Why St Vincent Hospital in NEW YORK closed due to budgetting issues Essay - 1

Why St Vincent Hospital in NEW YORK closed due to budgetting issues - Essay Example In 2010, St Vincent Medical Center closed its doors. St. Vincents Hospital was a nonprofit charity-funded hospital in New York which provides, according to hospital mission, complete general acute health care services inclusive of medical, surgical, psychiatric inpatient, emergency care and other outpatient services. St Vincent’s represented an iconic place for being one of the third oldest hospitals in New York and for sharing so much historical events. It has treated victims of calamities: the cholera epidemic of 1849, the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, the 9/11 attack and, just few years , the Hudson River landing of US Airways Flight 1549. Creating a budget is often one of the most challenging tasks when creating a nonprofit organization. A budget is the expression, in financial terms, of the plan of operation designed to achieve the objectives of an organization. It lays out where the money is coming from and where it is intended to be expensed. There are many reasons why St Vincent’s Hospital should have had a stringent budget in place - including its obligation to spend conscientiously as it was somebody else’s money - and very few for it to have inefficiency in this practice. Why it chose the latter is anybody’s guess. Or maybe there is more to the story. St. Vincent’s has a long history of financial troubles dating back far before the problems of the last few months came to light. It filed for Chapter 11 in 2005 and emerged from bankruptcy in 2007. One would have thought the troubles were over: Far from it actually. By the time 2010 rolled in, it was $700 million in debt and losing $10 million a month. The lucrative location of the hospital – on the West Side of Manhattan on 59th Street – could not save it. After closings its doors in 2010, St Vincent is survived by 3,500 jobless employees and more than 200,000 New Yorkers who do not have

Does Being Socially Responsible Impact Corporate Sales Revenue Research Paper

Does Being Socially Responsible Impact Corporate Sales Revenue - Research Paper Example As it has been said that the business has to return something back to the society where it is operating and it is the responsibility of the corporations operating in the society to return back and this has been termed as ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’. The fundamental goal of the business is to provide the shareholders with profits as Milton Friedman wrote in his article â€Å"the only social responsibility of the business is to increase the business profits of the shareholders†, yet CSR has played an important role in influencing the customer to purchase the company’s product (Beurden, and Gossling, 407-408) In recent decades the concept of corporate social responsibility has gained a lot of support from businesses as well as the society as this strategy provides the company to survive and differentiate itself in the market environment. This strategy is aimed to provide the customers with the products according to their need by assuring the eco-friendly environment and the advancement of the society. 1.2. BACKGROUND OF THE RESEARCH By applying the concept of corporate social responsibility the businesses are said to have higher impact on the sales of the company’s product. It had been noted that the company that implements the social responsibility have higher sales volume than other companies. It has also been found that this emerging trend has gained exceptional popularity with the passage of time as this social responsibility focuses on the economic, ethical and legal components rather than focusing on single idea of profit for the stakeholders. Corporate social responsibility is one of the business strategies that business people have shown their support for as this strategy focuses on responding to the society priorities and expectations with positivity and willingness. The economic component focuses on the profitability of the company. This is the foundation of the business that keeps the business keep going on. The second component of the corporate social responsibility is the ethical which focuses on the commitment to do what is right and to avoid any process that might harm the environment or the society. The last but not the least component of CSR is the legal component which is to obey the laws and regulations of the country and to do what is acceptable by the country and to avoid those procedures that are ignored by the society. 1.3. IMPACT OF CSR ON BUSINESS Corporate social responsibility plays an essential role in the success of the business. It not only retains the employees and the customers of the company due to their higher satisfaction le vel but also helps the company to attain new customers on behalf of their contribution towards the sustainable development of society (Jose and Patrice, 4). Corporate social responsibility helps the company to enjoy many benefits. Some of the benefits that a company enjoys due to such a strategy are strengthened brand positioning,

Wolves Communication Pack

Wolves Communication Pack COMMUNICATION AMONG WOLVES ABSTRACT Just like any other animal wolves communicate with each other, with most of its communication being between pack members. Wolves use three differing types of communication; 1) Vocalizations; Wolves are frequently heard at night because it is when they are most active. Wolves howl for many reasons, particularly to locate other members of the pack and to warn outside wolves to stay away from an occupied area. 2) Scent marking; Wolves possess a very keen sense of smell (about 100xs greater than humans). Wolves use this ability along with the others to communicate with other wolves. Scents are used to mark pack territories or lone wolf territories. These territories are marked most often by urination and defecation on or around trees and other objects. In addition to these two means of scent marking wolves also scent mark by scratching and scent rolling. And the last method of communication 3) Body postures; Wolves also use body language to communicate, whether it is to others in the pac k or outside of the pack. Some postures are used to show affection, some fear or humiliation, others happiness and even others can emanate respect between pack members. All are important and used by wolves on a daily basis, whether it be to warn off competing packs, communicate a fresh kill or to portray dominance. INTRODUCTION One of the things that distinguish different members of the family Canidae is the differential development of social behaviour. Among the close relatives of the domestic dog, the most highly social species is the wolf. Wolves belong to a family group often referred to as a pack. This social structure was originally thought to allow the wolf, a social predator, to take prey many times its size, however new theories are emerging suggesting that the pack strategy instead maximizes reproductive success and has less to do with hunting. They live, travel and hunt in these packs which consists of anywhere from four to fifteen members (pack sizes are subject to change overtime and are controlled by such things as food supply, individual personalities and habitat type). The rare exception is the lone wolf, this wolf will most likely be the omega wolf, the lowest ranked member of the pack, and if it is lucky will find a mate and start a new pack. Wolf packs have a very elaborate hierarchy, one in which is topped by the alpha male and female, followed by their pups, often several sub-adults from the previous years litter and sometimes some older siblings as well. When pack sizes are large (usually more then 8 members) it is possible to witness two differing hierarchies in one pack, one in which is the females being led by the alpha female and the other the males being led by the alpha male. The alpha pair share the most social freedom among all pack members, they are very influential and simply have the most freedom in where to go, what to do and when to do it, with the rest of the pack usually following. The alpha male and female therefore usually direct the pack in hunting and tracking prey, choosing den sites and establishing and maintaining the packs territory. Rank order is ascertained and sustained through a series of ritualized fights and posturing best expressed as ritual bluffing. Wolves prefer physiological warfare to physical confrontations, meaning that the hi gher ranking status is based more on personality or attitude rather than on size or physical strength. Rank order may be lost rather suddenly or gradually. An older wolf may simply choose to give way to a motivated challenger, yielding its position without bloodshed. On the other hand the challenged individual may opt to fight back with varying degrees of passion. Wolves communicate using three main strategies; 1) vocalizations- howls and growls; 2) facial expressions and body postures and; 3) scent marking. Howling alone can have a variety of meanings; a greeting, a rallying call to gather the pack to get ready for a hunt, an advertisement of their presence to warn other wolves away from their territory or spontaneous expression of play and bonding. The howl of a wolf can be heard up to six miles away making it the most useful means of communication given that wolves range over large distances while hunting and traveling. Wolves engage in a variety of displays of dominance, and submission that helps reinforce the hierarchy in packs. Wolves use their entire bodies; expressions of the eyes and mouth, the position of the ears, tail, head and overall position of the body are used to convey excitement, anxiety, aggression or compliance. Wolves also wrestle, rub cheeks and noses and nip and lick one another. They leave behind messages for themselve s as well as other pack members by means of urination, defecating or scratching the ground to leave scent marks. These marks can set the boundaries of territories, record trails, warn off other wolves or help lone wolves find unoccupied territories. In a similar fashion wolves will roll around in items with a strong scent such as carrion as a way of letting other pack members know where they have been or what it has encountered. In the end it can be said that the â€Å"habits of the wolves require members of a social unit to be visually separated at times so that these olfactory and auditory means of communication are possible† ( Berge, 1967). VOCALIZATIONS â€Å"The wolf is a wide ranging social carnivore with a complex spatial organization for which acoustic communication plays an important role† (Palacios et al. 2006). There are four kinds of vocalizations that are popular among wolves, they include; the growl, the whimper, the bark and the more associated sound of the wolf, the howl. Any one of these or a combination of these allows the wolves to communicate with one another. The bark can be used over long distances and can take on the roll of sounding an alarm or presenting a challenge. The alarm bark is most often used when a wolf is caught off guard and surprised at the opening of its den, and a challenge bark is a warning for a wolf to back off when two wolves are encountering a â€Å"face off† (a fight). The growl has similar meanings to the bark however it is used in shorter distance communication. It is used to keep other wolves away, to reinforce dominance and, it can also be used at short range to challenge. T he whimper is used at short ranges as well and portrays a sociable stance (often used by young to receive care). The howl, the most well known form of communication among wolves, seems to have many complex functions and will be looked at in greater detail compared to the other three types of communication listed above. Howls allow wolves to communicate over several kilometers. Howls have been described as long harmonic sounds with a fundamental frequency from 150Hz- 1000Hz for adults. There have been two types of vocalizations involving howls that have been recorded; 1) Solo howls and 2) Chorus howls. Solo howls, also referred to as a lonesome howl is emitted by a sole individual. In the study down by Berge many years ago unique features were found to exist in individual howls. Harmonic characteristics were found that would distinguish individuals on the basis of any one howl. Therefore the variation in structure likely indicates who is howling and the frequency modulations, predominantly the change in pitch makes the howls much easier to locate. The ability of a wolf to detect these very subtle changes in sounds indicates that a response to this information is possible (view figure 3). As with any form of behaviour there is a cost/benefit to this action. The lone wolf is just that, it is alone, an d when producing sound its pack mates are not the only ones who pick up the vocalization, thus this behaviour could turn out to be detrimental. However with any cost comes with it benefits, a lone wolfs howl can help one locate the other members of its pack proving to be advantageous. A chorus howl on the other hand has been described as a vocalization in which one wolf begins howling, with the other members joining in subsequently until the whole pack is howling together. Rather than using howls with a single pure tone, wolves use modulated tones. With the rapid changes in pitch it makes it very difficult to follow only one individuals howl, and to add to it the surrounding environment helps reflect the sound and scatter it making it extremely challenging for a competitor pack to distinguish where the pack is and how many members the pack consists of. The heart of a wolfs universe is its pack and howling could be the adhesive that keeps it together, suggesting that howling may reinforce the social bonds between pack members as well as keeping the pack safe. In view of the fact that wolves are separated great distances during a hunt, it is not unlikely that howling keeps the pack as one physically. Of all their calls howling is the only one that works immensely over great distances. Its long duration and low pitch are what make it suitable for long range communication through the forest and in tundra areas. Its unique features are what allow a wolf to convey its identity and each wolf can be identified by its pack just by means of its howl. SCENT MARKING While howling may provide much information about a wolfs whereabouts elaborate spatial patterns of scent marks provide precise information about inhabited territory. A territory is a â€Å"space within which an animal is aggressive to and usually dominate over certain intruders† (White et al, 1996). It is a silent way of steering clear of violence that would otherwise be required to preserve a territory. Scent marking can also provide a silent exchange between animals that share territories and can also help an individual keep its point of reference when traveling. When Roger Peters and David Mech conducted studies on a variety of wolf packs in the Superior National Forest of northern Minnesota they found that wolves scent mark using four differing methods. The first method is by means of raised leg urination. â€Å"This form of scent marking is closely connected with territorial marking and maintenance† (Macdonald et al. 1998). These markings are made throughout the te rritory and heighten in concentration at the limits of the territories. The alpha male and alpha female are the primary users of raised leg urination (more often it is the alpha male) with only few instances where it will be used by other wolves. The second mode of marking is squat urination. This mode of urination is the ordinary form of urinating, and is performed by the lower ranking individuals in the pack. This method of scent marking supplies them with information about which fraction of the territory has been hunted during times of separation. Scratching, and or scent rolling the third strategy to scent marking involves a wolf that may rub its lips and neck against a tree or on the ground or scrape the ground with their paws (normally after urination) to mark out their territory. Scraping, usually with the hind legs and sometimes also done with the front is predominantly performed by the dominant individuals, the alphas (can be done by mid ranking individuals depending on th e circumstances). Wolves have scent glands between their toes which release odours/ a characteristic scent. The wolf has several specialized glands, located all over the wolfs body that function as a chemical and a visual message for other wolves. There is one located near its anus (anal gland), another on its back, one at the tip of its tail (precaudal gland), in its eyes, behind its ears, on its cheek near the corner of the wolves mouth and between their toes (as mentioned above). The aroma from these glands is as individualistic as our own fingerprints. Each scent is specific to an individual each with its own meaning. Scats also referred to as defecation is then the fourth means of marking. Again this form of marking is very similar to that of urination and serves many of the same purposes. However here it acts as a more visual warning. Here again the anal scent gland becomes important. It produces a pungent oily pheromone that is excreted during bowel movements, thus scenting t he wolfs scat with his/her own odour. The exact purpose of this means of scenting is unknown however it could very well be that these anal scent glands play an imperative role in wolves of higher ranking for it has been observed that when higher ranking individuals meet they sniff under the tail, this action is not performed by submissive wolves (lower ranking wolves). (Refer to figure 1 and table 1) â€Å"Olfactory communication is defined as the process whereby a chemical signal is generated by a presumptive sender and transmitted to a presumptive receiver who by means of adequate receptors can identify, integrate and respond to the signal† ( Kleiman, 1972). Scent plays a exceedingly imperative role in the life of a wolf, by smell alone wolves can locate prey, other pack members or enemies. It can tell them if other wolves were in their territory, if they were male or female and how recently they were there. Therefore marking can be used for non-territorial purposes as well. It can also be used to identify individuals, lay claims to a kill, for navigational purposes during those long ranging hunts and can also be used as a indication for sexual receptivity during mating season ( suggested that this is the purpose of sniffing under the tail upon greeting). BODY POSTURES Wolves convey their emotions through body language. Here they can â€Å"communicate visually a number of expressions and moods that range from subtler signals to more obvious ones† (Berg, 2003). The following are observed behaviours. Wolves display dominance by standing tall and stiffed leg. The ears are erect and forward and the tail is held vertically and curled toward its back. This demonstration declares the wolfs rank to the rest of the pack. Submission can take the form of either active submission or passive submission depending on the circumstances. In active submission the wolf lowers its entire body toward the ground and the lips and ears are drawn back, in essence the teeth are bared. The tail is down and either half way or completely between its legs (depends on level of submission) with their muzzle (refer to figure 2) pointing up toward the more dominant individual. The back will be arched and again depending on the level of submission the back may be arched more or less. During passive submission, a more intense form compared to active submission the wolf will roll over onto its back and render its susceptible throat and underside, with the paws being drawn into the body. If a wolf is displaying anger its ears will be erect and its fur may bristle. Here the teeth are bared and it is usually accompanied by a snarl or growl. When a wolf is fearful it tends to make itself look small and less conspicuous. The ears flatten and again the tail is tucked between the legs. If a wolf senses danger suspicion will arise. This is displayed by the pulling back of the ears and the narrowing of the eyes. The tail will be parallel to the ground and pointing straight out. A playful wolf will hold its tail high and wag it. The wolf may frolic and dance around, or bow by placing the front of its body down to the ground all the while holding its rear in the air. (Table 2 summarizes body postures) CONCLUSIONS Wolves are multifaceted social animals whereby communication signals are used for a variety of purposes. In order to function as a group communication among individuals in a pack is crucial. Communication is used for recognition, reproduction, social status, alarm, foraging and group spacing also referred to as territoriality. â€Å"The wolf is a wide ranging social carnivore with a complex spatial organization for which acoustic communication plays an important role† (Palacios et al. 2006). There are four kinds of vocalizations that are popular among wolves, they include; the growl, the whimper, the bark and the more associated sound of the wolf, the howl. Any one of these or a combination of these allows the wolves to communicate with one another. While howling may provide much information about a wolfs whereabouts elaborate spatial patterns of scent marks provide precise information about inhabited territory. Scent plays a very important role in the life of a wolf, by smell alone wolves can locate prey, other pack members or enemies. It can tell them if other wolves were in their territory, if they were male or female and how recently they were there. Therefore marking can be used for non-territorial purposes as well. It can also be used to identify individuals, lay claims to a kill, for navigational purposes during those long ranging hunts and can also be used as an indication for sexual receptivity during mating season. Wolves communicate at close range their emotions through body posture, tail positions and facial expressions. Here they can â€Å"communicate visually a number of expressions and moods that range from subtler signals to more obvious ones† (Berg, 2003). All forms of communication are important and used by wolves on a daily basis to ensure that they stay in touch with the rest of the pack. FIGURES (Figure 1 and table 1- Macdonald et al., 1998) Figure 1: Table 1: Table 2: Body Language Chart: Submission: Play: Aggression: Dominate Postures: (Alpha(s)/ Beta(s))  · Ears back against skull  · Lowered Body  · Whining  · Tail lowered/tucked  · No eye contact  · Prancing around  · Upper body lowered in play bow  · Barking playfully  · Yipping  · Ears forward alert  · Ears flat to the side  · Upper lip curled bearing teeth  · Tail lowered aggressively  · Shoulders up (posing more dominate)  · Hackles raised  · Growling  · Tail held high  · Chest held outwards  · Head held high  · Ears locked forward  · Always alert  · Demeanour always regale http://www.wolfspirits.org/aboutwolves.htm Figure 2: http://www.wolfdancer.org/communication/ Figure 3 Wolf howl sonogram REFERENCES Evaluation of a Simulated Howling Survey for Wolves Todd K. Fuller; Barry A. Sampson The Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol. 52, No. 1. (Jan., 1988), pp. 60-63. Scent-marking in wolves. Peters RP and Mech LD Am Sci. 1975 Nov-Dec;63(6):628-37. A Model for Wolf Pack Territory Formation and Maintenance K.A.J WHITE, M.A LEWIS AND J.D MURRAY Journal of Theoretical Biology Volume: 178 Issue: 1, pp.29-43, 2006 Analysis of a model for wolf territories M. A. Lewis, K. A. J. White, J. D. Murray Journal of Mathematical Biology, Volume: 35 Issue: 1 pp. 749-774, 1997 5. Olfactory Communication in Mammals J F Eisenberg, and D G Kleiman Annual Review of Ecology and SystematicsVol. 3: 1-32 (Volume publication date November 1972) Scent-marking and territorial behaviour of Ethiopian wolves Canis simensis Claudio Sillero-Zubiri and David W. Macdonald Journal of Zoology Volume 245 Issue 3 Page 351-361, July 1998 Howling as a means of communication among timber wolves Theberge, John American Zoologist, 7:331-338, 1967 Fred H. Harrington. Whats in a Howl? Mount Saint Vincent University, Nova Scotia http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/wolves/howl.html Berg, Karyln. Communication, 2003. Retrieved on Nov. 19/07 http://www.wolfdancer.org/communication/ 10. Author unknown. The Wolf Spirits Pack, 2001. Retrieved on Nov. 19/07 http://www.wolfspirits.org/aboutwolves.htm

Romanticism, Realism and Emily Dickinson :: Romanticism Realism Emily Dickinson

Romanticism, Realism and Emily Dickinson Emily Dickinson wrote at the tail end of the Romantic period, and even though she was influenced by some of the ideals of Romanticism, is most commonly known as a writer from the Realist era. However, her writing embodies the defining characteristics that are identified with each of these periods. The main characteristic of Romanticism that Emily Dickinson portrays in her writing is the emphases of the importance of Nature to the Romantics. In most of her poems there is some mention or comparison to something found in Nature. In Poem 449, she refers to the moss that covers the names on the graves of the tombstones of â€Å"Beauty† and â€Å"Truth.† The Puritans believed Nature to be the realm of the devil. By including references to Nature in many of her poems, she was rebelling against the ideals of the Puritan upbringing she had hated so much. Realists are considered to be concerned with poverty, extortion and the negative aspects of life; the harsh realities of life. In Poem 216, Emily uses words to create a metaphor for the Puritan way of life. She reveals how much they distance themselves from others and how living a Puritan way of life is much like walking on earth dead. In many ways, she mocks the wealthy Puritans too. It was their belief to not spend their money, but rather save it. In Poem 216, she is saying that all the money the Puritans obtain in life is spent on their tombstones since they are not allowed to enjoy their riches in this life. Many of her poems deal with death or dying, but this is simply a metaphor to express how bleak life has come to be in the present. Realists were also trying to push for social reform through their writing, hinting at what may happen if reforms do not take place. Emily Dickinson views the Puritan life as a life that oppresses people from the joys it can bring. Puritans try to live a life full of hard work and little pleasure since pleasure is a thing of the devil.

Critical Lense Essay

Critical Lens Essay â€Å"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul† says Lord Henry, in Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray. This quote essentially describes that one’s mind can only be purified through one’s awareness of one’s surroundings and actions. It also shows that one can only view the world with an open-mind if one’s soul is purified. Purification is the innocence of one’s soul, and the goodness of it. This idea is expressed in The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, when Dorian Gray writes Sibyl Vane a letter proposing to marry her.This idea is also seen in Lord of the Flies by William Golding when Ralph and the other boys stranded on the island are found by an English trooper. Firstly, when Ralph and the other boys finally adapt to their environment of the deserted island and work together toward being saved, they start to purify their soul because the boys learn from their horrific actions on the island. For example, Piggy and Simon were two boys who were killed by the other boys. â€Å"Ralph launched himself like a cat; stabbed, snarling, with the spear, and the savage doubled up. This quote shows how Ralph acted like a monster, the use of alliteration increasing the intensity for the irrational behavior. Because of their rowdy behavior, the boys learned how the deserted island had influenced them to morph from proper English boys to cruel animals. The boys finally realize what the environment of the deserted island has turned them into and can see what their good deed of working together has done for them–being found by the English trooper and saved from becoming any more uncivilized.The boys were once blinded by the idea of survival but once they were found this idea soon disappeared because of the goodness in their Therefore the boys’ senses were cured by their souls and because the boys became aware of their surroundings, th eir souls in turn become pure. Finally, when Dorian Gray tells Sibyl Vane that he does not love her anymore because of her terrible acting one night in a play, Sibyl Vane becomes heart-broken. Dorian contemplates his thoughts once he returns home and decides that what he did to her was wrong, and he writes a letter to her asking her to marry him.Dorian was acting selfishly before, not realizing what he had said to Sibyl and its dramatic effect it has on her. â€Å"What are you now? A third-rate actress with a pretty face† were his words to her, harsh and like a slap in the face if you. This dramatic monologue shows the cruelty in Dorian’s actions toward Sibyl and how they made him feel guilty later on. When Dorian writes the letter, he purifies his soul because he learns that what he did to Sibyl was wrong and that he should try to amend his mistakes.This good action causes Dorian’s soul to be cured because his senses push him to learn from his faults. If Dorian did not learn from his mistake, he would not care about what Sibyl would be going through, and therefore his soul would still be tarnished. Because of his senses, Dorian realizes his blunder and tries to fix it, in turn making him pure and noble. Ultimately, both Dorian Gray from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde and the stranded boys from Lord of the Flies by William Golding were curing their souls by their senses and curing their senses by their souls.This idea in theory seems to be one with flaws, but as one can realize now, one’s mind is something that needs to be cleansed of, and removed of sin in order to think properly and sanely. This can only be done through understanding one’s environment and one’s actions. Without sanity, one has no way of having a purely good soul. It is a part of human nature to act radical, but what is also part of human nature is to accept one’s mistakes and attempt to reform them.

What Set You from, Fool

After reading this article â€Å"What Set You From, Fool? † I must admit that I am confused. It was difficult to determine what the point of it was. The author expressed some clear points of the difficulties he faced growing up as a black man in Los Angeles, however the article seemed more of a story than a statement to the end. It is possible that having grown up in New York City myself, the difference in culture will be the reason for my confusion. Overall, most of the piece is awkwardly written and hard to follow. I’m not sure if this was done intentionally. The author technique of switching back and forth between Standard English as he expressed himself through intellectual thoughts and words to what seemed like forced â€Å"ebonics†. In my opinion, the article did not flow smoothly at all. I found myself having to reread and translate words to grasp the full meaning of sentences. Having to continuously do this lessened my interest in the reading. However, like the connection the author tries to make between blacks having as tough a time being accepted into the black community as whites do. He mentions a few instances where there was an entire thought process involving with certain situations that could have been disastrous for both races (the white boys greeting blacks using the word â€Å"nigga† and the author entering a store to buy St. Ides with a friend and encountering gang members). It was interesting that the author was born as a black man but until approximately middle school age, had never experienced the urban life. Apparently, before he moved to L. A. , he was surrounded by people who called him â€Å"nigger†. However, he didn’t know how to react and/or if to react, so when he arrived in LA in their school system and was called a â€Å"nigger† he immediately associated it with what they (whites) called him in Santa Monica and identified himself as well as the other kids were. In Santa Monica he was called a â€Å"Nigga† there he hadn’t associated it to anything because it was never defined to him until he arrived in LA when he heard the students refer to him as well as themselves as such. That was when he associated the word to himself and the colored people he saw there. His mom taught him that â€Å"Nigga† was a bad word and that he should not be one†¦ He finally had a reference group for the slurs and bullshit, he had tolerated for nine years not knowing what it was just knowing that he should not be one. Experiencing the life in L. A. had an obviously deep effect on him. He went from a happy go lucky kid – to a hyper-vigilant state of mind. There seemed to have been a period where his identity was vague. He was uncomfortable cruising on the edge of social circles (hanging out with white and black friends), thinking as a activist (visiting a friend who’s parents were afro-centric), until he read the autobiography of Malcolm X and seemed to finally develop his own identity. The author despised games (rituals that many kids endured amongst each other whether it was on the courts or in the streets to be apart of a set in order to survive). Whether the players are white or black (curiously no mention of Latinos), the author seemed genuinely annoyed at the thought of playing any games at all. I feel the author adopted a â€Å"can’t we all just get along† theme. Overall, this was just an ok piece not very enjoyable and very confusing; if that was the aim of the writer then he has done his job!