Consumerism Warping Human Values We Are Consumers

Consumerism Warping Human Values You and I consume; we are consumers. The global economy is set up to enable us to do what we innately want to do: buy, use, discard and buy some more. If we do our job well, the economy thrives. If for some reason we fail at our task, the economy suffers. This model of economic existence has been reinforced in the business pages of every newspaper, and in the daily reportage of nearly every broadcast and web-based financial news service. It has a familiar name: consumerism. Therapeutic ethos has created a consumption-oriented ideology that ultimately transformed American culture and life, as we know it. This multi-dimensional approach shifted nineteenth-century American values of frugality, moderation, and self-denial to periodic leisure, compulsive spending, and individual self-fulfillment. There are three main factors that contributed to this transformation: radio and billboards, credit, and mind-cure religion. Consumer culture developed out of the rise of modernity and the histori cal emergence of capitalism as an economic force throughout the world. Perhaps the most significant component in turn-of-the-century American societies was the emergence of what historian T. J. Jackson Lears calls the â€Å"therapeutic ethos.† During the turn of the century, the feeling that life was troubling and overwhelming prevailed creating the idea that everyone was inadequate and in need of improvement. This resulted in a strategically placed rise of

The Morality of Euthanasia Essay - 1414 Words

The Morality of Euthanasia Technology has brought about drastic changes in the morality of today’s society. One organization it has greatly effected is the medical field. Few would argue with the fact that medical technology has greatly improved the quality of life. However, with doctors and other health care workers having the authority to contribute to both the patients’ well-being and inevitable death, society believes there should be limits to best serve the patient’s wishes. The controversial issue that society now stands against, and questions is the practice of euthanasia. Is this â€Å"medical advancement† ethical? Attitudes towards death changed rapidly in the twentieth century as a result of the tremendous†¦show more content†¦It had come under the control of the doctor who could manipulate the time and length of dying with medical technology. The medical profession, however, saw death as a failure and doctors frequently chose to av oid dealing with a patient who would soon die. As a result, patients were, and still are, heavily medicated, permitting them to slip away, unknowingly or â€Å"snowed out†(Williams 112), the complete opposite of the medieval period when men and women prepared themselves, made their peace, and then welcomed death. But by 1985, an estimated eighty- percent of those who died did so in a hospital or a nursing home, under the care of strangers. In addition, these strangers have been taught in their medical education that their job is to fend off death. So they perform their duties under the growing fear that if every effort is not made to postpone death they have failed and may be sued for a â€Å"mercy killing† (Knopf 8). Today death is often correlated with seriously ill or aging patients and physicians and other health care workers all over the world are receiving training to deal with death, hospice care is taking death out of the hospital and bringing it back to t he home. Even though many still want to follow the traditional way in dealing with death, family, friends and health officials should be able to handle the situation in accordance with the best interest of the terminally ill patient. AsShow MoreRelatedThe Morality Of Euthanasia And Euthanasia1350 Words   |  6 PagesThe morality of euthanasia continues to be a controversial topic. Its subject matter, death, is shrouded in emotional feelings that often obscure the logical appraisal of the subject. For opponents of euthanasia, passive and active euthanasia are seen as distinct and subject to different morality rulings. According to Vaughn â€Å"Active euthanasia is said to involve performing an action that directly causes someone to die†¦ Passive euthanasia is allowing someone to die by not doing something that wouldRead MoreEuthanasia Essay : Euthanasia And Morality1627 Words   |  7 PagesDenise Maranhao Professor Joseph Anderson Ethics across the professions November 29, 2014 Euthanasia (Euthanasia and morality) Could you pull the plug? Is mercy killing considered murder and should it be illegal under each and every circumstance? There are many questions and even more controversies when it comes to euthanasia and assisted suicide. There are those who believe euthanasia is immoral regardless of the situation, it is illegal and therefore always wrong. But most people have never beenRead MoreThe Morality Of Voluntary Euthanasia1563 Words   |  7 PagesEuthanasia, defined as the act of â€Å"putting a person to painless death especially in case of incurable suffering,† is a controversial subject surrounded by many moral dilemmas (Murkey, 2008). Although euthanasia is the overarching term used to describe the act itself, within it are three principal forms: voluntary, non-voluntary and involuntary, each of which pertains to case specific issues. Following The Supreme Court’s recent decision deeming Canada’s controversial law against physician-assistedRead MoreThe Debate Con cerning The Morality Of Euthanasia915 Words   |  4 PagesAmericans , arguably more than any other nationality, have a right to their opinion and there exists few subjects that generate more opinions than does euthanasia. The debate concerning the morality of euthanasia parsimoniously rests on the moral assessment of whether or not the physician intentionally kills or intentionally let die the patient. An assumption has been perpetuated that there is a line of demarcation between intending to let die and intending to kill. This pseudo-practical barrierRead MoreThe Morality Of Euthanasia By James Rachels1086 Words   |  5 PagesID: 3339147 Active Euthanasia Does James Rachels in â€Å"The Morality of Euthanasia† successfully argue that in at least some cases active euthanasia is morally acceptable? Explain his view and respond to it. In this essay, we are going to analyze the main ideas included in â€Å"The Morality of Euthanasia† by James Rachels to provide a response to the following question: Does James Rachels in â€Å"The Morality of Euthanasia† successfully argue that in at least some cases active euthanasia is morally acceptableRead MorePurpose of a Living Will and the Morality of Euthanasia829 Words   |  4 Pagesmedical treatments. Euthanasia, also called assisted suicide, or physician-assisted suicide, offers one of many options for terminal-ill patients or those with intractable pain. Many infer euthanasia as the action that brings about the end of a patient’s life because it has been decided they would be better off dead. Since euthanasia involves killing another person, voluntarily or not, a virtuous person considers euthanasia acceptable. There are two main categories of euthanasia, voluntary (conductedRead MoreThe Morality Of Euthanasia And The Application Of Utilitarianism1213 Words   |  5 PagesThe Morality of Euthanasia and the Application of Utilitarianism. Introduction When a patient is in immense amounts of pain from a terminal illness, one of the options to relieve a person from the pain is euthanasia. Euthanasia is seen as a controversial and moral issue because of the different viewpoints. Euthanasia is seen by some as killing, while others see it as removing a person from immense amounts of pain. This paper will first discuss the principles of utilitarianism through BenthamRead MoreEssay on The Morality of Euthanasia1765 Words   |  8 Pagesas heated as euthanasia. Euthanasia comes from the Greek word meaning good death. Euthanasia is the practice of ending the life of a person either by lethal injection or the suspension of medical treatment. Most religious beliefs say that God is the only one that has the right to decide the termination of any life. Euthanasia should be a person’s right of choice legally and ethically. People are faced with choices on a daily basis throughout their lives. Having the choice of euthanasia allows a q uickRead MoreEuthanasia: Utiliarianism and Morality of Death Essay1945 Words   |  8 Pagesperson be in the pain when they leave their physical form? Euthanasia, or assisted suicide, gives a person the chance the take the ending of their life into their own hands and make, an otherwise undefined, decision of how he/she would want their final moments to be. In this paper I plan to display that based on the utilitarian perspective, Rachels’ writings, and contemplating human rights constructed from a governmental outlook, that euthanasia is just and morally acceptable and should be consideredRead MoreUtilitarianism and Euthanasia1031 Words   |  5 Pages April 28, 2011 ETHICS The moral issue that I will discuss about is Euthanasia. Euthanasia simplu means bringing the death of another for the benefit of that person and also known as mercy killing. â€Å"When a person carries out an act of euthanasia, he brings about the death of another person because he believes the latters present existence is so bad that she would be better off dead, or believes that unless

Global Trend And The Issue Arising From Childhood...

Introduction There is a global trend of increase in preventable disease due to the rising standard of medical care and improvement in human living condition. With the implementation of routine immunization program, vaccines have been proved to be very successful in defending from childhood communicable disease. However, issue exists in the maintenance of immunization coverage. Anti-vaccers, which vary in their educational background, physical condition and financial situation, challenge the necessity, safety and tolerability of vaccination. Being affected by their personal perceptions and extrinsic influences, these people decide to delay the administration or refuse to vaccinate their children at all. This essay will discuss this contemporary global trend and the issue arising from it, including the reduction in hospitalization and the concern of anti-vaccers. It will then examine the role of ethical social work as a possible response to it. Decrease in disease incidence Dramatic decline in the hospitalization of childhood contagious disease can be consistently attributable to the introduction of universal immunization program. Vaccines are very effective among children who have been vaccinated worldwide. A research undertaken by Bigham Hoefer (2001) emphasises the huge success of immunization by the comparison between pre-immunization disease incidence rate and post-immunization disease incidence rate from 1990 to 1997 in British Columbia where four routine immunizationShow MoreRelatedChildhood Obesity : Argentina, Argentina1586 Words   |  7 Pages Childhood Obesity in Buenos Aires, Argentina Malaijah D. Thompson University of California, Los Angeles Childhood Obesity in Buenos Aires, Argentina There are many indicators of poverty. One indicator of poverty is obesity; it mostly affects families in low socioeconomic levels. Obesity has become an epidemic rising across the globe. Recently, childhood obesity is becoming a prevailing problem in the urban areas in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Argentina’s rates are rising at a levelRead MoreNational Policy for the Empowerment of Women4742 Words   |  19 Pagesframework of a democratic polity, our laws, development policies, Plans and programmes have aimed at women’s advancement in different spheres. From the Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-78) onwards has been a marked shift in the approach to women’s issues from welfare to development. In recent years, the empowerment of women has been recognized as the central issue in determining the status of women. The National Commission for Women was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1990 to safeguard the rights and legalRead MoreWomen Empowerment12463 Words   |  50 Pages framework of a democratic polity, our laws, development policies, Plans and programmes have| |aimed at women’s advancement in different spheres. From the Fifth Five Year Plan (1974-78) onwards has| |been a marked shift in the approach to women’s issues from welfare to development. In recent years, | |the empowerment of women has been recognized as the central issue in determining the status of women. | |The National Commission for Women was set up by an Act of Parliament in 1990 to safeguard the rightsRead MoreGlobalization and It Effects on Cultural Integration: the Case of the Czech Republic.27217 Words   |  109 Pagesglobalization. Globalization is the most talk-about issues in the 21st century. However, there is the difficulty of the world to come up with a single and uniform definition. This is because, so many people doubt if the happenings in the world today are as a result of globalization. Thus, due to these global differences of what this concept actually is about, globalization has grown to involve aspects not only of economy, but politics and other socio-cultural issues. Globalization affects almost every human

Indigenous Health - 1510 Words

INTRODUCTION Indigenous health is a vital tool in health care today. The case study is about an indigenous lady who is from a remote community. This case study will define culture shock, transcultural theory. Finally it will states the recommendations that can be acquired to improve the current indigenous health care issue as it can be noted that the indigenous health tends has been deteoriating. Culture shock Culture is all about an individual knowledge based on belief ,art,morals customs.Therefore culture shock occurs when people have different values and beliefs and are not tolerant of each others differences(Eckermann,Dowd,Chong,Nixon,Gray and Johnson,2006.).The separation of important people in†¦show more content†¦Germov ( 2009) further explained that the indigenous Australians found it hard to get employment as a result of convicts available for labour. These condition worsened their ability to be in good health. Basically the Australian economic development were based on selfish exploitation of natural resources which was mainly for civilization and maximizing of profit Germov (2009). The results of dispossession have had a great impact to indigenous Australians. These could be seen today as to why most of them are violent people. They feel the bitterness of what Europeans did to their country .Germov, (2009) explained that Europeans practiced ethnocentrism, meaning they perceived and interpreted the Aboriginal lifestyle as land wasting passive uncivilised and unoccupied .These led to forcibly relocating the Aboriginal people to settle in particular land regions the Aboriginals were subjected to violence and their land forcibly occupied. Contemporary Health issues Today Contemporary health issues are various in the indigenous community today. Most of aboriginal Australians living in rural areas hence for from the town Germov,( 2009).In Australia Health care is provided through insurance scheme for instance Medicare and also through the pharmateceutical benefits scheme(BSB) Germov,( 2009).According to Deeble,(cited in Germov 2009) furtherShow MoreRelatedHealth Of Indigenous And Non Indigenous Australians Essay2053 Words   |  9 Pagesjustice breakfast for 2016, my name is Annabel Miskell and I will be speaking with you about the impact health has had in the reconciliation process between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Indigenous peoples have occupied Australia for more than 60, 000 years, so why are they among the most disadvantaged in our health system? 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ThisRead More The Health of Indigenous Australians Essay2320 Words   |  10 PagesAs health professionals , we must look beyond individual attributes of Indigenous Australians to gain a greater understanding and a possible explanation of why there are such high rates of ill health issues such as alcoholism, depression, abuse, shorter life expectancy and higher prevalence of diseases including diabetes, heart disease and obesity in our indigenous population. Looking at just the individual aspects and the biomedical health model, we don’t get the context of Aboriginal health. 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Succubus Revealed Chapter 7 Free Essays

No matter what shape he wore, Bastien always managed the same kind of smile – warm and infectious. I was grinning as I hugged him, too overwhelmed to form any other logical greeting or even ask why he was here. The last time I’d seen Bastien had been in Seattle last fall. We will write a custom essay sample on Succubus Revealed Chapter 7 or any similar topic only for you Order Now He’d come to town to help discredit a conservative radio host and had succeeded (thanks to me), earning him accolades from our superiors. I’d lost touch with him shortly thereafter and had thought he’d been transferred to Europe or the East Coast. Maybe he had been, but he was here now. The full impact of Luis’s earlier words came back to me as I stepped away from Bastien. â€Å"Wait. You’re the other new employee?† Bastien’s grin widened. He loved being able to shock and surprise me. â€Å"Afraid so, Fleur. I moved here a week ago, and our employer was kind enough to put me up here while I look for a place of my own.† He swept Luis a gallant bow. Luis nodded back, clearly enjoying the scenario he’d created. â€Å"Which, hopefully, you’ll do soon. Accounting isn’t going to let me get away with this place forever.† Bastien nodded gravely. â€Å"I’ve already scouted a couple of potential locations.† â€Å"And,† I teased, â€Å"Bastien doesn’t even really need to find his own place. He could go out tonight, smile at the right people, and have a dozen rich women more than happy to give him a place to stay.† His current body looked to be in its late twenties, with sun-streaked brown hair and hazel eyes. It was pretty cute, but even if he’d looked hideous, he could still have talked himself into someone’s heart. He was just that good. â€Å"Is that an invitation?† Bastien asked. â€Å"Because I have no plans for tonight.† â€Å"Well, you do now,† said Luis. â€Å"I figured you and Georgina would want to catch up, and you can give her your impressions of the city so far – which are all good, of course.† â€Å"Of course,† Bastien and I said in unison. â€Å"Also, I’d like her to meet Phoebe and maybe some of the other succubi,† Luis continued. â€Å"Ah, Mademoiselle Phoebe.† Bastien nodded his head approvingly. â€Å"An exquisite creature. You’ll adore her.† â€Å"You apparently do,† I said. Succubi and incubi hooked up sometimes but generally stuck to humans for romantic liaisons. Bastien, however, had a particular penchant for my kind. He made a face. â€Å"None of my charms seem to be working on her. She says that I’ll never be as infatuated with anyone else as much as I am with myself, so there’s no point in her getting involved.† I laughed. â€Å"I like her already.† â€Å"Then it’s settled.† Luis moved toward the door. â€Å"I have some business to take care of, but I’ll see you before you leave. In the meantime, I trust Bastien will show you a good time. Don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything.† Luis snapped his fingers, and a small business card appeared in his hand. He handed it to me. It was still warm. â€Å"Thanks, Luis,† I said, giving him a quick hug. â€Å"I appreciate everything you’ve done.† Luis nodded gravely. â€Å"I know you’re not thrilled about this transfer, but I really, really would like for you to be happy here.† He left, and Bastien and I stood there in silence for a few moments. â€Å"You know,† I said at last, â€Å"in the years I’ve been in Seattle, I don’t think Jerome has ever told me to call him if I needed anything.† Bastien chuckled as he walked over to a small but well-stocked bar. â€Å"Luis is quite exceptional from what I’ve seen so far. I was lucky to end up here. You too.† â€Å"Yeah. We’re all lucky, aren’t we?† I crossed my arms and leaned against the wall by the war. â€Å"How did you end up here?† â€Å"The same way any of us end up anywhere. I was living in Newark until I got the transfer order a couple days ago. Here I am.† I frowned. â€Å"I thought you said you’d been here a week?† â€Å"Week, a few days. I don’t know. I admit, I’ve been kind of intoxicated since I arrived. It was recent, that’s all. And a surprise.† â€Å"So was mine,† I murmured. â€Å"Astonishingly so. And now you’re here too. It’s kind of weird.† â€Å"Is it?† He emptied a martini shaker into two glasses. â€Å"We’ve worked together before. Figures that it would happen again.† I accepted the glass he offered me. â€Å"I suppose so. But still . . . the number of times we’ve ended up together has been pretty amazing. For it to happen again is a huge coincidence.† I took a sip and nodded approvingly. He’d used Grey Goose. â€Å"Maybe it’s not a coincidence. They keep track of our performance records. They probably know we work well together.† I hadn’t considered that. â€Å"You think they’d actually place us together because of that? To get results? I mean, I’m still trying to figure out why I was even transferred at all.† â€Å"There doesn’t have to be a reason, not with them.† â€Å"I know. One theory about me being here is that I haven’t been all that great of a succubus.† â€Å"Ah, then there you are. They sent you to me because they know what a good influence I am on you.† â€Å"Bad, you mean.† His eyes twinkled. â€Å"This is going to be a lot of fun having you here. I haven’t even gambled yet, and already I feel like I hit the jackpot.† He knocked back his drink. â€Å"Finish that, and let’s go have some fun. I know a great place for lunch. We’ll go there and then hit some games of chance.† It felt weird going out on the town, especially so early in the day. I’d become too subdued in my Seattle life, I realized. I’d done such a good job at playing human that I’d forgotten what it was like to think like a succubus. Why not live it up in daylight? This was technically a business trip, but the point was to scope out the place of my future employment. I’d been here lots of times before, but this was the first time I really and truly studied the city through the eyes of an â€Å"on the clock† succubus. Again, I was struck by that earlier, heady sense: easy, so amazingly easy. We caught a cab, and Bastien gave instructions for us to go to Sparkles. I ran through my mental list of Las Vegas attractions and came up empty. â€Å"I’ve never heard of that,† I said. â€Å"It sounds like a strip club.† â€Å"Nah, it’s a brand-new hotel and casino,† Bastien told me. â€Å"So shiny and new, in fact, that it just opened a couple of weeks ago, and already it’s a hit.† â€Å"Why’s it called Sparkles?† I asked. He grinned. â€Å"You’ll see.† The answer was obvious once we got there. Everything was, well, sparkly. The exterior sign was a riot of glittering, chasing lights that should’ve had a seizure warning affixed to it. Everyone who worked in the hotel and casino wore elaborately sequined outfits, and all the decor was done in brightly colored metallic and glittering surfaces. Paired with the flood of flashing lights already found in a casino, the entire spectacle was hard on my eyes at first. Yet, despite what could’ve easily degenerated into tackiness, there was still something in the feel of the place that radiated luxury. Sparkles was over the top, yes, but in a good way. â€Å"Here,† said Bastien, leading me through the maze of the casino. â€Å"There’s a little less sensory overload where we’re going.† Opposite the side we’d entered in was a doorway dominated by a sign reading DIAMOND LOUNGE. With a name like that, I expected strippers and more glitz but instead found myself in a quiet and much more tastefully subdued establishment. Crystal chandeliers and wineglasses provide the only sparkle here. Everything else in the restaurant was warm, honey-colored wood and red velvet. When we were seated at our table, Bastien said to the waitress, â€Å"Can you tell Phoebe that Bastien is here?† I gave him a wry look once we were alone. â€Å"I see how it is. Here I thought you were going out of your way to take me somewhere nice. You’re just here to visit your crush.† â€Å"That’s merely a perk,† he told me easily. â€Å"The food here really is excellent. And Luis wants you to meet Phoebe too, remember? Don’t worry, you’ll like her.† I made no effort to hide my skepticism. â€Å"I don’t know, Bastien. I can count on one hand how many succubi I’ve actually liked over the years. At best, they’re tolerable and semiamusing, like Tawny.† At worst – and more often than not – succubi were raving bitches. Me excluded, of course. â€Å"Just wait and see,† he said. We didn’t have to wait long because a couple minutes later, I felt the wash of a succubus aura come over me, one reminiscent of orange blossoms and honey. A tall, willowy woman in a black and white uniform appeared, carrying a tray with our cocktails on it. The employees here didn’t have to match the glitzy attire of their hotel brethren. She set the cocktails before each of us with a grace and fluidity that was almost too much for this establishment. It reminded me of something more suited to the serving halls of kings from long ago – which, I suspected, she had probably known very well. â€Å"Ah, Phoebe,† Bastien sighed dreamily. â€Å"You are a vision, as always. Come meet our newest colleague.† She gave him the look one has when indulging a ridiculous child and sat down in one of our table’s empty chairs. Her dark blond hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail, revealing high cheekbones and long-lashed green eyes. â€Å"Oh, Bastien, don’t start in on the vision stuff. It’s far too early in the day.† She extended a polite hand to me. â€Å"Hello, I’m Phoebe.† â€Å"Georgina,† I said, shaking the offered hand. â€Å"Whatever Bastien’s told you, only believe half of it.† She reconsidered, eyeing him carefully. â€Å"Make that a third.† â€Å"Hey,† exclaimed Bastien, with mock incredulity. â€Å"I resent that. As if I would ever lie to two such treasures as yourselves !† â€Å"Bastien,† said Phoebe dryly. â€Å"You’ll lie to anything female if you think it’ll get you in their pants faster.† I laughed in spite of myself, earning me another wounded look from Bastien. â€Å"Fleur, you know that’s not true. You’ve known me longer than anyone.† â€Å"Which is exactly why I know it is true,† I replied solemnly. Bastien muttered something uncomplimentary in French and was saved further indignation when Phoebe’s colleague returned to take our order. Phoebe, with our permission, ordered for us, requesting some â€Å"specials† that weren’t on the menu. â€Å"Are you a cook here?† I asked her. â€Å"Bartender,† she replied, clasping her hands and resting her chin on them. â€Å"Gives me something to do until the show starts.† â€Å"Show?† Bastien’s earlier dismay was gone, replaced with an expression of supreme smugness. â€Å"You see, Fleur? I told you I had a good reason for coming here. My lady Phoebe here is a . . .† He paused delicately. â€Å"Is it still polite to say ‘showgirl’? I can never keep track of what’s PC anymore. It took me ages to figure out why I kept getting in trouble for calling career women ‘working girls.’ â€Å" Phoebe laughed. â€Å"Yes, ‘showgirl’ is fine.† I felt myself sitting up straighter. â€Å"You’re a dancer? Where do you perform?† â€Å"Here,† she said. â€Å"Or, well, I will in a couple months. It hasn’t opened yet.† â€Å"What kind is it?† I asked. â€Å"I mean, is there a theme?† â€Å"It’s a full-fledged Vegas music-dance extravaganza. Exactly what you’d expect from a place called Sparkles. Rhinestones everywhere. Scanty, but not topless.† She tilted her head, regarding me with interest. â€Å"Are you a dancer?† â€Å"I dance,† I said modestly. â€Å"I haven’t done full stage performances in a very long time, though. I’m out of practice.† Bastien scoffed. â€Å"That’s nonsense. Fleur can pick up any routine. She used to bring the dance halls of Paris to their knees.† â€Å"Yeah,† I said. â€Å"A long time ago.† â€Å"Are you interested in being in it?† asked Phoebe, face serious. â€Å"They’re still scouting. I can get you an audition. Although . . . you might want to make yourself taller.† â€Å"I . . . I don’t know,† I said, suddenly feeling overwhelmed. â€Å"I mean, my transfer doesn’t take place until next month. . . .† Phoebe was unconcerned. â€Å"I don’t think Matthias would mind. He’s the company manager. In fact . . .† She glanced at her watch. â€Å"He’ll be around in another hour or so. I can take you to meet him.† â€Å"She’d be happy to,† said Bastien. â€Å"I’m sure she can answer for herself, monsieur,† replied Phoebe tartly. I chuckled at seeing Bastien dressed down again. â€Å"I’d love it. That’d be great.† Phoebe left us as our food began arriving, promising to return at the end of our meal. Everything she’d ordered for us was amazing, and I fretted over eating so much since I wasn’t entirely sure if this meeting with the company manager would turn into a full-fledged audition. â€Å"Lovely, isn’t she?† asked Bastien. â€Å"She is,† I agreed. â€Å"You were right.† What I found more astonishing than having the chance to dance in a Las Vegas show was that Phoebe was responsible for orchestrating it – and had seemed genuinely happy to do so. In my experience, succubi would jealously guard those kinds of positions, keeping out the competition. â€Å"I have no doubt you’ll dance your way right into this Matthias’s heart,† Bastien mused. He gave a mournful sigh. â€Å"Would that I could dance so easily into Phoebe’s heart.† â€Å"She’s too smart for you,† I said. â€Å"She knows your tricks.† â€Å"Of course she does. I’d think that would be half the appeal.† He paused to finish off the last of his cocktail. â€Å"Speaking of bizarre attractions . . . I’m totally behind in what’s transpiring in your Northwestern world. Are you still joined at the hip with that introverted mortal?† â€Å"Literally and figuratively,† I told him. Thinking of Seth diminished some of my earlier good mood. â€Å"This transfer . . . it was kind of a shock. I don’t know how it’s going to affect our relationship.† Bastien shrugged. â€Å"Bring him here.† â€Å"It’s a little more complicated than that.† â€Å"Not if he wants you badly enough. Here.† Bastien waved to get the waitress’s attention. â€Å"Have another round with me. That’ll fix everything.† â€Å"Not when I might have to dance soon!† But I shared the round anyway and found my cheerfulness returning. It was hard not to with Bastien. I’d known him for a long time, and there was something so easy and comforting about being in his presence. We swapped stories and gossip on immortals we knew, and I got the scoop on some of the more colorful ones I’d eventually be meeting here in Las Vegas. Phoebe returned just as we were paying the bill, having swapped her work attire for casual dance clothing. She led us back through the labyrinthine glitz of the casino and into the quieter and much more subdued back halls of the building. They in turn led to a backstage door to the casino’s theatre, which wasn’t yet open to the public. We found the vast space empty, save a couple guys installing tables in the seating area. The pounding of their hammers echoed through the room. A moment later, I did a double take when I saw a man sitting off to the side of the stage, so still I’d hardly noticed him. He glanced up from a sheaf of papers at our approach. â€Å"Phoebe,† he said. â€Å"You’re early.† â€Å"I wanted to introduce you to someone,† she said. â€Å"Matthias, these are my friends Bastien and Georgina. Georgina’s moving here next month.† Matthias looked like he was in his late twenties, early thirties at most, and had sandy blond hair in need of a haircut. There was something cute about its disheveled state, and he took off wire-rimmed glasses to peer up at me. I couldn’t help but think Ian would’ve liked those glasses, but unlike Ian, Matthias probably needed them. Matthias blinked a couple of times, and then his eyebrows rose in surprise. â€Å"You’re a dancer,† he said to me. â€Å"Er, yeah, I am. How’d you know?† Per Phoebe’s suggestion, I’d made myself put on some height while we were walking down the back halls, but that was hardly enough to tip him off. Matthias got to his feet and studied me up and down, not in a leering kind of way . . . but more like how someone assesses the value of a piece of art. â€Å"It’s in how you walk and stand. There’s a grace to it. An energy. It’s exactly what she does.† He nodded toward Phoebe. â€Å"Are you guys sisters?† â€Å"No,† said Phoebe. â€Å"But we’ve taken some of the same classes.† Bastien choked on a laugh. Matthias was nodding, completely enraptured. He picked up his papers and flipped through the pages. â€Å"Yes . . . yes . . . we could definitely use you here and here.† He paused, checking a few more places. â€Å"And here. Maybe even here.† He jerked his head up, blue eyes alight and excited. â€Å"Let’s see what you can do. Phoebe – do the opening part of the second number.† Phoebe responded instantly, springing to center stage and instantly falling into line as Matthias began counting off beats. When they finished, he looked at me expectantly. â€Å"Now you do it.† I started to point out that I was in heels and a dress but then realized showgirl attire probably wouldn’t be too different. I took a spot near Phoebe and mirrored her as Matthias counted again. We repeated the combination, and by the third time, I hardly had to look at her to get the steps. He directed her to a different number, slightly more complicated, and a similar performance ensued as I sought to match her. When we finished, he clicked his tongue in approval. â€Å"Amazing,† he said. â€Å"You guys need to tell me where you trained so that I can recruit all your classmates.† Turning back to his papers, he began scribbling notes. â€Å"Phoebe, can you lend her some clothes for practice? Not that it’ll affect her performance, of course, but I imagine she’d be more comfortable in something else for two hours of rehearsal.† Phoebe winked at me. â€Å"I’m pretty sure we can get her a change of clothes.† I glanced between her and Matthias. â€Å"Rehearsal?† â€Å"Sure,† said Matthias, still not looking up. â€Å"That’s what we do to get ready for performances around here.† â€Å"You want to be in the show, don’t you, Lucy?† teased Bastien. â€Å"I understand . . . but I’m not moving to Las Vegas until January,† I explained. â€Å"I have to go home tomorrow night.† Matthias finally glanced up briefly from his beloved notes, seeming as pained as Seth often was when interrupted while writing a book. â€Å"You’re here right now, aren’t you? Might as well get started. Unless you’ve got something else going on?† I looked helplessly at Bastien and Phoebe, who were grinning like idiots. The incubus slung a friendly arm around me. â€Å"Of course she doesn’t.† After a moment’s hesitation, I gave a slow nod, still a little overwhelmed at how fast things were moving here. â€Å"I . . . I’d love to rehearse.† How to cite Succubus Revealed Chapter 7, Essay examples

Return of zero Coupon Bonds

Questions: 1.What is the Expected return for this bond If the Market Price is: a.$800? b.$950? c.$1000 d.$12502.If the Market Equilibrium of this bond has a return of 20% what is the Current Market Price? Justify your result. 3.Discuss Four Factors that would Cause the Demand Curve and Four Factors that would Cause the Supply Curve for bonds to Shift? Answers: 1. Depicting the expected return of zero coupon bonds with different market rate: a. Expected return when market price is $800: Particulars Value Expected return ((FV / Current Price) -1 ) * 100 Expected return ((1000 / 800) -1 ) * 100 Expected return (1.25 -1 ) * 100 Expected return .25 * 100 Expected return 25% The overall return generated from zero coupon bonds with the market price of $800 is 25%, as the FV is $1000. The return is mainly derived from market price, which is lower than the actual face value. This reduced market price of the bond could mainly help the investor in generating higher return from investment (Ballotta and Kyriakou 2015). Market price at $800 could effectively help the investor get the maximum return from investment in comparison from other market price. The investor will be interested in buying the bond at $800 value. b. Expected return when market price is $950: Particulars Value Expected return ((FV / Current Price) -1 ) * 100 Expected return ((1000 / 950) -1 ) * 100 Expected return (1.05 -1 ) * 100 Expected return .05 * 100 Expected return 5.26% If the market price of the zero coupon bond is $950 then the expected return mainly declines from previous value. This is due to the lower difference between face value and market value of the bond. The return of 5.26% is also effective as investor will be able to generate retune from investment at the end of the bond tenure. Di and Rosadi (2015) mentioned that investors are mainly attracted to bonds, which are provided at a discounted rate, as it help in generating high return from investment. The investor will be interest in investment if the bond price is $950. c. Expected return when market price is $1000: Particulars Value Expected return ((FV / Current Price) -1 ) * 100 Expected return ((1000 / 1000) -1 ) * 100 Expected return (1 -1 ) * 100 Expected return 0 * 100 Expected return 0% The market value being same as face value, as depicted in above table could mainly nullify any return, which could be provided from zero coupon bonds. There is no expected return if the market price is at $1000, thus the investor will not be interested in conducting the relative investment. Brockington et al. (2014) argued that investors mainly neglect the deals, which does not provide relative return from investment. Thus, the investor could neglect the zero coupon bond as no return is provided from investment. d. Expected return when market price is $1250: Particulars Value Expected return ((FV / Current Price) -1 ) * 100 Expected return ((1000 / 1250) -1 ) * 100 Expected return (0.8 -1 ) * 100 Expected return -0.20 * 100 Expected return -20% The above table mainly depicts a negative return or loss, which might incur by the investor if investment is been conducted. In addition, the loss of -20% will mainly incur by the investor as the market price is more than the face value, which will be provided after completion of the bond tenure. Maximum of the investors will mainly avoid zero coupon bonds, whose market value is greater than the face value (Bielecki and Rutkowski 2013). 2.Depicting the current market price if the market equilibrium of this bond has a return of 20%: Particulars Value Market price FV / (Expected return + 1) Market price 1000 / (0.20 + 1) Market price 1000 / 1.20 Market price 833.33 The above table mainly depicts the overall market price of the bond if the return is anticipated at 20%. In addition, after the valuation of expected return overall market price is mainly depicted at $833.33. Any increment in the overall market price of the bond could mainly reduce the demand among potential investor and decrease its price. Furthermore, it is a zero coupon bond, where return could only be provided at the end of bond tenure (Badertschere et al. 2015). Thus, if the bond price declines more from 833.33 then the investor will be interested in buying the bond. 3. Discussing the four factors that might cause demand curve and supply curve of the bond to shift: Bond prices mainly reflect on both supply and demand, which could help investors in making adequate investment decision. There are several factors, which could shift the overall demand and supply curve of bond. Greenwood and Vayanos (2014) mentioned that change in demand and supply of bond mainly helps investor making adequate investment decision. Four factors that might cause demand curve of bond to shift: Figure 1: Depicting the shift in demand curve of Bond (Source: Greenwood and Vayanos 2014) The figure mainly depicts the relevant shift in demand curve of bond, which changes the market equilibrium. The factors depicted mainly shifts the supply curve from D to D` keeping the supply constant. Four factors that might cause demand curve of bond to shift are depicted as follows. Increase in investors wealth: Increment in the overall investors wealth could mainly help in raising its investment ability. The growing economy mainly helps in increasing wealth, which could raise ability of the investors to buy more bonds. This increment in the overall demand of bond could shift the demand curve while keeping the supply curve constant. Becker and Ivashina (2014) mentioned that increment in bond demand could mainly help companies and governments to generate higher capital from bond issue. Decrease in interest rates: Decline in overall interest rates of banks could mainly increase the overall demand for bonds. In addition, bond return is mainly fixed while interest rate varies, which makes bond an attractive investment opportunity of interest rate decline. The demand for bonds mainly increases with the decline in demand for interest rate. The sudden decline in interest rate mainly helps in shifting the demand curve of the bond (Wang, Weiz and Zhong 2015). Increase in liquidity position of the bonds: Bond market has low liquidity as investors mainly use bonds as fixed investment. However, investor are mainly attracted to bond, which have high liquidity, as they are able to conduct both sell and buy functions frequently. If the bond market is liquid as US government a securities then overall demand of bond rises. This increment in demand of bonds mainly helps in shifting its demand curve. Brissimis, Garganas and Hall (2014) argued that demand curve of bond could be shifted on either way, which states the contraction and increment of demand among investors. Decrease in expected inflation: Furthermore, the overall decline in expected inflation rate mainly increases the benefits, which is been provided by the bonds. This mainly helps in raising the overall demand and shifts demand curve of the bond. The future return on every bond is mainly discounted to identify the present value, which incorporates inflation rate. Thus, the decline in inflation rate mainly increases the overall return, which could be provided by the bond. Mina, Lahr and Hughes (2013) mentioned that returns from bonds mainly increase in value if inflation rate declines, which makes the opportunity a riskless investment. Four factors that might cause supply curve of bond to shift: Figure 2: Depicting the shift in supply curve of Bond (Source: Greenwood and Vayanos 2014) The figure mainly depicts the relevant shift in supply curve of bond, which changes the market equilibrium. The factors depicted mainly shifts the supply curve from S to S` keeping the supply constant. Four factors that might cause supply curve of bond to shift are depicted as follows. Rise in expected profits: The overall supply of bond mainly increases if organisation expects profit growth by implementing high-end investment. The overall rise in expected profits mainly allow organisation to acquire more debt for buying new equipments and machinery, which could support its revenue generation capacity. However, during a recession a negative impact occurs on the overall expected profits, which could be attained by the company. This increment in expected profit of organisation mainly increases the overall corporate bonds, which shifts its supply curve (Kang, Ratti and Yoon 2014). Decrease in business taxes: Decline in overall business taxes mainly helps the company in attaining more profits, which in turn motivates business to invest more by using bonds. In addition, the decline in government taxes mainly helps companies to improve their retained profits. This increment in the retained profits mainly helps the company in issuing more bonds, whose capital could be used in its expansion process (Greenwood, Hanson and Vayanos 2015). Rise in expected inflation: The overall increment in inflation rate mainly decreases the overall return, which could be provided from investing in bonds. This decline in overall return from investment in bond mainly initiates high selling, which increases the overall supply of bond. Consequently, the increment in inflation rate main instigates high borrowings by issuing bonds, which are conducted by both corporate and government. This high issue of new bond mainly increases the overall supply in the market, which in turn shifts the supply curve of the bond (Becker and Ivashina 2014). Rise in government borrowings: Government mainly issue bonds if expenses exceed the overall amount collected from tax. In addition, government mainly use bonds for supporting the overall expenses conducted on public development, which help in improving infrastructure and increase development. The government mainly acquire debt by issuing bond, which could support the required expenditure on public developments. Furthermore, the rise in overall deficit of the government is mainly supported by increasing supply of bond. This increment in the bond supply mainly shifts the supply curve (Wang, Weiz and Zhong 2015). References: Ballotta, L. and Kyriakou, I., 2015. Convertible bond valuation in a jump diffusion setting with stochastic interest rates.Quantitative Finance,15(1), pp.115-129. Brockington, D., Bond, P., Bscher, B., Igoe, J.J., Sullivan, S. and Bracking, P.W.S., 2014. Initial Research Design:Human, non-human and environmental value systems: an impossible frontier?. Bielecki, T.R. and Rutkowski, M., 2013.Credit risk: modeling, valuation and hedging. Springer Science Business Media. Badertscher, B.A., Givoly, D., Katz, S.P. and Lee, H., 2015. Private ownership and the cost of debt: Evidence from the bond market. Greenwood, R. and Vayanos, D., 2014. Bond supply and excess bond returns.Review of Financial Studies,27(3), pp.663-713. Becker, B. and Ivashina, V., 2014. Cyclicality of credit supply: Firm level evidence.Journal of Monetary Economics,62, pp.76-93. Wang, S., Weiz, K.C. and Zhong, N., 2015. The Demand Effect of Yield-Chasing Retail Investors: Evidence from the Corporate Bond Market. Brissimis, S.N., Garganas, E.N. and Hall, S.G., 2014. Consumer credit in an era of financial liberalization: an overreaction to repressed demand?.Applied Economics,46(2), pp.139-152. Mina, A., Lahr, H. and Hughes, A., 2013. The demand and supply of external finance for innovative firms.Industrial and Corporate Change,22(4), pp.869-901. Kang, W., Ratti, R.A. and Yoon, K.H., 2014. The impact of oil price shocks on US bond market returns.Energy Economics,44, pp.248-258. Greenwood, R., Hanson, S. and Vayanos, D., 2015.Forward guidance in the yield curve: short rates versus bond supply(No. w21750). National Bureau of Economic Research. Di Asih, I.M. and Rosadi, D., 2015, February. One period coupon bond valuation with revised first passage time approach and the application in Indonesian corporate bond. InTHE 2ND ISM INTERNATIONAL STATISTICAL CONFERENCE 2014 (ISM-II): Empowering the Applications of Statistical and Mathematical Sciences(Vol. 1643, No. 1, pp. 391-401). AIP Publishing.