The Myth of the Earnings Yield :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

The Myth of the Earnings Yield Essay written by Sam Vaknin Sam Vaknin's Psychology, Philosophy, Economics and Foreign Affairs Web Sites A very slim minority of firms distribute dividends. This truism has revolutionary implications. In the absence of dividends, the foundation of most - if not all - of the financial theories we employ in order to determine the value of shares, is falsified. These theories rely on a few implicit and explicit assumptions: (a) That the (fundamental) "value" of a share is closely correlated (or even equal to) its market (stock exchange or transaction) price (b) That price movements (and volatility) are mostly random, though correlated to the (fundamental) "value" of the share (will always converge to that "value" in the long term) (c) That this fundamental "value" responds to and reflects new information efficiently (old information is fully incorporated in it) Investors are supposed to discount the stream of all future income from the share (using one of a myriad of possible rates - all hotly disputed). Only dividends constitute meaningful income and since few companies engage in the distribution of dividends, theoreticians were forced to deal with "expected" dividends rather than "paid out" ones. The best gauge of expected dividends is earnings. The higher the earnings - the more likely and the higher the dividends. Even retained earnings can be regarded as deferred dividends. Retained earnings are re-invested, the investments generate earnings and, again, the likelihood and expected size of the dividends increase. Thus, earnings - though not yet distributed - were misleadingly translated to a rate of return, a yield - using the earnings yield and other measures. It is as though these earnings WERE distributed and created a RETURN - in other words, an income - to the investor. The reason for the perpetuation of this misnomer is that, according to all current theories of finance, in the absence of dividends - shares are worthless. If an investor is never likely to receive income from his holdings - then his holdings are worthless. Capital gains - the other form of income from shareholding - is also driven by earnings but it does not feature in financial equations. Yet, these theories and equations stand in stark contrast to market realities. People do not buy shares because they expect to receive a stream of future income in the form of dividends.

The Golden Lily Chapter 17

ADRIAN'S CAR DROVE LIKE A DREAM. When I got behind the wheel, I nearly forgot to check for any pursuit. In fact, I nearly forgot that I was supposed to be taking us to Wolfe's and showing Adrian how to use a stick shift. Instead, I was caught up in the way the engine hummed around us and in the scent of the leather. Leaving his neighborhood, I had to restrain myself from flooring it in the crowded streets of downtown Palm Springs. This was a car screaming to be let loose on the open road. I had admired Brayden's Mustang, but I worshipped this one. â€Å"I feel like I've just crashed someone's date,† Adrian remarked, once we were getting on the highway. No one had tailed us out of downtown, making me feel much safer. â€Å"Like I'm intruding on you two. If you want to drop me off somewhere, I'll understand.† â€Å"Huh?† I'd been paying careful attention to the way the car built up to higher speeds, both through sound and feel. The Mustang was in stunning shape. People often have the idea that classic cars are expensive. They are – if they're in good condition. Most aren't. When something's sat around for years without care, it inevitably falls apart, which is why so many older cars are fixer-uppers. Not Adrian's. This had been maintained and restored throughout the years and had probably never left the state of California – meaning it hadn't faced harsh winters. That all added up to a high price tag, making it that much more ludicrous that Adrian had bought something he couldn't drive. I groaned. â€Å"I'm sorry†¦ I don't know what I was thinking.† Well, I kind of knew. I'd been wondering what my odds of a ticket would be if I broke the speed limit to see how fast we could go. â€Å"I should've been walking you through this as soon as I started the car. I promise I will when we leave Wolfe's, all the steps. For now, I guess we can recap the basics. This is the clutch†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Adrian didn't seem annoyed by my neglect. If anything, he looked amused and simply listened to my explanations with a small, quiet smile on his face. Wolfe looked just as disreputable as he had last time, complete with the eye patch and what I suspected were the same Bermuda shorts as before. I hoped he'd done laundry since then. Despite his appearance, he was ready to go when our class assembled and seemed competent in his subject matter. Although he reminded us again about the importance of avoiding conflicts and being aware of one's surroundings, he quickly moved past those points and focused on actually practicing more physical ways of protecting oneself. Considering how much Adrian had complained last time about the â€Å"boring† safety talk, I figured he'd be excited that we were pretty much jumping right into some action. Instead, that amused look from the car vanished, and he grew increasingly tense as Wolfe explained what he wanted us to do in our partnered practice sessions. When the time actually came to practice, Adrian looked blatantly unhappy. â€Å"What's the matter?† I asked. I suddenly remembered last time, when Adrian had freaked out over my â€Å"attack.† Maybe he hadn't really expected he'd have to work here. â€Å"Come on, these are simple. You won't get dirty.† Even when teaching more combative actions, Wolfe was still an advocate of keeping things fast and simple. We weren't trying to learn to beat someone up. These maneuvers were effective means of distracting an assailant so that we could escape. Most were done with the dummies, since we could hardly try to stick fingers in each other's eyes. Adrian went through those motions diligently, if silently. It was working directly with me that he seemed to have a problem with. Wolfe noticed it too as he made his rounds. â€Å"Come on, boy! She can't try to escape if you don't try to hold her. She's not going to hurt you, and you won't hurt her.† The maneuver in question was actually one that would've been helpful the night I'd been grabbed in the alley. So, I was eager to practice it and frustrated that Adrian kept only halfheartedly helping. He was supposed to put an arm around my torso and attempt to cover my mouth. Unfortunately, his efforts were so weak and his hold so loose that I didn't need any special techniques to escape. I could have simply walked right out of his arms. With Wolfe there, Adrian made a slightly better showing as an assailant but immediately resorted to his former ways once we were alone. â€Å"Let's switch,† I said at last, nearly wanting to pull my hair out. â€Å"You try to escape me. Make up for last time.† I couldn't believe that Adrian's sluggish attitude had turned out to be the problem here. I'd expected the hang-up would be me not wanting to touch a vampire, but it didn't bother me at all. I wasn't thinking of him as a vampire. He was Adrian, and my partner in this class. I needed him to learn the move. It was all very pragmatic. If I didn't know better, I'd almost say that Adrian was afraid to touch me, which made no sense. Moroi didn't have those hang-ups. Was something wrong with me? Why wouldn't Adrian touch me? â€Å"What's going on?† I demanded, once we were in the car and headed back to the city. â€Å"I get that you're not an athlete, but what happened in there?† Adrian refused to meet my eyes and instead stared pointedly out the window. â€Å"I don't think this is really my thing. I was all about playing action hero before, but now†¦ I don't know. This is a bad idea. It's more work than I thought.† There was a flippant, dismissive tone in his voice that I hadn't heard in a while. â€Å"What happened to you finishing things you started?† I asked. â€Å"You told me you had changed.† â€Å"That was for art,† said Adrian quickly. â€Å"I'm still in those classes, aren't I? I didn't jump ship on those. I just don't want to do this one anymore. Don't worry. Now that I've got more money, I'll pay you back the class fee. You won't be out anything.† â€Å"That doesn't matter,† I argued. â€Å"It's still a waste! Especially since what Wolfe's showing us isn't really that difficult. We're not ripping ourselves apart like Eddie and Angeline would. Why is this so hard for you to stick with and learn?† My earlier self-doubt returned. â€Å"Do you just not want to work with me? Is there†¦ is there something wrong with me?† â€Å"No! Of course not. Absolutely not,† said Adrian. In my periphery, I saw him finally look at me. â€Å"Maybe there are only so many things I can learn at once. I mean, I'm supposed to also be learning to drive a stick shift. Not that I see that happening.† I wanted to slap myself on the forehead. In my frustration over class, I'd completely forgotten again about showing Adrian how to drive. I felt like an idiot, even though I was still mad at him for giving up on Wolfe. I checked the time. I had things to do tonight at Amberwood but felt obligated to make up for my shoddy teaching. â€Å"We'll practice once we're back in your neighborhood,† I promised. â€Å"We'll start slow, and I'll show you everything you need to do. I might even let you try driving around the block tonight if you seem like you're paying attention to the lesson.† The transformation in Adrian was remarkable. He went from sullen and uncomfortable to cheerful and energetic. I couldn't figure it out. Sure, I found cars and driving fascinating, but technically speaking, there was a lot more detail to learn about manual transmission than there was in Wolfe's evasive techniques. Why were those difficult for him, but the clutch was easy? I stuck around for about an hour when we got back. To his credit, Adrian paid attention to every word I said, although his results were inconsistent whenever I quizzed him or actually let him try something. Sometimes he'd respond like a pro. Other times, he'd seem totally lost on things I could have sworn he'd picked up. By the end of the hour, I felt safe enough with him driving the car at low speeds on empty streets. He was a long way from the highway or stop-and-go traffic of a busy city. â€Å"Looks like we've got more lessons in our future,† I told him when we finished. I'd parked the car behind his building, and we were walking back toward the main entrance and Latte. â€Å"Do not take that car beyond a half-mile radius. I checked the odometer. I'll know.† â€Å"Noted,† he said, still wearing that smirky smile. â€Å"When's the next lesson? You want to come back tomorrow night?† â€Å"Can't,† I said. â€Å"I'm going out with Brayden.† I was surprised at how much I was looking forward to it. Not only did I want to make things up to him after the dance, but I also just wanted a dose of normality – well, at least the kind of normality Brayden and I had together. Plus, things with Adrian were feeling really weird†¦ â€Å"Oh.† Adrian's smile fell. â€Å"Well. I understand. I mean, love and romance and all that.† â€Å"We're going to the textile museum,† I said. â€Å"It's cool, though I'm not sure how much love and romance there'll really be there.† Adrian nearly came to a halt. â€Å"There's a textile museum here? What do people do there?† â€Å"Well, they look at†¦ um, textiles. There's actually a great exhibit on – † I stopped as we reached the front of the building. There, behind Latte, was a familiar car, the rental that Sonya and Dimitri were using. I looked questioningly at Adrian. â€Å"Were you expecting them tonight?† â€Å"No,† he said, resuming his walk to the door. â€Å"They've got a key, though, so I suppose they can make themselves at home anytime. They do it a lot, actually. He eats my food, and she uses my hair stuff.† I followed him. â€Å"Hopefully it's just Dimitri.† After our recent revelations about the hunters, Sonya was pretty much under house arrest. Or so I thought. When we walked into the apartment, she was sitting on the couch. No Dimitri in sight. She glanced up at us from her laptop. â€Å"Thank goodness you're here,† she said, directing her words to me. â€Å"Jill said you two were out and I was hoping to catch you.† Something told me no good would come out of her wanting to â€Å"catch† me, but I had greater concerns. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, half-expecting hunters to come through the door. â€Å"You're supposed to be at Clarence's until you leave town.† â€Å"Day after tomorrow,† she confirmed. She stood; eyes alight with whatever had driven her here. â€Å"But I needed to talk to you now – face-to-face.† â€Å"I would've come to you,† I protested. â€Å"It's not safe for you to be out.† â€Å"I'm fine,† she said. â€Å"I made sure I wasn't followed. This was too important.† She was breathless and excited. More important than being caught by wannabe vampire hunters? Debatable. Adrian crossed his arms and looked surprisingly disapproving. â€Å"Well, it's too late now. What's going on?† â€Å"We got the results back from Sydney's blood,† explained Sonya. My heart stopped. No, I thought. No, no, no. â€Å"Just like with Dimitri's blood, nothing physiological showed up,† she said. â€Å"Nothing unusual with proteins, antibodies, or anything like that.† Relief poured through me. I'd been right. Nothing special about me, no inexplicable properties. And yet†¦ at the same time, I felt a tiny pang of regret. I wasn't the one who would fix everything. â€Å"We sent it to a Moroi lab this time, not an Alchemist one,† Sonya continued. â€Å"One of the researchers – an earth user – felt a hum of earth magic. Just like how Adrian and I felt spirit in Dimitri's blood. The technician had other types of magic users examine your sample, and all four basic elements were detected.† That panic returned. She had me on an emotional roller coaster, one that left me nauseous. â€Å"Magic†¦ in my blood?† A moment later, I understood. â€Å"Of course there is,† I said slowly. I touched my cheek. â€Å"The tattoo has vampire blood and magic in it. That's what it is. There are different degrees of charms in it from different users. That would show up in my blood.† I shivered. Even with a logical explanation, it was a scary thing accepting that there was magic in my blood. Ms. Terwilliger's spells were still anathema to me, but at least there was some comfort in knowing they drew magic from outside of me. But knowing I had something internal? That was terrifying. And yet, I couldn't be surprised at this finding, not with the tattoo. Sonya nodded along. â€Å"Yes, of course. But there must be something about that combination that's repulsive to Strigoi. It may be the key to all of our work!† To my surprise, Adrian took a few steps toward me, and there was a tension in his stance that was fiercely protective. â€Å"So you know Alchemist blood has magic in it,† he said. â€Å"That's no surprise. Case closed. What do you want from her now?† â€Å"Another sample to start,† said Sonya eagerly. â€Å"There's none left in the original vial I took, once all the testing was done. I know this sounds strange, but it'd also be useful if a Moroi could†¦ well, taste your blood and see if it has the same repulsive quality as it did to Strigoi. Fresh blood would be ideal, but even I'm not deluded enough to ask you to submit to a feeding. We should simply be able to use your sample and – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I said. I stumbled backward, horrified. â€Å"Absolutely not. Whether it's from a neck or a vial, there's no way I'm giving my blood for anyone to taste. Do you know how wrong that is? I know you do it all the time with feeders, but I'm not one of them. I should never have given you the first sample. You don't need me for any of this. Spirit's the key. Lee's proof that former Strigoi are the ones you need to examine.† Sonya wasn't cowed by my outburst. She pushed forward, though her tone was gentler. â€Å"I understand your fear, but think of the applications! If something in your blood makes you resistant to Strigoi, then you could save countless lives.† â€Å"Alchemists aren't resistant,† I said. â€Å"That tattoo isn't protecting us, if that's what you're getting at. Do you think that in all our history, there haven't been Alchemists who were turned Strigoi?† â€Å"Well, of course,† she said. Her words were hesitant, encouraging me. â€Å"So, the magic you sensed in me is irrelevant. It's just the tattoo. All Alchemists have it. Maybe ours tastes bad, but Alchemist blood has nothing to do with Strigoi turning. It still happens to us.† I was rambling but didn't care. Sonya grew perplexed, her mind running through the implications of this news. â€Å"But do all Alchemists have bad-tasting blood? If so, how would a Strigoi be able to drain them?† â€Å"Maybe it varies by person,† I said. â€Å"Or maybe some Strigoi are tougher than others. I don't know. Regardless, we aren't the ones to focus on.† â€Å"Unless there's just something special about you,† mused Sonya. No. I didn't want that. I didn't want to be scrutinized, locked behind glass like Keith. I couldn't be. I prayed she wouldn't see how scared I was. â€Å"There's plenty that's special about her,† said Adrian dryly. â€Å"But her blood's not up for dispute. Why are you pushing this again after last time?† Sonya glared at Adrian. â€Å"I'm not doing this for selfish reasons, you know that! I want to save our people. I want to save all our people. I don't want to see any new Strigoi added to the world. No one should live like that.† A haunted look shone in her eyes, as a memory seized her. â€Å"That kind of bloodlust and complete lack of empathy for any other living creature†¦ no one can imagine what it's like. You're hollow. A walking nightmare, and yet†¦ you just don't care†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Funny attitude,† said Adrian, â€Å"seeing as you purposely chose to become one.† Sonya paled, and I felt torn. I appreciated Adrian's defense but also pitied Sonya. She'd explained to me in the past about how spirit's instability – the same instability Adrian feared – had driven her to turning Strigoi. Looking back at her decision, she regretted it more than anything else in her life. She would've submitted herself for punishment, but no court knew how to handle her situation. â€Å"Doing that was a mistake,† she said coldly. â€Å"One I've learned from – which is why I'm so anxious to save others from that fate.† â€Å"Well, then find a way to do it without dragging Sydney into it! You know how she feels about us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Adrian faltered as he glanced at me, and I was surprised to almost detect bitterness in his voice. â€Å"You know how the Alchemists feel. Keep involving her, and you'll get her in trouble with them. And if you're so convinced they've got the answers, ask them for volunteers and do experiments that way.† â€Å"I'd help with that,† I offered. â€Å"Getting authorized subjects for you. I'd talk to my superiors. They'd like to see an end to Strigoi as much as you.† When Sonya didn't answer right away, Adrian guessed why. â€Å"She knows they'd say no, Sage. That's why she's appealing to you directly and why they didn't send your blood to an Alchemist lab.† â€Å"Why can't you both see how important this is?† asked Sonya, a desperate longing to do good in her eyes. It made me feel guilty and conflicted. â€Å"I do,† said Adrian. â€Å"You think I don't want to see every single one of those bastard Strigoi wiped from the face of the earth? I do! But not at the cost of forcing people to do things they don't want to.† Sonya gave him a long, level look. â€Å"I think you're letting your personal feelings interfere with this. Your emotions are going to ruin our research.† He smiled. â€Å"Well, then. Be glad you'll be free of me in two days.† Sonya glanced between the two of us, looked like she was about to protest, and then thought better of it. Without another word she left, her face defeated. Again, I felt torn. In theory, I knew she was right†¦ but my gut just couldn't agree. â€Å"I didn't mean to upset her,† I said at last. Adrian's face showed no sympathy. â€Å"She shouldn't have upset you. She knows how you feel.† I still felt a little bad, yet I couldn't shake the feeling that if I gave this, I'd be asked to give more and more. I recalled the day Eddie and Dimitri had been coated in spirit magic. No way could I risk getting involved to that level. I was already pushing my limits too far. â€Å"I know†¦ but it's hard,† I said. â€Å"I like Sonya. I gave her the first vial, so I can see why she thought the second would be easy.† â€Å"Doesn't matter,† he said. â€Å"No is no.† â€Å"I really will mention it to the Alchemists,† I said. â€Å"Maybe they'll want to help.† I didn't think I'd get in too much trouble for the first vial. The Alchemists endorsed the initial experiments after all, and I'd probably get points for standing up to vampire peer pressure for the other sample. He shrugged. â€Å"If they do, great. If not, it's not your responsibility.† â€Å"Well, thanks for gallantly coming to my defense again,† I teased. â€Å"Maybe you'd be more into Wolfe's training if you got to protect someone else instead of yourself?† The earlier smile returned. â€Å"I just don't like seeing people bullied, that's all.† â€Å"But you should come back to Wolfe with me,† I urged. â€Å"You need a chance to try to get at me.† Like that, he was serious again. He looked away. â€Å"I don't know, Sage. We'll see. For now, we'll just focus on the driving – when you can get away from your boyfriend, of course.† I left shortly after that, still confused about his weird behavior. Was that some of spirit's crazy effects on the mind? One minute, he was brave and defensive. The next, he was down and obstinate. Maybe there was a pattern or some type of reasoning behind it all, but it was beyond my analytical abilities. Back at Amberwood, I immediately headed for the library to get a book for my English class. Ms. Terwilliger had lightened up on my usual work so that I could â€Å"devote more time† to crafting her spells. Since her independent study – which was supposed to be my easy elective – took up more time than my other classes, it was refreshing to focus on something else for a change. As I was leaving the British Lit section, I caught sight of Jill and Eddie studying together at a table. That wasn't weird, exactly. What was weird was that Micah wasn't with them. â€Å"Hey, guys,† I said, slipping into a seat. â€Å"Hard at work?† â€Å"Do you know how weird it is to be repeating my senior year?† asked Eddie. â€Å"I can't even blow it off either. I have to get decent grades to stay here.† I grinned. â€Å"Hey, all knowledge is worth having.† He tapped the papers in front of him. â€Å"Yeah? You got any knowledge on the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize in fiction?† â€Å"Edith Wharton,† I said automatically. He scrawled something onto his paper, and I turned to Jill. â€Å"How are things with you? Where's Micah?† Jill had her chin propped in her hand and was gazing at me with the weirdest look. It was almost†¦ dreamy. It took her a few moments to snap out of her daze and respond. The dreamy look became embarrassed and then dismayed. She glanced down at her book. â€Å"Sorry. I was just thinking how good you look in taupe. What did you ask?† â€Å"Micah?† I prompted. â€Å"Oh. Right. He's got†¦ stuff to do.† I was pretty sure that was the shortest explanation she'd ever given me. I tried to remember what I'd last heard on their status. â€Å"You guys patched things up, right?† â€Å"Yeah. I guess. He understood about Thanksgiving.† She brightened. â€Å"Hey, Eddie and I were talking about that. Do you think we could all have a big family-style Thanksgiving at Clarence's? Do you think he'd mind? We could all help, and it'd be lots of fun. I mean, aside from the cover, we really are like a family. Eddie says he can make the turkey.† â€Å"I think Clarence would love that,† I said, happy to see her cheery again. Then, I replayed her words. I turned to Eddie incredulously. â€Å"You know how to make a turkey? How would you have learned that?† From what I knew, most dhampirs stayed nearly year-round at their schools from an early age. Not a lot of culinary time. â€Å"Hey,† he said, straight-faced. â€Å"All knowledge is worth having.† Jill laughed. â€Å"He wouldn't tell me either.† â€Å"You know, Angeline claims she can cook,† said Eddie. â€Å"We were talking about it at breakfast. She says she knows about cooking turkey too, so if we tag-team, we can pull it off. Of course, she'll probably want to hunt and kill her own.† â€Å"Probably,† I said. It was amazing that he was talking about working with her on anything. It was even amazing that he could speak about her fondly, without a grimace. I was beginning to think more and more that her display at the assembly had been a good thing. We didn't need animosity in this group. â€Å"Well, I got what I came for, so I'm heading back. I'll see you in the morning.† â€Å"See you,† said Eddie. Jill said nothing, and when I glanced over, I saw that she was watching me again with that weird, enraptured look. She sighed happily. â€Å"Adrian had a great time with you at your class tonight, you know.† I nearly rolled my eyes. â€Å"The bond leaves no secrets. He didn't always seem to be having a good time.† â€Å"No, he really did,† she assured me. A dopey smile crossed her features. â€Å"He loves that you love the car more than he does and thinks it's awesome you're getting so good in your defense class. Not that that's a surprise. You're always so good at everything, and you don't even realize it. You don't even realize half the things you do – like how you watch out for others and never even think about yourself.† Even Eddie looked a little astonished by that. He and I exchanged puzzled looks. â€Å"Well,† I said awkwardly, really unsure how to handle this Sydney lovefest. I decided escape was my best option. â€Å"Thanks. I'll see you later and – hey. Where'd you get that?† â€Å"Huh?† she asked, blinking out of her enraptured haze. Jill was wearing a silk scarf painted in rich jewel tones, almost reminding me of a peacock's tail. It also reminded me of something else, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. â€Å"The scarf. I've seen it before.† â€Å"Oh.† She ran her fingers over the smooth material. â€Å"Lia gave it to me.† â€Å"What? When did you see her?† â€Å"She stopped by the dorm yesterday to give the dresses back again. I didn't tell you because I knew you'd want to return them.† â€Å"I do,† I said adamantly. Jill sighed. â€Å"Come on, let's just keep them. They're so pretty. And you know she'll just bring them back anyway.† â€Å"We'll deal with that later. Tell me about the scarf.† â€Å"It's no big deal. She was trying to pitch me on this scarf collection – â€Å" â€Å"Yeah, yeah, she told me too. How she could make it so no one recognized you.† I shook my head, feeling a surprising amount of anger. Was nothing under my control anymore? â€Å"I can't believe she went behind my back! Please tell me you didn't sneak off with her to do a photo shoot.† â€Å"No, no,† said Jill quickly. â€Å"Of course not. But you don't think†¦ I mean, you don't think there's any way she could pull it off? Hide me?† I tried to keep my tone gentle. After all, I was mad at Lia, not Jill. â€Å"Maybe. Maybe not. You know we can't take the chance.† Jill nodded, face sad. â€Å"Yeah.† I left feeling annoyed and was so distracted that I nearly ran into Trey. When he didn't respond to my greeting, I realized he was even more distracted than I was. There was a haunted look in his eyes, and he seemed exhausted. â€Å"You okay?† I asked. He managed a weak smile. â€Å"Yeah, yeah. Just feeling the pressure of everything. Nothing I can't handle. What about you? Don't they usually have to throw you out of this place? Or did you finally get tired of being here for eight hours?† â€Å"I just needed one book,† I said. â€Å"And I was actually only here ten minutes. I was out most of the night.† The smile fell, replaced by a frown. â€Å"Out with Brayden?† â€Å"That's tomorrow. I had, um, family stuff tonight.† The frown deepened. â€Å"You go out a lot, Melbourne. You have a lot of friends outside school.† â€Å"Not that many,† I said. â€Å"I'm not living a party lifestyle, if that's what you're getting at.† â€Å"Yeah, well. Be careful. I've heard about some scary stuff going on out there.† I remembered him being concerned for Jill too. I usually kept up on all the local news and had heard nothing alarming recently. â€Å"What, is there a crime ring in Palm Springs I should know about?† â€Å"Just be careful,† he said. We started to part ways, and then I called to him, â€Å"Trey? I know it's your own business, but whatever's going on†¦ if you want to talk, I'm here.† It was a huge concession for me, seeing as I wasn't always the most socially adept person. Trey gave me a wistful smile. â€Å"Noted.† I was kind of reeling as I went back to my dorm. Adrian, Jill, Trey. I suppose if you counted Eddie and Angeline getting along, everyone in my life was behaving weirdly. All part of the job, I thought. As soon as I was back in my room, I called Donna Stanton with the Alchemists. I never could be sure what time zone she was in, so I wasn't too concerned about the late hour. She answered right away and didn't sound tired, which I took as a good sign. She hadn't responded to my e-mail about the Warriors, and I was anxious for news. They posed too big a threat to us to be ignored. â€Å"Miss Sage,† she said. â€Å"I was planning on calling you soon. I trust everything's okay with the Dragomir girl?† â€Å"Jill? Yeah, she's fine. I wanted to check in on some other things. You got the info I sent you about the Warriors of Light?† Stanton sighed. â€Å"That's what I was going to call you about. Have you had any more runins?† â€Å"No. And they don't seem to have been following us anymore either. Maybe they gave up.† â€Å"Unlikely.† Her next words took a long time to get out. â€Å"Not from what we've observed in the past.† I froze, momentarily speechless. â€Å"In the past? Do you mean†¦ you've run into them before? I was hoping they were just some†¦ I don't know. A crazy, localized group.† â€Å"Unfortunately, no. We've encountered them before. Sporadically, mind you. But they pop up everywhere.† I was still in disbelief. â€Å"But I was always taught that any hunters had disappeared centuries ago. Why has no one ever talked about this?† â€Å"Honestly?† asked Stanton. â€Å"Most Alchemists don't know. We want to run an efficient organization, one that deals with the vampire problem in an organized, peaceful way. There are some people in our group who might want to take more extreme action. It's best then if the existence of our radical offshoot is kept secret. I wouldn't have even told you, but with all the contact you're having, you need to be prepared.† â€Å"Offshoot†¦ then they are related to Alchemists!† I was sickened. â€Å"Not for a very long time.† She sounded equally disgusted. â€Å"There's almost no resemblance anymore. They're reckless and savage. The only reason we let them be is because they usually just go after Strigoi. This situation with Sonya Karp is more difficult. She hasn't had any more threats?† â€Å"No. I just saw her tonight†¦ which brings up the other reason I called†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I gave Stanton a rundown of the various blood experiments, including my own donation. I painted it in very scientific terms, how it had seemed useful as extra data. I then made sure to sound properly appalled by the second request – which wasn't that difficult. â€Å"Absolutely not,† said Stanton. No hesitation. Often, Alchemist decisions went through chains of command, even with someone as high up as her. It was a sign of how much this went against Alchemist beliefs that she didn't even have to consult anyone. â€Å"Human control-blood is one thing. The rest she's suggesting is out of the question. I will not allow humans to be used in these experiments, especially when the evidence clearly shows the former Strigoi need to be the focus – not us. Besides, for all we know, this is some ploy on the Moroi part to get more of our blood for personal reasons.† I didn't believe that last part at all and tried to find a tactful way of saying so. â€Å"Sonya seems to sincerely believe this would help protect against Strigoi. She just doesn't seem to grasp how we feel about it.† â€Å"Of course she wouldn't,† said Stanton dismissively. â€Å"None of them do.† She and I returned our focus to the vampire hunters. The Alchemists were doing some investigating on any sightings in the area. She didn't want me to do any active investigation myself, but I was to report in immediately if any other information came my way. She was assuming the Warriors of Light were operating nearby, and once she found out where, the Alchemists would â€Å"deal with them.† I wasn't entirely sure what that meant, but her tone made me shiver. As she'd pointed out earlier, we weren't a particularly aggressive group†¦ though we were excellent at getting rid of problems. â€Å"Oh,† I said, just as we were wrapping up. â€Å"Did you ever find out anything about Marcus Finch?† I'd tried locating Clarence's mysterious human, who'd helped against the hunters, but had found nothing. I'd hoped Stanton might have more connections. â€Å"No. But we'll keep looking.† A slight pause. â€Å"Miss Sage†¦ I can't emphasize enough how pleased we are with the work you're doing. You've run into a few more complications than any of us expected, yet you handle them all efficiently and properly. Even your conduct with the Moroi is outstanding. A weaker person might have yielded to Karp's request. You refused and contacted me. I'm so proud I took the chance on you.† I felt a tightening in my chest. So proud. I couldn't remember the last time someone had said they were proud of me. Well, my mother did a lot, but no one tied to my work among the Alchemists did. For most of my life, I'd hoped my father would say he was proud. I'd finally given up on expecting that. Stanton was hardly a parental figure, but her words triggered happiness in me I hadn't known was waiting to come out. â€Å"Thank you, ma'am,† I said, when I could finally speak. â€Å"Keep it up,† she said. â€Å"When I can, I'll get you out of that place and into a position that doesn't involve so much contact with them.† And like that, my world came crashing down. I suddenly felt guilty. She really had given me a chance, and now I was deceiving her. I was hardly like Liam, ready to sell my soul to the Strigoi, but I also wasn't staying objective with my charges. Driving lessons. Thanksgiving. What would Stanton say if she knew about that? I was a sham, reaping glory I didn't deserve. If I was truly a dedicated Alchemist, I'd change my life here. I'd stop all extraneous activities with Jill and the others. I wouldn't even attend Amberwood – I'd accept the offer of outside accommodations. I'd only come here and see the gang when I absolutely was required to. If I could do those things, then I'd truly be a good Alchemist. And, I realized, I'd also be terribly, awfully lonely. â€Å"Thank you, ma'am,† I said. It was the only response I could give.

Essay Sample on Gambling Its Origin, Development and Problems

Essay Sample on Gambling Its Origin, Development and Problems Gambling is a complex and intriguing human activity. When it appeared long ago, it seen as popular, but it has cycled to the opposite extreme to be rebuked, condemned and repressed as a social evil. More precisely, Video Lottery Terminals (VLTs) are one important aspect of gambling that affects gamblers and makes them addicts. These machines are often  referred to as the crack cocaine of gambling, one armed bandits or even the devil`s television. First, to uncover the VLTs world, we need to go back and explore the history of these machines. Then, we need to emphasize on the relation between the population and the machines: what attracts people and how? Following this, view by a psychological manner, we have to focus on the fact that VLTs are not random and how people are enslaved by them. Also, the explanation of how these slot machines are taking money from people and their effects. Statistics revealed by a professor who studied gambling in Las Vegas said that 78 per cent of patho logical gamblers had thought about suicide and 49 per cent had attempted it; 35.5 per cent said they stole from work to pay for their gambling and 27.5 per cent said they filed for bankruptcy. Finally, the role of the government and the economy will be introduced, and some solutions for addicted gamblers must be included. First, a little historical introduction is important to analyse where the gambling and VLTs came from. The earliest reference to gambling is found in ancient Egypte displaying various board games. Knuckle-bones, from which dice were derived, were popular in Greece and India (Roman board games). Many other little inventions were created; such as the roulette which was introduced into England in 1739 (Roulette history) and playing cards, which originated in 12th century China, reached Europe through Spain and were brought to America with Columbus in 1492. Lotteries were known to exist in early Roman times and were used in judicial proceedings to determine guilt and for the selection of politicians. In England and Western Europe around the 16th century, lotteries became a popular mean of raising government revenue for public projects (lottery history). By 1790 lotteries were flourishing to the point of a lottery mania and were more active (Lottery history). Horse racing is several thousand years older than Christianity with Homer and Xenaphon. Knowledge of the first horse race is lost in prehistory (Horse racing). It was then made common in the 11th century in London under the interests of Henry VIII. The formation of the Newmarket Jockey club in 1750 paved the way for the formal regulation of racing (Horse racing). Poker-machines, referred to as slot machines or Video Lottery Machines, were invented by the American Charles Frey in 1895. They gained popularity rapidly to become one of the most profitable gaming devices invented (Slot machine history ,2001-2002). Profits derived were so fabulous from such little investment and little effort that governments willingly took  advantage and control of these machines. Today, the number of video lottery machines has increased by thousands year after year and the money continues to grow rapidly in the  governments pocket. From a journal written by Novak (1998) it is said that the amount of money players fed into the machines went from $1.4 billion in 1996 to $2.1 billion in 1997 (p. 2). It is important to examine the relationship between the population and the Video Lottery Terminals. The question that psychologists and sociologists often ask themselves is what attracts people to VLTs? First, the machines are often very attractive because of their splendid colour and their simpleness. The games are usually visually appealing. Some would like to say that they are  « architecturally primitive  » (Golfman, N., December 1998), but because they are not complicated to play and there are not many buttons and readings, the players like these machines that require no skill. â€Å"And even though it is a chance outcome, it seems that there is some skill involved. So, you get the sense that you are good at what you are doing† (King, M., March 1999). Long ago, these boxes were rudimentary with brown and black colours. But today, to attracted even more people, they are striking with fluorescent coulours and are  becoming more modern to fit into today’s world. It is seen that after playing a couple of times, it is very difficult to resist the temptation to drop a coin when you are given the opportunity. The next point is in fact about control. People think they have control over their game, but they are just pushing a button or pulling a bar. The rest of the job is done by the machine and it decide when to stop. Also, because it is so simple, it is quicker to play. It is also a way to pass time and some people like it better then sports or reading. In fact, VLTs are easier to play with, you can do many things at the same time while playing and it does not require much of your brain to understand the games. A player can easily have a cigarette, take a sip from his or her beer or even chat on a cell phone while â€Å"keeping the game’s images in play with some gentle one-fingered pressure applied to a large well-worn button† (Golfman, N., December 1998). These machines only provide an illusion of activity. Also, some games are more popular because they stimulate more than others. The Real Games such as poker, blackjack and Keno are far more popular than other gaming terminal options (Golfman, N., December 1998). If we compare the card game solitaire to Keno, we can see the difference of stimulation. The software for a game of solitaire on a computer is programmed to deal whatever cards it wants. Keno requires merely picking some lucky numbers, hardly a stimulating way to pass the time (Golfman, N., December 1998). A nd with VLTs games like poker or blackjack, you get to chose the cards you want, instead of having it done by the computer. This way, you have a chance where the computer could choose weather you win or lose. When somebody plays these games, he does not have a partner which is often more stimulating. But that is why the Real Games are visually appealing. Many people think that they have an equal chance to win or lose money when playing with VLTs. The population is not aware that most of these slot machines are not random. In fact, they look random, but thousands of winning combinations have been removed from these games. If VLTs were random, the machine would lose a large amount of money occasionally. But it seems like this does not happen. For example, the Five Reel slot machines are the biggest money makers in Alberta VLTs (Vegas Professor Say, October 13, 2000) and the odds of winning are terrible. The Five Reel game has five pay lines including the three lines across and the diagonal corners. The cost to play is 25 cents per line, per spin, which can be increased to a maximum of $2.50 per spin. This game can easily cost $300 per hour, but the jackpot is only $250. How can we really know if VLTs are random or not? When a player pushes the button which activates the spin, is it really him who decides when to stop? No, it is the mac hine, so we have no control over them. Again with the Five Reel game, only 13% of all combinations (7,962,624) are actually winning spins where the pay out is higher than the original bet; 45% of the combinations pay absolutely nothing (means the player lose); 28% pay less than the original bet (the player still lose) and 12% of the combinations return the original bet (Vegas Professor Say .,October 13, 2000). That means you can only win 13% of the time and this is how government make millions of dollars per month. â€Å"Your losses and winnings are electronically tallied as you play, ()† (Cook, J., 1992) and this means we have no control over our bet. Psychologist and sociologist often analyze how VLTs enslave people and take their money. First, the prime objective of slot machines is to make you believe that the winning combinations are imminent so you keep playing and putting your money into the machine. It means that these machines are very quick. It is not like lottery tickets with which you have to wait often half a week or a week to receive the results and see if you win or not. â€Å"They are widely available, but you have to wait until Saturday night to get the results of the draw† (King, M., March 1999). For VLTs, the rate of play, rate of return, and the rate of feedback are very quick as a matter of seconds. This is one factor of problem gambling. What happens is that instead of spending the money just won to buy a beer or two, â€Å"the now pleasantly hooked client will more than likely roll the credits towards the next set of games† (Golfman, N., December 1998). Then, before the player can realize it, he has just passed hours in front of the machine, the credits have led to incredible betting and a big amount of money will be gone. The machines seen to have the capacity to enslave the gambler. When a player loses, he usually has the tendency to play again because he wants to win and since VLTs are fast, it is easy to just replay as much as he wants. VLTs can be played as quickly as 20 times a minute. â€Å"In that time an enthusiast can set and lose up to $5† (Golfman, N., December 1998). So, during an hour, the player can give up almost $300 to the machine. Another factor that causes problem gambling is the accessibility of VLTs. They are widely available in bars and casinos. Anybody can have access to them and even teenagers can easily play with the machines. For example, a man living in Montreal, who just finished working and receives a small salary with a wife and kids, can easily go play at the casino and spend all his money. People become addicted to VLTs and cannot stop playing. Also, many VLTs outlets are open 24 hours and it is not unusual to hear someone’s playing 36 hours straight (Novak, V., 1998). After having identified the quickness of the play and the ease of access to VLTs as factors in problem gambling, we can identify a third one. VLTs are not expensive (King, M., March 1999). It only cost 25 cents to play with certain machines. Because you only need pocket change to play and because it seems like a really small amount of money, people tend to play longer with a larger amount over time. â€Å"It does not seem like a big investment† (King, M., March 1999). There are various effects and consequences of being addicted to gambling. Lots of players are at risk to develop problems. They become absorbed in their game and also they â€Å"mobilise their bodies to function with astonishing mechanical dispatch-like rats in a control experiment† (Golfman, N., December 1998). Many scientists did experiments with rats and discovered that when they stimulated the rodents brain, the animals kept returning to the place where they were receiving the stimulation. VLTs uses reinforcement as well to make the gamblers play more and more. This refers to any event which increases the probability that a response will occur again (Coon, D., 2000). While playing, the reinforcement is money and the response occurs when the players keep playing. This creates addiction and it is considered as a disease. Professionals â€Å"who specialise in gambling addiction agree that video poker provides an exceptionally fast track of addiction† (Novak, V., 1998). Other scientific research show that video games cause addiction and are enjoyed by many players diagnosed with addiction-disease (Golfman, N., December 1998). This is why the gamblers always return to play even if they do not have the money for it. It is a great pleasure that they cannot live without it. There are many effects of the addiction on gamblers. The player can lose all his money and with it, his house and job. He can lose his wife and even kids. Men are often the gamblers and women or children are the ones who are often physically or sexually assaulted (Macionis, Benoit, Janson, 1999). Often, because of this, the player thinks about suicide and can even attempt it. He can also make criminal acts or just steals money. Both of these acts are terrible and can get the person into prison. Some gamblers just go through alcohol and drug abuse to get away from their problems. As an example, a young pizza-franchise manager has a criminal record after feeding the machines for weeks with his store’s cash (Novak, V., 1998). Next, the governments are the one who gets the profits. So, do they really want to shut down the VLTs or to ban these machines from bars and casinos? They are â€Å"virtually vacuuming up gambling profits directly from the machines into their treasury† (Golfman, N., December 1998). Some provinces share as much as 80 per cent of the net revenues produced by VLTs, â€Å"making it virtually impossible for government to resist their invading presence† (Golfman, N., December 1998). The money from these machines are a form of hidden tax. The Government uses this money to repair roads, pay bills and manage government itself as taxes do. They also spend money on gambling problems (about $150 000 a year in the province of Newfoundland), but it cannot be compared to the $80 million that they collect from bars and casinos with VLTs (Golfman, N., December 1998). So, can we say that governments are supporting problem- gamblers as much as they could? Not really. Another example is in South Dakota where VLTs make 70 per cent profit (Vegas Professor Say .,October 13, 2000). Most successful businesses are only making around 10 per cent profit, so video lottery machines are making 60 per cent more profit then other good businesses. We can really say that lottery terminals are a source of revenue for state budget. They turned gambling into a supposed source of money for causes like education, environment and economic development but, in fact, it is more like a tax to gain money to go in government treasury. â€Å"Last year, the VLTs yielded Montana $21 million on tax revenue, South Dakota $25 million, five to ten times what their conventional lotteries do† (Cook, J., 1992). Since the 1970s, there has been significant expansion of gambling. Various form of gambling were legalize to â€Å"increase revenue without having to rely upon more traditional forms of taxation† (Carr, Buchoski, Kofoed Morgan, 1996). Today, VLTs are part of our lives and governments do not want to ban them. It seems that they do not realize the problems that these machines are causing on the population. â€Å"The phrase problem gambler is itself still a suspiciously new term, and one that governments refused to recognize unti l VLTs conquered the landscape† (Golfman, N., December 1998). There are many possible solutions for addictive gamblers. First, we could shut down the machines. In South Carolina, the Supreme Court shut down 36,000 video lottery machines on July 1st, 2000. By this, the number of active Gambler’s Anonymous groups was cut in three months, from 32 to 16 groups (Vegas Professor Say .,October 13, 2000). In South Carolina, the Governor said that VLTs are a cancer and he wants them out. If all forms of government could do the same thing, there would have a lower race of addicted gamblers. This Governor made an effort to ban these machines. â€Å"It passed overwhelmingly in the house, then was filibustered to death in the senate, but is sure to resurface next year† (Novak, V., 1998). There are other states where there are signs of reassessment taking place. In Louisiana, many people voted to ban the machines starting next year (Novak, V., 1998). As a second solution, reduction in the speed of the units themselves is a possibility. Many casinos say that slowing down the games mean losing clients (Golfman, N., December 1998). People get bored with slow games and will stop playing them. For now, it is only a recommendation and it has not yet been applied. Maybe by losing clients, it will reduce the number of addicted gamblers. The most current solution, or should we say help, is treatment. Scientists are still at the beginning phases of research on the effectiveness of various treatment approaches (King, 1999). Some Addiction Centre and Gambler’s Anonymous centres offer help to addicted gamblers. These include self-help groups, support groups, therapy, individual and family counselling, family support and number of treatment programs for people who feel they need a break from their surroundings in order to quit gambling (King, 1999). The emphases of these centres are on developing strategies to stay â€Å"quit† once you have quit. â€Å"For example, these strategies can be external (controlling access to money), or cognitive (helping people to understand their thought patterns and how what they think may lead to into gambling or not gambling)† (King, 1999). The shut down of VLTs and the number of people entering some centres are related. When video machines were turned off in South Dakota, the number of individuals receiving treatments for problem gambling diminished abruptly (Carr, Buchoski, Kofoed Morgan, 1996). This suggests that VLTs present a unique risk for development of problems severe enough for the need of treatments. But the thing is we know that only a very small proportion of those identified as having a problem actually seek treatment. Most of the population do not realize their addiction and continue to play. In conclusion, in addition of being the biggest revenue producer for governments, video lottery terminals are also the biggest cause of problem gambling. No other style of gambling creates such an hypnotic fascination. It is seen many times that it is very difficult to resist the temptation to drop a coin when given the opportunity. It cannot be denied that problem gambling is a reality and we have to do something to stop it. Solutions such as banning the machines are efficient and we should do it everywhere. As Quinn says, a director of Carolina Psychological Services in Columbia â€Å"video lottery machines are not worth the cost to society in lost productivity on the job, crime, divorce and bankruptcy† (Vegas Professor Say .,October 13, 2000).

Watership Down Quotes

'Watership Down' Quotes Watership Down is a novel by Richard Adams. Its popular on many high school reading lists. The work is an allegory: a fantasy about a group of rabbits in search of a warren. Here are a few quotes from Watership Down. The Threarah doesnt like anything he hasnt thought of for himself.- Richard Adams, Watership Down Note: This quote refers to the chief rabbit, and it tells us a little bit about the leadership in the rabbit community. This is the type of example that the younger generations have to followthe leaders they have to look up to. Its very self-centered  and does not consider what is best for the community. El-ahrairah, your people cannot rule the world, for I will not have it so. All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.- Richard Adams, Watership Down Note: This quote reminds us of many of the trickster-like tales and legends. In Watership Down, the quote is derived from Dandelions myth. As in many of the other mythic tales were familiar with in literary history, gifts are given: intelligence (cunning), speed (runner), and strength (digger). Rabbits need dignity and above all the will to accept their fate.- Richard Adams, Watership DownTheyd altered what rabbits do naturally because they thought they could do better.- Richard Adams, Watership Down Note: Animals in the wild will act (and react) in certain ways that seem natural, but are also part of learned responses. When they learn that those behaviors are no longer required, some animals begin to act in unnatural ways. They could have comfortable burrows (for example), but buck rabbits wont (cant) dig. Their (natural) way of life has been changed. I think we ought to do all we can to make these creatures friendly. It might turn out to be well worth the trouble.- Richard Adams, Watership DownThe truth is, youre just a silly show-off.- Richard Adams, Watership DownWe all have to meet our match sometime or other.- Richard Adams, Watership DownI have learned that with creatures one loves, suffering is not the only thing for which one may pity them. A rabbit who does not know when a gift has made him safe is poorer than a slug, even though he may think otherwise himself.- Richard Adams, Watership DownIf a rabbit gave advice and the advice wasnt accepted, he immediately forgot it, and so did everyone else.- Richard Adams, Watership DownIf my authority goes, where will yours be in half a day.- Richard Adams, Watership Down

Hacker Target and Response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Hacker Target and Response - Assignment Example The principal objective of this paper is to identify the areas and the information that an attacker might want to obtain and the methods that they may employ in undertaking the criminal activity. The paper also seeks to highlight the possible damage that their activities may cause to the information system. It is also important to show the preventive measures and the appropriate responses towards the security threat. As said earlier in the paper, one of the probable offenders is an ex-employee of an organization. The reason for this is that the ex-employee might have negative motives of releasing sensitive information that could destroy the reputation of the organization. The primary objective of an ex-employee would be to revenge. Another area that could be attacked by the ex-employee is the financial security system. The offender could have an objective of crumbling the organizations financial stability. The terminated employee may also target the organization’s foundational information, its economic weaknesses, production information and organizational information (Covaleski, 2013). There are multiple ways in which the terminated employee may use to hack into the company’s information system. One of the ways is using other employees to obtain information; the other means they could employ is to use their knowledge of security passwords and access the organization’s information system. A well-planned data security strategy alternatively posits the objectives of the information system of a business and formulates a plan to attain these goals (Dhillon & Backhouse, 2000). Any leakage of sensitive corporate information is a pragmatic basis of corporation collapse. Precisely the data system lacking a prolific information security is prospective to be a separate collection of check procedures that include numerous severe security threats. Information systems security policies at that instance may frequently be

The Greater Common Good by Arundhati Roy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Greater Common Good by Arundhati Roy - Essay Example The one conclusion that follows from these texts is that the natural wealth of the third world nations can only be saved by cleansing their political system. This will reduce their dependence on the developed nations and will allow them to use their natural wealth for supporting a long term and inclusive development. The excerpt â€Å"Deficits: Indebtedness and Unfair Trade† from Wangari Maathai’s book The Challenge for Africa and the open online essay The Greater Common Good by Arundhati Roy discuss the continual plundering of the natural wealth of the third world nations by both the exploitative developed nations and the greedy elements in power within these nations. These texts explain as to how the developed nations and the corrupt politicians and policy makers in the developing nations cooperate with each other to benefit from the corrupt exploitation of the natural resources in these countries. Wangari Maathai was a well known environmental activist from Kenya. Sh e started the Green Belt Movement that played an important role in the area of environment, conservation and women empowerment in Africa. Wangari Maathai work was recognized and she was awarded the Noble Peace Prize in 2004. Arundhati Roy is a reputed Indian author who is also associated with political and environmental activism in India. She has been closely associated with the Narmada Dam agitation. Hence, there is no doubt that the views expressed by both these writers regarding the plundering of natural resources.

Maus essay Essay Example for Free

Maus essay Essay I Maus by Art spiegelman shows imagery. It resembles the quote from Hitler â€Å"The Jews are undoubtedly a race, but they are not human†, and shows that the different groups of people have essential characteristics that are represented by the animals they are portrayed as in the book. This just shows how low Germans are towards the Jews. In the comic book of Maus, Vladek tells some horrible stories of when he was in the holocaust. Artie (his son) is very interested in the way the holocaust was and how his father and gone through it when he was younger. In one of the clips it shows Vladek‘s number that he was given to be represented by instead of his name. Some of his stories were of how they would just kill any random person, even if they had their papers. The Germans wanted to become superior in every way they possibly can. The many different ways of representing the â€Å"animals’ towards people are the way people may act or themselves. For instance the pigs represented as the polish, the mouse are represented as the Jewish. The animals that are shown for them are based on themselves and their looks. If you had Blonde hair and blue eyes, brown hair brown eyes were their perfect race. Even though the book was black and white in reality you can see the colors everywhere. The stories about the way the woman and children were treated would make you throw up. If a child was crying or wouldn’t be quiet they would get thrown against the wall and have their skulls broken. The women were treated just like men having to carry around heavy items and get beat just the same. Men, children and woman should not be treated the same when it comes to work or punishments. In conclusion the holocausts were the roughest of the times. Too many people were killed for no reason at all. I’ve proved innocent people should not be murdered for no reason at all.