Succubus Blues CHAPTER 18

Around ten the next morning, the phone jolted me out of a dream I'd been having about jellyfish and mint chocolate chip ice cream. Rolling over, I picked it up, discovering in the process that I ached a lot less than I had last night. Immortal healing in action. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Hey, it's Seth.† Seth! Yesterday's events rushed back to me. The birthday party. The ice cream. The perfume. I again wondered who he'd had to meet after dropping me off at the bookstore. â€Å"Hi,† I gushed, sitting up. â€Å"How are you?† â€Å"Not bad. I'm, uh, over at Emerald City, and I didn't see you†¦ they said it's your day off.† â€Å"Yeah, I'll be back tomorrow.† â€Å"Okay. So, um, do you want to maybe do something today? Lunch? Or a movie maybe? Unless you have other plans†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No†¦ not exactly†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I bit my lip, silencing the immediate acceptance that wanted to spring forth. I still had that strange, inexplicable attraction and sense of comfortable familiarity with Seth. I would have liked to hang out with him more, but I had already tried walking the line of friendship and dating with Roman, only to have that blow up in my face. It would be far better never to get started with Seth, despite my longings. Besides, I hadn't forgotten about my angelic bodyguard; I didn't really want him tagging along. Best to keep Carter indoors as long as possible. â€Å"But I'm sick.† â€Å"Really? I'm sorry.† â€Å"Yeah, you know†¦ just that kind of run-down feeling.† It wasn't entirely a lie. â€Å"I don't really feel up to getting out today.† â€Å"Oh. Okay. Do you need anything? Do you want me to bring you any food maybe?† â€Å"No†¦ no,† I hastily assured him, banishing images of Seth feeding me chicken soup while I lounged around in cute pajamas. Christ. This was going to be harder than I thought. â€Å"I don't want you to have to keep taking care of me. Thanks, though.† â€Å"I don't mind. I mean, no problem.† â€Å"I should be in tomorrow, if this doesn't get worse†¦ so I'll see you then. Maybe we can have coffee. Or rather, I'll have coffee and you can†¦ not have coffee.† â€Å"Okay. I'd like that. Not having coffee, I mean. Would you mind†¦ that is, can I check on you later? Call you again?† â€Å"Sure.† The phone was safe enough. â€Å"Okay. If you need anything before then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I know how to reach you.† We said our goodbyes and disconnected, and I clambered out of bed to see what mischief Carter had managed this morning. I found the angel sitting on a stool by my kitchen counter, feeding Aubrey sausage with one hand while he held some sort of breakfast sandwich in the other. An enormous McDonald's bag sat on the counter near him. â€Å"I made breakfast,† he told me, eyes on Aubrey. â€Å"Don't give her that,† I chastised. â€Å"It's bad for her.† â€Å"Cats don't eat kernels of dry food in the wilderness.† â€Å"Aubrey couldn't survive in the wilderness.† I scratched her head, but she was more interested in licking the grease off her chops. Opening the bag, I found a variety of sandwiches and hash brown patties. â€Å"I didn't know what you'd want,† Carter explained as I pulled out a Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Biscuit. I bit into it, melting at that scrumptiousness, grateful weight gain and cholesterol were nonevents for me. â€Å"Hey, wait. Did you actually go to McDonald's?† â€Å"Yup.† I swallowed the food. â€Å"You just left? Just now?† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"What kind of bodyguard are you? What if the nephilim came back and attacked me?† He eyed me and shrugged. â€Å"You look okay to me.† â€Å"You're not very good at this.† â€Å"Who was on the phone?† â€Å"Seth.† â€Å"The author?† â€Å"Yeah. Wanted to hang out today. I told him I was sick.† â€Å"Poor guy. You're breaking his heart.† â€Å"Better that than something else.† I finished the sandwich and went for a second one. Aubrey watched me hopefully. â€Å"So what are we doing today?† â€Å"Nothing. At least, I'm not going out, if that's what you mean.† â€Å"You aren't going to attract nephilim attention that way.† He glanced around my apartment and grimaced when I didn't respond. â€Å"It's going to be a long day then. I hope you at least have cable.† We spent the rest of the morning more or less staying out of each other's way. I let him use my laptop, and he got caught up in surfing eBay. What he could be looking for, I had no idea. As for me, I stayed in my pajamas after all, tossing a robe over them and deeming that good enough. I attempted to call Roman once, knowing I'd need to face him eventually, but I only managed to leave a voice mail message. I hung up with a sigh, opting to curl up on the couch with a book Seth had recommended in one of his e-mails. Just as I was starting to think I'd recovered from the dense breakfast and needed lunch, Carter suddenly peered over the top of the laptop, like a hound sniffing the wind. â€Å"I have to go,† he told me abruptly, standing up. â€Å"What? What do you mean?† † Nephilim signature.† I bolted upright from my lounging position. â€Å"What? Where?† â€Å"Not here.† With that, he blinked out of sight. I sat there, looking around uneasily. Whereas earlier I'd felt stifled by his presence, his sudden disappearance became a gaping hole in my environment. I was exposed. Vulnerable. When he didn't return in a few minutes, I tried unsuccessfully to pay attention to my book, finally giving up after I'd reread the same sentence five times. Still wanting lunch, I called and ordered a pizza, making sure I included enough for Carter. Doing this wasn't the best of ideas on my part since it meant opening the door eventually. When I did, I expected no less than an army of nephilim outside. Instead, I only found a bored-looking pizza guy, demanding $15.07. I munched on the pizza and tried to watch television with little luck. Turning to the laptop, I checked my e-mail and found that Seth had sent me a funny letter, much more eloquent than our earlier conversation, per usual. It only provided temporary distraction, and I was on the verge of breaking out the paint-by-number kit when Carter blinked back into my living room. â€Å"What the hell was that? Where have you been?† The angel regarded me with a calm, wry smile. â€Å"Easy there, haven't you ever heard of respecting boundaries in a relationship? It was in that book you were so quick to discard.† â€Å"Cut it out. You can't just say ‘ nephilim signature' and then disappear like that.† â€Å"I can actually. I have to.† He found the cold pizza on my counter and bit into a piece. Swallowing, he continued, â€Å"This nephilim's got a real twisted sense of humor. Every once in a while, it likes to unmask†¦ flash us, so to speak. This time it came from West Seattle.† â€Å"You can detect that from this far away?† â€Å"Jerome and I can. We never catch the creep, but we have to check it out anyway. Leads us on a merry chase.† The implications seemed obvious to me. â€Å"So you leave me? What if it's a setup? What if it flashes you over there and then zaps back to me while all the attention's away?† â€Å"It can't just ‘zap' around. Nephilim don't move like higher immortals do; they're constrained by the same limitations as you, fortunately. This one would have to get in a car and drive back over here, just like everyone else, which would hardly be a speedy process. You're protected by miles of traffic congestion.† â€Å"Weird.† â€Å"Like we said, they're unpredictable. They like breaking rules, shaking up the status quo just to see what we'll do.† â€Å"Weird,† I repeated. â€Å"Does it even know you're there? That it's making you drop everything and come?† â€Å"If the nephilim's close enough, it'd be able to sense the teleporting but nothing else past that. As long as we're masked, our identities, strength, and whatever stay hidden. So, if it is lurking, it knows two higher immortals came to check it out, but not much more than that.† â€Å"And it just watches and waits,† I concluded. â€Å"Kind of twisted. Lord, these things are a pain in the ass.† â€Å"Tell me about it. They ‘do not go gently into that good night.' â€Å" I blinked at the poetic reference. â€Å"Wait†¦ that's what's going to happen? You're going to kill†¦ er, destroy it or something?† Carter cocked his head toward me curiously. â€Å"What'd you think would happen? Ten years and parole?† â€Å"I†¦ don't know. I just figured†¦ wow. I don't know. Are you into that? The whole smiting thing? I mean, I suppose you guys vanquish evil on a regular basis, huh?† â€Å"We smite, as you so cutely term it, when we have to. Demons tend to be more into it than we are. In fact, Nanette even offered to come up and take care of this nephilim,† he recalled, referring to Portland's archdemoness. â€Å"But I told Jerome I'd help.† â€Å"Wouldn't Jerome want to do it himself?† â€Å"Do you refuse backup when it's offered?† he asked me, answering my question with a question which, really, was no answer at all. Thinking about it, he laughed softly. â€Å"Of course, I forget, Georgina rushes in where angels fear to tread.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, I know how that quote really goes.† I stood up and stretched. â€Å"Well, if the excitement's over, I think I'll take a bath.† â€Å"Wow. The harsh lifestyle of a succubus. I wish I had your job.† â€Å"Hey, our side's always recruiting. You might need to be a little prettier to be an incubus, though. And a little more charming.† â€Å"Untrue. Mortal women go for jerks. I see it all the time.† â€Å"Touche.† I left him and took my bath, afterward finally giving up my pajamas for jeans and a T-shirt. I returned to the living room, turned on the television, and found The African-Queen just starting. Carter closed the laptop and watched with me. I'd always liked Katharine Hepburn but couldn't help marvel at what a dull day this was turning out to be. Avoiding going outside wouldn't do me any good in the long term since I'd have to drag Carter around with me tomorrow anyway when I went to work. My self-imposed enclosure today only prolonged the inevitable. In light of this, I considered breaking the cabin fever by seeing if he wanted to go to dinner after the movie. He shot up before I could speak, once more sensing a nephilim signature. â€Å"Twice in one day?† â€Å"It happens.† â€Å"Where now?† â€Å"Lynn wood.† â€Å"This guy gets around.† But I was speaking to empty air; Carter had disappeared. Sighing, I turned back to the movie, feeling a little more at ease after the angel's last explanation. The nephilim was in Lynnwood, trying to be a nuisance to Jerome and Carter. Commuting time was rapidly approaching, and Lynnwood was no small jump away. No nephilim would beat the angel back. As Carter had pointed out, I was safe for the time being. I had no need to panic. Yet, I nearly jumped out of my skin anyway when I heard the phone ring a few minutes later. Nervously, I picked up the receiver, imagining a nephilim blasting out of it. â€Å"Hello?† â€Å"Hey. It's me again.† â€Å"Seth. Hi.† â€Å"Hope I'm not bothering you. I just wanted to see how you are†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Better,† I told him sincerely. â€Å"I liked your e-mail.† â€Å"Did you? Cool.† Our normal silence fell. â€Å"So†¦ did you get a lot of writing done today?† â€Å"I did actually. About ten pages. That never sounds like a lot, but – â€Å" A knock sounded at the door, and a chill ran down my spine. â€Å"Can-can you hang on?† â€Å"Sure.† Hesitantly, I prowled toward the door like a cat burglar, as though slow and drawn-out movements would actually do something against an insanely powerful supernatural being. Reaching the door, I carefully peered out the peephole. Roman. Exhaling with relief, I opened the door, resisting the urge to throw my arms around him. â€Å"Hi.† â€Å"Are you talking to me?† asked Seth through the phone. â€Å"Hi,† Roman told me, looking just as uncertain as I felt. â€Å"Can†¦ I come in?† † Er, no I'm not, I mean, yes you can, and yes I am talking to you now.† I stepped aside so Roman could enter. â€Å"Look Seth, can I, um, call you back? Or maybe†¦ I'll just see you tomorrow, okay?† â€Å"Uh, yeah. I guess. Everything okay?† â€Å"It's fine. Thanks for calling.† We hung up, and I gave Roman my full attention. â€Å"Seth Mortensen, famous author?† â€Å"I've been sick today,† I explained, using the same excuse I'd given Seth. â€Å"He just wanted to check on me.† â€Å"Terribly considerate of him.† Roman put his hands in his pockets and paced. â€Å"We're just friends.† â€Å"Of course you are. Because you don't date, right?† â€Å"Roman – † I cut off the onslaught that wanted to rush out, switching to safer territory. â€Å"Can I get you anything? Soda? Coffee?† â€Å"I can't stay. I was passing through and got your message. I just thought I'd†¦ I don't know what I was thinking. It was stupid.† He turned as if to leave, and I frantically reached out, grabbing his arm. â€Å"Wait. Don't. Please.† He turned to face me, looking down from his lofty height, the normally good-humored face grave today. Fighting my natural reaction at such proximity, I felt surprised when his expression softened, and he noted, mildly astonished, â€Å"You really aren't feeling well.† â€Å"W-what makes you say that?† I had shape-shifted my bruises away as Jerome had suggested and whatever smarting pain I felt was no longer visible. Gingerly, he reached out and stroked my cheek, fingers becoming bolder. â€Å"I don't know†¦ you're just†¦ kind of pale, I guess.† I started to point out I wasn't wearing makeup and then realized I wanted to appear sick. â€Å"Probably a cold.† He let his hand drop. â€Å"Is there anything I can do for you? I don't like†¦ seeing you like this†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lord, how bad did I look? â€Å"I'm fine. I just need rest. Look, about the other night – â€Å" â€Å"I'm sorry,† he interrupted. â€Å"I shouldn't have pushed you – â€Å" I stared, amazed. â€Å"You didn't do anything. It was me. I was the nutjob. I'm the one who couldn't handle things.† â€Å"No, it was my fault. I knew how you felt about getting serious, and I still kissed you.† â€Å"I did as much kissing as you. That wasn't the problem. Me freaking out was the problem. I was drunk and stupid. I shouldn't have done that to you.† â€Å"It's no problem. Really. I'm just glad you're okay.† A faint smile glimmered on his handsome features, and I remembered Seth saying I was easy to forgive. â€Å"Look, since we both feel we're at fault, maybe we can make it up to each other. Go out sometime this week and – â€Å" â€Å"No.† The calm certainty in my voice startled both of us. â€Å"Georgina – â€Å" â€Å"No. Roman, we aren't going out anymore†¦ and I don't think we can really pull off friends either.† I swallowed. â€Å"It'd be better if we just make a clean break – â€Å" â€Å"Georgina,† he exclaimed, eyes widening. â€Å"You can't be serious. You and I – â€Å" â€Å"I know. I know. But I can't do this. Not now.† â€Å"You're breaking up with me.† â€Å"Well, we weren't ever really going out†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What happened to you?† he demanded. â€Å"What happened to you at some point in your life that made you so terrified of getting close to another person? What makes you run like this? Who hurt you?† â€Å"Look, it's complicated. And it doesn't matter. That past is gone, remember? I just can't do this with you now, okay?† â€Å"Is there someone else? Doug? Or Seth?† â€Å"No! There's no one. I just can't be with you.† We went around and around, rephrasing the same points in different ways, our emotions growing and growing. It felt like forever, but really only a few minutes passed as he pressed and I refused. He never turned angry or pushy, but his dismay was clearly apparent, and I felt certain I'd cry as soon as he left. Finally, glancing at the time, he ran a hand ruefully through his dark hair, turquoise eyes luminous with regret. â€Å"I have to go. I want to talk to you more – â€Å" â€Å"No. I don't think we should. It's better. I've really liked being with you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He laughed harshly, walking toward the door. â€Å"Don't say that. Don't sugar coat things.† â€Å"Roman†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I felt horrible. Anger and grief were written all over his face. â€Å"Please understand – â€Å" â€Å"See you around, Georgina. Or maybe not.† He had barely slammed the door when tears spilled down my cheeks. Going to my bedroom, I lay down on my bed, ready for a good cry that never came. No more tears issued forth, in spite of my mixed feelings of despair and relief. Part of me wanted to call Roman back right now, make him return to me; the other part coolly warned I now had clear reason to cut Seth off as soon as possible before things escalated. Good Lord, why did it seem I was always hurting people I cared about? What was it about me that made me repeat this cycle over and over? Roman's devastated face still hovered in my mind, but I took comfort in the fact that he hadn't been traumatized as much as Kyriakos. Not nearly as much. The discovery of my affair with Ariston had led to condemnation from both our families and an impending divorce coupled with the loss of my dowry. I think I might have been able to handle that scorn, even the hateful looks. What I could not handle was the way Kyriakos had been stripped of all life and caring. I almost wished he would turn angry and lash out at me, but there was nothing like that within him. Nothing at all. I had destroyed him. After several days of separation, I found him sitting on one of the rocky outcroppings overlooking the water. I tried to engage him in conversation a number of times, but he wasn't responding to any of it. He would only stare out at that expanse of blue, face dead and expressionless. I stood by him, my own emotions writhing inside me. I had reveled in being a forbidden object of desire with Ariston, but I also wanted to be one of love with Kyriakos. I couldn't have it both ways apparently. I reached out to wipe the tears from his cheeks, and he slapped my hand away. It was the closest he had ever come to hitting me. â€Å"Don't,† he warned, leaping up. â€Å"Don't ever touch me again. You sicken me.† I felt my own tears now, even if his anger meant he was still alive. â€Å"Please†¦ it was a mistake. I don't know what happened.† He laughed hollowly, a terrible, mirthless sound. â€Å"Don't you? You seemed to know perfectly well at the time. So did he.† â€Å"It was a mistake.† He turned his back to me and walked over to the edge of the cliff, staring out at the sea. He spread his arms out and tipped his head back, letting the wind blow over him. Gulls cried nearby. † Wh-what are you doing?† â€Å"I am flying,† he told me. â€Å"If I keep flying†¦ right over this edge, I will be happy again. Or better yet, I won't feel anything at all. I won't think about you anymore. I won't think about your face or your eyes or the way you smile or the way you smell. I won't love you anymore. I won't hurt anymore.† I approached him, half-afraid my presence would make him go over. â€Å"Stop it. You're scaring me. You don't mean any of this.† â€Å"Don't I?† He looked at me, and there was no more anger or cynicism. Only grief. Sorrow. Despair. Depression blacker than a moonless night. It was terrible and frightening. I wanted him to snap at me again, to yell at me. I would have even let him hit me, if only to see some sort of heat in him. There was none of that, though. Only darkness. He gave me a sad, bleak smile. The smile of one already dead. â€Å"I will never forgive you.† â€Å"Please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You were my life, Letha†¦ but no more. No more. I have no life now.† He walked away, and even as my heart broke, I exhaled in relief to see him moving away from the cliff. I wanted to run after him but gave him his space instead. Sitting down in his spot, I drew my knees up and buried my face in them, half wishing I was dead. â€Å"He'll come back here, you know,† a voice suddenly said behind me. â€Å"The pull is too strong. And next time, he may go over.† I jerked my head up, startled. I hadn't heard anyone approach. I didn't recognize the man who now stood there, odd in a town where everyone knew everyone else. He was slim and well-groomed, dressed in clothes more elegant than I usually saw around here. â€Å"Who are you?† â€Å"They call me Niphon,† he said with a small bow. â€Å"And you are Letha, Marthanes ‘ daughter, formerly wife of Kyriakos.† â€Å"I still am his wife.† â€Å"But not for long.† I turned my face away. â€Å"What do you want?† â€Å"I want to help you, Letha. I'd like to help you with this mess you've gotten yourself into.† â€Å"No one can help me. Not unless you can undo the past.† â€Å"No. No one can undo the past. I can make people forget it, though.† I slowly turned back to him, assessing his bright eyes and dapper manner. â€Å"Stop joking. I'm not in the mood.† â€Å"I assure you, I am most earnest.† Staring at him, I suddenly somehow knew he was telling the truth, as impossible as it was to believe. Later I would learn that Niphon was an imp, but at the time, I had only sensed that he had a strange air about him, the whispering of power that promised he really could do what he said. â€Å"How?† His eyes gleamed, not unlike Hugh's when he was on the edge of a major deal. â€Å"To erase the memory of what you've done is no small feat. It carries a price.† â€Å"Can you make me forget too?† â€Å"No. But I can make everyone else forget. Your family, your friends, the town. Him.† â€Å"I don't know†¦ I don't think I could go back to them then. Even if they didn't remember, I still would. I couldn't face Kyriakos like that. Unless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated, wondering if it might not be better never to come in contact with them again. â€Å"Can you make them forget me altogether? Make it like I've never been born?† Niphondrew a sharp, excited breath. â€Å"Yes, oh yes. But a favor like that†¦ a favor like that carries an even higher price†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He'd explained it to me then, what I'd have to give in return to completely blot me from the minds of those I'd known. My soul was a given. I'd carry it as long as I walked the earth, but it would have a lease on it, so to speak. That was the standard price for any hellish deal. But hell wanted more of me: my eternal service in the corruption of souls. I would spend the rest of my days seducing men, fulfilling their fantasies for my own gain and for those whom I served. It was an ironic fate, considering what had brought me to this point. To aid me, I'd gain the ability to take any form I chose, as well as the power to enhance my own charm. And of course, I'd have eternal life. Immortality and invulnerability. For some, that might have been benefit alone. â€Å"You'd be good. One of the best. I can sense it within you.† Imps had the ability to look into a person's soul and nature. â€Å"Most people think desire is only in the body, but it's here too.† He touched my forehead. â€Å"And you would never die. You would stay young and beautiful forever, until the earth perishes.† â€Å"And after that?† He smiled. â€Å"That's a long way off, Letha, whereas your husband's life is at stake now.† That had been what sold me. The knowledge that I could save Kyriakos and give him a new life, a life free of me where he would have a chance to be happy once more. A life where I could slink away from my disgrace and maybe even be rightfully punished. My soul – which I barely understood anyway – seemed a small price. I'd agreed to the bargain, first shaking on it, then putting my mark on paperwork I couldn't read. Niphon left me, and I returned to town. It was eerily simple. When I returned, it was exactly as he had promised. The wish had already been carried out. No one knew me. Passing people – people I'd known my entire life – gave me the glances reserved for strangers. My own sisters walked by me without recognition. I wanted to find Kyriakos, to see if it was the same for him, but I couldn't muster the courage. I didn't want him to see my face, not ever again, even if he didn't recognize it. So I spent the day wandering, trying to accept the fact that I was gone to these people. It was harder than I thought it would be. And sadder. When nightfall came, I retreated again to the outskirts of town. I had nowhere to stay, after all. No family or friends. Instead, I sat in the dark, watching the moon and stars, wondering what I was supposed to do now. The answer came quickly. She rose almost from the ground, at first appearing as nothing more than a shadow, then gradually coalescing into the shape of a woman. The air vibrated with power around her, and suddenly I felt suffocated. I backed up, terror filling every part of me, my lungs unable to take in air. Wind rose from nowhere, whipping my hair and flattening the grass around me. Then, she stood before me, and the night was still again. Lilith. Queen of the Succubi. Lady of the Night. The First Woman. Fear like I had never known swept over me – and lust. I had never been attracted to a woman before, but Lilith has that effect on everyone. It is fixed in her being. No one can resist her. She wore a tall, slim shape that night, willowy and lovely. Her skin was the pale white of the aristocracy of that time – a white never achieved by those of us who worked outside regularly. Her hair was a raven's wing of black, falling in gleaming waves to her ankles. And her eyes†¦ well, let me just say there's a reason the old myths call succubi â€Å"flame-eyed.† Her eyes were beautiful and deadly, promising anything you could ever want or desire if only you would let her help you. I still can't remember what color they were, but I could not look away from them that night. â€Å"Letha,† she crooned, approaching me. The air shimmered around her, and I actually trembled now from my desire. I wanted to run but instead sank to my knees, both from respect and the inability to stand. She came to me and tipped my chin so that I had to look in those eyes again. Sharp, black nails dug painfully into my skin, and it felt wonderful. â€Å"You will be my own daughter now, spreading discord and passion for the rest of your days. You will be both punisher and tester, a creature of both dreams and nightmares. Mortals will do anything for you, just for a touch. You will be loved and desired until the earth is dust.† I whimpered at her proximity, and then she moved closer still, lifting me up so I stood before her. Those glorious lips came to mine, and that kiss shot orgasmic pleasure through my body. My cries were lost, smothered in that kiss. I closed my eyes, unable to look at her and unable to break away. I soaked into that ecstasy pulsing over and over in my body. And yet, as I let that bliss consume me, something else happened too. My mortality was being stripped away. It felt like disintegrating, like I had become ashes in the wind. I wondered if that was how death felt. Like you were nothing. Gone. Then, just as quickly, I was put back together, myself once more. But I could feel the power burning through me now, different from the life that filled humans. My immortality shone like a star in the night, cold and pure. No longer would old age threaten. No longer would sickness haunt me. No longer would my flesh be passionately driven by the knowledge that time was short, that I had to leave my mark on the world. That I had to pass on my blood. I opened my eyes, and the onslaught of pleasure disappeared. So did Lilith. I stood alone in the darkness, quivering with my newfound power. And with that power, I could feel something more: an itch in my flesh. An itch that told me my skin could become anything I wanted it to be with only a thought. I was reborn. I was empowered. And I was hungry†¦ â€Å"What's wrong?† Blinking back tears, I looked up at Carter. He stood in the doorway to my bedroom, pushing a lock of hair out of his eyes, face concerned. â€Å"Nothing,† I muttered, burying my face in my pillow. â€Å"No nephilim ?† â€Å"No nephilim.† An awkward pause followed. â€Å"Look†¦ are you sure you're okay? Because you don't look okay.† â€Å"I'm fine. Didn't you hear me?† He still wouldn't give up, though. â€Å"I know we're not that close, but if you need to talk – â€Å" â€Å"Like you'd understand,† I scoffed, venom in my voice. â€Å"You've never had a heart. You don't know what it's like, so don't even pretend like you do.† â€Å"Georgina.† â€Å"Go. Away. Please.† I turned back toward my pillow, waiting for another protest, but none came. When I dared a peek, the angel was gone.

Pre Natal Diognostic Techniques Health And Social Care Essay

The Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques ( Regulation and Prevention of Misuse ) Act, 1994, was enacted and brought into operation from 1st January, 1996, in order to look into female foeticide in India. Rules have besides been framed under the Act. The Act prohibits finding and revelation of the sex of fetus i.e. antenatal sex understanding by misapplying different pre-natal diagnostic techniques and processs. It besides prohibits any advertizements associating to pre-natal finding of sex and prescribes penalty for its dispute. Any individual who contravenes the commissariats of this Act is punishable with imprisonment and mulct. Recently, PNDT Act[ 1 ]and Rules[ 2 ]have been amended maintaining in position the emerging engineerings and new pre-natal diagnostic techniques for choice of sex before and after construct and jobs faced in the working of execution of the ACT and certain waies of Hon'ble Supreme Court after a PIL was filed in May, 2000 by CEHAT and Ors, an NGO on slow execution of the Act. These amendments have come into operation with consequence from 14th February, 2003PRE-NATAL DIOGNOSTIC TECHNIQUES AND PROCEDURESPrenatal diagnostic proving involves proving the fetus before the birth ( prenatally ) inorder to find as to whether the fetus has certain abnormalcies, including certain familial or self-generated familial upsets. Some of these trials, such as echography and certain blood trials, are frequently portion of everyday prenatal attention. Ultrasonography and blood trials are safe and sometimes assist find whether more invasive antenatal familial trials ( such as chorionic villus sampling, am niocentesis, and transdermal umbilical blood sampling ) are needed. Prenatal diagnosing enables early diagnosing of inborn anomalousnesss and familial upsets in the underdeveloped embryo. The population hazard of holding a kid with some inborn abnormalcy, whether genetically and/or environmentally determined, varies between 3 and 5 % . In households at hazard of a familial upset the chance of holding an affected kid can transcend several fold the population hazard, hence in these households prenatal diagnostic processs should be purely applied.[ 3 ] Advanced conceive ofing techniques every bit good as cytogenetic and molecular biological science methods provide the agencies to name prenatally legion inborn structural deformities and familial upsets in high- hazard households. Early diagnosing in utero can turn out indispensable to direction of the gestation, antenatal and postpartum medical attention, and intervention. It is besides important to doing informed determinations about go oning or ending the gestation. Familial guidance in association with modern antenatal diagnostic processs constitutes a basic component of bar of inborn anomalousnesss and familial upsets. The procedure of antenatal guidance and diagnosing is committed chiefly to reassigning information which aims to assist the parents: – 1. To understand and admit the indicants for antenatal diagnosing, 2. To understand the medical facets of doing the diagnosing of a familial disease or a inborn abnormalcy ( by qualifying the upset, form of heritage, the hazard of holding an affected kid in consecutive coevalss ) , 3. To do informed picks about the adequate for a given pathology and acceptable diagnostic strategy ( by depicting the possible diagnostic methods and processs, their benefits, restrictions and hazards ) . Harmonizing to World Health Organisation ( WHO ) and European Commission ‘s recommendations, antenatal diagnosing should be voluntary and performed merely in order to get cognition about fetal wellness position ( as described by medical indicants ) . Feasibility of antenatal diagnosing should be equal, just, and available to anyone, irrespective of the twosome ‘s or medical practician ‘s attitude towards expiration of gestation. In instance of having an unnatural consequence, the determination about expiration of the gestation should be made independently by the adult female or the twosome. Peoples doing such determinations should non be discriminated against, whatever determination they have made: either ending the gestation or giving birth to a disabled kid. Methods of antenatal diagnosing can be divided into: – ( a ) Non-Invasive ; and ( B ) Invasive techniques.NON-INVASIVE PROCEDURESNon-Invasive techniques are used for naming inborn anomalousnesss and hazard appraisal of given familial upsets ( testing ) aˆ? Ultrasound: Routine obstetric ultrasound scan: – Everyday obstetric ultrasound scanning performed by the obstetrician pull offing the gestation. Standards for normal gestations provide for four scans carried out at: 11-14 hebdomads, 21-26 hebdomads, 27-32 hebdomads, and 40 hebdomad of gestation. High-resolution ultrasound scan and Doppler surveies: – Performed in any gestation with an increased hazard of fetal structural abnormalcies, isolated or portion of a familial syndrome. Womans are referred for high-resolution ultrasound to specialist Centres pull offing bad gestations. In recent old ages 3-dimensional ultrasound ( 3D ) and 4-dimensional ultrasound ( 4D ) have started to play an increasing function in antenatal diagnosing. They can be applied in measuring facial characteristics, cardinal nervous system abnormalcies and skeletal defects. Fetal bosom echocardiography: – Performed at 18-23 hebdomads of gestation in the presence of an increased hazard of bosom defect ( for illustration: bosom defect in a parent or sibling, unnatural modus operandi ultrasound ) aˆ? Magnetic resonance imagination ( MRI ) MRI is used in combination with ultrasound, normally at or after 18 hebdomads ‘ gestation. MRI provides a tool for scrutiny of fetuss with big or complex anomalousnesss, and visual image of the abnormalcy in relation to the full organic structure of the fetus. Apparently MRI is a riskless method. aˆ? Maternal serum biochemistry provingINVASIVE PROCEDURESInvasive processs involve direct scrutiny of fetal cells or tissues. Classical cytogenetic, molecular and biochemical methods ( performed on artless or civilized cells ) are the most often used in antenatal invasive diagnosing. The processs should take topographic point in specializer Centres that manage bad gestations. When sing invasive methods all indicants and standards need to be carefully evaluated as there is a considerable hazard to the gestation[ 4 ]. Invasive techniques include: aˆ? Chorionic villus sampling ( trophoblast cells analysis ) aˆ? Amniocentesis ( amnionic fluid cells analysis ) aˆ? Cordocentesis ( Percutaneous Umbilical Blood Sampling ) As per The Pre-conception and Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques ( Prohibition of Sex Selection ) Act, 1994, pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques includes[ 5 ]: – Ultra-sonography Fetoscopy Taking samples of amnionic fluid, embryo, blood or any tissue or fluid of pregnant adult females before or after construct, Testing samples in Genetic Laboratory to observe familial upsets, abnormalcies or sex-linked diseases Out of the above stated antenatal techniques, the most normally used sex-determination trial is ammnicentesis. It was used as an assistance to observe any abnormalcy in the unborn kid. But over the old ages it has been used to find the sex of the fetus. In India since 1978 the trial is being used as a sex finding or sex preselection trial. Since so the trial has become highly popular and has led to a mushrooming of private clinics which perform the trial all over the state. Earlier physicians employed the controversial amniocentesis trial done between 14-18 hebdomads to find the sex of the foetus.The ultrasound technique has besides been improved. The sex of a fetus can be determined by more sophisticated machines within 13-14 hebdomads of gestation by trans-vaginal echography and by 14 to 16 hebdomads through abdominal ultrasound. These methods have rendered sex finding cheap and easy. Some sophisticated method like Erison method which separates the Ten and Y Chromos from the sperm and so Injects back merely Y chromos into the uterus to guarantee a male child have besides been developed. And they cost around Rupees 15,000 to 25,000.[ 6 ]THE PROBLEM OF FOETICIDE IN INDIAThe Women who constitute half of the human population have been discriminated, harassed and exploited irrespective of the state to which they belong, forgetful of the faith which they profess and unmindful of the timeframe in which they live.[ 7 ]Everywhere adult females are confronted with many challenges. Female foeticide is possibly one of the worst signifiers of force against adult females where a adult female is denied her most basic and cardinal right i.e â€Å" the right to life † . The phenomenon of female foeticide in India is non new, where female embryos or fetuss are selectively eliminated after pre-natal sex finding, therefore extinguishing miss kid even before they are born. As a consequence of selective abortion, between 35 and 40 million misss and adult females are losing from the Indian population. In some parts of the state, the sex ratio of misss to boys has dropped to less than 800:1000. The United Nations has expressed serious concern about the state of affairs. The long standing tradition of boy penchant, coupled with medical engineering now gives to the position witting Indian households, the pick between payment of big doweries for their girls or riddance of girls. The traditional method of acquiring rid of the unwanted miss kid was female infanticide, where the female babe was done off with after birth in assorted ways – either by poisoning the babe or allowing her choking coil on chaff or merely by oppressing her skull under a charpoy. With the promotion of medical engineering sophisticated techniques can now be used or instead misused, to acquire rid of her before birth. Through ultrasound scans and amniocentesis, the sex of the fetus can be determined during the gestation of the adult female and so the fetus is aborted if found to be female.[ 8 ] In Indian society, female foeticide has emerged as a firing societal job during the last few old ages. The miss kid in India is treated right from her birth as an extra load, an excess oral cavity to feed, a liability and another adult male ‘s belongings. The birth of a boy is regarded as indispensable in Hinduism and many supplications and munificent offerings are made in temples in the hope of holding a male kid. Modern medical engineering is used in the service of this faith driven devaluating of adult females and misss. Woman is created at par with adult male in all facets. â€Å" Womans have equal rights with work forces upon Earth ; in faith and society, they are a really of import component. Divine Justice demands that the rights of both sexes should be every bit respected since neither is superior to the other in the eyes of Heaven. † These important statements from the Bahai ‘s authorship are regarded by Bahai ‘s as looks of the Divine Will. To depri ve adult females randomly of their rights and privileges, or to strip them to even being born or killing them in babyhood is both immoral and unfair, a misdemeanor of God ‘s jurisprudence. It has a damaging consequence on the society and the persons who are involved in this pattern are responsible for such Acts of the Apostless.[ 9 ]But does the Indian society accept this world? If so why female foeticide and female infanticide are on the addition? The sex ratio has altered systematically in favor of male childs since the beginning of the twentieth century, and the consequence has been most pronounced in the provinces of Punjab, Haryana and Delhi. It was in these provinces that private fetal sex finding clinics were foremost established and the pattern of selective abortion became popular from the late seventiess. Worryingly, the tendency is far stronger in urban instead than rural countries, and among literate instead than illiterate adult females. No uncertainty, if this pat tern continues it will upset the societal balance and it may take to serious jobs like addition in sexual offenses, sharing of adult females within and outside marriage and greater insecurity to adult females.[ 10 ]Female foeticide and Female Infanticide:Female foeticide is aborting the female babe in the female parent ‘s uterus. Whereas female infanticide is killing a babe miss after she is being born. The pattern of killing the female kid after her birth has been predominating in our society for many old ages. But foeticide is the bequest and part of the advancement made by the medical scientific discipline. Amniocentesis was introduced in 1975 to observe fetal abnormalcies but it shortly began to be used for finding the sex of the babe. Ultrasound scanning, being a non-invasive technique, rapidly gained popularity and is now available in some of the most distant rural countries. Both techniques are now being used for sex finding with the purpose of abortion if the fetus tur ns out to be female. With the coming of denationalization and commercialisation, the usage of pre-natal diagnostic engineerings is turning into a thriving concern in India. This is chiefly for the intent of sex finding selective abortion of the female fetus. The abuse of engineering merely reinforces the secondary position given to girl kids in such a manner that they are culled out even before they are born.[ 11 ] Compared to infanticide, foeticide is likely a more acceptable agencies of disposing off the unwanted miss kids. Infanticide can be an overtly barbarian and cold pattern while foeticide that is carried out by skilled professionals is a medical pattern that uses scientific techniques and accomplishments and reduces the guilt factor associated with the full exercising. The nose count 2001 and the recent intelligence studies informations indicate a inexorable demographic image of worsening female to male ratios. Surprisingly the most affected provinces are progressive provinces like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Gujarat. Harmonizing to UN norms, male-female ratio in the universe is normally 1050 females for 1000 males. But in India, this ratio is dropping down to about 850 per 1000. In Human Development Survey Report besides, India is placed in 124th place among 173 states. It is a fact that our state is much behind compared to other states in regard of instruction, wellness and gender discrimination7. The chief causes of worsening sex ratio in India society is due to female foeticide and female infanticide. Foeticide is a misdemeanor of a right of an unborn kid i.e. right to life. It besides has deduction on the wellness of the female parent. At the wider degree, it affects position of adult females and has serious ecological and demographical branching. It is a grave job that affects the life and wellness of society. And yet the job of female foeticide and female infanticide has received small attending.Pre-Natal Sex Selection and the Law:Parliament has realised the grave deductions originating out of the abuse of the pre- natal diagnostic techniques and hence intended to modulate its usage merely for certain medical intents. The Government has realized that maltreatment of techniques for finding of sex of the fetus taking to female foeticide is prejudiced against the female sex and besides affects the self-respect and position of adult females. With the above aims, the Parliamen t has passed the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques ( Regulation and Prevention of Misuse ) Act 1994 ; which came into force from 01.01.1996. Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques ( Regulation and Prevention of Misuse ) Act,1994: This Act provides for the ordinance of the usage of pre-natal diagnostic techniques for the intent of observing familial or metabolic upsets or chromosomal abnormalcies or certain inborn deformities or sex-linked upsets and for the bar of the abuse of such techniques for the intent of pre-natal sex finding taking to female foeticide. The statute law seeks to accomplish the undermentioned aims. Prohibition of the abuse of pre-natal diagnostic techniques for finding of sex fetus, taking to female foeticide. Prohibition of advertizement of the techniques for sensing or finding of sex. Regulation of the usage of techniques merely for the specific intent of observing familial abnormalcies or upsets. Permission to utilize such techniques merely under certain conditions by the registered establishment. Punishment for misdemeanor of the commissariats of the Act ; and To supply deterrent penalty to halt such cold Acts of the Apostless of female foeticide[ 12 ] The PNDT Act, nevertheless, for all purposes and intents has proved to be a toothless piece of statute law. The job with the Act is twofold: – Interpretation of the Act and Execution of the Act. Despite the purpose and intent of the Act being broad and all encompassing, it has been interpreted by the ultrasonologists, the abortionists, the physicians and more shockingly the authorities likewise, to except pre-conceptual sex choice. A PIL request was filed in the Supreme Court by the Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes ( CEHAT ) , Mahila Sarvangeena Utkarsh Mandal ( MASUM ) and Dr. Sabu M. George pressing effectual execution of the Act. The Supreme Court passed an order on 4th may 2001[ 13 ]which aims at guaranting the execution of the Act, stop uping the assorted loopholes and establishing a broad media run on the issue. The 2nd end of registering the PIL is the amendment of the Act to include pre-and during construct techniques, like X and Y chromosome separation Pre-implantational Genetic Diagnosis ( PGD ) . The order mostly concerns merely the execution of the Act and seting the needed substructure in topographic point. However, the order entrusts the duty of analyzing the necessity to amend the Act to the Central Supervisory Boards, maintaining in head emerging engineerings and the troubles encountered in the execution of the Act and to do recommendations to the Cardinal Government.[ 14 ]The Su preme Court besides observed: – â€Å" It is unfortunate that for one ground or the other, the pattern of female infanticide still prevails despite the fact that soft touch of a girl and her voice has comforting consequence on the parents. One of the grounds may be the matrimony jobs faced by the parents coupled with the dowry demand by the alleged educated and/or rich individuals who are good placed in the society. The traditional system of female infanticide whereby female babe was done off with after birth by poisoning or allowing her choking coil on chaff continues in a different signifier by taking advantage of progress medical techniques. Unfortunately, developed medical scientific discipline is misused to acquire rid of a girl kid before birth † . B ) Pre-Conception And Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques ( Prohibition of sex choice ) Act 2002: Based on the Supreme Court order and the recommendations of the Central Supervisory Board, the Parliament on December 20 passed the Pre- construct and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques ( Prohibition of Sex Selection ) Act 2002. Some of the relevant commissariats of this Act are stated below: The Act provides for the prohibition of sex choice, before or after construct. It regulates the usage of pre-natal diagnostic techniques, like ultrasound and amniocentesis by leting them their usage merely to observe: a ) Genetic abnormalcies B ) Metabolic upsets degree Celsius ) Chromosomal abnormalcies vitamin D ) Certain inborn deformities vitamin E ) Haemoglobinophathies degree Fahrenheit ) Sexual activity linked upsets. No research lab or Centre or clinic will carry on any trial including echography for the intent of finding the sex of the fetus. No individual, including the 1 who is carry oning the process as per the jurisprudence, will pass on the sex of the fetus to the pregnant adult female or her relations by words, marks or any other method. Any individual who puts an advertizement for pre-natal and pre-conception sex finding installations in the signifier of a notice, round, label, wrapper or any papers, or advertises through inside or other media in electronic or print signifier or engages in any seeable representation made by agencies of billboard, wall picture, signal, light, sound, smoke or gas, can be imprisoned for up to three old ages and fined Rs. 10,000. Right to Life of Foetus: Our Constitution provides for the Right to Equality under Article 14 and right to populate with self-respect under Article 21. Sexual activity – sensing trials violate both these rights. Right to life is a well- established right and is recognized by assorted international instruments. Now the inquiry is, Does a fetus enjoy this right? We do non hold a definite reply. Globally, Constitutions recognize the holiness of life, yet have failed to adequately protect the life of fetus. Judicial dictums are besides non conclusive and vary in different legal powers. In India the right to life is guaranteed to every individual under the Constitution of India. The construct of personhood complicates the place of legal position of fetus. Often tribunals shy from replying this inquiry due to complex issues that arise in finding this inquiry – like when does foetus attains personhood? This inquiry is perplexing the tribunals worldwide. There is a despairing demand for the tribunals t o come clear on this critical issue and acknowledge the rights of the fetus.[ 15 ] In India, Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees the life and autonomy of every individual.[ 16 ]But it is dubious if this would include the life of fetus as the significance is restricted by the usage of the word individual. The Indian Constitution has recognized the right to life under Article 21 as besides recognized in several cases.But this is barely available to the unwanted miss kid. Hence the right of the miss kid may be construed in broader footings and should be inferred as: – Right to be born and non to be aborted merely because she is a miss. Right to stay alive after birth and non to be killed at any minute after birth. Right of the miss kid to her head her organic structure, right to childhood and compensate to a healthy household environment.[ 17 ] However there are a figure of legislative acts that indirectly provide protection to the life of fetus. The Indian penal codification under assorted commissariats makes doing miscarriage an offense.[ 18 ].DecisionPeoples both in rural every bit good as in urban countries have to be made cognizant about the demand of a female kid in the societal surroundings as that of a boy. A progressive statute law entirely can non work out societal jobs. The people must be cognizant of the progressive statute law which has certain deterrent facts. Many adult females are compelled to undergo trials and seek abortion on acceptable every bit good as unacceptable evidences under irresistible impulse. A new spirit has to be imbibed propagating that a female kid is non a expletive. It is non a liability. It is non a drain on the economic system. It is non an instrument through which dowery has to be given. A feeling has to be nurtured that she is the girl, she is the female parent and she is the life sp ouse.[ 19 ] Foeticide can non be controlled unless the equation alterations and households begin to value their girls more than they do at nowadays. It does non take much to kill an infant girl even without the assistance of engineering, if she is unwanted. Among all the factors, which need attending, instruction is the most of import. In parts of South Asia where instruction and employment chances for adult females are comparatively high, the female to male ratio is comparable to that the developed states. For case in Sri Lanka the sex ratio is 102 adult females per 100 work forces and in Indian province of Kerala 104 adult females per 100 work forces. This reflects towards the deep frozen manifold, short and long-run effects of instruction on the outlook and life form of people. If we want to halt the female foeticide or disregard of adult females, we have to halt looking for speedy holes and alternatively face the job forthrightly. There is no manner to guarantee the healthy endurance of babe misss unless households find them deserving fostering. That is so a complex undertaking, which allows for no easy short-run solutions. Militants ‘ intercession has non led to controling sex finding trials. The existent challenge before us is to calculate out ways in which a realisation of the value of girls can be enhanced in the eyes of their ain households. All those who have a interest in it apart from the authorities governments, like adult females ‘s group, wellness groups, non-governmental organisations, the academe, the media and most significantly the medical professionals have to play their portion to see that the commissariats are implemented and the commissariats are strengthened by amendments of the act. Unless societal action is supplemented wi th prompt execution of the commissariats and the ordinances under the jurisprudence meant to halt female foeticide, such patterns will go on to boom. To guarantee smilings on the faces of our young person, both male childs and misss, allow us escalate joint attempts to root out unhealthy societal elements, ‘Now ‘ since future depends upon what we do in the present. Dayss are non so far, when there may be outgrowth of the state of affairs where brides will non be available for the matrimony of the boies to keep line of descent and go on the human race of even those people who believe on long standing tradition of boy penchant, that â€Å" lone boies can offer Pyre Pindadana, Mukhagni, among others and non the girls † . Therefore it is felt that the mentalities of the people should be changed right from now towards the importance of the miss kid in the household. There is an pressing demand to change the demographic composing of India ‘s population and to undertake this barbarous signifier of force against adult females. The passage of any jurisprudence is non sufficient, Torahs must be adhered to and applied strictly, before any alteration in the position of adult females can take topographic point. Inspite of the Pre-natal Diagnostic Techniques ( Prohibition of Sex Selection ) Act umteen incidences of female foeticide are taking topographic point in India. There is still extreme contention as to who will function as the watchdog to command the abuse of the pattern of female foeticide. Promoting gender balanced society involves aiming behavioral alterations in society which in bend involves a long term community based intercession, consciousness programmes, programmes to advance girl kids ‘s right, turn toing myths related to sons/ girls and concerted attempts to alter the mentality of people. Sensitization of medical practicians , implementing a system of moralss in the medical profession and monitoring of medical services available to people is an pressing demand. It is so clip to stimulate attempts to set genders equality at the top of development docket and contribute in whatever manner we can to give chances to girl kids to blossom and reflect. Apart from the above, a feeling has to be inculcated in the heads of the people that she is the girl, she is the sister, she is the female parent and she is the life spouse of a adult male.

Allpied Behavioral Analysis

According to what we have so far is that his parents are divorcing this alone can be the cause of the problem and his actions are channeled through his disruptive behavior. It is possible that Cameron has lost the ability to process information due to the nature of the stress he is expose, lack of sleep greatly reduces mental capabilities because of the lack of integration of memories. When the brain and body re not restored from the day before stress hormones like cortical are deposit in the central nervous and limbic system causing a negative reaction and can affect our memory (Seabrook, 2012). Stress is a psychological response resulting from a physical or psychological treat.Children that are exposed to several day of stressful situation (like in the case of Cameron) frequently have poor self-esteem, poor frustration tolerance, depressed mood and temper outburst. However, individual responses differ according to an array of factors, and most relate to the development of effective opining skills, resiliency, experience with stresses, and susceptibility to strong messages (Seabrook, 2012), which in Cameraman's case is what perceive in his family what triggers or active the stress response. 3) How might his intelligence be affected by his attention problems? What problems might he have in using his intelligence to adapt to school situations?In Cameron case his intelligence may not be affected however, his working memory that is the basic component of intelligence is the one being affected. Working memory is also the influences to perform on test and in schools assignments. Not only do changes in the brain directly affect psychological functions, but the training of psychological functions may produce changes in the brain as well (Matthias & Alcohol, 2010). In another word Cameron problem may lead to other concern that have nothing to do with intelligence, however, his difficulty to adapt to he school situation may lead him to peer rejection and resulting feeli ngs of depression or anxiety.Finally other risk factors such as drug and alcohol abuse, and social-cognitive deficits may be expected by his continuous behavior. 4)Propose some specific strategies/activities that you might use to help him to increase his ability to direct his attention. There are a wide range of approaches but the earlier the intervention the better changes for success in treating Cameron will have. One of the suggestions will be through parenting skill and education. However, they are getting onto a divorce so they will need help for themselves, so I will concentrate my efforts to make Cameron more susceptible to a treatment he will successfully achieve.A cognitive behavioral therapy may assist the Cameron to manage his impulsive behavior, focusing in encouraging and rewarding appropriate behavior. Social skill training to increase flexibility and improve social skills and therapy to assist with problem solving and decrease negativism. There are also few medication that may be helpful control his emotion and sudden outburst of anger but I would left that out for owe and concentrate in getting him the ability to concentrate in doing better at school by reinforcing his working memory and meta-cognition. In conclusion, many authorities have indicate that oppositional defiant disorder is more prevalent when structure in the home is out of balance, when there is either too much structure or not enough.

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International aviation law - Coursework Example Aeronautics Act enacted in June 1938 created the Civil Aeronautics Authority (with mandate over the economic and passenger matters), the Air Safety Board (has power to investigate accidents) and the Administrator of Civil Aviation (concerned with the infrastructure construction and airway system maintenance. 1 The Civil Aeronautics Authority was reorganized and renamed Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), and absorbed the functions of the Air Safety Board which was abolished. CAB enforced a rigid system that restricts growth and mergers. Thus, the Airline Deregulation Act was enacted in 1978 that would allow â€Å"maximum reliance on competitive market forces†. 2 The Act stripped the CAB regulatory powers in 1984 but government regulation of the industry is still performed through the Federal Aviation Administration. The precursor to the Chicago Convention is the 1919 Paris Convention, otherwise known as the Convention Relating to the Regulation of Aerial Navigation. 3 This Convention, signed by the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Poland and other countries, allowed innocent passage of aircraft in other territories during peace time, required the registration of aircrafts in a state and grants aircrafts a nationality, and prohibited explosives and firearms inside the aircraft. 4 The Convention established the International Commission for Air Navigation to settle international disputes. 5 The signatories and other countries (which were not signatories) revised their local laws according to the provisions of the 1919 Convention. 6 The first to enact a law was England with the passage of the Air Navigation Act 1920 that declares â€Å"full and absolute sovereignty and rightful jurisdiction of his Majesty †¦ over the air.† 7 The United States adopted the same notion of sovereignty to the air above its territory in the Federal Aviation Act of 1958. 8 Under the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, all rule-making power was vested upon the Federal

Marketing mix Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing mix - Essay Example All these suggest that the concept of marketing mix has evolved over time as the 4Ps were initially based on the production and supply context of the 1950s (Kent and Brown 2006). The model now encompasses aspects of sociology and cognitive psychology (Hakansson and Waluszewski 2005 cited in Kent and Brown 2006). Without marketing mix capability other concepts such as customer orientation, competitor orientation and inter-functional coordination would not be able to contribute to better firm performance, suggests Shin (2012) thereby highlighting the significance of MM concept in the field of marketing. However, scholars do not agree on the ingredients of the marketing mix. Some authors such as Borden (1964), Frey (1956), and Staudt and Taylor (1965) consider the elements as procedures, policies and processes, while others look at these elements as tools, parameters or instruments (cited by Waterschoot and Bulte 1992). This concept has been criticized as it lacks any specific explanati on of characteristics, thereby suggesting that the concept has a major flaw. The elements of marketing mix do not lead to any theory development. Gronroos (1989) postulates that the marketing mix artificially limits the scope of marketing management as the concept suggests that marketing decisions can be taken based on the 4 Ps (cited by Bitner 1991). Since many authors are critical of this concept, the marketing mix will be evaluated based on the typology of critique in marketing designed by Hackley (2009). This typology has four overlapping categories – functional, intellectual, ethical and political critique. Functional critique The functional critique would simply question whether the marketing mix concept works. Even though it is considered an important tool, there is no consensus over the eligibility and agreement of the practical application of the 4Ps of the MM variables (Kent and Brown 2006). The MM concept suggests that the buyers are a homogeneous group of people w ith common buying behaviour (Bennett, 1997). Resources and capabilities of the organization are organized in a way to satisfy customer needs but Bennett debates whether the customer accepts product benefits and attributes in the same way as the company claims. The customers are not concerned with the elements of the marketing mix and only seek satisfaction from the products and services. The purpose of MM is to improve sustainability performance across economic, ecological and societal indicators (Pomering, Noble and Johnson 2011). Consumers expect firms to be more socially and environmentally responsible and report that they would prefer to purchase from such organizations. However, there is an attitude-behaviour gap in actual consumer purchase, thereby implying that firms that tend to focus on the MM variables do not achieve the intended objectives. Sustainability through MM elements may appear discordant and hollow unless sustainability is addressed at the vision and mission leve l or at the corporate strategy level. The MM concept focuses on the tactical and managerial aspects of marketing and does not take into account the social, organizational, competitive and economic issues (Bitner 1991). The MM has been criticized for its short-term focus on sales and transactions while undermining the long-term relational thinking and brand equity (Rafiq and Ahmed, 1995 cited in Gordon, 2012). The concept has also been criticized f

Collection proposal of african art object Research Paper - 1

Collection proposal of african art object - Research Paper Example The Marshall Cavendish Corporation states that scientists have found it a mystery to explain the tools that were used to curve the construction stones transport and lift them up during construction. Moreover, the technology that is behind the joinery material for the construction work is yet to be discovered by the modern scientist. The construction of the Egyptian pyramids is a mystery that many generations are yet to uncover. Marshall Cavendish Corporation indicates that many have resorted to using various myths in explaining it, with some suggesting that their existed giants that were responsible for the lifting of construction stones.1 The ancient Egyptians had a strong reverence of the dead; they believed that the human soul and body were very special and important for the existence of humanity as well as in life and death. Mummification and burying of the dead in tombs was widely embraced in the ancient Egypt, this was solely done for assisting the dead find their route to the afterword.2 The ancient Egyptians perfected a tradition of filling the tombs with treasures such of gold, silver and other precious stones, tools, food, and domestic wares. This was aimed at ensuring that the deceased lived a happy life when his or her soul returned to life in the underworld. In other words, the ancient Egyptians believed in life after death, thus the need to prepare for it. The deceased was buried with all necessities for life as a way of guaranteeing the him or her better beginning to the life after death.3 This explains why treasures have been repeatedly discovered in the ancient tombs in Egypt. The pyramids were also used as tombs, mainly for the royal families. Tombs were prepared early; they were not to be constructed upon an individual’s death as it is in the modern days. The after death life was perceived to be very important, thus the need

How conservative was Hogarth's view of London Essay

How conservative was Hogarth's view of London - Essay Example Hogarth’s important works: Hogarth’s paintings portray a view of London streets that is bustling and chaotic, such that a viewer looking at the paintings gets a feeling almost of claustrophobia because they appear to be so packed and close. The angle and view which the artist presents make the view feel as if s/he is walking through crowded streets in London, as opposed to neat and well ordered ones. This feeling of being crowded and congested may be noted especially in his work titled â€Å"Southwark Fair (the humours of a fair) which is dated January 1733. This particular painting is centred around the church of St. George in Southwark. This particular painting may be a follow on of the series of eight paintings which comprised the series known as the â€Å"rake’s progress†. These were first presented by Hogarth as canvases and depicted the life of Tom Rakewell , the son of a rich merchant, who comes to London and spends away all his money on prostituti on and gambling, so that he is finally sent off to prison and on to bedlam. The last painting in the series shows an insane and violent Tom consigned to a mental hospital and the painting titled â€Å"Southwark fair† might represent Tom’s descent into bedlam.. ... As Brennan (2009) has pointed out, one out of every five women in London during that time period were prostitutes. There was a high demand for virgins and the noblemen paid a high price for the privilege of deflowering virgins. Hogarth’s portrayal of these prostitutes in his works, as also further detailed below, points out that monetary considerations took precedence over morality and virtue. Young women could earn much higher sums of money by selling out their bodies to high paying men, as opposed to plying an honest trade and working as maids or in similar professions. Hence, greed was the sole motive for the eschewing of virtue and Hogarth’s portrayal of these prostitutes is such that a fall is inevitably associated with the lives of these harlots, after years of fattening of their wallets through their earnings. Hogarth’s works of art question the existing moral standards in the London of his day. In an exhaustive discussion of black slaves and the moral and social connotations that were associated with the training of the former slaves into docile houseboys, Molineaux has noted that owning a black houseboy had become equivalent to owning a pet or a dog, so that the sight of white ladies with their black slaves had become fairly common in London. In his series of works titled â€Å" A harlot’s progress† that consist of six different plates, Hogarth details the story of a young woman who arrives in London and descends into prostitution. The second print shows the harlot in luxurious surroundings, ensconced in a parlor owned by a rich Jewish merchant, where the harlot is also attended by a monkey and a black slave, thereby signifying in a satirical manner, the so called â€Å"high standing† that this woman has attained by virtue of being the rich Jewish

What's a terpene Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

What's a terpene - Essay Example Terpene is usually built up from an isoprene which is a type of a hydrocarbon that has five carbon atoms which are attached to the eight hydrogen atoms with the formula C5 H8 (Stewart 258). Terpenes usually occur after a biological formation of a combination of two molecules of acetic acid and mevalonic acid (C6 H12 O4) which is converted to isopentenyl pyrophosphate that latter transforms to isopentenyl compound that leads to occurrence of terpenes and terpenoids (which are oxygenated derivatives of the hydrocarbons that make up the terpene). Terpenes that are considered to be the true ones are those that are grouped according to the number of isoprene units in the molecules which usually includes two units of monoterpenes (C10 H16), six units of triterpenes (C30 H48), three units of sesquiterpene (C15 H24), eight units of tetraterpenes (C40 H64) and four units of diterpenes (C20 H32). Terpenes are used to make turpentine (that comes from the name terpene) which has several monoterpenes, resin (consisting of rosin acid and diterpenes), and even steroids (which are made from conversion of triterpene squalene that is usually obtained in the liver oil of sharks). Since terpene (diterpenes, monoterpenes and even sesquterpenes) is a constituent of the essential oils that are in many plants and animals, it is used to make fragrances used in perfumes and even the natural food additives. Other examples of terpene in its different form other than those mentioned above include vitamin A, hops (used to make some brands of beer), contribute to making of insecticides and recent research by biochemists in Norwich, England discovered that terpene through its bioactive cyclic molecule iridoid is a building block to potential anticancer agents (monoterpene indole alkaloids). Since plants that produce terpenes are aromatic, they are used in cooking. Terpenes are also an important ingredient in making of medicine such as marinol, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and

Associate Level Material Essay Example for Free

Associate Level Material Essay Directions: Choose one of the Facts for Consideration sections from Ch. 3 of the text and list the page number for the section you chose. Then, complete the following table. List five threats appropriate to the environment from the section you chose. Rate the risk for each threat from 0 (low) to 10 (high). Then, list five appropriate countermeasures. Once you complete the table, write a brief explanation of the countermeasures for the two threats with the highest risk total, stating how the countermeasure reduces the risk associated with that threat. The inmate escape is very important. If there are extra guards then it will be easy to prevent this from happening, especially since some trips can take up to 48 hours to complete. With all the stopping (two to eight stops on any given trip) and going it would be great to have the countermeasure. When it  comes to inmates taking over the van, I feel as though that is something that can happen even if there are two officers on the van. Inmates are strong and they always have something up their sleeves. So if we were to take the countermeasure and actually have them checked before they get on the van and then handcuffed it makes the ride safer and less threatening.

Factors That Influence the Loyalty of a Hotel Customer

Factors That Influence the Loyalty of a Hotel Customer Kandampully (2000) defines tourism as a unique product as it is composite in nature, an amalgam of the tangible and intangible which includes everything that tourists experience. Tourism is a fast-growing industry, which now had become one of the industries that playing an important role in financial status of a country. The number of the tourist is growing from year to years. According to Inskeep(1996), Tourism is a fast expanding sector, which brings an important contribution to the foreign exchange earnings of some country nowadays. Tourism industry not only related with government, but public and non government sector also playing a rarely important role in it. The figure above shows that the country and the total international tourism receipts for the countries from year 2006 to year 2008. As we can see from the figure, the income of the tourism sector of the country is increasing from time to time. Tourism is particularly adapted to highlight the nature of the upheavals implied by the development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in service activities. With roughly 11 % of the world total employment or Gross Domestic Product (GDP), tourism is often presented as the first worldwide industry. Europe is by far the first tourist continent. This economic strength of tourism, associated to a strong potential of growth, has induced deep competitive processes and significant industrial reorganization. Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) have been changing the global tourism industry rapidly. The implications of the Internet and other growing interactive multimedia platforms for tourism promotion are far reaching and alter the structure of the industry.The tourism does not follow the usual rules of economic theory, or of any other theory; besides, many authors are used to make reference about the indiscipline of tourism (Leiper, 2000, Tribe, 1997, Tremblay, 1 999). Tourism is not just a great industry to work in, but it is also a key for a countrys economy. The tourism industry in the UK is more than 4 % of the UKs Gross Domestic Product, which is worth around  £76 billion. It employs 2.1 million people, or almost 7.5% of the working population and approximately 1 in 5 of all new jobs created will be in tourism industry. So the government for UK had invested a huge budget available for tourism promotion and quality development. Tourism industry not only affects public sector management, but also influences business of private sector and it is an income creation for a company. Tourist can be people from oversea and it can be people from this country as well, but they does not intend to stay permanently. Tourist taking time to visit the places that they dont normally see.Tourism gathers all the activities dedicated to the satisfaction of the needs of the tourists, and borrows to a multitude of other activities. Tourist products are complex and heterogeneous products, combination of elements separated in time and space (Caccomo and Solonandrasana, 2001). Tourist products also often pre-defined packages assembling interrelated products and services (transport, accommodation services, leisure services). Contrary to the traditional good sectors, tourists have to go to the resources where resources are transformed to be delivered to the customers: whatever their intrinsic qualities, the resources acquire an economic value only with the organization of the traveling of the tourists and development of the activity (Spizzichino, 1991). Tourist products and services are often experience goods, the quality or utility are not known ex ante by the consumers; a system of advices and critics is thus necessary to the formalization of choices (Gensollen, 2003). The World Tourism Organization predicts that by 2020 tourist arrivals around the world would increase over 200%. Tourism has become a highly competitive business for tourism destination over the world. Competitive advantage in tourism industry it no longer depends only to what we provide to the customer, but it is now increasingly driven by science, information technology and innovation. The volatility of changes in the external and international environment also influences the performance of other business in tourism industry, such as hotel business, restaurant business and many more. An economic upswing or downturn will have an almost immediate impact on its performance. Tourism industry in Malaysia Service sector had become an important sector in Malaysia where it contributes approximately 50% of the nations real Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Tourism industry had been paying enough attention by the government since the Tourism Development Corporation (TDC) was established in year 1972. The Tourism Development Corporation is build to further expand the tourism through its marketing program and publicity campaigns to both locally and abroad. But the TDC only stand for 20 years and then replaced by Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board with the objective to stimulate and entice the number of visitor and tourist that visit to the country. The growth of total amount world tourism and Malaysia is one of the potential tourism destinations. It had contributed to the changes and focus in the tourism sector in the country. To enhance the tourism industry in Malaysia, the VMY campaign had been introduced. The fist Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) campaign was launch by year 1990 and tourism industry had become Malaysias third major foreign income exchange earner. But theres was some downturn in worldwide travel in year 1991 because of the Gulf War and this had causes the number of tourist had decreased moderately. The second Visit Malaysia Year (VMY) campaign was launch on year 1994. The growth rate remained far behind the first campaign despite of an increase of tourist in Malaysia about 10.7% in year 1994. The overall of the tourism industry in Malaysia showed an upward trend until the happening of the global financial crisis in year 1997. The total amount of the tourism receipts in year 1995 amounting to Ringgit Malaysia (RM) 9.2 billion had surpassed the target for the year 2000 in the National Tourism Plan which in about RM8.36 billion. Therefore, the investment approved for hotel and tourism-related projects has increased from RM8.801 billion to spur the growth of the tourism industry during the Sixth Malaysian Plan period to RM18.2 billion during the Seventh Malaysia Plan period (Economic Planning Unit, 2001). In an effort to succeed the tourism industry, Tourism Malaysia had signed a  £2 million deal with Manchester United in an effort to promote the visit Malaysia Year 2007 in September 2006. Besides that, Tourism Malaysia also signs a deal with Chelsea Football Club to promote the tourism industry in Malaysia and to succeed the VMY plan. Hospitality Industry Hospitality industry is major service sector in world economy and the industry encompasses an extensive variety of service such as food service, tourism and hotels. The hospitality industry can be divided into two parts. One is entertainment part like bar, pub, clubs; another one is accommodation such as resorts, public house, hotels, motels, inn, apartment and motels. Tourism support commercial activities such as travel agents and airline cabin staff are included in hospitality as well. Hotel Industry The early evidence of the existence of hotels and the hospitality industry has been recorded as far back as biblical times when Mary and Joseph arrived in Bethlehem during the census, which is during 4 Before Christ (B.C.) of the Julian calendar, where Joseph went to Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David (Luke 2:1-4). People have start traveled for religion, family, needs, immigration, commerce, education, health, and recreation, since the beginning of time. As a result, hotels and inns had begun catering to the pleasure traveler in an effort to encourage visitors with the influence of the Roman Empire. It was recorded that the first inn located in America was in the year 1607. It leads the way with many other firsts in the hospitality industry (searchandgo.com). The first modern hotel (the Tremont) opened in Boston in year 1809. The first ever publicly held hotel (the City Hotel) was opened in New York in year 1792 and the first business hotel (the Buffalo Stat ler) opened in year 1908. Following that, a surge of hotels flooded America and the rest of the world with prominent names such as Radisson, Marriot and Hilton. According to the precious previous research, hotels, which also mean home away from home for the travelers and tourist, provide four types of service and product which had accommodation, foods, drinks, leisure or entertainment (Wood, 1997; Knowles, 1998). The hospitality industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the worldwide. The hospitality industry began to utilize information technology (IT) more than three decades ago (Berchiolly, 1997; Hensdill, 1998), well before many other industries. Hotels nowadays are much more than just a place to sleep, as many tourists view them as an integral part of a getaway experience. Spiffed-up budget properties, and novelty accommodations, travelers can choose a hotel that is as much a selling point as the destination itself with the recent boom of boutique hotels (Yashroy, 2008). The industry surge with expansions and new entrants in times of economic growth, with the tourism sector is growing as well. The hospitality industry was thus as early as the 1960s and 1970s in adopting operational information systems where a room management application was installed at the New York Hilton in 1963 (Sayles, 1963) and a property management system was installed at the Waikiki Sheraton in 1970. But according to Worcester (1997), he found that the main drawback of hospitality information systems was lack of accurate and timely information caused by the need to rekey information from various reports, instead of having access to integrated information managed in one consolidated database. The statement was support by Hensdill (1998), saying that the experts believe that in terms of IT the hospitality industry is about 2 years behind other industries. To survive in competitive advantage among the hotels, there are some factors that playing a fairly important role in it, such as brand image of the hotel, through the promotions and many more. Brand image plays a very important role in retaining customer loyalty and fulfill customers satisfaction in hotel industry to repurchasing the service again. According to the previous research by Zeithaml and Bitner (1996), image is also considered as a factor that can influence customers perception of the services and goods that been provide and also requires the ability to be communicated effectively and consistently to consumers. As a result, information and useful data such as the importance of maintaining a good image to retain loyal customers and also increase the corporate profit will be provide to hotel organization. As mentioned by Chaudhuri and Holbrook (2001), higher customer loyalty entails a higher market share and an ability to demand relatively higher prices compared to competitors. Consequently, the hotel organization would need to focus on customer loyalty in order for hotel organizations to survive. The statement is similar with the previous research by Aaker (1997) . With reference to Aaker (1997), increased customer loyalty has many advantages such as reduce marketing costs, solicit more customers, and successfully operate trading leverage. Hence, with factors involving Zeithaml et al. (1996), loyalty factors are crucial to an organization as it is the most reliable success indicators. Besides that, a favorable and famous brand image also helps to reduce the uncertainty of the products quality and increase the probability of consumers decision to purchase the product. According to Dick and Basu (1994), loyal customers encourage positive word-of-mouth promotion and challenge their competitors strategies. Thus, in regards to Fornell and Wernerfelt (1998) and Reichheld et al. (1996), increased customer loyalty will result in generating higher corporate profits. Strong brands are important to the hospitality industry. There are several issues in developing a brand, one of them is customers trust. And it has been suggested that service quality has a direct effect on organizations profits since it is positively related with customer retention and customer loyalty (Baker and Crompton, 2000; Zeithaml and Britner, 2000). Product or individuals public perception will be evaluating through market research to stresses the importance of modern public relations. After collect the data and challenges are identified, the process of counting and solution will be presented will be presented in a campaign strategy to met goals. Though techniques may different from campaign to campaign but theres some standard tools used are implemented in forms of press releases, press kits, satellite feeds, pod casts, web casts, wire service distribution of information and internet placement. Besides the technique mention above, other technique which include entertainment product placement (television, events, celebrity), product launches, press conferences, media seminars, producing events, speechwriting, establishing partnerships and more is often required, in which the perception obtain from the public through such means will result in positive views as a goal. Most of the hotels have different facilities for their customer. According to the research by Bauer et. Al (1993), he examined that the tourist from Asian and Non-Asian countries have different demand and differences for the facilities in hotel. Asian travelers appeared to looking for more entertainment facilities, such as karaoke, while for the Non-Asian travelers, they looking for more concern in health facilities, such as gym and swimming pool. And with the references to previous research, facilities are one of the factors that influence the satisfaction of the customer. Research Question Most of the hotel customers decide on which hotel to stay based on the reason below. Many customers repurchase the service after experience it and satisfied with the service they provide. Other factors such as brand image, service quality, public relations perception, service innovation and facilities also should take into consideration before making their decision. Thus, the main research problem of this study is to examine the factors that influence the loyalty of a hotel customer in Malaysia. To accomplish the study purpose, the following questions need to be responded: What are the critical factors that influence the loyalty of the hotel customer in Malaysia? Are there any interaction between the critical factors and hotel customer in Malaysia? How does the critical factor have an affect on the loyalty of hotel customer in Malaysia? Objectives of Study The overall goal or the general objectives of this research is determined and identify the critical factors that influence the loyalty of a hotel customer in Malaysia. The following specific objectives are established to aid accomplishing the goal of this research: To determine the critical factors (brand image, service quality, public relations perception, service innovation and facilities) that influences the loyalty of the hotel customer in Malaysia. To examine interaction between the critical factors (brand image, service quality, public relations perception, service innovation and facilities) and hotel customer in Malaysia To determine the critical factor (brand image, service quality, public relations perception, service innovation and facilities) have an affect on the loyalty of hotel customer in Malaysia. Scope of Study The focus of this study is in hotel industry. This is because the tourism sector had been increase highly and playing an important role in the financial status in a country nowadays. And the number of tourist is increasing from years to years and tourism industry had becoming one of the major industries in Malaysia. The research will be done by the tourist, especially which is having a visit in Malaysia currently. This study is going to be focused on customers both male and female who patronize hotels in Malacca. The age range would be targeted on customers ranging from the age of 20 until 50. The mentioned age group was chosen as a majority as they are the ones who have a stable job and earn their own income. They are the category of customers who are able to afford to patronize hotels and hold a valuable link to the study. A questionnaire was handed out to the customers to obtain their opinions and views regarding issues that influence their loyalty and satisfaction towards certain hotel brands. The study also focuses on the perceptive viewpoint of the aforementioned age group in which, their loyalty and awareness towards the particular line of hotel brand is measured to determine the effectiveness of brand advertising and public relation media. Definition of Terms Customer Satisfaction: A customers emotional response react after the usage of a product or service (Oliver 1981). Customer satisfaction is more likely complex human process that involves the cognitive and affective processes and it also involve other psychological and physiological influence (Oh and Parks, 1997). Customer Loyalty: The loyalty business model assumes the philosophical validity of pursuit of self-interest. True customer loyalty can be defined as customers resistance to competitors offerings (Gundlach et al., 1995) and the persuasive tactics to attract new customers (Dick and Basu, 1994). Service Quality: Parasuraman et al. (1985) that views quality as the customers perception of service excellence, i.e. quality is defined by the customers impression of the service provided. Brand Image: Brand image is considered to have the ability to influence customers perceptions of the goods and services offered (Zeithaml and Bitner, 1996). Public Relations Perception: Cultip et al., (1985) definition of public relations perception is the management function that identifies, establishes and maintains mutually beneficial relationships between an organization and the various public on whom its successes or failure depends. Structure of Project The present study is organized into five chapters. Chapter 1: Introduction This chapter shows and details the intention and reason for the carrying out of this research. This chapter also consists of sub-topics such as research background, research questions, research objectives, importance of study, scope of study and definition of terms which are aimed to increase readers understanding of this whole research. Chapter 2: Literature Review This chapter contains more detailed information on the e-commerce and tourism industry. This chapter also detailed information about evaluation of the relationship of service quality, brand image and public relations perception on customer loyalty. The early and present day history of hotel organizations is also included in this chapter. Besides that, this chapter also contains the discussion on the various variables and its validity which will be tested in this study. The findings of previous researchers on these variables are also taken into account. Chapter 3: Methodology This chapter entails the methods and approaches that are selected for the testing of variables in this study. This chapter also consists of further discussion on sub-topics such as sources of data, questionnaire design, measurement, sampling method, sample size, data analysis techniques and unit of analysis. The findings from previous studies are also considered in the further understanding of the approaches used. Chapter 4: Data Analysis This chapter involves the incorporation of the interpretation of the collected data from respondents via quantitative method. The determination of the acceptance or rejection of the stated hypotheses will also be tested. A software called Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) will be used in this research to measure the results. Chapter 5: Discussions and Conclusions This chapter explains the outcomes of the testing of the hypotheses determined from Chapter 4: Data Analysis. The acceptance or rejection of the hypothesis is discussed as well. Additionally, the concluded results of the hypothesis testing from this study are compared with results from previous researches to identify the differences and similarities. Chapter 2: Literature Review Introduction The purpose of this research is to determined and to identify the critical factors that influence the loyalty of a hotel customer in Malaysia. Due to an increase in travel expenditure, the tourism industry has also seen an evident growth over the recent years. Goeldner and Ritchie (2003) have predicted that by 2011, global travel and tourism are expected to generate US$7.0 trillion in economic activity and offer 260 million jobs. Ongoing globalization, in addition to permeable borders and easier transfers between countries has promoted a growth in tourism. They have more varieties of services to choose from In line with the abundant services offered to customers. Therefore, competition among competitors to provide the best services possible is created among the tourism organizations. Hotel Industry in Malaysia The hotel nowadays is not only just a place for travelers to sleep, but an integral part of a getaway experience. According to Yashroy(2008), travelers can choose a hotel that is a much a selling point as the destination itself, With the recent boom of boutique hotels, spiffed-up budget properties, and novelty accommodations. As tourism industry is playing an important role in financial status of a country, the hospitality industry in Malaysia too has seen an increase in contributing to the countrys GDP. The example of the Genting Group which represented Malaysia in the hotel, restaurants and leisure industry and was ranked at 1198th position in the Forbes Global 2000 ranking in 2008 (The Global 2000, Forbes) has shown to the public that the hospitality industry is beginning to emerge as one of the important service sub-sectors in Malaysia. The table above illustrates the contribution of various sectors to Malaysias GDP from year 2002 to 2007. As we can see from the table, the private service industrys GDP had increased from 44.7% in year 2002 to 46.4% in year 2007. The private service sector which includes restaurant, hotels, wholesale and retail trade, finance, insurance, real estates and business services sub-sectors. This shows that the services industry is one of the sectors concentrated by the government for improvement as it is gradually contributing a big portion to the countrys GDP. Besides that, Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH) (hotels.org.my), has recorded that there has been evident growth in the hospitality sector, with average hotel occupancy rates having risen throughout 2007, from the mid-60% range at the beginning of the year to over 70% in 3Q 2007. The hotel industry nowadays has been recognized as a global industry since the development in the industry had been growing rapidly and steadily. The different lifestyle and culture of the customer have changed over time and the facilities in the hotel such as gym, swimming pool, and restaurant are no longer counted as luxuries but an essential component of their lifestyle. Tourism is a largest global export industry and due to the increasing growth of it, the number of hotels around the world had been increased as well. This had caused the intense competition among the hotels in the marketplace. Strong competition had been faces by the hotel organization to differentiate their organization from others by improve their service and facilities, increased choices, value for their money and also superior levels of service. As a result, service quality, brand image, public relation perceptions, and innovation of information technology as well as the improvement of the facilities in the hotel are important in catering to customers needs and as a strategy to retain them. Customer Loyalty According to Dick and Basu (1994), the forces of attitude and behavior had been assumed as factors that can influence the customers loyalty. Oliver (1999, p.35) had defined customer loyalty as: a deeply held commitment to re-buy or re-patronize a preferred product or service consistently in the future, thereby causing repetitive same-brand set or same brand-set purchasing despite situational influences and marketing efforts having potential to cause switching behavior. Although there are many variations about the definition of customer loyalty, but seems theres to be no unanimously agreed of definition for it, according to Jacoby and Chestnut (1978); Dick and Basu (1994); Oliver, (1999). However, there are instead three popular concepts about customer loyalty as below: Loyalty as primarily an attitude that sometimes leads to a relationship with the brand, Loyalty mainly expressed in terms of revealed behavior (i.e. the pattern of past purchases); and Buying moderated by the individuals own characteristics, circumstances, and/or the purchase situation. Many authors also had stressed the existence of a relationship between customer loyalty and business performance (Reichheld and Sasser, 1990; Reichheld, 1993; Sheth and Parvatiyar, 1995) and Barroso Castro and Martin Armario (1999) supported the statement by stated that loyal customers is not only increase the value of the business, but it is also an evident in enable the businesses to maintain the costs lower than those related with attracting new customers. Loyal customers not only help to encourage positive word-of-mouth promotion, challenge competitors strategies (Dick and Basu, 1994), but also generate higher corporate profits (Fornell and Wernerfelt, 1988; Reichheld et al., 2000). Besides that, the increasing of customer loyalty entails an increase in the market share and enables the companies to have the ability to demand relatively higher prices for their products or services than their competitors (Chaudhuri and Holbrook, 2001). This statement is supported by Aaker (1997) by stating that the company with higher customer loyalty can help the companies lower their marketing costs while seek more customers as well as successfully operate trading leverage in the same time. De Ruyter et al. (1998) stated that early customer loyalty studies also solely focused on the behavioral aspect but later shifted to an attitudinal approach. It was added that the latter approach can be studied by means of dimensions such as word of mouth, complaining behavior and purchase intention. There has also been some disagreement between researchers regarding to the attitudinal aspect of loyalty. The conflict focused on the argument was that the needed to be strong attitudinal commitment to a brand in order for true loyalty to exist (Day, 1969; Jacoby and Chestnut, 1978; Foxall and Goldsmith, 1994; Mellens et al., 1996; Reichheld, 1996). Dick and Basu (1994) have explained that these attitudes is measured on maybe by questioning people on how much they like a brand, how much of confidence they have commitment to it, will they recommend it to others, and having positive beliefs and feeling about it, as in comparison to other competing brands. Other than that, the five-item scale which was adapted by Zeithaml et al. (1996) had been used to measure as customer loyalty by earlier researches. However, Bernà © (1997) has mentioned that loyalty was measured indirectly by using an attitude scale in another research. He also pointed out that it is the most generally used system of measurement as a result of the complexity that is involved in attaining sequential information about repurchase intentions. In line with this, a seven-point, Likert scale was used in that particular research to measure customer loyalty. Service Quality Service quality is defined from the marketing fields which give the values to human interaction between a business and its customers. Service is important in business because services not only help the company to remain its customers loyalty, but also to enhance the firms image in the marketplace. In tourism sector, service quality is an important aspect that customers will look into before they decided to engage in purchasing the service. Therefore, those tourism organizations such as hotel organizations face an intense and fierce competition from their competitors to provide the best service and product to their customers. The term service has been defined in several ways. Service had been defined by Grà ¶nroos (2002, p.58) as: A service is an activity or a series of activities of a more or less intangible nature that normally, but not necessarily, takes place in the interaction between the customer and service employees and/or physical resources or foods and/or systems of the service provider, which are provided as solutions to customer problems. A definition also adopted by Zeithaml and Britner (1996), which stated by Quinn et al. (1987) whom defined services as: all economic activities whose output is not a physical product or construction, is generally consumed at the time of it is produced, and provides added value in forms (such as convenience, amusement, timeliness, comfort or health) that are essentially intangible concerns of its first purchaser. On the other hand, Horovitz (1986) had identified the three distinctive characteristics of service quality: the consumer will perceive all limitations in quality because most of the services are consumed at the same time as they are produced; a service is made up of a set of benefits, but it is predominantly an experience; and a fundamental aspect of service quality is derived from the quality of relationship between the service provider and the consumer. Parasuraman et al. (1988) defined service quality as a global judgment or attitude relating to the overall excellence or superiority of the service. Although there are many definitions about service quality, but theres one common definition that accepted by most researchers is the traditional notion provided by Parasuraman et al. (1985). He stated that views quality as the customers perception of service excellence, as quality is defined by the customers impression of the service provided. However, Bergman and Klefsjà ¶ (2003) stated service quality as the quality is often related with satisfied or preferably delighted customers. Service quality is important in retaining customer loyalty. Heskett et al. (1994) considered customer loyalty as behavior for increasing the profits and growth of a business. Quality is also the general impression of the relative inferiority or superiority of the organization and its services, according to Bitner and Hubbert (1994). Moreover, when looked at from a tourism organizations perspective, the functional aspects of services for example, is how they are offered, and has a much higher probability in influencing customers emotional feelings, than the technical aspects, for example, what is offered. Besides this, service literature also claims that the major issue of customer satisfaction is perceived quality (Parasuraman et al., 1988; Bitner, 1990; Carman, 1990). However, there are also some authors that giving the opposite relationship, stated that perceived quality is considered an antecedent of customer satisfaction (Cronin and Taylor, 1992; Anderson and Sullivan, 1993). Althou