PERSONAL ETHICAL VIEWPOINT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PERSONAL ETHICAL VIEWPOINT - Essay Example Personal ethics and responsibilities enable one to acquire good qualities and be obedient.   Ã‚  Personal responsibility can also be considered as taking responsibility for one’s actions and accepting the consequences resulting from those actions and understanding that the actions affect the people around us. According to my point of view, I think that people should develop good attitudes and virtues in order to act responsibly all the time. The ethical lens inventory helps me to identify my important ethical lens that supports me in maintaining my responsibilities and acting responsibly.   Ethics are personal as everyone has a different foundation and potential for building his/her morals. My morals are mainly building my ethics as they guide me on what to do and what to believe as good and right. The ethical lens inventory is an online assessment that assisted me to learn and determine my preferred ethical lens, identify my ethical biases and understand how the other individuals may view the same ethical dilemma in their own perspectives. In addition, ethical lens inventory helps to identify how to prioritize my core values when making ethical decisions. The ethical lens inventory helps one to determine whether their decisions focus on results or their goals, their rights and responsibilities, reputation, and relationship. These ethical lenses affect people’s decisions and their relationship with others when faced with ethical problems. By understanding my own biases and those of others, I find it easier to arrive on decisions without having conflicts. Personal ethics and responsibilities helps by motivating me to work hard thus leading to the success of my work. As a student my responsibilities help me to work hard on my subjects in order to enhance my learning and understanding. Personal ethics and responsibilities guide one to his or her destiny. My responsibilities lead me to my destiny as it reflects my choices, actions, attitudes, emotions

Marks and spencers as an international retailer

Marks and spencers as an international retailer Marks and Spencer, known as M S, is one of the biggest retailers in the world. It has around 150 stores in 30 countries, including 130 franchises operating across the globe. Though it is very popular for its clothing chains in the United Kingdom, M S is also known for its multi-million pound food industry. M S also sell home furnishings, footwear and gifts other than clothing and food. In the United Kingdom alone it has 450 stores and under the trademark St. Michael, it has a chain of 294 stores. Almost all the companys overseas branches are locally franchised. M S owns the United States of Americas Brooks Brothers and King Super Markets. To meet the demands of the customers the company gets facilitated by Direct Mail. The companys core objectives of meeting the customer expectation and giving consumers easier and better access to a wide list of products. The financial services for the customers are provided by the groups financial services which comprise of the unit trust manage ment, life insurances etc. M S in recent years suffered a succession of adversities, both at home and abroad. The sales of the company have dropped. The market capitalization and stock prices reduced substantially and the overseas profits have tremendously declined. As a result the company was forced to form a marketing department in January 1999 and become more proactive and market driven. M S followed a very simple marketing philosophy for a very long time. That is to produce high quality products under a recognised brand and advertise through the word-of-mouth. But in the recent past, this advertising strategy has come under criticism as the company started losing its competitive touch. The challenge now is to develop a good marketing strategy and emerge from the slump to reposition M S as a fierce global competitor in the international arena. Internationalization Strategy of M S The internationalization of the M S began in the early 1940s. It is because the company started to feel that the domestic market has been saturated and the expansion has to come from abroad. Unlike most of the firms, M S began to export its products on the brand name St. Michael as a way to test the waters. It has been successful and the company was exporting about $1,146,000 worth of products by 1955. Externally, the members of a local labour party were suggesting nationalizing the leading domestic retailers. Sooner as a tool of diversification, some international franchising relationships were formed. This franchising allowed the company to achieve global presence with minimum political and economic risks. As the relations of the company grew with other global countries, MS choose to invest directly (FDI). MS uses various types of foreign entry around the world. But mostly the company believes in opening its own stores in major economies. It has its own stores in Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Spain and Netherlands; and franchises in Cyprus, Israel, Bermuda, etc. when forming international alliances; it often prefers an experienced retailer in that particular country. Its first joint venture was established in Spain as it felt the cultural distance and market power of its co company will help to mitigate the political climate and behaviour of the company. Its international strategies in Spain yielded successful results which helped it to gain popularity in the global markets. Through franchising, its approach was mostly top-down. That is it has a centralised management which could not be better off in various marketing situations. Hence it was forced to change its internationalization strategies through foreign direct investment. Due to this there is a forced change in its technolog y, cultural behaviouring and regional promoting aspects. MS started to open stores in America, Far East and Europe. In different parts it has slightly different operational strategies depending upon the host countries values. In America it used acquisitions with Brook Brothers (clothing company), in Europe it has its direct stores running and in Far East, some stores were run with franchise and others through direct investment. Following a wide range of strategy reviews of its business, board of MS announced in 2001 significant changes to its strategies. The important decisions in its strategy are: Expansion in growth of profitable products. Acceleration of store renewal program Being close to the customer More intensive use of space Release value from half the property portfolio Cost cutting. MS has a wide range of returns on food products and has earned customer trust. So it decided to invest its major investment in food, home and beauty products. Its other plan was to accelerate the renewal of store renewal. Under this, it planned to refurbish more stores faster at the lower cost. It also reallocated to higher growth product areas to maximise returns per sqft. Apart from these strategic changes, it uses direct investment in global sectors which gained them a competitive advantage. Factors affecting MS strategy There are various factors which has a certain impact on the MS internationalization strategy. Of them, technology has been one of the factor in which the company was forced to change its strategy in various countries. But broadly speaking, in this fast developing technological world, technology used by Ms is been available where ever it opened its stores. A small adjustment to the technical functioning of a store is enough for the company to have its strategy working. The most important factor that has its resemblance in the formulation of internationalization strategy is geography and distance. As the marketing strategy of MS is universal, however it does not mean that it uses similar strategies in all parts of the world. There is a large effect of globalisation to the formulation of internationalization strategies. Consumers from various countries are different due to varying culture, economic development, and income level and so on. So in certain cases MS does not use its centralised operating strategies instead it combines with some other company through mergers but has its own standards running. This initial phenomenon of outsourcing and then after some recognition opening its own store had a significant upward success in MS organization. As marks and spencer is generally known for its clothing and food products, the locality of the company is very important. As MS runs its stores in different countries, transportation of the products has to be done in a prà ©cised manner such that there is no shortage. So in order to overcome this transportation and time differences, MS has its own outlets in specific countries. These outlets have immediate access to the supply of products whenever required. There are certain situations where it cannot have its own outlets due to some government policies and other factors. In these cases, marks and spencer uses its internationalization strategy of franchising. So that it has its own functionality running by other company. All these have significant impacts in the brand distribution globally. Apart from these, government trade policies also play a part in the strategy formulation. Given the growing links among nations, it is very difficult to consider domestic policy without considering international repercussions. In the case of formulating its strategy in US, bilateral negotiations are carried out covering wide range of products, services and investments. Such a policy should pursue the government to facilitate competitiveness and encourage collaboration among companies in the areas of goods and process technologies. MS is an UK company where the marketing conditions have to be emphasized by the government and the product is socially accepted. Also great emphasis is placed on efficiency by government policies. Where as in US and Far East countries, they regard individualism and the promotional appeals should be relevant to the individual to incorporate lower power distance within the market. Also the main advantage of Marks and Spencer government policy is that it had an opportunity of taking advantage of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) in US. It takes advantage of tax under this agreement and is outsourcing its products to Mexico and Canada. It also has an advantage of making economic sense in terms of logistics. The important policy priorities for the tax Policy Action Group (PAG) in the future include: The Tax Framework for Business The Value Added Tax The National Insurance Contributions M S will be benefitted over the above made policies by the government. The idea is to focus on the oversight and the management of the policy implications in indirect tax, company tax, personnel tax and customs duty. Conclusion The conventional wisdom on development of the developed companies like MS has focused on learning from mistakes. The leading MS Company showed that their high risk strategy of acquisition and direct investment can yield successful results backed up with technology, and cultural values. The insights from the study on MS suggest that overseas expansion is related to the need to improve global competitiveness in order to boost their outsourcing capabilities. No matter the distance and differences between the countries, MS has been the successful organization to open its companies in different countries and make them profitable ones. The only important aspect for it is to make a minimum number of changes to the functioning and marketing aspects depending upon the country in which it is operating in. thus from the above analysis it can be understood that the globalization strategy of MS created a new marketing paradigm in its success and also gained superior advantage and reputation irres pective of the host country policies and other factors. Hence it is clear from the strategies of an MS company that we live in a truly globalised economy where differences across countries are given little importance in development.

Misunderstandings in Culturally Diverse Workplaces Essay -- social iss

This essay will explain issues that occur in culturally diverse workplaces and describe how personal conceptions may contribute to misunderstandings when working with others in culturally diverse workplaces. This essay will also discuss the impact of cultural differences when conflict occurs and it will give suggestions on how to resolve and manage this conflict. An explanation of who to discuss the conflict with in a work environment will also be discussed in this essay. The issues that arise in a culturally diverse workplace need to be known and identified by counsellors to ensure they are aware of any obstacle forming. Cross-cultural conflict can arise from a range of issues. These issues include language barriers, customs, roles and status, differences in non-verbal behaviour, personal space, appearance, gender, religion and responses to authority (Open Colleges, 2012, p.47-49). While working as a professional in a multi-cultural country it is important for counsellors to understand the influence these issues can have on relationships in the workplace with both clients and colleagues. Fontes states, when the client and counsellor come from different cultures, obtaining correct basic demographic information can be challenging due to atypical family configurations, facts that have been lost or changed in the process of immigration and lying (2008, p.282). These issues may be overcome with honesty and confidence once the counsellor and client have strong rapport. It is important for counsellors to understand their own cultural concepts and how they may contribute to conflict when working with others. As a young female, I understand that in many cultures I would be recognised as incompetent and unhelpful. However, by using le... ...of how to resolve it successfully. A reflection on my own cultural concepts has enabled me to understand how personal values and beliefs may contribute to misunderstandings when working with others and how the impact of cultural differences can affect conflict. It has also explained where to get assistance if needed if conflict arose. This information will be used in my work when counselling clients from a different cultural background. Works Cited Open Colleges (2012) Student Workbook: Work within a structured counselling framework. Open Colleges Sydney, Australia Geldard, D., and Geldard, K. (2012) Basic Personal Counselling: A training manual for counsellors (7th Ed.) Frenchs Forest: Pearson Education Australia Fontes, Lisa Aronson, May 23, 2008, Interviewing Clients across Cultures: A Practitioner's Guide Guilford Press, New York, ISBN: 9781606230534

Do you think that Curley and his Wife Make a Good Couple? Essay

Over the course of the novel it becomes clear that the relationship between Curley and his wife is far from the typical picture perfect hearts and flowers romance that a â€Å"good† marriage should be. Through their insecurities and loneliness they are bonded, yet in their character and emotional state, they are completely separate. Steinbeck’s novel is set during the American depression, a time in which ranching became the crucial way of life for a large proportion of the population. At the time, the ranch owner – â€Å"the Boss†, held a huge amount of power that shaped the lives of the men who worked for him. He provided accommodation, paid wages and offered an alternative to the completely bleak and lonely existence that these mostly single men, without a family and without any other companion, would otherwise face. It could be said that he had the power of life or death over these men. Curley, being the Boss’ son, understood that he had an authority over the other men that allowed him to be the â€Å"mean little bastard† that he was. â€Å"He hates big guys†, Candy tells George after Curley tries to â€Å"take after Lennie†. His reputation in the ring makes him overly confident and turns him into a bully that sees everyone as a potential opponent. He picks on guys bigger than him to fill some lonely pit of insecurity within himself that wants the world against which he has a grudge to know that he is a â€Å"big man† despite his appearance. All the anger and hate within Curley, clearly have an effect on the relationship he shares with his wife. When confiding in Lennie, in the final scene of act 5, she tells him â€Å"I don’t like Curley. He aint a nice fella.† For most of the novel, Curley’s wife is depicted as the â€Å"tramp† â€Å"tart† and â€Å"loo loo† that the men perceive her to be. We are not allowed a deeper insight into her personality, her thoughts or indeed her dreams until later in novel when she opens up fully to Lennie- the one character without any prejudice and too naive to honestly believe her to be the jail bait the other claimed she was. We see her as a complex character with dreams and ambitions- â€Å"I coulda been in the movies†- a far cry from the stereotypical vixen out to seduce all of mankind! She is one of the most tragic personalities in â€Å"Of Mice and Men†, nameless and without identity we see her not as a person, a human being with character and emotions, rather a possession of Curley’s. â€Å"Curley’s wife†. That is her only role within the novel and being an underdog, she uses as her only advantage over the ranch men. â€Å"Listen, Nigger, you know what I can do to you if you open your trap?†, she threatens Crooks, the crippled black stable buck with her authority over him as Curley’s wife and her superiority as a white female. This reveals a nastier, darker side to her personality, one that makes it clear that she will do whatever she must to get by in a world dominated by men. This aspect of her nature is in stark contrast to the girly, high spirited and hopeful side we see as she talks of â€Å"making the pitchers† and of the guy who said â€Å"he was gonna put me in the movies† and â€Å"soon’s he got back to Hollywood he was gonna write to me about it.† Here she seems vulnerable and full of emotion- so much more human than the woman who only moments previously threatened to get Crooks lynched. We know that the relationship between Curley and his wife is far from perfect; one is always out looking for the other. Though this may be an excuse for his wife to talk to the ranch hands, the very fact that she has become this desperate for company highlights the gulf between them. The lack of communication between them means that the only relationship that they share is one of a physical nature. â€Å"Glove fulla Vaseline†, Curley keeps his hand â€Å"soft† for his wife- because he wishes to â€Å"show off his manliness†, this in no way is considerate towards her, it simply underlines yet another defect in their relationship. Curley’s wife tells Lennie how the two came to meet one another and ended up married. Curley was what she was left with, her only alternative to the high life of glitz and glamour that had no chance of turning into reality. She did not love him. In fact, she didn’t even like him â€Å"I don’t like Curley†. Her dislike for Curley and lack of concern for him again is evident when she â€Å"grows interested† whilst questioning Candy, Crooks and Lennie about how Curley came to break his hand. She shows no concern as a loving wife would, â€Å"Say- what happened to Curley’s han† She is merely curious and laughs when they tell her it was â€Å"caught in the machine†, â€Å"Baloney!† she cries. Another point to be made is that Steinbeck never places Curley and his wife together in the sae scene, other than the occasion on which Curley stood before his wife’s body- a time at which he was further away from her then he ever was when she was alive. They are mentioned together on many occasions, but are inevitably presented as two separate, different individuals. So close to one another, yet so far. Curley’s wife belongs to Curley. But she is not a part of him, just as he is not a part of her. A major reason as to why the relationship between Curley and his wife is so weak is because both characters are within themselves weak and insecure. Neither Curley, nor his wife has the power, the strength of personality or the will to go on without â€Å"support† or at least love. Curley is depicted as a character with an evil, twisted temperament who thrives upon power. Although our first impression of his wife is far from â€Å"good†, she is not evil- she is merely used to emphasise Steinbeck’s depiction of women as being trouble makers that bring ruin on man- Curley’s temper having worsened since their marriage and her role as a temptress being solely to get men locked up, or lynched. However different to one another, both characters are emotionally unstable, they don’t have the strength to support one another and so the chances of a relationship between the two working out are minimal. Indeed, at the end of the novel, when Curley realises that his wife is dead, instead of a feeling of deep hurt or loss that one usually feels after losing a close one, he immediately feels the need for revenge and so goes ahead to hunt Lennie down- his feelings of anger and to â€Å"get his own back† being stronger than the love he felt for his wife or sorrow ar her loss.

Position/Competition/Branding of Apple Iphone

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY MMPG: Position/Competition/Branding of Apple iPhone OLAMIDE O. BELLO 11/20/2012 STRATEGIC MARKETING MANAGEMENT (BUSINESS 520) PROFESSOR: DR. ANDREW HONEYCUTT Smart Phone Market Samsung, the Korean tech giant, is the leader in the Smartphone following the third quarter, extending its lead over Apple (Gartner's report released on Wednesday this week). The Android-based Galaxy smart phones have a very strong sales compare to Apple which makes android the lead in the global Smartphone market accounting for 32. percent of the worldwide market share (UCStrategies Staff). Google acquired Android Inc. in 2005, after 2years, Google declare android distribution public in late 2007. Today Android is leading the smart phone market(UCStrategies Staff). The strengths: Decentralized Distribution: Android found strength in mass distribution, pleased companies such as HTC, Samsung and Motorola by offering them competitive platform for free, this help reduce the production cost and pass the savings to the consumer.With such competitive platform at a reduced price, consumer can easily change to android phone cheaply with no contract and android works on any mobile operator(The Next Web). The weaknesses: Mixed Results: Since different carrier and manufacturers do have freedom to used android, this brings no standard and control to android usage. Crappy hardware can depreciate the value of the android and lead to terrible experience. With different manufacturer customize android with no universal standard create consumer confusion.So decentralized distribution is also the android weakness(The Next Web). Product Branding Branding as been defined as â€Å"a name, term, sign, symbol, or design, or a combination of them, intended to identify the goods or services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those competitors†(Kotler). Apply is great at branding compare to other competitor, it takes less than a second to identify apple iPhon e just by the look and the logo unlike other competitors. Apple OS only runs on apple phone and there is not third manufacturer involved. Also Case Study will describe why Apple Inc. is a very successful company.Apple brands brings intense, active loyalty, positive, accessible reaction, point-of-parity ; difference, deep and broad brand awareness to iPhones (Kotler p. 249). With Apple branding, iphone design and functionality become difficult to compromise. References The Next Web Retrieved from http://thenextweb. com/mobile/2011/11/14/androids-strength-is-also-its-weakness-decentralization/ Unified Communication Strategies: Samsung Leads Global Smartphone Market Retrive from http://www. ucstrategies. com/unified-communications-newsroom/samsung-leads-global-smartphone-market. aspx Marketing Management by Kotler Keller

A Guide to Writing Japanese New Years Cards

A Guide to Writing Japanese New Year's Cards .The Japanese send New Years cards (nengajo) rather than Christmas cards. If you want to send nengajo to your Japanese friends, here are common greetings and expressions you can write to wish them all the best for the new year. Happy New Year All the following expressions roughly translate as Happy New Year. Choose any of them to begin your card. The saying is listed in kanji, or Japanese letters, on the left and in Romaji- the  writing of Japanese in  Roman  characters- on the right. 明㠁‘㠁 ¾Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã£ Å Ã£â€š Ã£  §Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€ Ã£ â€Ã£ â€"㠁„㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢   Akemashite omedetou gozaimasu.æâ€" °Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã£ Å Ã£â€š Ã£  §Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€ Ã£ â€Ã£ â€"㠁„㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢   Shinnen omedetou gozaimasu.omedetou gozaimasu.è ¬ ¹Ã¨ ³â‚¬Ã¦â€" °Ã¥ ¹ ´   Kinga Shinnenæ  ­Ã¨ ³â‚¬Ã¦â€" °Ã¥ ¹ ´   Kyouga Shinnenè ³â‚¬Ã¦ ­ £   Gashouè ¿Å½Ã¦Ëœ ¥   Geishunè ¬ ¹Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã¦â€" °Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã£  ®Ã£ Å Ã¥â€"Å"㠁 ³Ã£â€šâ€™Ã§â€ ³Ã£ â€"ä ¸Å Ã£ â€™Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢   Tsutsushinde shinnen no oyorokobi o moushiagemasu. Note that Kinga Shinnen (è ¬ ¹Ã¨ ³â‚¬Ã¦â€" °Ã¥ ¹ ´), Kyouga Shinnen (æ  ­Ã¨ ³â‚¬Ã¦â€" °Ã¥ ¹ ´), Gashou (è ³â‚¬Ã¦ ­ £), and Geishun (è ¿Å½Ã¦Ëœ ¥) are seasonal words that are not used in regular conversation. The rest of the expressions can be used as a greeting. Expressions and Phrases After the greeting, add words of thanks, requests for continued favor, or wishes for health. Here are some common expressions, though you can add your own words as well. The saying is presented first in English, then in kanji, and then in Romaji. Thank you for all your kind help during the past year.æ˜ ¨Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã£  ¯Ã¥ ¤ §Ã¥ ¤â€°Ã£ Å Ã¤ ¸â€"è © ±Ã£  «Ã£  ªÃ£â€šÅ Ã£ â€šÃ£â€šÅ Ã£ Å'㠁 ¨Ã£ â€ Ã£ â€Ã£ â€"㠁„㠁 ¾Ã£ â€"㠁ŸSakunen wa taihen osewa ni nari arigatou gozaimashita. I hope for your continued favor this year.æÅ" ¬Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã£â€šâ€šÃ£  ©Ã£ â€ Ã£ Å¾Ã£â€šË†Ã£â€š Ã£ â€"㠁 Ã£ Å Ã© ¡ËœÃ£ â€žÃ£ â€"㠁 ¾Ã£ â„¢Honnen mo douzo yoroshiku onegaishimasu. Wishing everyone good health.皆æ §ËœÃ£  ®Ã£ â€Ã¥  ¥Ã¥ º ·Ã£â€šâ€™Ã£ Å Ã§ ¥Ë†Ã£â€šÅ Ã§â€ ³Ã£ â€"ä ¸Å Ã£ â€™Ã£  ¾Ã£ â„¢Minasama no gokenkou o oinori moushiagemasu. Adding the Date When dating the card, use the word gantan (å…Æ'æâ€" ¦) instead of the date that card was written. Gantan means the morning of Jan. 1; therefore, it is not necessary to write ichi-gatsu gantan. As for the year, the Japanese era name is often used. For example, the year 2015 is Heisei nijuugo-nen (Ã¥ ¹ ³Ã¦Ë† Ã¥ ¹ ´), the 27th  year of the era, Heisei. Although nengajo are often written vertically, it is acceptable to write them horizontally. Addressing Cards When sending New Years cards from overseas, the word nenga (Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¨ ³â‚¬) should be written in red on the front side along with a stamp and address. This way, the post office will hold the card and deliver it on Jan. 1. Unlike Christmas cards, nengajo shouldnt arrive before New Years Day. Write your name (and address) at the left side of the card. You can add your own message or draw the picture of the present years zodiacal animal (eto).   Who to Send Nengajou To The Japanese send nengajou not only to family and friends but also to classmates, coworkers, and even business partners. However, personal nengajou often play an important role in connecting people. There were many heart-warming stories about nengajou submitted to The Memorable Nengajou Contest (Nengajou Omoide Taishou). Here is the top prize-winning short story in kanji, followed by the story in Romaji. ã€Å'Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¨ ³â‚¬Ã§Å  ¶Ã£  £Ã£  ¦Ã£  ªÃ£â€šâ€œÃ£  §Ã£ â„¢Ã£ â€¹Ã£â‚¬  æ˜ ¨Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã£ â€¹Ã£â€šâ€°Ã§ § Ã£ Å¸Ã£  ¡Ã£  ¨Ã¥Æ' Ã£  Ã¥â€¡ ºÃ£ â€"㠁Ÿå  Ã¥â€¦ ­Ã¦ ­ ³Ã£  ®Ã¥ °â€˜Ã¥ ¥ ³Ã£ Å'Ã¥ °â€¹Ã£  ­Ã£ Å¸Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¦ ¯ Ã¨ ¦ ªÃ£ â€¹Ã£â€šâ€°Ã¨â€š ²Ã¥â€¦ Ã¦â€ ¾Ã¦ £â€žÃ£ â€¢Ã£â€šÅ'〠Ã¤ »Å Ã£  ¯Ã© ¤Å Ã¨ ­ ·Ã¦â€" ½Ã¨ ¨ ­Ã£  «Ã£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã¥ ½ ¼Ã¥ ¥ ³Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¥ ®Å¡Ã¦â„¢â€šÃ¥Ë† ¶Ã© «ËœÃ¦   ¡Ã£â€šâ€šÃ£â€šâ€žÃ£â€š Ã£  ¦Ã£ â€"㠁 ¾Ã£  £Ã£ Å¸Ã¥ ½ ¼Ã¥ ¥ ³Ã£â€šâ€™Ã¨ ¦â€¹Ã£ â€¹Ã£  ­Ã£â‚¬ Ã£ â€ Ã£  ¡Ã£  ®Ã§â€"…é™ ¢Ã©â€¢ ·Ã£ Å'è ª ¿Ã§ â€ Ã¨ £Å"åŠ ©Ã¥â€œ ¡Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã©â€ºâ€¡Ã£  £Ã£ Å¸Ã£â‚¬â€š Ã¥ ¹ ³Ã¥ â€¡Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã© ½ ¢Ã¤ ºâ€Ã¥  Ã¦ ­ ³Ã£  ®Ã¨ ª ¿Ã§ â€ Ã¥   ´Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¥  Ã¥â€¦ ­Ã¦ ­ ³Ã£  ®Ã¥ °â€˜Ã¥ ¥ ³Ã£ Å'æ ¥ ½Ã£ â€"㠁„㠁 ¨Ã£ â€œÃ£â€š Ã£  ¨Ã£  ¯Ã¦â‚¬ Ã£ Ë†Ã£  ªÃ£ â€žÃ£ Å'〠Ã¥ ½ ¼Ã¥ ¥ ³Ã£  ¯Ã¦ ¯Å½Ã¦â€" ¥Ã¥â€¦Æ'æ °â€"㠁 «Ã£â€šâ€žÃ£  £Ã£  ¦Ã£  Ã£â€šâ€¹Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£  ²Ã£â€šâ€¡Ã£  £Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã©â€º ¢Ã£â€šÅ'㠁 ¦Ã¦Å¡ ®Ã£â€šâ€°Ã£ â„¢Ã¦ ¯ Ã¨ ¦ ªÃ£  ®Ã©  ¢Ã¥ ½ ±Ã£â€šâ€™Ã§ § Ã£ Å¸Ã£  ¡Ã£  «Ã¨ ¦â€¹Ã£  ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£â€šâ€¹Ã£  ®Ã£ â€¹Ã£â‚¬â€š Ã¥  Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã¦Å"ˆå Å Ã£  °Ã£â‚¬ Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¨ ³â‚¬Ã§Å  ¶Ã£  ®Ã¦ ºâ€"備㠁 ®Ã¨ © ±Ã© ¡Å'㠁 «Ã£  ªÃ£  £Ã£ Å¸Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£  Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ªÃ§ § Ã£ Å¸Ã£  ¡Ã£  ®Ã¤ ¼Å¡Ã¨ © ±Ã£  «Ã¤ ¸ Ã¦â‚¬ Ã¨ ­ °Ã£  Ã£ â€ Ã£  ªÃ© ¡â€Ã£  §Ã¥ °â€¹Ã£  ­Ã£â€šâ€¹Ã¥ ½ ¼Ã¥ ¥ ³Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ§â€ž ¡Ã§ â€ Ã£â€šâ€šÃ£  ªÃ£ â€žÃ£â‚¬â€šÃ¦ ¯ Ã¨ ¦ ªÃ£  ¨Ã¤ ¸â‚¬Ã§ ·â€™Ã£  «Ã£ â€žÃ£ Å¸Ã©  Æ'㠁 ¯Ã£â‚¬ Ã¤ ½ Ã¥ ±â€¦Ã£â€šâ€™Ã¨ » ¢Ã£â‚¬â€¦Ã£  ¨Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã£ â€žÃ£ Å¸Ã£  ¨Ã¨ Å¾Ã£ â€žÃ£ Å¸Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¥ ¹ ´Ã¨ ³â‚¬Ã§Å  ¶Ã£  ©Ã£ â€œÃ£â€š Ã£  §Ã£  ¯Ã£  ªÃ£ â€¹Ã£  £Ã£ Å¸Ã£  ®Ã£   Ã£â€š Ã£ â€ Ã£â‚¬â€š 㠁 ¿Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ªÃ£  §Ã£ â€œÃ£  £Ã£  Ã£â€šÅ Ã¥ ½ ¼Ã¥ ¥ ³Ã£  «Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¨ ³â‚¬Ã§Å  ¶Ã£â€šâ€™Ã¥â€¡ ºÃ£ â„¢Ã¤ ºâ€¹Ã£  «Ã¦ ± ºÃ£â€š Ã£ Å¸Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£ Å¸Ã£  Ã£ â€¢Ã£â€šâ€œÃ£  ®Ã¥ ¹ ¸Ã£ â€ºÃ£  «Ã¥â€º ²Ã£  ¾Ã£â€šÅ'る㠁“㠁 ¨Ã£â€šâ€™Ã© ¡ËœÃ£ â€žÃ£â‚¬â€š ã€Å'åˆ Ã£â€š Ã£  ¦Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¨ ³â‚¬Ã§Å  ¶Ã£â€šâ€šÃ£â€šâ€°Ã£  £Ã£ Å¸Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ¥ ¤ §Ã¥Ë†â€¡Ã£  «Ã© ¡ Ã£  «Ã© £ ¾Ã£  £Ã£ Å¸Ã£â€šË†Ã£â‚¬â€šÃ£â‚¬  ä »â€¢Ã¤ ºâ€¹Ã¥ §â€¹Ã£â€š Ã£  ¯Ã¥ ½ ¼Ã¥ ¥ ³Ã£  ®Ã¦ ºâ‚¬Ã©  ¢Ã£  ®Ã§ ¬â€˜Ã© ¡â€Ã£  §Ã¥ ¹â€¢Ã£ Å'éâ€"‹ã â€žÃ£ Å¸Ã£â‚¬â€š Ã¥ ¹ ´Ã¨ ³â‚¬Ã§Å  ¶Ã£  ¯Ã£ â„¢Ã£  ¹Ã£  ¦Ã£  ®Ã¤ º ºÃ£â€šâ€™Ã¥ ¹ ¸Ã£ â€ºÃ£  «Ã£ â€"㠁 ¦Ã£  Ã£â€šÅ'る。 "Nengajou tte nan desu ka." Sakunen kara watashitachi to hatarakidashita juuroku-sai no shoujo ga tazuneta. Hahaoya kara ikujihouki sare, ima wa yougoshisetsu ni iru kanojo.Teijisei koukou mo yameteshimatta kanojo o mikane, uchi no byouinchou ga chourihojoin to shite yatotta. Heikin nenrei gojussai no chouriba. Juuroku-sai no shoujo ga tanoshii tokoro towa omoenai ga, kanojo wa mainichi genki ni yatte kuru. Hyottoshite hanarete kurasu hahaoya no omokage o watashitachi ni mite iru no ka. Juuichi-gatsu nakaba nengajou no junbi no wadai ni natta. Sonna watashitachi no kaiwa ni fushigisouna kao de tazuneru kanojo. Muri mo nai. Hahaoya to isshoni ita koto wa, juukyo o tenten to shiteita to kiita. Negajou dokoro dewa nakatta no darou. Minna de kossori kanojo ni nengajou o dasu koto ni kimeta. Takusan no shiawase ni kakomareru koto o negai. Hajimete nengajou moratta. Taisetsu ni gaku ni kazatta yo. Shigotohajime wa kanojo no manmen no egao de maku ga hiraita. Nengajou  wa  subete  no  hito  o  shiawase  ni  shitekureru.

The Sociological Definition of Anomie

The Sociological Definition of Anomie Anomie is a social condition in which there is a disintegration or disappearance of the  norms and values that were previously common to the society. The concept, thought of as â€Å"normlessness,† was developed by the founding sociologist,  Ãƒâ€°mile Durkheim. He discovered, through research, that anomie occurs during and follows periods of drastic and rapid changes to the social, economic, or political structures of society. It is, per Durkheims view, a transition phase wherein the values and norms common during one period are no longer valid, but new ones have not yet evolved to take their place. A Feeling of Disconnection People who lived during periods of anomie typically feel disconnected from their society because they no longer see the norms and values that they hold dear reflected in society itself. This leads to the feeling that one does not belong and is not meaningfully connected to others. For some, this may mean that the role they play (or played) and their identity is no longer valued by society. Because of this, anomie can foster the feeling that one lacks purpose, engender hopelessness, and encourage deviance and crime. Anomie According to Émile Durkheim Though the concept of anomie is most closely associated with Durkheims study of suicide, in fact, he first wrote about it in his 1893 book  The Division of Labor in Society.  In this book, Durkheim  wrote about an anomic division of labor, a phrase he used to describe a disordered division of labor  in which some groups no longer fit in, though they did in the past. Durkheim saw that this occurred as European societies industrialized and the nature of work changed along with the development of a more complex division of labor. He framed this as a clash between the mechanical solidarity of homogeneous,  traditional societies and the organic solidarity that keeps more complex societies together. According to Durkheim, anomie could not occur in the context of organic solidarity because this heterogeneous form of solidarity allows for the division of labor to evolve as needed, such that none are left out and all play a meaningful role. Anomic Suicide A few years later, Durkheim further elaborated his concept of anomie in his 1897 book,  Suicide: A Study in Sociology. He identified anomic suicide as a form of taking ones life that is motivated by the experience of anomie.  Durkheim found, through a study of suicide rates of Protestants and Catholics in nineteenth-century Europe, that the suicide rate was higher among Protestants. Understanding the different values of the two forms of Christianity, Durkheim theorized that this occurred because Protestant culture placed a higher value on individualism. This made Protestants less likely to develop close communal ties that might sustain them during times of emotional distress, which in turn made them more susceptible to suicide. Conversely, he reasoned that belonging to the Catholic faith provided greater social control and cohesion to a community, which would decrease the risk of anomie and anomic suicide. The sociological implication is that strong social ties help people and gr oups survive periods of change and tumult in society. Breakdown of Ties That Bind People Together Considering the whole of  Durkheims writing on anomie, one can see that he saw it as a breakdown of the ties that bind people together to make a functional society, a state of social derangement. Periods of anomie are unstable, chaotic, and often rife with conflict because the social force of the norms and values that otherwise provide stability is weakened or missing. Mertons Theory of Anomie and Deviance Durkheims theory of anomie proved influential to American sociologist Robert K. Merton, who pioneered the sociology of deviance and is considered one of the most influential sociologists in the United States. Building on Durkheims theory that anomie is a social condition in which peoples norms and values no longer sync with those of society, Merton created the structural strain theory, which explains how anomie lead to deviance and crime. The theory states that when society does not provide the necessary legitimate and legal means that allow people to achieve culturally valued goals, people seek out alternative means that may simply break from the norm, or may violate norms and laws. For example, if society does not provide enough jobs that pay a living wage so that people can work to survive, many will turn to criminal methods of earning a living. So for Merton, deviance, and crime are, in large part, a result of anomie, a state of social disorder.

The Historic Fight over the Mountain of Light

The Historic Fight over the Mountain of Light Its only a hard lump of carbon, after all, yet the Koh-i-Noor diamond exerts a magnetic pull on those who behold it. Once the largest diamond in the world, it has passed from one famous ruling family to another as the tides of war and fortune have turned one way and another over the past 800 or more years. Today, it is held by the British, a spoil of their colonial wars, but the descendant states of all its previous owners claim this controversial stone as their own. Origins of the Koh i Noor Indian legend holds that the Koh-i-Noors history stretches back an incredible 5,000 years, and that the gem has been part of royal hoards since around the year 3,000 BCE.   It seems more likely, however, that these legends conflate various royal gems from different millennia, and that the Koh-i-Noor itself was probably discovered in the 1200s CE. Most scholars believe that the Koh-i-Noor was discovered during the reign of the Kakatiya Dynasty in the Deccan Plateau of southern India (1163 - 1323).   A precursor to the Vijayanagara Empire, Kakatiya ruled over much of present-day Andhra Pradesh, site of the Kollur Mine.   It was from this mine that the Koh-i-Noor, or Mountain of Light, likely came.    In 1310, the Khilji Dynasty of the Delhi Sultanate invaded the Kakatiya kingdom, and demanded various items as tribute payments.   Kakatiyas doomed ruler Prataparudra was forced to send tribute north, including 100 elephants, 20,000 horses - and the Koh-i-Noor diamond.   Thus, the Kakatiya lost their most stunning jewel after less than 100 years of ownership, in all likelihood, and their entire kingdom would fall just 13 years later. The Khilji family did not enjoy this particular spoil of war for long, however.   In 1320, they were overthrown by the Tughluq clan, the third of five families that would rule the Delhi Sultanate. Each of the succeeding Delhi Sultanate clans would possess the Koh-i-Noor, but none of them held power for long. This account of the stones origins and early history is the most widely accepted today, but there are other theories as well. The Mughal emperor Babur, for one, states in his memoir, the  Baburnama,  that during the 13th century the stone was the property of the Raja of Gwalior, who ruled a district of Madhya Pradesh in central India.   To this day, we are not entirely certain if the stone came from Andhra Pradesh, from Madhya Pradesh, or from Andhra Pradesh via Madhya Pradesh. The Diamond of Babur A prince from a Turco-Mongol family in what is now Uzbekistan, Babur defeated the Delhi Sultanate and conquered northern India in 1526.   He founded the great Mughal Dynasty, which ruled northern India until 1857.   Along with the Delhi Sultanates lands, the magnificent diamond passed to him, and he modestly named it the Diamond of Babur.   His family would keep the gem for just over two hundred rather tumultuous years. The fifth Mughal emperor was Shah Jahan, justly famous for ordering the construction of the Taj Mahal.   Shah Jahan also had an elaborate jeweled gold throne built, called the Peacock Throne. Crusted with countless diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and pearls, the throne contained a significant portion of the Mughal Empires fabulous wealth.   Two golden peacocks adorned the throne; one peacocks eye was the Koh-i-Noor or Diamond of Babur; the other was the Akbar Shah Diamond. Shah Jahans son and successor, Aurangzeb (reigned 1661-1707), was persuaded during his reign to allow a Venetian carver called Hortenso Borgia to cut the Diamond of Babur.   Borgia made a complete hash of the job, reducing what had been the worlds largest diamond from 793 carats to 186 carats. The finished product was quite irregular in shape and did not shine to anything like its full potential.   Furious, Aurangzeb fined the Venetian 10,000 rupees for spoiling the stone. Aurangzeb was the last of the Great Mughals; his successors were lesser men, and Mughal power began its slow fade. One weak emperor after another sit on the Peacock Throne for a month or a year before being assassinated or deposed. Mughal India and all of its wealth were vulnerable, including the Diamond of Babur, a tempting target for neighboring nations. Persia Takes the Diamond In 1739, the Shah of Persia, Nader Shah, invaded India and won a great victory over Mughal forces at the Battle of Karnal. He and his army then sacked Delhi, raiding the treasury and stealing the Peacock Throne.   Its not entirely clear where the Diamond of Babur was at the time, but it may have been in the Badshahi Mosque, where Aurangzeb had deposited it after Borgia cut it. When the Shah saw the Diamond of Babur, he is supposed to have cried out, Koh-i-Noor! or Mountain of Light!, giving the stone its current name.   In all, the Persians seized plunder estimated at the equivalent of 18.4 billions dollars US in todays money from India.   Of all the loot, Nader Shah seems to have loved the Koh-i-Noor the most. Afghanistan Gets the Diamond Like others before him, though, the Shah did not get to enjoy his diamond for long.   He was assassinated in 1747, and the Koh-i-Noor passed to one of his generals, Ahmad Shah Durrani.   The general would go on to conquer Afghanistan later that same year, founding the Durrani Dynasty and ruling as its first emir. Zaman Shah Durrani, the third Durrani king, was overthrown and imprisoned in 1801 by his younger brother, Shah Shuja.   Shah Shuja was infuriated when he inspected his brothers treasury, and realized that the Durranis most prized possession, the Koh-i-Noor, was missing.   Zaman had taken the stone to prison with him, and hollowed out a hiding place for it in the wall of his cell.   Shah Shuja offered him his freedom in return for the stone, and Zaman Shah took the deal. This magnificent stone first came to British attention in 1808, when Mountstuart Elphinstone visited the court of Shah Shujah Durrani in Peshawar.   The British were in Afghanistan to negotiate an alliance against Russia, as part of the Great Game.   Shah Shujah wore the Koh-i-Noor embedded in a bracelet during the negotiations, and Sir Herbert Edwardes noted that, It seemed as if the Koh-i-noor carried with it the sovereignty of Hindostan, because whichever family that possessed it so often prevailed in battle. I would argue that in fact, causation flowed in the opposite direction - whoever was winning the most battles usually nabbed the diamond.   It would not be long before yet another ruler would take the Koh-i-Noor for his own. The Sikhs Grab the Diamond In 1809, Shah Shujah Durrani got overthrown in turn by another brother, Mahmud Shah Durrani.   Shah Shujah had to flee into exile in India, but he managed to escape with the Koh-i-Noor.   He ended up a prisoner of the Sikh ruler Maharaja Ranjit Singh, known as the Lion of the Punjab.   Singh ruled from the city of Lahore, in what is now Pakistan. Ranjit Singh soon learned that his royal prisoner had the diamond. Shah Shujah was stubborn, and did not want to relinquish his treasure.   However, by 1814, he felt that the time was ripe for him to escape from the Sikh kingdom, raise an army, and try to retake the Afghan throne.   He agreed to give Ranjit Singh the Koh-i-Noor in return for his freedom. Britain Seizes the Mountain of Light After Ranjit Singhs death in 1839, the Koh-i-Noor was passed from one person to another in his family for about a decade. It ended up as the property of the child king Maharaja Dulip Singh.   In 1849, the British East India Company prevailed in the Second Angol-Sikh War and seized control of the Punjab from the young king, handing all political power to the British Resident.    In the Last Treaty of Lahore (1849), it specifies that the Koh-i-Noor Diamond is to be presented to Queen Victoria, not as a gift from the East India Company, but as a spoil of war.   The British also took 13-year-old Dulip Singh to Britain, where he was raised as a ward of Queen Victoria.   He reportedly once asked to have the diamond returned, but received no answer from the Queen. The Koh-i-Noor was a star attraction of Londons Great Exhibition in 1851.   Despite the fact that its display case prevented any light from striking its facets, so it essentially looked like a lump of dull glass, thousands of people waited patiently for a chance to gaze at the diamond each day.   The stone received such poor reviews that Prince Albert, Queen Victorias husband, decided to have it recut in 1852.    The British government appointed Dutch master diamond-cutter, Levie Benjamin Voorzanger, to recut the famous stone.   Once again, the cutter drastically reduced the size of the stone, this time from 186 carats to 105.6 carats.   Voorzanger had not planned to cut away so much of the diamond, but discovered flaws that needed to be excised in order to achieve maximum sparkle.    Prior to Victorias death, the diamond was her personal property; after her lifetime, it became part of the Crown Jewels.   Victoria wore it in a brooch, but later queens wore it as the front piece of their crowns.   The British superstitiously believed that the Koh-i-Noor brought bad fortune to any male who possessed it (given its history), so only female royals have worn it.   It was set into the coronation crown of Queen Alexandra in 1902, then was moved into Queen Marys crown in 1911.   In 1937, it was added to the coronation crown of Elizabeth, the mother of the current monarch, Queen Elizabeth II.   It remains in the Queen Mothers crown to this day, and was on display during her funeral in 2002. Modern-Day Ownership Dispute Today, the Koh-i-Noor diamond is still a spoil of Britains colonial wars.   It rests in the Tower of London along with the other Crown Jewels.    As soon as India gained its independence in 1947, the new government made its first request for the return of the Koh-i-Noor. It renewed its request in 1953, when Queen Elizabeth II was crowned. Indias parliament once again asked for the gem in 2000. Britain has refused to consider Indias claims. In 1976, Pakistani Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto asked that Britain return the diamond to Pakistan, since it had been taken from the Maharaja of Lahore.   This prompted Iran to assert its own claim.   In 2000, Afghanistans Taliban regime noted that the gem had come from Afghanistan to British India, and asked to have it returned to them instead of Iran, India, or Pakistan. Britain responds that because so many other nations have claimed the Koh-i-Noor, none of them have a better claim to it than Britains.   However, it seems pretty clear to me that the stone originated in India, spent most of its history in India, and really should belong to that nation.

Auditing and Assurance Service in Australia Essay

Auditing and Assurance Service in Australia - Essay Example This over extraction also may hamper the ground support system of the mine. Here overproduction also signifies that there is a huge lack of communication and interaction between the smelting division and the mining division. In fact it the problem with the entire company where signals are not present about the amount to be produced and how much amount of ore to be mined each time period. The second major risk that the division is currently having is the inability to gel with the acquired companies. As a result of this there is redundancy in operation as well as in costs incurred. These redundancies hurt more when the market is down for the ore. The business could fall drastically if the entire mining division is not centralized and integrated. The repeated processes of transferring the ores to the internal and external divisions are taking the cost component upwards. This is one of the major painful areas in the division. An ideal system would demand a proper coordination among the s hafts, and well assigned targets of productions should be given to the individual shafts. These shafts should not be made liable for the sales of the ores; rather it would be the central sales department who would have knowledge about the production requirement of the smelting departments, the foreign and the local customer demands. According to the demands production planning should be done, not the other way round. For this to happen, the mining stores of different shafts should be integrated. This brings us to the third level of risk the division has. The stores of the different shafts are not connected and no computer data base is maintained for the amount of stocks that the division is holding. The sales department to have a better knowledge about the amount of stocks that are with the different shafts should introduce a new IT package for store keeping. A proper communication flow can be maintained between the shafts and the  sales department if proper information is availab le in both the ends.  

Britain and the Euro Zone Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Britain and the Euro Zone - Essay Example Economically, Greece is ranked 32nd largest in the globe at around 312 billion U.S. dollars by nominal gross domestic product going by world bank statistics for the 2009-2010 financial year. Greece is ranked the 15th largest economy in the European Union, an organization that has 27 members. Greece was formally admitted, in June 2000, as a member of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union, commonly referred to as the Euro Zone. Amid reports of deliberate financial accounting records manipulation and misinformation practices, Greece has been subject to the worst crisis since 1974 (Lynn 2011). The Greece government revised its prediction of deficit from 3.7% to 12.7% of the GDP in 2009. In May 2010, the government’s deficit rose to a whooping 13.6% of the GDP – on e of the world’s highest. In November, 2010, Greece’s government deficit was estimated at close to 15.5% of the country’s GDP, public debt being set at close to 127% of the GDP (Ingrid and Papchristou 2009). Effectively, this is the largest deficit amongst the European Union member countries. As a result of this situation, international confidence in the country’s ability to pay back its debts got into a serious crisis. Following Greece’s deplorable and pitiable situation, the International Monetary Fund and the European Union offered an austerity package much to the fury of the Greek nationals. The situation has further led to public unrest and riots (Charter 2010). The European Central Bank in a bid to lift Greek back to its feet released a bailout package aimed at lowering the country’s public debt mountain (Lynn 2011; Castle and Ewing 2012). The measure was instituted after a balance was struck between the central bank’s adherence to EU laws and helping depressed EU governments. EU law forbids the central bank from offering monetary financing to the governments. In respect of the same, the ECB

Definition of The Bermuda Triangle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Definition of The Bermuda Triangle - Essay Example What actually makes this specific region of the Atlantic Ocean primarily fascinating and the reason why this region has amassed such immense worldwide attention over time is based on the fact that word of mouth has played a significant role in this issue which is discussed in this essay. People have rushed to associate supernatural explanations with the Bermuda Triangle due to which this region gained a mysterious aura in a short span of time. Along with contemplating the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle historically, some majorly important characteristics related to it are also discussed and explained in the essay. Beginning with the important accidents that occurred in the Bermuda Triangle due to which it attracted massive attention, the disappearance of an entire troop of bombers and planes without leaving behind a single trace are worth mentioning. Unexplained disasters led people to believe in the myths that there ought to be something deadly, monstrous, and heinous in the ocean due to which people, planes, and ships disappear to never get recovered. After the big incident of plane crashes in the Bermuda Triangle, the gateway to disasters opened up and myriad other disappearances began to be reported due to which this specific area became a highly talked about, riveting, and enthralling topic around the globe and research began on a large scale with no concrete facts revealed and ambiguity, confusion, and mystery ensued. Over time, headlights continued cropping up about more flights and ships along with hundreds of innocent people vanished in the deep waters and no explanation was ever presented publicly other than the dark doubtful statements which led people to speculate that there had to be some supernatural phenomenon in action in that specific area of the Atlantic Ocean, never once stopping to consider the probable role played by natural calamities or human errors. One stark similarity among all the casualties which played a major role in spreading bla ck doubts among the public was that the ships, planes, and aircraft which vanished in the ocean never showed up after some months as wreckage. Now wreckage forms important indicators of where actually the accident took place in case of sea crashes and as for the reported cases of aircraft, if they ever actually did happen, never any oil slicks were found in the ocean by the trackers which put a blind end to the search for authentic facts. It is not like the reasons for all the disasters which occurred in the Bermuda Triangle in the past were left uncovered, rather natural calamities and technical errors accounted for some accidents but, a large proportion of people still remained intent on relying on the supernatural explanations. UFOs and natural reasons form the widely speculated reasons for the disappearances occurring in the Bermuda Triangle of the Atlantic Ocean since the beginning. UFOs are unexplained anomalies which many people have claimed to witness though there is no conc rete fact which can be associated with it.

Humen Resource Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Humen Resource Managment - Essay Example It is not uncommon to find views that are categorically different from the ones that were made and what we believe in could be belied by taking up a different perception. For every view, there is always a string of arguments to support the cause and there by reinforce the thought process. Similarly the case under question, namely, the union issue with the Universities for a rise in the salary levels may be taken up and studied. Differing actors and stakeholders in the issue would only be offering different perception to the same story or rather same history. When this incident is revisited, it is found that the earliest newspaper reports bank on the issue that the students' assessments are affected and the students are going to have hard time because of the staffs of the university and their 'unilateral' strike decisions. It is also found that the villains of the show, were asking for a rise in the salary when everybody 'thought' that they always were better paid and enjoyed a more stable and 'no pressure' life style. The strike and the pay rise were both looked at as the ones caused because of their inherent 'greediness' that went with the people's aim to make more money and live like their business counterparts. Secondly, the university is a service and it cannot be viewed as a profit making exercise for the universities! While so, how can the staff of the university expect a rise that is not commensurate with the rate of change in the living conditions of the community (BBC News 21 Apr 2006) Thirdly, the university staffs already had a higher and more comfortable pay scale. Therefore, they found that the rate of rise in the following years was not in line with the inflation rates in the country. The radical view Once the views of a multitude of stake holders are included in the perception, the views of the staffs are also included (Simon Felton 10 Apr 2006). This view would throw open the following: The villains The Vice Chancellors The Problem Unknown reasons of the employers Motive Only to reduce the cost to the Universities. Credit To the employers. In this case, all the credit for holding on to the salary levels of the staff went to the vice chancellors and the employers. Fixed qualities Complacency, indifference and recklessness Emotions Suffering of the students and delayed assessments. The radical view on the other hand, specifies that the vice chancellors of the universities had acted as villains. They had not responded to numerous requests in the last twenty years to improve the salary levels

Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Supply Chain Management - Essay Example h the finalization of eligibility criteria for enlisting the potential members. Thirdly, an information sheet about the rationale behind the formation of a supply chain needs to be submitted to the management for better understanding of the strategy in proper perspective.   It is in this backdrop, the proposal for building up a supply chain management system and selection of members for partnering discusses the strategy in detail. Procurement strategy Clients in the field of construction are more demanding and the contractors have to keep up to the schedule considering the cost overruns and penalties involved in case of delays. Value for money, timely delivery and quality plays an important role in formulating procurement policies. Therefore, while short-listing the suppliers as members of the supply chain management for partnering, their track record for integrity, timely delivery and dependability is given more weight for consideration. The flexibility of the suppliers, in the fa ce of change in requirements by the customers, needs to be given importance as the contractor cannot keep the goods in their inventory. It is important to ensure that the procurement schedule is finalized after making assessment of the current operations of the projects, the clients’ current priorities, documentation formalities and weaknesses noticed in the current schedule of operations. Matching the procurement program with the progress of the project demands care, tact and good business relationship on the part of the contractor with the client as well as the suppliers, because the projects are mostly one-off designs with complex interaction among various partners. Bower (2003) states, â€Å"It has been widely reported that extreme fragmentation is a particular trait of the construction industry†¦observed in the diversity of professions and trades in construction.† (p.10) In view of the uncertainties involved due to non-repetitive and non-standard nature of th e projects, diverting the materials procured for one site to another site could be planned at the time of taking procurement decisions. Benefits of teamwork and partnering Outsourcing: Benefits of team work and partnering accrues through outsourcing. Conceptually, â€Å"Cost of using something in a particular venture is the benefit foregone (or opportunity lost) by not using it in its best alternative use†. (Lipsey 1995, p. 259) If the company decides to use its capital effectively based on the opportunity cost by means of sub-contract or outsourcing, it increases its profitability and scale of operation. Selection of the right members for partnering depends upon several criteria such as financial strength, infrastructural facilities, storage facilities, reputation for timely delivery and dependability in view of the continuing business relationship envisaged in the process. Sub-contracting is also preferred in view of its cost advantage to the contractor. Ulku, Toktay & Yuce san (2007) â€Å"The supply chain may benefit from the separation of risk ownership and production capability. One of the primary drivers of

Story book review for project management class Essay

Story book review for project management class - Essay Example As Peter Guber and Peter Bart follow suit from the eureka of the initial view until the end of its manifestation on the middle night television, the motivation behind the story is the omnipresent shoot out including the confrontations and standoffs, dilemmas and entanglements as directors, producers, writers, agents and stars struggle to put forward their personal and conflicting agendas in the look for the Holy Grail (Peter and David 2010). From the rise and collapse of the studio organization to the appearance of the heroes as entrepreneurs to the active duty of the sovereign, draws on a dream of future and the repeated as well as unheeded lessons of the previous. Shout out pertinently shows Hollywood as a firm, which producer’s stories the same way Detroit assembles motor majorly with backstabbing. As revealed by Stephanidis (2013), the industry very interesting as pointed out by Peter Guber and Peter Bart is the fact that an individual will not be able to rebound from prof ession oblivion as well as the one who will rise to the levels of filmic magnificence with an unexpected blockbuster. The real mavericks are the few people who are one day denigrated for their courage and then valued for their excellent delusions of magnificence. This essay therefore, gives an overview of the project management with respect to the book. Shoot out correctly, and regrettably, reflects Hollywood’s present lackluster ability to dazzle a listener with a given degree of novelty. The book tries to trip the reader inner secret report but fails to elucidate upon the insightful and interesting. As pointed out by Tinnirello (2000), the shoot out makes reader unaware of the evil acts and risks in the film industry. Guber and Bart have been key components of the Hollywood Industry, and have not only observed the firm and its revolutions, but have affected and trained the power brokers of the years to come. From as early as their recognition, Guber and Bart pointed out tha t their story will be a casual, quasi confess about the business of Hollywood. They asserted that various west coast bigwigs exit running in the different direction when asked to transmit knowledge on the drafted page. Every chapter has a theatrical heading given firms focus. When Guber and Bart are explaining the Godfather in the section about writer; the Holy Grail, they focus on the way novelist Mario Puzo simply outlne the grand Corleone story and sold it to the Paramount picture to take care of his growing family while drafting the story version of the novel. Drawing on his knowledge as the director in charge of the production of film, Peter Bart insecurely sketches an edition of the legend of the Godfather instead of elucidating what happened behind the scenes. Through touching of activities without any accurate detail, nothing latest is disclosed about the Godfather. The whole book could be drafted about the Brando’s vocational inflexibility or lack of film experience by Pacino. It is evident that the authors have a huge deal of disrespect for agent’s actions of feeding off the talents and riches of their customers. A review of Holmes (2002) revealed that the most innate chapter of the story; the Zookeepers, upholds a wonderful

Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Supply Chain Management - Essay Example h the finalization of eligibility criteria for enlisting the potential members. Thirdly, an information sheet about the rationale behind the formation of a supply chain needs to be submitted to the management for better understanding of the strategy in proper perspective.   It is in this backdrop, the proposal for building up a supply chain management system and selection of members for partnering discusses the strategy in detail. Procurement strategy Clients in the field of construction are more demanding and the contractors have to keep up to the schedule considering the cost overruns and penalties involved in case of delays. Value for money, timely delivery and quality plays an important role in formulating procurement policies. Therefore, while short-listing the suppliers as members of the supply chain management for partnering, their track record for integrity, timely delivery and dependability is given more weight for consideration. The flexibility of the suppliers, in the fa ce of change in requirements by the customers, needs to be given importance as the contractor cannot keep the goods in their inventory. It is important to ensure that the procurement schedule is finalized after making assessment of the current operations of the projects, the clients’ current priorities, documentation formalities and weaknesses noticed in the current schedule of operations. Matching the procurement program with the progress of the project demands care, tact and good business relationship on the part of the contractor with the client as well as the suppliers, because the projects are mostly one-off designs with complex interaction among various partners. Bower (2003) states, â€Å"It has been widely reported that extreme fragmentation is a particular trait of the construction industry†¦observed in the diversity of professions and trades in construction.† (p.10) In view of the uncertainties involved due to non-repetitive and non-standard nature of th e projects, diverting the materials procured for one site to another site could be planned at the time of taking procurement decisions. Benefits of teamwork and partnering Outsourcing: Benefits of team work and partnering accrues through outsourcing. Conceptually, â€Å"Cost of using something in a particular venture is the benefit foregone (or opportunity lost) by not using it in its best alternative use†. (Lipsey 1995, p. 259) If the company decides to use its capital effectively based on the opportunity cost by means of sub-contract or outsourcing, it increases its profitability and scale of operation. Selection of the right members for partnering depends upon several criteria such as financial strength, infrastructural facilities, storage facilities, reputation for timely delivery and dependability in view of the continuing business relationship envisaged in the process. Sub-contracting is also preferred in view of its cost advantage to the contractor. Ulku, Toktay & Yuce san (2007) â€Å"The supply chain may benefit from the separation of risk ownership and production capability. One of the primary drivers of

Trauma in Conflict Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Trauma in Conflict - Essay Example FitzPatrick and Hartsock observe that throughout history military nurses have stood with physicians and assisted them in carrying out emergency medical interventions. Nurses have served as care providers in many regions of conflict such as Somalia, Croatia, Desert Storm and recently in Iraq and Afghanistan (Flint et al. 2007). The evolution in trauma nursing has opened up new roles for nursing such as injury prevention, data management and the use of new technologies for dealing with trauma injuries. One such medical intervention is the military tourniquet. The military tourniquet is used for supporting poly-trauma patients. The Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT) is a common military tourniquet used by military nurses. This essay will discuss the potential dilemmas arising out of the use of tourniquets, particularly CAT. The issues will be considered in the context of trauma conflict situations. Patients in military operations in Afghanistan will be considered too. According to Beac hley, military nurses have contributed significantly towards the effective management and care of severe injuries. Amongst such measures are triage rapid evacuation, stabilization and surgical procedures (Flint et al. 2007). It is necessary for military nurses to master the interventions that are required for dealing with blast and gunshot victims. The frequency of such injuries has increased significantly over the past few decades owing largely to the fact that they are not confined to the military anymore. The proliferation of weaponry and its use out of the military has made the civilian population yet more susceptible to trauma. The role of nurses has become increasingly important in managing trauma ever since the Crimean War. Effective management of penetrating trauma, which has occurred in wars and military operations, requires the nurse to be apt at the working knowledge of the interventions (O'Shea 2005). A critical aspect of emergency care of trauma victims is gaining contr ol of and stopping haemorrhage. It has been reported that taking measures to prevent deaths occurring from blood loss from the limbs are the most vital means of saving lives. Haemorrhage has been cited as the most important reason for death after trauma (Lerner & Soudry 2011). In the protocol used for managing a trauma patient, circulation is now being given increased importance. The treatment procedure has changed from ABC to ABC to highlight the significance of controlling blood loss (Brodie et al. 2007). These changes are also being introduced into training programs for military trauma nurses. A device used in such cases is tourniquet. Tourniquets are devices which can reduce arterial and venous flow by compressing it. In the UK, tourniquets are a part of the personal first aid kits of soldiers going to the field. They are encouraged to make use of tourniquets when faced with excessive amounts of blood loss. Despite the effectiveness of tourniquets on stopping blood loss, their u se in conflict situations is subject to debate. There are strong arguments both favouring and discouraging the use of tourniquets in critical situations in the war zone. The arguments against the use of tourniquets are that they lead to the unnecessary loss and amputation of limbs. This highlights the gravity of the issue and the medicolegal aspects surrounding their use. Tourniquets are used for medical or tactical reasons. They help to deliver care-under-fire,

Reflective Analysis of A Beautiful Mind

Reflective Analysis of A Beautiful Mind In my opinion, this movie was one of the best I have ever see. By far this is me saying a lot because I hate old movies. The way the director portrayed schizophrenia was wonderful. At the beginning of the movie I thought what he was seeing was real myself, and even his roommate that he thought he had. I really want to know where he really went when he thought he was getting chased by the Russians. The entire movie had me guessing as to what would happen from beginning end. I even started to think that his wife might have been part of his hallucinations too. It was very sad to see how his wife had to deal with him. I felt bad because I felt as though their relationship was one sided and she was putting in most of the effort. I would have liked to see more of his son; and how he viewed his dad knowing he had this disorder. It was nice to see in the end that he did give credit to his wife and I thought that was the best part of the movie. I understand that back then they did not have many options when it came down to medication. When I saw them using the insulin shock therapy I was very stunned. I dont know what insulin does to the body but when I saw him shaking and trembling I saw concerned. I was asking myself questions like how does this help him or what are the effects of using this treatment. I didnt understand how the insulin shock therapy would help him in any way; and I still dont know how it works. Although as I seen it did help him with his hallucinations along with the pills that he had to take. Although I would have liked it more if they showed the other options they had for medication.ÂÂ   I dont know if they used electro shock therapy but I would have loved to see how that procedure went. When it comes to schizophrenia those who have it may not all have the same type of schizophrenia. Such as, someone with schizophrenia could be delusional. This means that they have beliefs that can be proven wrong. For example, having super powers, being a famous person, or having friends that arent really there. Disorganized speech is another form of schizophrenia that someone could have. Someone who has disorganized speech may use words or sentences that dont make sense to others. Exhibiting strange behaviors is one more form of schizophrenia. This is harder to categorize because what may be strange to us may not be strange to them. Strange behavior may include acting in an odd or repetitive manor; like walking in circles, sitting perfectly still or being quiet for hours on end. Withdrawn and lifelessness is another form of schizophrenia. People who have this show no feelings or motivation, or they lack interest in normal daily activities. Since the symptoms for schizophrenia vary the amount of impact it has on a persons life can range from troublesome to dangerous. Everything can be affected from school, to work, to home etc. someone with schizophrenia could have a change in friends or isolate themselves; they could also have difficulty in school, sleep problems, or being very irritably. These types of change usually happen when the person is an adolescent. Once they become adults these symptoms could get worse and are harder to deal with. For example, having hallucinations and delusions are symptoms that can occur during adult hood. Disorganized speech, catatonic behavior, muscle immobility are also examples of symptoms that an adult with schizophrenia could have. All these symptoms can cause someone with schizophrenia to lose their job, it can impact their social life, make having relationships difficult. Life with schizophrenia makes it hard to function as a person and can lead to depression. Its also very hard on the family members who have to take care of the person. Schizophrenia takes up much time and effort for the families who have to help manage. Sadly, if the person with schizophrenia doesnt redraw from the family the family may redraw from them. If I knew that everything and everyone I knew didnt exist I think life would be hell. I really dont know how I would deal with this honestly. But if I had to explain it would probably be how the main character handled it. I would try to see who or what part of my life wasnt real. Once I found the unreal part of life I would try to either ignore it or find a way to deal with it. Depending if I had a wife or girlfriend at the time I dont think anti-depressant pills would be an option due to the erectile dysfunction. If I didnt have a wife or girlfriend that is the only way, I would consider those pills. I also think it would be harder to recognize whats real and what isnt real. I think I could live with someone suffering from schizophrenia depending on the symptom they have. If they were having hallucinations, then I could live with that due to the fact that I could help them realize whats real and what isnt. what I couldnt live with is the lifelessness symptom that someone with schizophrenia could have. I think this is the worst because if you cant communicate with the person it would be rather difficult to help them. Although that doesnt mean I wouldnt try to help them because I would be like I said it would be difficult. Do I think people with schizophrenia should be permanently hospitalized? Again I would say if depends on the symptoms they have and how bad they have it. In society today people with mental disorders are treated unfairly. Some people view them as monsters instead of treating them like humans. I am kind of the same way because sometimes when I see a person that I know has a mental disorder I feel uncomfortable towards them. Other times I feel bad for them because although I dont know how they are suffering I can understand what they could be going through.

The Struggle Between Two Sides: Church and State Essay -- christians, c

The separation of the state and church refers to the distinct distance in the relationship that exists between the national state and the organized church. Although the aspect of separation between the state and the church has worked in a number of nations, the degree of separation varies depending on the valid legal policies and laws in relationship with the prevalence views on the religious aspect of the society. In most of the nations that practice such separation, there exists distinct rules and regulation between church and state. However, between the two entities, there will always exists a way through which the two entities will interact and consult each other as individual entities (Hamburger 67). People should not push Christian beliefs on American’s that do not want it , we should stick with our background as a Christian nation because most of American’s categorize themselves as Christians and our country has always been prosperous why change it now. In some nations such as France and Turkey, the level of relations that exists between the nations and the church simply does not contribute to any reforms and law enforcing togetherness. Each of the entities in the nation act independent hence gives diverse opinion concerning issues affecting the nation as a whole. While in other nations such as United Kingdom and Denmark, the constitutional recognizes the official state and the religious organization working together for the common good of the nations (Hall 111). In general, the separation of the church and the state is an aspect that will affect both the involved parties. Gross dictates that, â€Å"†¦.both the nation and its legal departments directly or indirectly depend on the religious organizations† (Gross 192). The contr... ...ishment: Church and State in Nineteenth-century America. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2010. Print. Gross, Michael B. The War against Catholicism: Liberalism and the Anti-Catholic Imagination in Nineteenth-century Germany. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan, 2004. Print. Hall, Timothy L. Separating Church and State: Roger Williams and Religious Liberty. Urbana: University of Illinois, 2007. Print. Hamburger, Philip. Separation of Church and State. Cambridge, Mass. ;London: Harvard UP, 2002. Print. Johnson, Alvin Walter, and Frank H. Yost. Separation of Church and State in the United States,. [Minneapolis?]: Minnesota Archive Editions, 2011. Print. Scherer, Matthew. Beyond Church and State: Democracy, Secularism, and Conversion. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2013. Print. Shiffrin, Steven H. The Religious Left and Church-state Relations. Princeton, NJ: Princeton UP, 2012. Print.

FRED STENSON’S - TEETH - :: English Literature

FRED STENSON’S - TEETH - Teeth, by Fred Stenson, is an interesting short story, with a plot spread between two hockey games and the childhood memories of the main character. The story is written in first person, through the eyes of a hockey player – the main character - and the setting is in western Canada, mainly around Canadian hockey rinks and the main character’s hometown. The story presents a player, who plays hockey for money rather than for pleasure. The author of this story tries to provoke the readers, by writing through the eyes of this player, who does not love the game he plays. The idea that a hockey player – a professional Canadian hockey player – would dislike the game of hockey and still play, is what shocks, confuses and keeps the reader interested in the story. This unusual characterization of a hockey player is also important to the development of plot. Finally, this story gives people advice about how to live and enjoy life more effectively. The story begins during one of Burns’s – the main character - hockey games, on a Tuesday night, not long after Christmas. The players in his team are quite fatigued and near the end of a game. They are supposed to change lines onto the ice, but Burns is lost in a daydream about his youth and the line change goes too slowly. For some seconds there is no one on the ice except the goalie and the six members of other team. The other team scores a goal before the line change is completed and Burn’s team goes on to lose the game 5-3 (93). The reader must conclude that the loss of the game is partly the fault of the main character. This conclusion comes from the fact that he is daydreaming about his childhood, and memories of being made to play hockey by his parents. It is at this point in the story that the reader learns of Burn’s dislike for the game of hockey, and through these daydreams that the reader discovers the main character’s motivation to play the game is the money he is being paid. After the game, in the dressing room, the manager is angry and threatens to send some of the players down to the minor leagues. When the main character hears this, his reaction is not what the reader would expect of a hockey player who loves to play the game. Instead, Burns continues to daydream and shows a lack of respect for his teammates and the manager. The manager mainly blames Burns for the team’s loss, because he did not put out, and his lack of enthusiasm infects the

Changing Role of Hr Management Essay

The Changing Role of Human Resources Management The ever-changing roles within human resources management (HRM), in response to trends, are from a dynamic environment and the importance of HRM. Every changing organization has a need for a HRM to respond and implement changes. The organizations driven by e-business and technology need to be ready to respond and adapt to the environmental changes and should focus on satisfying the company’s customer needs. In this role, the HRM contributes proactively to the development of global strategic plans and objectives. This essay will explain the changing roles in human resources management to the trends of: (a) globalization, (b) technology, (d) diversity, (e) e-business, and (f) ethics. Globalization The globalization of a business is the major challenge in human resources within the management of the business, new competitive aspects, and the cultural diversities are adding frequently (Gale Group, 1999). To reach the demands, the HRM is developing new business procedures and practices to adopt the shifting patterns of business. The human resources must deal with numerous challenges like maintaining proper coordination from the business activities in multiple locations around the globe. Human resources must prepare and have an understanding of the increase in global competition. The human resources departments are gaining awareness globally for the development of the human resources teams with activities dealing with the multicultural diversity. Technology The performance of HRM relies largely on the technological aspects. With the introduction and use of advanced technologies, the abilities and performances of the human resources are in need of required output. Businesses are incorporating advance technologies for meeting the demand of the consumers. This development has the human resources beginning to train continuously on the newer technologies in an effort to create processes, which are more effective. HRM is requiring changes in its practices to accommodate the advance computerized technologies and information systems (Frantzreb, 1998). All work done manually by the department must change to a more technical form to maintain and control the processes and data for a business to be more effective and productive. The technological skills within the human resources require coordination with the advance technology-based processes. Diversity The multicultural practices in business are making the environment within a business more diversified. In business environment today, a human resources professional come from multiple cultures and are working side-by-side in the same company meeting the same goals. For these professionals, it is paramount in maintaining a complete and thorough understanding of the morals, ethics, and values of the multiple cultures. The human resources professionals are developing innovative ways of managing the knowledge to deal with the diversity of the cultures. In addition, business environments that have diverse cultures are educating the HRM to perform the activities to the local consumer driven demands. Fast implementations in cultures are because of advancing technologies, which are causing the human resources to change its practices (Collins & Clark, 2003). E-Business In an effort to eliminate the work burden, businesses are transforming normal operations to the e-business technological form. Business in the electronic form is causing the HRM to transform and develop newer procedures and practices. The human resources of companies have to maintain new skills and change the understanding from the brick and mortar style of business to the more advanced technological business environment, which is in a computerized form. To advance the performance levels, the HRM is starting to incorporate training in information technology to the human resources professionals in an effort to maximize the adaptation to the rapid changes to the practices for the e-business model (Mitchell, 2001). The human resources professional is requiring the computer and Internet-based business technologies to follow the accounting and marketing practices. Ethics In addition to being competitive, business professionals must maintain an even balance with the organizations ethics (Vickers, 2005). The HRM must create a business environment that is suitable with the company’s ethics policies. The HRM must maintain the interests of the stakeholders to an equal level without any discrimination. The first priority must be to the consumers’ best interest. To accomplish and maintain a balance between maximizing profits and maintaining consumers’ satisfaction, the HRM must make the business’s practices in such a manner. Conclusion Human resources management must be a major section within the business’s environment, which must adapt its roles to accommodate the ever-changing trends of the global practices. The HRM roles must not change for only a single aspect, but simultaneously alters according to all the factors. The most important aspect is in globalization. Other aspects like technology, as with e-business, makes the need for the knowledge of professionals within the HRM to be more technologically advanced. The ethics and diversities in business demand the management to maintain the vision of its employees to an equal level.

Spirit Bound Chapter Twenty-Three

I DIDN'T NEED THE BOND to find Lissa. The crowd tipped me off to where she–and Dimitri–were. My first thought was that some kind of stoning or medieval mobbing was going on. Then I realized that the people standing around were simply watching something. I pushed through them, heedless of the dirty looks I got, until I stood in the front row of the onlookers. What I found brought me to a halt. Lissa and Dimitri sat side by side on a bench while three Moroi and–yikes–Hans sat opposite them. Guardians stood scattered around them, tense and ready to jump in if things went bad, apparently. Before I even heard a word, I knew exactly what was going on. This was an interrogation, an investigation to determine what Dimitri was exactly. Under most circumstances, this would be a weird place for a formal investigation. It was, ironically, one of the courtyards Eddie and I had worked on, the one that stood in the shadow of the statue of the young queen. The Court's church stood nearby. This grassy area wasn't exactly holy ground, but it was close enough to the church that people could run to it in an emergency. Crucifixes didn't hurt Strigoi, but they couldn't cross over into a church, mosque, or any other sacred place. Between that and the morning sun, this was probably as safe a location and time as officials could muster up to question Dimitri. I recognized one of the Moroi questioners, Reece Tarus. He was related to Adrian on his mom's side but had also spoken in favor of the age decree. So I took an instant dislike to him, particularly considering the haughty tone he used toward Dimitri. â€Å"Do you find the sun blinding?† asked Reece. He had a clipboard in front of him and appeared to be going down a checklist. â€Å"No,† said Dimitri, voice smooth and controlled. His attention was totally on his questioners. He had no clue I was there, and I kind of liked it that way. I wanted to just gaze at him for a moment and admire his features. â€Å"What if you stare into the sun?† Dimitri hesitated, and I'm not sure anyone but me caught the sudden glint in his eyes–or knew what it meant. The question was stupid, and I think Dimitri–maybe, just maybe–wanted to laugh. With his normal skill, he maintained his composure. â€Å"Anyone would go blind staring into the sun long enough,† he replied. â€Å"I'd go through what anyone else here would.† Reece didn't seem to like the answer, but there was no fault in the logic. He pursed his lips together and moved on to the next question. â€Å"Does it scald your skin?† â€Å"Not at the moment.† Lissa glanced over at the crowd and noticed me. She couldn't feel me the way I could through our bond, but sometimes it seemed she had an uncanny sense of when I was around. I think she sensed my aura if I was close enough, since all spirit users claimed the field of light around shadow-kissed people was very distinct. She gave me a small smile before turning back to the questioning. Dimitri, ever vigilant, noticed her tiny movement. He looked over to see what had distracted her, caught sight of me, and faltered a little on Reece's next question, which was, â€Å"Have you noticed whether your eyes occasionally turn red?† â€Å"I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Dimitri stared at me for several moments and then jerked his head back toward Reece. â€Å"I haven't been around many mirrors. But I think my guards would have noticed, and none of them have said anything.† Nearby, one of the guardians made a small noise. He barely managed to keep a straight face, but I think he too had wanted to snicker at the ridiculous line of questioning. I couldn't recall his name, but when I'd been at Court long ago, he and Dimitri had chatted and laughed quite a bit when together. If an old friend was starting to believe Dimitri was a dhampir again, then that had to be a good sign. The Moroi next to Reece glared around, trying to figure out where the noise had come from, but discovered nothing. The questioning continued, this time having to do with whether Dimitri would step into the church if they asked him to. â€Å"I can go right now,† he told them. â€Å"I'll go to services tomorrow if you want.† Reece made another note, no doubt wondering if he could get the priest to douse Dimitri in holy water. â€Å"This is all a distraction,† a familiar voice said in my ear. â€Å"Smoke and mirrors. That's what Aunt Tasha says.† Christian now stood beside me. â€Å"It needs to be done,† I murmured back. â€Å"They have to see that he isn't Strigoi anymore.† â€Å"Yeah, but they've barely signed the age law. The queen gave the go-ahead for this as soon as the Council's session let out because it's sensational and will make people pay attention to something new. It was how they finally got the hall cleared. ‘Hey, go look at the sideshow!'† I could almost hear Tasha saying that word for word. Regardless, there was truth to it. I felt conflicted. I wanted Dimitri to be free. I wanted him to be the way he used to be. Yet I didn't appreciate Tatiana doing this for her own political gain and not because she actually cared about what was right. This was possibly the most monumental thing to happen in our history. It needed to be treated as such. Dimitri's fate shouldn't be a convenient â€Å"sideshow† to distract everyone from an unfair law. Reece was now asking both Lissa and Dimitri to describe exactly what they'd experienced the night of the raid. I had a feeling this was something they'd recounted quite a bit. Although Dimitri had been the picture of nonthreatening composure so far, I still sensed that gray feel to him, the guilt and torment he felt over what he had done as a Strigoi. Yet, when he turned to listen to Lissa tell her version of the story, his face lit up with wonder. Awe. Worship. Jealousy flashed through me. His feelings weren't romantic, but it didn't matter. What mattered was that he had rejected me but regarded her as the greatest thing in the world. He'd told me never to talk to him again and sworn he'd do anything for her. Again I felt that petulant sense of being wronged. I refused to believe that he couldn't love me anymore. It wasn't possible, not after all he and I had been through together. Not after everything we'd felt for each other. â€Å"They sure seem close,† Christian noted, a suspicious note in his voice. I had no time to tell him his worries were unfounded because I wanted to hear what Dimitri had to say. The story of his change was hard for others to follow, largely because spirit was still so misunderstood. Reece got as much out of it as he could and then turned the questioning over to Hans. Hans, ever practical, had no need for extensive interrogation. He was a man of action, not words. Gripping a stake in his hand, he asked Dimitri to touch it. The standing guardians tensed, probably in case Dimitri tried to grab the stake and go on a rampage. Instead, Dimitri calmly reached out and held the top of the stake for a few moments. There was a collective intake of breath as everyone waited for him to scream in pain since Strigoi couldn't touch charmed silver. Instead, Dimitri looked bored. Then he astonished them all. Drawing his hand back, he held out the bottom of his muscled forearm toward Hans. With the sunny weather, Dimitri was wearing a T-shirt, leaving the skin there bare. â€Å"Cut me with it,† he told Hans. Hans arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Cutting you with this will hurt no matter what you are.† â€Å"It would be unbearable if I were a Strigoi,† Dimitri pointed out. His face was hard and determined. He was the Dimitri I'd seen in battle, the Dimitri who never backed down. â€Å"Do it. Don't go easy on me.† Hans didn't react at first. Clearly, this was an unexpected course of action. Decision finally flashed across his features, and he struck out, swiping the stake's point against Dimitri's skin. As Dimitri had requested, Hans didn't hold back. The point dug deep, and blood welled up. Several Moroi, not used to seeing blood (unless they were drinking it), gasped at the violence. As one, we all leaned forward. Dimitri's face showed he definitely felt pain, but charmed silver on a Strigoi wouldn't just hurt–it would burn. I'd cut a lot of Strigoi with stakes and heard them scream in agony. Dimitri grimaced and bit his lip as the blood flowed over his arm. I swear, there was pride in his eyes at his ability to stay strong through that. When it became obvious he wouldn't start flailing, Lissa reached toward him. I sensed her intentions; she wanted to heal him. â€Å"Wait,† said Hans. â€Å"A Strigoi would heal from this in minutes.† I had to give Hans credit. He'd worked two tests into one. Dimitri shot him a grateful look, and Hans gave a small nod of acknowledgment. Hans believed, I realized. Whatever his faults, Hans truly thought Dimitri was a dhampir again. I would love him forever for that, no matter how much filing he made me do. So, we all stood there watching poor Dimitri bleed. It was kind of sick, really, but the test worked. It was obvious to everyone that the cut wasn't going anywhere. Lissa was finally given leave to heal it, and that caused a bigger reaction among the crowd. Murmurs of wonder surrounded me, and those enraptured goddess-worshipping looks showed on people's faces. Reece glanced at the crowd. â€Å"Does anyone have any questions to add to ours?† No one spoke. They were all dumbfounded by the sights before them. Well, someone had to step forward. Literally. â€Å"I do,† I said, striding toward them. No, Rose, begged Lissa. Dimitri wore an equally displeased look. Actually, so did almost everyone sitting near him. When Reece's gaze fell on me, I had a feeling he was seeing me in the Council room all over again, calling Tatiana a sanctimonious bitch. I put my hands on my hips, not caring what they thought. This was my chance to force Dimitri to acknowledge me. â€Å"When you used to be Strigoi,† I began, making it clear that I believed that was in the past, â€Å"you were very well connected. You knew about the whereabouts of lots of Strigoi in Russia and the U.S., right?† Dimitri eyed me carefully, trying to figure out where I was going. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Do you still know them?† Lissa frowned. She thought I was going to inadvertently implicate Dimitri as still being in contact with other Strigoi. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"So long as none of them have moved.† The answer came more swiftly this time. I wasn't sure if he'd guessed my tactic or if he just trusted that my Rose-logic would go somewhere useful. â€Å"Would you share that information with the guardians?† I asked. â€Å"Would you tell us all the Strigoi hideouts so that we could strike out against them?† That got a reaction. Proactively seeking Strigoi was as hotly debated as the other issues going around right now, with strong opinions on all sides. I heard those opinions reiterated behind me in the crowd, some people saying I was suggesting suicide while others acknowledged we had a valuable tool. Dimitri's eyes lit up. It wasn't the adoring look he often gave Lissa, but I didn't care. It was similar to the ones we used to share, in those moments where we understood each other so perfectly, we didn't even need to vocalize what we were thinking. That connection flashed between us, as did his approval–and gratitude. â€Å"Yes,† he replied, voice strong and loud. â€Å"I can tell you everything I know about Strigoi plans and locations. I'd face them with you or stay behind–whichever you wanted.† Hans leaned forward in his chair, expression eager. â€Å"That could be invaluable.† More points for Hans. He was on the side of hitting out at Strigoi before they came to us. Reece flushed–or maybe he was just feeling the sun. In their efforts to see if Dimitri would burn up in the light, the Moroi were exposing themselves to discomfort. â€Å"Now hold on,† Reece exclaimed over the increasing noise. â€Å"That has never been a tactic we endorse. Besides, he could always lie–â€Å" His protests were cut off by a feminine scream. A small Moroi boy, no more than six, had suddenly broken from the crowd and run toward us. It was his mother who had screamed. I moved in to stop him, grabbing his arm. I wasn't afraid that Dimitri would hurt him, only that the boy's mother would have a heart attack. She came forward, face grateful. â€Å"I have questions,† the boy, obviously trying to be brave, said in a small voice. His mother reached for him, but I held up my hand. â€Å"Hang on a sec.† I smiled down at him. â€Å"What do you want to ask? Go ahead.† Behind him, fear flashed over his mother's face, and she cast an anxious look at Dimitri. â€Å"I won't let anything happen to him,† I whispered, though she had no way of knowing I could back that up. Nonetheless, she stayed where she was. Reece rolled his eyes. â€Å"This is ridic–â€Å" â€Å"If you're Strigoi,† the boy interrupted loudly, â€Å"then why don't you have horns? My friend Jeffrey said Strigoi have horns.† Dimitri's eyes fell not on the boy but on me for a moment. Again, that spark of knowing shot between us. Then, face smooth and serious, Dimitri turned to the boy and answered, â€Å"Strigoi don't have horns. And even if they did, it wouldn't matter because I'm not Strigoi.† â€Å"Strigoi have red eyes,† I explained. â€Å"Do his eyes look red?† The boy leaned forward. â€Å"No. They're brown.† â€Å"What else do you know about Strigoi?† I asked. â€Å"They have fangs like us,† the boy replied. â€Å"Do you have fangs?† I asked Dimitri in a singsong voice. I had a feeling this was already-covered territory, but it took on a new feel when asked from a child's perspective. Dimitri smiled–a full, wonderful smile that caught me off guard. Those kinds of smiles were so rare from him. Even when happy or amused, he usually only gave half smiles. This was genuine, showing all his teeth, which were as flat as those of any human or dhampir. No fangs. The boy looked impressed. â€Å"Okay, Jonathan,† said his mother anxiously. â€Å"You asked. Let's go now.† â€Å"Strigoi are super strong,† continued Jonathan, who possibly aspired to be a future lawyer. â€Å"Nothing can hurt them.† I didn't bother correcting him, for fear he'd want to see a stake shoved through Dimitri's heart. In fact, it was kind of amazing that Reece hadn't already requested that. Jonathan fixed Dimitri with a piercing gaze. â€Å"Are you super strong? Can you be hurt?† â€Å"Of course I can,† replied Dimitri. â€Å"I'm strong, but all sorts of things can still hurt me.† And then, being Rose Hathaway, I said something I really shouldn't have to the boy. â€Å"You should go punch him and find out.† Jonathan's mother screamed again, but he was a fast little bastard, eluding her grasp. He ran up to Dimitri before anyone could stop him–well, I could have–and pounded his tiny fist against Dimitri's knee. Then, with the same reflexes that allowed him to dodge enemy attacks, Dimitri immediately feinted falling backward, as though Jonathan had knocked him over. Clutching his knee, Dimitri groaned as though he were in terrible pain. Several people laughed, and by then, one of the other guardians had caught hold of Jonathan and returned him to his near-hysterical mother. As he was being dragged away, Jonathan glanced over his shoulder at Dimitri. â€Å"He doesn't seem very strong to me. I don't think he's a Strigoi.† This caused more laughter, and the third Moroi interrogator, who'd been quiet, snorted and rose from his seat. â€Å"I've seen all I need to. I don't think he should walk around unguarded, but he's no Strigoi. Give him a real place to stay and just keep guards on him until further decisions are made.† Reece shot up. â€Å"But–â€Å" The other man waved him off. â€Å"Don't waste any more time. It's hot, and I want to go to bed. I'm not saying I understand what happened, but this is the least of our problems right now, not with half the Council wanting to rip the other half's heads off over the age decree. If anything, what we've seen today is a good thing–miraculous, even. It could alter the way we've lived. I'll report back to Her Majesty.† And like that, the group began dispersing, but there was wonder on some of their faces. They too were beginning to realize that if what had happened to Dimitri was real, then everything we'd ever known about Strigoi was about to change. The guardians stayed with Dimitri, of course, as he and Lissa rose. I immediately moved toward them, eager to bask in our victory. When he'd been â€Å"knocked over† by Jonathan's tiny punch, Dimitri had given me a small smile, and my heart had leapt. I'd known then that I'd been right. He did still have feelings for me. But now, in the blink of an eye, that rapport was gone. Seeing me walk toward them, Dimitri's face grew cold and guarded again. Rose, said Lissa through the bond. Go away now. Leave him alone. â€Å"The hell I will,† I said, both answering her aloud and addressing him. â€Å"I just furthered your case.† â€Å"We were doing fine without you,† said Dimitri stiffly. â€Å"Oh yeah?† I couldn't believe what I was hearing. â€Å"You seemed pretty grateful a couple minutes ago when I thought up the idea of you helping us against Strigoi.† Dimitri turned to Lissa. His voice was low, but it carried to me. â€Å"I don't want to see her.† â€Å"You have to!† I exclaimed. A few of the departing people paused to see what the racket was about. â€Å"You can't ignore me.† â€Å"Make her go away,† Dimitri growled. â€Å"I'm not–â€Å" ROSE! Lissa shouted in my head, shutting me up. Those piercing jade eyes stared me down. Do you want to help him or not? Standing here and yelling at him is going to make him even more upset! Is that what you want? Do you want people to see that? See him get mad and yell back at you just so you don't feel invisible? They need to see him calm. They need to see him†¦ normal. It's true–you did just help. But if you don't walk away right now, you could ruin everything. I stared at them both aghast, my heart pounding. Her words had all been in my mind, but Lissa might as well have strode up to me and chewed me out aloud. My temper shot up even more. I wanted to go rant at both of them, but the truth of her words penetrated through my anger. Starting a scene would not help Dimitri. Was it fair that they were sending me away? Was it fair that the two of them were teaming up and ignoring what I'd just done? No. But I wasn't going to let my hurt pride screw up what I'd just achieved. People had to accept Dimitri. I shot them both looks that made my feelings clear and then stormed away. Lissa's feelings immediately changed to sympathy through the bond, but I blocked them out. I didn't want to hear it. I'd barely cleared the church's grounds when I ran into Daniella Ivashkov. Sweat was starting to smudge her beautifully applied makeup, making me think she'd been out here for a while watching the Dimitri-spectacle too. She appeared to have a couple friends with her, but they kept their distance and chatted amongst themselves when she stopped in front of me. Swallowing my anger, I reminded myself she'd done nothing to piss me off. I forced a smile. â€Å"Hi, Lady Ivashkov.† â€Å"Daniella,† she said kindly. â€Å"No titles.† â€Å"Sorry. It's still a weird thing.† She nodded toward where Dimitri and Lissa were departing with his guards. â€Å"I saw you there, just now. You helped his case, I think. Poor Reece was pretty flustered.† I recalled that Reece was related to her. â€Å"Oh†¦ I'm sorry. I didn't mean to–â€Å" â€Å"Don't apologize. Reece is my uncle, but in this case, I believe in what Vasilisa and Mr. Belikov are saying.† Despite how angry Dimitri had just made me, my gut instinct resented the dropping of his â€Å"guardian† title. Yet I could forgive her, considering her attitude. â€Å"You†¦ you believe Lissa healed him? That Strigoi can be restored?† I was realizing there were lots of people who believed. The crowd had just demonstrated as much, and Lissa was still building her following of devotees. Somehow, my line of thinking always tended to assume all royals were against me. Daniella's smile turned wry. â€Å"My own son is a spirit user. Since accepting that, I've had to accept a lot of other things I didn't believe were possible.† â€Å"I suppose you would,† I admitted. Beyond her, I noticed a Moroi man standing near some trees. His eyes occasionally fell on us, and I could have sworn I'd seen him before. Daniella's next words turned my attention back to her. â€Å"Speaking of Adrian†¦ he was looking for you earlier. It's short notice now, but some of Nathan's relatives are having a late cocktail party in about an hour, and Adrian wanted you to go.† Another party. Was that all anyone ever did here at Court? Massacres, miracles†¦ it didn't matter. Everything was cause for a party, I thought bitterly. I'd probably been with Ambrose and Rhonda when Adrian went searching. It was interesting. In passing on the invitation, Daniella was also saying that she wanted me to go. Unfortunately, I had a hard time being as open to it. Nathan's family meant the Ivashkovs, and they wouldn't be so friendly. â€Å"Will the queen be there?† I asked suspiciously. â€Å"No, she has other engagements.† â€Å"Are you sure? No unexpected visits?† She laughed. â€Å"No, I'm certain of it. Rumor has it that you two being in the same room together†¦ isn't such a good idea.† I could only imagine the stories going around about my Council performance, particularly since Adrian's father had been there to witness it. â€Å"No, not after that ruling. What she did†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The anger I'd felt earlier began to blaze again. â€Å"It was unforgivable.† That weird guy by the tree was still waiting around. Why? Daniella didn't confirm or deny my statement, and I wondered where she stood on the issue. â€Å"She's still quite fond of you.† I scoffed. â€Å"I have a hard time believing that.† Usually, people who yelled at you in public weren't too â€Å"fond† of you, and even Tatiana's cool composure had cracked near the end of our spat. â€Å"It's true. This will blow over, and there might even be a chance for you to be assigned to Vasilisa.† â€Å"You can't be serious,† I exclaimed. I should have known better. Daniella Ivashkov didn't really seem like the joking type, but I really did believe I'd crossed the line with Tatiana. â€Å"After everything that's happened, they don't want to waste good guardians. Besides, she doesn't want there to be animosity between you.† â€Å"Yeah? Well, I don't want her bribery! If she thinks putting Dimitri out there and dangling a royal job is going to change my mind, she's wrong. She's a lying, scheming–â€Å" I stopped abruptly. My voice had gone loud enough that Daniella's nearby friends were now staring. And I really didn't want to say the names I thought Tatiana deserved in front of Daniella. â€Å"Sorry,† I said. I attempted civility. â€Å"Tell Adrian I'll come to the party†¦ but do you really want me to go? After I crashed the ceremony the other night? And after, um, other things I've done?† She shook her head. â€Å"What happened at the ceremony is as much Adrian's fault as it is yours. It's done, and Tatiana let it go. This party's a much more lighthearted event, and if he wants you there, then I want him to be happy.† â€Å"I'll go shower and change now and meet him at your place in an hour.† She was tactful enough to ignore my earlier outburst. â€Å"Wonderful. I know he'll be happy to hear that.† I declined to tell her that I was actually happy about the thought of flaunting myself in front of some Ivashkovs in the hopes that it would get back to Tatiana. I no longer believed for an instant that she accepted what was going on with Adrian and me or that she would let my outburst blow over. And truthfully, I did want to see him. We hadn't had much time to talk recently. After Daniella and her friends left, I figured it was time to get to the bottom of things. I headed straight over to the Moroi who'd been lurking around, hands on my hips. â€Å"Okay,† I demanded. â€Å"Who are you, and what do you want?† He was only a few years older than me and didn't seem at all fazed by my tough-girl attitude. He crooked me a smile, and I again pondered where I'd seen him. â€Å"I've got a message for you,† he said. â€Å"And some gifts.† He handed over a tote bag. I looked inside and found a laptop, some cords, and several pieces of paper. I stared up at him in disbelief. â€Å"What's this?† â€Å"Something you need to get a move on–and not let anyone else know about. The note will explain everything.† â€Å"Don't play spy movie with me! I'm not doing anything until you–† His face clicked. I'd seen him back at St. Vladimir's, around the time of my graduation–always hovering in the background. I groaned, suddenly understanding the secretive nature–and cocky attitude. â€Å"You work for Abe.†