Free Essays on Compares 3 Economic Sociologists

There must be more to life than having everything. -Maurice Sendak But isn’t â€Å"everything† the ultimate utility basket? Doesn’t â€Å"having everything† include animate objects as well as the inanimate? The setbacks as well as achieving success? Milton and Rose Friedman suggest in their book, Free to Choose, that this status of possession is not attainable. The Friedmans offer their view of how sociologic and governmental factors positively and negatively affect the economy, and with it, the utility of individuals. Who is really in charge? Can anyone be held responsible for the countless interactions that take place between individuals everyday? The â€Å"technique of coordinating the activities of large numbers of people† is a â€Å"command that must be supplemented by voluntary cooperation† (Friedman, 1980: 9). Individuals are selfish by nature and may cause an economy to suffer if those governing are doing so by undisclosed yet suggestive activity. It is argued that any economy in which voluntary exchange is not principle will fail as no room is allotted for opulence or autonomy (Friedman, 1980: 11). The price system in a free market is a major contributor to the stability and peaceful operation of an economy. An exchange between individuals is simplified and hastened (but not necessarily more efficient as will be argued later) by a stuck price level. The buyer and seller partake in actions that each believes is personally beneficial. In doing so, each is closer to obt aining his/her ultimate utility basket. The Friedmans break down the main performance functions of prices: transmit information, incentive to be efficient, distribution of income (Friedman, 1980: 14). It is also suggested that government regulation and policy have always played a substantial role in hindering the benefits of these functions (Friedman, 1980: 17) thus negatively effecting the public. In order to aid voluntary exchange, the fre... Free Essays on Compares 3 Economic Sociologists Free Essays on Compares 3 Economic Sociologists There must be more to life than having everything. -Maurice Sendak But isn’t â€Å"everything† the ultimate utility basket? Doesn’t â€Å"having everything† include animate objects as well as the inanimate? The setbacks as well as achieving success? Milton and Rose Friedman suggest in their book, Free to Choose, that this status of possession is not attainable. The Friedmans offer their view of how sociologic and governmental factors positively and negatively affect the economy, and with it, the utility of individuals. Who is really in charge? Can anyone be held responsible for the countless interactions that take place between individuals everyday? The â€Å"technique of coordinating the activities of large numbers of people† is a â€Å"command that must be supplemented by voluntary cooperation† (Friedman, 1980: 9). Individuals are selfish by nature and may cause an economy to suffer if those governing are doing so by undisclosed yet suggestive activity. It is argued that any economy in which voluntary exchange is not principle will fail as no room is allotted for opulence or autonomy (Friedman, 1980: 11). The price system in a free market is a major contributor to the stability and peaceful operation of an economy. An exchange between individuals is simplified and hastened (but not necessarily more efficient as will be argued later) by a stuck price level. The buyer and seller partake in actions that each believes is personally beneficial. In doing so, each is closer to obt aining his/her ultimate utility basket. The Friedmans break down the main performance functions of prices: transmit information, incentive to be efficient, distribution of income (Friedman, 1980: 14). It is also suggested that government regulation and policy have always played a substantial role in hindering the benefits of these functions (Friedman, 1980: 17) thus negatively effecting the public. In order to aid voluntary exchange, the fre...

F-4 Phantom II in the Vietnam War

F-4 Phantom II in the Vietnam War In 1952, McDonnell Aircraft began internal studies to determine which service branch was most in need of a new aircraft. Led by Preliminary Design Manager Dave Lewis, the team found that the US Navy would soon require a new attack aircraft to replace the F3H Demon. The designer of the Demon, McDonnell began revising the aircraft in 1953, with the goal of improving performance and capabilities. Creating the Superdemon, which could achieve Mach 1.97 and was powered by twin General Electric J79 engines, McDonnell also created an aircraft that was modular in that different cockpits and nose cones could be affixed to the fuselage depending on desired mission. The US Navy was intrigued by this concept and requested a full-scale mock-up of the design. Assessing the design, it ultimately passed as it was satisfied with the supersonic fighters already in development such as the Grumman F-11 Tiger and Vought F-8 Crusader.  Ã‚   Design Development Altering the design to make the new aircraft an all-weather fighter-bomber featuring 11 external hardpoints, McDonnell received a letter of intent for two prototypes, designated YAH-1, on October 18, 1954. Meeting with the US Navy the following May, McDonnell was handed a new set of requirements calling for an all-weather fleet interceptor as the service had aircraft to fulfill the fighter and strike roles. Setting to work, McDonnell developed the XF4H-1 design. Powered by two J79-GE-8 engines, the new aircraft saw the addition of a second crewman to serve as a radar operator. In laying out the XF4H-1, McDonnell placed the engines low in the fuselage similar to its earlier F-101 Voodoo and employed variable geometry ramps in the intakes to regulate airflow at supersonic speeds. Following extensive wind tunnel testing, the outer sections of the wings were given  12 ° dihedral (upward angle) and the tailplane  23 ° anhedral (downward angle). Additionally, a dogtooth indentation was inserted in the wings to enhance control at higher angles of attack. The results of these alterations gave the XF4H-1 a distinctive look. Utilizing titanium in the airframe, the XF4H-1s all-weather capability was derived from the inclusion of the AN/APQ-50 radar. As the new aircraft was intended as an interceptor rather than a fighter, early models possessed nine external hardpoints for missiles and bombs, but no gun. Dubbed the Phantom II, the US Navy ordered two XF4H-1 test aircraft and five YF4H-1 pre-production fighters in July 1955. Taking Flight On May 27, 1958, the type made its maiden flight with Robert C. Little at the controls. Later that year, the XF4H-1 entered into competition with the single-seat Vought XF8U-3. An evolution of the F-8 Crusader, the Vought entry was defeated by the XF4H-1 as the US Navy preferred the latters performance and that the workload was split between two crew members. After additional testing, the F-4 entered production and commenced  carrier suitability trials in early 1960. Early in production, the aircrafts radar was upgraded to the more powerful  Westinghouse AN/APQ-72. Specifications (F-4E Phantom II) General Length: 63 ft.Wingspan: 38 ft. 4.5 in.Height: 16 ft. 6 in.Wing Area: 530 sq. ft.Empty Weight: 30,328 lbs.Loaded Weight: 41,500 lbs.Crew: 2 Performance Power Plant: 2 Ãâ€" General Electric J79-GE-17A axial compressor turbojetsCombat Radius: 367 nautical milesMax. Speed: 1,472 mph (Mach 2.23)Ceiling: 60,000 ft. Armament 1 x M61 Vulcan 20 mm Gatling cannonUp to 18,650 lbs. of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and most types of bombs Operational History Setting several aviation records just prior to and in the years after introduction, the F-4 became operational on December 30, 1960, with VF-121. As the US Navy transitioned to the aircraft in the early 1960s, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara pushed to create a single fighter for all branches of the military. Following an F-4Bs victory over the F-106 Delta Dart in Operation Highspeed, the US Air Force requested two of the aircraft, dubbing them the F-110A Spectre. Evaluating the aircraft, the USAF developed requirements for their own version with an emphasis on the fighter-bomber role. Vietnam Adopted by the USAF in 1963, their initial variant was dubbed the F-4C. With the US entry in the Vietnam War, the F-4 became one of the most identifiable aircraft of the conflict. US Navy F-4s flew their first combat sortie as part of Operation Pierce Arrow on August 5, 1964. The F-4s first air-to-air victory occurred the following April when Lieutenant (j.g.) Terence M. Murphy and his radar intercept officer, Ensign Ronald Fegan, downed a Chinese MiG-17. Flying primarily in the fighter/interceptor role, US Navy F-4s downed 40 enemy aircraft to a loss of five of their own. An additional 66 were lost to missiles and ground fire. Also flown by the US Marine Corps, the F-4 saw service from both carriers and land bases during the conflict. Flying ground support missions, USMC F-4s claimed three kills while losing 75 aircraft, mostly to ground fire. Though the latest adopter of the F-4, the USAF became its largest user. During Vietnam, USAF F-4s fulfilled both air superiority and ground support roles. As F-105 Thunderchief losses grew, the F-4 carried more and more of the ground support burden and by the end of the war was the USAFs primary all-around aircraft. To support this change in mission, specially equipped and trained F-4 Wild Weasel squadrons were formed with the first deploying in late 1972. In addition, a photo reconnaissance variant, the RF-4C, was used by four squadrons. During the Vietnam War, the USAF lost a total of 528 F-4s (of all types) to enemy action with the majority being down by anti-aircraft fire or surface-to-air missiles. In exchange, USAF F-4s downed 107.5 enemy aircraft. The five aviators (2 US Navy, 3 USAF) credited with ace status during the Vietnam War all flew the F-4. Changing Missions Following Vietnam, the F-4 remained the principal aircraft for both the US Navy and USAF. Through the 1970s, the US Navy began replacing the F-4 with the new F-14 Tomcat. By 1986, all F-4s had been retired from frontline units. The aircraft remained in service with the USMC until 1992, when the last airframe was replaced by the F/A-18 Hornet. Through the 1970s and 1980s, the USAF transitioned to the F-15 Eagle and F-16 Fighting Falcon. During this time, the F-4 was retained in its Wild Weasel and reconnaissance role. These two latter types, the F-4G Wild Weasel V and RF-4C, deployed to the Middle East in 1990, as part of Operation Desert Shield/Storm. During operations, the F-4G played a key role in suppressing Iraqi air defenses, while the RF-4C collected valuable intelligence. One of each type was lost during the conflict, one to damage from ground fire and the other to an accident. The final USAF F-4 was retired in 1996, however several are still in use as target drones. Issues As the F-4 was initially intended as an interceptor, it was not equipped with a gun as planners believed that air-to-air combat at supersonic speeds would be fought exclusively with missiles. The fighting over Vietnam soon showed that engagements quickly became subsonic, turning battles which often precluded the use of air-to-air missiles. In 1967, USAF pilots began mounting external gunpods on their aircraft, however the lack of a leading gunsight in the cockpit made them highly inaccurate. This issue was addressed with the addition of an integrated 20 mm M61 Vulcan gun to the F-4E model in the late 1960s. Another problem that frequently arose with the aircraft was the production of black smoke when the engines were run at military power. This smoke trail made the aircraft easy to spot. Many pilots found ways to avoid producing the smoke by running one engine on afterburner and the other at reduced power. This provided an equivalent amount of thrust, without the telltale smoke trail. This issue was addressed with the Block 53 group of the F-4E which included smokeless J79-GE-17C (or -17E) engines. Other Users The second-most produced Western jet fighter in history with 5,195 units, the F-4 was extensively exported. Nations that have flown the aircraft include Israel, Great Britain, Australia, and Spain. While many have since retired the F-4, the aircraft has been modernized and is still use (as of 2008) by Japan, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, Iran, and South Korea.

Chapter 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Chapter 2 - Assignment Example vantages of operating necessity model are that the main project is put on the course by preventing threats though it may reduce the money spend on funding the main project (Page47) Some of the desired result of applying project portfolio process is among other factors; to ensure fewer projects are selected thus easier to manage them, to help reduce competition among the projects and ensuring that the projects selected contribute to the organization’s strategy. To ensure projects benefits are more than the cost and that the projects selected have few risks and to ensure the project is monitored closely. Most firms tend to use SWOT analysis i.e. they can manage their projects basing on their strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The Project portfolio process tends to bring together the goals and strategy of the organization with the project in the context (Page 65). The steps in project portfolio entail; establishing a project council, which should be made up of managers who will spearhead the project and help to plan on how the objectives of the projects will be achieved. The council will be responsible for the funding of the project and allocation of the resources to the various projects in the context. Identifying project categories and criteria comprises subdividing the project i.e. those that are very good and those that are less important. Different criteria’s are used to help evaluate their relative importance. Goals of the projects purpose and missions are listed and discussed to help determine how the goals will be achieved. Assessing resource availability entail; looking into both external and internal resources. Labor resources should also be evaluated and the human resource manager should be able to consider other human needs, In other words, human beings should not be allowed to work continuously over a long time. They should be accorded time to relax. Step 5 entails reducing the project and the criteria set i.e. the number of

The basis of scientific research in pharmacy or biomedical sciences Essay

The basis of scientific research in pharmacy or biomedical sciences - Essay Example Specifically, the field of biomedical research is one of the sectors that have caused highest number of controversies and ethical issues due to its direct relation with human race and its environment. In the result, theorists and experts (Mepham, pp. 23-39, 2006) have come up with different approaches and methods to resolve issues in decision-making process related to ethical conflicts. In this regard, Ethical matrix (Mepham, pp. 23-39, 2006) is one of the analytical tools of applied ethics that enable individuals, organizations, etc to analyze and scrutinize any issue, in order to come up with a consensus based on ethical understandings. Analysis of ethical matrix has indicated that it has been very beneficial in the establishment of a basic structure needed especially in the field of biosciences and biomedical research. In particular, Ethical matrix resolves the issue by focusing on two components/categories: a set of principles and a list of agents/stakeholders. With the first cat egory of principles, Ethical matrix reemphasizes the significance of principles of morality that allows the decision-maker to come to a decision in an ethical manner. On the other hand, the other category gives value and importance to stakeholders and their opinions (Deane, pp. 51-57, 2009) regarding different biomedical or scientific procedures and processes that play a critical role in coming up with the most efficient ethical decision with the consensus of all the stakeholders. In order to understand the ethical matrix usable for human volunteers in biomedical research, it is essential to comprehend the first category in detail. In particular, ethical matrix has identified three principles that revolve around the notion of respect for â€Å"wellbeing, autonomy, and fairness† (Deane, pp. 62-68, 2009), which then integrate with second category of the matrix: interests of the stakeholders. Analysis has pointed out that few ethical theories have played crucial role in creation of the ethical matrix: â€Å"utilitarianism (wellbeing), deontology (autonomy), and utilitarianism-deontology (fairness)† (Deane, pp. 51-57, 2009). From this aspect of ethical matrix, one can observe pluralism of its theoretical framework that indicates the wide-ranging applicability of the ethical matrix that is one of the major reasons of significance of ethical matrix in biomedical sciences and scientific research. Now, the discussion will include an example of utilization of ethical matrix in one of the biomedical issues that will be efficient in its understanding in a broad manner. The issue is regarding an innovative research in the field of biomedical research that has indicated the possibility of implantation of a chip in all the citizens that will enable the healthcare organizations to record health history of individuals in their individual electronic chips in their bodies. This will eliminate need of all the paperwork, as healthcare provider will only be scanning chips to know about individual’s health and will then be uploading updated information after the treatment for future purposes. This innovative technology

The parallels between The Crucible and the Rwanda Genocide Essay Example for Free

The parallels between The Crucible and the Rwanda Genocide Essay The Parallels between The Crucible and The Rwanda Genocide The themes of justice, community and sacrifice in The Crucible are universal and can be identified in many modern events in history, including the Rwanda Genocide. The genocide in Rwanda and The Salem Witch Hunts in The Crucible have many striking similarities, primarily these are: the hunting down and killing of a group of people identified as being different, the mass killing of people for no valid reason and the taking of revenge on a whole group of people for the acts of one or more individuals of that group. Common to these two events is the ruthless hunting down of victims. The judges in The Crucible pressure Abigail and the girls for the names of possible witches. Their mission is to convict as many as possible, without questioning if they may be innocent. The judges are merciless predators hunting their prey, exactly like the relentless Hutu’s seeking out the Tutsi’s in every part of Rwanda. The Hutu’s burst into people’s homes, ruthlessly searching for any Tutsi, ready to savagely torture them with machetes before killing them. Any Tutsi they find, regardless of age or sex, gets brutally slaughtered in order to totally eliminate the tribe. Another similarity is the relative escalation of death and murder once the trials/genocide had started. The numbers of deaths in The Crucible were much greater than anyone in the beginning could have predicted. Once Abigail realised the extent of the damage she had caused and saw how out of hand the trials had gotten, she fled. The violence in Rwanda reached extremes far greater than expected and became a genocide, resulting in the deaths of between 500 000-1 000 000 people, with thousands and thousands of brutally butchered corpses littering the streets. The motive behind both events is revenge. In The Crucible, Abigail initially uses the idea of witchcraft to save her own skin, she then realises that she can use it as excuse to seek revenge on Elizabeth Proctor for dismissing her and destroying her relationship with John Proctor. Similarly, the Hutu’s seek revenge on the Tutsi’s for shooting down their president, killing him and everyone else in the airplane. The Hutu’s believe the Tutsi’s were trying to regain power. There was a long history of rivalry and violence between these two tribes and the killing of the president was the catalyst ignited the voracious flames of revenge. The Hutu’s began their manhunt to find and kill the Tutsi’s in revenge for the years of perceived oppression  when the Tutsi’s ruled Rwanda. Like John Proctor in The Crucible, there too is a protagonist in the Rwanda Genocide – Paul Rusesabagina. They both display strength in standing up for what is right, they refuse to betray their friends and they both show great courage to do what is right, even if it means sacrificing themselves. In The Crucible, as things start to get out of hand, John takes it on himself to stand up to the authority and set things right. Even when standing up against the church places suspicion on him, John will not compromise his beliefs and fights for what he believes is right. This is the same fight Paul Rusesabagina undertakes. Paul refuses to fall into the violence and hatred between the Hutu’s and Tutsi’s. He questions the idea that Hutu’s are better than Tutsi’s. He himself, a Hutu, is married to a Tutsi and he will not let himself be threatened into changing his beliefs or into following what the other Hutu’s are doing. As a Hutu, Paul is expected to despise the Tutsi’s and to be a part of the violence and the killing. Instead he takes in the homeless, terrified Tutsi refugees and turned the hotel he was managing into a refugee camp. Paul knew that he and his family would be killed if the Hutu’s discovered what he was doing, but he did not falter. He took them in, protected them and provided for them when no one else had the courage to. He refused to betray or abandon his family and friends or his people. He saved the lives of 1 268 refugees through his sheer strength, intelligence, perseverance and bravery. Paul’s refusal to betray his people to save himself is strikingly similar to John’s refusal to betray his friends. Although his betrayal would have saved his life and allowed him to be with his family, he could not do it. John’s refusal to betray his friends leads to the ultimate sacrifice. His final act of defiance, to refuse to be part of something untruthful, ultimately led to his death. This emphasises his strength of character and his immense courage. Like John Proctor, Paul also made sacrifices and took great risks. Paul sacrifices his home, his job, the safety of his family and was even willing to sacrifice his life to save the lives of people he didn’t even know, but was willing to protect. He gave help to anyone who needed it,  Hutu or Tutsi. Both of these acts of sacrifice, from just one individual, led to the saving of many lives. The themes of justice, community and sacrifice in The Crucible are universal and timeless. The Crucible teaches us about these themes and teaches us to identify them in historical events. The baseless killing of innocent people simply because they belong to a certain group is repeated over and over in history along with how the courage of one or many individual/s can lead to the saving of multiple lives. There are always individuals in brutal situations who display enormous courage and humanity in standing up for what is right and not blindly following others; individuals who have the courage to question authority. The Crucible teaches us that the courage of one individual can save the lives of many if they only have the strength to question and to stand up for what they believe. The Crucible teaches us to identify these themes in real life events. In addition to the Rwanda Genocide, the relevance of The Crucible is manifested in other recent situations, we only have to consider school girl Malala Yousafzi who was shot in the head by the Taliban after speaking out and standing up for the right of girls to go to school in Afghanistan. The themes of justice, community and sacrifice are evident in The Crucible and The Crucible teaches us to recognise them in real life situations and teaches us the importance of courage and sacrifice, and the great impact that one brave individual can have in a horrific and seemingly hopeless situation.

Human Rights :: American History, Racial Relations

Symbolic interactionist perspective for race, ethnicity, and immigration leans toward social interactions. Hispanic racial conflict is becoming more common than white and black racism in America. Culture is one bias Americans tend to stamp on the Hispanic culture and labeling them all as Mexicans. Hispanic racial conflict and symbolic interactionist perspective is viewed as stereotyping and social racisms between different ethnicities. Hispanic immigrants move to America for work or education purposes in order to better their lifestyles. Most Hispanics who live in Mexico are living in poverty stricken environments. They grow up with family cultures and are expected to cross over the border to provide for their families. The will to come to America is for survival purposes for their selves and families back in Mexico. Most Americans are not very welcoming when it comes to Hispanic origins. Jones (1991) writes, â€Å"The fact that Hispanics and Whites are distributed among different social roles, with Hispanics as a group occupying lower positions than those of Whites in the status of hierarchy, may lead to inference regarding differences in personal attributes† (pg,2). Hispanics living in America are usually considered poor and live in lower class neighborhoods. Immigrants (especially illegal immigrants) work jobs they can get hired at usually being low paying jobs. Americans allow â€Å"under the table† wages so they can greedily under pay Hispanics and people with no education. In America it is against the law to pay below minimum wage ($7.25 p/hr) to accredited workers. Some owners of farms, construction work, and meat factories pay illegal immigrants low wages (probably like $5 or $6 an hour) under the table in order to keep more profit for themselves. Hispanics come from a different cultural environment than Americans and can only find low payi ng, dangerously polluted, and physically hard jobs. Mooney, Knox, and Schacht (2011) write, â€Å"But many others cannot overcome the social disadvantages associated with their minority status and become victims of a cycle of poverty† (pg. 352). The environments Hispanics work in could influence them to feel socially incapable of finding better work. Leaving them stuck in lower class deceptions of Hispanic roles in society. Jones (1991) writes, â€Å"This approach follows Cantor and Mischel’s (1979) analysis that social role is a more basic level of categorization than ethnicity because social role maximizes the richness, vividness, and distinctiveness of perceptions of people† (pg.

Prom Nights from Hell Chapter Eleven

Eighteen minutes later, deputy Sergeant Caleb Reynolds stood outside the door of the director's office, watching them through a crack. It had taken him slightly longer than expected to get everything in place, but he felt good, confident, about how it was all going to play out. Especially now seeing the two girls in the Bee's Roller Derby outfits, tight little skirts and tops, even had the wigs and masks on. They were identical except one of them was in blue, the other in white. Like little dolls, yeah, he liked to think of them that way. His little dolls. Expensive dolls. The blue doll saying, â€Å"Are you sure the fact that you want to kiss him isn't getting in the way of your judgment, Miranda?† And the white doll saying, â€Å"Who says I want to kiss him? You're the Kissing Bandit.† â€Å"Who says I want to kiss him?† the blue doll mimicked. â€Å"Please. You should really learn to have some fun. Live in the mo.† â€Å"Maybe I will as soon as I get rid of you, Sibby.† The blue doll stuck out her tongue, almost making him laugh. They were cute together, these two. Blue doll said, â€Å"I'm serious. How do you know we can trust him?† â€Å"He has his own agenda,† the white doll explained, â€Å"and it works with ours.† Then he really did have to stifle a laugh. She had no idea how correct she was. About that first part. And how wrong about the second. He pushed the door open and saw them both turn to him with you-are-my-hero expressions in their eyes. â€Å"Are you ready, Miss Cumean?† Blue doll nodded. His little white doll saying now, â€Å"Take good care of her. You know how important she is.† â€Å"I will. I'll get her settled and come back for the second part of the operation. Don't open the door for anyone but me.† â€Å"Right.† He was back less than a minute later. â€Å"Was everything okay? Is Sibby safe?† â€Å"It went perfectly. My men were exactly in position. It could not have gone smoother.† â€Å"Okay, so how long do we wait before I run out?† He walked toward her, backing her against the wall. He said, â€Å"There's been a change of plans.† â€Å"What, you've added a part where you kiss me? Before the part where I pretend to be Sibby and lead the guards into the SWAT-team trap?† He liked the way she smiled when she said it. He reached up to caress her cheek and said, â€Å"Not exactly, Miranda.† His hands slid from her face to her neck. â€Å"What are you tal-† Before she could finish, she was pressed against the wall, hanging a foot above the ground, his hands around her throat. He tightened them slightly as he said, â€Å"It's just you and me now. I know all about you. Who you are. What you can do.† â€Å"Really?† she choked out. â€Å"Yes, really. Princess!† He saw her eyes get wide and felt her swallow hard. â€Å"I knew that would get your attention.† â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about.† â€Å"I know about the bounty on your head. Miranda Kiss wanted, alive or dead. My original plan had been to leave you alive for a while, bring you in after a few weeks, but unfortunately you just had to interfere. Should have minded your own business instead of mine, Princess. Now I can't run the risk of your getting in the way.† â€Å"You mean in the way of what you're doing with Sibby? So you were the one who wanted the money. You betrayed those others and made them think you were part of their cause, just like you betrayed us.† â€Å"Such a smart girl.† â€Å"You kill me, kidnap her, and collect money? Is that it?† â€Å"Yep. Just like Monopoly, Princess. Pass go, collect two hundred dollars. Only in this case it's more like fifty million. For the girl.† â€Å"Wow.† She looked genuinely impressed. â€Å"And how much do you get for me?† â€Å"Dead? Five million. You're worth more alive; apparently some people think you're some teen Wonder Woman, have superpowers. But I can't take the chance.† â€Å"You already said that,† she rasped. â€Å"What, are you bored, Miranda?† He tightened his grip a little. â€Å"Sorry this wasn't more of a storybook ending,† he said, smiling at her, holding her eyes with his own as he choked her. He could tell she was struggling to breathe now. â€Å"If you're going to kill me, can't you just get on with it? This is kind of uncomfortable.† â€Å"What, my hands? Or the feeling that you're a failure-â€Å" â€Å"I'm not a failure.† † – again.† She spit in his face. â€Å"Still got some fire. I really admire that about you. I think you and I could have gotten along nicely. Unfortunately, there just isn't time.† She gave one last fight, clawing at him with all her remaining strength. It was inspiring how hard she worked. Finally her little fists fell hopelessly to her sides. He leaned in close to her face. â€Å"Any last words?† â€Å"Three: Listerine breath strips. You really need them.† He laughed, then tightened the hands around her neck until they overlapped. â€Å"Good-bye.† For a second, his eyes burned into hers. Then there was a sharp crack and something heavy came down on his head from behind. He staggered forward, his hands letting go of the girl as he fell to the ground unconscious. He never knew what hit him, the blue doll thought, still gripping the clock she'd used to knock him out. Or who.