The Vampire Lestat essays

The Vampire Lestat essays Publisher: Ballantine Books Fiction A troubled young man named Lestat lives with, mother, father, and two older brothers in pre-revolutionary France. He has a special bond with his mother, Gabrielle. They are kindred spirits. Lestat runs off to Paris with his new best friend, Nicki. Nicki is an extremely talented violinist, but was forbidden by his father to pursue it as a career. One night, Lestat is kidnapped and turned into a vampire. His maker, a vampire who was turned at an old age, immediately destroys himself after giving a brief, vague explanation of what he has just done to him. Lestat is forced to keep this new life secret from his friends. Nicki grows suspicious of Lestats strange behavior. Lestat is soon confronted by Armand, the leader of a satanic vampire coven that lives by strict codes, rituals, and beliefs. Armand accuses Lestat of being a blasphemer for walking among mortal men and entering a church. Lestat asks Armand what he knows about the history of vampires. Armand tells him about th e one who made him, Marius, and how he saw him burned to death by the satanic ones. Armand goes on to tell him of the rumors of Marius surviving and living in Egypt, but swears they cannot be true. Lestat has an unexplainably strong feeling that he did survive and is out there somewhere. He sets out in search of Marius, hoping that his ancient wisdom will have the answers to his many questions. But will he find him? And if so, does Marius have the answers his questions? My favorite part of the book is when Lestat wakes up in the 1980s and becomes the lead singer of a metal band. His supernatural voice and dark poetry land the band in super-stardom, where Lestat proclaims to the world that he is a vampire, a big NO NO in the vampire culture. Most human fans think its just a gimmick and admire its originality, while others believ ...

Summary of the Proposal Essays

Summary of the Proposal Essays Summary of the Proposal Essay Summary of the Proposal Essay Name: Instructor: Course: Date: Summary of the Proposal 1. Executive Summary This report was prepared to study the macro and microenvironments of juice production in Norway and Brazil. There is less competition in Norway compared to Brazil due to the established company, the Boost Juice Bar. In order to improve sales in Norway, advertisements will be used during the Fifa World Cup that will take place in Brazil. Founded by Janine and Jeff Allis Australia in 2000, Boost Juice Bars is one of the most recognized business chains inside Australia with over 200 branches. Starting with $250,000 and the help of nutritionists, Janine formulated healthy juice products and still researches on various ways to better her product. Examples of products the company produces using its developed technology include skinny smoothies, fresh juices, low fat smoothies, bottled juices and light smoothies. The target market for the company is anyone who is health conscious. 2. Company Objectives and Strategy To achieve a high number of sales while growing its opportunities To promote its brand all over the world To gain a large proportion of the market share To achieve the above using Porter’s formula for competitive advantage 3. Political, cultural, economic, social and technological environments in Norway Norway is located in northern Europe and is bordered by Russia, Sweden and Finland. Its capital city is Oslo, and it has a monarchical government. It is one of the richest countries in northern Europe with vast technological developments. Religion is not a significant influence in the Norwegian society and women are equally represented as men. Norway also has a very rich culture and is a significant tourist destination. 4. Political, Cultural, Economic, Social and Technological Environments in Brazil Brazil is more and more being recognized for its advancements in technology that have been achieved through multiple research initiatives funded by the government. However, the country’s government has failed in housing its citizens, and though poverty rates have been reducing over the years, it is still a major problem. Despite the cultural diversity that makes the Brazilian society, class division is determined by economic ability and the color of one’s skin. 5. Comparing Australia to Brazil and Norway Australia has a political system similar to that of Norway and Brazil; though Brazil’s political system is slightly different because of instances of corruption. On the economic field, Brazil is gaining faster though both Australia and Norway are ahead of it. Technologically, both Norway and Australia are ahead of Brazil. Culturally, all the three countries are diverse. This means that the marketing techniques used by Booster Juice Company require an adjustment to suit in the different countries’ societies. This process involves a shift in product design, pricing, advertisement and transportation. 6. Product Market Analysis for Brazil and Norway Sales of health-associated products have been successful in Norway since Norwegians are health conscious people. Juice products sell well in Norway and are a vital competitor for other goods sold in the country. In Brazil, there is a growing awareness on the importance of healthy food products compared to junk food. The Norwegian market is in the final stages of growth because of the many sales made in the beginning stages. Both Norway and Brazil have distribution mechanisms including airports, supermarkets, seaports and store bars. Competitively, Booster juice is at a better position because of its product variety. Boost Juice should keep producing an alternative to junk foods and concentrate on various advertisement techniques in the forthcoming Fifa World Cup. Marketing objectives for Norway and Brazil are different due to the dissimilarities in societal structure.

Consumers goods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Consumers goods - Essay Example Based on the Annual Report of GKN (2005) the company is using the Option Pricing Model as its model in calculating the target price. First, it was reported that the Earnings per Share (EPS) was computed at 7.7 in 2005. The EPS is actually the net profit after tax divided by the outstanding shares of the company On the other hand, adjustments made in the financial report showed substantial reports. The value of EPS was subsequently changed to 22.1 after the adjustments were made. This is good news for the investors because the each share earned an additional 14.4 Sterling Pounds. According to the report, the change was made because of the impact of the restructuring and impairment charges, profits on the sale of business, and charges in the fair value of derivative financial instruments. The nature of the business suggests that the Discounted Cash Flow Model is the best model to be used in determining target prices.Premier Foods PLC uses Discounted Cash Flow as the model for computing target prices. Basically, all forecasted values provided by the firm emanate from the aforementioned model. In 2005, the actual EPS of the company is valued at 34. This is further divided into continuing and discontinuing EPS. The former accumulated an EPS of 15 and the latter contributed 19 earnings for share. The figures, however, were changed because of IFRS rules. The EPS of the company was reduced to 33.7 with the continuing and discontinuing registering 14.9 and 18.8 EPS respectively. ... Several changes were observed in the manner in which non-operating activities were reported. The decrease was made since most non-operating activities were excluded from the computation of the items needed to value the EPS of the company. Other changes in the business because of the IFRS have impacted the valuation of several elements. Still, the model used by the company is effective because Discounted Cash Flow value considers the effect of inflation in the computation of the future values in the financial statement. Using the Option Pricing Model is prevalent among firms with diverse operations. The target prices computations of Scottish and Newcastle PLC suggest that the Option Pricing Model was used. The Annual Report (2005) of the company has underlined several changes after the IFRS rules were mandated. Specifically, the effects of the changed were observed in the inclusion of cash and cash equivalents. In the EPS, the use of IFRS as guide for accounting has produced significant changes. Before the approval of IFRS use, the EPS was only 40. Using the guidelines provided by IFRS, the EPS of the firm ballooned to 200. Although other adjustments not related to IFRS were made, the value added after the use of IFRS was immense. Indeed, there is a possibility that the values were overstated. Hence, using the Discounted Cash Flow Model will provide an accurate view of target prices in the future operations. The group Annual Report (2005) of British American Tobacco has pointed that the model used for valuation of target prices is the Historical Cost convention. This supports the claim of financial analysts of the effect of inflation rates in the values reflected in the financial statements. According to the report, the company recorded an EPS of

Cause & Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cause & Effect - Essay Example In as much the Arab Spring has brought some impact into the governance system of many Islamic nations, it has failed in many ways to liberate the nations from authoritarianism and bad governance. According to The Economist (2014) Arab Spring has failed to liberate North African and Middle East states from totalitarianism, as many of the newly elected leaders follow the exact footsteps of their predecessors. It has led to the narrowing of the democratic state of the Islamic nations because the Islamic fundamentalists cannot tolerate dissenting opinions. Additionally, corruption and infringement of the rights of the citizens have since increased, especially in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. Contrary to its intended mission of bringing peace and uniting all Muslims living in the Islamic States, the Arab Spring has ignited fresh conflicts and terrorism in such states. The effect of this is that more than 300,000 people have dies in Syria since 2011 when the war erupted. Sectarian interests have been the cornerstone behind numerous conflicts that have wreaked havoc in the Middle East with the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) gaining the impetus to fight the Jihad war in Iraq (The Economist, 2014). In conclusion, the Arab Spring has had many adverse effects in North African states and the Middle East States. The Arab revolution has had many spill-over effects with many terrorist groups gaining momentum from the conflicts. For example, Al Qaeda has expanded its territory to many parts of the Middle East with Iraq being the hot spot. In addition, the Arab Spring has brought more divisions and deaths due to civil wars and continuous terrorist attacks (The Economist, 2014). The Economist (2014). Tethered by history: The failures of the Arab spring were a long time in the making. Retrieved from

John Smith Essay Example for Free

John Smith Essay Dear Hiring Manager: In response to your recent advertisement for Customer Service Manager, I have enclosed a copy of my resume for your review. As you will note, I have spent more than five years in the Customer Service profession in different positions of increasing responsibility. I have a track record with assisting customers and am skilled in communication and computer applications. My career is chronicled by meritorious promotions and the fact that I am well versed in interpersonal skills is a significant contributing factor to the successes I have achieved. I am seeking to further my career in the customer service field where I can maximize my communication and organizational skills to further business goal and bottom-line objectives. In my candidacy, you will find: A team oriented professional with a positive work ethic and deep commitment to providing excellent results A track record of excellent performance as an employee at my various places of employment The proven ability to build genuine rapport. Your review of my enclosed resume to explore a possible match between your needs and my skills is much appreciated. I would welcome the opportunity to meet with you in person to learn more about your business and to explore employment possibilities. You may reach me at 802-555 5550 or via email at [emailprotected] com Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Sincerely, John Smith Enclosure.

Isabel Allende?s ?Two Words :: essays research papers

Loss and Survival in Isabel Allende’s â€Å"Two Words† Because Belisa Crepusculario had such a difficult childhood in which she experienced so much loss in her life, she is forced to become a stronger person both mentally and physically to survive such devastating circumstances. It will ultimately be this strong sense of survival that she develops through these experiences of great loss, which will guide her through the survival of life threatening situations. Belisa had a rough childhood. She was born into a family that was very poor. On top of dealing with poverty, Belisa also had to deal with living in a place that wasn’t suited very well for inhabitants. This quote explains her childhood quite well. â€Å"Belisa Crepusculario had been born into a family so poor they did not even have names to give their children. She came into the world and grew up in an inhospitable land where some years the rains became avalanches of water that bore everything away before them and others when not a drop fell from the sky and the sun swelled to fill the horizon and the world became a desert. Until she was twelve, Belisa had no occupation or virtue other than having withstood hunger and the exhaustion of centuries† (10). I believe that this quote sets up the rest of the story about Belisa because it portrays her as someone who endured many hardships as a young child and those are what helped her become a stronger person for those hardships. Belisa also had to endure great loss of family members as a young child. She was the only child out of her five siblings to survive a horrible drought that swept through the area where she lived, that claimed her four siblings. This quote explains those circumstances. â€Å"During one interminable drought, it fell to her to bury four younger brothers and sisters; when she realized that her turn was next, she decided to set out across the plains in the direction of the sea, in hopes that she might trick death along the way† (10). I believe that her strong will to survive is what made her leave home, because she did not want to just whither away into death like the rest of her family had done. She wants to live and that was quite evident. While Belisa is making her way toward the sea, she encounters others who are doing likewise, to avoid the great drought.

Al Qaeda 4

Paper 1 – Al-Qaeda 10/19/10 It would not at all be surprising if this decade comes to be known as the decade of terrorism in years to come. Since the turn of the millennium, terrorism, maybe more than any other global issue or topic, has plagued the world stage with constant news and horror. It can be argued that terrorism is a problem with no solution and no end in sight. The Islamic militant group, Al-Qaeda, is the most well known terrorist organization in the world.Al-Qaeda has been held accountable for some of the most tragic and horrifying acts of terror in history. Still, many people do not fully understand what Al-Qaeda is, who is behind it, and why it exists. A fluid, agreed-upon definition does not exist for the extremist organization, run by Osama bin Laden and responsible for the September 11th terrorist attacks, but rather a multitude of beliefs on the number, strength, and whereabouts of Al-Qaeda. Most researchers and historians point to August 11th, 1988 as the o rigin of Al-Qaeda as an organized group.However, it was the events leading up to this meeting that caused Osama bin Laden and a small group of extremist leaders to officially organize what had grown into a large, strong Islamic following. From December 1979 through February 1989, the Soviet Union was engaged in a war with Afghanistan. The communist Soviet Union allied with the Afghan Marxist regime in order to fight the native Afghan mujahideen (Burke and Allen). The United States channeled funds to the native Afghanis in order to stop the spread of communism by the Soviet Union in a CIA program called Operation Cyclone.There are many people today that are of the belief that it was this CIA program that kick started Al-Qaeda, and that the US was directly responsible for the growth and success of the same terrorist organization that executed the most devastating attack on US soil (Dixon). Once the war ended, Osama bin Laden met with the leader of the Egyptian Islamic-Jihad, Abdullah Azzam and planned to expand their newly founded organization. Al-Qaeda relocated to Sudan from 1992 to 1996.During this time, Al-Qaeda grew through various forms of terrorist attacks, until the Saudi Arabian government exiled Osama bin Laden and forced him and his followers to once again relocate to avoid conflict (Bergen). After the Soviets left Afghanistan, there was a period of great turmoil and anarchy that took hold. There was no established form of government, and many separate groups claimed the rights to certain territories throughout the country. This was the perfect time for bin Laden and Al-Qaeda to return home and regain power in Afghanistan.They teamed up with the Taliban, an organization that garnered its strength through the education and training of children. The Taliban had been the most successful group to rise to power, and many recognized them as the governing entity in Afghanistan. With the protection and support from the Taliban, bin Laden was able to mobilize and organize Al-Qaeda into a dominant and strategically planned terrorist organization (Burke and Allen). Al-Qaeda’s mission has been summarized as â€Å"centralization of decision and decentralization of execution. In other words, bin Laden hoped to form a group in which he and a few close advisors would set out guidelines and make decisions for the smaller cells that would then spread around throughout the world and execute his attacks. Structurally, Al-Qaeda is formed just like any other corporation, with senior executives at the top and then smaller, less powerful roles towards the bottom. Bin Laden is the emir, which is the highest power in the organization, almost king-like. Ayman al-Zawahiri is Al-Qaeda's Deputy Operations Chief, and is known as bin Laden’s second in command.Similar to other organizations and corporations, Al-Qaeda has several divisions that handle issues specific to their role. First, the Military Operative is the most destructive and infamous . It is responsible for training soldiers, acquiring weapons, and planning attacks around the world. Second, the Money/Business Committee is responsible for providing the funding for the training operatives and attacks, using the hawala banking system (informal value transfer system that is not used in the United States).The Law Committee rules on whether certain actions follow Islamic law. The Islamic Study/Fatwa Committee issues religious edicts, also known as fatwas, that the rest of the organization and even the territory it controls must follow. For example, in 1998, Al-Qaeda issued a fatwa that all Muslims should kill any American if given the chance. The most recent addition to Al-Qaeda has been the formation of As-Sahab, Al-Qaeda’s media outlet that supplies video and audio recordings and sends them out to the rest of the world (Inside Al-Qaeda).Tapes of bin Laden have been released to the United States where he takes responsibility for the September 11th attacks, as well as numerous other hateful speeches about the evils of Western culture and perceived Muslim intolerance. Although there is a large following of people that believe Al-Qaeda has been dismantled and broken down since the War on Terror, evidence still points to a structurally organized and strategically planned organization in which each department works in conjunction with each other to carry out acts of terror.Osama bin Laden is advised by a Shura Council, estimated to consist of twenty to thirty members, who make plans and decisions for the entire organization. They recently released a document called â€Å"Al-Qaeda’s Strategy to the Year 2020† in which they outlined their military, political, and religious goals for the organization in the upcoming years. The strategy can be summarized into five stages. First, provoke the United States into invading a Muslim country. This was successfully executed once the United States invaded Afghanistan following the September 11th attacks.Second, incite local resistance to occupying forces. This way, Al-Qaeda creates the enemy and turns the natives against the foreign invaders, thereby leaving them as the only reliable solution to restore â€Å"peace†. Third, engage surrounding countries in the war so that the United States is trapped in a â€Å"long war of attrition†. Fourth, convert Al-Qaeda into a set of operating principles and ideologies that can be franchised into smaller countries and smaller cells. Then, these cells will engage the United States and its allies until they can no longer fight and must withdraw.Al-Qaeda was able to do this with the 2004 Madrid train bombings, but failed to impact British involvement with the July 7, 2005 London bombings. Finally, the fifth stage, which has thankfully yet to occur, is that the United States’ economy will crumble due to too many engagements in too many areas, and any allied nations supported by the United States will fall as well. Al-Qaeda will then be able to take control and set up the desired form of government, a Wahabi Caliphate, throughout the region (Atwan).Al-Qaeda has been responsible for several acts of terror in the 1990’s and 2000’s that were designed with the intent of furthering Al-Qaeda’s mission. In 1992, Al-Qaeda successfully executed its first terrorist attack. Two bombs were detonated in Aden, Yemen. The first target was Movenpick Hotel and the second was the parking lot of the Goldmohur Hotel. Although no Americans were killed and it went with little notice in the United States, the attack did signify the first attack on Western culture by Al-Qaeda.Then, in 1993, Ramzi Yousef used a truck bomb to explode one of the World Trade Center towers. The plan was that the bomb would crumble the foundation of the first tower, sending it into the second tower and resulting in the collapse of both. Although the plan did not work to perfection, it did kill six people and put Al-Qa eda on the radar as a potential threat to American security. There were several other attacks in the late 1990’s, such as the bombing of the U. S. S. Cole, a military destroyer based off of Yemen that killed 17 US servicemen (Terrorism Project).However, no attack in history has come close to the tragedy of September 11th, 2001. The September 11th attacks were the culmination and result of Al-Qaeda’s growth, organization, and mission. Once bin Laden was able to mobilize the extremist followers, he was ready to execute the first stage of its mission strategy. On September 11th, Al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial airliners. The hijackers flew two planes into both towers of the World Trade Center, eventually collapsing both towers into debris and destruction.Another plane crashed into the Pentagon, and a fourth was originally intended for Washington, D. C. , but crash-landed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. These attacks left 3,000 people dead and countless injured, allowing i t to be the worst attack in American history (Bin Laden). Following the attacks, an extreme sense of national unity erupted in the United States, and George Bush’s administration had no choice but to wage war against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban regime. The War on Terror began on October 7, 2001 with the first set of US troops landing in Afghanistan.The original plan was executed swiftly and successfully, and by early 2002, Al-Qaeda had been dealt a serious blow. Many of its top executives and leaders were either captured or killed, and many of its training facilities and bases were destroyed. By the end of 2004, the United States government estimated that two-thirds of Al-Qaeda’s most senior figures had been captured and interrogated by the CIA. However, Osama bin Laden was able to escape each attempt at capture, and is still believed to be hiding out in an undisclosed location.Overall, the initial strike in the War on Terror was deemed a success, even though the aftermat h has divided the nation and raised serious questions about the United States’ involvement in the Middle East (9/11 Commission Report). The world changed forever on September 11th, 2001. Aside from the tragic consequences and the unfathomable death toll, a new evil was officially born into the world. There had been terrorist attacks before, but none that shook the United States, and the world stage, as much as September 11th did. As a result, this decade has been plagued by fear of terror.New organizations and strategies have emerged that solely engage in counter-terrorist activities. Airport security has been completely revamped following an extreme fear in almost all Americans that caused aviation activity to decrease significantly after the attacks. So, after all that Al-Qaeda has been accused of, and after all the intense fear that spread throughout the country, why is it that there are still such differing beliefs and theories on Al-Qaeda? Why do some people believe that , for the most part, it has become a brand name that smaller terrorist groups use, but in reality have no real affiliation with the defeated organization?And on the other hand, why are there people who strongly contest these views and believe that Al-Qaeda is still a functioning, organized militia run by Osama bin Laden? I am not sure whether there is a right or wrong answer, but a serious concern in the minds of both beliefs is that terrorism, as a threat, could be one that proves insolvable.Works Cited â€Å"The 9/11 Commission Report. † National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. . Atwan, Abdel Bari. The Secret History of Al-Qaeda. Los Angeles, California: University of California, 2006. Google Books. Bergen, Peter. â€Å"The Osama Bin Laden I Know. Internet Archive: Wayback Machine. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. . â€Å"Bin Laden Claims Responsibility for 9/11. † CBC News. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. . Burke, Jason, and Paddy Allen. â€Å"The Five Ages of Al-Qaida. † Latest News, Comment and Reviews from the Guardian | Guardian. co. uk. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. . Dixon, Norm. â€Å"How the CIA Created Osama Bin Laden. † Green Left Weekly. Web. 14 Oct. 2010. . â€Å"Inside the Alqaeda Terrorist Network. † Middle East: MidEastWeb. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. . â€Å"List of Known Terrorist Organizations. † CDI – Center for Defense Information – Security Policy Research Organization. Web. 15 Oct. 2010. .