Wednesday, October 30, 2019

Should Animals Be Used to Test the Safety of Products Such as Research Paper

Should Animals Be Used to Test the Safety of Products Such as Cosmetics - Research Paper Example n one hundred people, this aroused the United States government to pass a law that made it mandatory to have a drug tested on animals before its introduction to humans (Ilman 16). The issue of using animal models started raising controversy early in the years after the adoption of vivisection. Standardization of animal testing was initiated by the passing of the Animal Protection Law by the British parliament that was later accompanied by another law, the Cruelty to Animals Act. Animal protection in the United States has made several steps and is said to have been initiated by among other things, a memorial held by medical students over a vivisected dog, the animal activists intensified protests that saw establishment of animal protection mechanisms. Advancements have been made in replacing the use of animal models, refining the testing mechanisms and the reduction in the use of animals (Ilman 16). Animals have the same rights as humans. The animals are subject to the same pain and s uffering that the humans go through. They suffer when they are injured, this means that the things that humans go through happen to them too, they fall sick, they die (Fox 2). When an animal develops cancer or some other condition because of being used to test products, they undergo through the same situation that every other person would be subject to. Considering this aspect demonstrates that, it is ironical for humans to think that they are humane when they are part of exploitation to other organisms. The reason why humans have adopted the use of animals is because they can control them and manipulate them the way they want. Nature creates a balance that should be altered through artificial mechanisms. The biological similarity between man and animals used in testing is an advantage to... This paper stresses that animals are not any different from humans; the only difference can be related to the level of intelligence. Humans have infringed on the rights of the animals because they lack a right to defend themselves independently. They have no platform to bring out their issues, their only voice is the human right activists who can be corrupted or induced to think otherwise, their stand can be compromised. Again, it is unnecessary to apply the treatments to animals that would benefit them. Products such as cosmetics are not really a necessity for the animals, making it illogical for them to be tested on them. It can only be right if the products meant for them are the only ones tested through them. The animal activists have a point that needs to be carefully analyzed and appropriate action taken. It is very true that the animal rights are very important to them and less important to humans. This report makes a conclusion that it is apparent that the best option for use in testing of products for consumption by humans is animals. Animals share several similarities with humans, from the organ system, to the body processes, to the genetic material, aspects that make it possible for the products to have a representative effect as in humans. The other alternatives available are deficient in many forms and do not provide concrete evidence of safety. However, the animal models should be used with care and caution. Concrete policies should be developed and implemented for inhumane treatment against animals used for testing products.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

The basics of Family Decision Making

The basics of Family Decision Making Due to its purchasing power, the family is believed as the most important consumers buying unit by many marketers (Dalakas Shoham, 2005). Therefore, a great number of previous studies have been done to understand how a family makes purchasing decisions over the years. As new social trends, the structure of family has changed dramatically in the past three decades in most countries in the world (Brace et al, 2008). The family is convinced as composing by parents and unmarried children in traditional mind. However, in the modern society, the definition of family has moved from only couple and children to family household. According to European Community Household Panel, a family household is a group of people who live together, share the bill and housekeeping arrangement (Askegaard et al, 2006). In view of most marketers, changes in family structures provide marketing opportunities. As the differentiation of the composition, families need and demand is diversified than before. Changes in family structure and modern family Family household types in modern society are diversified, such as single parent families, reconstituted families, unmarried cohabitation families, traditional families, couple with no children families and roommate family households. The reason of diversified family household type is that unmarried cohabitation, delayed marriage and delayed childbirth are trends for young people in the recent years. Furthermore, there have been increases in the proportion of the return of mothers to the workforce and the number of divorces and a decrease in the proportion of intact family unit (two biological parents and their dependent children). It is known that 76 per cent of UK children in 2004 lived in a family unit headed by a couple (UK Office of National Statistics, 2005). But, this official data does not differentiate families by couples who are intact or step parent. Also, it is acknowledged that 83 per cent of children in step parent families or single parent families live with their natur al mother (Brace et al, 2008). Therefore, most of single parent households are headed by females. Although the family types are diversified in the present day and age, intact families, step parent families and single parent families are three major types of composition for modern families. Haskey (1998) indicated there has been an obviously decline in the intact or traditional family household type and step families are more prevalent than single parent households. People are remarrying more often than before, and male is more likely to reconstitute a family than female. For example, step families are the fastest growing type of family in the UK (Mintel, 2005). There are totally 35 per cent British parents live as a non-traditional family unit. Concretely, 19 per cent of British parents are single parents. 16 per cent of British parents have children with ex-wife or ex-husband and now reconstitute families with new partners and the children (Mintel, 2005). Family structures have changed, which influence family decision making. Thus, some researchers argue that family communication has become more open and democratic (Belch and Willis, 2001). Particularly, the role of women has changed in the present society. The changes include education, increasing number of double-income families and the advent of career women. Further to say, these changes have impacted on family buying decisions and the role structure between family members. An increasing number of women are contributing to the incomes of their families and more women are motivated to succeed in their careers. For instance, nearly 60 per cent of women in New Zealand are employed in the workforce (Beatty Lee, 2002). This is much higher proportion than before. Some previous studies indicated that a persons power to make family purchasing decisions depends on his/her ability to satisfy his/her marriage partners needs (Beatty Lee, 2002). Therefore, the more a husband contributes to the resources of the family, the more the wife will accept the husbands buying decisions. In the same way, if the wife contributes significantly to the family income, then the wifes impact on family buying decisions would be greater than in families where the wife does not provide income to the family. It does not mean the person who contributes a dominant income to his/her family must accounts for the completely dominant position in the family buying decision making process. It is more likely that there is more equality in double-income families. Therefore, a wifes occupational status has an obviously effect on the family decision making. The prevalence of women working outside the home is not only because of the necessity to help the family in finance, but also because of the changes in social and cultural trends. Therefore, women obtain more power in some families which both family members will make decisions jointly. This type of family is more likely to be called modern family and it has a more democratic influence structure. In contrast, a traditional family has a more dictatorial husband and the decisions are made more autocratic. Family life cycle There are many factors influence family buying decisions. Despite the family type and womens role in the family, family life cycle (FLC) also significantly affects the family purchasing decisions. The family life cycle describes the changes that occur in family and family structures as they progress over time (Askegaard, 2006). The FLC shows the changes in both the family income and family composition over time. As the time passed, the needs and demands of families tend to change. Therefore, their preferences and behaviours will be changed. Families in similar stages of the life cycle share similar demographic, financial and buying characteristics. In contrast, families at different life cycle stages show different interests, needs and demands and use different communication strategies (Lee Levy, 2004). Childrens roles in family buying decisions Since 1990s, the growing awareness on childrens role is largely because of childrens steadily increasing impact on family buying decisions and increasing spending power (Caruana Vassallo, 2003; Dalakas Shoham, 2005; Fan Li, 2010). Many previous studies pointed out that children have became an extremely vital consumer group which influences family purchases of various products in many ways (Burns et al, 2007; Caruana Vassallo, 2003). Thus, many marketers recognize children as a primary market, an influencing market, and a future market. For example, children in the USA directly spent over $60 billion and influenced over $380 billion of spending by other members of their family per year (Chou Wut, 2009). In Australia, the adolescents market is estimated to be worth about $3.9 million, and in New Zealand the market size is about $800,000 (Wimalasiri, 2004). Therefore children are increasingly attractive targets for marketers. Children as independent consumer In the contemporary world, as primary market, children have increasing spending power in terms of being independent customers. They are seen as different from previous generations. Today, children are more connected, more direct and more informed. They have more personal power, more money, more impact on family decisions and attractive more attention than their parents and ancestors. Most of teenagers receive allowances from their parents or eldership. Also, a great number of adolescents have income from jobs. Past study showed 51.1 per cent of the high school students admitted that they get an allowance from family members in the USA and the median amount was $50 (Dalakas Shoham, 2003). Moreover, Chou Wut (2009) indicated children who between ages of 2 to 12 independently spent $29 billion per year by using their own money and further to say, they indirectly influence $320 billion worth of household purchase. Childrens influence on family buying decisions In addition, children are also major influencers within the family decision making unit. They attempt to and succeed in influencing family purchasing decisions. Several researches have shown that the childrens degree of influence in purchase decisions varies with the type of product (Beatty Lee, 2002). They have the most influence on buying decisions when they are the primary users of the products, for example, toys, games, and school supplies. They are also influential in purchase decisions about products which for all family members, for example, vacations, furniture, movies, and eating out. However, they have less impact on these products than in the products which they are the primary consumers. According to Dalakas Shoham (2003) reported, 34 per cent of nine to 14-year-olds acknowledged they influenced their parents purchasing decisions on videogame systems, 19 per cent affected decisions on vacation choice, 18 per cent have impact on stereo equipment, and 14 per cent particip ated the family decisions making process on computer equipment, VCRs, and televisions. Moreover, adolescents influence has been affected by the cost of the products on purchasing decisions. Their influence decreased for expensive family purchases. Furthermore, they have most influence as regards product type, colour and brand. One of the areas where children have the major impact is food purchasing decision. Food plays a vital role in family life and it is the main expenditure for most families. Children have most influence on the food and the meals which are easy to prepare. US studies have shown that in the major categories of food and drinks, playthings and clothing and TV programmes, children have an obviously influence (Chou Wut, 2009). In the UK, 84 per cent of parents said that their children decided what food to buy. 29 per cent parents admitted that their children impact on the choice of furniture. Even 20 per cent of parents said they like to listen to their childrens suggests about their own clothes when purchasing (Dalakas, Shoham, 2005). Also, through a survey, cable television networks in the USA found that children affected average of 43 per cent of total purchases which are made the decisions by parents. Further to say, mothers who shop with their kids normally spend 30 per cent more than they originally plan and fathers spend 70 per cent more (Caruana Vassallo, 2003). The ways and factors for children to affect family decisions Generally speaking, there are four different ways for children to influence family buying decisions. First, they hugely involve in affecting their parents to purchase products which they are the finally users. Second, older children buy the products which they want directly by using their own money. This money is received as allowances or salary. Third, children participated and affected their parents in family buying decisions making process for family products. Lastly, parents consult their childrens opinion for some of their own purchase. Therefore, children exert a certain influence on the overall family decisions. Children have more influence during the problem recognition and information search stage, but their influence decreases at the finally decision making stage. Their influence can be direct or indirect. Young children more tend to impact family purchases by directly asking. However, older adolescents may use various strategies to impact their parents decision making. Except the direct requests, they also take other actions like bargaining, persuasion, or using emotional strategies. A childs age is an important related factor of the childs influence on family decision making. Older children have fewer requests than younger children and their parents more tend to satisfy their request. The parents believe the older children have more experience with shopping and products, so they easily yield than before. Also, parents are convinced that their older children possess more understanding of economic concepts and have higher skills on shopping than younger children. Furthermore, childrens influence on family decisions is affected significantly by family type. Children in single parent families or one child families have more influence than others and the adolescents in modern families affect their families more obviously than adolescents in traditional families. The reasons for children influencing family decisions In the current era, family communication has become more open and democratic. Parents pay more attention to their children and spend more time to listen to their childrens opinions. These changes in family communication caused children can exert influence on family purchasing decisions making process. Furthermore, the influence of each child has increased because of the trends of smaller number of children in families. Because of the returns of women to workforce, most families economic status is in good condition. It not only means parents can afford enough money to satisfy their children request, but also pushes the children to take more responsibility for family decisions. This is because working couples have little time to make decisions and have to give their children more power. The analysis of implication for marketing There are many factors influence the children when they making purchasing decisions and shape their habits at the present. The top three influence factors are family, friends and media. All of them have outstanding impact on childrens shopping skills and behavior. In details, the family has been believed as it has the most influence on children in the purchasing process of food products, health care products and furniture. On the other hand, friends and the media play an extremely important role in affecting the discretionary purchase of the children. In fact, most of marketers consider the media as the most powerful affecting factor to impel the children to make purchasing decisions. They are convinced the television advertising is the greatest influence marketing communication tool. Moreover, previous marketing researches also suggested the companies to access the children seriously with child friendly amenities, colourful and playful displays and even credit cards (Caruana Vassal lo, 2003). In addition, it is known that most of children have low brand loyalty for most products. Because of their strong curiosity, they are easily to be attracted by original and distinct products. However, once they build the brand loyalty for one particular brand, they will be lifetime consumers for the brand. Furthermore, for the ethic thinking, the marketers ought to avoid displaying violent or pornographic pictures to children in their advertising. This is because children are not mature enough and cannot understand the meaning of this kind of advertising. Further to say, children very like to imitate what they saw. Thus, it is dangerous for children to access violent or pornographic advertising. For example, there was lots of news regarding that children did violent events after playing violent games, such as GTA, Counterstrike, or watching violent movie. An analysis of the situation of children in China Children in China have become the most significant target consumers for many marketers. This is not only because China has the largest population of children in the world, but also due to the fact that Chinese children have more economic power and influence in their families than children in other countries. Fan Li (2010) mentioned that there are 1,321.29 million people in China at the end of 2007. Among others, 19.4 per cent (about 256.60) are under the age of 14. This made China become the largest potential market. In the present China, children have more discretionary income compared with before and also exert a greater impact on family buying decision than other countries children. One couple one child has been a basic state policy in China for a long time since the early 1970s. Therefore, as the only child in the family, both parents and grandparents give most of their love and attention to the child. Even it caused a seriously problem raised in China, the Chinese children have been considered as being like Little emperors/empresses. A part of parents would like to satisfy their childrens each request as possible as they can. Due to the importance of Chinese children, marketers did many researches to seek the most relative information sources for Chinese children. Finally, they found that TV, parents, store visits and friends were ranked as the most significant sources to receive information for Chinese children (Fan Li, 2010).

Friday, October 25, 2019

Symbols and Symbolism - Houses and Cars in The Great Gatsby :: Great Gatsby Essays

Symbolism of Houses and Cars in The Great Gatsby      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Francis Scott Fitzgerald's novel, The Great Gatsby, is full of symbolism, which is portrayed by the houses and cars in an array of ways. One of the more important qualities of symbolism within The Great Gatsby is the way in which it is so completely incorporated into the plot and structure. Symbols, such as Gatsby's house and car, symbolize material wealth.    Gatsby's house "[is] a factual imitation of some Hotel de Ville in Normandy" which contains "a tower on one side, spanking new under a thin beard of raw ivy" is a symbol of Gatsby's large illegal income (Fitzgerald 9)(9). Gatsby's large income isn't enough to keep him happy. He needs "The house he feels he needs in order to win happiness" and it is also the perfect symbol of carelessness with money which is a major part of his personality (Bewley 24). Gatsby's house like his car symbolizes his vulgar and excessive trait of getting attention. Gatz's house is a mixture of different styles and periods which symbolizes an owner who does not know their true identity. The Buchanan's house is symbolic of their ideals.    East Egg is home to the more prominent established wealth families. Tom's and Daisy's home is on the East Egg. Their house, a "red and white Georgian Colonial mansion overlooking the bay" with its "wine-colored rug[s]" is just as impressive as Gatsby's house but much more low-key (Fitzgerald 11)(13). East egg and Tom's home represents the established wealth and traditions. Their stable wealth, although lacking the vulgarity of new wealth, is symbolic of their empty future and now purposelessness lives together. The House also has a cold sense to it according to Nick. This sense symbolizes Tom's brutality, and as Perkins's says in his manuscript to Fitzgerald "I would know...Buchanan if I met him and would avoid him," because Tom is so cold and brute (Perkins 199).    Nick lives in West Egg in a rented house that "[is] a small eye-sore" and "had been overlooked"(Fitzgerald 10). Nick lives in a new-rich West Egg because he is not wealthy enough to afford a house in the more prominent East Egg. His house symbolizes himself shy and overlooked. Nick is the Narrator and also the "trust worthy reporter and, ...judge" that has ties to both the East and West Egg crowd(Bruccoli xii).

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Imformative speech Essay

Introduction Hasn’t everyone at some point in their life been peered pressured. Teenagers all across America face it every day. It ranges from cheating on a test to robbing a convenient store. Peer pressure is a serious life situation that everyone encounters at a certain point in their life. And let’s face it, just say no is not always that easy. Attention Gainer YouTube video, peer pressure. Reason to Listen/Credibility Peer pressure exists for all ages. Three-year-old Robert insists that his mother take him to the store right away and buy him the latest fad toy because his friends have it. When she doesn’t, he has a temper tantrum. Nine-year-old Sarah wears a new shirt to school once, then refuses to wear it again because her friends made fun if it. Jeff, at sixteen, works out three hours a day to have a â€Å"perfect† body. When one of his friends at the gym offers him some anabolic steroids, he accepts, sacrificing his health for his image. Meanwhile, Jeff’s forty-year-old father just took out a loan he couldn’t afford to buy a new BMW because most of his neighbors drive luxury cars, and he didn’t want them to think he couldn’t afford one too. No one is immune from peer pressure. Source: www.faqs.org 3 Preview Statement The word â€Å"peer† according to dictionary.cambridge.org is one belonging to the same social group especially based on age, grade or status. The word â€Å"pressure† is described as the burden of physical mental distress. Peer pressure is basically encouraging people similar to you to make certain choices, take certain actions or perform in some specific way. I will talk about three different kinds of peer pressure substance abuse, emotional, and positive forms of peer pressure. II. Body First Main Point The number one form of peer pressure is substance abuse. Tobacco, alcohol and  illegal drugs are all substances that teenagers are pressured into using and abusing. Most teenagers who try alcohol do so around the age of 13, 8 years before the legal drinking age. The American Lung Association reports 3.1 million teenagers smoke. Approximately 30% of teenagers are offered, given or sold drugs in highs school or in middle school. These are some very disturbing statistics. When you give in to pressure you’re letting down those around you who thought they knew you better. When your own sense of self and the admiration of those around you are very important things to consider, you also need to think about more serious consequences of peer pressure. Alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs are all addicting. They are dangerous to your health in many ways and are often hard to quit once you have become dependent upon them. These substances can lead to negative consequences such as cancer, drug overdose and even death. Source: www.Buzzle.com 4 Second Main Point Second, one of the most emotional peer pressures we face is related to image ; the way we dress our height, our weight, how we act, and who we hang out with. These are all things that define us that we can ultimately be pressured into changing. Bullying and teasing go hand in hand with how we feel about ourselves. Self-esteem gives a huge blow when peer pressure causes us to change who we are. It is all about fitting in. that’s the number one thing why we yield to peer pressure. Teenagers are naturally afraid of rejection. They want to feel like they belong and that they are cool. While it’s perfectly normal to want to fit in, it doesn’t mean you have to change who you are or sacrifice your beliefs and your values. When you give in to peer pressure you lose yourself. You are giving up your free will and your voice and falling through the cracks just to be like somebody else Third Main Point A final peer pressure were going to discuss is positive forms of peer pressure. We know that peer pressure means encouraging people similar to us to do certain things, but it doesn’t always have to be bad. Some good forms of peer pressure include encouraging your friends to participate in sports  or other activities, or even volunteering together. Convincing someone to tell the truth, helping someone with homework or encouraging kids at school to come to church are all very positive forms of peer pressure. Peer pressure is not always bad. It can help you analyze yourself and contemplate on your ways of life. Some of the practices that the masses follow may 5 actually teach you the way of living. You may be able to change yourself for the better. Looking at what others do, can help you bring about a positive change in your way of thinking. If you can pick selectively, peer pressure can actually result in a positive change in your way of life. III. Conclusion Recap/Summary These three kinds of peer pressure happen to everyone at some point, substance abuse, emotional, and positive forms of peer pressure. Whether everyone or no one caves in we all have been peer pressured or will be in all these ways. This summarizes this informative speech. C. Audience Imprint 6 Bibliography www.faqs.org www.Buzzle.com www.Thecoolspot.gov www.aacap.org/peerpressure ianrpubs.unl.edu

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

The Silver Linings Playbook Chapter 26

Weathering the Relative Squalor When I ask to see Jake's wedding pictures, my mother plays dumb. â€Å"What wedding pictures?† she asks. But when I tell her I have met Caitlin – that we had lunch together and I have already accepted my sister-in-law's existence as fact – my mother looks relieved and says, â€Å"Well then, I guess I can hang up the wedding photos again.† She leaves me sitting in the living room by the fireplace. When she returns, she hands me a heavy photo album bound in white leather and begins to stand large frames up on the mantel – pictures of Jake and Caitlin previously hidden for my benefit. As I flip through the pages of my brother's wedding album, Mom also hangs up a few portraits of Jake and Caitlin on the walls. â€Å"It was a beautiful day, Pat. We all wished you were there.† The massive cathedral and the plush reception hall suggest that Caitlin's family must have what Danny calls â€Å"mad cheddar,† so I ask what Caitlin's father does for a living. â€Å"For years he was a violinist for the New York Philharmonic, but now he teaches at Juilliard. Music theory. Whatever that means.† Mom has finished hanging the framed pictures, and she sits next to me on the couch. â€Å"Caitlin's parents are nice people, but they're not really our kind of people, which became painfully obvious during the reception. How do I look in the pictures?† In the photos, my mother wears a chocolate brown dress and a bloodred sash over naked shoulders. Her lipstick matches the sash perfectly, but it looks as if she has on too much eye makeup, making her look sort of like a raccoon. On the plus side, her hair is in what Nikki used to call â€Å"a classic updo† and looks pretty good, so I tell Mom she photographs well, which makes her smile. Tension occupies my father's face; he does not look comfortable in any of the pictures, so I ask if he approves of Caitlin. â€Å"She's from a different world as far as your father's concerned, and he did not enjoy interacting with her parents – at all – but he's happy for Jake, in his own non-expressive way,† Mom says. â€Å"He understands that Caitlin makes your brother happy.† This gets me thinking about how strange my father was at my own wedding, refusing to speak to anyone unless he was spoken to first and then answering everyone with monosyllabic responses. I remember being mad at my father during the rehearsal dinner because he would not even look at Nikki, let alone interact with her family. I remember my mother and brother telling me that Dad did not deal well with change, but their explanation meant nothing to me until the next day. Halfway through the Mass, the priest asked the congregation if they would hold Nikki and me up in their prayers, and as instructed, we turned to face the response. I instinctively looked toward my parents, curious to see if my father would say the words â€Å"we will† like he was supposed to, chanting along with everyone else, and this is when I saw him wiping his eyes with a tissue and biting down on his lower lip. His whole body was trembling slightly, as if he were an old man. It was the strangest sight, my father crying during a wedding that had seemed to make him so annoyed. The very man who never showed any emotions other than anger was crying. I kept staring at my father, and when it became obvious that I was not going to turn back toward the priest, Jake – who was my best man – had to give me a little nudge to break the spell. Sitting on the couch with my mother, I ask her, â€Å"When were Caitlin and Jake married?† My mother looks at me strangely. She doesn't want to mention the date. â€Å"I know it happened when I was in the bad place, and I also know that I was in the bad place for years. I've accepted that much.† â€Å"Are you sure you really want to know the date?† â€Å"I can handle it, Mom.† She looks at me for a second, trying to decide what to do, and then says, â€Å"The summer of 2004. August seventh. They've been married for just over two years now.† â€Å"Who paid for the wedding photos?† My mother laughs. â€Å"Are you kidding me? Your father and I never could have afforded that fancy sort of wedding album. Caitlin's parents were very generous, putting together the album for us and allowing us to blow up whatever photos we wanted and – â€Å" â€Å"Did they give you the negatives?† â€Å"Why would they give us – â€Å" She must see the look on my face, because Mom stops speaking immediately. â€Å"Then how did you replace the photos after that burglar came and stole all the framed photos in the house?† Mother is thinking how best to answer as I wait for her response; she begins chewing on the inside of her cheek the way she sometimes does when she is anxious. After a second, she calmly says, â€Å"I called up Caitlin's mother, told her about the burglary, and she had copies made that very week.† â€Å"Then how do you explain these?† I say just before pulling framed wedding pictures of Nikki and me out from behind the pillow at the far end of the love seat. When my mother says nothing, I stand and return my wedding picture to its rightful place on the mantel. Then on the wall by the front window I rehang the picture of my immediate family gathered around Nikki in her wedding dress – her white train spilling out across the grass toward the camera. â€Å"I found the ‘Pat' box, Mom. If you really hate Nikki so much, just tell me, and I'll hang the pictures up in the attic, where I sleep.† Mom doesn't say anything. â€Å"Do you hate Nikki? And if so, why?† My mother will not look at me. She's running her hands through her hair. â€Å"Why did you lie to me? What else have you lied about?† â€Å"I'm sorry, Pat. But I lied to †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Mom does not tell me why she lied; instead she starts to cry again. For a very long time, I look out the window and stare at the neighbors' house across the street. Part of me wants to comfort my mother – to sit down next to her and throw an arm over her shoulders, especially since I know my father has not talked to her in more than a week and is happily eating takeout three times a day, doing his own laundry, and weathering the relative squalor. I have caught Mom cleaning here and there, and I know she is a little upset about her plan not working out like she hoped it would. But I am also mad at my mother for lying to me, and even though I am practicing being kind rather than right, I can't find it in me to comfort her right now. Finally I leave Mom crying on the couch. I change, and when I go outside for a run, Tiffany is waiting.