looked him dead in the eye. â€Å"Didyou†-he stopped and swallowed-â€Å"feed on Poppybefore she got sick?† â€Å"No.† Phil let out his breath. â€Å"That’s good. Because if you had,I’d have killed you.† James believed him. He was much stronger than Phil, much faster, and he’d never been afraid of ahuman before. But just at that moment he had nodoubt that Phil would somehow have found a way to do it. â€Å"Look, there’s something you don’t understand,†he said. â€Å"Poppy did want this, and it’s something we’ve already started. She’s only just beginning tochange; if she dies now, she won’t become a vampire.But she might not die all thee way, either. She couldend up a walking corpse. A zombie, you know?Mindless. Body rotting, but immortal.† Phil’s mouth quivered with revulsion. â€Å"You’re justsaying that to scare me.† James looked away. â€Å"I’ve seen it happen.† â€Å"I don’t believe you.† â€Å"I’ve seen it firsthand!†Dimly James realized hewas yelling and that he’d grabbed Phil by the shirtfront. He was out of control-and he didn’t care.†I’ve seen it happen to somebodyIcared about, allright?† And then, because Phil was still shaking his head:†I was only four years old and I had a nanny. Allthe rich kids in San Francisco have nannies. Shewas human.† â€Å"Let go,† Phil muttered, pulling at James’s wrist.He was breathing hard-he didn’t want to hear this. â€Å"I was crazy about her. She gave me everythingmy mom didn’t. Love, attention-she was never too busy. I called her Miss Emma.† â€Å"Let go.† â€Å"But my parents thought I was too attached to her.So they took me on a little vacation-and they didn’tlet me feed. Not for three days. By the time they brought me back, I was starving. Then they sent MissEmma up to put me to bed.† Phil had stopped fighting now. He stood with hishead bowed and turned to one side so he wouldn’thave to look at James. James threw his words at theaverted face. â€Å"I was only four. I couldn’t stop myself. And the thing is, I wanted to. If you’d asked me who I’d rather have die, me or Miss Emma, I’d’ve said me. But when you’re starving, you lose control. So I fed on her, and all the time I was crying and trying to stop. And when I finally could stop, I knew it wastoo late.† There was a pause. James suddenly realized that his fingers were locked in anagonizingcramp. He letgo of Phil’s shirt slowly. Phil said nothing. â€Å"She was just lying there on the floor. I thought,wait, if I give her my own blood she’ll be a vampire, and everything will be okay.† He wasn’t yelling anymore. He wasn’t even really speaking to Phillip, butstaring out into the dark parking lot. â€Å"So I cut myselfand let the blood run into her mouth. She swallowedsome of it before my parents came up and stoppedme. But not enough.† A longer pause-and James remembered why hewas telling the story. He looked at Phillip. â€Å"She died that night but not all the way. The twodifferent kinds of blood were fighting inside her. Soby morning she was walking around again-but shewasn’t Miss Emma anymore. She drooled and her skin was gray and her eyes were flat like a corpse’s.And when she started to-rot-my dad took her out to Inverness and buried her. He killed her first.† Bilerose in James’s throat and he added almost in a whisper, â€Å"I hope he killed her first.† Phil slowly turned around to look at him. For thefirst time that evening, there was something otherthan horror and fear in his face. Something like pity, James thought. James took a deep breath. After thirteen years of silence he’d finally told the storyto Phillip North,of all people. But it was no good wondering aboutthe absurdity. He had a point to drive home. â€Å"So take my advice. If you don’t convince Poppyto see me, make sure they don’t do an autopsy onher. You don’t want her walking around without herinternal organs. And have a wooden stake ready forthe time when you can’t stand to look at heranymore.† The pity was gone from Phil’s eyes. His mouth wasa hard, trembling line. â€Å"We won’t let her turn into†¦ some kind of halfalive abomination,† he said. â€Å"Or a vampire, either. I’m sorry about what happened to your Miss Emma,but it doesn’t change anything.† â€Å"Poppyshould be the one to decide-â€Å" But Phillip had reached his limit, and now he was simply shaking his head. â€Å"Just keep away from my sister,† he said. â€Å"That’s all I want. If you do, I’ll leaveyou alone. And if you don’t-â€Å" â€Å"What?† â€Å"I’m going to tell everybody in El Camino what you are. I’m going to call the police and the mayorand I’m going to stand in the middle of the streetand yell it.† James felt his hands go icy cold. What Phil didn’t realize was that he’d just made it James’s duty to killhim. It wasn’t just that any human who stumbled onNight World secrets had to die, but that one activelythreatening to tellabout the Night World had to die immediately, no questions asked, no mercy given. Suddenly James was so tired he couldn’t seestraight. â€Å"Get out of here, Phil,† he said in a voice drainedof emotion and vitality both. â€Å"Now. And if you reallywant to protect Poppy, you won’t tell anybody anything. Because they’ll trace it back and find out thatPoppy knows the secrets, too. And then they’ll killher-after bringing her in for questioning. It won’tbe fun.† â€Å"Who’re ‘they’? Your parents?† â€Å"The Night People. We’re all around you, Phil.Anybody you know could be one-including themayor. So keep your mouth shut.† Phillip looked at him through narrowed eyes. Thenhe turned and walked to the front of the store. James couldn’t remember when he’d felt so empty. Everything he’d done had turned out wrong. Poppywas now in more kinds of danger than he couldcount. And Phillip North thought he was unnatural andevil. What Phil didn’t know was that most of thetime James thought the same thing. Phillip got halfway home before he rememberedthat he’d dropped the bag with Poppy’s cranberryjuice and wild cherry Popsicles. Poppy had hardly eaten in the last two days, and when she did get hungry, it was for something weird. No-somethingred,he realized as he paid for a second time at the 7-Eleven. He felt a sick lurch in his stomach. Everything she wanted lately was redand at least semiliquid. Did Poppy realize that herself? He studied her when he went into her bedroom togive her a Popsicle. Poppy spent most of the time inbed now. And she was so pale and still.. Her green eyes werethe only alive thing about her. They dominated herface, glittering with an almost savage awareness. Cliff and Phil’s mother were talking about gettinground-the-clock nurses to be with her. â€Å"Don’t like the Popsicle?† Phil asked, dragging achair to sit beside her bed. Poppy was eyeing the thing with distaste. She tooka tiny lick and grimaced. Phillip watched her. Another lick. Then she put the Popsicle into anempty plastic cup on her nightstand. â€Å"I don’t know †¦ I just don’t feel hungry,† she said, leaning backagainst the pillows. â€Å"Sorry you had to go out fornothing.† â€Å"No problem.† God, she looks sick, Phil thought.†Is there anything else I can do for you?† Eyes shut, Poppy shook her head. A very smallmotion. â€Å"You’re a good brother,† she said distantly. She used to be so alive, Phil thought. Dad calledher Kilowatt or Eveready. She used to radiateenergy. Without in the least meaning to, he found himself saying, â€Å"I saw James Rasmussen today.† Poppy stiffened. Her hands on the bedspreadformed not fists, but claws. â€Å"He’d better keep awayfrom here!† There was something subtly wrong about her reaction. Something not-Poppy. Poppy could get fierce,sure, but Phil had never heard that animal tone inher voice before. A picture flashed through Phil’s mind. A creaturefromNight of the Living Dead,walking even though its intestines were spilling out. A living corpse likeJames’s Miss Emma. Was that really what would happen if Poppy diedright now? Was she that much changed already? â€Å"I’ll scratch his eyes out if he comes around here,†Poppy said, her fingers working on the spread like acat kneading. â€Å"Poppy-he told me the truth about what hereally is.† Strangely, Poppy had no reaction. â€Å"He’s scum,†she said. â€Å"He’s a reptile.† Something about her voice made Phillip’s fleshcreep. â€Å"And I told him you would never want to become something like that.† â€Å"I wouldn’t,† Poppy said shortly. â€Å"Not if it meanthanging around withhimfor eternity. I don’t want to see him ever again.† Phil stared at her for a long moment. Then heleaned back and shut his eyes, one thumb jammedagainst his temple where the ache was worst. Not just subtly wrong. He didn’t want to believe it, but Poppy wasstrange.Irrational. And now thathe thought about it, she’d been getting stranger everyhour since James had been thrown out. So maybe she was in some eerie in-between state. Not a human and not a vampire. And not able tothink dearly. Just as James had said. Poppy should be the one to decide. There was something he had to ask her. â€Å"Poppy?† He waited until she looked at him, her green eyes large and unblinking. â€Å"When we talked,James said that you’d agreed to let him-change you.Before you got mad at him. Is that right?† Poppy’s eyebrows lifted. â€Å"I’m mad at him,† sheconfirmed, as if this was the only part of the questionshe’d processed. â€Å"And you know why I like you?Because you’ve always hated him. Now we bothhate him.† Phil thought for a moment, then spoke carefully. â€Å"Okay. But when youweren’tmad at him, back then,did you want to turn into-what he is?† Suddenly a gleam of rationality showed in Poppy’s eyes. â€Å"I just didn’t want to die, â€Å"she said. â€Å"I was so scared-and I wanted to live. If the doctors could doanything for me, I’d try that. But they can’t.† Shewas sitting up now, staring into space as if she saw something terrible there. â€Å"You don’t know what itfeels like to know you’re going to die,† shewhispered. Waves of chills washed over Phillip. No, he didn’tknow that, but he did know-he could suddenly picture vividly-what it was going to be like forhimafter Poppy died. How empty the world was going tobe without her. For a long time they both sat in silence. Then Poppy fell back onto the pillows again. Phillipcould see pastel blue smudges under her eyes, as ifthe conversation had exhausted her. â€Å"I don’tthinkitmatters,† she said in a faint but frighteningly cheerfulvoice. â€Å"I’m not going to die anyway. Doctors don’t know everything.† So that’s how she’s dealing with it,Phillipthought.Total denial. He had all the information he needed, though. He had a clear view of the situation. And he knew whathe had to do now. â€Å"I’ll leave so you can get some rest,† he said to Poppy, and patted her hand. It felt very cool andfragile, full of tiny bones like a bird’s wing. â€Å"Seeyou later.† He slipped out of the house without telling anyone where he was going. Once on the road, he drovevery fast. It only took ten minutes to reach the apart ment building. He’d never been to James’s apartment before. James answered the door with a cold, â€Å"What areyou doing here?† â€Å"Can I come in? I’ve got something to say.† James stood back expressionlessly to let him in. The â€Å"place was roomy and bare. There was a singlechairbeside a very cluttered table, an equally clut tered desk, and a square unbeautiful couch. Cardboard boxes full of books and CDs were stacked inthe corners. A door led to a spartan bedroom. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"First of all, I have to explain something. I knowyou can’t help being what you are-but I can’t helphow I feel about it, either. You can’t change, andneither can I. I need you to understand that from the beginning.† James crossed his arms over his chest, wary anddefiant. â€Å"You can skip the lecture.† â€Å"I just need to make sure you understand, okay?†Ã¢â‚¬ What do youwant,Phil?† Phil swallowed. It took two or three tries before he could get the words out past the blockage of hispride. â€Å"I want you to help my sister.† How to cite Night World : Secret Vampire Chapter 8, Essay examples

World Religions Flashcard

World Religions