An Analysis of Saigon Morin Hotel in Hue City Thorough 7ps in Marketing Strategies

TITLE An analysis of Saigon Morin Hotel in Hue city thorough 7Ps in marketing strategies INTRODUCTION The ability to market a hotel in the appropriate way to the appropriate market is essential to the success of the business. For this to succeed, those in key roles need to understand the product that they are selling and the market to which it is being sold. Managers maximize their returns through understanding the market they are operating in and applying those marketing techniques that can best attract guests. Hotels are a service industry. Hotel products have the following characteristics: inseparability, intangibility, perishability, and variability. As society has changed, with people having more disposable income and more free time, there has been a growing awareness and desire by a greater number of people for service-orientated products such as hotels. Along with this growth, understanding is needed for the products that are being marketed. Since the early 1960s many marketers have been using the â€Å"4Ps† marketing mix: (1) product, (2) price, (3) promotion, (4) place. Consideration is given to the change that would result from varying the product, price, promotion, and place in achievement of the organization goals. However, use of the 4Ps is limiting when considering a service orientated business such as a hotel as it does not adequately reflect the complexity of the product. In response to the limitations of the 4Ps marketing mix, Booms and Bitner (1981) proposed a 7P marketing mix. These 7Ps included the 4Ps, adding People, Process, and Physical evidence. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Marketing mix plays an important role in enhancing business efficiency of enterprises. Nowadays, it does apply to not only the material products but also the services, lodging service for example. The marketing mix has affected dramatically customer satisfaction, cutting edge of competitiveness of service enterprises†¦ Saigon Morin Hotel is well-known as the leading hotel in Hue. However, it has been strived to overcome threats coming from the market. Above all, they are faced to the new potential competitors, such as Celadon Hotel, La Resident Hotel, Hue Green Hotel, etc†¦ PURPOSE In order to enhance the business efficiency of Saigon Morin Hotel, the study was carried out on the efforts putting the marketing mix into practice from the customer viewpoints, from which solutions was made to improve the marketing mix for the hotel businesses. The aim of my research is to assess the implementation of marketing-mix product stay at Hotel Saigon Morin, which focused analysis of state marketing-mix elements of the hotel, identifying constraint. The purpose is to propose solutions to improve marketing-mix policies contribute to resolving the issues. METHODOLOGY Research of my topic will require the collection of many statistically figures and hard data. For this reason, I will collect a good part of the data from online sources and files. The theoretical framework is based on â€Å"Principles & Practice of Marketing† book by Jim Blythe. This framework illustrated the outline of marketing planning process for service organizations. However, the phase of formulating marketing objectives and strategies will be focused. When researching the Saigon Morin Hotel, I will depend highly on files and documentation of statistical figures as well as my ability to collect information from managers and employees via the interview process. A good part of my research period will be spent in Hue city interviewing Saigon Morin Hotel customers and non Saigon Morin Hotel consumers alike to gain differing perspectives on the hotel industry. Interviews will be conducted with the help of my uncle who is currently working for Saigon Morin Hotel. I plan to spend time in this hotel interviewing customers and employees of the hotel to understand how this hotel has personally affected the people. Furthermore, I plan to spend a brief period in this hotel interviewing the Sales and Marketing manager in order to understand how the people at base of this hotel industry have been impacted by the global expansion of this hotel. Lastly, observational skills will be essential in all stages of my research in order to gain a first-hand perspective of the role that 7Ps plays in the success of the hotels and analyze how 7Ps affected in the operation of this hotel industry. LIMITATIONS This research has numerous restrictions that must be taken into account for including: a short time frame, my level of experience, my skills in research methods, language barrier. I remain optimistic that all the limitations foreseen can be overcome. DESCRIPTION OF THE HOTEL Built in 1901 by French, the Morin Hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Vietnam. Survived through many wars, this is more than a hotel. It is a part of the history of Hue city in the last 100 years. Now lovingly restored to its century-old glory, Saigon Morin is once ready to live up to its reputation as the choice of celebrities, intrepid adventures and businessmen. The Hotel offers everything a discerning traveler would expect form a world class hotel without sacrificing the old world charm that made the Morin Hotel legendary. CUSTOMER SATISFACTION According to the statistics, customers staying in Saigon Morin Hotel stated that 88% people are willing to recommend this hotel to others. What is more, the level of this hotel among 123 people is listed below: Excellent: 52 people Very good: 45 people Average: 15 people Poor: 7 people Terrible: 3 people Ms. Phika from UK said â€Å"Great Hotel in Hue. We stayed in a deluxe river view room. There are marble floors in the hall and bath, the rest is hardwood and it is creaky†¦ no sneaking quietly to the bath at night. The room was bright, the lighting good with one window wall with a view of the Perfume River. The plumbing is very modern and cool. The king size bed is comfortable and elegant looking when you arrive. The pillows to sleep on were huge and gave neck pain the next day, so I ended up sleeping on a smaller decorator pillow. The staffs are very helpful and kind. The included buffet breakfast has a good selection and lunch is good at $9 U. S. for pizza/soup or sandwich. The fitness area really needs a better lay out! Right now the bathrooms are in the restaurant, the equipment in an open area and a shower outside with a curtain. You would have to dry off and dress in the shower. Other than that, it is a wonderful five star hotel and we certainly would use it again. † Ms. Susan Skate from Florida, America said: â€Å"Loved this hotel! I've been all over the world on business, and I've rarely had a bigger or more beautiful room, complete with lovely seating area with French doors opening onto a balcony that overlooked the riverfront street below. Staff was friendly, food excellent and the halls were lined with vintage photos of the colonial days of Hue, perhaps Vietnam's most beautiful city. If you're here on business, internet connections were good, though allow time to see this fabulous city! † RESEARCH RESULTS 1. Characteristics of the hotel guests source Customers primarily Saigon Morin Hotel is the tourists that require high quality good service and high affordability. Situation of customers and fluctuations target market of the hotel were studied through data in the period 2002-2004. Market primarily Saigon Morin Hotel is international guests. International visitors in 2002 accounting for 94. 6% of total visitors in 2004 accounting for 92. 7%. Particularly in 2003, the proportion of international visitors was reduced to 86. 5% due to the impact of the Sars epidemic. Most come from France, America and Japan. Total number of visitors from these three markets account for more than 50% of international tourists and visitors from other sources in this market also tends to increase over the years in the period. Based on these statistics, the project has identified target market is the French market customers. Two very large market potential for hotel focus is directed to the American market customers and customer markets in Japan. 2. Fluctuation on the number of guests to the hotel – the seasonal Observation chart shows the fluctuations of the number of visitors over the months in 2002 and 2004, we easily recognize the seasonal computer products stay in the hotel's Saigon Morin. High season welcoming guests of the hotel is between October and March next year. At this season, booking a large volume, while the capacity of the hotel reception is limited, therefore, the planning reception guests are considered the most important work. In the summer, although the peak season for domestic tourists but Saigon Morin Hotel start season away customers because the weather is too hot at this time – type the harsh summer climate is not suitable for travel habits calendar of most tourist Europe, America. Review the implementation of marketing-mix elements of the hotel Topics conducted evaluating the implementation of marketing-mix elements based on the reviews of customers about the marketing policies of the hotel. Likert scale used to measure customer perception of marketing policy of the hotel. Assessment of clients felt made based on statistical frequency and point average (see table 1) Group 1: Average Scores on the satisfaction of customers with Product stay hotel |The criteria |Mean frequencies and statistics | | |n |Mean |Standard Deviation | |1 – Product Policy | | | | |Trademarks |125 |4. 7 |0. 96 | |Professional |125 |4. 09 |0. 74 | |Enthusiasm |125 |4. 22 |1. 28 | |Advantage position |125 |4. 46 |0. 85 | |Beautiful scenery |125 |4. 45 |1. 84 | |Comfort level |125 |4. 01 |1. 2 | |Sanitation |125 |3. 91 |1. 56 | |Safety |125 |4. 18 |0. 71 | |Food supplements |125 |3. 40 |1. 93 | |2 – Price Policy | | | | |Calculated satisfactorily |125 |3. 5 |0. 53 | |Competitive |125 |3. 72 |0. 98 | |Flexibility |125 |3. 27 |0. 64 | |Information for visitors |125 |3. 36 |0. 1 | |3 – Distribution Policy | | | | |Communication Arts |125 |3. 97 |1. 13 | |Identify and meet needs |125 |4. 10 |1. 28 | |Practices professional welcome guests |125 |3. 90 |0. 94 | | Gadget information |125 |3. 3 |0. 68 | |4 – Promotion Policy | | | | |Methods promote |125 |3. 74 |1. 12 | |Content Information |125 |4. 26 |0. 98 | |Effective |125 |4. 18 |0. 76 | (Source: The total number of sample surveys. Apr point Likert: 5-Very satisfied, 1-Dissatisfied). ? * D? i v? i chinh sach s? n ph? m, di? m trung binh c? a cac tieu chi du? c danh gia kha cao, For policy products, the average score of the criteria are evaluated fairly high, above 4 points. However, the needs of customers around the fact that so very diverse in some criteria are relatively large standard deviations. ? For pricing, the average score in the range from 3 to 4 points and standard deviation of the statistics does not show that most large customers are not really happy with the pricing of the hotel. Considering on the market aspects these results show the status of supply and demand larger customers to accept higher prices. Here, again explained the strategic pricing Skimming price of the hotel. ? For distribution policy, customers were able to evaluate better identify and meet customer needs by staff in the hotel. This is actually a strong point of the hotel because of the ability to identify and meet the needs of customers will stimulate more customer needs a new higher level, more diversified. ? For policy promotion, customers appreciate the content information of the hotel product. With the significant (? 0. 05), the average standard deviation is 4. 26 and 0. 98 has shown the influence of information content of the advertising message to the detailed evaluation of customer policy in promoting the hotel product. 3. Analysis of factors affecting the policy development for the product marketing mix-stay hotel By using the factors selected for study evaluation of marketing polic ies of the hotel as independent variables affect the overall assessment of policy marketing-mix of customers, we use the model feedback Stepwise Regression for the rules selected variables affect the feelings of many customers. With a variable selection criteria for inclusion in the model is the probability of F ? 0. 05 and statistical criteria to make a variable from the model is statistical probability of F ? 0. 10; through the steps of current, Stepwise Regression method of selecting the factors have significant impact felt by customers for each marketing policy of the hotel. Regression models obtained from the specific results of data processing as follows: ? 2. 3. 1 K? t qu? phan tich cac nhan t? ?nh hu? ng d? n chinh sach s? n ph? m c? a khach s? n The analysis of factors affecting the policy of the hotel roduct Four-step implementation, the Stepwise Regression method selected four factors are related linearly to the customers feel about the policies of the enterprise product, the brand, safety, professionalism and advantages the location of hotels. ? The analysis of factors affecting the pricing of the hotel Two steps of implementation, Stepwise Regression method of selecting two factors have a major impact on customer evaluations of the hotel pricing is calculated by the price and adequate information about the ability to price policies hotel customers. The analysis of factors affecting the distribution policy of the hotel Regression Stepwise regression method was chosen two elements are related closely (linear relationship) with detailed reviews of customers about the distribution policy of the hotel is its pure in professional welcome guests Practices and the level of utility system needs to receive bookings for guests. Here are two factors that customers place the greatest concern expressed about the level of satisfaction in marketing distribution policy-mix of the hotel. The analysis of factors affecting the promotion policy of the hotel From the results on the treatment Regression Stepwise regression models, has identified two factors of group policies to promote products is related linearly to detailed reviews of customers about the marketing-mix policies. Thus, if the h otel focuses on content selection to promote an effective way to increase customer reviews a review on the content level of customer satisfaction marketing-mix policies of the hotel will increase 0. 207 points. Similar explanation, we will see the impact of the selection methods to promote products to the effectiveness of marketing-mix policies of the entire company. People refer to the customers, employees, management and everybody else involved in it. It is essential for everyone to realize that the reputation of the brand that you are involved with is in the people's hands. To be able to understand those characteristics it is necessary to comprehend the basic human characteristics of needs, wants, and demands. People, including employees, stakeholders, and guests, are the core component of the hotel industry. A key part of marketing a hotel to the guest requires an understanding of the needs, wants, and demands of the potential and returning guest. ? Needs – human beings have many basic needs including food, clothing, safety, feeling of belonging, and so on. When these basic needs are not met the person takes one of two actions: (1) looks for an object that will satisfy the need, or (2) tries to reduce the need. These are influenced by individual personality and culture. ? Wants – communication of needs – wants are viewed as things that will satisfy needs. Demands – buying power of wants – people have many wants, but may only have limited ability to purchase; when a person has the ability to purchase a want it becomes a demand. The decision to purchase a hotel product normally begins with a need and is affected by some type of stimuli, for example a television commercial, a newspaper advertisement, or the Internet. In many situations the development of a need is a subtle process. Although it may be observed that some people suddenly express that they need something, often this is the outward expression of a developing inner feeling of need. Training has to be on a wide perspective as, even nowadays, there is a big demand of basic training skills, the hotel industry will need, in the near future, a big number of well-trained staff at all levels of the structure, from top management to basic staff like waiters, etc. It refers to the methods and process of providing a service and is hence essential to have a thorough knowledge on whether the services are helpful to the customers, if they are provided in time, if the customers are informed in hand about the services and many such things. The development of needs in the consumer is a major component of marketing success. In the selection process, customers make repeated decisions as they continually attempt to satisfy their perceived needs. Potential customers looking for a hotel room make a number of decisions when choosing where to stay. The process that they go through in the selection of a product is important for hotel management to understand. Management should know (1) that a particular hotel will be evaluated differently by different guests, (2) where a particular guest is satisfied with one hotel that they may be dissatisfied with another, and (3) the perceptions of guests change over time and with experience. The decision process by potential guests is a complex process. All consumers are the same, they are influenced by numerous factors such as personality, culture and so on. When their needs are put into a condition where they can be communicated they then become wants. There are the things that a person perceives as having the power to satisfy their needs. This is the beginning of the search process, and the selection of alternatives that would have the ability to satisfy the needs. Although a consumer may identify many needs and wants, not all of these are converted into a demand for a product. As a result of limited ability to purchase, only a few of the needs and wants may be converted into demands. The ability to purchase relates to the many factors that make up the individual, which include such things as age, income, life experience, gender, previous purchase experiences, etc. An important part of the marketing process is therefore to understand those characteristics that make us individuals and to try to recognize this in such a way that there is a large enough market to successfully target. This process is called market segmentation. To adapt all organizational processes, public and private, in order to become highly competitive in the markets. 4. Other problems exist in the policy-mix Marketing By studying the status of development and implementation of policies for marketing mix products stay hotel, the project has discovered a number of problems exist as follows: First, the policy of the hotel product still matters inadequacies, not bring high satisfaction to customers. The most noteworthy point is the system of complementary products of the hotel also monotonous and lack of tourists has found that demand true. Second factor in the pricing information of the product has not stay just lack sufficient flexibility has become a problem hindering attraction of the hotel guests. Thirdly, marketing plan of Saigon Morin Hotel was a matter of professionalism in the process of distributing products to the market (actually done work and selling) of the hotel still many problems to overcome. Finally, the existence of the work is to promote and advertise products. Besides the way of marketing effectiveness, creating a good impression to customers, policies to promote products of the hotel is still a gap between supply and demand. 5. The solutions to improve the policy mix in Marketing-Hotel Saigon Morin †¢ A good quality service when it meets the needs and expectations of customers. Therefore, the policy development products, hotels have researched the ability to match the product to market, especially the target market. †¢ For high culture and art of receiving and processing feedback from customers. Upon receiving the feedback from customers, the receiving departments must explain how, skillfully handled in the shortest time. †¢ Hotels have agreed a methodology than science products, has had to rely on the specific objectives of the hotel as input costs, power use prevention and plans for sales but also to based on factors beyond the control of seasonal businesses such as computer, the competition in the market. †¢ In reality, there are some guests are not as profitable but higher for hotels large effect in promoting the image and enhance the prestige of the hotel. In this case, the hotel should not be too focused on sales targets which must seize the opportunity to perform activities public relations (PR – Publish Relation). †¢ Hotels must continue to improve the system of distribution channels. Special consideration must be to develop more representative offices in the domestic market and a source of major customers such as Japan, America, Germany †¦ †¢ Activities to promote, promote products must consider two issues mainly the content and methods to promote products. Depending on the object receiving the broadcast messages must be designed to match and bring the most effective. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION The hotel industry is highly competitive and the right knowledge about customer values and demands is essential to differentiate from competitors and gain sustainable competitive advantage. Implementing traditional marketing strategies is often no longer enough to achieve this goal. Relationship marketing has increasingly become more important, as this concept suggests more focus on retaining the customer and creating a win- win situation with a long- term perspective. In traditional marketing there is more focus on acquisition. Most importantly a good balance between acquisition and retention directed to the right segments is essential for future success. Marketing-mix of the overall effort of the business, it is not just built for a tangible product, but also often made for products and services such as product staying. Elements of the marketing-mix is as extremely important role in directing the business operations of the hotel stay and raise the competitiveness of the hotel market. Study of components marketing-mix policies of the Saigon Morin Hotel, we found that, besides the outstanding marketing can be effective for products of the hotel, there are still some problems exist as a system of complementary products also monotonous, lack of product has its own characteristics and meet the demands of the customer (product), pricing policy of the hotel still lacks flexibility, the valuation information to customers lack sufficient (Price), the procedure has not reached professional levels of expertise (distribution) and methods to promote the product not really effective, it is still a gap between supply and demand (Promotion). This reality requires the hotel to soon have the marketing policy adjustment in order to comply with the requirements of the market in the near future. Nh? ng v? n  d? du? c nghien c? u va trinh bay trong d? tai nghien c? u nay s? khong danh gia h? t t? t c? nh? ng n? l? marketing ma khach s? n dang theo du? i, cung nhu nh? ng gi? i phap d ? xu? t khong ph? i la hoan toan uThese problems are studied and presented in this research project will evaluate all the marketing efforts being pursued by the hotel, as well as proposed solutions are not entirely advantages Vietnamese. These elements are the marketing-mix tools, the specific objectives to help the hotel achieve common goals and strategic long-term, thereby, creating sustainable growth in the market. OUTLINE OF CONTENT 1. Introduction 2. Methods 3. Research Limitations 4. Description of the hotel 5. Customer satisfaction 6. Research Results 7. Conclusion and Recommendation

Succubus on Top CHAPTER 8

â€Å"Georgina?† I looked up from a baffling return Tammi had asked me to help her with. A customer without a receipt was attempting a refund on a stack of books with dog-eared pages and broken spines, claiming all of them were duplicates someone had just given him for his birthday. â€Å"Just a sec,† I told her. â€Å"I've got to finish this.† â€Å"Okay,† Beth said. â€Å"I just thought you should check out Casey.† â€Å"Casey?† â€Å"Yeah. She's up in the cafe.† That snagged my attention. I finished up with the customer, telling him nicely that we couldn't accept books in this condition. Maybe if the alleged other books were in better shape, he could bring those in. He pouted and argued a bit before finally skulking off. I rolled my eyes once he was gone. One thing that never changed among humans: there were always those who wanted to get something for nothing. It was what kept hell in business. I found Casey sitting in the cafe, drinking a glass of water. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she didn't display her usual care in makeup and hairstyling. She stared bleakly at the table, eyes dull and glazed over. â€Å"Hey,† I said gently, pulling up a chair across from her. â€Å"How's it going?† After a moment's delay, she looked up, not really focusing on me. â€Å"Okay.† â€Å"You sure? You don't look so okay.† â€Å"Dunno.† Her tone was flat, distracted. â€Å"I just had a late night, that's all. Sorry. Sorry I came in like this.† â€Å"No problem. I've had my share of crazy nights.† The thing was, Casey didn't exactly look hung over. I mean, she definitely looked like she was recovering from something†¦but I couldn't put my finger on it. It was weird. â€Å"What'd you get into? A party?† â€Å"Yeah. Doug's band had another one.† â€Å"Really.† News to me. â€Å"Must have been pretty good.† â€Å"Dunno.† â€Å"What do you mean? You were there.† Her brow furrowed, confusion glinting in her brown eyes. â€Å"I don't†¦really remember. Stupid, huh? I must have really been trashed. I remember†¦being with Alec. Then we left. We went somewhere. â€Å" â€Å"You don't know?† She looked upset and closed her eyes. â€Å"There was this big house, and†¦I don't know. I just†¦I just can't remember. I'm sorry, Georgina. I shouldn't have come in today, okay? Sorry.† â€Å"It's okay. So you have no idea what you did with him? Nothing at all?† She shook her head. I shouldn't have kept pushing for details of an employee's personal life, but something here bothered me. It was more than my bias against Alec too. I remembered him pushing alcohol on women, his invitation to go somewhere â€Å"more intense.† Casey's inability to remember what had happened with him smacked of date-rape drugs. â€Å"Did Alec give you anything?† For the first time in this conversation, her dull expression sharpened and looked alert. â€Å"I†¦no. No.† But she was lying. I could tell. Why? Fear of him? Embarrassment? I couldn't bring myself to question her anymore. She looked too miserable. I told her she should go home and get some rest; she didn't need much convincing. I took her place at the registers, silently fuming at that jerk Alec. My anger was furthered by the fact that I could do nothing. Casey's life wasn't really my business, and without her admitting to anything, Alec stood blameless. With Casey now gone, Paige out sick again, and Warren golfing in Florida, I felt relieved when Doug showed up. He looked as energetic as ever, so I hoped he could counter my plunging mood. â€Å"I heard you had a party.† â€Å"Yup.† He grinned, working the register next to mine. â€Å"I tried calling you, but you weren't home.† â€Å"Had a party of my own. Hey, did you notice anything weird with Casey and Alec last night?† â€Å"Weird how? I mean, they seemed to be hitting it off.† â€Å"Nothing else?† â€Å"Nope. Not that I saw. Why? Are you interested? He's a little young for you, but if you're into that, I can give you his phone number.† â€Å"Hardly.† â€Å"Whoa,† he suddenly exclaimed. â€Å"Check this action out.† He picked up one of the books his customer was paying for. It was a romance novel, emblazoned with a big chested man holding an equally big chested woman. Her neck was arched back, her lips open in a moan. And her dress was falling off. â€Å"Bet there's some good shit in here. Nothing like some throbbing members and private time to get you off, eh?† He winked at the customer, who turned crimson and didn't say anything. She handed over some cash and hurried away as fast as she could. Aghast, I ignored the customers standing there and grabbed Doug's arm, jerking him away from the counter. â€Å"What the hell was that?† I asked in a low, angry whisper. He laughed loudly. â€Å"Oh come on, Kincaid. I was just having a little fun. Those romance novels always crack me up.† â€Å"You do not comment on customer purchases. Furthermore, you certainly don't swear in front of them.† â€Å"Basic training. I know all this.† â€Å"Yeah? Then act like it.† We stood there, both of us shocked at my tone. I didn't think I'd ever talked to Doug in such a reprimanding way. Certainly not here. We were both assistant managers, partners in crime. Our entire working relationship was one of lightheartedness and messing around. â€Å"Fine,† he said after a moment. â€Å"Whatever.† We went back to the registers, both of us pointedly ignoring the other. We worked without incident a while longer until I heard him say, â€Å"Man, this has to be rough. Hope it all works out.† Looking over, I saw his customer buying a book about STDs. Doug returned my gaze with a challenging look. I finished my own purchase and then put up a â€Å"register closed† sign. Finding Andy at the information desk, I told him to ask Doug to swap spots. â€Å"Don't tell him I told you to.† Doug seemed safer helping customers find books, yet no matter where I was in the store, I could hear him. He spoke and laughed too loudly. Whenever I caught sight of him, he was always in motion – like he couldn't stay still. Once, he was – literally – juggling books for a customer. Another time, I saw him actually skipping as he led a customer over to the cooking section. I frowned, unsure what to do. His lively nature had been fun this last week, but he was pushing it now, and I wasn't entirely sure what my role should be in all of this. â€Å"That redheaded girl said you're the manager here,† a middle-aged woman suddenly said, approaching me as I rearranged a display. â€Å"I'm an assistant manager,† I told her. â€Å"What can I help you with?† She pointed to the information desk. â€Å"That man was so rude to me. He helped me find some books, and then†¦he said†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She couldn't finish, oscillating between anger and distress. I looked at what she held. Books on clinical depression. Lovely. At least it wasn't called Going Postal in an Insensitive Bookstore. I took a deep breath to steady myself and apologized profusely, promising I'd deal with it. I then walked her over to the head of the check-out line and told Andy to ring her books up for free. Warren never approved of that, but I didn't care at the moment. I waited for Doug to finish with his customer and then pulled him aside once more. â€Å"We need to talk in the office.† He gave me a lopsided grin. Studying him, I saw his eyes glittering with a distracted fervor. â€Å"What for? Let's talk here. I've got customers to help, you know. Can't let this goddamned place go unattended.† I blanched at this, still forcing calm. We had a line of about four customers listening. â€Å"No. Let's go in the back.† He rolled his eyes and threw a friendly arm around me. â€Å"Christ, you're uptight. What's this about?† â€Å"You know what it's about,† I returned, wiggling out from under the arm. â€Å"You're out of line today.† His smile fell. â€Å"No, you're out of line. What's with the attitude anyway? You can't talk to me like this.† He was still too loud. More people were stopping. â€Å"I can talk to you like this when you're acting like a jerk. You're upsetting customers. You're doing stuff that's completely inappropriate, and you know it.† â€Å"‘Inappropriate?' Jesus Fucking Christ, Kincaid! You sound like Paige now. I'm having fun. Remember that? Remember when you and I used to do that around here back before you got this stick up your ass?† We had a bona fide audience now. Customers and staff alike. Dead silence, save for the faint sounds of Vivaldi playing through the store's sound system. â€Å"I mean,† he continued, thriving on the attention, â€Å"where do you get off acting like this? Who put you in charge? You and I are the same rank, remember? It's like you get ten seconds of fame in Mortensen's story, and now you think you can put on airs. Why don't you go find him? Maybe if you got laid again, you'd stop being such a bitch.† â€Å"Doug,† I said, astonished at how firm and strong my voice was. It was like someone else was using my body to confront him, and I only watched. â€Å"You need to go home. Now. If you don't leave, I'll have you removed.† Of course, I had no clue how I was going to pull that off. As it was, I felt almost terrified to be facing off against him like this. My heart raced. We were standing close, thrusting our wills at one another, and he had half a head's height on me and a bigger build. I didn't really fear violence from him, but the physical intimidation was as scary as the psychological. Still, I held my ground, keeping my expression commanding and decisive. At last, he backed down, breaking eye contact. He shrugged and gave his goofy grin to those watching, like they were in on some joke with him. â€Å"Sure. Whatever you want. I don't care. I could use a day off anyway.† He looked around again, face smug and defiant, like he'd won. After another survey of the crowd, he laughed and stalked out. Nobody spoke or breathed after that. I drew myself up, like none of this had bothered me either. I strode purposefully away, saying to Beth as I passed: â€Å"Will you cover the desk now?† I went upstairs to the caf? ¦ and had the barista make me a mocha. I took it with shaking hands and turned around to find Seth standing there. He wore a Ratt shirt today. â€Å"Thetis,† he said softly. I walked over to one of the windows, and he followed. Outside, cars and people moved throughout Queen Anne. I watched them without seeing them. Seth moved behind me, his presence steady and reassuring. Waiting to catch me, even though I refused to fall just yet. This, I realized, was why I chose to stay with him, sexual mishaps or no. â€Å"I suppose you witnessed all that.† â€Å"Yeah,† he said. â€Å"You handled it well.† â€Å"I didn't want to handle it at all.† â€Å"Someone had to.† He touched my arm gently. â€Å"You can be pretty fierce sometimes.† I shook my head, still numb. â€Å"I don't want to be fierce either.† â€Å"Georgina. Look at me.† I turned and looked. Those lovely eyes were soft and full of love, yet underscored with strength. â€Å"You did the right thing.† He rested his hands on my arms, thumbs stroking the bare skin. â€Å"You did the right thing.† â€Å"He's my friend.† â€Å"That doesn't matter.† â€Å"What's wrong with him, Seth? What's gotten into him?† â€Å"Isn't it obvious?† â€Å"Not to me.† He smiled ruefully. â€Å"The same thing that made you eat a bag of Taco Bell food last night.† â€Å"What? Pot doesn't do that. Make him behave like he did, I mean. Not the Taco Bell thing.† â€Å"No,† he agreed. â€Å"Pot won't do that, but he was obviously on something. â€Å" I turned back to my view, thinking. I recalled Doug's nonstop vigor, that feverish look in his eyes. Yes, it made sense, and it was saddening. I'd never known him to mess around with anything much harder than alcohol and marijuana. Yet†¦there was more to his exuberance lately. A drug couldn't make you good at Tetrisor churn out an album's worth of songs in under a month. â€Å"I don't know what it could be then. I've tried almost everything once,† I admitted sheepishly. Immortality allowed experimentation without the dangerous consequences mortals faced. â€Å"But I haven't made enough of a study to really ID anything. What do you think? Some kind of amphetamine?† â€Å"I don't really know either.† I rubbed my temples, sensing a nasty headache coming on. I wanted nothing more just then than to go home and veg on the couch with Seth on one side, Aubrey on the other, and a plate of brownies on my lap. It wasn't going to happen. â€Å"I've got to get back down there. We're short two people now. I'm going to be here until closing again.† â€Å"You want me to come over after work? I'm supposed to paint at Terry's, but I can bail on it.† I assured Seth he didn't need to change his plans for me and then returned downstairs. Functionality had resumed as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened. The only thing noteworthy was the way the other staff watched me now. Not with mockery or amusement, but something else. If I hadn't known better, I would have said my respect rating had just shot up. I got home after work, drained. Weak with exhaustion, mental and physical. When I absorbed life from victims, it was usually to sustain my immortal existence and shape-shifting. But life was full of other things that required energy. Breaking and entering. Working two twelve-hours shifts in a row. Staying virtuous around the man of your dreams. Reprimanding one of your best friends and discovering he was probably addicted to something nasty. The need for vitality itched within me, making me irritable and anxious despite my worn-out feeling. For me, that energy-longing translated into lust, a sudden need to be touched and consumed by someone I could consume in return. I called Bastien. â€Å"What is it now?† he asked sarcastically. â€Å"I suppose you're just going to cut to the chase and call Dana. That way you can get it over with and tell her how her neighbor has a plan to seduce her and bring down her organization. Maybe while you're at it, you can mention the break-in and get me arrested. You could even key my car if you wanted. It would be a perfect ending to my already ruined career.† â€Å"Oh shut up,† I snapped, not having the patience for this. Apparently I still had some fury left in me from earlier. â€Å"First, you were not going to bed Dana last night, so get that out of your system. Second, you probably deterred her by answering the door in the first place, as stoned as you were. Third, if you'd really wanted to endear yourself to her, you would have shown more concern for me rather than coming off as an uncaring asshole.† â€Å"How is your ankle?† he asked reluctantly. â€Å"Fine. You know how it goes.† A sprain was barely a day's concern for an immortal. â€Å"Good enough to go dancing on.† â€Å"Dancing?† â€Å"Yes. I want you to take me out. Now. I just had the worst day ever. â€Å" â€Å"Sorry.† â€Å"Sorry? Are you turning me down? Since when have you been such a grudge-holder?† â€Å"It's not just that†¦well, okay, maybe a little. But Bill invited me over to watch a football game.† â€Å"You hate football.† â€Å"Yeah, but I might see Dana. Sorry, Fleur . You're on your own tonight. â€Å" Annoyed, I hung up and dialed the next best dancer I knew. â€Å"Cody,† I said, â€Å"we're going clubbing.† â€Å"Okay,† he returned agreeably, â€Å"but I'll have to bring Hugh and Peter.† â€Å"Ack. They dance almost as badly as Seth.† â€Å"Yeah. But I promised I'd hang out with them tonight. Unless you want to come over here? We're playing D&D right now. Do you know how many hit points a succubus has?† â€Å"All right, all right. Bring them along.† I hung up. It didn't really matter who came anyway. I mostly just wanted people to go out with. Companionship gave the outing some semblance of normality, though it wasn't like I needed any of them for what I was going to do. â€Å"Jesus, woman,† breathed Hugh when I answered my door an hour later. â€Å"You're kind of screwing with my sisterly feelings for you.† I had on a pleated black skirt that covered less than half my thighs. My top was off the shoulder with three-quarter sleeves, and it stopped just above my belly button, leaving my midriff bare. It was made of clinging, stretchy black lace that looked opaque in dim lighting and showed everything – and I do mean everything – in full light. The only decision left was what body to go out in. I didn't like to do succubus work in my usual shape – the one that worked at Emerald City and slept with Seth. I wanted an anonymous face, one that could forget and be forgotten. Staring at my bathroom mirror, I considered a number of features and ethnicities. Finally, I opted for a pretty Latina look, sultry with long dark hair. We went to the same club Bastien and I had danced at before. It played varying genres of music, but all of it was fast and heavy. It thrummed in the blood. Hugh immediately parked himself at the bar, looking exactly like the creepy guy who ogled younger women that he was. Peter seemed torn between joining him and hitting the floor. He was homebody enough to want to stay with Hugh, but I knew places like this were fertile hunting grounds for vampires and succubi alike. Reluctantly, the frumpy vampire bought a drink and then made his way to the dancers, looking hopelessly out of place. I knew he'd survive, though; he'd been doing what he did almost as long as I had. I walked up to the bar and ordered a shot of Rumple Minze, which I downed immediately. It was funny – part of me thought that I could scorn Doug for getting mixed up with some drug when I turned so readily to alcohol to ease my own tension. â€Å"Dance with me,† I told Cody, grabbing his hand. He looked good tonight, wearing a button-up shirt untucked and loose. It had a neat printed pattern on it, one of those that only confident guys with real fashion sense could actually wear. With his agile dancing and golden blond looks, he made a good partner. â€Å"What am I, your warm-up?† he asked me a few songs later. I laughed. We were dancing awfully close, and I had been moving my body more provocatively than I normally would with a friend. Unconscious motion. My succubus hunger surfacing. â€Å"Does it bother you?† â€Å"Nope. Well, other than giving me that weird incest feeling Hugh was talking about. But I don't think you're going to get what you need off me.† â€Å"True,† I said scanning the crowd. The place was packed with mortals, all warm and energetic and burning with life in a way my friends and I did not. Again, the itch of longing seized me. I wanted to touch them all and knew I'd have to break from Cody soon. â€Å"What's got you all fired up anyway? We don't usually see you like this.† That was true. Mostly he and the others just heard me bitching and moaning about my infernal job and how I hated seducing nice guys. â€Å"Need to burn off some Seth lust. That, and I got majorly run down today,† I explained, proceeding to tell him the rest. Cody felt as sad as I did about Doug, whom he knew and liked. The young vampire agreed that Doug's erratic behavior sounded amphetamine based, and he threw out a few suggestions for me. I made a mental note to look them up later. Cody and I finally split up, each to take care of our own business. I started working the room, much as I had the other night, only this time my motivation was legitimate. I had my pick of partners and no end of free drinks. Each time I got someone to buy me one, Hugh – still at the bar – would shake his head with wry amusement. In about two hours, I had my mark. He was young and muscular, made extra gorgeous by sexy Mediterranean features. Italian descent, I suspected. He was also sweet and shy, clearly astonished that I kept dancing with him. His friends, watching from afar, apparently felt the same way. We had moved to a crowded part of the dance floor, jam-packed with other sweating, frenzied bodies. I rubbed mine against his in a more intimate way than the crowd quite required, my hands sliding over his body as we swayed. When our lips brushed against each other's, he pulled back. He told me then – awkwardly and reluctantly – that he had a girlfriend. That didn't come as a surprise to me. We stopped dancing, getting jostled by the crowd, and I feigned modest embarrassment for my boldness while pretending not to notice how he hadn't seemed to want to make the girlfriend admission. â€Å"Er, wait,† he said as I started to turn and leave. Hesitation hung heavy in his voice. The voice of someone trying to rationalize something he knew he shouldn't be doing†¦but wanted to anyway. True consternation churned on his face. â€Å"I mean, we can still†¦we can still†¦keep dancing. Can't we?† Five dances later, I'd sweet-talked – and bribed – one of the waiters into letting us into a storage room in the club's basement. It was dark and small and filled with extra tables, but it sufficed for what we needed. I could still hear the music from above, though none of the song's specifics. The whole building vibrated with the beat. My guy still appeared nervous, but alcohol and opportunity were clearly winning out over his better judgment. I didn't tell him my name. I didn't ask for his. I pulled him to me, and we kissed – the kind of hard, furious kissing that makes your lips feel swollen afterward. His hands started on my hips and then moved upward, peeling the lace shirt up as they went, exposing my breasts. His hands fondled them wonderingly, feeling their shape and size, making my nipples harden and stand out. He leaned down and put his lips to one, sucking hard. When I felt his teeth bite gently, I grunted in approval and shifted my hands down to loosen his belt. He straightened back up, and this time I was the one who went down – literally. On my knees, I tugged on his boxers and released the erection that had been straining at the fabric. I ran my tongue along its tip, tasting the few salty drops that had already seeped out. Then, without further hesitation, I took the whole thing into my mouth, letting my tongue roll over it as my lips moved back and forth along the length of the shaft. He groaned and laced his fingers across the back of my neck, trying to push more of him inside. The first tendrils of his energy began flowing into me, sweet and delicious. He was a good one, full of strength. I sucked harder, teasing him for a couple more minutes, then broke away and stood up. The look on his face when I stopped became almost comically desperate. Like he couldn't believe I had just done that to him. Like I had just gone and hit his shins with a baseball bat. I licked my lips and smiled. â€Å"You want more? You're going to have to come and get it. â€Å" This was the clincher. If I was going to go to the trouble of bagging a guy with a strong life force, I might as well hit my quota with Jerome and do some corrupting as well. A guy with a serious girlfriend might feel guilty about fooling around with another woman, but he'd feel guiltier still if he was the one who took serious steps toward initiating it. It was too easy to say she made me do it. My part was done; he had to take over now. This guy might not have realized my ulterior motives here, but he seemed to sense the gravity of the situation. He stood on the edge now, the edge of a decision that could affect his eternal soul. Did he or didn't he? Did he give in to his lust and betray a woman he cared about? Did he take a chance with me he might never get again? Or did he reject me and walk away? Did he stay faithful? My smile grew, slow and languid, as he debated. I paced around the room like I had all the time in the world, like I didn't care what he decided to do. The click of my heels sounded loudly on the hard floor. I turned away from him, trying to make out some old framed picture on the wall. It was mostly a dark blur in the dim lighting. Then, I felt him behind me. His hands slid from my waist down to my hips, then lower to cradle my ass. He pushed up what little of the skirt there was and pulled down the strappy black thong I had underneath. Slowly, his hands traced every curve, feeling and exploring. One hand moved around the outside of my leg toward the front, between my thighs. The movement forced him to move closer to me, and I could feel him – still hard, still ready – press against my flesh. The exploring hand pushed farther between my thighs, and his breath was hard and hot on my neck. His fingers brushed the small, neatly trimmed patch of hair between my legs, then moved lower, dancing at the edges of my lips, teasing them. A small, urgent moan left my mouth, and I ground against him, hoping to get a response. He slid his fingers in a smooth rhythm, stoking my already raging desire. A minute later, those urgent fingers moved into me, probing and exploring. I was wet and slippery, but it still caught me by surprise, and I exclaimed loudly. He wrapped his other arm around my waist, pulling me even closer, and continued driving those fingers in and out. His life poured into me again. A purely physical burning welled inside of me too, growing stronger each time he moved in. But before that feeling could reach completion, he pulled his fingers out and left them out. My turn to feel unfulfilled. Gripping my shoulders, he turned me around, and I braced myself to be shoved on top of the table or up against the wall. To my astonishment, he pushed me onto my knees instead, his breathing frantic now, his eyes burning with hunger and lust. â€Å"Your mouth,† he gasped out. â€Å"I want your mouth again.† Unexpected – and perhaps a little disappointing – but it all worked the same for me. Before I could even act, he thrust himself back between my lips. A surprised sound lodged in my throat, and it seemed to turn him on even more. I no longer had to worry about who was taking the initiative here; it was all him. His hands held my head and neck in place as he pumped away, pushing into me over and over. The life-force transfer started in earnest, his energy flooding into me with his thoughts and feelings. Finally, finally, finally, he thought, aching desire crackling through him. Feeling his mind and soul, I realized then he might not have been so easy a tag as I originally thought. He loved his girlfriend. Loved her passionately. But she didn't like oral sex, and one of the biggest fantasies of this guy's life was to – bluntly – fuck her face. Had I started foreplay in some other way tonight, he might very well have been strong enough to decline. But I had given him the one thing he couldn't refuse. It overpowered the guilt lurking in the back of his mind. I'll never get this chance again. Allison doesn't have to know. I knew that rationalization well. It was just about the oldest in the book. He thrust more urgently, that long shaft filling my mouth as his eyes watched me eagerly, and unintelligible, primal noises sounded in his throat. And for me, who had been denied an orgasm, pleasure was building in a different way. Life-force transfer doesn't occur at the point of a physical contact or even orgasm. It's bigger than that, more holistic. Soul to soul. His energy washed over me now in waves, and it was pure ecstasy as I rode that ocean higher and higher. My body burned with it, nearly to the breaking point. Before that crest crashed over, before our connection broke, I caught one more thought from him, plain and simple: mouth or face} Ah, men. He chose mouth, moaning loudly as he came. Warm, bitter liquid flooded over my tongue as his body spasmed and his nails dug into my neck and scalp. I waited until he finished, then swallowed because I knew it was what he wanted me to do. It was what every guy wanted. And really, it was the least I could do for him, because with his orgasm came a climax of my own. The full force of his energy hit me like a bolt of lightning at the same time he felt its loss. I broke from him, gasping at the feel of that power, swimming in that bliss, invigorated and alive. He, however, stiffened and paled, suddenly weak and confused at losing something he hadn't even known he had. He groped blindly for support and caught the edge of a table as his legs gave out underneath him. The table saved him from completely falling over, and I caught his other arm, balancing him. Carefully, I eased him down so he could sit and lean his body against a chair. His eyes struggled to stay open as the shock of his energy loss pulled him toward unconsciousness. Another cardinal succubus rule: the stronger the guy, the stronger his loss would be. â€Å"Oh my God†¦what's wrong with me?† Pushing aside whatever kindly feelings or sympathy I might have, reminding myself he'd – eventually – recover, I stared down at him coolly and rearranged my clothes. â€Å"I think you drank too much.† I leaned over and tugged up his pants. â€Å"I'll go get help.† He started to protest, but I was already out the door. I strode back to the dance floor, haloed in his energy. I felt like a goddess entering a temple of worshippers, and many sets of eyes seemed to regard me as exactly that. A few quick searches, and I found his friends from earlier. I told them he'd passed out downstairs and left them to deal with it. â€Å"This one's on me,† I heard Hugh say when I walked back up to the bar. My post-sex glamour would be especially obvious to him. I ordered a shot of Jagermeister and chased it with another shot of Goldschlager. Nothing like funny-named liquor to top off an evening. â€Å"Does it make you feel better?† the imp asked. He inclined his head toward the two empty glasses. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"But sometimes it helps me not remember as much.† I went home after that and cooked myself in a long, hot shower, trying to wash away the feel of sex. My buzz soon yielded to my second headache of the day and a slightly nauseous feeling. I had just settled down on the couch for mindless TV watching, back in my normal shape, when Seth showed up. â€Å"I wanted to see how you were doing,† he explained, sitting down next to me. â€Å"Better,† I told him uneasily. â€Å"Sort of. I went out with the gang.† â€Å"Ah. Sounds fun.† He didn't sound entirely sincere. I think â€Å"the gang† still kind of weirded him out a little. He leaned his head on the couch and stared at me for a long time, not saying anything. I laughed in spite of myself. â€Å"What?† â€Å"I don't know,† he said, face serious. He reminded me of a child staring at the tree on Christmas morning. â€Å"It's weird. It's just you're so†¦so beautiful tonight. I mean, you're always pretty, of course, but tonight, I don't know – I can't take my eyes off of you. I want to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't give voice to the urge. â€Å"Must be the wet hair and pajamas,† I said lightly. â€Å"Always a turn-on.† But I knew what was bedazzling him. The guy from the club. Or rather, that guy's stolen life. Humans couldn't resist it. Immortals couldn't resist it. Racking my brain, I realized Seth had never seen me so soon after a fix. He'd seen me the same day sometimes – and also commented on my attractiveness then – but this was the first time he'd received its full effect. It made me feel guilty to see him looking at me like this. His hand reached for mine, and I tried not to flinch as he took it. Even after the shower, I felt dirty and cheap. I didn't want him to touch me after what I'd done, even if it had been in a different body. I didn't deserve such love. Seth sighed, still enchanted. His long fingers traced warm, whirling patterns on my skin. I felt my breathing grow heavier. â€Å"I wish I could put your beauty into words. But I'm not that good of a writer. Guess I need some work.† I stood up hastily and tugged at his hand. â€Å"Now you're just being silly. I think you're the one that needs to go home and rest.† He blinked. â€Å"Oh. So no more, uh, attempts at sleeping?† I hesitated. I wanted to do it again but still didn't trust myself. Or Seth actually, not with the way he kept watching me with such rapt admiration, that heat burning in his eyes. One would have thought a backroom fling might have sated my lust for the night, but I wanted Seth just as much as ever. Of course, in retrospect, maybe that wasn't a surprise after all. Said fling hadn't exactly addressed my physical needs. â€Å"No,† I told Seth. â€Å"Not yet. Too soon.† He looked like being separated from me would hurt him physically, but he finally conceded when I let him kiss my cheek. It was long and lingering, more sensuous than one would expect, making me inhale and then exhale a long, shuddering breath. I wouldn't return the gesture, however. Not with these lips. He waxed on about my beauty a few more times before finally leaving, and I went to bed shortly thereafter. Lying there, I told myself over and over that I had done the right thing at the club. I had done what I needed to do to keep myself strong and capable. After all, Seth had said he loved my â€Å"whirlwind.† Sex was the means of keeping it strong. I had done the right thing. And I had done the right thing with Doug too. Everything I'd done today had been for the best. And yet†¦if that was true, then why did I feel so terrible about it all?

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The growth of internet gambling and the implications for regulation and harm minimisation in Australia - Essay Example Based on the discussion and analysis, it has been analyzed that Australia has become one the major countries in online gambling industry. The economic benefits which gambling industry has been providing to Australia stopped the government to pursue the effective harm minimisation programs. Today, online gambling has increased the concerns for Australian regulators because of the increasing problem gambling, crime rate etc. Even the harm minimisation programs have been unsuccessful to curb the growth of increasing internet gambling. It can be projected based on the current growth of internet gambling that soon gambling will become the largest industry of Australia and concerns will further increase. If Australian government pursues stricter legislative framework and other strategies to stop the growth of internet gambling, it forgoes the huge economic benefits. If Australian government keeps pursuing the current strategies then current growth will keep its pace. On the other hand, if Australian government introduces more flexible policies, then economic issues can increase however, the government can enjoy huge influx of revenues. Therefore, in which direction Australian government should go, completely depends on the long-term economic strategies of the government. However, one important thing which this research essay has highlighted is that growing online gambling does have significant implications for Australian government and harm minimisation. In the beginning, all original forms of gambling were prohibited however, gradually all of them were legalised. The online gambling started in Australia in 1996 in the Northern Territory and in 2001, when the federal government legalised internet gambling, Interactive Gambling Act 2001 was introduced. (Hsu, 2006). Since then gambling industry of Australia is expanding and growing very rapidly and it has even created a lot of challenges for the Australian economy. What Australian Government has been Doing to Control O nline Gambling in Past? Internet gambling has established new challenges for the regulators because unlike traditional casinos, the online gambling websites cannot be closed (Schwarz, 1999). Therefore, because of the nature of online gambling, it could be only controlled through government regulations. Even after legalising gambling, Australian Government has always remained concerned to monitor and control online and traditional gambling. The Australian Government has taken the regulatory responsibility of online gaming and according to Interactive Gambling Act 2001, government has made domicile online gaming site illegal for the Australian residents and these websites only target the oversees community. However, despite the control through regulations and legislations, Australian Government is facing problems in control the internet gambling market in Australia (Fabiansson, 2010). Australian Gambling Regulation controls gambling in Australia. With the growing online gambling, Aust ralian Government introduced Australian Interactive Gambling Act (IGA) 2001 which bans online gambling in Australia. According to this Act, offering interactive gambling service to an individual physically present in Australia is an offense. If a person commits this offence, he is subject to a penalty of $220,000 per day if he offers services to individuals and penalty of $1.1 million per day if he serves corporate bodies. Moreover, online wagering and lotteries are not prohibited (Humphrey, 2008). The online gambling costs are increasing and to minimise harm from gambling activities, harm minimisation strategies are in place. To achieve harm minimisation, Australian Government has adopted three strategies; first, through direct regulation of internet gambling sites; second, covering online gambling within the broader gambling regulation framework; third, achieving harm minimisation through non-regulatory approaches (FAHCSIA, 2009). Growth in Online Gambling in Australia The Austral ian economy realised the growing trends in traditional and internet gambling with the increase in household spending on gambling. With the expansion of gambling in Australia, the proportion of money spent on gambling per household also increased from 1.7 percent in 1982-1983 to 3.2 percent in 1997-1998 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2000). In 2002-2003, around Australian $18.54 million were spent on internet gambling in Austr

Copyright in digital media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Copyright in digital media - Essay Example The 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) embodies the legislative shift from treating various products as public resources to seeing them as corporate assets (Wright 83). DMCA was designed to give corporate content producers, â€Å"global protection from piracy in a digital age† (Wright 83). Different viewpoints on the ideology and goals of copyright laws are embedded in the history of copyright protection. Some support it for the interest of owners and publishers/producers, others oppose it because it breaches the First Amendment and lacks consideration for diverse stakeholders, while several people offer alterative ideologies and licensing solutions. For Tighter Regulations and Implementation of Copyright in Digital Media Chloe Albanesius writes for PC Magazine and she reports an example of implementation of copyright laws in the Internet. She describes the agreement between ISPs and content companies: â€Å"Do you subscribe to HBO or did you illegally download [a T V episode]? If it's the latter, you might find yourself in receipt of a warning from your ISP, thanks to a new agreement between Hollywood studios and service providers.† She notes that ISPs and media firms believe that with the help of one another, they can stop illegal sharing online. Furthermore, Albanesius illustrates how their collaboration works through the â€Å"Copyright Alert System.† Several warning stages are present in this system: Going forward, users will get a notice if they are suspected of illegal downloading. If they ignore that message, the ISP might resort to pop-ups or redirecting to special Web sites that display the alert. If those too are ignored, the ISP will turn to â€Å"mitigation measures,† which could include throttling or permanent re-direction to a warning landing page until contact is established. (Albanesius) The system aims to protect copyright through several security layers. Albanesius depicts how ISPs and content owners work together for a tighter implementation of copyright laws. The strengths of Albanesius’ article are her specific example of copyright implementation and the description of the role of ISPs in copyright law, while its main weakness is not interviewing Internet consumers and their reactions to the â€Å"Copyright Alert System.† Albanesius provides a specific example of copyright implementation, which concretizes the actions that the government and ISPs are taking to protect copyright owners. By describing how â€Å"Copyright Alert System† works, including its limitations, she fully explains it to Internet users. Moreover, Albanesius illustrates the role of ISPs in copyright law. ISPs have a large role to play in ensuring that copyright law is applied in the digital sphere (Albanesius). Their support is critical to the effectiveness of these laws (Albanesius). Despite these strengths, Albanesius does not interview other stakeholders. Her article does not have intervi ews with Internet consumers, and so readers will not know their reactions to the â€Å"Copyright Alert System.† Readers will not know how users, especially those involved in accessing P2P sharing websites, feel about this system. Without user feedback, it will be hard to know if they follow copyright laws or not. Albanesius’s article enlightened readers about the actual implementation of

Likes and dideerecnes of computing variances Assignment

Likes and dideerecnes of computing variances - Assignment Example Having been defined as the square of mean differences between each number in a data set and the mean of all the numbers in the set, the variance is a derivative of differences between the same numbers. Computing the variance of a data set is therefore equivalent to analyzing the difference between the same numbers (Wegner, 2010). The definition of variance as a measure of dispersion also explains the relationship between the variance and the difference between points. A data set with a higher magnitude variance, for instance, means that data points in the set are far apart from each other, a factor that indicates greater variation from the mean. The gaps between the data points however defines the differences between the points and this means that computing the variance and analyzing differences between data points generate the same understanding on distribution of data in the set (Madrigal,

Business Law - Nike v. Kasky Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Law - Nike v. Kasky - Essay Example Kasky went on to say that this was a case of false advertising and that this clearly constituted commercial speech, this was important because the protection that is offered under the First Amendment offers protection to non commercial speech and does not in any way protect commercial speech. Nike’s response stated that the laws on false advertising did not cover the company’s expression of its views in respect of public issue and the fact that such views were clearly protected under the First Amendment as what had been said and done by Nike was non- commercial speech. The trial court agreed with the arguments of Nike and went on to say that such action was non-commercial speech and was therefore protected under the federal and state constitutions without leave to amend. The Plaintiff appealed to the Court of Appeal which in turn acknowledged the findings of the trial court and stated the same things that is what was important was the fact that the alleged false and misleading statements by Nike were commercial or non-commercial. This was so because it would determine the protection that was offered by the First Amendment. The court went on to reiterate the fact that these were non commercial speech and so protection under constitutional free speech provisions was provided. Thus the Court of Appeal granted the plaintiff’s petition for review. Thus the main issues that needed to be determined first were whether the speech that was made by Nike was commercial or non-commercial. This would be necessary because of the degree of protection provided as well as determination of false advertising. In the current scenario it is clear that the requirement that a person making such a statement gives it as a commercial speaker is satisfied, this is because the persons who gave such statements were in business. Furthermore, the main reason for giving such a statement was to protect

The Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution Essay Example for Free

The Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution Essay This is the most comprehensive collection of The Texas Rangers during the Mexican revolution that has been published. Charles Harris III and Louis Sadler share the details behind this unstable period by uncovering the views and actions of the Rangers during the highest point of border violence up until that time. The Rangers remain as one of the most recognized law enforcement agencies in the United States. In the ten year span of 1910-1920, Texas was involved in a lot of turmoil around the border of The United States and Mexico. These were the years of the Mexican revolution and the increasing racial tensions between Anglos and Hispanics often resulted in bloodshed. They played important roles at various battles and established a fearsome reputation. The Texas Rangers are often portrayed as the last stand of defense between the good and the bad; rugged men with enough ice water in their veins to fuel their souls. After reading this book, one’s perspective of the Texas Rangers, and the myths that surround them, may soon change. Rangers were also cold-hearted angry law men who seemed to have a serious grudge against Hispanics and Mexicans who resided in Texas. They appeared to possess a â€Å"what are you going to do about it† mentality. Harris and Sadler are faithful to history and attempt to stick to the facts by being informative as they review the disorder and terror of the Mexican revolution. They suggest that men who joined the Rangers did not change as a whole, but the public’s perception of them did. The Texas Rangers were first called into service as the governor’s personal bodyguards and would remain answerable to the head of the state. The relationship between the two entities resulted in a history infused with politics. Every new administration would lead to a shift in leadership and Ranger personnel. It was near impossible for a man to rise through the ranks of the organization without having an alliance with the current party in office. It was the governor who ultimately determined how The Rangers would function. The Force continued to be dominated by politics until 1935, when The Department of Public Safety was created, taking the Rangers away from the governor. Ironically, Harris and Sadler suggest it was the Mexican Revolution that ultimately saved the Texas Rangers. Between 1910 and 1920, the strain between the United States and Mexico was explosive and despite their affiliation with the governor’s office, legislators were reluctant to spend large amounts of money on the organization, meaning Ranger pay was poor. They had to furnish their own weapons, horses, and saddle. The low salaries dissuaded many quality men from enlisting and even fewer from making it a career. The Mexican Revolution helped usher in a new era for the Rangers. It reinvigorated their numbers. By 1918 the Force reached a high of one thousand men. The Mexican Revolution enabled them to continue as an independent agency. It also resulted in the most controversial event in the history of the Texas State Ranger Force known as the â€Å"Bandit War† of 1915 which resulted in a series of deadly executions. The two authors bring their extensive knowledge of the revolution to the forefront, detailing the events that led up to the conflict. Their discussion of the Plan de San Diego, an attempted revolt by Mexicans across the border, was truly terrifying. Rebels essentially wanted to ignite a race war. They encouraged Mexican nationals, Native Americans, Mexican-Americans, and African-Americans who were residing along the border to kill every white male sixteen years and older. The drastic move was seen as a â€Å"Hispanic struggle for social justice† (p. 212). Texas would become the primary focus of the rebels, and the Rangers were recruited after the plan was seized during the arrest of Plan de San Diego organizer Basilo Ramos, Jr. , in McAllen, Texas. The retaliation that followed resulted in a number of bloody shootouts, both just and unjust alike. The Plan de San Diego provided an excuse to both Anglos and Hispanics to settle scores and seize opportunities. The authors unveil how the backlash resulted in a wave of racism and the deaths of some three hundred Mexican nationals. Harris and Sadler bring light to little known historical events which seem to still affect relationships and feelings between both sides of the warring parties. For example, they suggest The Plan de San Diego was probably devised by supporters of Mexican rebel, Venustiano Carranza, in his homeland and not the town of San Diego, Texas. His motive was to divert the attention away from his rival Pancho Villa. In their attempts to maintain an accurate depiction of the organization, the authors do not cloud details to try and uphold any political or social agenda. They show how Mexicans felt justified in their struggle and how the Texas Rangers often misrepresented their own actions. One incident revolved around Captain William Warren Sterling of Hidalgo County. In his own memoirs, he made claims that he never shot, or even pistol-whipped a man. He wrote, â€Å"Throughout my lifetime, I have held a high regard and deep esteem for Latin Americans. Some of my best friends are members of that important segment of our citizenship† (p. 270). Yet, the writers published a claim that Sterling shot and killed, among others, an innocent Mexican boy accused of rape. They support the assertion with an article reported in the Brownsville Daily Herald in 1914. In fact, the authors claim it was common practice for the Rangers to mislead the media. They even refused to comment publicly about the killing of Mexican bandits, forcing newspapers to rely on second and third hand sources. The conflict between Anglos and Mexicans along the border continues to be mirrored in current events such as the debate over immigration reform. Many people fear Texans of Mexican descent still maintain an allegiance to their native country and seek retribution for past atrocities. As the writers put it, â€Å"Militant Hispanics were outraged that the Americans stole Texas from the Mexicans-who stole it from the Spaniards, who stole it from the Indians, who stole it from each other. † The tension between the races is deep rooted and heavily tied to claims over territory. The brutality of the war and the extensive causalities along the Texas/Mexico border led the Texas Legislature to take action against The Rangers. Many of their war-crimes were revealed after a thorough investigation was made into the claims made by dozens of victims. The organization was restructured and their numbers were reduced. The Texas Rangers have spent a large part of the post revolutionary period to re-establish their dignity and make over their image. Like all stereotypes, the image of The Texas Rangers holds some truth to it. This was a group of ordinary men facing extraordinary circumstances. On the surface their achievements might appear minimal, but the fact that they were able to achieve anything of significance without the proper guidance and resources is quite extraordinary. Harris and Sadler are not attempting to be revisionists, instead, they present both the positive and negative elements of The Texas Ranger Force and encourage readers to form their own opinions based on the available evidence. Works Cited Harris, Charles Houston. , and Louis R. Sadler. The Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution: the Bloodiest Decade, 1910 1920. Albuquerque: Univ. of New Mexico, 2007. Print.

Episiotomy Rates Vary Widely Worldwide

Episiotomy Rates Vary Widely Worldwide Labour is a wondrous act of nature and unique to every childbearing women. It is a transformative and special event in a womens life. It is the magic of creation. The very process of giving birth is the most beautiful one on earth and the mother attains unique capacities and true nobility through childbirth. The onset of motherhood present a unique set of physical, emotional and psychological challenges. Episiotomy is a common surgical procedure performed during second stage of labour. The first performance of episiotomy was done in 1742, when perineal incision was made to facilitate difficult deliveries (Grass, Dunn and stys 1986). It is made both to prevent tearing of the perineum and to release pressure on the fetal head with birth (Lawsan and Bienstock, 2007). It is the only procedure in obstetrics is performed without the patients specific consent. The advantage of an episiotomy is that it substitutes a clean cut for a ragged tear, minimize pressure on the fetal head, and may shorten the last portion of the second stage of labour (Incerpi,2007). Episiotomy rates vary widely worldwide, depending on whether the procedure is used restricvely / routinely. The worldwide episiotomy rate was 27%, 54% are nulliparous and 6% are multiparous women (WHO 2003).Rates vary from 8% in the Netherlands,13% in England to 25% in the USA. Among English speaking countries, the US had the highest episiotomy rate, varying greatly from region to region. One in three mothers who delivered vaginally in the U.S from 1995 to 2003 had episiotomies. In India the birth rate is very high 56% of women had an episiotomy compared to the 46% of white women. The difference between these percentage (10%) is measure of the excess frequency of episiotomy in Indian women. According to the American college of Obstetrics and Gyenaecology, approximately one in three women having a vaginal delivery also have an episiotomy. Approximately 70% of women with a vaginal birth experienced some degree of damage to the perineum due to tear (or) episiotomy and needed stitches. Like any other surgical incision, episiotomy results in some discomforts for most of postpartum patients (Hill,2000). Although relatively small in size, episiotomy sutures can cause considerable discomfort, because the perineum is an extremely tender area and the muscles of the perineum are involved in so many activities such as sitting, squatting ,bending ,urinating and defecating. Even without episiotomy women may experience bruising / tearing in the perineum. This is the most common source of infection in the days after giving birth. Various interventions are found to reduce episiotomy wound infection and enhance the healing process which include administration of antibiotics, cleanliness, topical application of ointments, infra red therapy, sitz bath, performance of kegals exercise and perineal care (Helen et.al 2009). In addition complementary therapy is another great aid to perineal healing. In recent years it has been seen that there has been a shift people from allopathy medicine to complementary medicine. The shift may be because people are becoming more conscious of their health and realize the need of holistic health. Quality of life is felt more important. In 2007 National health interview survey of complementary medicine use by Americans, showed that approximately 38% adults use complementary medicine. A survey by NPS medicine wise in 2008 revealed that 65% of Australians had used one (or) more complementary medicine in the previous 12 months. The term complementary medicine is primarily used to describe practices employed in conjunction with (or) to complement conventional medical treatment. Complementary medicine is sometimes called mind body medicine because it is an approach to healing that uses the power of thought and emotions positively influence physical health ( USA Drug, 2005). Complementary therapies can help to boost the immune system, help eliminate toxins, help relieve pain, improve sleep pattern, increase energy levels, induce sleep relaxation, reduce stress and tension, restore balance to body systems. Lavender oil is one of the complementary medicine. It has a light fresh aroma, is clear in color and watery in viscosity. Lavender has been use continuously for thousands of years, either in the form with lavender water of essential oil / dried flowers. In the 1800s the yardly company in England, realizing the healing properties of lavender , began adding it to their soaps and perfumes. Lavender oil promotes rapid healing and helps to prevent scarring. These remarkable healing properties of lavender were accidently discovered by French chemist Dr. Rene Maurice Gattefosse when he burnt his hand in a laboratory experiment. He instantly plunged it into a nearby bowl of lavender oil and discovered that it stopped throbbing pain and allowed the burn to heal quickly. The therapeutic properties of lavender oil are antiseptic, analgesic,anticonvulsant,antidepressant,antirheumatic,antispasmodic,antiinflammatory,antiviral,bactericidal,sedative,carminative,soothing,hypotensive,decongestant and diuretic. The main effects of lavender are calming, soothing, balancing and normalizing. Lavender can be used to a state of mental and physical imbalances to a state balance in which healing can take place. On the skin, lavender oil tones, revitalizes and it is useful for all types of skin problems such as abscesses, acne, oily skin, boils, burns, sunburns, wound, psoriasis, insect bites, injuries and also acts as an insect repellant. Lavender oil can be used in a sitz bath and it would also have the added benefit of decreasing anxiety in the new mother which povidine iodine does not. Research carried out at Huntingtons Hinchinbrooke Hospital has found that the use of lavender oil in the sitz bath led to greater comfort and improved healing of the perineum between the third and fifth days after delivery. Adding lavender oil to a sitz bath aids in the healing of torn vaginal tissue. It also prevents the formation of excessive scar tissue, according to Margaret Fawcett of Aroma therapist and author of Aromatherapy for pregnancy and childbirth. It is one of the safest essential oil and can be used in full strength on the skin also referred to as neat. The use of lavender oil can be effective in reducing perineal discomfort and promote wound healing following episiotomy. It is being used due to its antiseptic and healing properties. Lavender oil is found as a good choice in treating episiotomy wound healing because of its cell regenerating properties. Need for the Study The postnatal period refers to 6 weeks period after childbirth. The period is popularly termed the fourth trimester of pregnancy. It comprises an amazing variety of complex physiologic and psychological adaptations. Protecting a womenà ¡Ã‚ ¾Ã‚ ½s health as these changes occur is important for preserving the future childbearing function and for ensuring that she is physically well enough to incorporate her new child into her family. The physical care a women receives during the postnatal period can influence her health for the rest of her life. The nurses role is vital as she assists the mothers through these adjustments and supports them as they make a fresh start as a new family. Postnatal women are more prone for puerperal infection as a result of episiotomy which can be prevented by proper postnatal care. Approximately 33% of women with vaginal delivery had episiotomy in 2000 (American College of Obstetricians Gynaecologist, 2008). However the prevalence of episiotomy is not the same in different countries, Asian race are presumed to have smaller and tighter perineum so, the routine episiotomy may reduce the risk of Perineal tearing during delivery (lam et.al 2008). Studies about the episiotomy rates around the world showed that this surgery ranged from 9.7% (western Europe-Sweden) to 96.2% (South Africa-Ecuador) with lowest episiotomy rates in English speaking countries (North America Canada united states) and it remained high in many countries (centered south -America like brazil-94.2%, south Africa-63.3% and Asia like China-82%). One study revealed that episiotomy was performed in 97.3% of 510 primiparous women who had vaginal delivery in Tehran (Shojariet.al.2009). Barnabas (July 2012) conducted a study to determine the rate and risk factors for episiotomy at Baptist medical centre, Nigeria. Out of 280 subjects who had vaginal delivery, 96 (34.3%) subjects had episiotomy .The rate of episiotomy decreased with parity. The nulliparous had the highest rate (62.2%). The episiotomy rate among assisted vaginal delivery was 80.0% among those who had spontaneous delivery. Law kw, wong Hs, Pan Tc (2006) were reviewed the use of episiotomy during vaginal delivery in Hongkong puplic hospitals. A prospective observational survey was carried out in total 6222. Women who underwent normal vaginal delivery of a singleton fetus with cephalic presentation of the 6167 women in whom the status of the perineum was known. Episiotomy was performed in 5274 (85.5%). Primiparous women were more likely to undergo episiotomy at delivery than multiparous women (97.9% vs. 71.4%). Several studies suggest that using episiotomy in normal delivery results in fewer perineal laceration and trauma. The episiotomy discomfort and its consequences can affect maternal quality of life as well as the mothers and baby relationship. Like any other surgical procedure episiotomy carries number of risks: excessive blood loss, hematoma formation and infection ( Roberts and Chalmers 1989) S.T Sule and S.D. Shittu ( July 2003) conducted a prospective cohort study to establish the epidemiological variables associated with episiotomies and their puerperal complications at Ahmadu bedlo university teaching hospital Zaria. The result findings suggest that the episiotomy rate was 35.6% of all vaginal deliveries . Episiotomies were significantly associated with primi gravida. The most common puerperal complications of episiotomies was asymmetry (32.9%), infection (23.7%), partial dehiscence (14.5%), hemorrhage (5.3%) and extension of the incision (1.3%). Nahid Arianpour 2009 (June) conducted a descriptive study to determine the bacterial species in postpartum infections at khanevadeh hospital. Postpartum infections among 6077 patients from 2003 till 2008 was studied in this study. In this study out of there different kinds of postpartum infections (i,e genital, breast and urinary tract ). Only genital infection is considered. Postpartum infections among 6077 patients from 2003 till 2008 was studied in this study. In result findings revealed that 7.59% (461 ) patients had postpartum infection, out of which 1.03%(63) patients were re hospitalized. The commonest infection was infection at the site of episiotomy. Kathelin Karla (2005) stated that the routine use of episiotomy harmful to the pelvic floor that creates greater extent of surgical incision and delayed perineal wound healing, compared with no episiotomy group. Continues improvement in quality of care after episiotomy could helps to control the infection and improves episiotomy wound healing. Nurse midwife plays on important role to promote postnatal care , to prevent complication of episiotomy wound earlier and hence force to bring a healthy mother. A well integrated postnatal care has an important role in assessing the transition to physical and psychological well being of the mother and baby . Episiotomy wound care is important for comfort and cleanliness and to prevent infection. Attention should be afforded to episiotomy wound care since it parallels any other wound. One of the suggested method is a regular antiseptic sitz bath. Nowadays using complementary therapies such as essential oils have been recognized in Obstetrics. Mechanism of action of each essential oils is related to its complex active substances .One of the main action of these oils are easy absorption through the skin. The molecule of essential oils are small enough to permeate through the skin barrier. The molecule will be absorbed easily into the skin within 20-40 minutes depending on the chemical nature of the oil. Lavender oil is one of the frequently prescribed essential oil due to its antibacterial, antifungal, sedative, anti depressant and healing properties. Research has been done to evaluate the effect of lavender oil sitz bath on episiotomy wound healing (Katayan Vakilan 2012). This randomized control trial was conducted on 120 primiparous women with singleton pregnancy who had received mediolateral episiotomy during spontaneous delivery. Redness in lavender oil group was significantly less than control group (p Fatemeh Sheikhan (Feb 2012) conducted a study on use of lavender oil essence in primiparous women in Iran. This clinical trial was involved 60 primiparous women. In result the REEDA score was significantly lower in experimental group (lavender group) 3 days after episiotomy (p=0.000). It is suggested that lavender oil essence may be preferably to the use of betadine for episiotomy wound care. Though there are many studies done in various methods of episiotomy healing, only a very few studies are conducted to assess the effectiveness of lavender oil sitz bath on episiotomy wound healing. So the researcher felt the need to evaluate the effectiveness of lavender oil sitz bath on episiotomy wound healing among postnatal mothers with episiotomy. Statement of the Problem A study to evaluate the effectiveness of lavender oil sitz bath on episiotomy wound healing among post natal mothers in government head quarters hospital at kanchipuram. Objectives To assess the level of episiotomy wound healing among postnatal mothers in experimental and control group. To evaluate the effectiveness of lavender oil sitz bath on episiotomy wound healing among postnatal mothers in experimental group. To determine the association between the level of episiotomy wound healing among postnatal mothers with their selected demographic and obstetric variables in experimental and control group. Hypothesis H1-There will be a significant difference between the mean post test level of episiotomy wound healing between experimental and control group. H2- There will be a significant association between the level of episiotomy wound healing with their selected demographic variables among postnatal mothers in experimental and control group. Operational Definition Effectiveness In this study effectiveness refers to the extend to which the lavender oil has produced desirable effect on episiotomy wound healing. Lavender Oil Sitz Bath It is a clean procedure in which the perineal area is immersed in 4 liter of warm water with a temperature of 100 105ËÅ ¡F added with 5 drops of lavender oil for 10-15 minutes thrice a day for 3 days is used. Episiotomy It refers to the surgical incision on the median or right/ left medio lateral aspect of the perineum during second stage of labour to enlarge the vaginal introitus, to facilitate easy and safe delivery. Postnatal Mothers It refers to mothers who have undergone normal vaginal delivery and instrumental delivery with episiotomy. Episiotomy Wound Healing It refers to absence of redness ,edema, ecchymosis , discharge and presence of well approximation of wound as measured by using REEDA scale. Assumption Presence of episiotomy wound may predispose to wound infection. Lavender oil aids in improving the healing of episiotomy wound. Delimitation The study is limited to the postnatal mothers who had normal vaginal and instrumental delivery with episiotomy. The data collection period is limited for six weeks. Projected Outcomes This study will help in assessment of episiotomy wound healing among postnatal mothers. This study will help to evaluate the effectiveness of lavender oil sitz bath on episiotomy wound healing among postnatal mothers. This study enables nurses to practice lavender oil sitz bath during postnatal period.