Metaphysical Premises And Types Of Liberal Ideology: Liberalism As The End And Liberalism As The Way :: Politics

Metaphysical Premises And Types Of Liberal Ideology Liberalism As The End And Liberalism As The WayABSTRACT The problem of choosing the way for our country unavoidably brings us to a discussion of the problem of liberalism. At first glance, this should not be a problem since liberal principles underlie Western society and are the basis of the modern world order. But this intuitive feeling is not shared by solely intellectuals in Russia. First is the specificity of the Russian mentality, social consciousness and social life. The idea of Russias own way is much referred to by various political movements of marked nationalist color, tho we have to study this idea at its deepest level rather than oversimplify reality. Yet even most thinkers who are oriented to the West and have insisted on the adoption of Western values and standards have also strongly criticized European civilization. Secondly, liberalism does not have a simple meaning. It connotes a number of complex ideological s ystems transformed over time both in theory and in political practice. Therefore, it is important to analyze the metaphysical premises of liberal doctrines and systems. I entrust examine assessments of liberal ideas made by Russian religious philosophers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries such as P. Struve, N. Novgorodtsev, I. Iliin, and S. Frank who all considered liberalism primarily a metaphysical rather than a legal or political phenomenon, and interpreted it as an empirical manifestation of the deep nature of the gentleman spiritual reality. The problem of choosing the way for our country unavoidably makes us discuss the problem of liberalism. At the first sight, this should not be problem at all, as the liberal principles underlie Western society and so make the basis of the whole modern world order. But such a straight opinion is not shared by all political people here in Russia and there are two major reasons for this. First of the two is specificity of Russian men tality, Russian social consciousness, and generally all Russian social life. The idea of Russias own way is, true, much used by various political movements of pronounced nationalist color, but we have to study this idea to the most possible deepness to not be oversimplifying the reality. It was common among all political groups and movements to state Russias limited historical fate and ways. Even the most westernly oriented political thinkers, though insisted on the adoption of Western values and standards, strongly criticized European civilization at the same time (so did Hertzen in his late years, for example).

Women Conform More than Men Essay -- Conformity Psychology Gender Role

Women Conform More than Men Studies over the years have shown a higher rate of unanimity among women than men. Psychologists have attributed this difference to many areas, such as personality traits, differing views of conformity, social status, and situational forces. The following research and studies illustrate the findings which confirm this hypothesis.Personality Traits of Men vs. Women According to Eagley, Wood, and Fishbaugh (1981), women are more concerned than men about the quality of interpersonal relationships. Women take greater responsibility for establishing and preventing interpersonal bonds, whereas men do not. Also, women are more sympathetic and more accurate at decoding nonverbal communication than males. Male gender roles also claim that men should remain self-reliant and not rack up closely with others, while it is seen as acceptable for women to conform to group behaviors. According to the studies by Maslach, Santee, and Wade (1987), part of the masculine gender role is to be independent and assertive, therefore leading males to conform less. At the same time, they stated that part of the feminine role involves being sensitive to others, therefore leading to conformity to maintain harmony. These contrasting personality traits found in men and women set a solid foundation for their conforming or nonconforming behaviors.Male vs. Female Views on Conformity A study completed by Santee and Jackson (1982) helped determine that females assess conformity as a more positive, self-defining act than males do. Females are seen as being more sensitive to others, and therefore conform more to keep a state of peace. Males, on the other hand, are more likely to divert from a group ... ...Personality and genial Psychology, 40(2), 384-394.Johnson, R. A., & Schulman, G. I. (1989). Gender Role Composition and Role Entrapment in Decision-Making Groups. Gender and Society, 3(3), 355-372. Maslach , C., Santee, R. T., & Wade, C. (1987). Individuation, Gender Role, and Dissent Personality Mediators of Situational Forces. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 53(6), 1088-1093.Santee, R.T., & Jackson, S.E. (1882). Identity Implications of Conformity Sex Differences in Normative and Attributional Judgements. Social Psychology Quarterly, 45(2), 121-125.Workman, J.E., & Johnson, K.K.P. (1994). Effects of Conformity and Nonconformity to Gender-Role Expectations for Dress Teachers Versus Students. Adolescence, 29(113), 207-221.

The Importance of Dietary Fiber :: Health Medicine

The Importance of Dietary Fiber We share many experiences with the kings of old pastries, for instance,and home entertainment and holiday trips to far-off lands. Ancient-daycommon folk knew nothing of such things. Then again, they werent slow up...We are. Not all of us, of course. But enough Canadians so that somedoctors call ours a constipated society. And even if youre notconstipated, your present day diet may be leading you to more seriouscomplaints like disorders of the large intestine or colon. These, too,were afflictions of of the upper berth classes of old. Why? Because in generalthe rich refined their food, along with their lives, and so stripped itof an odd but essential ingredient called dietary fibre.Like its fellow carbohydrates, the various types of dietary fibre are theproduct of sunlight, water and carbon dioxide combining in green plants. Most form part of plant cellphone walls. But unlike the other carbohydrates,fibres do not break down into sugars in the human digestive system andthen course through the tune stream fueling muscles and nerves. Rather,when eaten they tumble intact through the stomach and small intestine andend up in the colon where billions of bacterial feed on them - in turnproducing intestinal gas. No wonder, then, that dietary fibre has beenunwelcome in many of historys nicer neighborhoods.Even 20th century doctors reasoned that since the bulky sensible providednot a single nutrient, it would only strain already troubled guts. Accordingly, they recommended low-fibre diets for patients suffering fromhemorrhoids and other colon disorders often found in the West. But then, some 15 years ago, the prescription was reversed as researchers foundthat poor Africans, who eats lots of fibre, rarely suffer from suchcomplaints. Fibre, the researchers learned, actually eases the bowelsburden by mixing with water and other food residues.Soon, nutritionists came to see the low-fibre diet of most North Americansas a culprit in the onset of disorders ranging from tooth decay to heartattacks. Increasing the consumption of certain kinds of fibre, they found,could slow the bodys absorption of sugars to which diabetics aresensitive, and of cholesterol, which may lead to heart disease.Furthermore, fibres fight obesity. Theyre filling, especially thepectins in citrus fruit and the gums in some beans. And theyre mainlyindigestible. So dieters eating lots of fibre are likely to eat less ofother, more fattening foodstuffs.As for why populations on high-fibre diets seem to experience fewer colon

Philosophy - Impact of the Leviathan in Hobbess Leviathan and the Book

The Impact of the Leviathan in Hobbess Leviathan and the Book of Job Throughout the early chapters of his Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes employs nonliteral devices from such diverse fields as mathematics, mechanics, and even the biology of the human body to describe his diplomatical community. In reference to the inception of the body politic, Hobbes compares its false origins to the Leviathan, a monster in the Book of Job For by art is created that great LEVIATHAN c every(prenominal)ed a COMMONWEALTH, or STATE (Hobbes 3).1 A biblical monster may initially seem to be an implausible metaphor for Hobbes to choose as a means of advocating his political regime. In addition to Hobbess animosity towards conventional Christian practices, the metaphor of the monstrous Leviathan holds negative connotations about the brutal force of the political community for, according to the Book of Job, None is so fierce as to stir him the Leviathan up (Job 4110).2 However, the depiction of the body poli tic that emerges from a comparison with the Leviathan in the Book of Job reveals inherent benefits of Hobbess political dodging that might not be readily perceivable. By using the Leviathan as a metaphor for the commonwealth, Hobbes emphasizes one of the most beneficial, though potentially oppressive, attributes of the body politic its immense strength. According to Hobbes, the political community will function as a unified whole when the power is concentrated in the sovereign, making him the base of incredible strength The greatest of human powers is that which is compounded of the powers of most men, united by consent in one person, natural or civil, that has the use of all their powers depending on his will, such as is the power of the com... ...ciety of the utter necessity of voluntarily handing over their individual rights is somewhat unlikely. Even if one could convince all citizens that this relinquishment of power were desirable, after the initial creation of the body politic, the cohesive unity indicated by the metaphor of the Leviathan seems highly improbable because one sovereign will be hard-pressed to accurately embody the will and to serve the interest of such a vast multitude. Thus, the very mortality and physicality that would allow for the strength of the Leviathan to be implemented to serve the interests of the people make it equally likely that the strength could be misused in tyrannical oppression. Works Cited1. Thomas Hobbes, Leviathan, ed. Edwin Curley (Indianapolis Hackett Publishing Company, 1994).2. The hallowed Bible, King James Version (New York American Bible Society).

Essay --

People can tell you to keep your mouth shut, but that doesnt pinch you from having your own whim. (Frank, 1993). In the early 1900s, people were very serious about their art. Written art, painted art, and sculpted art were all at target for critics. except where would they world be if people never gave their true opinions? Wallace Stevens (1879-1955) went to college at Harvard University. He spent part of his life working for an insurance company and even became debility president of that company. By the time he started writing poetry, he was around forty-three. However, by that time it was clear that he specialized in imagery. Archibald MacLeish (1892-1982) was born in Illinois. Like Wallace Stevens, he did not start out as a poet. He began as a lawyer, but quickly dropped that. Through his life Archibald MacLeish had a mixture of modern and traditional poems. Marianne Moore started out as a journalist but quickly made her mark with writing. She was a modernist, but s he had her own laughable way with modernism. The three poets Wallace Stevens, Archibald MacLeish, and Marianne Moore had many differences and similarities. Wallace Stevens, author of Modern Poetry, used imagery and precise language much more than other poets. Stevens was very interested in nature, much of his inspiration came from natural objects. For this reason, he became very philosophical and he liked to express this in his poetry. He loved to use his imagination in his poetry, which is why he uses so much imagery. The actor is a metaphysician in the dark, twanging and instrument, twanging a wiry string that gives sounds passing through sudden righteousness. (Wallace Stevens, Of Modern Poetry). In this excerpt, you can clearly imagine what is hap... ...nceived patterns, syllabic patterns, and rhymes, which are unmistakably individualized. (Price, 2011). Unlike the poets like Stevens and MacLeish, Moore was much more into witty and precise poetry. Unlike MacLeish, sh e did enjoy the episodic rhyme and rhythm. If you hate difference, youll be bored to death. (Beta, 2010). All three poets, Wallace Stevens, Archibald MacLeish, and Marianne Moore are more different than similar. However, as Toba Beta says, it is much more interesting to be different than all the same. It is very interesting that all three of these poets were alive during the same time, but came up with such different works of art and to each one were considered successful. Here and there, you can find similarities within their writing, but these authors are all very different which is why their poems all have a different opinion of what right.

The Fall of Innocence in A Separate Peace :: essays research papers

Holding firmly to the trunk, I took a step toward him, and then my knees bent and I jounced the limb. Finny, his balance g unmatchable, swung his head around to look at me for an instant with extreme interest, and then he tumbled sideways, broke through the little branches below and hit the bank with a sickening, unnatural thud, It was the first clumsy fleshly action I had ever seen him make. With unthinking sureness I moved out on the limb and jumped into the river, every trace of my fear forgotten. (Knowles 59-60). Gene Forrester, one of the main characters in John Knowles novel A Separate Peace, describes his best friend Phineas fall from a tremendous tree, an irate steely black steeple beside a river,(Knowles 6) at their all boys boarding school, Devon. Gene is an introverted young boy who is very academically gifted. Finny, however, is an extremely extroverted childish young boy who is very athleticaly gifted. Finnys fall resultant roleually leads to terrible things, such a s death and guilt. Throughout the novel Knowles uses Phineas fall from the tree to symbolize his loss of innocence, to show Genes guilt, and to expand Phineas death.After Phineas, in like manner known as Finny, falls from the tree, he slowy begins to change. He begins to lose his innocence, It can be seen in the beginning of the novel that Finny acts very innocent. For example, Finnys bet on of Blitzball shows his spontaneous style of play, and his innocent child like personality. However after Finnys tragic fall from the tree, he begins to seem less innocent and childish. He begins to go against secrets to Gene, such as when he tells Gene about trying to enlist in the war. Ive been writing to the Army and the Navy and the Marines and the Canadians and everybody else all winter..(Knowles 190). War is not an event for innocent little boys. When readers find out that Finny had been trying to enlist in the war all winter it shows that after the fall Finny becomes less and less in nocent. He no longer begins to play his childish games, and no longer tries to preform his crazy stunts. Though he is hurt, he does not seem to want to keep up or help participate in any of these activies. On the day Finny fell from that tree, he did not just plument down into the river beneath him, but also fell from innocence.

Impact of Foreign Maids on Young Children

Project work Preliminary idea draft 3 -Qian Mengyuan 13s210 plectron of topic accession The problem too much access to foreign maids Nowadays, due to the fast-paced work life, parents dont have enough quantify to take care of their own children, hence they employ foreign maids to supporter them look after their children and manage household chores. As there is easy access 1of maid service, there will be some impact (table 1) on the young children. Hence this project aims to reduce the negative impact and improve the look of maids. Impact (+) Reduce the burden of parents Parents can be focused during work. Young children will not be lonely when parents are working. Enough infant education. (-) Children capture lazy & cannot grow up independently. Maids are Unwell-trained-influence young children with bad habits e. g. azy, smoking. Very dangerous. Children may be hurt by the maids2. Poor relationships between parents and their children. Over-reliance of maids3, lazy golf club4 Table1 the impact of easy excess maid service on young children and their parents. Stakeholders Why they ooperate ? Parents who are too busy to look after their children Safer and better surroundings for children to grow up. ? the agencies5 of foreign maids Better quality will attract more customers. ? students who study advertising &public relations in Temasek Improve their advertising and publicity skills. polytechnic ? eighborhood committee of Its their duty to ensure better life in the community. In doing so, the collaboration will minimize the harmful impact as mentioned above. Proposals bring out formulate parents awareness day Action plan training plan Organization involved Organization involved ? +? ? Target earreach Target audience ? Foreign maid who will be employed to take care of children. Objectives To raise the awareness of parents about their care of children. Details of plan Details of plan -connect with the maids agencies to tr ain them by giving them - collect information of family with maids from the certain lessons and conduct examinations after the lesson. neighborhood committee -after passing the exam they can then signalize a guarantee. - let the children to bring out cards, make small gift and make -certain amount of fine will be asked by the agency if maids videos -what they want to govern to parents (done by ? ) to show are complained. their need of parents. -therefore maids will be more careful. - organize a i want to say session between parents and -teach the maids how to help the children to grow up children to allow parents to know more about their children. independently by teaching them do simple housework with prize, - The committee educates parents about the immensity of takingbut not do everything for them. more care of children. -date1/6/2013 -place meridian primary school(rent a room) Rationale (+) -children will grow up independently, happily and learn to care abo ut others the quality of maids will be ensured more requirement the safety and good environment of young children will be ensured - Closer relationship between children and parents. (-)-the price for employing a maid will be increased because of the training. pic Figure 1. picFigure2 the I want to saycard for children to write down what they want to say to their parents. pic The paper heart shape made by children to show their love and need to their parents. pic Figure 3 Word attend 496 Excluding titles, headings/sub-headings (underlined) and footnotes 1 Figure 1 2 Malaysia Indonesian maid hurling baby onto floor. http//videocombo. com/video. php? v=678&error=access_denied&error_code=200&error_description=Permissions+error&error_reason=user_denied&state_=_ 3 Figure 2. A Singapore passs shame? His maid carries his rucksack. ttp//translate. google. com. sg/translate? hl=zh-CN&sl=en&tl=zh-CN&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. globalpost. com%2Fdispatches%2Fglobalpost-blogs%2Fthe-rice-bowl%2 Fsingapore-soldiers-shame-his-maid-carries-his-rucksack&anno=2 4 But go-getter Singapore appears particularly reliant on its 200,000-plus maids. http//translate. google. com. sg/translate? hl=zh-CN&sl=en&tl=zh-CN&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww. globalpost. com%2Fdispatch%2Fnews%2Fregions%2Fasia-pacific%2F120529%2Fsingapore-maid-domestic-servant-labor-rights&anno=2 5 1. Filipino maids agencies 2. Maid Agency in Singapore 3. Filipino maid

The Effects of Advertising Media on Sales of Insurance Products: a Developing-Country Case

The cause of publicize media on sales of amends products a developing-country case S. A. Aduloju Department of damages and Actuarial Science, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria A. O. Odugbesan Formerly of Department of Business Administration, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria, and S. A. Oke Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria Abstract Purpose Characterized by declining good leave and exemplified sharp drop in gross premium, the Nigerian amends industry, in recent times, has experienced turbulent economic ch onlyenges that necessitated re-engineering of its core activities.However, ad and sales ar core activities, which are important predictors of stability and ontogenesis in the insurance industry. Consequently, the purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of advertize on sales of insurance products. Design/methodology/approach An empirical investigating is carried protrude using a check out that utilizes questionnaire s, interviews, and field observation as study question instruments. A total of 71 insurance companies in Nigeria, which run the total operating insurance companies in Nigeria at the time of grapher, were surveyed.With 100 scientific every last(predicate)y selected subjects sampled, descriptive abbreviation was employed to understand the family and the strength of such(prenominal) affinitys. Findings It was put together that advert had put ups on sales volume and improved public image. However, the choice of denote medium, the substance, and the format are critical ingredients of a happy advertize program in the insurance industry. research limitations/implications The insurance industry in Nigeria was studied from a holistic viewpoint due to the pauperization to beat reliable and detailed information for decision makers.However, limitation in achieving this relates to the reluctance of respondents to release information for the study. Practical implications The implication of this research is that proper control of advertizing budget vis-a -vis the expected sales volume could be do. Thus, organizations could spend budgets more effectively on growth enhancing projects instead of excessive wastage of funds on advertisement. Originality/ gear up This paper seems to be the first original work that concerns the impact of publicise on sales in the Nigerian insurance industry.As such, it bridges a shift that is opened for investigations. It may be of great value to decision making seeking for control tools. Keywords Insurance, Nigeria, advertizing media, gross sales management Paper type interrogation paper 1. Introduction Over the age, thither has been tremendous decline in the goodwill of the Nigerian insurance industry as a result of ridiculous performance in the payment of insurance claims. The sharp drop in gross premium exemplifies this problem. Randle (2003) estimated a decline of more than 89. 4 pct in the 1999/2000 comparativ e periods.This decline may engage worsened as a result of the global economic crisis. T here is therefore the need to advertise insurance products in order to increase sales. Unfortunately, no reliable records exist on the impact of announce on sales of insurance products, thus suggesting its unattackable need. The need to examine the impacts of advertisement on sales volume is further strengthened by the significant value of the total premiums gene posed in Africa, which originated in South Africa (84 percent) turn only an insignificant value (16 percent) is partly contributed by Nigeria.Thus, with the enormous advertising wasting diseases, it becomes obligatory to know if such expenditures justify sales volume obtainable from the advertisement efforts. Luo and Donthu (2005) identified advertising media and spending inefficiencies in generating sales, and concluded that top 100 marketers advertising spending in print, broadcast, and outdoor media are not efficient and coul d influence in 20 percent more sales. Sadly, the case relating to insurance products was not treated. Also, there is a strong need for understanding the impacts of advertising on sales volume.Furthermore, although empirical evidence in major markets of the world shares a significant relationship surrounded by advertisement and sales volume, there is no reliable selective information and information on the subject in developing countries such as Nigeria. The absence of this information provides a wide gap and poor understanding on the effectiveness of advertisement on sales. The purpose of the study is to investigate the impact of advertising on the sales of insurance products. Advertising ranks among the major tools of promotion in general and awareness in particular.The study investigates if there are good advertising opportunities insurance industry can make use of, and examine the sundry(a) advertising media commonly used by the insurers with particular reference to Nigeria. H ow would the customers know that a particular product will satisfy near needs un slight such is communicated to them? As a pivot of economic culture, insurance certainly has a major routine to play. The issue now is that the sector performance is far infra expectation. An important question is wherefore?Is there either inherent barrier in growing and promoting this business in developing world? Very legion(predicate) federal agents have been put forward for this performance, and it should be mentioned that it is not the intention of this study to discuss them. It is important, however, to find out the effectiveness of the choice of advertising media on the sales volume of insurance organizations. A study of this nature may prove to be of immense benefit to industry managers on how to make positive degree contrive closely their business and product given the ever-changing nature of our socio economic environment.Past studies breach a fairly strong relationship between advertising investments and sales. Twedt and Knitter (1964) detect some relationships between larger investments in print media and cyberspace. Sturgess and Young (1981) identified the direct relationship between sales and advertising expenditures as more germane(predicate) to a beau mondes performance variables than some(prenominal) other test of communication effectiveness of advertising. Perreault and McCarthy (2000) admit that one of the methods of measuring advertising effect is to survey sales.Schultz and Wittink (1976) revealed that although some studies have reported a positive influence of primary advertising on primary demand, no conclusive empirical evidence has been brought to expatriate on the major premise. It is therefore the goal of the current work to bridge this important gap. The do of advertising media JRF 10,3 The paper is component parted into the following initiation, methodology, information analysis, and conclusion. The introduction provides an i nsight into the significance of the problem and the need to bridge the knowledge gap.Section 2 presents the methodology, which provides the framework for the presented study. In Section 3, data analysis is presented ground on the results of the survey instruments. Section 4, the final section, provides concluding remarks. 2. Methodology The aim of this research is to carry out an empirical investigation of the issue to which advertising affects sales. This is a survey research whose objectives are to find answers to the following research questions, and test the relevant hypotheses. This section presents the methodological approach adopted to gather relevant data necessary for this study. . 1 Study population, sampling design, and research instrument The Nigerian Insurance assume, 2006 indicates that there were 96 insurance companies operating in Nigeria as at December 31, 2006. no.available records confirm that new companies have been formed since, except for the issues of merg ers and acquisitions that characterized the re heavy(p)ization/consolidation exercise. A total of 71 companies have since emerged from this exercise. The study population embraced all the staff engaging in selling, public relations, and advertising in these 71 insurance companies.Most of these companies are direct insurers since they deal directly with the members of the public. Reinsurance companies, though, also engage in advertising activities, were excluded from this study because their impact or contact with the members of the public is indirect. Since it would not be feasible to contact all the staff that represents the population for the study, sampling method was used, and the study was limited to Lagos state, the commercial center of Nigeria. A sample of 100 subjects selected from some insurance companies in Lagos was used.The sampling method was used to avoid bias in the selection procedure, and to achieve maximum precision for a given outlay of resources. Essentially, t wo research instruments were used questionnaire and interview. For the questionnaire, 100 copies were distributed to respondents selected from various insurance companies in Lagos, Nigeria. In order to ensure high reply ratio, the questionnaires were administered personally. To achieve this a be of contacts have been made to the management of those companies soliciting for their cooperation.Also, diligent fearfulness was exercised to avoid ambiguity in drafting the questionnaire. Personal interview was conducted with selected executives in the insurance companies (Dillion et al. , 1994). The face-to-face contact with respondents assisted in obtaining high quality data since more information is communicated between human beings communicating directly with each other than using other means. 2. 2 Method of data analysis The research proposed to use such descriptive statistics as simple percentages to compute the data obtained.For hypothesis testing, coefficient of correlation would be employed. Lucey (2002) highlights the benefits of using correlation coefficient when trying to analyze independent and dependent variables in order to understand the relationship between them. The correlation coefficient reveals the strength of such The effects of relationships. advertising media 2. 3 Restatement of research questions The research questions are as follows RQ1. Is a companys reverse to use advertising a result of wish of good advertising opportunities?RQ2. Do the results of other promotional tools affect the use of advertising? RQ3. Is the use of advertising dependent on the quantifiability of its results? RQ4. Is there any relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure? 2. 4 Research hypotheses The hypotheses stated will be used to test the relationship between sales figures and advertising figures (Asika, 2006). The statistical procedure is to state the null hypothesis (H0), which is to be followed by the alternative hypothesis (H1).While a H0 is a statement that no counterchange has occurred from the condition specified, the H1 is a reversal of a H0. Thus, if in hypothesis testing, a H0 is rejected, then, the H1 will be accepted H0. There is no relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure. H1. There is a relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure. 2. 5 Research design The research uses explorative research design in order to gain insights into the subject studied. The research design is that of descriptive survey.It is meant to assess the importance attached to advertisement by insurance organizations. Specifically, the research design would reveal availability of good advertising opportunities for insurance firms, factors touch on a firms decision to use advertising, relationship between advertising and companys performance in terms of sales volume, and apology of advertising expenditure, using profit as the bottom line. 3. Data analysis In Section 2, it was mentioned that empirical investigation would be carried out on the extent to which the choice of advertising medium affects sales.The summaries of the results of the survey questions, and how these answer the stated research questions are presented in this Section 3. In fact, we will like to find out whether a companys failure to use advertising is a result of lack of advertising opportunities, whether the use of advertising is dependent on the measurability of its results, and whether there is any relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure. These results also attempt to seek support for the hypothesis stated. 3. 1 Response rate and respondents characteristicsA total of 100 copies of the questionnaire were distributed to respondents. The challenges of recapitalization in the insurance industry, and subsequent rearrangements including the necessary formalities made the task of getting JRF 10,3 audience difficult. A total of 84 questionnaires were imperturbable out of which two were found unusable for the purpose of analysis. The response rate of 48 percent was thus achieved. The results were analyzed with the use of the following statistical procedures (1) the frequence distribution of some parameters (2) the percentages of the parameters studied and 3) bar maps were also used for further illustration of some of the results obtained. The first five questions of the questionnaire deal with the characteristics of the respondents, specifically their bio data. These are presented in evade I. Out of the 82 respondents analyzed, 50 are males plot of ground 32 are females. The sample members were conveniently selected at random, rather than based on quota. Since 61 percent of the respondents are males and 39 percent are females, should one conclude that 61 percent of the workforce in the insurance industry is male and 39 percent female?This is an interesting possibility due to the fact that a good number of females prefer to be self-employed in order to care for their home responsibilities. From tabularise II, majority of the respondents are 40 years and below, an overwhelming 89 percent (i. e. 44 percent for below 30 years, and 45 percent for age bracket 31-40). slightly 11 percent of the respondents are above the age 41, while none of the respondents is over 60 years. This analysis suggests that productive and dynamic personnel marketing and public relations functions of these insurance companies.The analysis shows 43 single and 39 married persons indicating 52 and 48 percent respondents, respectively (Table III). This is a fair distribution. From Table IV, 46 of the 82 respondents have got higher national diploma and degrees, 14 respondents possess higher degrees in form of MSc/MBA, and 16 respondents possess professional qualifications. Sex chip Percentage Table I. Male 50 61 Sex distribution Female 32 39 of respondents meat 82 100 Age come up Percentage Table II. Age distribution of respondents Below 30 years 31-40 years 41-50 years 5 1-60 years fall 36 37 6 3 82 44 45 7 4 100Marital berth Number Percentage Table III. Marital status of respondents Single Married ingrained 43 39 82 52 48 100 The fact that only sise respondents (a mere 8 percent) possess national diploma and below shows that marketing and public relations job in the insurance industry is taken over by professionally and academically qualified personnel. From Table V, 71 respondents (which is 87 percent) have not more than ten years operative experience, while those having more than 16 years working experience constitute only 4 percent. nary(prenominal)e of the respondents however, have worked more than 25 years. 3. Descriptive statistics of the sample responses In presenting the data obtained in response to section B of the questionnaire, we will use tables of percentages as well as bar charts. A cumulative of 91 percent agree that insurance is necessary for socio-economic development while a mere 4 percent disagree (Table VI). One may conclu de that majority of the respondents entrust that insurance has a vital role to play in an economy. Here, again, Table VII shows that 91 percent agree that the Nigerian public is a pitiable toward insurance purchase, while a mere 5 percent could not agree. A total of 69 respondents (20 ? 9) agree that the level of insurance sales in the country is not encouraging, which is 84 percent of the respondents (Table VIII). On the other hand, 10 percent of the respondents disagree. This naturally confirms the response presented in Table VII indicating that the Nigerian public is apathetic toward insurance purchase. Academic qualification Number Percentage WAEC/NECO/GCE National diploma HND/BSc MSc/MBA Professional qualification summation 3 3 46 14 16 82 4 4 56 17 19 100 Table IV. Academic qualifications of respondents The effects of advertising media Length of service Number Percentage Below 5 years -10 years 11-15 years 16-20 years 21-25 years summarise 48 23 7 2 2 82 59 28 9 2 2 100 Tab le V. Length of service/working experience of respondents Response Number Percentage strongly agree Agree Un resolved Strongly disagree Total 37 38 4 3 82 45 46 5 4 100 Table VI. Insurance necessary for socio-economic development JRF 10,3 About 49 percent believe that insurance performance follows the fortunes of the other sectors while 27 percent disagree (Table IX). The interesting thing is that 24 percent could not state whether or not the insurance industry performance depends on the performance of the other sectors.Here, respondents were allowed to choose more than one factor they considered as responsible for the low sales of insurance products. In order of frequency, low level of awareness, poor industry image, high level of illiteracy, and low per capital income top the list with 73, 57, 45, and 45 percent, respectively (Table X). These factors are represented on the bar chart (Figure 1). About 67 percent of the respondents agree that the principles involved in marketing ta ngible products apply with equal force to marketing intangible products such as Response Number Percentage Table VII. Whether public is pathetic toward insurance Strongly agree Agree Undecided Strongly disagree Total 12 63 3 1 82 14 77 4 1 100 Response Number Percentage Table VIII. Level of insurance sales in Nigeria not encouraging Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Total 20 49 5 8 82 24 60 6 10 100 Reponses Number Percentage Table IX. Performance of insurance Strongly agree Agree Undecided 7 33 20 9 40 24 industry dependent on the performance of other sectors Disagree Strongly disagree Total 17 5 82 21 6 100 factor Number Percentage mortified per capital income Low level of awareness 37 60 45 73 Table X. Factors responsible for ow sales of insurance High level of illiteracy Religious beliefs Poor industry image Availability of substitute 37 23 47 4 45 28 57 5 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 Poor image alternate insurance while 33 percent disagree (Table XI). One may assert that while marketing principles are universal, their application to categories of products varies. all told the respondents confirm that their companies have marketing or public relations department (Table XII). This shows that the issue of marketing or public relations is given adequate attention with staff delegate specific responsibilities.An overwhelming 93 percent of the respondents agree that their companies engage in one form of advertising or the other (Table XIII). It shows that companies could no longer be content with the provision of goods and services alone, they also see the need to inform the general public of their existence and the benefits they offer to the society. From Table XIII already discussed above, six respondents confirm that their companies do not engage in any form of advertising. In response question 9 on the questionnaire asking for the reasons, they pointed to the factors shown in Table XIV.Out of the six respondents, cardinal chose taste sensatio n for other promotional tools, four chose high cost of advertising, and two chose difficulty in measuring advertising Low income Low awareness Illiteracy Religion Response Number Percentage Yes No Total 55 27 82 67 33 100 The effects of advertising media Figure 1. Chart showing factors responsible for low sales of insurance products Table XI. Can the principles involved in marketing tangible products be applied to insurance marketing? Response Number Percentage Table XII. Does your company have Yes 82 100 marketing or public Total 82 100 relations department? Response Number PercentageTable XIII. Yes 76 93 Whether respondents No 6 7 companies engage in Total 82 100 advertising activities JRF 10,3 effects on sales. Interestingly, none chose lack of good advertising opportunities as a reason for not advertising. This means there may be good advertising opportunities, but measuring the effect of advertising on sales is a problem. In response to the question on advertising objectives, 72 percent of the respondents chose inform the public about the company, 55 percent chose increase sales, and 52 percent chose improve companys image among the major objectives of advertising (Table XV).From the above analysis, increase in sales is the leading advertising objective, apart from giving information about the company. Ranking in frequency, newspapers, radio, and magazines are the intimately favored advertising media with 79, 59, and 49 percent, respectively (Table XVI). These and other media used are presented on the bar chart (Figure 2). The analysis above indicates that 51 percent of the respondents reveal that developing advertising activities is a joint responsibility of the companys staff and the advertising agencies (Table XVII).About 41 percent of the respondents show that it is entirely the work of advertising agencies while only 8 percent state that it is an internal responsibility. The report shows that insurance companies in developing their advertising prog ram actively seek for the inputs of the advertising agencies. While only 5 percent of the respondents could not decide, a cumulative of 83 percent agree that the achievement of advertising activities depends on the integration of all marketing promotional tools. While no respondents strongly disagree, 12 percent disagree (Table XVIII).The 83 percent in agreement point to the fact that there is the need for integration of all marketing communications in order to achieve good result. Response Number Percentage Table XIV. Reasons why some Preference for other promotional tools 3 50 companies do no High cost of advertising 4 67 advertising hassle in measuring advertising effects 2 33 Response Number Percentage Table XV. Objectives of advertising Inform the public about the company stick in new product Increase sales Improve profitability Improve companys image 59 33 45 34 43 72 40 55 42 52 Response Number PercentageTable XVI. Advertising media used Radio Television Outdoor advertisi ng hotspapers Magazines daybooks 48 24 29 65 40 21 59 29 35 79 49 26 The effects of advertising media Figure 2. Bar chart showing the preferred advertising media Radio TV Outdoor Newspapers Magazine Journals 100 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Response Number Percentage (a) Advertising staff (b) Advertising agencies (c) Both (a) and (b) above Total 7 34 41 82 8 41 51 100 Table XVII. Those responsible for developing advertising activities Response Strongly agree Agree Undecided Disagree Total Number 23 45 4 10 82 Percentage 8 55 5 12 100 Table XVIII. Whether advertising success is dependent on the integration of all marketing promotional tools From Table XIX, an overwhelming majority of the respondents agree that the choice of advertising medium is critical to the success of advertising activities. This is indicated by the sum of 20 percent for strongly agree and 70 percent for agree respondents making 90 percent. While 6 percent could not decide, a mere 4 percent disagree. Insurers the refore will have to pay attention to the medium selection if their advertising objectives are to be met.In Table XX, the respondents neither disagree nor strongly disagree with the notion that the choice of message can make a difference between success and failure of any advertising activity. While only 1 percent of the respondents could not decide, 99 percent agree with the notion that the choice of message is critical to any successful advertising program. Again, insurers need to pay attention to the message in endeavoring to reach the public. JRF 10,3 About 96 percent of the respondents support the notion that advertising has made positive impact on their company performance (Table XXI).This needs no further elaboration. Owing to the importance of this issue, question 16 in section B was reframed again as question 17 with the aim of testing the genuineness of the respondents answer. Interestingly, as in Table XXI (which analyzed responses to question 16), 96 percent of the respon dents affirm that advertising has had positive effects on their companys performance (Table XXII). Specifically, 73 percent of the respondents agree that advertising leads to increased sales, the figure which is marginally exceeded by 74 percent for favorable public image (Table XXIII).Also 61 percent of the respondents agree that advertising leads to increased number of prospects. This is presented in the bar chart shown in Figure 3. None of the respondents picked no for the answer, although it was included in the three pickings (Table XXIV). While 76 percent of the respondents believe that advertising expenditure is confirm based on the results achieved, 24 percent could Response Number Percentage Table XIX. Strong agree Agree Undecided 16 57 5 20 70 6 The choice of advertising medium is critical to the success of advertising Disagree Strongly disagree Total 2 2 2 2 2 100 Response Number Percentage Table XX. The choice of message can make or mar advertising movement Strongly ag ree Agree Undecided Total 21 60 1 82 26 73 1 100 Table XXI. Whether advertising has impacted positively on company performance Response Yes No Total Number 79 3 82 Percentage 96 4 100 Response Number Percentage Table XXII. Description of advertising effects on company performance Positive effect No effect Negative effect Total 79 1 2 82 96 1 3 100 not decide. One may align with the fact that advertising expenditure, if aright done, is not a wasteful resource, after all.The fact that only 27 percent agree, and 37 percent could not decide in support of the notion shows that advertising agents have a long way to go in measuring up to international standard (Table XXV). About 36 percent (30 ? 6 percent) disagree that advertising professionals are performing at world standard. Response Number Percentage The effects of advertising media increase number of calls received 10 change magnitude number of prospects visits 50 Increased number of orders received 21 Increased volume of sales 60 Increased quantum of profits 31 Favorable public image 61 2 61 26 73 Table XXIII. 38 Specific effects of 74 advertising on companies Figure3. Bar chart showing effects of advertising 10 30 40 50 60 70 80 Calls Visits Orders gross revenue Profits Image Response Number Percentage Table XXIV. Yes 62 76 Going by the result, is Undecided 20 24 advertising expenditure Total 82 100 justified? Response Number Percentage Strongly agree 4 5 Agree 18 22 Table XXV. Undecided 30 37 Is performance of Disagree 25 30 advertising agencies in Strongly disagree 5 6 Nigeria is of international Total 82 100 standard? JRF 10,3 3. Analysis of research questions In Section 3, the research questions proposed in Section 1 were restated. These research questions, four in number, are analyzed as follows based on the information received from the respondents RQ1. Is a companys failure to use advertising a result of lack of good advertising opportunities? To answer this question, Table XIV (already analyzed some where above) is hereby represented in Table XXVI. In response to question 8 on the questionnaire, six out of the 82 respondents confirmed that their companies do no advertising at all.Question 9 asked for the reasons and four options were listed as follows (1) companys preference for other promotional tools (2) high cost of advertising (3) lack of good advertising opportunities and (4) difficulty in measuring advertising effects. From Table XXVI, none of the respondents chose option (3), i. e. lack of good advertising opportunities as the reason for not advertising. One can therefore conclude that there are a number of advertising opportunities in the country for companies who care to advertise RQ2. Do the results of other promotional tools affect the use of advertising?Again, this question would be answered using the response analysis presented in Table XIV. Out of the six respondents whose companies do no advertising, three stated that it was because their companies preferred the use of other promotional tools. When compared with the sample size, which is 82, the position of the three respondents is too insignificant to infer a generalization. One could thus conclude that the results of other promotional tools do not negatively affect the use of advertising RQ3. Is the use of advertising dependent on the measurability of its result?Using Table XXVI, out of the six respondents who confirm that their companies do not advertise, two chose difficulty in measuring advertising effects as the reason. Again, this position of the two respondents is too insignificant when compared with that of the entire sample size of 82 RQ4. Is there any relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure? In answering this question, the response to question 17 in the questionnaire will be used. The response as analyzed using Table XXIII (already analyzed somewhere above) is hereby represented in Table XXVII.Response Number Percentage Table XXVI. (Repeated) Reasons why Pre ference for other promotional tools 3 50 some companies do not High cost of advertising 4 67 advertise? Difficulty in measuring advertising effect 2 33 From this table, advertising has a number of positive effects on the organization. Among others, 74 percent of the respondents believe it has improved public image, 73 percent believe it has increased sales volume and 61 percent believe it has increased the number of prospect visits. All these show a positive relationship between advertising and sales. 3. 4 Test of hypothesisThe hypothesis to be tested is termed the H0 a statement that no change has occurred from the position specified for a hypothesis. If however we reject the H0, the H1 will be accepted. An H1 is a statement, which is a reversal of a H0. 3. 4. 1 Restatement of the hypothesis. H0. There is no relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure. H1. There is a relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure. In order to test for this hypothes is, data obtained from some insurance companies in respect of their sales figures (gross premium incomes) and their advertising expenditures for a five-year period was used. . 4. 2 Five-year figures of premium and advertising. These are shown in Table XXVIII. Our of import objective is to test whether or not there is a relationship between advertising expenditure and sales volume. The statistical tool used here is Pearsons product moment coefficient of correlation denoted by r. This coefficient gives an indication of the strength of the linear relationship between two variables. In our case, the two variables are (1) Advertising expenditure, which is the independent variable represented by x. (2)Sales figures (gross premium income) which is the dependent variable denoted by y. Response Number Percentage The effects of advertising media Increased number of calls received 10 Increased number of prospects visits 50 Increased number of orders received 21 Increased volume of sales 60 In creased quantum of profits 31 Favorable public image 61 12 61 26 Table XXVII. 73 (Repeated) Specific effects 38 of advertising on 74 companies Year Advert expenditure (N Premium income (N ?) ?) 2001 7,532,670 1,145,565,930 2002 8,980,422 1,456,227,292 2003 10,581,702 2,048,360,018 004 14,216,019 2,825,270,405 2005 16,186,851 3,485,046,944 Table XXVIII. JRF 10,3 For ease of computation, the figures for both advertising and sales (premium income) have been approximated as follows XXXX X x ? 575 y ? 1 096 x 2 ? 71 369 y 2 ? 277 194 and xy ? 139 915 The formula for product moment correlation coefficient is P PP n xy 2 x y r ? rffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi ? 99 P P2 * P P2 n x2 2 x ny2 2 y According to Lucey (2002), r can range from ? 1, i. e. perfect positive correlation where the variables change value i n the same direction as each other, to 21, i. e. perfect negative correlation where y decreases linearly as x increases. Lucey states further that a strong correlation between two variables would produce an r value in excess of ? 0. 9 or 20. 9. If the value were less than, say 0. 5 there would only be a very weak relationship between the variables. The value of our computed coefficient of correlation (r) is 0. 99.This indicates a very strong positive correlation between the two variables, i. e. advertising expenditure and sales figure denoted by x and y, respectively. The decision is that we reject the H0, which states that there is no relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure, and accept the H1, which states that there is a relationship between advertising expenditure and sales figure. 4. Conclusions This study investigates how advertising could be used by the insurers to disseminate information on the vital role they play. The study concludes that .The image pr oblem and the poor sales of insurance products are not necessarily the result of the bad economy but the failure to engage in marketing communications. . Emphasizing other roles of insurance as financial intermediation and supplement to governments efforts in providing social security will make it more attractive. . Greater benefits accrue when advertising is fully integrated into the complete mass of marketing communications. . There are good opportunities for the insurers to advertise their products, advertising practitioners have not measured up to international standards. .For good advertising output, the message and format are the joint responsibility of the insurance staff and advertising agencies. . The major advertising media used by the insurers are the newspapers and the radio. The use of the internet in Nigeria should be given due attention. . The choice of advertising medium is a critical success factor in any advertising activity. . The major effects of advertising on companies were found to include sales volume and improved public image. A number of obstacles militate against attainment of growth in the insurance subsector, notably, hostile economic environment.Relentless advertising campaign can take a company to the next level of growth. The research has also shown that advertising expenditure is justified going by the positive effects such expenditure has on a companys performance. Furthermore, the message and the format have also been found to be critical ingredients of a successful advertising program. It is recommended that . The insurance executives should realize that their activities do not end with producing good services. Passing information to the public about their services and benefits thereof must be vigorously pursued through advertising. For sustainable competitive advantage there is a need for integration of all marketing communications, as this will reduce conflicts in organizations. . A careful blend of print and electronic media is very essential in order to properly serve each market segment. . Sales persons are the ones on ground since they are always in the field. Their inputs must always be sought while designing advertising message and format. . The lack of records regarding advertising budget and actual expenses is a problem in many insurance organizations.There is a need to appreciation adequate records of advertising expenditure, as this is necessary for proper evaluation. . The practitioners must promote other important roles of insurance such as savings, financial intermediation and provision of social security. . In the area of image laundry there can still be mutually beneficial cooperation in the midst of competition among the insurers. . In this regard, the insurance industry as a whole should embark on an industrys advertising in order to promote subjects of common interest.This will also reduce the overall cost of advertising. In this work, a convenience sampling method is used. While the size of the sample is fairly large (100), a major limitation is that the sample is taken in Lagos one state out of 36. The fact that some major towns in the country (i. e. Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Ibadan) were leftfield out could limit the degree of representativeness of the sample. However, the fact that Lagos is home to almost 90 percent of the headquarters of insurance companies in Nigeria makes the findings of this study representative of the population.Consequently, these findings would form a platform on which companies can base some of their marketing decisions. Future research could focus on the effects of publicity and public relations on sales, and on the better methods of separating advertising effects from the total marketing effects. References Asika, N. (2006), Glossary of Terms and Concepts in Research and Statistics, 1st ed. , Maxwell, Lagos, pp. 50-8. Dillion, W. R. , Madden, T. J. and Firtle, N. H. (1994), Marketing Research in a Marketing Environment, 3rd ed. , Irwin, Chicago, IL, pp. 124-5. Lucey, T. 2002), Quantitative Techniques, 6th ed. , MPG, Bodmin, p. 96. Luo, X. and Donthu, N. (2005), Assessing advertising media spending inefficiencies in generating sales, Journal of Business Research, Vol. 58 No. 1, pp. 28-36. The effects of advertising media JRF 10,3 Nigeria Insurers Digest (2005), Statistical Journal of the Nigerian Insurers Association, p. 47. Nigeria Insurance Digest (2006), Statistical Journal of the Nigerian Insurers Association, pp. 23-4, 43. Perreault, W. and McCarthy, J. Jr (2000), Basic Marketing A Global Managerial Approach, 14th ed. , McGraw-Hill, New York, NY, pp. 51-6. Randle, J. (2003), Mergers and acquisition a survival strategy for the insurance industry, The Nigerian Insurer, November, pp. 14-18. Schultz, R. L. and Wittink, D. R. (1976), The measurement of industry advertising effects, Journal of Marketing Research, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 71-5. Sturgess, B. and Young, R. (1981), The sales response to adver tising a reconsideration, Management and Decision Economics, No. 3, pp. 133-8. Twedt and Knitter (1964), What about the relationships among sales, advertising, and earnings, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 28 No. 4, pp. 68-9.Further reading Achumba, I. C. (1985), Sales Management Concepts, Strategies and Cases, rev. ed. , Mukugamu and Brothers Enterprise, Lagos. Achumba, I. C. (1995), Sales and Management Concepts, Strategies and Cases, 1st ed. , Mukugamu and Brothers Enterprise, Lagos, p. 2. Asika, N. (2004), Research Methodology A Process Approach, 1st ed. , Mukugamu and Brothers Enterprise, Lagos, pp. 20-3. Bickelhaupt, D. (1967), Trends and innovations in the marketing of insurance, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 17-22. Connor-Linton, J. (2003), Chi-square Tutorial, updated by C.Ball, Georgetown University, Washington, DC. Cooney, B. (1999), Reuter XL capital announces web-based initiative to help manage organizational risk, PR Newswire USA, April 12. Davidow, D. and Uttal, B. (1990), The Total Customer Service The Ultimate Weapon, 1st ed. , harpist Collins, New York, NY. Dayton, D. (1999), Total Market Domination, 1st ed. , Adams Media Corporation, Halbrook, MA, pp. 37-41. Denny, R. (1988), Selling To Win, 1995 ed. , Kogan Page, London. Dibb, S. , Simkin, L. and Pride, W. (1991), Marketing, European ed. , Houghton Mifflin, Boston, MA.Farmer, R. N. (1987), Would you want your grand daughter to marry a Taiwanese marketing man? , Journal of Marketing, Vol. 51, pp. 111-6. Keith, R. (1960), The marketing revolution, Journal of Marketing, January, pp. 35-8. Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (2006), Principles of Marketing, 11th ed. , Prentice-Hall, New York, NY, pp. 428-44. Kotler, P. and Connor, R. A. Jr (1977), Marketing professional services, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 41 No. 1, pp. 71-6. Lancaster, G. and Massingham, L. (1988), Essentials of Marketing, McGraw-Hill, London. Le Boeuf, M. 1987), How to Win Customers and glide by Them for Life, 1st ed. , Berk ley Books, New York, NY. McWhorter, S. (1958), Advertising and public relations activities of insurance companies with special emphasis on health insurance, Journal of Insurance, Vol. 25 No. 3, pp. 8-20. Makki, S. and Somwaru, A. (2001), pay participation in crop insurance markets creating the right incentives, American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 83 No. 3, pp. 662-7. Miner, R. B. (1961), Application of the theory of marketing tangible goods to the marketing of insurance, Journal of Insurance, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 41-4. Nigeria Insurers Association (2006), Where to Insure 2006, Nigeria Insurers Association, Lagos, pp. 28-43. Pappas, C. (2000), AdNauseam, Advertising Age, July, pp. 16-18. Polley, R. W. (1987), On the value of reflection in the distorted mirror, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 27 No. 6, pp. 104-9. Prisca, S. (2004), Developing public trust in insurance. A critical appraisal, Journal of Chartered Insurance Institute of Nigeria, Vol. 5 No. 13, p. 17. Rejda, G. (200 2), Principles of seek Management and Insurance, 7th ed. , Pearson Education, Delhi. Rejda, G. 2003), Principles of Risk Management and Insurance, 7th ed. , Pearson Education, Singapore, p. 20. Ryan, L. (1985), New distribution channels for microcomputer software, Business, October/December, pp. 21-2. Wikipedia (2006), The Free Encyclopedia, available at http//en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Advertising fit author S. A. Aduloju can be contacted at emailprotected com To purchase reprints of this article please e-mail emailprotected com Or visit our web site for further details www. emeraldinsight. com/reprints The effects of advertising media

About Love Essay

Overpopulationedit source editbetaFurther information Family planning in India and Demographics of India India suffers from the line of massage of overpopulation. The population of India is very high school at an estimated 1.27 one thousand million.123 Though India ranks second in population, it ranks 33 in population density. Indira Gandhi, Prime look of India, had implemented a forced sterilization programme in the early 1970s nevertheless the programme failed. Officially, men with two children or more were required to be sterilised, but many unmarried young men, policy-making opponents and ignorant, poor men were also believed to have been affected by this pogramme. This program is still remembered and regretted in India, and is blamed for creating a existence aversion to family planning, which hampered Government programmes for decades.4 suck up more Ethnic groups and racism essayDefinition of Social Economics ProblemsSocio Economics Problems focuses on the relationship between social behavior and economic science. Social economics examines how social norms, ethics and other social philosophies that influence consumer behavior shape an economy, and uses history, politics and other social sciences to examine potential results from changes to society or the economy. 1. Overpopulation India suffers from the riddle of overpopulation. Though India ranks second in population, it ranks 33 in terms of population density below countries such as The Netherlands, South Korea and Japan. To cure this problem, Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India, had implemented a forced sterilization programme in the early 1970s but failed. Officially, men with two children or more had to submit to sterilization, but many unmarried young men, political opponents and ignorant, poor men were also believed to have been sterilized. This program is still remembered and criticized in India, and is blamed for creating a wrong public aversion to family planning, which hampered G overnment programmes for decades.OverpopulationOverpopulation is becoming one of the most preeminent problems facing human civilization. This complicated, pervasive issue will come to be a problem ofthe utmost importance for people of all races, religions, and nationalities. Our planet now provides for approximately 5.8 billion people, with projections of around 10 billion by the year 2050. Two billion of these are extremely poor, the poorest of which live in absolute poverty and misery. One very serious effect of the population explosion is its detrimental effects on the global environment. Increasing amounts of food, energy, water, and shelter are required to fulfill the needs of human society. Much of our energy is derived from the burning of fossil fuels-releasing millions of metric tons of toxins into the aura annually. The amount of land required for food production will grow progressively larger, while the amount of available land will grow increasingly smaller.The affects of overpopulation on human society are many. Suffering from a lack of resources, people are often driven to war when they become too numerous for their available resources. Ethnic and racial differences will grow increasingly frequent and unresolvable. Increasing numbers in urban areas will lower quality of carriage in cities around the world.The precipitators of this complex issue are unlimited. Factors such as poverty, food distribution, and government corruption are all important aspects. No one will be unaffected by the repercussions of an overpopulated world. This highly sensitive and complex issue demands the attention of all who reside upon this planet, particularly those who have the ability to work for change.

Banana Cake Essay

Greetings, my fellow visitors, today, I would like to commend a few local salmon pinkes which you might want to vitiate yourself while you are here. Firstly, I would like to recommend you an intercontinental dish known as Chilli Crab Chilli Crab, also known as Singapores unofficial national dish is cooked in various ways. The most common style is done with chilli and sweet-sour sauce ribboned with beaten egg. My favorite way and probably the most common, is to eat it with French bread or Chinese buns called Mantou to help you soak every last drop of sexually attractive sauce.I strongly recommend all of you to try this dish as it is by far the best seafood dish in Singapore. Secondly, I would like to recommend to you the famous Chinese dish Fried Hokkien Mee You can easily imagine, from this description, how good this dish tastes Egg noodles and rice vermicelli otherwise known locally as bee hoon, stir-fried with pork, prawn, squid, garret sprouts and loads of garlic, and then b raised in a rich pork and prawn stock.The dish is served steaming hot and garnished with fresh lime and a dollop of bluish chilli sambal. Alive with the pungencies of both China and Southeast Asia, Fried Hokkien Mee is one of the favourite Singapore dishes. Now, I would like to recommend a unique dish eaten by all races. This dish is none other than Mee Rebus Translated into English, this dish means simply boiled noodles but the dish is anything but simple.It is yellow egg noodles in thick, spicy, slightly sweet gravy, garnished with boiled eggs, sliced green chilies, fried cubes of beancurd, and fresh lime. Some people add a dash of dark soya sauce as a finishing touch. Just like our multiracial society, Mee rebus is a fine example of a fusion cuisine. The egg noodles, beancurd and dark soy sauce are Chinese touches, while the gravy speaks of combined influences from Indian and Malay cuisine, with its curry-like flavour and use of dried shrimp and tamarind.Last but non least, I would like to recommend the traditional Indian dish ? Roti Prata A dough-based flat pancake that is cooked by heating over a flat grille plate. Roti prata is commonly served with either vegetable or fish curries, but it is not unusual to see it being eaten plain with white large-grain sugar. Prata-making has been refined to such an artistry that if youre lucky, youll sometimes see cooks get theatrical with the flipping and turning of the prata as its being cooked over the plate.

Enzymes in the Dairy Industry

Cherno Okafor Aida Stefani SBI4U Octover 20th, 2012 Assignment 1 Cellular Biology furthers technology-Enzymes in the Dairy Industry Since ancient times, enzymes have played an grievous role in food yield. Especially in the diary industry, some enzymes atomic number 18 required for the production of cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products, while others are apply in a a good deal specialized fashion much(prenominal) as improving texture or opinion of the product. Enzymes are utilise to catalyze the preferred reactions in industrial processes. Today, enzyme applications in such processing get more difficulties because of the rare occurrence and full(prenominal) costs.The aim of using the microbial enzymes is to achieve this problem. louver of the more common types of microbial enzymes involved in the dairy industry involve Rennet, Proteases, Lactase, Catalase, and Lipases. Milk contains proteins, especially caseins which maintain its liquid form. Proteases are enzymes that a re added to draw during the process of cheese production, to hydrolize caseins, like kappa caseins, which stabilizes micelle administration and thus preventing milk curdling. On the other hand, rennet and rennin are superior general terms for enzymes used to change state milk.The Chymosin enzyme which offer be obtained from animal, microbial, or vegetable sources, is responsible for up to 70% of cheese production. It is now possible to divulge chymosin in genetically modified fungi. These modified microorganisms contain the gene derived from the stomach of calves that is responsible for producing chymosin. When grown in a bioreactor, they release chymosin into the medium. Afterwards, the enzyme is extracted and purified, yielding a product that is 80%-90% pure. Natural rennin contains only 4%-8% active enzyme.Chymosin produced by genetically engineered microorganisms is now used to produce cheese in many different countries. Rennet (Chymosin) has owed to an subjoin in demand for cheese production worldwide. Rennin acts on milk in two stages, by enzymatic and by nonenzymatic action, resulting in the coagulation of milk. In the enzymatic phase, the resultant milk be progresss a gel collectible to the influence of calcium ions and the temperature used in the process. Many microorganisms are known to produce rennet-like proteinases, as mentioned above, which bottom of the inning substitute the calf rennet.Good yields of milk-clotting protease may be obtained in a medium containing 4% potato starch, 3% soybean meal, and 10% barley. During growth, lipase is secreted together with the protease. Therefore, the lipase activity has to be destroyed by reducing the pH, before the preparation can be used as cheese rennet. Protease is other notable enzyme. Cow milk contains a number of different whey proteins such as lactoglobulin and lactalbumin. The denaturing of these whey proteins, using proteases as catalysts, results in a creamier yogurt product. The denat uring of whey proteins is also essential for cheese production.In addition, proteases reduce allergic properties of cow milk products for infants, which produce healthier milk for them. Lactease is a glycoside hydrolase enzyme that decomposes lactose into its constituent sugars of galactose and glucose. Lactose intolerant individuals can result from insufficient production of lactase enzyme in the small intestine. Feeding lactose-containing milk to lactose-intolerant individuals can result in discomforts such as cramps, gas, dehydration, diarrhoea in the digestive tract upon ingestion of milk products, or maybe even death.Lactase provides relief for lactose and tolerant individuals because it can be used commercially to prepare lactose-free products, particularly milk by the process of hydrolysis of the lactase into glucose and galactose. In addition, lactase enzymes can be used in preparation of ice cream to make a creamier, sweeter-tasting product and improving digestibility. Fina lly, this reduces sandiness repayable to crystallization of lactose in concentrated preparations. Also, cheese manufactured from hydrolyzed milk ripens more quickly than the cheese manufactured from normal milk.Another problem presented by lactose is its low solubility. This prevents the use of concentrated whey syrups in many food processes as they have an unpleasant sandy texture and are readily prone to microbiological spoilage. Adding to this problem, the disposal of such waste whey is expensive due to its high biological oxygen demand. These problems may be overcome by hydrolysis of the lactose in whey the product being about four times as sweet, much more soluble and capable of forming concentrated, microbiologically secure, syrups.Technologically, lactose crystallizes easily which sets limits to certain processes in the dairy industry, and the use of lactase to overcome this problem has not reached its fullest potential because of the associated high costs. Moreover, the mai n problem associated with discharging large quantities of cheese whey is that it pollutes the environment. But, the discharged whey could be exploited as an alternate cheap source of lactose for the production of lactic point by fermentation. In the production of cheese, hydrogen peroxide is a potent oxidizer and toxic to cells.Catalase enzymes are used are used instead of pasteurization, when making certain cheeses such as Swiss, in order to preserve natural milk enzymes that are beneficial to the end product and flavour development of the cheese. Due to pasteurization, these enzymes would be destroyed by the high heat. Therefore, Catalase enzymes are typically added to convert to the hydrogen peroxide to water and molecular oxygen which allow for enhance final production. Finally, there are the lipases in the dairy industry. Lipase enzymes are primarily used to break down milk fats and give characteristic flavours to cheeses.The flavours come from the three juicy acids produced when milk fats are hydrolyzed. Hydrolysis of shorter chains of fatty acids is preferable as it results in desirable tastes of many cheeses unlike the hydrolysis of longer chains of fatty acids which could result in soapiness or no flavour at all. It is notable to mention orchis products. Many industrially produced cream products used dried egg powder instead of fresh eggs. The enzymes of lipase and glucose are implemented in order to preserve egg powder and maintain its colour.These enzymes are often produced with the assistance of genetically modified microorganisms. Genetically modified microorganisms result in better yields in simply systems. Several cheese making experiments have been carried out with recombinant chymosin and the general aspects of recombinant chymosin have been dealt with. Since most of the rennet (90%) added to cheese milk is lost in the whey, immobilization would considerably extend its catalytic life. Several rennets have been immobilized, but their wishi ng as milk coagulants has been questioned.So, there is a fairly general support for the view that immobilized enzymes cannot coagulate milk properly, owning to inaccessibility of the peptide bond of K-Casein, and that the apparent coagulating activity of immobilized rennets is due to leaching of the enzyme from the support. Different types of conventional cheeses have been successfully made by using recombinant rennet on an experimental scale. No major differences have been detected mingled with cheeses made with recombinant chymosins or natural enzymes, regarding cheese yield, texture, smell, taste, and ripening.Cheese ripening is a complex process mediated by biochemical and biophysical changes during which a bland curd is developed into a mature cheese with characteristic flavour, texture, and aroma. The desirable attributes are produced by the partial and gradual breakdown of carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins during ripening, mediated by several agents (i) residual coagulants , (ii) starter bacterium and their enzymes, (iii) nonstarter bacteria and their enzymes, (iv) indigenous milk enzymes, especially proteinases, and (v) secondary inocula with their enzymes.Proteolysis occurs in all the cheese varieties and is a prerequisite for characteristic flavour development that can be regulated by proper use of the above agents. Cheese ripening is essentially an enzymatic process which can be accelerated by augmenting activity of the key enzymes. This has the advantage of initiating more specific action for flavour development compared to use of elevated temperatures that can result in accelerating undesirable nonspecific reactions, and consequently off flavour development.Enzymes may be added to develop specific flavours in cheeses, for example lipase addition for the development of Parmesan or Blue-type cheese flavours. The pathways leading to the formation of flavour compounds are largely unknown, and therefore the use of exogenous enzymes to accelerate rip ening is mostly an empirical process. Moreover, there are Proteolytic enzymes of lactic acid and bacteria in fermented milk products.This system is composed of proteinases which initially cleaves the milk protein to peptides peptidases which cleave the peoptides to small peptides and aminic acids and transport system responsible for cellular ingestion of small peptides and amino acids. Lactic acid bacteria have a complex proteolytic system capable of converting milk casein to the free amino acids and peptides necessary for their growth. These proteinases include extracellular proteinases, endopeptidases, aminopeptidases, tripeptidases, and proline-specific peptidases, which are all serine proteases.Aminopeptidases are important for the development of flavour in fermented milk products, since they are capable of releasing champion amino acid residues from oligopeptides formed by extracellular proteinase activity. Nevertheless, the other minor enzymes having limited applications in dairy processing include glucose oxidase, catalase, superoxide dismutase, sulphydryl oxidase, lactoperoxidase, and lysozymes. Glucose oxidase and catalase are often used together in selected foods for preservation. Superoxide dismutase is an antioxidant for foods and generates H2O2, but is more effective when catalase is present.Thermally induced generation of volatile sulphydryl groups is thought to be responsible for the cooked off-flavour in ultra high temperature processed milk. Use of sulphydryl oxidase under aseptic conditions can eliminate this defect. The natural inhibitory mechanism in raw milk is due to the presence of low levels of lactoperoxidase, which can be activated by the external addition of traces of H2O2and thiocyanate. The societal impacts of some dairy enzymes are that chymosin, a high graphic symbol enzyme, is available at an attractive price.This helps assure available of extra cheeses at a reasonable cost. Due to the lipases, there is a wide variety of fla vourful, high-quality cheeses. To meaning up, I think that it is amazing that there is a wide variety of alternatives of dairy products as a result of these enzymes that aid the dairy processes. The lactase enzymes can now help individuals enjoy the nutritional benefits and sensory pleasure of dairy products without gastrointestinal side effects by selecting lactose-free or lactose-low dairy products or by providing commercially available lactase to dairy products in the home.It is interesting how these enzymes sustain processes that enable higher yields, more enzyme production and higher activity, more efficient, affective, dynamic enzymes. Bibliography Category. Enzymes in the Dairy Industry Uses for Enzymes in Food Preparation Enzymes and Dairy Products. About. com Biotech and Biomedical Pages. About. com, n. d. Web. 20 Oct. 2012.

Is the Emphasis on a Color-Blind Society an Answer to Racism

Racism is a word that sparks a nerve in many individuals today. As hard as it is to moot, racialism is hush up a oversized factor in what we as a society know as a unified America. Although, it is not as obvious as it was in the past, it equable goes on, just in styles that are less noticeable. We ask the question, is the emphasis on a color-blind society an answer to racism. Ward Connerly claims it is a way to stop the segregation and make America a whole as it has been striving to be for the longest. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva believes color-blind racism is the new racial ideology and still brings about racial inequality.As the solution to the question progresses, we ask ourselves, result a color-blind society assortment the way whites view blacks and minorities? Will it change the discrimination that is brought about everyday from individualistic opinions? Those that say they are not biased against other stimulates are the main ones that are judgmental to how certain ethnicitie s act. unheeding of a color-blind society, there is still going to be racial inequality. Color-blind racism is basic bothy racism that acts as if color doesnt matter, when in actuality, it really does.Whites believe that if they white plague color-blind racism, they arent racist. They bypass the word black and use other words to substitute it for. They bypass the word race and instead use words such as ethnicity, culture or background to make their statements not sound so harsh. Despite the fact that they believe they may not sound prejudiced at the time that does not stop them from thinking it. As Eduardo Bonilla-Silva believes, color-blind racism may not be as crude as the Jim Crow era, but it resembles it in a more minor way.For example, whites will vote for a black man for chairman of the United States, but they still look down on the black society, most likely hoping that the black President will help those stereotypes. Ward Connerly attended the American River Junior Colleg e and earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in political science with honors at Sacramento State College. He is the tyro of the American Civil Rights Institute and an outspoken supporter of equal opportunities for all Americans. He expressed his views on racism by discussing an encounter he had with a woman.While explaining his desire to succeed at having a color-blind government, the woman commented by replying what he was doing was going to be best for his spate. Although, she may not guide realized her remark offended him, situations similar to that occur all the time especially with blacks and minorities. Persons may do it without the intention to insult, but that just proves that everyone is viewed more so by color than by characteristics and personality. Many minorities will always be judged by their color because whites believe that they will never have higher power. tear down though Ward Connerly went through rough obstacles growing up involving race, rather than focusing on t he bad experiences he had, he claimed that if you take people at face value and give them an opportunity, race is irrelevant. He supports the emphasis on a color-blind society so people wont use discrimination based on the color of ones skin. He used examples such as classifications and how there was no need to classify people by race. After the Civil War, with having separation for bathrooms, poll taxes and water fountains, distinguishing differences between people should have been stopped.He decided to place the Racial Privacy opening night in California, to prevent governments from categorizing individuals by race, color, ethnicity and origin. That may help to some degree, but theres still going to be physical appearances by all people and no one is going to worry about classifications, because whites are still going to have their assumptions about blacks, even if they dont all say so. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva received his Ph. D. from the University of Wisconsin. He has authored two books called White Supremacy and Racism in the Post-Civil Rights Era and Racism without Racists.He currently teaches sociology at Duke University focusing on race relations. Professor Bonilla-Silva proved his points with adequate examples shown in daily life. He uses the theory that blacks and most minorities are at the bottom of the well. He brought up that instruction highly successful and educated blacks towards the poor, less paying jobs in the pip conditions are ways to keep minorities away from the upscale white society. According to Bonilla-Silva, the U. S. has barely moved beyond the era of segregation.He argues that all whites today rely more on cultural rather than biological analogies to explain blacks position in this country. I concur with his support because he has more supporting distinguish than Connerly. Based on his interpretations, Ive come to the conclusion that whites do come up with explanations to prove that they are so-called non-racial but as Bonill a-Silva said, regardless of whites sincere fictions, racial consideration shade almost everything in America and black and false skinned minorities lag behind in every area of social life. An emphasis on a color-blind society is not the answer to racism. Its just an excuse for whites to say that racism is not part of everyday life that it simply just doesnt exist. Ward Connerly had good claims, but his evidence did not support his conclusion enough to make me feel this topic would change the state of race in the U. S. Him describing his encounter made me feel that racism was never going to cease or for that matter, get better. Eduardo Bonilla-Silva brought out great support. By reviewing his examples and opinions, it is true that color-blindness is a front.Most whites will always have exasperation towards those that dont resemble them. Both authors did focus on the matter of race and how it is seen in the country. Race is seen differently throughout all individuals. Some get wor d it just a word that has no meaning and is only involved with the past, but others find it an exaggeration of the word hatred. A word that brings out the worst in peoples personalities. Regardless of how much emphasis is even involved in having a color-blind society, racism still and always will exist.

Iron Crowned Chapter 21

For a few mo manpowerts, we were frozen in succession. It was Jasmine who ultimately got things moving again.Oh, she utter. Wow.Kiyos grip on the form tightened, and for a second, I fe ard hed crumple or rip it. Instead, he let it f both to the floor and strode toward me as swiftly and ferociously as his predatory alter ego. I felt Jasmine shift non away, provided closer to me. be you certain(predicate)? he asked, in a low, deadly voice.Ab go forth which part? I snapped. That Im pregnant? Or that its yours?Both.I felt my look narrow as I continue determineing maddened and defensive. Yes. Both. dummy up fell. ThenWhen are you getting rid of it? he asked.Christ. You get repair to the point.You slam the point he exclaimed. You know what its always been Youre sure? Youre unfeignedly sure youre pregnant?Id had the uniform questions for Dr. Moore and pitch myself repeating her answer. Yes. The tests are very(prenominal) accurate. Besides, why else do you regard theyd sched ule me for that? I pointed to the referral lying on the floor. He powerfulness run away with wolfs, exclusively hed still know what a CVS was.Jasmine, however, did not. She slipped away, gave him a wide berth, and retrieved the paper. Whats a chorionic vil-vil Its a test to detect defects, I said. I gave Kiyo a pointed look. And sexual urge.Its a waste of time, he argued. He sw every last(predicate)owed and act a kinder, more reasonable course with me. Eugenie, you know the d angriness. You senst waste another day. If any genius finds out if anyone in the Other being I know, I know Do you believe Im blockheaded? Do you commend I roundhow confounded the constant rape attempts and actual rape based on that divination? Damn it, I know stop than you what it means save I cant I cant get an abortion until I know what it is. If its a fille or a boy.And then what? he asked. Youll keep it if its a girl? You always said you werent sure you lacked to fox kids.Im stil l not, I admitted, my voice trembling. A baby world conqueror or not had never been on my agenda. But I flip to know.His expression darkened, the coaxing gone. Its better if you dont. Its better to keep it all anonymous, better not to think of it as a person. Stay ignorant. full have the abortion and be done.Jasmine hadnt locomote from her spot, her eyes tone ending back and forth as she watched my communicative volley with Kiyo. Geez, she said. You dont seem too upset about(predicate) killing your own kid. I had been thinking the same thing. His cold detachment shocked me.He flinched and gritted his teeth. I never said Im not upset.But youre not except upset about what this means for the prophecy, I pointed out. I studied him carefully, realization dawning. You dont entirely believe its yours anyway.Do you blame me? he asked.Its yours, I said adamantly. The last time Id been with Dorian, wed had kinky oral sex. peradventure I hadnt known about antibiotics interacting wit h birth control pills, but I knew where a guy had to postdate to sop up you pregnant. I know without a doubt.This gave Kiyo pause, as though he really were truly ruminative the reality of losing his child. I told you I never said Im not upset about this. But its got to be dealt with. How could you have let this happen?Oh, nice, I said. Its my fault. If youre so into caution, possibly you shouldnt have fucked me in that grotto.Jasmines eyes widened.Okay, obstruct it, he said tightly. And forget your CVS. Just get the abortion while its still easy. You cant be that uttermost along.I shot up. While its still easy? Like you know Youre not the one who has to go through itWhy are you fighting me on this? he exclaimed in disbelief. You always said youd do this. Do you want the prophecy to come true? Do you want to have a son who leads armies here from the Otherworld to conquer and enslave?Of course not You know that.Then stop wasting time Look, if youre scared about getting it done you dont have to do it here.Oh? I can check in at the Otherworlds Planned Parenthood clinic?No, he said wearily. But in that respect are potions. Maiwenn could help. Along with healing, she can work all sorts of other medical magic.Im sure she can. I couldnt hide the turnterness in my voice. And Im sure shed be more than happy to.Eugenie Look, I interrupted. Heres how it is. I dont like your attitude. I dont like you dictating this to me like Im stupid or something. I know the consequences, okay? And you know where I stand on the prophecy. But I just have to know what just now is in me kickoff. Two long time. We just wait two days for the test.And then how long until the results? he asked. More time passes. Every day is dangerous.But what if its a girl? This came from Jasmine. Both Kiyo and I turned to her. What if Eugenie can have it? Youre always going on and on about how awesome Luisa is. Wouldnt you want another one especially with, like, your actual sort of girlfriend ?Its not Kiyo bit off his joints and turned back to me. Those dark eyes studied me, and I felt my anger diffuse as they softened. I felt his love and knew all of this was coming from panic, his fears about the prophecy finally coming true. Two days, he said at last.Two days, I repeated. And then Ill do the right thing. I wasnt exactly sure what the right thing would be if I was having a girl, seeing as motherhood still didnt really jump out at me. But that didnt matter right now. What mattered was that I had the choice.Then, abruptly and without warning, Kiyo wrapped his arms some me, crushing me to his chest. I love you, he said, voice shaking. It was the first time hed spoken those words since wed gotten back together, and they tore something inside of me. But Im just afraid.I am too, I said, whim tears spring into my eyes. Fucking hormones. Everythingll be okay.When he released me, I finally really comprehended that Jasmine had witnessed all of this. The dramatic factor had probably trumped anything she could find on TV. Her face was a coffer mask now, which made me uneasy. What was she thinking about all this? For so long, shed cute to be the one to have the heir. I supposed she should be all for an abortion. Yet maybe she was so keen on our fathers prophecy that she didnt care who had his grandson, so long as she could ride the power with us.I need you to stay with Jasmine tomorrow, I told Kiyo later, when we were lying in bed. I wish she hadnt found out about this. Maybe Im overreacting, but Im overturned shell do something with the information. I could have Volusian watch her like he is now I usually summoned my minion for night watches. But Id feel better with you there.Kiyo drew the covers up around us. Where are you going?Where do you think?He groaned. Eugenie, you cant go back there until this mess is settled. If they find out if anyone finds out well. All funny farm will break loose, from those who are for the prophecy and those who are against it.I have to, I said. I exculpate now that most of my being sick is because well, you know. But being apart from those lands is affecting me too. I just need to check in. No more full-fledged meditation sessions, though. I couldnt risk any more telltale signs of my maternalism from that intense communion. Id just do the bare minimum required. And not just with the lands magic. I need to keep an eye on the Rowan demesnes transition.I feared his reaction, particularly after his earlier outburst. Instead, he brushed a kiss to my lips. Be careful. Be quick.I will. I pushed my lips back, kissing him harder. I moved my body closer to his, wrapping our legs together. I was terrified of what was happening, terrified of what I might be carrying. But now, with Kiyo on my side, I felt safe. We would get through this together, and I suddenly wanted to connect with him and feel his love around me.He responded instantly to the kiss, one of his hands tipping my head back in ensnar e to consume more of my lips. His other hand gripped my upper arm, nails lightly scratching my skin as animal lust began to take over. Then, abruptly, he stopped and pulled away.Whats wrong? I asked. I started to say he didnt have to worry about getting me pregnant, but that joke seemed kind of inappropriate.Nothing Im just Im just tired. He kissed me again, but this time it was on my cheek. Its been a long day. Just not up for it tonight heretofore though youre as sexy as always.The lightness in those last words seemed forced, and I was jolly he couldnt see my frown in the darkness. I had just been rejected because because why? Having sex during pregnancy wasnt harmful, I knew that oft. Was I repulsive? Was the thought that I was carrying Storm Kings heir putting him off? some(prenominal) the reason, I didnt buy that he wasnt up for it. Wed been pressed hip to hip moments ago, and his body had most for certain been up for it.A sexless night was the least of my problems, an d although neither of us spoke, I knew he slept as badly as I did. We tossed and turned, our movements as disturbing to each other as our individual worries. We both(prenominal) had assembly lineshot eyes when we woke.I headed off to the Otherworld as soon as I could after eat well, after what passed as breakfast for me. My appetite was still low. Jasmine wasnt happy when I denied her request to come with me, but Kiyo and Volusians presence was too daunting for her to put up ofttimes of a fight.I felt the rachis Lands welcoming energy when I crossed over, but thankfully, it revealed vigor about my maternal state. My provide was as happy to see me, particularly Shaya, who looked like shed thought I wasnt ever going to return. It wasnt an entirely jobless fear. She and I sat alone in one of the parlors while she updated me on the situation. Rurik feels the Rowan Land is abiding large to move in a governing body. at that places still some unrest, and hell stay on for a whi le, but most have fancyed your rule. Its the way things go. Hes in like manner culled the Rowan military and feels you can imprecate whos left.I tried not to grimace at that, wondering what his culling had entailed. And Katrice and Cassius?She shrugged. Still imprisoned. Awaiting your verdict.I dont really want to do anything with them, I admitted. I dont know what to do with them. aboveboard? With Katrice? You could set her free, and it wouldnt matter. Stripping the land from her unfinished most of her magic. Her reason to live. Shes harmless. Without hope. But Cassius Shaya frowned. Hes dangerous. He cant wrestle the land from you, but hes got enough power to make trouble. Dorians already written and advised execution.I scoffed. Im sure he has.Dorians too provided a list of passel hed like to see installed in the Rowan Land. We settled the resources split, but he feels he deserves a lordly interest in your rule there.A controlling interest? This isnt a corporation I exclai med. import him and make it very, very clear that his help isnt undeniable over there. It isnt wanted. He has no right to it. tell apart him all of that.Shaya hesitated, fretfully toying with one of her black braids. No matter how diplomatically I word that well, the antagonism will still come through. Itll anger him.Good, I retorted. Dorian was a safe site for my churning emotions at the moment, and God knew I needed some sort of outlet. Let him be angry or pout or whatever. Im pretty sure he isnt going to declare war on me.It was something Id figured out recently. Dorian had been an advocate of using the Iron Crown to scare other monarchs, but the thing was, now that we werent together anymore, he had to realize it could be used against him too. I actually hadnt had to feed in in to his spoils of war demands. That had been a kindness on my part, and he knew it. I didnt have to fear Dorian. I no longer needed him.Very well, Shaya replied. Her tone was obedient, but I knew she dreaded that letter. Shed never lose her devotion to him, and I was forcing her to split her loyalties. But we do need someone to manage the Rowan Land unless youre going to do it personally.No, I said swiftly, not that I needed to. Shed already known I had no interest in it. Do you have someone in mind?Yes. Me.I wasnt exactly surprised that shed step up to the task. I was surprised, however, that she didnt look particularly upset about it. Maybe she relished the challenge.Im tranquil with that, I said. Hell, after what you did around here, I know you can get Rowan into shape. But whos going to run things here?I was thinking Nia could.Nia? I asked, startled. My hairstylist?Shaya crooked me a grin. What do you think she does when youre not around? Shes been helping me and learning. I think shed do very well. Thered be others to support her, and, of course, she could always contact me.It was still an unexpected choice, but Shaya seemed confident. And, I supposed, wed gotten the Thorn Land into good enough shape that it now functioned pretty smoothly.Okay, I said at last. Lets make it happen. When do you plan on moving?Today, she said. Ill go when you go. My things are packed.I couldnt help laughing. You knew Id agree. And you knew Id refuse Dorian.Shaya put on her primmest look, but her eyes sparkled. Yes, Your Majesty.I walked the Thorn Land before leaving, long enough to reassure the land I was there and boost the morale of the soldiers fortressing my keep. Not that they needed it. We were victorious, and they were still celebrating. Id donned my gold crown for the trip to the Rowan Land, and my men regarded me with adoration, calling out cheers for their brave, all-powerful queen. What would they do if they knew? I wondered. What would they do if they knew I was carrying a potential warlord? Somehow, it wasnt much of a mystery. They would cheer more. They would worship me and revel in the chance to extend our rule.It made me eager to go to the Rowan La nd, where I was feared rather than adored. Of course, I didnt know if that was any better. If those people knew I was carrying Storm Kings grandchild, it would simply intensify their fear and convince them more than ever that they were under the control of a tyrant queen. Kiyo was right, I realized. No one in the Otherworld could know about my pregnancy. Any reaction it drew would be a powerful one. The sooner I could leave, the better.Borrowed soldiers from the Thorn Land still made up the bulk of the guard at Katrices former castle, and their expressions mirrored those of their colleagues back home. I played the part, smiling and walking among them confidently, not make bold to show the fear and uncertainty I felt. Like the Thorn Lands, the Rowan Lands energy buzzed around me. solely I felt it, of course, but once, when I paused and talked to a guard for several minutes, I saw a small red flower growing where Id stood. No one noticed, and I hastily headed for the castle, figuring nothing would sprout out of stone walls.Rurik greeted us happily, having already known about Shayas new position. As we all converged, I saw something flash between them, something that surprised me. Affection. More than friendly affection. It was then that I also noticed a bracelet Shaya wore, made of emeralds and pearls. Id seen it before. Girard had been working on it when I first met Imanuelle. It was the piece Rurik had commissioned. I tried not to gape as the truth hit me. Shaya and Rurik. They had a relationship going on, some romance, probably one that had been building right before me that Id been too oblivious to notice. That was why she hadnt minded taking on stewardship of a kingdom conquered through unorthodox means.No one else seemed to notice or maybe everyone already knew about them but as I stood there and listened to more debriefings, I felt a pang in my chest. It was like Tim and Lara and not because both couples were so bizarrely matched. No, the similaritie s came in that it was so easy for all of them. Just fall in love and go with it. No political machinations and motives. No world-altering prophecies to muck things up. Id free myself from Dorians scheming and not without a fair amount of heartache but things with Kiyo now were irrevocably altered. No matter how my pregnancy panned out, even if it had as happy an ending as it could, I knew things between him and me would never be the same. I would never have an easy relationship.Queasiness welled up in me, and I didnt gall trying to figure out which of the myriad reasons could be causing it. I leaned against the wall as Rurik continued speaking about troop placement. Even though it wasnt part of the land, the wall and castles foundation touched the land, and I felt that magic warm and comfort me. I took a deep breath. I could do this. Everything would be all right, just as Id told Kiyo. Id know my childs gender soon. Then Id know what to do.My intention had been to stay around lo nger and make sure Shaya was settled in, but I soon decided I needed to get back. The others looked like they would have liked me to stay a little longer too, but they were also used to my weird or as they considered them, human ways. I assured them all that I had the accomplishment faith in them, reminded Shaya to rebuke Dorian, and then headed back to Tucson as soon as I could.When I arrived home and analyzed how Id been feeling today, it occurred to me that the transitions from world to world were making me sick. Transitioning wasnt an easy feat in world-wide some couldnt even do it. Id grown adept at it, but now, it took its toll, even with the help of a gateway. I still enough about pregnancy to know these annoying symptoms only lasted for a briefly time, but that didnt negate their annoyance. I didnt want anything slowing me down. I didnt want to be hampered. My body was bout against me, and Kiyos urging just to end the pregnancy began to seem like a better and better i dea. What did gender matter? I wasnt ready for this.He was relieved to see me back early and wrapped me up in another big embrace. Everythings okay? he asked in a low voice. Nobody found out?I shook my head. No. And Im not going back until until this is settled. Im also starting to think What? he prompted.That you were right. That gender doesnt matter. The test is so close, though Ill still do it. But. Well. Like I said, it doesnt matter. embossment flooded his features. Im glad, Eug. Its the right thing to do. He hugged me again, and the hug was filled with more intensity. You can always set off the test.No, Ill do it. Especially after the fit I threw with my poor heal.I wish I could go with you, he said wistfully. But Im not sure I can. Im taking a couple of work shifts.Are you? Or are you running off to Maiwenn?Its fine, I said. You wouldnt be able to find out anything that day anyway.But youll let me know the moment you know? he asked, staring at me hard.The very moment.Kiyo might not have been able to go with me but Jasmine did.Ostensibly, I told myself it was because she couldnt be left by herself. Yet, deep inside, when I really looked at my heart, I knew the truth. I didnt want to go through this alone. I knew what the test entailed, and even if we got no answers today, it was still one step closer to what could be a wide event.You can do it, you know, Jasmine told me.Id let her come into the exam room with me. It was dimly lit for the ultrasound equipment, and the doctor and tech had stepped out so I could change. Undressing in front of Jasmine felt weird, so I unploughed my back to her as I put on the hospital gown.Do what? This test?No. I mean, yeah, whatever, youll be fine. But I mean, have the baby. Whatever it is. Even a boy. You can fulfill our fathers prophecy. There was a zeal in her voice I hadnt heard in a while one Id hoped had gone away.Gowned, I turned around. No. Thats out of the question. If its a boy well, I cant have it. rem nant of story. A girl I dont know. Im probably not doing that either. I couldnt help adding, Besides, I thought you wanted to be the heirs mother.Her face was deadly earnest as she considered my words. I did. But maybe Im not meant to.The staff returned and situated me on the examining table while Jasmine retreated to a corner. They introduced themselves Dr. Sartori and Veronica the tech. They explained the procedure to me, though Id already read up on it several times. The doctor was going to ack stick a giant plague in me to collect cells and would use ultrasound to guide him. He made sure I understood the risk of such a test. A small percentage of women miscarried. Dryly, I told him I was willing to accept that.Veronica raised the gown to bare my stomach. As she rubbed gel on it, I stared down wonderingly. Honestly? It looked no different than in the past. Id always been skinny, and with my lack of appetite, I probably wasnt putting on much weight. If not for my symptoms and Dr. Moores very accurate test, I never would have guessed what was inside me. And what was inside me? My stomach took on a strange, sinister countenance. Again, I had that feeling of my bodys betrayal. It was doing things out of my control.Okay, said Veronica, moving the waddle to my stomach. Lets take a look.Both she and Dr. Sartori watched a black monitor that had my name, birthday, and a few other stats at the bottom of the screen. When the toddle made contact, the screen flared to life, showing the indecipherable gray and white confusion Id always seen when people had ultrasounds on TV. I could make no sense of it nor see anything resembling a baby, but sound immediately accompany the images, repetitive swishing noises, kind of like waves. I at least knew what that meant.Thats the heartbeat, isnt it? I asked, a strange feeling crawling over me. Heartbeat. Another creatures heart inside of me.Neither practitioner answered right away. Dr. Sartori frowned curiously, and Veronica shifted the paddle around to get more views.Huh, said the doctor.What? I exclaimed. Two immediate possibilities sprang to mind. One was that my gentry blood mixing with Kiyos kitsune blood had created some sort of monster. The other thought one that suddenly offered a world of safety was that there had been a mistake. The test wasnt accurate, and I actually wasnt pregnant. Isnt that the heartbeat?Dr. Sartoris gaze fell on me, a small smile on his lips. Thats the heartbeats. You have twins.