Kant: Goodness :: essays research papers

Kant: Goodness The philosopher I used is Immanuel Kant. He was very practical in his thinking of goodness. A quote of his was "I ought, therefore I can". His view was good anything is under good will . He believed good will was the primary goodness, good in its purest form, and that it couldn't be corrupted. Good feelings and good intentions and actions can be interpreted in different ways; man can corrupt these things into evil...even though it still might be good in that man's eyes. What he's really trying to say is that good will is good in its objective form. Therefore, it defines goodness. A few examples of forms of goodness that could be corrupt are intelligence, courage, and resolution. These things can be very good, but can be used for evil as well. The short story I would like to allude to in order to connect these themes and ideas is "A Good Man is Hard to Find". The title even has "good" in it...and according to Kant, goodness in its purest form is good will. The question now would be, does the Misfit have good will? Is what he is doing good, objectively, and purely? He is purging and purifying the world. He is Christ like in many senses. He is purifying the world by purging it of its evil...relating to the Old Testament. God decided that the human race was too evil to survive, so he flooded it. God killed, as well as the Misfit. This isn't the same as Christ, though; it just adds to the religious element. Christ's mission was to try and rid the world of evil, and sacrificed for it. The Misfit sacrificed his freedom initially, was "reborn" again by escaping from jail, and become a Christ like figure again...he's now reborn, and his mission has an even stronger exclamation point on it, just like Christ's after he was resurrected. The literal differences are obvious; Christ never held anyone at gunpoint, let alone kill old ladies (no matter HOW hateful). But the allusions above illustrate that the Misfit was indeed a Christ-like figure with good intentions; good will . The Misfit was in a world of evil where he felt it was his mission, as well as his intention and his will, to be the savior of the good people. When it really comes to good will, I believe that the Misfit did have good will and that, in a world such as his, the South, he was not just playing God, but his will was forcing him to be God to judge the "infidels".

Succubus Shadows Chapter 19

â€Å"Real,† I gasped out. â€Å"That was†¦real. Seth didn't give in to temptation. Seth stayed with Maddie.† â€Å"Maybe,† said One. The instinct to claw his eyes out rose within me, strong and sudden. It was animal and rash – and impossible since I had no form here. It was an urge I'd had on more than one occasion with the Oneroi. â€Å"True. It was true.† This was like a child's game with them, over and over. Or maybe the true/false section on the SAT. Circles. Circles. My life was a circle. â€Å"And Jerome†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The end of the dream came to me where my boss had spirited Seth away. â€Å"He's coming for me. He took Seth. They're going to do that ritual. Erik's going to set it up.† â€Å"Yes. And he's going to fail.† â€Å"No, he won't,† I cried. Every ounce of me had become desperation: voice, mind, soul. â€Å"Jerome will come for me. He'll save me.† â€Å"No one is coming for you,† said Two. â€Å"They will try, but they will fail.† Again, they sent me back to my world, and as much as I yearned for familiar faces, the doubt and uncertainty the Oneroi kept bringing up filled me with a despairing kind of confusion. I was at Erik's. And apparently, so was everyone else. His store had a large back room used for storage that I'd only once caught a glimpse of. It reminded me of a garage, with unfinished cement floors and plain drywall on the sides. A small table held a bowl of burning incense that made the air hazy. The edges of the room were stacked with boxes and crates that appeared to have been shoved to create an empty space around the edge of the room. Also along the edges was the Seattle immortal club: Hugh, Cody, Peter, Carter, and even Mei. Roman was probably there too, hidden because of Mei. In the center of the room, Erik was drawing chalk patterns on the floor. Jerome stood nearby, and Seth hovered uneasily between them and my friends along the wall. I think he was having a hard time deciding who was safest. If not for Mei, he probably would have chosen my friends. Mei watched Erik and Jerome with disapproval, her nearly black eyes narrowed and brick-red lips pursed. At last, she uncrossed her arms and strode toward the center, her stiletto heels clicking loudly against the cement. Seth scurried out of her way, retreating to the safety of my friends. â€Å"This is ridiculous,† Mei said. â€Å"You're wasting everyone's time. Even with all of them† – she gestured to the wall gang – â€Å"it's not enough to bring her back. You need to report it and get another succubus.† â€Å"I report it, and there'll be another archdemon here too.† Jerome cut her a look. â€Å"I'm kind of surprised you haven't done that already.† Good point. As his underling, Mei obeyed him, but she was ambitious. If Jerome got in trouble for losing me, it could be to her advantage. â€Å"I don't need to,† she said flatly. â€Å"You'll be telling them yourself soon. Why do I have to be here? I have no connection to her.† â€Å"Because I told you to! Stop arguing.† Jerome glared at her, and the two demons locked gazes. At last, Mei gave a sharp nod, but it didn't seem like she gave in because of his authority. It was more like he'd communicated something, and she was acknowledging it. She returned to the side of the room, opposite my friends now. Erik had to lean and get on his knees for a lot of his chalk work, something that had to be agony on his back. With a sigh, he finally stood up and examined his design. It showed two large concentric circles, filled and surrounded with a number of arcane symbols. Some I knew; some I didn't. Jerome studied the pattern too, and for the first time ever, my boss looked†¦nervous. â€Å"Is it ready?† he demanded. Erik nodded, one hand absentmindedly rubbing his back. â€Å"Barring the spell itself, yes.† Jerome's eyes fell on Seth, who flinched. â€Å"You,† said the demon. â€Å"Come here.† Seth eyed the pattern almost as uneasily as Jerome had. â€Å"What will happen to me?† â€Å"It won't kill you, if that's what you're worried about. And you can leave the circle whenever you want. Now stop wasting time.† I didn't like hearing Jerome boss Seth around. It stirred up those coals of rage that had been burning within me lately. I even grew angry seeing Seth obey; I kind of wanted him to defy Jerome. A moment later, I tried to banish such thoughts. I needed to save my fury for the Oneroi, not this group. Surely Jerome wasn't lying. Carter, who'd remained quiet throughout all of this, would have called Jerome on it. I hoped. Seth walked over to Jerome's side, careful not to step on any of the chalk lines – like how superstitious people avoid cracks on sidewalks. Erik gave Seth a small smile. â€Å"He's right, Mr. Mortensen. This won't hurt you. Though it will be†¦strange.† Mei suddenly went rigid again. â€Å"Him? That's all you're using? Jerome, one person can't – â€Å" â€Å"Enough!† roared Jerome. â€Å"I'm tired of listening to everyone backtalk me. Can we get on with this?† Erik nodded and walked over to the table with the incense. There was also a small bowl of water and a long, roughly hewn piece of stone. Smoky quartz, I thought. Erik picked it up carefully, reverently. He pushed the tip of the wand into the smoldering incense, and then held it up so the smoke could swathe it. A couple seconds later, he dipped the wand's end into the water. When that was completed, he began carrying the wand to the circle. â€Å"Wait,† Carter suddenly said. He straightened up from where he'd been slouching against some boxes. â€Å"I'm going in too.† â€Å"You're all crazy,† muttered Mei. â€Å"She has a point,† said Jerome. â€Å"If you're in here – â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know,† said Carter, stepping over the lines to join Jerome. â€Å"And I also know what might come out.† The two of them looked at each other, more silent messages passing, and then neither spoke again. Erik returned to the circle's center, holding the wand up high. Both Carter and Jerome had moved as far from the humans as possible without crossing the inner circle. As Erik's arms reached heavenward, he suddenly didn't seem like a weak old man. True, his body was frail and growing gaunter every day, but as he stood there and began chanting, he became so much more than human. Dante was a better magician when it came down to it, but Erik wasn't without his own power, even if rarely used. If I'd been there in the flesh, I would have felt the magic he was summoning. Knowing it was there almost made me believe I could see it. He finished his chant, spoken in words I only knew a little of, and then walked around the circle. He touched it in four spots with the wand, all equidistant from each other. The instant his wand touched the fourth spot, every immortal in the room suddenly flinched and looked uncomfortable – even the greater ones. Seth mostly looked confused. As a disconnected observer, my view was like Seth's. I saw nothing happen either. But I realized then that if I'd been there, I would have felt what all the other immortals had as well. Erik had locked the circle, slamming invisible walls into place. All magical circles were different, but he'd told Seth that he could cross out – meaning this was a circle to keep only immortals in. It wasn't exactly like a summoning. Summonings required massive amounts of magic because they were enslaving an immortal against his or her will. This circle was a prison too, but it required less magic because the immortals had entered it by choice. Jerome and Carter had just knowingly allowed themselves to be entrapped. This was why he wanted Mei around. For an unscrupulous magic user – say, like Dante – this was a golden opportunity. Two imprisoned greater immortals? It had infinite possibilities for a magician. Whatever Erik was doing here, I didn't believe he'd abuse this situation. But Jerome, being a demon, didn't trust anyone. Jerome had wanted Mei on hand to do some smiting if Erik wouldn't release his prisoners. Of course, she would be powerless to do anything until Erik left the circle – which he'd have to do eventually. If they were all trying to rescue me, though, Erik couldn't have created this circle with the intent of trapping Jerome and Carter specifically. The angel's words came back to me: I also know what might come out. Erik stood in front of Seth, who was growing more nervous by the second. The strain in Erik's face showed the power he was keeping in check. He couldn't play kindly old man right now, but he did what he could. â€Å"Do you care about Miss Kincaid?† he asked Seth. â€Å"Do you want to save her?† â€Å"Yes,† answered Seth swiftly. â€Å"Then you must think about her. Focus every ounce of your being on her. Imagine her. Cry out for her. There must be no other thoughts in your head – only her.† Seth looked puzzled but nodded. Erik turned to Jerome and Carter. â€Å"And you must stop him from going in entirely. You can't enter yourselves, but you can keep him here. You have to, or you'll lose both of them.† Erik waited for no acknowledgment from the angel and demon. He held up his wand again and touched Seth on his forehead, both cheeks, and chin. Seth shivered. â€Å"Remember,† said Erik. â€Å"When the gate opens, think of her. Only her. Reach for her. And when you find her, do not let go.† â€Å"Gate?† asked Seth. â€Å"What – â€Å" But Erik was chanting again, and a wind emerged out of nowhere, ruffling the hair of those in the circles. His voice grew more and more powerful, and then – I was back with the Oneroi. â€Å"What happened?† I exclaimed. For the millionth time, I wished I could beat on the walls of my prison. I wanted to claw their eyes out again. I wanted to choke them. â€Å"Show me what happens!† â€Å"Failure,† said One. â€Å"They won't succeed,† added Two. â€Å"The demoness was correct. A dozen humans who loved you couldn't reach you, let alone – â€Å" He stopped speaking. His eyes met One's, and then both glanced around as though searching for something. I tried to see what they saw or heard, but there was nothing for me. Only blackness and silence. Then, I felt the stirring of another dream coming over me. The dark world started to go blurry, and both Oneroi jerked their heads toward me. â€Å"No!† exclaimed Two, extending his hand. Everything grew clear again. I didn't dream. I stayed where I was. Georgina. My name. For the first time in – well, I had no idea how many days – I heard something that wasn't the Oneroi. It was so faint, a whisper lost on the wind. My name. One of them, at least. I couldn't tell where it came from, but every part of me tried to focus on it, to figure out its origin. Georgina. â€Å"Yes?† I said aloud. â€Å"I'm here!† The world grew blurry again. I didn't hear my name, but it was like the siren song all over again. Music without sound, colors without description. â€Å"Stop this!† cried One. I had never heard the Oneroi raise their voices. They always spoke in those low, sly tones. But they were pretty upset now. â€Å"Fight it!† This was Two, speaking to One. â€Å"Join me! Don't let it – â€Å" I left them for another dream. Or, well, more like another place. No, it wasn't even a place. It was like I was floating in space, in a nebula. Perhaps a hurricane was a more accurate way to describe it because things were swirling around me and blowing past. Wisps of smoke. Bits of colors. Brilliant stars. Some touched me. Some went through me. And every time I made contact, I felt an emotion – an emotion that wasn't my own. Happiness. Terror. With that emotion came a brief flash of an image. A green field. An airplane. A monster. It was a snowstorm of stimuli. I was lost and adrift, almost more scared than in my prison with the Oneroi. At least that had had some substance, no matter how insignificant. But this†¦what was this? Every once in a while, it would start to dissolve to black, like I might be returning to the box†¦. Then, the darkness would fade, again leaving me helpless in this mad riot of sensation. Georgina. My name again. And with it, that pull. That pull of familiarity. Though I technically had no body here either, I searched for that voice and that pull, looking through the riotous color. Georgina. It was stronger. That sense of summoning. I burned with the need to get to it. It was part of me. It was home. And then, in all that chaos, one light shone brighter than all the others. It was white, pure and pristine amidst the kaleidoscope raining down upon me. I stared at it, reached for it in as much as I could. The world started to fracture to black once again, but it was the last time. I wouldn't return to the box. Not with this light before me. It's hard to say if it became brighter and brighter or if it just grew closer and closer, but suddenly it was before me. It was around me. I was it. Just like when I'd brushed against those other dreams, I had a flash of vision that snapped me briefly from the whirlwind. I was in Seth's arms. Or was I? As he held me, his face seemed to shift over and over to different forms. No, it was him. I would know him anywhere. He was so familiar, and now this close to me, I couldn't let go of him. He was home. Georgina. The voice came again, and it was his. Georgina, don't let go. No. I wasn't letting go. I was never letting go again†¦. That brief moment of human contact gave way to the starry field of dreams, but this time, I had an anchor. I was with the light. I was the light. I felt it pulling me, but I needed no urging. I would go wherever it took me. I released all control. I had the sensation of floating, of being stretched and reaching forward. Behind me, something tugged at me, but it wasn't strong enough. I was moving forward. Forward and forward and – The sound of screaming filled the room. My screaming. Screaming over the pain of being torn apart and reassembled. Pain from being stripped of all energy within me. I was weak. Raw. Nothing. What room was this? I saw faces. Faces near me, faces along the room's wall. They looked at me like they knew me. Did they? Did I know them? My legs buckled underneath me, weak like a colt's. One of the men standing near me reached out, but I scrambled backward, needing to escape. I couldn't let him touch me. Of that, I was certain. My mind had been shredded and ripped open. I didn't want to be touched in any other way. The floor was cold and smooth as I scurried over it, but I was stopped by a wall. At least, it felt like one. I saw nothing there, only a blue line upon the floor. The invisible wall was familiar and triggered fear. It reminded me of the box. I drew my knees up to me, trying to make myself small as I trembled. The men near me – four of them – were speaking in a language I didn't know. They were arguing. One kept trying to come to me, but another stopped him. That one was terrifying. His features were nothing extraordinary – tall, with dark brown eyes and hair – but there was something about him that made me cold all over. There was power in him, power all around him. I could feel it and see it. It reminded me of sulfur. His eyes fell on me as he spoke harshly to the others, and I cringed further. I felt certain I knew him, but he still scared me. Suddenly, another of the men exclaimed something and touched the dark-haired one's arm. This man was blond. I sensed power around him too, but it felt different. It was clean and crystalline. All four turned around, putting their backs to me as they stared at something. Nothing was there at first, then I began to see and feel it. A glowing purple orb appeared before them, becoming larger and larger. As it did, I saw it was more of a spiral, its arms whirling as it grew. The two men who didn't radiate power stepped back. If the unseen wall had let me, I too would have moved away. Out of the purple light, two black forms suddenly materialized and stepped forward. Two black figures who were somehow luminescent at the same time and had brilliant blue eyes. My own eyes widened. I might not know anything else that was going on around me, but I knew them. I knew them, and I was going to kill them. I'm not sure how I did it since there seemed to be no spark of life left within me, yet somehow, I mustered the strength to spring up and run toward them. My shrieked words were incoherent, but it didn't matter. Only their destruction did. I would rip them apart. I would make them suffer the way they'd – Strong arms grabbed me, stopping me as surely as the wall had. It was the blond man, and his grip was like iron. â€Å"Let me go!† I screamed. â€Å"Let me go! I'll kill them! I'll kill them both!† The dark-haired man glanced back toward us. â€Å"Do not let her go,† he said mildly, this time in a language I understood. I fought in vain against the arms but made no progress. The dark-haired man turned to the Oneroi. â€Å"This isn't your world,† he said. â€Å"We've come for what's ours,† said one of the Oneroi. â€Å"You took her.† â€Å"I took back what was mine,† the dark-haired man countered. â€Å"You stole her.† â€Å"We won her. She came to us of her own free will.† The dark-haired man snorted. Jerome, I suddenly remembered. His name was Jerome. â€Å"We have different definitions of ‘free will,'† he said. â€Å"We want her back,† protested the Oneroi. â€Å"You're taking nothing back,† countered Jerome, voice hard. â€Å"Go before I change my mind.† I'd gone slack while they spoke, but now my fury was renewed. I struggled again. â€Å"Let me kill them!† I screamed. â€Å"Jerome, it's my right! Let me destroy them!† Jerome turned back, maybe surprised I'd used his name. â€Å"I don't think you're in any shape to kill anything.† â€Å"It's my right,† I said. â€Å"After what they did – they'll suffer like I did. I will shred them. I'll rip their souls out!† â€Å"They don't have souls,† he said dryly. â€Å"But I like your enthusiasm.† He turned back to the Oneroi. â€Å"So, you stole my succubus and tortured her.† His voice carried that reptilian chill. It froze my blood. It made the air crackle with tension. The Oneroi shifted uncomfortably. They weren't unaffected. â€Å"Because of her, our mother was recaptured,† one of them said. But he didn't sound as confident or outraged as before. â€Å"We are entitled to revenge.† â€Å"You believe insult to another justifies revenge?† asked Jerome. Oh, that voice. That voice made the air grow still. â€Å"Yes,† said the Oneroi as one. â€Å"Me too,† replied Jerome. He didn't even move, but I felt the power flare out from him, like a torch thrown into dry tinder. It exploded – and so did the Oneroi. Well, it was more like they imploded. That power hit them, and then – they were no more. Just like that. â€Å"Oh, Jerome,† said the man holding me. â€Å"Do you know what you've done?† Jerome glanced back at us and shrugged. â€Å"I don't like people taking my things.† The swirling purple gate had never left, and now it began to grow brighter and rotate faster. â€Å"Shit,† said Jerome. â€Å"I was hoping no one would notice.† The man holding me sighed. He looked down at me, and silvery gray eyes pierced my soul. â€Å"Listen to me. Do not move. Do you understand? Stay right here.† When I didn't answer, he sighed again. â€Å"Do you know me?† Did I? Yes. The eyes. I knew the eyes. â€Å"Carter.† The word came out strangely on my tongue. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"You know me. Trust me. Do not move.† He let go of me, waited to see what I'd do, and then walked up to join Jerome when I stayed in place. Nothing could have made me move anyway, not when I saw what came through the gate. It was monstrous. Literally. Yellow-eyed and scaly, mottled purple and gray. It had what looked like a pig's snout, and seven horns ran over its head like points on a crown. It towered over Jerome and Carter as it emerged from the gate, but the two of them stood where they were, regarding it defiantly. â€Å"You destroyed my subjects,† the creature growled. Its voice came from deep within its throat and made the floor vibrate. â€Å"You broke the laws.† â€Å"Your subjects were in our realm,† said Jerome. He was perfectly calm. â€Å"They stole one of my people and abused her. They broke the rules.† â€Å"That doesn't give you the right to do what you did,† came the response. â€Å"They would have destroyed her if they were capable of it. Next time, keep a better watch on your employees so that they don't go causing trouble where they shouldn't.† The monster's nostrils flared. â€Å"I could destroy you for this.† â€Å"Try,† said Jerome. â€Å"Try taking on both of us.† Those yellow eyes flicked over to Carter. A few teeth showed in the creature's mouth. I think he was smiling. â€Å"An angel and a demon fighting together. It would almost be worth seeing.† Heavy silence fell as everyone sized each other up. I had no sense of the monster's strength. Physical size was not proportional to power. Jerome and Carter, however, were burning like small suns, ready to burst at any moment. At last, the monster shrugged. Or did his equivalent of it. â€Å"But it's been enough just to see you defend each other's honor. I will not destroy you†¦today. There will be no more assaults on my people. If there are, I won't be so forgiving.† â€Å"And if your people don't leave mine alone,† said Jerome smoothly, â€Å"I won't be as forgiving either.† The creature snarled, and for a moment, I thought he might very well change his mind. He didn't. Instead, he stepped backward toward the purple light. He merged into it, vanishing to our eyes, and then the gate itself disappeared as well. â€Å"He is such a fucking liar,† said Jerome. â€Å"‘Forgiving' indeed. He knew we'd blast his scaly ass out of here.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I hope we never find if that's true or not,† said Carter. â€Å"Fighting a Morphean demon would generate paperwork even on my side.† Jerome's lips twitched into a smile. â€Å"Now that would be worth seeing.† I looked between both of them, my fear from the near-confrontation fading. With the last of my energy, I lunged for Jerome, beating my fists against his chest. He caught them and stopped me as easily as Carter had. â€Å"You should have let me do it! You should have let me destroy them! It was my right!† â€Å"That's what you're pissed off about? Georgie, I'm not even sure how you're still standing.† â€Å"It was my right,† I repeated. â€Å"You don't know what they did.† â€Å"I can make some good guesses.† I stopped in my struggles, and at last, the full force of everything that had happened descended on me. My being's full depletion hit me. I sagged in his arms, and he caught me. The sights and people around me were still a little muddled, but lots of things were starting to come back. â€Å"You were supposed to keep me safe,† I said in a small voice. I felt my eyes grow wet. â€Å"You shouldn't have let that happen – let them take me. You're supposed to protect me.† Jerome looked truly surprised and didn't respond to me immediately. I was afraid he'd get angry, but instead, he said quietly, â€Å"Yes. I am. I did in the end, but – I was late.† â€Å"Great apology,† said Carter. Now Jerome's anger returned. â€Å"I have nothing to apologize for!† He turned back to me, and again, his voice was calm and patient. Almost gentle. I knew this was uncharacteristic for him. â€Å"I brought you back. You're safe now. They will never harm you again. Do you understand?† I nodded. â€Å"Good. Now it's time to finish this.† Jerome turned toward the humans. One of them was old, very old – with dark brown skin and graying hair. His eyes were compassionate. The other man was younger, with messy hair and brown eyes that turned honey-amber when the light caught them. He was staring at me like he knew me, which wasn't a surprise because I knew him too. I didn't know how, but I did. In fact, I was beginning to realize I knew everyone in this room. Other names were coming back to me. This one man's name eluded me, though, largely because several kept popping into my head. He studied me intently, like he was trying to figure something out, and I found myself falling into those golden brown eyes. Jerome said something to the gray-haired man in that other language. I still couldn't understand it, but there was something familiar about its sounds. The old man didn't answer or move right away, and palpable tension fell over the entire room. At last the old man took a wand he was holding and began touching points on the circle upon the floor, murmuring softly as he did. When he touched the circle a fourth time, it was as though a great pressure – one I hadn't even known was there – was released from the room. Jerome exchanged a few curt words with the man and then turned to me. â€Å"As I was saying, how you're conscious is beyond me – but considering all the other absurd things you do, I shouldn't be surprised.† He stepped toward me and pressed his fingers to my forehead. I gasped as a jolt of†¦something†¦raced through me. At first, it was shocking and prickly. Then, it transformed into something sweeter and more wonderful. The most wonderful thing on earth. It filled me up, energizing me, making me whole. Until this moment, how could I have thought I was alive? The world came into greater focus, the sights grew more familiar. I staggered, not from weakness this time, but from the pure bliss of life Jerome had gifted me with. He said something to me in that other language, and I frowned, not understanding. He spoke again in my own words. â€Å"Change back, Georgina. Time to go.† â€Å"Change to what?† â€Å"Whatever you want. Your current favorite, I'd imagine. Not this.† His hand gestured toward my body. I examined myself for the first time. I wasn't quite as tall as him, a few inches shorter, maybe. My legs and arms were long and lean, my skin tanned from the sun. A plain ivory dress covered me, and I could see the tips of black hair falling onto my chest. I frowned. This was me†¦and yet not me. â€Å"Change back, Georgina,† he repeated. â€Å"That's not my name,† I said. â€Å"Shake off what they've done,† he said, clearly impatient. â€Å"It's over. They've fogged your mind, but you can clear it. Change back, Georgina. Come back to this time.† His next words were in that other language, and I shook my head angrily. â€Å"I don't understand. I shouldn't be here. This is my body, but this isn't my time.† He gave another command that I still didn't comprehend, and I uttered the same response. Three times we went through this, and then on the fourth, his words came through to me, perfectly understandable. I knew what he was speaking. The English language exploded in my mind, and with it, much more. I held out my hands before me, staring long and hard as though seeing them for the first time. â€Å"This is my time,† I murmured in English. I looked down at my long legs. A strange sense of revulsion ran through me. â€Å"This is not my body.† Yet†¦it was. It was, and it wasn't. With no energy, it was what I had reverted to. â€Å"What's your name?† he demanded. Letha. My name is Letha. â€Å"Georgina,† I said. And with that, I summoned the power to make my body's shape change. Slim and short, with light brown hair, and golden green eyes. The off-white homespun shift became a blue cotton dress. A moment later, I changed it to jeans and a blue shirt. Jerome glanced at Carter. â€Å"See? No harm done.† Carter didn't acknowledge that. Instead, he asked, â€Å"So now what?† â€Å"Now?† Jerome's gaze fell on me again. â€Å"Now Georgina sleeps.† â€Å"What?† I cried. â€Å"No! Not after†¦no. I'm never sleeping again.† Jerome almost smiled before touching my forehead again. I slept.

K – 12

Opinion â€Å"On the Lighter Side† If the K-12 Education Plan becomes successful, then the Philippine education system can become more competitive among other countries countries around the world. Though there are still some problems that the government needs to solve before they can successfully implement the plan. The proposed program is good but it still won't work if the needed elements to make it work isn't present. Such elements includes the addressed problems mentioned above, especially the number of public school classrooms plus the adequate supply of classroom chairs, books, etc.If the government could allot a bigger budget to educational needs, then we could be one-step ahead towards the success of the K-12 program. Furthermore, parents (especially those who belongs in the poor sector) should be properly informed and motivated of the advantages of the K-12 Education Plan. This is very important since parents plays a major role in providing the child's school allowanc es, supplies, and fees for other school projects and activities. Add to that the support of parents towards their children in terms of guidance and teaching.Once this succeeds, it is best hoped that Filipino students would be more literate, skilled, and competitive to be able to find jobs more easily and contribute to the country's pride as well as the country's economy. As speculations continue of what the K-12 Education Plan will specifically be, it is still best to hear the full details of the proposal this upcoming October 2010.Read more: http://www. bukisa. com/articles/334773_editorial-k-12-education-in-the-philippines#ixzz15apkqL00

Does Content Marketing Help Retain Current Customers

Does Content Marketing Help Retain Current Customers Content marketing is celebrated as an excellent strategy to widen the sales funnel. Producing a variety of content geared toward a prospective customer keeps your brand top of mind, persuading them to move further in the sales process. Rand Fishkin explained it best  when he said that content marketing is at times a long and laborious process of constantly reminding your customers. So its easy to think once that sale is completed, so is the content. This is a huge mistake by marketers- its essentially ignoring and devaluing an individual once they become a customer. Instead there should be a content strategy in place that builds value, strengthens customer trust and increases potential for brand evangelism, upselling and cross-selling opportunities. #ContentMarketing still continues after the sale. It  constantly reminds your customers of you.The After the Close Dilemma After the sale, there is the vital step of keeping your commitments. At its core, it means keeping your customer happy. Did you guarantee your product or service could solve a specific need? Then it had better deliver. In addition to carrying out the agreement, there are natural emotions and hiccups along the way, including: Buyers remorse New influencers and decision makers Resentment or aggression Distrust Failure to build value Ian Lurie of Portent, Inc. describes the post-sale risks perfectly in the following graph: While his example was specific to marketing agencies, every customer goes through a post-sale evaluation of their purchase. Failure on your part to keep commitments and continue to drive home value opens the door for your competition to get the next sale. So what should you be doing to keep the customer? For many businesses, this may mean tailoring content for multiple departments in charge of project delivery, customer service and long-term customer relationship building. Here are recommendations for each of these three key areas, and some examples of companies doing it best. #1 Project Delivery For most business, going back to keeping your commitments falls on the project delivery team. Think of the software, medical or finance industries with a robust sales staff and defined sales process. Often a closed deal is passed to an account manager. And then, unfortunately, a client is often  underwhelmed because the focus is more on the initial sale rather than project delivery. Since most customers have an established and trusted relationship with the sales representative and not the project delivery team, content marketing can help with this sensitive transition between sales and project delivery, helping you  meet a customers expectations and keep them for the long-term. How do you do this? Building Trust With Customers The last thing you want is for your customers to not trust you after youve made the sale. Distrust stems from a variety of circumstances, such as confusion with your service delivery or perhaps a poor experience with your type of business in the past. Content helps lessen any growing  doubt by establishing credibility and initial trust with the prospect. For example, our agency provides our clients with a tip sheet to making web design projects run smoothly. While many of the tips may seem obvious, it positions us as a serious firm that is dedicated to delivering work on time and on budget. It helps customers trust us. Addressing Customer Inquiries How many times have you scrolled through a lengthy FAQ page and never found  an answer? An ideal customer is one that is proactive in educating themselves, so your content marketing should at least  help a customer do that. Free graphic design tool Canva is great at proactively addressing customer questions, taking their help beyond the basic FAQ page. Their DESIGN 101 newsletter guides beginner users on how to create new designs, ultimately drawing them back to the Canva site. While this is a free tool, educating users after their initial sign up keeps the hype alive and more signups coming in. Off the shelf answers like this not only immediately address customer inquiries but save time for the project delivery team. Do more than provide customers with an FAQ. Use email and blog content to help them learn.Does Your Customer Understand The Features? Some of your customers may be purchasing your service or product for the very first time. While the sales process sells the customer on features and expected outcomes, that doesn’t mean that  theyll immediately know how to handle what they just purchased. You will probably have to help them out quite a bit after the sale. For example, You Need A Budget. (YNAB) simplifies their budgeting platform through a library of tutorial videos on how to effectively use their service. Instead of crafting an FAQ and calling it a day, YNAB repurposes many of their customers’ top concerns and questions into video to continue use of the product. If the client does not use the product, they wont see much value in it. Ongoing content ensures continuous usage. Customers purchase based on features and what should happen. They will need help to MAKE it happen.Pointing Out New Needs Upselling is hard, but crucial for service-focused companies  that want to  maintain a viable business. Essentially, you have to be on the lookout to upsell.  A great way to do this is to re-convert existing customers by continuously responding to market demands and creating new product features. For example, when Twitter was rolling out their own advertising platform, Twitter for Business, they partnered with other social media gurus on webinars to educate current Twitter users on social media best practices. By covering new trends in social media, Twitter not only promoted their brand, they upsold Twitter ads. A current customer is still a potential customer. Are you ready to re-convert them to new features?#2 Customer Service In an ideal world, you gathered enough information  in the initial sales process that you’re prepared to react to any client objections, problems or questions. In reality, this isn’t usually  the case. While your established processes, tools, and people have a large impact on the success of customer service, content marketing can also play a role in reducing customer frustration and abandonment. In other words, your content can be that bridge that cross that gap. Addressing Customer Emergencies Customer emergencies are where customer service can either excel or crash and burn. The horror stories of unprofessional and unhelpful customer service departments are shared all over the web. To create a responsive customer service environment, it is important to make sure they have  useful content they can refer to and share with customers. This content might be in the form of informational one-sheets, downloadable help guides, videos or social media that can take some weight off their shoulders when an extraordinary issue arises. A common case study in poor customer service is the airline industry- and the gold standard is Virgin America. Before content marketing was a bonafide strategy, Virgin America’s safety video took a typical safety message  and revamped it for their customers. Delta is doing something similar with their safety videos, too.  I see flight attendants as an interesting mix between safety guards and customer service- this video marries the two in an entertaining way. Solving Common Product Issues Even if you believe your product or service delivery is 100% foolproof, any time  a customer has to handle any part of the execution, chances are theyll run into some issues. Based on how many customers you have, this can become overwhelming for customer service to manage. Similar to creating content internally, many companies are opting to put the content creation in their customers hands. Enabling customers with tools like community forums and knowledge bases is a great way to use content to build customer service (not to mention the SEO benefits). Moz is a perfect example of communities that use  the expertise of their clients to help  new ones. Continuing To Build Trust Remember the importance of building trust during project management? Customer service keeps that foundation secure. Customer mistrust can stem from many occurrences- product recalls, poor media coverage, buggy features, and unsatisfactory delivery–just to name a few. Social media is a perfect tool for a customer service team as long as proper training and processes are in place. Even if you prefer email to handle most of your customers questions, social media can keep you in front of  your followers in a personal way. Dan Norris of WPCurve is an excellent example of continuing to build trust with his potential network. While he lets his service delivery team handle all customer communication, his Twitter followers receive company updates and accomplishments to drive home trust in using WPCurve. Explaining Sensitive Issues Personal concerns and sensitive topics may play out in a business transaction. Its never fun having difficult conversations with a customer, but content can help ease anxieties and keep a project on task. The Vanguard Blog takes the formality and nerves out of personal issues like investment, retirement planning and tax planning through the expertise of Vanguard employees. By publishing blog posts based on common issues and conversations they have with their clients, theyre helping the greater community in handling complex and sensitive issues. #3 Customer Advocacy Within your client base, there are a small percentage of customers who truly love what you do and want to tell people about it. This is a marketers dream, as word of mouth still reigns supreme. Building a customer advocacy base takes a lot of time, but building content that enables your current supporters is a good starting point. Continuing Product Loyalty Once a sale is complete, that doesnt mean your customer is 100% guaranteed to re-purchase when the time comes. Whether it takes days, weeks, months or years for a re-purchase, content can keep your business top of mind when the timing is right. Copyblogger offers membership-only access to third party companies such as New Rainmaker and ongoing discounts to events and training. Their members also receive access to advanced articles, webinars and their community forum for paid members. Continuously providing value after a membership is purchased reminds the customer when theyre ready to renew how invaluable their service has been. Even if your business is not a membership-type business, you can still create a membership feel with exclusive content only available to current or past customers.

How To Increase Conversions And Brand Loyalty With Roger Dooley

How To Increase Conversions And Brand Loyalty With Roger Dooley What kind of experience does your brand create for customers? Is it simple and seamless enough to keep them coming back for more? Or, do they find their experience with your brand frustrating, cumbersome, and time-consuming?    Today, my guest is Roger Dooley, author of Friction, which describes things that prevent customers from having a great experience with companies and their brands. Each year, about $4.6 trillion of merchandise is left abandoned in eCommerce shopping carts. Also, internal friction (i.e., organizational drag) is responsible for $3 trillion in lost productivity. Most important element in behavior change process: Friction How to eliminate, minimize, or use friction to your advantage Reasons why people leave things in their shopping carts All routers are the same; awful experience for â€Å"normal† people Reviews and Rankings: In a market dominated by giants, address pain point that other companies aren’t to be successful Worst advice can be best practices Friction Goggles: People tend to accept things and don’t see where friction exists Actively Disengaged: Effort isn’t productive, serving a greater purpose Don’t shift the load; find ways to improve processes, and stop wasting time Software and tools help eliminate friction Acceptance of Fake Rules: This is the way things are done, or it has to be done Difference between friction and motivation; operate in opposition due to choices    Links: Roger Dooley Friction College Confidential Brainfluence The Persuasion Slide Amazon 1-Click Ordering Uber United Airlines Harvard Business Review: Reduce Organizational Drag Cisco Netgear TurboTax Tom Peters John Padgett BJ Fogg AMP132: Why Best Practices Are The Worst Advice With Jay Acunzo From Unthinkable Media What topics and guests should be on AMP? Let me know! If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Roger Dooley: â€Å"Extra effort or unnecessary effort changes behavior.† â€Å"If you look at the reasons why people abandon stuff in shopping carts, almost all of them are friction-related.† â€Å"In a market totally dominated by giantshe saw a pain point that they weren’t addressing. He addressed that pain point and ended up being very successful.† â€Å"Your customers are not dogs. If you make them work a little bit harder, they will go someplace else.†

Mini Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mini Project - Assignment Example The cost of debt refers to the effective rate in which a firm pays to use debt finance. The value is considered to be the proportion of interest on the entire debt value. However, this can be viewed in two approaches namely cost of debt before tax and cost of debt after tax. As such, cost of capital before tax will therefore refer to the effective rate an organization pays for it to use debt finance without incorporating tax while cost of debt after tax will refer to effective rate in which an organization will pay to use debt finance while considering tax. In relation to GE, the company pays 5.56% for its debt finance annually before tax. The value will translate to 5.35% cost of debt after tax. This implies that the proportion of interest on entire debt value before considering tax is 5.56% while the proportion of interest considering tax is 5.35%. Also, the measure of the cost of debt reflects the risk level of an organization when compared to others. Therefore, when a company rec ords a higher rate in its cost of debt than another, then it means investing in that company will be more risky. Therefore, a firm that has a cost of debt before tax greater than 5.56% and cost of debt after tax greater than 5.35% is more risky to invest in than GE. Cost of capital is another element that factors greatly in evaluating company performance. Cost of capital refers to the theoretical return an organization will pay for its equity finance as compensation for the risk they undertake in investing in that firm. Currently, GE has a cost of equity rate of 8.81%. The value is averaged by summing the risk free rate with measures of the reward for bearing systematic risk. Therefore, this implies that GE pays 8.81% annually over the long term as compensation to their equity finance providers. However, computing the rate using CAPM has some inherent flaws. The reason behind this view is that the approach uses S&P

IKEA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

IKEA - Assignment Example It came into existence in the year 1943 and within a very small time frame it attained a renowned brand image due to its modern architectural designs and eco-friendly nature. Due to which its revenue and operating income enhanced by â‚ ¬27.628 billion and â‚ ¬3.482 billion by the end of 2012 as compared to other rivals in the market. This marked the success of the organization of IKEA and so it expanded in many other parts of the world like Germany, Norway and Denmark (Inter IKEA Systems B.V, 2012). IKEA’S History IKEA is established in the year 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, a young entrepreneur residing in Smaland of Southern Sweden. The name of the organization IKEA is derived from the initial letters of Ingvar Kamprad, i.e. I and K along with the first letters of his hometown, Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd. Ingvar Kamprad started his career in business by selling matches, pen, pencils, fishes, seeds and many others. However, slowly and gradually, he started offering high-level of concentration over IKEA and so presented varied types of advertisements in local newspapers to attract wide range of customers. Moreover, in order to make it a branded furniture retailing house, he presented varied types of attractive and stylish furniture’s such as beds, chairs, tables, home appliances and many others at a quite lowest price. This proved quite effective for the organization and helped Ingvar Kamprad to open his first store in Norway in the year 1963 and in Denmark in 1969 (Inter IKEA Systems B.V, 2013). After that, within a small time frame, IKEA expanded to other parts of Europe, Switzerland, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, Germany, UK and many others. Therefore, by the end of 2009, IKEA group became successful to operate in more than 332 stores in 40 countries. Hence, IKEA took more than six decades to mark its position in the segment of trendy furniture’s among other retailers. IKEA Today Inspite of extreme economic downturn, IKEA maintained its popu larity and brand image in the market in a quite stable condition due to its objective to present qualitative products at a competitive price. Due to which, the leading leader of home furniture enhanced its total sales by ?2.15 billion and net income by ? 3.51 billion by the end of 31st August 2013. Along with this, the market share also increased from 7.3% in 2012 to 8.5% in 2013 in the market of UK. This became possible only due to its wide expansion into 332 stores in more than 40 countries in the entire globe (Inter IKEA Systems B.V, 2012). Other than this, the annual sales figure and sales per region is presented in the below graphs. Therefore, from the graph, it might be clearly depicted that the rate of sales of the furniture’s of IKEA is very high as compared to others. This enhanced the equity and profit margin to a significant extent among other retailers (Inter IKEA Systems B.V, 2013). 2. Macro-environment of IKEA In order to analyse the external environment of the market of UK, one of the most renowned technique is used. It is named as PESTEL analysis. Political Factors- the political scenario of UK is quite cacophonous due to the presence of inefficient bureaucracy and corruption. Other than this, the instable government policies and regulations also acted as a curse that hampered the growth of the organization of IKEA. Not only this, shaky coalition of the government of UK hampered the business scenario to a