Island of the Sequined Love Nun Chapter 32~33

32 The Missionary Position The guards came for Tucker at sunset, just as he was slipping into the cotton pants and shirt the doctor had left for him. The doctor's clothes were at least three sizes too big for him, but with the bandages he had to put them over, that was a blessing. He still had his own sneakers, which he put on his bare feet. He asked the guards to wait and they stood just inside his door, as straight and silent as terra-cotta soldiers. â€Å"So, you guys speak English?† The guards didn't answer. They watched him. â€Å"Japanese, huh? I've never been to Japan. I hear a Big Mac goes for twelve bucks.† He waited for some response and got none. The Japanese stood impassive, silent, small beads of sweat shining through their crew cuts. â€Å"Sorry, guys, I'd love to hang around with you chatterboxes, but I'm due for dinner with the doc and his wife.† Tuck limped to the guards and offered each an arm in escort. â€Å"Shall we go?† The guards turned and led him across the compound to one of the bungalows on the beach. The guards stopped at the steps of the lanai and Tuck dug into his pants pockets. â€Å"Sorry guys, no cash. Have the concierge put a couple of yen on my bill.† The doctor came through the french doors in a white ice cream suit, carrying a tall iced drink garnished with mango. â€Å"Mr. Case, you're looking much better. How are you feeling?† â€Å"Nothing wrong with me one of those won't cure.† Sebastian Curtis frowned. â€Å"I'm afraid not. You shouldn't drink alcohol with the antibiotics I have you on.† Tucker felt his guts twist. â€Å"Just one won't hurt, will it?† â€Å"I'm afraid so. But I'll make you one without alcohol. Come in. Beth is making a wonderful grouper in ginger sauce.† Tucker went though the french doors to find a bungalow decorated much like his own, only larger. There was an open kitchen nook where Beth Curtis was stirring something with a wooden spoon. She looked up and smiled. â€Å"Mr. Case, just in time. I need someone to taste this sauce.† She was wearing a cream-colored Joan Crawford number with middle line-backer shoulder pads and buff-colored high heels. The dress was straight out of the forties, but Tuck had been around Mary Jean long enough to know that Mrs. Curtis had dropped at least five hundred bucks on the shoes. Evidently, missionary work paid pretty well. She held a hand under Tuck's chin as she presented the spoon. The sauce was sweet citrus with a piquant bite to it. â€Å"It's good,† he said. â€Å"Really good.† â€Å"No fibbing, Mr. Case. You're going to have to eat it.† â€Å"No, I like it.† â€Å"Well, good. Dinner will be ready in about a half hour. Now, why don't you men take your drinks out on the lanai and let a girl do her magic.† Sebastian handed Tuck an icy glass filled with an orange liquid and garnished with mango. â€Å"Shall we?† he said, leading Tuck back outside. They stood at the railing, looking out at the moon reflecting in the ocean. â€Å"Would you be more comfortable sitting, Mr. Case?† the doctor asked. â€Å"No, I'm fine. And please call me Tuck. Anyone calls me Mr. Case more than three times, I start thinking I'm going to get audited.† The doctor laughed, â€Å"We can't have that. Not with the kind of money you're going to be making. But legally, you know, it's tax-free until you take it back into the United States.† Tuck stared out at the ocean for a moment, wondering whether it was time to give this gift horse a dental exam. There was just too damn much money showing on this island. The equipment, the plane, Beth Curtis's clothes. After Jake Skye's lecture, Tuck had imagined that he might encounter some sweaty drug-smuggling doctor with a Walther in his belt and a coke whore wife, but these two could have just flown in from an upscale church social. Still, he knew they were lying to him. They had referred to the Japanese as their â€Å"staff,† but he'd seen one of them carrying an Uzi out behind the hangar. He was going to ask, he really was, but as he turned to face the doctor, he heard a soft bark at the end of the lanai and looked up to see a large fruit bat hanging from the edge of the tin roof. Roberto. The doctor said, â€Å"Tucker, about the drinking.† Tuck pulled his gaze away from the bat. The doctor had seen him. â€Å"What drinking?† â€Å"You know that we saw the reports on your – how should I put it?† â€Å"Crash.† â€Å"Yes, on your crash. I'm afraid, as I told you, we can't have you drinking while you're working here. We may need you to fly on very short notice and we can't risk that you might not be ready.† â€Å"That was an isolated incident,† Tuck lied. â€Å"I really don't drink much.† â€Å"Just a momentary lapse of judgment, I understand. And it may seem a bit draconian, but as long as you don't drink or go out of the compound, everything will be fine.† â€Å"Sure, no problem.† Tuck was watching the bat over the doctor's shoulder. Roberto had unfurled his wings and was turning in the sea breeze like an inverted weather vane. Tuck tried to wave him off behind the doctor's back. â€Å"I know this may all seem very limiting, but I've worked with the Shark People for a long time, and they're very sensitive to contact with outsiders.† â€Å"The Shark People? You said you'd explain that.† â€Å"They hunt sharks. Most of the natives in Micronesia won't eat shark. In fact, it's taboo. But the reef fish here often have a high concentration of neurotoxin, so the natives developed shark as a food source. You would think that the sharks, being higher on the food chain, would have a higher concentration of the toxin, wouldn't you?† â€Å"You'd think,† Tuck said, having no idea whatsoever what the doctor was talking about. â€Å"They don't, though. It's as if something in their system neutralizes the toxin. I've done a little research in my spare time.† â€Å"I've seen a lot of shark shows on the Discovery Channel. They go on and on about how harmless sharks are. It's bullshit. Half of these stitches you put in me are because of a shark attack.† â€Å"Maybe they don't have cable,† the doctor said. Tuck turned to him, amazed. â€Å"A joke, Doc?† The doctor looked a little embarrassed. â€Å"I'm going to go see how dinner is coming along. I'll be right back.† He turned and went into the house. Tucker bolted to the end of the lanai where Roberto was hanging. â€Å"Shoo. Go away.† Roberto made a trilling noise and tried to catch Tuck's drink with his wing claw. â€Å"Okay, you can have the mango, but then you have to get out of here.† Tucker held out the piece of cut mango and the fruit bat took it in his wing claw and slurped it down. â€Å"Now get out of here,† Tucker said. â€Å"Go find Kimi. Shoo, shoo.† Roberto tilted his head and said, â€Å"Back off on these people, Tuck. You push them too hard, they'll pull your plug. Just keep your eyes open.† Tuck moved away from the bat with stiff jerking steps out of the line dance of the undead. The bat had said something. It was a tiny voice, high but raspy, the voice of a chain-smoking Topo Gigio, but it was clear. â€Å"You didn't talk,† Tucker said. â€Å"Okay,† said Roberto. â€Å"Thanks for the mango.† Roberto took off, the beat of his wings like the shuffle of a deck of leather cards. Tuck backed though the french doors into a wicker emperor's chair and sat down. â€Å"Come sit,† Beth Curtis said as she carried a tray to the table. â€Å"Dinner's ready.† â€Å"What kind of drugs have you been giving me, Doc?† â€Å"Broad-spectrum antibiotics and some Tylenol. Why?† â€Å"Any chance they could cause hallucinations?† â€Å"Not unless you were allergic, and we'd know that by now. Why?† â€Å"Just wondering.† Beth Curtis came to him and patted his shoulder. Her nails, he noticed, were perfect. â€Å"You had a fever when they brought you in. Sometimes that can give a person bad dreams. I think you'll feel a lot better after a good meal.† She helped him up and led him to the table, which was set with a white tablecloth and black linen napkins around a centerpiece of orchid sprigs arranged in a crystal bowl. A whole grouper stared up between fanned slices of plantain on a serving tray, his eye a little dry but clear and accusing. Tuck said, â€Å"If that thing starts talking, I want to be sedated – and right now.† â€Å"Oh, Mr. Case.† Beth Curtis rolled her eyes and laughed as they sat down to dinner. Tuck could almost feel his body absorbing the nourishment. He told them the story of his journey to the island, exaggerating the danger aspect and glossing over his injuries, Kimi, and his craving for alcohol. He didn't mention Roberto at all. By the time Tucker was in the typhoon, the Curtises were well into their second bottle of white wine. Beth's cheeks were flushed and her eyes sparkled with enthusiasm for Tuck's every word. Tuck really intended to ask about Kimi, their cryptic messages, the guards, the rules for his employment, and of course, where the hell all the money came from, but instead he found himself playing to Beth Curtis like a comedian on a roll and he left the bungalow at midnight quite taken with both himself and the doctor's wife. The Curtises stood arm in arm at the door as the guards escorted Tucker back to his quarters. Halfway across the compound, he did a giddy turn and waved to them, feeling as if he had been the one to consume two bottles of wine. â€Å"What do you think?† the Sorcerer asked his wife. â€Å"Not a problem,† she said, keeping a parade smile pointed Tuck's way. â€Å"I really expected him to be a little more resistant to our conditions.† â€Å"As if he's in a position to bargain. The man has nothing, is nothing. He shatters this little illusion we've given him and he has to face himself.† â€Å"He looks at you like you're some sort of beatific vestal virgin. I don't like it.† â€Å"I can handle that. You just get flyboy ready to do his job.† â€Å"He'll be able to fly within a week. He brought up his navigator again while we were outside.† â€Å"If he's here, you'd better find him.† â€Å"I'll speak to Malink tonight. The Micro Spirit is due in day after tomor-row. If we find the navigator, we can send him back on the ship.† â€Å"Depending on what he's seen,† she said. â€Å"Yes, depending on what he knows.† Tucker Case entered his bungalow feeling satisfied and full of himself. Someone had turned on the lights in his absence and turned down the bed. â€Å"What, no mint on the pillow?† He changed into a pair of the doctor's pajama bottoms and grabbed a paperback spy novel from a stack someone had left on the coffee table. They had a TV. There had been a TV in the Curtises' bungalow. He'd have to ask them to get him one. No, dammit, demand a television. What did Mary Jean always say? â€Å"You can sell all day, but if you don't ask for the money, you haven't made a sale.† Good food, good money, and a great aircraft to fly – he'd stumbled into the best gig on the planet. I am the Phoenix, rising from the ashes. I am the comeback kid. I am the entire 1980 gold-medal-winning U.S. Olympic hockey team. I am the fucking walrus, coo-coo ka-choo. He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth, caught his reflection in the mirror. His mood went terminal. I am never going to get laid again as long as I live. I should have pressed them about Kimi. I didn't even ask about what in the hell kind of cargo I'm going to be flying. I am a spineless worm. I'm scum. I'm the Hindenburg, I'm Michael Milken, Richard Nixon. I'm seeing ghosts and bats that talk and I'm stuck on an island where the only woman makes Mother Theresa look like a lap dancer in a leper colony. I am the man who put the F in failure, the P in pathetic, the G in gullible. I am the ringworm poster boy of Gangrene City. I'm an insane, unemployed bus driver for the death camp cartel. Tuck went to bed without brushing his teeth. 33 Chasing the Scoop Natives slept side by side, crisscrossed, and piled on the deck of the Micro Spirit until – with a thu showing here, or a lavalava there, streams of primary color among all that gelatinous brown flesh – it looked as if someone had dropped a big box of candy in the hot sun and they had melted together and spilled their fillings. Amid the mess, Jefferson Pardee, rolled and pitched with the ship, finding three sleeping children lying on him when the ship moved to starboard, a rotund island grandmother washing against him when the ship listed to port. He'd been stepped on three times by ashy callused feet, once on the groin, and he was relatively sure he could feel lice crawling in his scalp. Unable to sleep, he stood up and the mass moved amoebalike into the vacated deck space. A three-quarter moon shone high and bright, and Pardee could see well enough to make his way through to the railing, only stepping on one woman and evoking colorful island curses from two men. Once at the rail, the warm wind washed away the cloying smell of sweat and the rancid nut smell of copra coming from the holds. The moon's re-flection lay in the black sea like a tossing pool of mercury. A pod of dolphins rode the ship's bow wave like gray ghosts. He took several deep breaths, relieved himself over the side, then dug a bent cigarette out of his shirt pocket. He lit it with a disposable lighter and exhaled a contrail of smoke with a long sigh. Thirty years in the tropics had given him a high tolerance for discomfort and inconvenience, but the break in routine was maddening. Back on Truck, he'd be toweling off the smell of stale beer and the residue of an oily tumble with a dollar whore, preparing to pass out with a volume of Mencken under his little air conditioner. No thought of the day to come or the one just passed, for one was like the next and they were all the same. Just cool cloudy sleep that made him feel, if only for a minute, like that young Midwestern boy on an adventure, exhausted from passion and fear, rather than a fat old man worn down by ennui. And here, in the salt and the moonlight, on the trail of a story or maybe just a rumor, he felt the fungus growing in his lungs, the pain in his lower back, the weight of ten thousand beers and half a million cigarettes and thirty years of fish fried in coconut oil pressing on his heart, and none of it – none of it – was so heavy as the possibility of dashed hopes. Why had he opened himself up to a future and failure, when he had been failing just fine already? â€Å"You can't sleep?† the mate said. Pardee hadn't heard the wiry sailor move to the rail. He was drinking a Bud tallboy, against regulations, and Pardee felt a craving twist like a worm in his chest at the sight of the can. â€Å"You got another one of those?† The mate reached into the deep front pocket of his shorts, pulled out another beer, and handed it to Pardee. It was warm, but Pardee popped the top and drank off half of it in one gulp. â€Å"How long before we make Alualu?† Pardee asked. â€Å"Three, maybe four hour. Sunrise. We drop you on north side of island, you swim in.† â€Å"What?† Pardee looked down to the black waves, then back at the mate. â€Å"The doctor no let anyone go on the island except to bring cargo. You have to swim in on other side of island. Maybe half mile, maybe less.† â€Å"How will I get back to the ship?† â€Å"Captain say he will swing back around the island when we leave. Captain say he wait half an hour. You swim back out. We pick you up.† â€Å"Can't you send a boat?† â€Å"No boat. No break in reef except on south side where we unload. We have many fuel barrel and crates. You will have seven, maybe eight hour.† Pardee had seen the Spirit arrive in Truk lagoon a thousand times; the ship was always surrounded by outboards and canoes filled with excited natives. â€Å"Maybe I can get one of the Shark People to ferry me.† He did not want to get in that water, and he certainly didn't want to swim half a mile to shore, wasn't sure he could. â€Å"Shark People no have boat. They no leave island.† â€Å"No boats?† Pardee was amazed. Living in these islands without a boat was akin to living in Los Angeles without a car. It wasn't done; it couldn't be done. The mate patted Pardee's big shoulder. â€Å"You be fine. I have mask and fins for you.† â€Å"What about sharks?† â€Å"Sharks afraid around there. On most island people afraid of shark. On Alualu shark afraid of people.† â€Å"You're sure about that?† â€Å"No.† â€Å"Oh, good. Do you have another beer?† Three hours later the rising sun lay like a silver tray on the horizon and Jefferson Pardee was having swim fins duct-taped to his feet by the first mate. The deck bustled with excited natives eating rice balls and taro paste, smoking cigarettes, shitting over the railings, and milling around the ship's store, trying to buy Cokes and Planter's cheese balls, Australian corned beef, and, of course, Spam. A small crowd had gathered around to watch the white man prepare for his swim. Pardee stood in his boxer shorts, maggot white except for his forearms and face, which looked like they'd been dipped in red barn paint. The mate stuffed Pardee's clothes and notebook into a garbage bag and handed it to him, then slathered the journalist with waterproof sunscreen, a task on par with basting a hippo. Pardee snarled at a group of giggling children and they ran off down the deck screaming. Pardee heard the ship's big screws grind to a halt and the mate unhooked a chain gate set in the railing. â€Å"Jump,† he said. Pardee looked at the crystal water forty feet below. â€Å"You're out of your fucking mind. Don't you have a ladder?† â€Å"You can't climb ladder with fins.† â€Å"I'll take the fins off until I get in the water.† â€Å"No. Straps broken. You have to jump.† Pardee shook his head and the flesh on his shoulders and back followed suit. â€Å"It's not gonna happen.† Suddenly the children Pardee had frightened came running around the bridge like a squealing pack of piglets. Two little boys broke formation and ran toward the journalist, who looked around just as he felt four tiny brown hands impact with his back. Pardee saw sky, then water, then sky, then the island of Alualu laying on the sea like a bad green toupee, then the impact with the water took his breath, ripped the mask from his face, and forced streams of brine into his sinuses strong enough to bring blood. Before he could even find the surface, he heard the ship's screws begin to grind as the Micro Spirit steamed away. Two excited boys shook Malink awake. â€Å"The ship is here and the Sorcerer is coming!† The old chief sat up on his grass sleeping mat and wiped the sleep from his eyes. He slept on the porch of his house, part of the stone foundation that had been there for eight hundred years. He stood on creaking morning legs and went to the bunch of red bananas that hung from the porch roof. He tore off two bananas and gave them to the boys. â€Å"Where did you see the Sorcerer?† â€Å"He comes across Vincent's airstrip.† â€Å"Good boys. You go eat breakfast now.† Malink went to a stand of ferns behind his house, pulled aside his thu, and waited to relieve himself. This took longer every day it seemed. The Sorcerer had told Malink that he had angered the prostate monster and the only way to appease him was to quit drinking coffee and tuba and to eat the bitter root of the saw palmetto. Malink had tried these things for almost two full days before giving up, but it was too hard to wake up without coffee, too hard to go to sleep without tuba, saw palmetto made his stomach hurt, and he seemed to have a headache all the time. The prostate monster would just have to remain angry. Sometimes the Sorcerer was wrong. He finished and straightened his thu, passed a thundering cannonade of gas, then went back to the sitting spot on the porch to get his cigarettes. The women had made a fire to boil water for coffee; the smoke from the burning coconut husks wafted out of the corrugated tin cookhouse and hung like blue fog under the canopy of breadfruit, mahogany, and palm trees. Malink lit a cigarette and looked up to see the Sorcerer coming down the coral path, his white lab coat stark against the browns and greens of the village. â€Å"Saswitch† (good morning), Malink said. The Sorcerer spoke their lan-guage. â€Å"Saswitch, Malink,† the Sorcerer said. At the sound of his voice Malink's wife and daughters ran out of the cookhouse and disappeared down the paths of the village. â€Å"Coffee?† Malink asked in English. â€Å"No, Malink, there is no time today.† Malink frowned. It was rude for anyone to turn down an offer of food or drink, even the Sorcerer. â€Å"We have little Tang. You want Tang? Spacemen drink it.† The Sorcerer shook his head. â€Å"Malink, there was another man here with the pilot you found. I need to find him.† Malink looked at the ground. â€Å"I no see any other man.† The Sorcerer didn't seem angry, but just the same, Malink didn't like lying to him. He didn't want to anger Vincent. â€Å"I won't punish anyone if something happened to him, if he was hurt or drowned, but I need to know where he is. Vincent has asked me to find him, Malink.† Malink could feel the Sorcerer staring a hole in the top of his head. â€Å"Maybe I see another man. I will ask at the men's house today. What he look like?† â€Å"You know what he looks like. I need to find him now. The Sky Priestess will give back the coffee and sugar if we can find him today.† Malink stood. â€Å"Come, we find him.† He led the Sorcerer through the village, which appeared deserted except for a few chickens and dogs, but Malink could see eyes peeking out from the doorways. How would he ex-plain this when they asked why the Sorcerer had come? They passed out of the village, went past the abandoned church, the graveyard, where great slabs of coral rock kept the bodies from floating up through the soil during the rainy season, and down the overgrown path to Sarapul's little house. The old cannibal was sitting in his doorway sharpening his machete. Malink turned to the Sorcerer and whispered, â€Å"He rude sometime. He very old. Don't be mad.† The Sorcerer nodded. â€Å"Saswitch, Sarapul. The Sorcerer has come to see you.† Sarapul looked up and glared at them. He had red chicken feathers stuck in his hair, two severed chicken feet hung from a cord above his head. â€Å"All the sorcerers are dead,† Sarapul said. â€Å"He is just a white doctor.† Malink looked at the Sorcerer apologetically, then turned back to Sarapul. â€Å"He wants to see the man you found with the pilot.† Sarapul ran his thumb over the edge of his machete. â€Å"I don't know what happened to him. Maybe he went swimming and a shark got him. Maybe someone eat him.† Sebastian Curtis stepped forward. â€Å"He won't be hurt,† he said. â€Å"We are going to send him out on the ship.† â€Å"I want to go to the ship,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I want to buy things. Why can't we go to the ship?† â€Å"That's not the issue here, old man. Vincent wants this man found. If he's dead, I need to know.† â€Å"Vincent is dead.† The Sorcerer crouched down until he was eye-to-eye with the old cannibal. â€Å"You've seen the guards at the compound, Sarapul. If the man isn't at the gate in an hour, I'm going to have the guards tear the island apart until they find him.† Sarapul grinned. â€Å"The Japanese? Good. You send them here.† He swung his machete in front of the sorcerer's face. â€Å"I have a present for them.† Curtis stood. â€Å"An hour.† He turned and walked away. Malink ambled along behind him. â€Å"Maybe he is right. Maybe the man drown or something.† â€Å"Find him, Malink. I meant it about the guards. I want this man in an hour.† â€Å"He is gone,† Sarapul said. â€Å"You can come out.† Kimi dropped out of the rafters of Sarapul's little house. â€Å"What is he talking about – guards?† â€Å"Ha!† Sarapul said. â€Å"He knows nothing. He didn't even know I had this.† Sarapul reached down and pulled out a headless chicken he had been sitting on. â€Å"He is no sorcerer.† â€Å"He said there were guards.† Kimi said. Sarapul laid his chicken on the ground. â€Å"If you are afraid, you should go.† â€Å"I have to find Roberto.† â€Å"Then let them send the guards,† Sarapul said, brandishing his machete. â€Å"They can die just like this chicken.† Kimi stepped back from the old cannibal, who was on the verge of foaming at the mouth. â€Å"We friends, right?† â€Å"Build a fire,† Sarapul said. â€Å"I want to eat my chicken.†

Juvenile Gang

Apply the functionalist point of view to the phenomenon of female juvenile gangs in Hong Kong and evaluate its explanation. The recent female juvenile gang problem has sparked off public concerns in Hong Kong, because they are more rampant in the newly-developed towns such as Tseung Kwan O, Tin Shui Wai and Tai Po. Comparing with the figures of girls joining gangs by Dr. T. W. Lo in 2001 and by the Federation in 2005, the trend of girls’s participation in gangs is increasing. In the following, the phenomenon of female juvenile gangs in Hong Kong will be discussed in detail by the functionalist point of view.Then, the explanation will be evaluated. Before discussing the phenomenon of female juvenile gangs in Hong Kong by the functionalist point of view. Let start with the definition of structural functionalism and definition of female juvenile gangs. Society is a system with various social institutions performing important functions to the society and to individuals. The struct ural functionalism is based on the assumption that society is a stable, the function of each part of the community should be able to co-ordination to make a harmonious and efficient society.Female juvenile gangs is defined as girls who are below the age of 21 and have been members of gangs. Gangs consist of three features. First, gangs are stable groups with regular gatherings. Second, gangs involve deviant behavior such as fighting. Third, gangs affiliate with triad societies. By the functionalist point of view, the social structure and condition have a great effect on female juvenile gangs forming. Girls who were joined juvenile gangs are unable to play their role in different class of society because of social inequality, so they can not achieve the goal and they are tempted to have deviant behavior.At the family level, family put many pressure on the girls, they felt out of place with their family due to poor relationships with parents and bad growing experience. Under such circ umstances, they tend to escape from the real family and seek for other big family which can offer them emotional attachment. At their schools and working level, they can not get the sense of accomplishment in schools or from working. They are forced to attend classes or not satisfied in salary. At the peer level, due to the peer pressure and they meet friends with gang backgrounds, they have more chance to connect with gang members.At the personal level, girls start to demand for autonomy and to be independent form 2 is the most vulnerable period for girls. Due to the puberty, they are easier to have emotional problems. Comparing with the boys, girls want to get protection and free entertainment from gangs rather than showing off. Those factors show that girls who were joined gangs can not take their responsibility in different level of society. They joined gangs in order to find their role in the other family and recognition from other members.Besides, there are three type of femal e juvenile gangs, including autonomous group, satellite group and mixed group. Autonomous group is a all-female group. Members in this group are very independent and autonomous. They are not controlled by the male gangs. Also, these groups have the same features as male gangs in the way they behave and solve problems. Members in satellite group and mixed group are more likely to rely on the male members or gang, they can get more protection or other support such as financial support or provide free entertainment, most girls have the role being ‘wife’or‘little sister’of male members.Female members play an auxiliary role in gangs. They almost carry weapon for male members and provide sexual services to male members. The activities in gang of boy and girl are quite different. For instance, boy involves more in criminal and violent acts than girl. But drug offences are more common in girls as girls are easier to evade the inspection. Boys are less likely to hav e free entertainment and are less emotional and gossip than girls in gangs. Sometimes, female members are needed to help male members to beat the girls from the other gang.It is understandable that male members and female members have different function in gang In order to maintain the female juvenile gangs, there are female leader and fighting girls in gangs. It shows that female members are taking on more specific roles within the group. For female leader, she should have a wide network of contacts in order to get more protection and free entertainment. On the other hand, she should be able to fight to protect her followers and appear to be mature. For fighting girls, those girls are look like a boy and they like fighting.They will keep doing exercise in order to be stronger. It is a way to protect themselves and they can able to stay or exist in gangs. All the female members must know how to protect their reputation. Otherwise, the members of the gang will not respect them and th ey will be rejected or despised. In the female juvenile gangs, each member has their role in gang, such as leader need to be presentable and eloquent. In different role, they have different function and this is how they maintain the system of gang.By the functionalist point of view, the reason of formation of the female juvenile gangs can be explained. The female juvenile gangs also work as a society. Every member has her role and function, they contribute themselves in gang. Female members in autonomous group, satellite group and mixed group have different features and functions. On one hand, male members provide free entertainment and protection to female members. On the other hand, female members help male members to carry the drugs and weapon. There are mutual beneficial relationship between male and female members or gangs.However, structural functionalism can not explain how the girls join the gang as there are many other factors. In addition, it can not explain how are the fe male members formed their identities. By the structural functionalism, we can explain the function of the leader (Big sister) and fighting girls and the relationship between leader and her followers. But, we can not explain how they can be a leader or fighting girls, the process of being the female leader consist of many factors. Structural functionalism can not explain the phenomenon of female juvenile completely. References 1.Chu, Yiu Kong (2005) â€Å"An Analysis of Youth Gangs in Tin Shui Wai in Hong Kong† in Hong Kong Journal of Social Sciences No. 29 Spring/Summer 2005. 2. Clinard, Marshall B. (1995) â€Å"Robert Merton: Anomie and Social Structure† in Earl Eubington and Martin S. Weinberg ed. The Study of Social Problems – Seven Perspectives, London: Oxford University Press. 3. Haralambos, Michael and Holborn, Martin (2000) Sociology – Themes and Perspectives, London: Collins. 4. Mok, James and Chan Shui-ching (2008) A Study on Girls in Gangs, Hong Kong: Research Centre, Hong Kong Federation of Youth Group.

Causes of changes in wheat prices

Causes of changes in wheat prices Since the summer of 2010, we have seen the price of wheat significantly increasing. In this essay I will outline the possible reasons why wheat prices have shot up in recent months and also introduce methods of intervention that can be used to try and contain the price rises. This year has seen irregular weather patterns considerably affecting harvests in many major wheat producing countries. This has in fact manufactured the recent spike in wheat prices across the globe. Russia’s harvest has been the most significantly affected by the weather. During the summer, Russia and the Ukraine had been experiencing severe droughts and wildfires which have prevented the growth of crops, also destroying a third of their produced wheat. As a consequence, Russia announced a ban on all exports of their grain from the 15th August – end of December, which was then extended into 2011. After the failure of the Russian harvest alone wheat prices shot up by 20% alone, illustrating a rest riction in supply of the grain. After this announcement the US Department of agriculture cut its projections for the next year’s world production of wheat by 15.3m tonnes to 645.7m tonnes. However, it is important to note that wheat stocks are higher still than crisis levels witnessed in 2007-08. This projection and halted production have caused wheat prices to increase on the future markets to their highest levels since the last crisis. Canada, the 2nd largest wheat exporter in the world has been severely affected by heavy rains which have prevented farmers planting seeds and also destroying hectares of land, considerably damaging next year’s harvest. India, the 2nd largest wheat producer, was hit by severe monsoon rains in August which heavily affected their wheat storage. They had insufficient storage, causing around 10m tonnes of wheat to be at risk of rotting due to it being exposed to the rain. Also, Egypt, Serbia, Australia and Pakistan have been hit by major fl oods which have destroyed up to a fifth of the countries crops, reducing supply further and aiding the price increases. The combined effect of these weather disasters is shown in the diagram below: The diagram shows that supply has fallen from S1-S2. This has reduced output from Q1-Q2 and increased the price from P1-P2. Here you can see that the change in price is considerably larger than the change in output. This is due to the fact that wheat is a necessity and therefore is price inelastic, which is represented by the inelastic demand curve. This means that with a reduction in the supply of wheat, even if it is below crisis levels seen in 2007-08, there will be a large increase in price. Another reason why prices have been rising lately is because of the rapidly increasing global population. The global population is rising so fast because emerging countries have the fastest increasing population rates. Many emerging countries are becoming wealthier meaning that demand for grains i s increasing faster than the population. However, it may be argued that recent spike in wheat prices has been caused by uncertainty in the market and panic buying, as a result of export restrictions and a fall in supplies. It may also be argued that recent price rises have been exaggerated due to ‘Speculators’. These are investors who purchase wheat on the commodities markets expecting further price rises and are compressing supply whilst making profits from doing so. This results in short term increases in the price of wheat, which is what we have witnessed in recent months.

TYPES OF TOPOLOGICAL SPACES AND THEIR INTERRELATIONSHIPS Research Paper

TYPES OF TOPOLOGICAL SPACES AND THEIR INTERRELATIONSHIPS - Research Paper Example Indeed, the nature is chaotic and therefore the ‘good mathematics’ is not always sufficient. Topology is a branch of mathematics that deals with the study of spaces and shapes. Certainly, the human mind is suited for a two dimensional space. Consequently, it more difficult to study spaces of higher orders hence, the need to apply abstract tools. The beauty about mathematics is mathematicians avoid natural problems, instead they create and solve problems to represents the natural world. Therefore, much of the work done on topology is an artificial creation that resembles real world problem. Topology has significant applications in other branch of mathematics such as geometry and algebra. Major mathematical problems that can be solved using topology include continuity, connectedness, and  boundary. The interesting aspect of topology is not the development of mathematical solutions, but how different mathematician approach a topology problem. This has led to the developme nt of different topologies namely T1 – T4. This paper explores the different types of topology and their relationships. Definition 1.1. Let be a set and a collection of subsets of such that the following properties hold. I. The empty set and the space II. If , then III. If for , then The collection is referred to as a topology on and the pair is referred to as a topological space. ... However, this definition does not endow a topological space with ‘nice’ properties similar to those found in metric spaces. For example in a metric space, every convergent sequence always converges to a unique limit. However, this is not necessarily true in topological spaces. To recover these properties, we need to supply enough open sets to the space. Thus, separation axioms classify topological spaces according to their sufficiency in open sets. Definition 2.2. A topological space is called a T0- space if for every two distinct points there exist an open set such that i. p lies in U and q does not lie in U. ii. q lies in U and p does not lie in U. Definition 2.3. T1 (Frechet) A topological space is called a T1- space if for every pair of points there exists such that Definition 2.4. T2 (Hausdorff) A topological space is called a T2-space or Hausdorff if for every pair of points there exists open sets such that, and. Definition 2.5. T3 (Regular) A T1 is called a T3 or a regular space if for every point and a closed set with there exists open sets such that and and. Definition 2.6. T3  1/2 (Completely Regular or Tychonoff) A T1 – space is called completely regular or Tychnoff if for every point and a closed set with there exist a continuous function such that and. Definition 2.7. T4 (Normal) A T1 – space is a T4 space if for every pair of disjoint closed sets A and B , there exists open sets such that , and . Remark 2.1 All T1 spaces are T0 but the converse is not true The discreet topology is T0 but not T1 All completely regular spaces are also T3 Every metric space is T4 Theorem 2.1. In any Hausdorff space, sequences have at most one limit It follows that every finite set is a T2 space is

Lower Division Capstone Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Lower Division Capstone - Assignment Example the employees, a company is able to sustain and to compete in the competitive markets by introducing new innovative products and services in the market (Tutar, Altinoz, & Cakiroglu, 2011). Penetration pricing in marketing context is considered as a strategic measure through which the company can fix their products or services price to be relatively lower than the existing market price. It can facilitate to draw customers at the initial phase of a product launch due to lower price of the product. Penetration pricing can be defined as the measure implemented by the company while launching new products in the markets in order to attract customers. This measure can help the company to increase customers’ demand and loyalty for their products and services (Holden & Nagle, 1998). Contextually, in accordance with globalization, the business markets on a global basis have become competitive where a company needs to implement new innovative ideas into their operational process in order to sustain in the market with continued growth. In relation to this context DHL, a logistic company has incorporated the process of employee empowerment culture in Nigeria in order to sustain and to compete with its rivals in the market. In this process, DHL’s HRM considered two measures which included hall session and suggestion box for all the employees in order to engage them in the operational process (Myers Leadership, 2012). In relation to penetrating pricing, Microsoft implemented the pricing strategy into their business process in order to compete with the rivals through increasing customer demand for their products and services. With the help of this strategy, Microsoft has lowered its communication suits product prices in the market in order to attract customers and to increase their product demand (Perez, 2012). DHL’s considered measures followed under the culture of employee empowerment are hall session in which all the employees are gathered inside a hall and the HR

Nursing Research Utilization Project Proposal Essay

Nursing Research Utilization Project Proposal - Essay Example 5). ESRD and ESRF is diagnosed when the patient loses 85% to 90% of kidney function, which necessitates dialysis, because kidneys can no longer remove toxins from the blood. Dialysis circulates blood on one side of a semipermeable membrane, while the other side circulates dialysis fluid. (Answers.com). Patients on dialysis have to spend four hours, three times a week, which makes dialysis treatment very demanding for the patient (Sonnier, 2000, p. 5). ... Information reinforcement techniques worked in the Barnett (2007) study - after 26 weeks, this group reduced their average IDWG from 2.64 kg to 2.21 kg, and the rate of fluid adherence increased from 47% to 71.5% (Barnett et al. pp. 304-305). Cognitive behavioral therapy has proven effective in the research – for instance, a study conducted by Christensen et al. (2002). In this study the intervention group received a protocol of 9 steps. In this protocol, the patients were taught about self-monitoring, setting goals, coping, reinforcement, and evaluation (Christensen et al., 2002, p. 393).   Their study proved to be effective after 8 weeks – the control group gained around 3.3 pounds, while the intervention group lost around 3 pounds (Christensen, et al., 2002, p. 396).  Ã‚   Behavioural modification is another model that has been studied with regards to dialysis patients and compliance with protocols and regimens. For instance, a study by Hegel et al. (1992) found that the reinforcement produced the greatest drop in IDWG, and that this drop in IDWG was persistent over time – the IDWG continued to be lowered two months after the intervention, even though, during this period of time, the patients only received information about graphing and monitoring (Hegel et al., 1992, p. 326). It is feasible to implement into a work setting, as there is not a need for special equipment. There is a need for special training, but the methods are easy to learn and implement. Because of this, it would be consistent with community culture and resources, because it would not be overly taxing for resources. Introduction When patients have certain diseases, such as hypertension or diabetes, they

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 9

Summary - Essay Example The academics have focused on the ecological impacts of tourism and the principle of sustainable development (Inui, Wheeler & Lankord 2006). For this reason, sustainable tourism has dominated the curriculum. However, in the last decade of 20th century, the research focus has been on sociological aspect such as tourist sight and society. However, reviewing the curriculum content of tourism highlights a strong vocational focus at the expense of sociological or philosophical issues (Inui, Wheeler & Lankord 2006). Additionally, the present level of tourism training is different as compared to past. There has been the development of curriculum modules to teach students the relevant material. The attention has been on teaching principles of sustainable tourism and strict management techniques (Inui, Wheeler & Lankord 2006). Moreover, the increased connection between the industry and education has made many students employable because of possession of valuable skills and practical experienc e in the industry (Inui, Wheeler & Lankord 2006). On the other hand, practitioners have been shown to have an effect on the content of the curriculum. The authors emphasise on occupational and moderate aspects of education. They argue that the two are essential in producing a well-rounded graduate (Inui, Wheeler & Lankord 2006). ... Moreover, the rise of the programs has been correlated with the development in the industry. On the other hand, schools focusing on vocational subjects have benefited from internship and industry specific guidance due to the correlation. The students also benefits as the skills they get make them employable. Moreover, students have high expectations of getting jobs (Inui, Wheeler & Lankord 2006). In addition, many researchers have focused on tourism education. As a result, there has been evaluation of tourism education programmes. Some of researchers have argued that studies in the sector are poorly formulated (Inui, Wheeler & Lankord 2006). As a result, a debate has emerged between educators and the tourism industry. The education sector is claimed to produce students that do not learn to reflect upon their body of knowledge (Inui, Wheeler & Lankord 2006). However, the Sustainable Tourism and the Environment Programme (STEP) in Iowa University have provided a clear solution. In the programme, students are involved in the research proves, formulating research questions, collection and analysis of data (Inui, Wheeler & Lankord 2006). Additionally, there has been a focus on the need for sociological understanding on the sector. The authors note that a need arise to link specific sociological issues to tourism pedagogy (Inui, Wheeler & Lankord 2006). The authors argue tourism acts as a social experience by transmitting their cultures to places they visit (Inui, Wheeler & Lankord 2006). Moreover, tourist changes the host community values and leads to new values in the area. The article stress on vocational focus driven by economic thought should be abandoned and adopts sociological skill to develop humanistic values among tourism