Plato s View Of The Immortal Soul, Diagnosis, And...

Introduction-Plato’s view of the immortal soul, Diagnosis, and Prescription. Plato had a dualistic view of the soul and body, meaning that he believed them to be two separate entities that could exist independently of one another. According to Plato, ‘the soul exists before birth, it is indestructible, and will exist eternally after death.†Plato believed in what he referred to as a tripartite soul. Plato’s tripartite soul consists of Appetite, Spirit, and Reason. In a just soul, Appetite and Spirit are controlled by Reason. Plato believed the soul to be more important than the body because he believed the soul retained knowledge of the forms from before birth, rather than knowledge being gained through bodily senses. The problem, according to Plato, is that which part of the soul dominates the others differs from person to person. In order to have a just soul, reason must be in control and the three parts should be in harmony with one another. Similarly, the people who are the most rational thinkers, and therefore the most suited to be ru lers, are not always those who have power in society. In order to have a just society, the most rational people must have power over spirited and appetitive people. These three classes of people should be in harmony, just as the three parts of the soul should be in harmony. Plato’s ideal society is a just society. A just society, for Plato, is a society in which the three classes of people, namely, Rulers, Auxiliaries, and Workers are

The Disney Departure Differences Before And After The...

The Disney Departure: Differences Before and After the Death of Walt Disney According to the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention, the Walt Disney Corporation historically stood for â€Å"basic American virtues and values† but now represents a â€Å"significant departure from Disney’s family-values image, and a gratuitous insult to Christians and others who have long supported Disney.† Their belief is that Disney entertainment products produced while Walt Disney was alive differ substantially from those produced in the post-Walt era. Through time, it is inevitable that particular things have changed since the production of Walt’s personal films from the 1920’s to the 1960’s (such as being aesthetically and cinematically advanced, in†¦show more content†¦Although this is not directly under Walt’s authority, and they are predominant shifts, the basic â€Å"American virtues and values† remains the same throughout each Disney entertainment product that is released. One of the most evident changes in Disney entertainment products in the post-Walt era is the introduction of homosexual characters. Conservative Christian groups continue to argue that LGBTQ activists have a secret plan to advance homosexual lifestyles, thus destroying ‘traditional’ marriage ideas. This ‘Gay Agenda,’ according to groups such as the Southern Baptist Convention, is ‘apparent in Disney releases.’ For example, in Tangled, Flynn and Rapunzel visit a tavern that is filled with men with dreams associated with homosexuality, such as an interior designer and a pastry chef. Disney television shows have also presented homosexual characters and storylines, with Ellen Degeneres’ ‘coming out’ episode being the most infamous of the bunch. Recently, on Disney’s hit television show, Good Luck Charlie, two women were introduced to the cast as the homosexual parents of Charlie’s best friend, Taylor. However, even with the debut of these characters in the post-Walt era, the â€Å"basic American virtues and values† are still found in

Progressing Through Life Free Essays

Progressing in life could be one of the most difficult things that a person will have to face during their lifetime. The troubles and problems that they encounter helps them to develop as a person, but also puts them through extraordinary pain. Denis Waitley a man known globally for counselling some of the world’s most famous athletes, said a quote that could relate back to developing in life. We will write a custom essay sample on Progressing Through Life or any similar topic only for you Order Now He said â€Å"Don’t dwell on what went wrong. Instead, focus on what to do next. Spend your energies on moving forward toward finding the answer.† In the novel The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, developing as a person is portrayed in several different ways through the main character Amir. As a child Amir faced conflict between his father and himself mostly because he was trying to find a way to learn and connect with his father to help him figure out how he wants to live. As he enters his teenage years he experiences evil in this world first hand, something some people will never see. Learning to control himself and realize how to handle it is a major step for most people. Later when he enters adulthood he begins to take responsibility and puts others ahead of himself. Helping those who cannot help themselves is a considerate and remarkable thing to accomplish in life. During a human’s childhood they face a lot of self realization and this causes most kids to be confused as they are proceeding through the early stages of their lives. Amir’s father makes it very challenging for Amir to develop as a child because he does not have very much respect for Amir and does not acknowledge him enough. â€Å"This is grown-ups time. Why don’t you go read one of thosebooks of yours? † (Hosseini 3). This quote shows how Amir’s father ignored him like he did not exist. This caused Amir to get very frustrated with his father because all he ever wanted was to be accepted by him. Another point that relates back Baba not loving loving Amir as much as he should, is when Baba is talking to Rahim Kahn. They are talking about how Amir never sticks up for himself and Hassan has to do it for him. â€Å"Self defence has nothing to do with meanness. You know what always happens when the neighbourhood boys tease him? Hassan steps in and fends them off. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. And when they come home, I say to him, † How did Hassan get that scrape on his face? â€Å"†¦ † he fell down† I’m telling you, Rahim, there is something missing in that boy. â€Å"( Hosseini 18). This quote shows us how Baba has very little respect for Amir because he believes that he does not know how to stick up for himself and this causes Baba to ignore him more than he already does. This is not completely Amir’s fault because he has never been taught how to stand up for himself. This is Baba’s job, as a father and role model, to make sure he knows this. There is also a time when Baba tries to reach out to Amir and give him the chance to impress Baba but Amir fails to impress him. When Baba puts Amir into soccer, he is hoping that Amir will take an interest in it. Amir likes the idea so he tries it out, but when he does he finds out that he is not good at playing soccer and he cannot get through this athletic challenge. He is unable to keep up and his dad gets frustrated so he takes him out of it and tries to see if watching the soccer will be better for him. For the first few weeks Amir fakes being interested in it and his dad soon catches on that he has no interest in it and wants to give up on him. (Hosseini 15). Amir feels as if he has not inherited any athletic ability from Baba and this makes him feel even more discouraged than he already is. All Amir ever wanted was to get his father’s approval and he fails to do it in almost every situation as a child. As Amir entered his teenage years he faced the evil in the world first hand. Amir witnessed an event that could scar any person for their entire life. When Amir saw Hassan get sexually assaulted he did not engage in the situation to try and help his friend Hassan. Amir stood by and watched his best friend surrender to the boys who sexually assaulted him. This situation relates back to the first point in this paragraph because if Baba would have taught Amir how to stick up for himself and his friends, he could have tried to stop or prevent this horrible circumstance. This situation relates to the point because if Amir would have prevented the sexual assault then he would not have felt so guilty and lost his best friend. If this situation never happened it could have change his life completely. After Amir watched his best friend get sexually assaulted, this stalled his growth as a child because he was feeling very guilty and did not know what to do with himself. (Hosseini 61). This is demonstrated during the fight between Amir and Hassan at the pomegranate tree. Amir throws a pomegranate at Hassan trying to get him to throw one back at him because he wants to feel like he is even with Hassan again but Hassan does not react. Instead Hassan smashes one on his forehead to show that he is loyal to Amir and does not want to hurt him like Amir hurt him. (Hosseini 78). These last two examples shows how Amir is developing and maturing as a person because he now knows what he should do in a situation like that if it ever happens again and it also teaches him how he should be loyal to every person you are close to in life. In Amir’s later teenager years his father decides to move to America to get away from all the evil that was starting to happen in Kabul. He thinks that this is a good choice for him and Amir because it will give them the chance to start a new life in a different country. ( Hosseini 93) This is a turning point in Amir’s life because he gets a chance to live in a different environment and take all of the knowledge he has gained and apply it to his new life. When Amir enters his adulthood he continues to mature and starts to apply everything he has learned through his experiences while growing up as a child and teenager. After Amir finds out that Hassan has passed away, his first instinct is to go and save his son Sohrab. Amir returns back to Kabul and finds out that Sohrab is under the control of the Taliban. As Amir finally finds Sohrab he is faced with the leader of the Taliban which is the man who sexually assaulted Hassan as a child. Amir then sacrifices himself for Sohrab and takes a beating from the leader and escapes with Sohrab later on. (Hosseini 247). This is showing that Amir has figured out that he has to put others before himself sometimes in order to make them happy and do what is right. It is a major step for Amir because he has not done this before. After Amir rescues Sorhab from the Taliban he brings him to a hotel so they can stay together until he brings him back to America. The morning after they settle at the hotel, Sohrab runs away to a Mosque and Amir had no idea where he went. Amir then started to panic because he knew that Sohrab was now his responsibility. Amir then asks the man at the front desk several questions until he mentions the Mosque and Amir immediately ran there hoping to find Sohrab. He finds Sohrab there and has a huge weight lifted off of his shoulders because he has found him, and knows that he is okay. (Hosseini 271). As Amir stays with Sohrab he is trying to get the papers which allows him to enter America. When Amir first meets the man trying to help him get Sohrab into America he faces a major issue that becomes an obstacle. The man tells Amir that Sohrab will not be able to leave Kabul until Amir gets proof that he is the uncle of Sohrab. (Hosseini 290). This brave challenge would have been extremely difficult for Amir to handle previously but since he is now very responsible and mentally stronger, he now works hard and does what is necessary to make it possible for Sohrab to come back to America with Amir. Amir has grown and developed significantly since his childhood and now realizes how he can have in impact on other people’s lives if he really puts his mind to it. Mary Engelbreit once said, â€Å"If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. † Developing in life is a very difficult challenge for most people, but for some it is something that they can do overnight. In this novel it is close to impossible for Amir to develop in the main stages of his life because of the type of person he is. In his childhood he tries to get his fathers approval, but later finds out that it will be a lot more challenging than it may seem. As he enters his teenage years Amir exposed to the worlds evil first hand. He witness’ an event that he could have changed but fails to do so because of his lack of knowledge. Then when Amir becomes an adult he finally starts to figure out how to take the responsibility for others and put others in front of himself in order to make them happy. Amir finally develops in life and puts everything that he has learned to the test. Amir has come a long way and now can say that he is a fully developed man. How to cite Progressing Through Life, Papers

Corporate Downsizing Essay Paper Example For Students

Corporate Downsizing Essay Paper Organizations in every segment of business, industry, government, and education are downsizing. Downsizing is and has been a controversial phenomenon in the last few years. The controversy that surrounds downsizing may be better described as a debate in organizational theory about whether change is adaptive or disruptive. The issues which establish the outcome of the controversy include why the downsizing is taking affect, how it is implemented, and what steps are taken to enhance its effects on organizational performance. The reasons for corporate downsizing are presented in many forms. Some companies downsize due to technological changes such as automation, which brings about the need for a reduction in the production workforce. Others may feel that competitiveness with other companies warrants the need for a reduction in the workforce. Financial setbacks due to customer demand, market shares, and loss of revenue could also initiate the need for downsizing. When will it end? Expert s say it wont. For instance, the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was established as a universal trade agreement between the US, Cannada, and Mexico to allow free imports and exports.It was also established with the intent to help poor countries, like Mexico, export their products for economic reasons. In my opinion, it has strongly contributed to Americas massive downsizing phenomenon. Companies that have experienced financial setbacks and losses seem to relish the idea that they can downsize the workforce here in the states, move operations into places like Mexico, hire cheap labor, and export their product back to the states, while making bigger profits. The sad part about this is that it is true, and NAFTA is largely responsible for this type of downsizing. Is this ethical? That remains to be seen. The truth is that unless an organization was designed expressly for the purpose, it is not in business to provide employment. Jobs are the by-product of successful organizational endeavors, not If the decision to downsize is a response to competitive pressures, it will appear impatient or premature to those who must leave. If it is perceived as anything less than a well developed strategic response to demands on the organization, then it fails to show employees need for the criteria. Downsizing can sometimes seem to be about creating victims and displacing blame rather than accepting responsibility and choosing moral and ethical ways to implement the outcome. Management wants a quick cut that protects he companys assets, yet it wants to be gentle and compassionate to those who are let go. These two objectives are self-canceling, and to accomplish the first requires considerable compromise on the second. Many companies wait until the day of the lay-off to inform its employees. They are concerned about sabotage and productivity. They seem to think that if they retain the bad news until the last moment that the employees will leave and the rest will get back to business. However, this method of a lay-off is the least favorable for the employees. If the company gives the employees notice of the cutback in the workforce, they will have time to plan for the financial problems, look for other work, and make other necessary arrangements to prepare them for the loss. It would be in the best interest of the company to give this notice to its workers. Being a survivor of downsizing can have its own ethical issues. Those who are left after the downsizing has occurred, may share perceptions about the ethics of the decisions leading up to the dismissal of those who left. They may experience feelings such as anger, guilt, fear, and even depression. These feelings could be brought on by having to take up the slack and doing more work. They could also be asked to learn new tasks and for the same or maybe even less money than before the downsizing. Asking people to do more for less money can seem unfair. In my opinion, companies and organizations sometimes put too much pressure on surviving employees. This can cause the decision-makers to seem insensitive to the reality that employees are people with full lives and responsibility outside the workplace. Call it outsourcing with a heart. DuPont on December 11, tentatively agreed to outsource its computer and telecommunications operations, but it will do so without cutting jobs. Instead, some 3,100 DuPont staffers will be given the chance to switch employers with 2,600 spots slated for Computer Sciences Corp. and 500 for Andersen Consulting. An additional 1,100 information technology staffers are expected to stay with DuPont. The outsourcing pact is one of the biggest ever. It will be worth more than $4 billion over 10 years, with CSC taking the lions share. CSC will handle DuPonts global mainframe, mid-range, and PC hardware needs, and worldwide telecom network, while Andersen takes care of software applications. The parties have signed a letter of intent and are now hammering out the final terms.The flip-side to downsizing could be a more positive result or experience. When companies have their employees economic survival at heart when planning their downsizing tactics, an adaptive approach as well as a positive outcome can be expected. Most managers seem to understand the hard side of downsizing such as the cost of inventory, shipping, severance packages, and plant capacities. Im sure DuPont considered all of these issues. However, they took the issues one step further and considered the softer issues such as morale, loyalty, and the role of the corporate environment on employee motivation and produ ctivity. These issues should be addressed to keep a downsized company alive and well. As history would have it, more companies suffer from downsizing rather than prosper. Why is this the case? Most companies or organizations fail to focus on the entire picture. For instance, they see the need for cutbacks in money and finance, yet they often pay more attention to the people they let go than the ones they keep. They may provide the laid-off workers with outplacement counseling, resume writing assistance, and other sources for potential job leads. Some companies even extend their health benefits, offer early retirement incentives, and often give severance packages. But, wheres the generosity for those who remain to do the work? The blow of staying with a company that has downsized needs to be softened too. Employees often feel threatened that their own jobs may be in jeopardy, they may have a growing mistrust of the company, and they have little understanding of what management is doi ng or what their role will be in the companys future. Managers must pay attention to the survivors too. Beowulf the hero EssayAs we look at the reasons for downsizing, it is easy to justify the needs from an organizational and business point of view. When considering the needs of employees and the affects of downsizing on them, the picture looks very different. While a company has to do what is necessary to stay alive in the competitive world of business, it also has a moral obligation to its employees and the community. Whether or not it chooses to consider the needs of its employees and the community during a downsizing phase will greatly affect the outcome of the process and alter the benefits of the lay-off. While the companys profits are its main concern, it must be careful of the way it implements the downsizing in order for the outcome to be adaptive and positive. If the profitability is the only criteria for downsizing and the company has disgruntled and non-focused employees, the outcome of the downsizing will apparently be disruptive, causing low morale in the workforce, wh ich breeds lower productivity. If the employees can see the efforts of the company to exhaust all other possibilities before the lay-off and consider the needs and feelings of the employee and the affects on the community, they may be able to look upon the company with trust and security. A developed plan or focus for their future may allow survivors of the downsizing to adapt to the change in a more positive manner. Involvement by the Human Resource department should ease the pain of those affected by the lay-off. Counseling, job placement programs, and benefit options are all concerns for the laid-off employee. It is the responsibility of the HR department to ease the pain and keep the lines of communication open between the employee and management. Management is responsible for the decisions, but the HR department should insure that the management follows all moral and legal obligations to the employee. In order for this new change in American business to be adaptive, complete an d thorough plans should be carried out in the process of downsizing in order for the company and employee alike to accept new ideas and focus on the new direction brought about by the change. Survivors of the downsize process must have confidence in the companys honesty and its ability to secure their jobs. They must outline a strategic plan to keep morale and productivity on an upward trend.Bibliography:Big payoffs from layoffs. Business Week, G.Koretz p.30 Feb. 24 1997. Downs, Alan; Corporate Executions. AMACON, 135 West ST. New York, N.Y. 1995Downsizing is Bad for Business. USA Today,J.ChallengerVol. 125, p66-68. Jan.1997Learn From My Mistakes. Money, Apr. 1995, p.15Meyer, C.J.; Executive Blues, Down and Out In CorporateAmerica. Franklin Square Press, 666 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 1995Negbenebor, Willis; Principles of Economics. CT Publishing Company, Redding Calif. 1996. North American Free Trade Agreement. Vol.1, US GovernmentPrinting Office, 192-330-817/70635, 1995. Online News Flash. Business Week; Dec. 11,1996Seeking A Payoff. J Freedman, Business Week p. 100Jan. 8, 1990. The Casualties of Downsizing, B.B. Auster. US News AndWorld Report. Vol.118,p.31, Jan. 9,1995. The Ethics of Downsizing. Navron Associates NewsletterApr.95. Who Says Job Anxiety Is Easing? A. Bernstein, Busniss Week p.38, Apr.7,1997.

Human impacts on the hydrology of the Mekong River

Free Essays on Problems In English Pronunciation

Millions of foreign students want to learn English as well as they can; for some it is only a matter of reading and writing it, but many students want to be able to speak English well,with pronunciation which can be easily understood both by their fellow-students and by English people . Written English and spoken English are obviously very different things. Writing consists of marks on paper which make no noise and are taken in by eye,while speaking is organized sound,taken in by the ear. How can a book which is nothing but marks on paper ,help anyone to make their English sound better? The answer to this is that it can’t , not by itself. But if you will co-operate ,and listen to English as much as you can, then you will find that the instructions given in the following pages will make your ears sharper for the sound of English and when you can hear English properly you can go on and improve your performance. Language starts with the ear. When a baby starts to talk he does it by hearing the sounds his mother makes and imitating them. If a baby is born deaf he cannot hear these sounds and therefore cannot imitate them and will not speak. But normal babies can hear and can imitate; they are wonderful imitators,and this gift of imitation ,which gives us the gift of speech,lasts for a number of years. It is will known that a child of ten years old or less can learn any language perfectly,if it is brought up surrounded by that language,no matter where it was born or who its parents were. But after this stage the ability to imitate perfectly becomes less, and we all know only to well that adults have great difficulty in mastering pronunciation(as well as other parts) of foreign languages. Some people are more talented than others’ they find pronouncing other languages less difficul, but they never find them easy. The reason for this can be found in our native language. B y the time we are grown up the habits ... Free Essays on Problems In English Pronunciation Free Essays on Problems In English Pronunciation Millions of foreign students want to learn English as well as they can; for some it is only a matter of reading and writing it, but many students want to be able to speak English well,with pronunciation which can be easily understood both by their fellow-students and by English people . Written English and spoken English are obviously very different things. Writing consists of marks on paper which make no noise and are taken in by eye,while speaking is organized sound,taken in by the ear. How can a book which is nothing but marks on paper ,help anyone to make their English sound better? The answer to this is that it can’t , not by itself. But if you will co-operate ,and listen to English as much as you can, then you will find that the instructions given in the following pages will make your ears sharper for the sound of English and when you can hear English properly you can go on and improve your performance. Language starts with the ear. When a baby starts to talk he does it by hearing the sounds his mother makes and imitating them. If a baby is born deaf he cannot hear these sounds and therefore cannot imitate them and will not speak. But normal babies can hear and can imitate; they are wonderful imitators,and this gift of imitation ,which gives us the gift of speech,lasts for a number of years. It is will known that a child of ten years old or less can learn any language perfectly,if it is brought up surrounded by that language,no matter where it was born or who its parents were. But after this stage the ability to imitate perfectly becomes less, and we all know only to well that adults have great difficulty in mastering pronunciation(as well as other parts) of foreign languages. Some people are more talented than others’ they find pronouncing other languages less difficul, but they never find them easy. The reason for this can be found in our native language. B y the time we are grown up the habits ...

Documentation control Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5250 words

Documentation control - Research Paper Example on control can be the usage and preparation of the documents for the safe operations within the organization, contingency planning, quality maintenance and overall functions and services which are required to be handled in the due manner. This paper looks into the nature of control documents, the advantages served by them, the pre requisites attached to them with regard to their handling and better services and outputs extractions, followed by the issues faced and the measures needed to be ensured in order to make vital and effective use of control documents. Documentation is being kept and prepared by the management team and the technical analysis team who create the company policies, rules and regulations, standard operating procedures, rules of engagement, and other policies pertinent to the dealing and exchange with the companies and stakeholders along with the regulatory authorities, government and competitors in the market. The documents are usually present in the human resource department and at the same time part of it can be made available on the website with the due consideration of the fact that the private and company related important information may not be shared or spread with the outside sources on a public platform such as company’s official website. Documentation is the process of making an activity and process official and bringing it under the record for present validation, future consideration and potential improvement in longer run. Documentation may be kept in the soft or hard retrieval section (Professional & Cochran, 20). The document is a collection of activities that are underpinned in a recorded way which allows for following a clear strategy based on the present processes and future planning and path that must be followed in order to maintain quality and earn the customers satisfaction. The document control function must make use of the presently in use documents and it must be ensured that the irrelevant and the data that may not

Global warming proposing solutions essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Global warming proposing solutions - Essay Example Air pollution is the basic cause of global warming. The air has been enormously polluted by the smoke escaping from chimneys, and the burning of fuels in automobiles. Man made causes are the biggest contributors of the global warming. Fuels made from such organic materials as oil and coal are called as fossil fuels. When they are burnt, fossil fuels give off gases rich in carbon content. These gases are known as greenhouse gases. These gases include but are not limited to carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (NO). The methane present in ground is collected along with the oil or coal that is extracted from ground. Population is another major cause of increase in global warming. More people require more vehicles. Thus, more vehicles are on the roads to burn the fossil fuels and generate methane and carbon dioxide. Also, the residue of animals that is often dumped into barren lands or even farms is rich in methane. To accommodate the food related needs of the growing po pulation, more cattle are kept because they are the fundamental source of food and dairy products for humans. Their manure is also rich in methane. Even if people become very prudent in their activities and use of things in every day life, they would still give rise to global warming because all living animals and humans inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Humans replace the oxygen in atmosphere with carbon dioxide, and cause global warming. In fact, humans not only replace atmospheric oxygen with carbon dioxide, but also eradicate the fundamental source of oxygen. Millions of trees are cut every year to accommodate the needs of humans. People require wood to construct homes and make things of everyday use. Trees have to be cut in order to gain wood which cuts short the source of oxygen in the atmosphere. Thus, humans are making every effort they can to increase the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and in turn, increase the global warming. Global warming is causing a lot of problems. With the increase in temperature, more and more glaciers are melting away every year and this water pours into rivers and seas. The resulting increase in the sea level is the main cause of the frequent and severe hurricanes, cyclones and tsunamis. The rise in temperature of water on the surface of sea facilitates in the building up of tsunamis. Natural disasters have blanketed the world in the recent years. Every year, many areas are flooded with water which is a potential threat to the life of animals and humans. Many people lose their lives in tsunamis. Glaciers that are melting away are depriving many animal species of their habitat. Glaciers are the primary source of food and shelter for polar bears. The rate at which glaciers are melting away presently will soon make the polar bears extinct from Earth completely. Also, thousands of cattle are drowned in floods whenever they occur. In addition to that, many people die of severe heat in the summer season every y ear because every summer season is getting much hotter than the preceding one. Air pollution has made people acquire many diseases. Thus, global warming is a big threat to life on Earth in many ways. Owing to the dangers associated with the rising temperature on Earth, there is dire need to take such measures that would reduce global warming. In order to control global warming, things of everyday use should be recycled and reused. The reliance on oil and coal should be minimized. Use of HVAC should be minimiz

BUSINESS MODELS AND PLANNING Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

BUSINESS MODELS AND PLANNING - Essay Example Archetypally, a value chain viewpoint is embraced, and affiliations to dealers and clienteles and other peripheral forces are put into consideration. For instance, corporation ‘fundamentals’, put emphasis on the â€Å"information most pertinent to decision making in the contemporary economic setting concern the enterprise’s value chain (business model, in analysts’ parlance)†. In addition, this technique of theorizing the business model focuses on outlining the company’s manner of undertaking business. On the other hand, a narrow business model entails a business model that bases solitary on in-house aspects in the organization. A business model should not be a depiction of a multifarious social system with entirely its actors, dealings and practices. As a replacement for, they argue that, it ought to designate a company’s significance thus creating logic, the processes that enable this, i.e. the groundwork for generating worth and set up the foundation for hypothesizing the strategy of the business. Occasionally, it propagates in the form of an innovative idea. More often, it encompasses amalgamation of merchandise and service features that offers more quality value. For instance, a cheaper price for the equivalent advantage or supplementary benefit for the equal price. In due course, the aforementioned move achieves its key objective of safeguarding loyal customers along with anticipated sales. Business models incorporate strategies that identify and establishing a significant differentiator. For instance, it comes up with a strategic move to attract attention of the customer or superb performance and customer care. Rationally, these models figure out unique barriers to entry that protect their profit streams. In the long run, this strategy ensures that the business continues to control a desirable market share as well as enjoy healthy profits. The business

Pros and Cons of the Quebec Separation Issue

Pros and Cons of the Quebec Separation Issue The separation of Quebec is a very controversial issue in Canada, but why? Some people, such as those who live in Quebec believe Quebec should separate from Canada. They believe that their province would be better off on its own as its own country. Others, mainly those from other parts of the country, but still some from Quebec believe that Quebec should stay, that Quebec is a big part of Canada and would not be the same without it. If Quebec stays, Canada maintains its large piece of land on the map, the history that goes along with it, and the millions of people living there, but if Quebec separates, Canada would get rid of a large chunk of its debt (which would go to Quebec). This raises two very important arguments between for and those against the separation of Quebec from Canada. There are several benefits of Quebec separating from Canada. If Quebec were to separate, there would be no more disputes over the French and English languages that are spoken in Canada. Canada could have its bilingualism, and Quebec could become its own strictly French nation with no English spoken anywhere. Canada is a bilingual country; French is even mandatory in English schools up to and including grade 9. It isnt right if Quebec is only going to offer a French education to its children. Quebec is already separate in a way from Canada. They have their own civil laws, and their street signs only read in French. In 1980 there was a referendum to separate Quebec from Canada. This referendum was defeated when 41.5% of the people voted yes and 56.5% voted no. But the Quebecers were still fed up. Many people still did not want to be part of Canada, so they decided to try again. This time, it seemby a 50.58 % to 49.42 % margin, the closest in the history of Canada.ed to have more suppor t than ever before, even from people that didnt live in Quebec (although people who didnt live in Quebec werent involved in the vote.) It took place in 1995, and the motion to pursue independence was again narrowly defeated Whenever there are pros to an issue, the cons are never far behind. There is a big downside to Quebec separating from Canada. Canada is a bilingual country, the worlds first in fact and despite the fact that Quebec likes to be called strictly French, it is still a huge part of its bilingualism. Almost every person who lives in Quebec knows some form of French, and anyone who doesnt is probably in the process of learning it. People who are visiting from French-speaking countries may be attracted to the Quebec area because of its French-speaking nature. This is good for the tourism industry and can bring in some extra bucks to help pay off Canadas debt. Canada is also country that has a population of 30 million plus, that number growing each day. We are also the second largest country in the world as far as actual land goes. If Quebec were to separate from Canada, we would lose all of this. Out population would shrink by 7.4 million people, and the size of our country would fall down almost 16 percent. And just think if you took Quebec off of the map. There would be a massive whole in Canada. Would it still be possible for Canada to survive? Would the east and the west be able to survive or would they be forced to join the United States? Quebec has flourished in Canada and proven it doesnt have to leave to achieve its needs.   It made French its official language by passing Law 101. Despite the rising increase in English-speaking, it has raised the number of Francophones in the province to the highest level ever. We sometimes fail to realize that Francophones have jumped on top of the Quebec economy to produced some of Canadas and the worlds leading technologies, companies and financial institutions like Bombardier (snowmobiles, all terrain vehicles, military aircraft, trains), Hydro Quebec, and le Cirque du Soleil. If Quebec ever separated, it would no longer be a part of NAFTA and would be forced to pay heavy duties on imports and exports of their goods. This would then cause them to raise the price of their merchandise which would eventually stop selling because of the availability of cheaper goods elsewhere. Does all of this mean something? Why does Quebec keep trying to separate? Obviously they dont want to be a part of Canada, so they should become a country of their own. Now some may say that the reason these referendums have not gone through is because people are scared of becoming independent. They are scared of the thought of their province, Quebec, not being a part of Canada. Does this make sense? Not at all. If you want to separate from something, then do it. If you want to stay with that something, then stay with it. But dont try and do both, that will get you nowhere and the fights will continue to plague the whole country. The real reason for this is that the people who vote for Quebec to stay a part of Canada are mostly middle aged people while the people that want Quebec to separate from Canada are the younger people and the older people. According to the website crave.com, Eventually, the young will be a majority and the yes vote side will win. It will end with them leaving , but not before more and more conflicts between the two sides, so they might as well go now. Another reason why Quebec should separate is that Canada has a large debt of over 150 billion dollars. This debt has been accumulating over the years, but Canada is slowly starting to come out of it. 25% of this debt would be the sole responsibility of Quebec if they were to separate which would make Canada at least 35 billion dollars further out of that debt. Although we will have lost a bit of our economy through the separation, this money would surely make up it for that loss. This would give Quebecers a nice discrepancy in their bank account to start off their country and eventually, they would have to start borrowing money from Canada. Over the years Quebec would start to pay the money back, with interest, and Canadas debt would be almost cut in half. The separation of Quebec from Canada is a very controversial issue. Should it happen or shouldnt it? Those for would like to see it happen so Canada can get rid of the French language all together, and to stop all the fighting and arguing that is constantly going on between both sides. They would also like them to separate for the sake of money that they would be paying to Canada. Others do not want Quebec to separate from Canada because they believe that it is a very important part of the Country. It connects the west to the east, the east to the west. Without it, there would be a very big hole right in the middle of the country and the rest of Canada would probably be forced to join the United States. I myself would not like to see Quebec separate from Canada for a few reasons. If they did separate, Nova Scotia would most likely join the U.S. Now although I do like to visit the country, I would never want to be a part of it. Another reason is that I enjoy shopping in Quebec and dri ving through Quebec. Its a fun place to be and the shopping never ends. Canada is just not the same without Quebec. As long as these two sides continue to fight and argue, the separation of Quebec will remain a very controversial issue in Canada. http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2006/1/30/214331/583

Personal Narrative- Learning Essay examples -- Personal Narrative

Personal Narrative- Learning As the dull scent of chalk dust mixes imperceptably with the drone of the teacher's monotone, I doodle in my tablet to stay awake. I notice vaguely that, despite my best efforts in the shower this morning after practice, I still smell like chlorine. I sigh and wonder why the school's administration requires the students to take a class that, if it were on the Internet, would delight Mirsky (creator of Mirsky's Worst of the Web), as yet another addition to his list of worthless sites. Still, there was hope that I would learn something that would make today's first class more than just forty-five wasted minutes... It wouldn't be the first time I learned something new from the least likely place. I have three reasons to continue hoping. They are: my freshman physical science class, the manner in which I came to take calculus in junior year and my experiences with high school swimming. These incidents have, despite the odds against it, added to my confidence in my academic ability and have shown me that there is something to be learned from even the...

Ferdinand de Saussure Essay

†¢The origin of Language †¢Features of Language †¢Knowledge of Language †¢Linguistics †¢Branches of Linguistics †¢Approaches to Linguistic Studies †¢Schools of Linguistics THE ORIGIN OF LANGUAGE †¢The divine source †¢The natural sound source o Primitive words o Cuckoo, splash, rattle, hiss, buzz oâ€Å"Bow-wow theory of language origin.† †¢The social interaction source †¢The physical adaptation source †¢The tool-making source †¢The genetic source oChild development à ¨ Automatic oDeaf children à ¨ Fluent users of sign language à ¨ innateness hypothesis oWe are born with a capacity for speaking/using language †¢(See Yule, Ch.1; Fromkin et al., Ch.6) MAJOR FEATURES OF HUMAN LANGUAGE 1-Communicative : function of language is to communicate 2-Vocal : human vocal organs are used 3-Human : sophisticated use of language is unique to human species 4-Social : it Ä ±s used by the members of a community 5-Natural : Ä ±t is a natural phenomena 6-Changeable : it can and will change trough time 7-Rule-governed : there are systematic rules in it. 8-Product of mind : it is the product of mental operation 9-Arbitrary : no systematic relationship between form and meaning 10-Creative : language is used creatively MINOR FEATURES OF LANGUAGE 1-Language , unless recorded, flies away the movement we speak it. 2-Self-talk is a form of language 3-We talk in our minds : inner speech 4-We can not help but to process and understand what we hear. 5-Language can be used by some to xert their power over others. 6-Language is used for cultural preservation and transmission . 7-Language is varied : not monolithic. 8-The direction of changes in language is not predictable. 9-Language is personal as well as social. 10-Language is a means for mental and social development. 11-Language is a predictor of social identity. 12-Language reveals patterns of how mind works. 13-All languages have the same potential for development KNOWLEDGE OF LANGUAGE †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"I know English.† †¢Produce individual sounds and combining them (Phonetics & Phonology); †¢Form and dividing words (Morphology); †¢Combine these words into phrases and sentences (Syntax); †¢Understand the meaning of words, phrases and utterances (Semantics); †¢Use the language appropriately in different contexts (Pragmatics). Language is an arbitrary and changeable set of vocal symbols which are cognitively formulated, and socially used for human natural communication. Linguistic knowledge is knowledge about language which is acquired unconsciously. LINGUISTICS †¢ Linguistics is the scientific or logical examination of any aspect and property of language including the influences of language on any sphere of life. BRANCHES OF LINGUISTICS †¢MICRO-LINGUISTICS ïÆ'ËœPhonetics (Fonetik) ïÆ'ËœPhonology (Ses Bilimi) ïÆ'ËœMorphology (Dil Bilimi) ïÆ'ËœSyntax (Sà ¶z dizimi) ïÆ'ËœSemantics (Anlam Bilim) †¢MACRO-LINGUISTICS ïÆ'ËœPragmatics ïÆ'ËœSociolinguistics ïÆ'ËœHistorical-linguistics ïÆ'ËœPsycholinguistics ïÆ'ËœNeurolinguistics ïÆ'ËœAnthropological Linguistics ïÆ'ËœApplied Linguistics APPROACHES TO LINGUISTIC STUDIES †¢Descriptive-Prescriptive †¢Diachronic-Synchronic †¢Reference Grammar †¢Teaching Grammar †¢Theoretical Grammar SCHOOLS OF LINGUISTICS Traditional Linguistics †¢Based on study of Latin †¢Applied to other languages, e.g. English, French †¢19th C. Jacob Grimm, Max Mà ¼ller, Henry Sweet Structural Linguistics †¢Ferdinand De Saussure †¢Linguistics features as abstract system governing speech †¢Langue and parole †¢While language is regarded as language system stored in the mind of its speakers, parole is conceived as the actual language behavior Transformational -Generative Grammar †¢Chomsky †¢Every language has a finite set of rules to produce infinite number of sentences; †¢ Phrase structure rules and generative rules; †¢Deep structure and surface structure; †¢Structure over meaning; †¢Competence and performance.

Essay Sample on Death Experiences The Life Review

Essay Sample on Death Experiences The Life Review Death has been a fascination for humanity since the beginning of time. Death is in fact lifes greatest mysteries, as it has been common belief that no one can return after death to re-tell what has happened to them. However, this general idea about death is starting to change in the Western world with the phenomenon of the near death experience. The near death experience has enabled human beings to fathom what occurs after one dies. However, not everyone is open to accepting peoples reports of near death experiences, and many remain skeptical despite the vast similarities in thousands of accounts. There are millions of people in Western society who claim to know what it is like to die. These people have all been in medical situations, where their lives have been at stake. Most of these people have actually clinically died, and have been resuscitated through medical devices. Raymond Moody, an American psychiatrist, coined the term near death experience (NDE) to refer to the situation where a person experiences death for a short amount of time, but then is revived and returns to life. Moody wrote a book entitled Life After Life in which he exposes the phenomenon of the near death experience. Though some may argue that, one should be slightly suspicious about very recent NDEs after the publicity following in the wake of Moodys book, Moody attempts to retrace the near death experience back to antiquity, to prove that this is not just a modern phenomenon (Bremmer 261). However, these ancient near death experiences bear almost no similarities to the modern experience, the exceptio n being the feeling of drifting away (Bremmen 263). It becomes evident that near death experiences are influenced by the time period that they are occurring in. Near death experiences can be seen as products of their time. Since Moodys book, the awareness of near death experiences has increased. People who have claimed to have experienced near death following the publicity of Moodys book, perhaps only experienced these things because they have read about them. This is a common occurrence in human nature. Images and ideas often seep into our unconscious minds and we begin to believe that these images and ideas are our own. Popular culture has made use of the near death experience in plot scenarios of television shows and movies. Even on the popular animated television show The Simpsons, Homer Simpson is shown floating over his body while he is in the operating room. With these images in mind, it is not wrong to say that someone who has experienced a life threatening trauma might recall these images and believe that they have taken place in their own lives. The modern and Western near death experience involves less religious figures and symbol s, as Westerners are becoming more and more secularized. What one might imagine taking place after death is a reflection of their position in the world and their beliefs as, every age gets the afterlife it deserves (Bremmen 268). Despite the detailed accounts of many near death experiences, it is difficult to ignore ones skepticism and become convinced. Although each account is so interesting to read, and despite the similarities between each individual story, the reports of near death experiences continue to sound like dream reports. A person retelling a dream often sees themselves in the dream as if they are detached from their body. They often have difficulty recounting the events of the dream and have difficulty finding the right words to express the events of the dream. When recounting a near death experience, Many people have made remarks to the effect that, There are just no words to express what I am trying to say, (Moody 273). Dreamers will often meet random people, dead relatives and religious figures in their dreams. Similar to when a person who dreams, in the context of the near death experience no one, has reported any odors or tastes while out of their physical bodies (Moody 285). The body in a dream is not a physical body, as many sensory perceptions like smell and taste do not take place within dreams. However, a dream can easily feel like reality. When waking up from a good dream, a person may wish to re-enter the dream, and when waking from a nightmare a person may feel relieved that it was in fact not real. Many people who have experienced near death describe it as a reality that they wanted to remain a part of. Near death experiences are not necessarily dreams. It is undetermined exactly what they are, however they do share many characteristics of dreams. The mere fact that, The persons involved uniformly describe their experiences as ineffable, that is, inexpressible, is reminiscent of the difficulty of those who wish to express their dreams (Moody 273). The life review part of the near death experience is quite remarkable. This aspect of the phenomenon has also made its way into popular culture. In various movies and television shows, the characters are often in situations where their lives seem to flash before their eyes. This usually happens at a pivotal moment when the character is either in danger or has just undergone an epiphany of some sort. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross describes the life review as the last phase of the near death experience. She interprets this phase, as being heaven or hell. Maybe both (Kubler-Ross 319). The reason for her interpretation is that within this phase, one is forced to review their life, and to understand the significance of their behavior throughout their lifetime. The way Kubler-Ross describes the life review causes it to appear to be an emotionally difficult process. However, it is very difficult to imagine ones life flashing before ones eyes in a matter of moments. Clearly this life review is made up of many memories stored deep within ones brain. Although not having a basis for this claim, perhaps these memories that are being conjured are due to the fact that the brain is being deprived of oxygen during the time of a near death experience. Although lacking any empirical evidence, it is plausible to assume that there is perhaps a scientific explanation to the near death experience. Every person who has experienced this phenomenon has been in a state where their lives were at risk. Most of the people have actually died and been revived, suggesting a severe loss of oxygen to the entire body, including the brain. Perhaps the near death experience is some sort of reaction in the brain due to this loss of oxygen? Without scientific evidence, it is impossible to come to a conclusion, but with all mysterious matters such as these, the human being is often drawn to science to look for answers. The skeptic will always try to find a justifiable cause for what is inexplicable. Considering that the near death experience is an incredibly mysterious phenomenon, Westerners have become increasingly fascinated with it. It is human nature to be fascinated with that which is ambiguous, confusing and intangible. Human beings seek answers to everything. When something does not have a concrete answer, we try to explain it and attempt to come to an understanding. Death is naturally the greatest mystery of life and therefore the near death experience perhaps sheds some light upon the unknown. The near death experience is a comforting thought for Westerners as it assures them that life does go on after death. Most of the accounts of those who have experienced near death have described it as a tremendously pleasurable experience and, people [even] reported that they did not want to come back (Kubler-Ross 317). Although it is quite difficult to believe the individuals who report near death experiences, it is also quite difficult not to. The similarities between experiences are uncanny, making even the most adamant skeptic ponder the phenomenons validity. It is unbelievably interesting to imagine that in the Western world today, due to all of our medical technology, we are able to actually die and come back to life to talk about it. It is simply fascinating that humanity has perhaps unraveled lifes greatest mystery. You can order a custom essay, term paper, research paper, thesis or dissertation on any topic from our professional custom essay writing service which provides students with high-quality custom written papers at an affordable cost.

Company Lifecycle in Business

Company Lifecycle in Business Introduction Company lifecycles are the stages of development through which a business goes through. New businesses are faced with various challenges throughout their lives. Failure to deal with the problems will lead to the downfall of a business due to financial losses. The current paper focuses on the differences between the lifecycle and financial strategies adopted by a company that focuses on domestic expansion and a company that focuses on international expansion.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Company Lifecycle in Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Business Lifecycle Seed stage The first stage of a business is the seed stage. Business ideas and plans are developed at this stage. The challenge of this stage is market acceptance. Many companies concentrate on one market segment to enhance success. Money and resources should be used effectively during this stage. The company stipulates its focus on such areas as skills, experience, and passion. Other key elements of this stage include business ownership structure, business planning, and accessing professional advisors. The source of capital for expansion becomes a challenge to many companies since they rely on owners, friends, customers, banks, and government grants. A company that focuses on international expansion draws clear guidelines to attract international investors. It has to invest in a wide range of products to offset the risks of business failure. Start-Up It is the second stage in business establishment. Business exists legally at this stage. The challenges of this stage include lack of money and time for marketing. The business owners have to take time to determine whether or not the business is on the right track (Hitchcock Willard, 2012). A company focusing on domestic expansion will require reduced capital expenditure in such areas as advertising and product promotion compared to a company whose target is internati onal expansion. To expand internationally, a company requires increased capital investment. It has to attract shareholders from different parts of the world to support the business (Parker, 2006). Growth At this stage, the business becomes well established. A company focusing on domestic expansion faces the problem of hiring many employees and setting up accounting and management systems. Productivity must be improved to enhance proper management of the business. New products and services must be added, increase the financial strain for a domestic company. For companies aiming to expand internationally, new sources of capital become available. The earnings from the business are passed to shareholders in a company that focuses on domestic expansion. The earnings can also be used in the business as capital to venture into new markets. In a company aiming for international expansion, the earnings are mostly used to increase the market share (Groot, 2010).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Maturity At this stage, profits and sales are stabilized. Competition is at its highest, making companies to expand their territories to outdo competitors. Financial resources are diverse. Banks and other investors put all their wealth in the business. In a company focusing on international expansion, products are improved for marketing in other countries. Poor sales, which come with competition, are not witnessed since the products are shifted to countries where demand is high. In contrast, a company that focuses on domestic expansion will have to fight the competition. Competition reduces sales, leading to losses. Dividend payments become a problem for such companies (Stark, 2011). Decline At this final stage, the business becomes liquidated. Profits decline and losses set in. In a company focusing on international expansion, losses made in one market are offse t by profits made in other countries. Such businesses can borrow finances from various sources since they have a source of security. In contrast, a company that focuses on domestic expansion finds it hard to exist due to high operational costs (Stark, 2007). Conclusion A company that focuses on international expansion enjoys more financial security than the one focusing on domestic expansion. International markets open more grounds for financing, which is a key asset for success of any business. Companies with domestic market are wiped out when competition stiffens. Their sources of finance get limited once the competition sets in since they lack assets for security. References Groot, M. (2010). Managing financial information in the trade lifecycle: A concise atlas of financial instruments and processes. Boston: Boston. Academic Press. Hitchcock, D., Willard, M. (2012). The business guide to sustainability: Practical strategies and tools for organizations. London: Routledge. Parker , S. (2006). The life cycle of entrepreneurial ventures. Hong Kong: Springer.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Company Lifecycle in Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Stark, J. (2007). Global product: Strategy, product lifecycle management and the billion customer question decision engineering. Hong Kong: Springer. Stark, J. (2011). Product lifecycle management. Hong Kong: Springer.

Causes for World War 1 Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Causes for World War 1 - Term Paper Example Accordingly, the increased tensions led to the formation of alliances such as the Triple alliance (1882) that was formed among Austria-Hungary, Italy and Germany for the sole purposes of defending each other in case of attacks. In response, Britain, Russia and France formed the Triple Entente alliance (1907) thus encircling Germany and Austria-Hungary. In addition, Germany started competing with Britain in building modern battleships and with Russia and France in terms of expansion of the armies (Duiker and Spielvogel 666). One of the long range immediate causes of WWI was imperialism since European countries had divided Asia and African countries in to territories with the aim of strengthening their economic and political influence in European continent. Such countries believe that they could be superior by conquering the others. Britain conquered Africa from north in Cairo while France tried to conquer Africa from the Western Atlantic Sea. The two countries almost went in to War af ter meeting at Fashoda in Sudan thus prompting Germany to demand a share of colonies too. Austria desired to dominate Balkans in order to control Serbia propaganda and German supported Austria in exploiting rich resources of Asia Minor through Balkans policy (Duiker and Spielvogel 667). ... Nationalism led races ruled by Turkey such as Bulgarians and races ruled by Austria-Hungary such as Serbs to demand their won freedom. Nationalism led to disintegration of Austria-Hungary but subsequently resulted to unification of Germany and Italy. Nationalism weakened the existing empires such as Ottoman Empire and Slavic people in Balkan region started demanding for freedom from the authoritarian Ottoman control. Serbia finally declared its independence and allied itself with Russia thus increasing the tensions with Austria-Hungary (Duiker and Spielvogel 661). Another long range immediate cause of the War was increased militarism by the main powers. The countries perceived war as a means of entrenching foreign policy and started building large armies and battleships. For instance, Germany had 2,200,000 soldiers and about 100 warships in 1914 while Great Britain had about 711,000 soldiers and about 200 warships. Other countries like Austria-Hungary, France, Italy and Russia starte d strengthening their military in preparedness of any eventuality (Duiker and Spielvogel 668). Another factor that can be attributed to the War was alliances that were formed between nations in order to protect the territories and ensure economic stability of the alliance members. Germany kept close ties with Russia in 1894 while Britain entered in to a friendly relationship with France in 1904. In 1907, Britain entered in to Triple Entente alliance that comprised Russia, Great Britain and France. In addition, Britain had a naval alliance with Japan that had been formed in 1902. The Triple Entente threatened the superiority of Germany thus leading to aggressive military posturing against the neighboring countries (Duiker and Spielvogel 665). The assassination of

Substance requirement in global tax planning Research Paper

Substance requirement in global tax planning - Research Paper Example As tax planning possibilities increase for companies, particularly holding companies, the research paper agreed with Jourdan (2009) who found that â€Å"concerned states are eagerly trying to protect their tax base by developing anti-tax-avoidance legislation – often in ways that disregard the character of the activity conducted.† It is based on this recurring development that the research makes a very strong advocacy to companies to adapt radical means and measures of ensuring that the payment of taxes does not become a hitch to their financial growth. Part from the setting up of holding companies to be used in qualifying for tax exemptions, the research therefore concludes that companies could rather use re-basement of their assets. Some of the key findings made from the research paper on tax strategizing are given in the bullet points below: The key advantage associated with substance in international tax planning is that it helps the multinational company in better tracking its true financial assets with or without tax reliefs The use of claiming treaty benefit is one of the safest legal means of gaining legitimate reliefs from taxes.

Google Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Google - Assignment Example Since its formation, the primary goal of the company has been to put information across the globe in an order and make them available to the population of the world at large. With its mission, the company has been highly successfully providing the world with several products and services including web products (Google, n.d.). The current research focuses on the growth and development of the Google Company and the various changes, challenges and opportunities encountered by the company over the years. The impact of such changes would also be learnt in the process and using the business analytics tools like the SWOT analysis, BCG growth matrix, Porter’s five forces model, Nine forces model, customer segmentation, and win/loss analysis, a detailed analysis of the company in regard to the industry has been conducted followed by suggested recommendations for further improvement of the company’s prospects. ... The company obtains huge income from their ad systems and the bargaining power of the suppliers can be expected to be low if the company can sustain it dominance over the market with respect to its products and services. Google has supremacy on around 60 percent of the information searches conducted over the internet. This provides the company with a competitive advantage over its competitors like the Yahoo and the Microsoft. The buyers of the company too do not have a controlling power over the company since the different accounts of the company depending on the earnings of the company do not have a contribution to the total revenue of the company. Also, not more than 5 percent of the revenue is generated from the networking sites of the company. Since Google provides its customers with informed as well as sorted data in the present business world when large population are dependent on the internet exploration, other companies have not been found to be as effective as Google in prov iding such facilities, thus lessening the threats of substitutes (Morrow, 2008). The Google Company can thus be observed to maintain its position its position in the industry efficiently in regard to all the five forces that Porter had mentioned to be focused for the success of the company. Organization: The Organization of the company may be analyzed through a SWOT analysis and the use of BCG Matrix. The strengths of the company lie in its effective team of management that guides the company through all the decision making of the company’s actions. Moreover the company tries different measures that are followed across the world to determine its planning and procedure. The company is dominant in providing its customers

Economy Exam Questions Essay Example for Free

Economy Exam Questions Essay 1. The Prisoner’s Dilemma involves two spies who are held in separate soundproof rooms. But even if the two spies could communicate, what makes it difficult for them to achieve the cooperative solution (both not confessing)? 2. A key to analyzing subgame perfect equilibrium strategy in sequential games is 3. In making promises that are not guaranteed by third parties and in imposing penalties that are not enforced by third parties, all of the following are credibility-enhancing mechanisms except 4. The starting point of many methods for predicting equilibrium strategy in sequential games is 5. Credible promises and hostage mechanisms can support a continuous stream of cooperative exchanges except when 6. Firms that have a cover charge for their customers and charge for each item they purchase as well are exhibiting 7. Third-degree price discrimination exists whenever 8. To maximize profits, a monopolist that engages in price discrimination must allocate output in such a way as to make identical the ____ in all markets. 9. Vacation tours to Europe invariably package visits to disparate regions: cities, mountains, and the seaside. Bundling, a type of second degree price discrimination, is most profitable when 10. ____ is a new product pricing strategy which results in a high initial product price. This price is reduced over time as demand at the higher price is satisfied 11. Contracts are distinguished from tactical alliances by which of the following characteristics: 12. When someone contracts to do a task but fails to put full effort into the performance of an agreement, yet the lack of effort is not independently verifiable, this lack of effort constitutes a 13. When borrowers who do not intend to repay are able to hide their bad credit histories, a lenders well-intentioned borrowers should 14. To accomplish its purpose a linear profit-sharing contract must 15. When retail bicycle dealers advertise and perform warranty repairs but do not deliver the personal selling message that Schwinn has designed as part of the marketing plan but cannot observe at less than prohibitive cost, the manufacturer has encountered a problem of ____. 16. The lower the barriers to entry and exit, the more nearly a market structure fits the ____ market model. 17. ____ yields the same results as the theory of perfect competition, but requires substantially fewer assumptions than the perfectly competitive model 18. ____ occurs whenever a third party receives or bears costs arising from an economic transaction in which the individual (or group) is not a direct participant. 19. The antitrust laws regulate all of the following business decisions except ____. 20. The sentiment for increased deregulation in the late 1970s and early  1980s has been felt most significantly in the price regulation of 21. The ____ depicts the risk-return relationship in the market for all securities: 22. If the acceptance of Project A makes it impossible to accept Project B, these projects are: 23. Capital expenditures: 24. The decision by the Municipal Transit Authority to either refurbish existing buses, buy new large buses, or to supplement the existing fleet with mini-buses is an example of: 25. Which of the following items is (are) not considered as part of the net investment calculation? 1. In the linear breakeven model, the difference between selling price per unit and variable cost per unit is referred to as: 2. Evidence from empirical studies of long-run cost-output relationships lends support to the: 3. Theoretically, in a long-run cost function: 4. In a study of banking by asset size over time, we can find which asset sizes are tending to become more prominent. The size that is becoming more predominant is presumed to be least cost. This is called: 5. A ____ total cost function implies that marginal costs ____ as output is increased. 6. In the linear breakeven model, the breakeven sales volume (in dollars) can be found by multiplying the breakeven sales volume (in units) by: 7. Long distance telephone service has become a competitive market. The average cost per call is $0.05 a minute, and it’s declining. The likely reason for the declining price for long distance service is: 8. All of the following are mechanisms which reduce the adverse selection problem except ____. 9. In the long-run, firms in a monopolistically competitive industry will 10. An experience good is one that: 11. The price for used cars is well below the price of new cars of the same general quality. This is an example of: 12. In the short-run for a purely competitive market, a manufacturer will stop production when: 13. Experience goods are products or services 14. Declining cost industries 15. In natural monopoly, AC continuously declines due to economies in distribution or in production, which tends to found in industries which face increasing returns to scale. If price were set equal to marginal cost, then: 16. When the cross elasticity of demand between one product and all other products is low, one is generally referring to a(n) ____ situation. 17. Regulatory agencies engage in all of the following activities except _______. 18. ____ as practiced by public utilities is designed to encourage greater usage and therefore spread the fixed costs of the utilitys plant over a larger number of units of output. 19. The practice by telephone companies of charging lower long-distance rates at night than during the day is an example of: 20. Some industries that have rigid prices. In those industries, we tend to 21. The existence of a kinked demand curve under oligopoly conditions may result in 22. Barometric price leadership exists when 23. A cartel is a situation where firms in the industry 24. Even ideal cartels tend to be unstable because 25. Some market conditions make cartels MORE likely to succeed in collusion. Which of the following will make collusion more successful?

Importance of Nursing Informatics in Nurses Daily Practice

Importance of Nursing Informatics in Nurses Daily Practice Introduction Data is the basic and the fundamental concept that this study focus on. Since there is no information can be acquired without availability of data (Ahsan and Shah, 2006). The data that we are talking about in this context is the clinical data, which is the data that gathered about patients in practice by clinicians (Millar et al., 2009). Pressure ulcer (PU) data is one of these data that collected by nurses in clinical settings, these involve all the elements of PU data, like; prevalence, incidence, risk assessment, ulcer grading, and prevention data. Data is a concept being of high interest in the discipline of nursing informatics. (Graves and Corcoran, 1989) define nursing informatics as a combination of computer science, information science and nursing science to assist in the management and processing of nursing data, information and knowledge, to support the practice of nursing and delivery of nursing care. So, the nursing informatics as a speciality begins with the basic concept data, as the present research did. Indeed, nursing informatics can be applied in four areas, that are summarised in the word CARE; clinical, administration, research and education areas (Hannah et al., 2006). In this study, the nursing informatics concepts chosen to be applied in a clinical oriented subject, which is PU. PU as one of the important clinical areas has been selected due to the importance of this problem, in term of its size and the costs of preventing and treating such problem, from one side, and due to limited numbers of previous works that relate the concept of nursing informatics to PU field, from other side. More specifically, this research has related the concept of nursing informatics on PU data. Nursing informatics deal with the data, that processed to support nursing care, and PU data is one of these data that should be processed to support the delivery of patient care. In this thesis, the recording of PU data in recording systems, either paper or electronic was explored, and the uses of these data in these records were identified. As has been recommended, more researches are needed to realize what need to be recorded in the recording systems and how this will be used (Urquhart et al., 2009). Personal motivations toward the research The researchers interest in this subject arose from the importance of nursing informatics in nurses daily practice. The nursing informatics specialists have a special role in using the information technology (IT) to enhance the safety, effectiveness, and quality of health care (Murphy, 2010). It is acknowledged that all providers of healthcare assumed to be skilled in exercising the IT to make decisions that lead to better care (Saba and McCormick, 2006). PU topic investigated due to its great importance. As a nurse used to work in clinical practice caring for PU patients, and observing the magnitude of the physical and psychological impacts of this problem on patients and their families life, the researcher decide to choose this area to be studied. Noticing many patients die because complications of this problem is an enough motivation to start digging in this area. First, to understand how PU data is recorded and used in practice, in effort to understand the difference between recording this data on paper and electronic record. Then, to realise the size of this problem in the researcher country Jordan, to make a reference data for health policy makers to adopt prevention programs in Jordan, there is no one in action yet. Statement of the problem PU is one of the health problems that are very common and prevalent, without accurate portrait of PU data, the problem will continue to grow. Nurses in clinical practice collect and record large volume of PU data every day. This data should be recorded and used appropriately in practice. Taken into considerations that recording and utilising of patients data is the fundamental role of any healthcare provider (Millar et al., 2009). Further, and in the second study, urgent identification of prevalence and prevention data in Jordan is necessary, especially that there is no previous works have been located. So, the primary focus of this study was on the problem of PU, identifying its size, the preventive measure provided to PU patients, and how its data recorded and utilised in practice. Overall Research Aim The overall research aim is to explore how PU data are recorded and utilised in clinical settings. This is the overall aim of the study, with many other secondary objectives for each study and method of the research, but all these objectives are come under the main aim of the study. The objectives of each method will be presented in the methodology chapter (chapter 3). Definition of terms From the general aim of the study, the reader can note that many terms have been used in formulating the aim. The following represent the operational definitions of each term presented in the study aim: PU data: raw facts that related to PU concept, like prevalence, risk assessment, ulcer grading, and prevention data. For instance; a prevalence rate for a specific ward is 5%, Waterlow risk assessment score is 10, patients PU grade is 4, and patient repositioned on his bed every 2 hours. All these are clinical data related to the PU problem. PU Data recording: recording and documenting of PU data that specified above into patients medical record, either this record held on paper or electronic format. PU Data utilization: the uses of the collected and recorded PU data in practice, what they are make of this data, what they are benefit from it. Clinical settings: the different care settings that usually collect, record and used patients clinical data, including PU data. Most commonly, it is composed from primary and secondary settings. Background to the study problem Scope of the problem European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel (EPUAP), are group has been lunched to guide all Europe nations in preventing and treating PUs. They define PU as: an area of localised damage to the skin and underlying tissue caused by pressure, shear, friction and or a combination of these (EPUAP, 1998). These ulcers, regardless of their basis, represent negative outcomes for patients; these negative outcomes may include pain (Reddy et al., 2003, GÃ ¼nes, 2008), longer hospital stays, where it can add about 7 days to a hospital admission (Anthony et al., 2004), decreased quality of life (Price, 1998, Neil and Munjas, 2000), and increased the spending of care provider time and costs (Alterescu, 1989, Clough, 1994, Severens et al., 2002a, Bennett et al., 2004). PUs have been regarded as the most physically debilitating complications in the twentieth century (Burdette-Taylor and Kass, 2002), and it is the third most costly problem after cancer and cardiovascular diseases in the Netherlands (Shahin et al., 2008). In fact, there are many complications for PUs, including infection, sepsis, and osteomyelitis (Thomas, 2001). It has been found that more than half (51%) of long term care patients with PUs have Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) infection (Capitano et al., 2003). Furthermore, PUs are linked with two-fold rates of increased mortality, regardless of the origin of the ulcer (Brem and Lyder, 2004). This is consistent with Landi et al (Landi et al., 2007) study, who investigated the connection between PU and the risk of one year all reasons mortality in a community of very elder people, and found a significant difference between the PU group and non-PU group in mortality rate, 29% vs. 14% (p

Cognitive Development in Infants Essay -- Child Development

This paper is going to carry out a literature review on cognitive development in infants. The paper will review cognitive development in infants at different stages. Effects of early experience on mental development in infants will also be discussed. The research question and the hypothesis of the research will also be given. Keywords: infants, development, experience Cognitive Development in Infants Introduction Advancement made in regard to cognitive neuroscience has enabled a better understanding of the cognitive processes in infants. Studies have indicated that cognitive development in infants starts before they are born. In the eighth week of pregnancy, fetuses have the ability to hear. They become accustomed to their mothers’ voice and voices of close family members, fetuses also have the ability of listening to music. After they are born, millions of neurons interconnect in their brain, which enable them to think and learn. Scientists have established that experiences of infants in terms of touch, sight and perception in the first years of their existence, has the potential of affecting their brain development in the later years (Goswami, 1993, p. 157). This literature review is going to examine cognitive development in infants and how early experiences affects cognitive development. Cognitive Development in Infants Cognitive development is a term used to refer to the process through which infants or children develop language, thinks, gain knowledge, and solve problems. For example, when infants identify colors or differentiate things, they are performing cognitive tasks. Infants normally learn through interactions with objects and people, in addition to their senses. When infants interact with their world and ... ...ackwell handbook of childhood cognitive development. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Goswami, U. (1993). Cognitive development: the learning brain. Hove, East Sussex: Psychology Press. Galton Institute. (2001). Perceptual cognitive development. Los Angeles, CA: Galton Institute. Gauvain, M. (2006). The social context of cognitive development. New York, NY: Guilford Press. Nelson, K. (2001). Language in cognitive development: emergence of the mediated mind. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge Univ. Press. Oakley, L. (2004). Cognitive Development. New York, NY: Routledge. Ruffin, N. J. (2009). Understanding Growth and Development Patterns of Infants. Virginia Cooperative Extension. Retrieved April, 17, 2012 http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/350/350-053/350-053.html Wachs, T. D., & Gruen, G. E. (2006). Early experience and human development. New York, NY: Plenum Pr.

Beauty Pageants May Not Be Safe

In countries all around the world, beauty pageants are held as a long-standing tradition. Often, young women participate in these pageants. While pageants are said to present a sense of self-esteem and value for the participants, these competitions often cause damaging emotional issues for an already trying adolescent life. One young participant anonymously said, â€Å"I used to think I was pretty, but once I got on stage and didn't hear my name called the world came to an end and from then on, I've called myself ugly everyday† (Anonymous, 2010).When a girl feels as if she is being valued solely on her looks, she may change her personality and dietary habits to an unsafe level to continuously garner attention. The beauty pageant process is far from the safe harmonious competition it attempts to promote. As the rest of this essay suggest, damaging emotional scars often remain after the competitions are long gone, and pageants themselves harbor predatory dangers to young naive g irls. The first kind of emotional damage young girls face is an overemphasis on physical appearance and a willingness to maintain beauty at any cost.When a female participates in a beauty pageant, she is taught to win by looking attractive. These young girls are conditioned to believe that the only way to look pretty is to starve themselves so that they can achieve a ‘perfect figure’. Although there are many different types of eating disorders in the world, the biggest one of all for beauty pageants is anorexia. Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents (Mirasol). Outside of eating disorders, anxiety and stress are common for participants.In a 2009 interview on Good Morning America, Brooke Breedwell, a pageant queen at the age of five, now twenty, explained there was a price to pay, â€Å"Pageants have put a lot of stress and anxiety on my life I feel the need to be perfect at everything, and I know that's not realistic. You can't be perfect a t everything. † Brooke Breedwell also claimed her mother â€Å"pushed her too hard. † When a mother enters her daughter in a pageant she expects her to win.Most girls receive the ‘no other girl is your friend here’ speech, which cause them to be untruthful by offering fake smiles and false hugs around other participants. It also creates a distant form of interaction causing the females to be shallow, hyper-competitive adults who are never satisfied. The second kind of emotional damage young girls face is an uncharacteristically elevated ego for a teenage or even pre-teenage girl. When a female wins a pageant, she may conclude that she is better than everyone all of her peers.While some might believe it to be healthy to compete in pageants because it creates confidence and it builds character, it’s not. Pageants teach young girls that self worth is in physical beauty only. Parents encourage their daughters to compete in these competitions and do whate ver it takes to win. In some cases, mothers try to live vicariously through their daughter, by entering their daughter in such competitions. This confuses many girls because they don’t know if their mother is their coach or their parent.With young girls participating in televised beauty it is hard to keep pedophiles away. Some pedophiles are driven out to live their fantasies and with young girls on air exploiting themselves it’s easy too. When girls participate they put on clothing that is meant to look ‘sexy’ and ‘inviting’. Girls prance along a stage in alluring clothing welcoming anyone to watch. Girls in pageants have yet to develop their own sense of self and are conditioned to be more pleasing to adults for attention and rewards. An entire television show is dedicated to young girl’s beauty pageants.Each week, viewers are able to watch little girls dress up in bikinis, mini dresses, and other revealing clothing that their mothers choose for them to wear. In conclusion, beauty pageants cause self-hatred and uncertainty of a female’s own body, which could create shallow adults who are never satisfied. Carleton Kendrick, a family therapist says, â€Å"†¦the hard fact remains they are called beauty pageants and they have been and always will be based on using arbitrary standards of ‘beauty’ to make one contestant better than all the rest† (Kendrick).Beauty pageants can cause eating disorders and unrealistic expectations of a female’s own body. Beauty pageants can also cause a female to self-hate if she doesn’t win, or enlarge an ego to an unhealthy level. Unfortunately, if a child participates in beauty pageants that may air on television, anyone can watch including pedophiles. Females should love their own bodies and not care how others judge them upon their appearance.

Spirit Bound Chapter Thirteen

â€Å"THE HELL YOU CAN,† I said aloud to no one. â€Å"No, you can't,† said Lissa, with an expression that matched my own incredulity. â€Å"I know you've been learning to fight with fire, but you haven't done any staking.† Christian's face was adamant. â€Å"I have–a little. And I can learn more. Mia's got some guardian friends here that have been teaching her physical combat, and I've learned some of it.† The mention of him and Mia working together didn't do much to improve Lissa's opinion. â€Å"You've barely been here a week! You make it sound like you've been training for years with some master.† â€Å"It's better than nothing,† he said. â€Å"And where else are you going to learn? Rose?† Lissa's outrage and disbelief dimmed a little. â€Å"No,† she admitted. â€Å"Never. In fact, Rose would drag me away if she caught me doing it.† Damn straight I would. In fact, despite the obstacles and staff that kept blocking me, I was tempted to march over there right now. â€Å"Then this is your chance,† he said. His voice turned wry. â€Å"Look, I know things aren't†¦ great with us, but that's irrelevant if you're going to learn this. Tell Tatiana you want to bring me to Lehigh. She won't like it, but she'll let you. I'll show you what I know in our free time. Then, when we get back, I'll take you to Mia and her friends.† Lissa frowned. â€Å"If Rose knew†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"That's why we'll start when you're away from Court. She'll be too far away from you to do anything.† Oh, for the love of God. I would give them some lessons about fighting–starting with a punch to Christian's face. â€Å"And when we get back?† asked Lissa. â€Å"She'll find out. It's inevitable with the bond.† He shrugged. â€Å"If she's still on landscape duty, we'll be able to get away with it. I mean, she'll know, but she won't be able to interfere. Much.† â€Å"It may not be enough,† Lissa said with a sigh. â€Å"Rose was right about that–I can't expect to learn in a few weeks what it took her years to do.† Weeks? That was her timeline on this? â€Å"You have to try,† he said, almost gentle. Almost. â€Å"Why are you so interested in this?† Lissa asked suspiciously. â€Å"Why do you care so much about bringing Dimitri back? I mean, I know you liked him, but you don't quite have the same motivation here that Rose does.† â€Å"He was a good guy,† said Christian. â€Å"And if there was a way to turn him back to a dhampir? Yeah, that'd be amazing. But it's more than that†¦ more than just him. If there was a way to save all Strigoi, that would change our world. I mean, not that setting them on fire isn't cool after they've gone on killing sprees, but if we could stop those killing sprees in the first place? That's the key to saving us. All of us.† Lissa was speechless for a moment. Christian had spoken passionately, and there was a hope radiating off of him that she just hadn't expected. It was†¦ moving. He took advantage of her silence. â€Å"Besides, there's no telling what you'd do without any guidance. And I'd like to reduce the odds of you getting yourself killed, because even if Rose wants to deny it, I know you're going to keep pushing this.† Lissa stayed quiet yet again, pondering the situation. I listened to her thoughts, not liking at all where they were going. â€Å"We're leaving at six,† she said at last. â€Å"Can you meet me downstairs at five thirty?† Tatiana wouldn't be thrilled when she heard about the new guest choice, but Lissa was pretty sure she could do some fast talking in the morning. He nodded. â€Å"I'll be there.† Back in my room, I was totally aghast. Lissa was going to attempt to learn to stake a Strigoi–behind my back–and she was going to get Christian to help her. Those two had been snarling at each other since the breakup. I should have felt flattered that sneaking around me was bringing them together, but I wasn't. I was pissed off. I considered my options. The buildings Lissa and I were staying in didn't have the kind of front-desk curfew security that our school dorms had had, but the staff here had been instructed to tip off someone in the guardians' office if I got too social. Hans had also told me to stay away from Lissa until further notice. I pondered it all for a moment, thinking it might be worth Hans dragging me from Lissa's room, and then finally thought of an alternate plan. It was late but not too late, and I left my room for the one next door to mine. Knocking on the door, I hoped my neighbor was still awake. She was a dhampir my age, a recent graduate from a different school. I didn't own a cell phone, but I'd seen her talking on one earlier today. She answered the door a few moments later and fortunately didn't appear to have been in bed. â€Å"Hey,† she said, understandably surprised. â€Å"Hey, can I send a text from your phone?† I didn't want to commandeer her phone with a conversation, and besides, Lissa might just hang up on me. My neighbor shrugged, stepped into the room, and returned with the phone. I had Lissa's number memorized and sent her the following note: I know what you're going to do, and it is a BAD idea. I'm going to kick both your asses when I find you. I handed the phone back to its owner. â€Å"Thanks. If anyone texts back, can you let me know?† She told me she would, but I didn't expect any return texts. I got my message another way. When I returned to the room and Lissa's mind, I got to be there when her phone chimed. Christian had left, and she read my text with a rueful smile. My answer came through the link. She knew I was watching. Sorry, Rose. It's a risk I'll have to take. I'm doing this. I tossed and turned that night, still angry at what Lissa and Christian were trying to do. I didn't think I'd ever fall asleep, but when Adrian came to me in a dream, it became clear that my body's exhaustion had defeated my mind's agitation. â€Å"Las Vegas?† I asked. Adrian's dreams always occurred in different places of his choosing. Tonight, we stood on the Strip, very near where Eddie and I had rendezvoused with Lissa and him at the MGM Grand. The bright lights and neon of the hotels and restaurants gleamed in the blackness, but the whole setting was eerily silent compared to the reality. Adrian had not brought the cars or people of the real Las Vegas here. It was like a ghost town. He smiled, leaning against a pole covered in paper ads for concerts and escort services. â€Å"Well, we didn't really get a chance to enjoy it while we were there.† â€Å"True.† I stood a few feet away, arms crossed over my chest. I had on jeans and a T-shirt, along with my nazar. Adrian had apparently decided not to dress me tonight, for which I was grateful. I could have ended up like one of those Moroi showgirls, in feathers and sequins. â€Å"I thought you were avoiding me.† I still wasn't entirely sure where our relationship stood, despite his flippant attitude back at the Witching Hour. He snorted. â€Å"It's not by my choice, little dhampir. Those guardians are doing their best to keep you in solitary. Well, kind of.† â€Å"Christian managed to sneak in and talk to me earlier,† I said, hoping to avoid the issue that had to be on Adrian's mind: that I'd risked lives to save my ex-boyfriend. â€Å"He's going to try to teach Lissa to stake a Strigoi.† I waited for Adrian to join in my outrage, but he appeared as lax and sardonic as usual. â€Å"Not surprised she's gonna try. What surprises me is that he'd actually be interested in helping with some crazy theory.† â€Å"Well, it's crazy enough to appeal to him†¦ and can apparently overpower them hating each other lately.† Adrian tilted his head, making some of the hair fall over his eyes. A building with blue neon palm trees cast an eerie glow upon his face as he gave me a knowing look. â€Å"Come on, we both know why he's doing it.† â€Å"Because he thinks his after-school group with Jill and Mia qualifies him to teach that stuff?† â€Å"Because it gives him an excuse to be around her–without making it look like he gave in first. That way, he can still seem manly.† I shifted slightly so that the lights of a giant sign advertising slot machines didn't shine in my eyes. â€Å"That's ridiculous.† Especially the part about Christian being manly. â€Å"Guys do ridiculous things for love.† Adrian reached into his pocket and held up a pack of cigarettes. â€Å"Do you know how badly I want one of these right now? Yet I suffer, Rose. All for you.† â€Å"Don't turn romantic on me,† I warned, trying to hide my smile. â€Å"We don't have time for that, not when my best friend wants to go monster hunting.† â€Å"Yeah, but how is she actually going to find him? That's kind of a problem.† Adrian didn't need to elaborate on the â€Å"him.† â€Å"True,† I admitted. â€Å"And she hasn't been able to charm the stake yet anyway, so until she does, all the kung-fu skills in the world won't matter.† â€Å"Guardians don't do kung-fu. And how did you know about the stake?† â€Å"She's asked for my help a couple of times,† he explained. â€Å"Huh. I didn't know that.† â€Å"Well, you've been kind of busy. Not that you've even spared a thought for your poor pining boyfriend.† With all my chores, I hadn't spent a huge amount of time in Lissa's head–just enough to check in with her. â€Å"Hey, I would have taken you over filing any day.† I'd been so afraid that Adrian would be furious with me after Vegas, yet here he was, light and playful. A little too light. I wanted him to focus on the problem at hand. â€Å"What's your take on Lissa and the charms? Is she close to doing it?† Adrian absentmindedly played with the cigarettes, and I was tempted to tell him to go ahead and have one. This was his dream, after all. â€Å"Unclear. I haven't taken to charms the way she has. It's weird having the other elements in there†¦ makes it hard to manipulate spirit.† â€Å"Are you helping her anyway?† I asked suspiciously. He shook his head in amusement. â€Å"What do you think?† I hesitated. â€Å"I†¦ I don't know. You help her with most spirit things, but helping her with this would mean†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦ Helping Dimitri?† I nodded, not trusting myself to elaborate. â€Å"No,† Adrian said at last. â€Å"I'm not helping her, simply because I don't know how.† I exhaled with relief. â€Å"I really am sorry,† I told him. â€Å"For everything†¦ for lying about where I was and what I was doing. It was wrong. And I don't understand†¦ well, I don't get why you're being so nice to me.† â€Å"Should I be mean?† He winked. â€Å"Is that the kind of thing you're into?† â€Å"No! Of course not. But, I mean, you were so mad when you came to Vegas and found out what was going on. I just thought†¦ I don't know. I thought you hated me.† The amusement faded from his features. He came over to me and rested his hands on my shoulders, his dark green eyes dead serious. â€Å"Rose, nothing in this world could make me hate you.† â€Å"Not even trying to bring my ex-boyfriend back from the dead?† Adrian held onto me, and even in a dream, I could smell his skin and cologne. â€Å"Yeah, I'll be honest. If Belikov were walking around right now, alive like he used to be? There would be some problems. I don't want to think what would happen with us if†¦ well, it's not worth wasting time on. He's not here.† â€Å"I still†¦ I still want us to work,† I said meekly. â€Å"I would still try, even if he were back. I just have a hard time letting someone I care about go.† â€Å"I know. You did what you did out of love. I can't be mad at you over that. It was stupid, but that's how love is. Do you have any idea what I'd do for you? To keep you safe?† â€Å"Adrian†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't meet his eyes. I suddenly felt unworthy. He was so easy to underestimate. The only thing I could do was lean my head against his chest and let him wrap his arms around me. â€Å"I'm sorry.† â€Å"Be sorry you lied,† he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. â€Å"Don't be sorry you loved him. That's part of you, part you have to let go, yeah, but still something that's made you who you are.† Part you have to let go†¦ Adrian was right, and that was a damned scary thing to admit. I'd had my shot. I'd made my gamble to save Dimitri, and it had failed. Lissa wouldn't get anywhere with the stake, meaning I really did have to treat Dimitri the way everyone else did: He was dead. I had to move on. â€Å"Damn it,† I muttered. â€Å"What?† asked Adrian. â€Å"I hate it when you're the sane one. That's my job.† â€Å"Rose,† he said, forcibly trying to keep a serious tone, â€Å"I can think of many words to describe you, sexy and hot being at the top of the list. You know what's not on the list? Sane.† I laughed. â€Å"Okay, well, then my job is to be the less crazy one.† He considered. â€Å"That I can accept.† I brought my lips up to his, and even if there were still some shaky things in our relationship, there was no uncertainty in how we kissed. Kissing in a dream felt exactly like real life. Heat blossomed between us, and I felt a thrill run through my whole body. He released my hands and wrapped his arms around my waist, bringing us closer. I realized that it was time to start believing what I kept saying. Life did go on. Dimitri might be gone, but I could have something with Adrian–at least until my job took me away. That was, of course, assuming I got one. Hell, if Hans kept me on desk duty here and Adrian continued his slothful ways, we could be together forever. Adrian and I kissed for a long time, pressing closer and closer. At last I broke things off. If you had sex in a dream, did that mean you'd really done it? I didn't know, and I certainly wasn't going to find out. I wasn't ready for that yet. I stepped back, and Adrian took the hint. â€Å"Find me when you get some freedom.† â€Å"Hopefully soon,† I said. â€Å"The guardians can't punish me forever.† Adrian looked skeptical, but he let the dream dissolve without further comment. I returned to my own bed and my own dreams. The only thing that stopped me from intercepting Lissa and Christian when they met up early in her lobby the next day was that Hans summoned me to work even earlier. He put me on paperwork duty–in the vaults, ironically enough–leaving me to file and stew over Lissa and Christian as I watched them through my bond. I took it as a sign of my multitasking skills that I was able to alphabetize and spy at the same time. Yet my observations were interrupted when a voice said, â€Å"Didn't expect to find you here again.† I blinked out of Lissa's head and looked up from my paperwork. Mikhail stood before me. In light of the complications that had ensued with the Victor incident, I'd nearly forgotten Mikhail's involvement in our â€Å"escape.† I set the files down and gave him a small smile. â€Å"Yeah, weird how fate works, huh? They actually want me here now.† â€Å"Indeed. You're in a fair amount of trouble, I hear.† My smile turned into a grimace. â€Å"Tell me about it.† I glanced around, even though I knew we were alone. â€Å"You didn't get in any trouble, did you?† He shook his head. â€Å"No one knows what I did.† â€Å"Good.† At least one person had escaped this debacle unscathed. My guilt couldn't have handled him getting caught too. Mikhail knelt so that he was eye level with me, resting his arms on the table I sat at. â€Å"Were you successful? Was it worth it?† â€Å"That's a hard question to answer.† He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"There were some†¦ not so successful things that happened. But we did find out what we wanted to know–or, well, we think we did.† His breath caught. â€Å"How to restore a Strigoi?† â€Å"I think so. If our informant was telling the truth, then yeah. Except, even if he was†¦ well, it's not that easy to do. It's nearly impossible, really.† â€Å"What is it?† I hesitated. Mikhail had helped us, but he wasn't in my circle of confidants. Yet even now, I saw that haunted look in his eyes, the one I'd seen before. The pain of losing his beloved still tormented him. It likely always would. Would I be doing more harm than good by telling him what I'd learned? Would this fleeting hope only hurt him more? I finally decided to tell him. Even if he told others–and I didn't think he would–most would laugh it off anyway. There would be no damage there. The real trouble would come if he told anyone about Victor and Robert–but I didn't actually have to mention their involvement to him. Unlike Christian, it had apparently not occurred to Mikhail that the prison break so big in Moroi news had been pulled off by the teens he helped smuggle out. Mikhail probably couldn't spare a thought for anything that didn't involve saving his Sonya. â€Å"It takes a spirit user,† I explained. â€Å"One with a spirit-charmed stake, and then he†¦ or she†¦ has to stake the Strigoi.† â€Å"Spirit†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That element was still foreign to most Moroi and dhampirs–but not to him. â€Å"Like Sonya. I know spirit's supposed to make them more alluring†¦ but I swear, she never needed it. She was beautiful on her own.† As always, Mikhail's face took on that same sad look it did whenever Ms. Karp was mentioned. I'd never really seen him truly happy since meeting him and thought he'd be pretty good-looking if he ever genuinely smiled. He suddenly seemed embarrassed at his romantic lapse and returned to business. â€Å"What spirit user could do a staking?† â€Å"None,† I said flatly. â€Å"Lissa Dragomir and Adrian Ivashkov are the only two spirit users I even know–well, aside from Avery Lazar.† I was leaving Oksana and Robert out of this. â€Å"Neither of them has the skill to do it–you know that as well as I do. And Adrian has no interest in it anyway.† Mikhail was sharp, picking up on what I didn't say. â€Å"But Lissa does?† â€Å"Yes,† I admitted. â€Å"But it would take her years to learn to do it. If not longer. And she's the last of her line. She can't be risked like that.† The truth of my words hit him, and I couldn't help but share his pain and disappointment. Like me, he'd put a lot of faith into this last-ditch effort to be reunited with his lost love. I had just affirmed that it was possible†¦ yet impossible. I think it would have been easier on both of us to learn it had all been a hoax. He sighed and stood up. â€Å"Well†¦ I appreciate you going after this. Sorry your punishment is for nothing.† I shrugged. â€Å"It's okay. It was worth it.† â€Å"I hope†¦Ã¢â‚¬  His face turned hesitant. â€Å"I hope it ends soon and doesn't affect anything.† â€Å"Affect what?† I asked sharply, catching the edge in his voice. â€Å"Just†¦ well, guardians who disobey orders sometimes face long punishments.† â€Å"Oh. This.† He was referring to my constant fear of being stuck with a desk job. I tried to play flippant and not to show how much that possibility scared me. â€Å"I'm sure Hans was bluffing. I mean, would he really make me do this forever just because I ran away and–â€Å" I stopped, my mouth hanging open when a knowing glint flashed in Mikhail's eyes. I'd heard long ago how he'd tried to track down Ms. Karp, but the logistics had never really hit me until now. No one would have condoned his search. He would have had to leave on his own, breaking protocol, and come skulking back when he finally gave up on locating her. He would have been in just as much trouble as me for going MIA. â€Å"Is that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I swallowed. â€Å"Is that why you†¦ why you work down here in the vaults now?† Mikhail didn't answer my question. Instead, he glanced down with a small smile and pointed at my stacks of paper. â€Å"F comes before L,† he said before turning and leaving. â€Å"Damn,† I muttered, looking down. He was right. Apparently I couldn't alphabetize so well while watching Lissa. Still, once I was alone, that didn't stop me from tuning back into her mind. I wanted to know what she was doing†¦ and I didn't want to think about how what I'd done would probably be considered worse than Mikhail's deeds in the eyes of the guardians. Or that a similar–or worse–punishment might be in store for me. Lissa and Christian were at a hotel near Lehigh's campus. The middle of the vampiric day meant evening for the human university. Lissa's tour wouldn't start until their morning the next day, which meant she had to bide her time at the hotel now and try to adjust to a human schedule. Lissa's â€Å"new† guardians, Serena and Grant, were with her, along with three extras that the queen had sent as well. Tatiana had allowed Christian to come along and hadn't been nearly as opposed as Lissa had feared–which again made me question if the queen really was as awful as I'd always believed. Priscilla Voda, a close advisor of the queen that both Lissa and I liked, was also accompanying Lissa as she looked around the school. Two of the additional guardians stayed with Priscilla; the third stayed with Christian. They ate dinner as a group and then retired to their rooms. Serena was actually staying with Lissa in hers while Grant stood guard outside the door. Watching all this triggered a pang in me. Pair guarding–it was what I'd been trained for. What I'd been expecting my whole life to do for Lissa. Serena was a picture-perfect example of guardian aloofness, being there but not there as Lissa hung up some of her clothes. A knock at the door immediately shot Serena into action. Her stake was in hand, and she strode to the door, looking out through its peephole. I couldn't help but admire her reaction time, though part of me would never believe anyone could guard Lissa as well as I could. â€Å"Get back,† Serena said to Lissa. A moment later, the tension in Serena faded a tiny bit, and she opened the door. Grant stood there with Christian beside him. â€Å"He's here to see you,† Grant said, like it wasn't obvious. Lissa nodded. â€Å"Um, yeah. Come on in.† Christian stepped inside when Grant backed away. Christian gave Lissa a meaningful look as he did, making a small head nod toward Serena. â€Å"Hey, um, would you mind giving us some privacy?† As soon as the words were out of Lissa's mouth, she turned bright pink. â€Å"I mean†¦ we just†¦ we just need to talk about some things, that's all.† Serena kept her face almost neutral, but it was clear she thought they were going to do more than talk. Average teen dating wasn't usually hot gossip in the Moroi world, but Lissa, with her notoriety, attracted a bit more attention with her romantic affairs. Serena would have known Christian and Lissa had gone out and broken up. For all she knew, they were back together now. Lissa inviting him on this trip certainly suggested it. Serena glanced around warily. The balance of protection and privacy was always difficult with Moroi and guardians, and hotel rooms like this made it even harder. If they were on a vampiric schedule, with everyone sleeping during daylight hours, I didn't doubt Serena would have stepped into the hall with Grant. But it was dark outside, and even a fifth-floor window could be a Strigoi liability. Serena wasn't keen on leaving her new charge alone. Lissa's hotel suite had an expansive living room and work area, with an adjacent bedroom accessible through frosted-glass French doors. Serena nodded toward them. â€Å"How about I just go in there?† A smart idea. Provided privacy but kept her close by. Then, Serena realized the implications, and she blushed. â€Å"I mean†¦ unless you guys want to go in there and I'll–â€Å" â€Å"No,† exclaimed Lissa, growing more and more embarrassed. â€Å"This is fine. We'll stay in here. We're just talking.† I wasn't sure whose benefit that was for, Serena's or Christian's. Serena nodded and disappeared into the bedroom with a book, which reminded me eerily of Dimitri. She shut the door. Lissa wasn't sure how well noise traveled, so she turned the TV on. â€Å"God, that was miserable,† she groaned. Christian seemed totally at ease as he leaned against the wall. He wasn't the formal type by any means, but he'd put on dress clothes for dinner earlier and still wore them. They looked good on him, no matter how much he always complained. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Because she thinks we're–she thinks we're–well, you know.† â€Å"So? What's the big deal?† Lissa rolled her eyes. â€Å"You're a guy. Of course it doesn't matter to you.† â€Å"Hey, it's not like we haven't. Besides, better for her to think that than to know the truth.† The reference to their past sex life inspired a mix of emotions–embarrassment, anger, and longing–but she refused to let that show. â€Å"Fine. Let's just get this over with. We've got a big day, and our sleep's going to be all screwy as it is. Where do we start? Do you want me to get the stake?† â€Å"No need yet. We should just practice some basic defensive moves.† He straightened up and moved toward the center of the room, dragging a table out of the way. I swear, if not for the context, watching the two of them attempt combat training on their own would have been hilarious. â€Å"Okay,† he said. â€Å"So you already know how to punch.† â€Å"What? I do not!† He frowned. â€Å"You knocked out Reed Lazar. Rose mentioned it, like, a hundred times. I've never heard her so proud about something.† â€Å"I punched one person once in my life,† she pointed out. â€Å"And Rose was coaching me. I don't know if I could do it again.† Christian nodded, looking disappointed–not in her skills but because he had an impatient nature and wanted to jump right into the really hard-core fighting stuff. Nonetheless, he proved a surprisingly patient teacher as he went over the fine art of punching and hitting. A lot of his moves were actually things he'd picked up from me. He'd been a decent student. Was he at guardian levels? No. Not by a long shot. And Lissa? She was smart and competent, but she wasn't wired for combat, no matter how badly she wanted to help with this. Punching Reed Lazar had been a beautiful thing, but it didn't appear to be anything that would ever become natural for her. Fortunately, Christian started with simple dodging and watching one's opponent. Lissa was just a beginner at it but showed a lot of promise. Christian seemed to chalk it up to his instructive skills, but I'd always thought spirit users had a kind of preternatural instinct about what others might do next. I doubted it would work on Strigoi, though. After a little of that, Christian finally returned to offense, and that's when things went bad. Lissa's gentle, healing nature didn't mesh with that, and she refused to really strike out with her full force, for fear of hurting him. When he realized what was happening, his snarky temper started to rise. â€Å"Come on! Don't hold back.† â€Å"I'm not,† she protested, delivering a punch to his chest that didn't come close to budging him. He raked a hand irritably through his hair. â€Å"You are too! I've seen you knock on a door harder than you're hitting me.† â€Å"That's a ridiculous metaphor.† â€Å"And,† he added, â€Å"you aren't aiming for my face.† â€Å"I don't want to leave a mark!† â€Å"Well, at the rate we're going, there's no danger of that,† he muttered. â€Å"Besides, you can heal it away.† I was amused at their bickering but didn't like his casual encouragement of spirit use. I still hadn't shaken my guilt over the long-term damage that the prison break could have caused. Reaching forward, Christian grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her toward him. He balled her fingers with his other hand and then slowly demonstrated how to swing a punch upward by pulling her fist toward his face. He was more interested in showing the technique and motion, so it only brushed against him. â€Å"See? Arc upward. Make the impact right there. Don't worry about hurting me.† â€Å"It's not that simple†¦.† Her protest died off, and suddenly, they both seemed to notice the situation they were in. There was barely any space between them, and his fingers were still wrapped around her wrist. They felt warm against Lissa's skin and were sending electricity through the rest of her body. The air between them seemed thick and heavy, like it might just wrap them up and pull them together. From the widening of Christian's eyes and sudden intake of breath, I was willing to bet he was having a similar reaction at being so close to her body. Coming to himself, he abruptly released her hand and stepped back. â€Å"Well,† he said roughly, though still clearly unnerved by the proximity, â€Å"I guess you aren't really serious about helping Rose.† That did it. Sexual tension notwithstanding, anger kindled up in Lissa at the comment. She balled her fist and totally caught Christian off guard when she swung out and socked him in the face. It didn't have the grace of her Reed punch, but it took Christian hard. Unfortunately, she lost her balance in the maneuver and stumbled forward into him. The two of them went down together, hitting the floor and knocking over a small table and lamp nearby. The lamp caught the table's corner and broke. Meanwhile, Lissa had landed on Christian. His arms instinctively went out around her, and if the space between them before had been small, it was nonexistent now. They stared into each other's eyes, and Lissa's heart was pounding fiercely in her chest. That tantalizing electric feeling crackled around them again, and all the world for her seemed to focus on his lips. Both she and I wondered later if they might have kissed, but just then, Serena came bursting out of the bedroom. She was on guardian high alert, body tense and ready to face an army of Strigoi with her stake in hand. She came screeching to a halt when she saw the scene before her: what appeared to be a romantic interlude. Admittedly, it was an odd one, what with the broken lamp and swelling red mark on Christian's face. It was pretty awkward for everyone, and Serena's attack mode faded to one of confusion. â€Å"Oh,† she said uncertainly. â€Å"Sorry.† Embarrassment flooded Lissa, as well as self-resentment at being affected so much by Christian. She was furious at him, after all. Hastily, she pulled away and sat up, and in her flustered state, she felt the need to make it clear that there was nothing romantic whatsoever going on. â€Å"It†¦ it's not what you think,† she stuttered, looking anywhere except at Christian, who was getting to his feet and seemed just as mortified as Lissa. â€Å"We were fighting. I mean, practicing fighting. I want to learn to defend against Strigoi. And attack them. And stake them. So Christian was kind of helping me, that's all.† There was something cute about her rambling, and it reminded me charmingly of Jill. Serena visibly relaxed, and while she'd mastered that blank face all guardians excelled at, it was clear she was amused. â€Å"Well,† she said, â€Å"it doesn't look like you're doing a very good job.† Christian turned indignant as he stroked his injured cheek. â€Å"Hey! We are too. I taught her this.† Serena still thought it was all funny, but a serious, considering glint was starting to form in her eyes. â€Å"That seems like it was more lucky than anything else.† She hesitated, like she was on the verge of a big decision. At last she said, â€Å"Look, if you guys are serious about this, then you need to learn to do it the right way. I'll show you how.† No. Way. I was seriously on the verge of escaping the Court and hitchhiking to Lehigh to really show them how to throw a punch–with Serena as my example–when something jolted me away from Lissa and back into my own reality. Hans. I had a sarcastic greeting on my lips, but he didn't give me a chance. â€Å"Forget the filing and follow me. You've been summoned.† â€Å"I–what?† Highly unexpected. â€Å"Summoned where?† His face was grim. â€Å"To see the queen.†