Othello Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Othello - Essay Example ful reevaluation of the play points to the fact that the ultimate victim in this classic play by Shakespeare is not Desdemona but Brabantio – Desdemona’s father. Brabantio, a Venetian Senator, awoke one night from a commotion brought about by Iago and Roderigo as they notify him that Desdemona has absconded with the "black ram" or "Barbary horse," or Othello. The two men tells the senator that the "lascivious Moor" has taken Desdemona and she has "made a gross revolt,/ Tying her duty, beauty, wit, and fortunes/ In an extravagant and wheeling stranger/ Of here and every where (1.1.126-137)." When sense that his daughter is not in her bed, he ensues to place the culpability on his daughter and likewise blames Othello. Most critics would argue that Brabantio should have blamed himself more that anyone else (Hageman 67). On the other hand, Brabantio is deceived by the two, eloping without his consent. Brabantio’s sensibilities are injured by this act as first, he is a respected senator in Venice, and second, he is the father of a girl who ran away with a person he considered friend. Embarrassed and furious, Brabantio anxiously cries out t o Roderigo, "O unhappy girl!--/ With the Moor, sayst thou?--Who would be a father!--/ How didst thou know twas she?---O, she deceives me/ Past thought!......O treason of the blood!/ Fathers, from hence trust not your daughters minds/ By what you see them act (1.1.163-171)." Brabantio’s initial reaction demonstrates fury as he suffers betrayal from Desdemona, the daughter he adores. The words "treason of the blood" are particularly significant as they propose not only an act of unjustifiable trickery but also a profundity of fervor for his daughter – which in effect, a trickery he fails to grasp. Eventually, he illustrates Desdemonas temperament as "A maiden, never bold;/ Of spirit so still and quiet that her motion/ Blushd at herself (1.3.94-96)." Brabantio asks himself how the two are able to deceive him. Failing to

Profile of Judy Chicago Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Profile of Judy Chicago - Essay Example Hundreds of men and women participated in the making of this art, which shows how art, by its production, can also signify the performance and output of gender equality and women empowerment. As an artist and activist, Chicago played a dominant role in the feminist art movement of the 1970s. She was concerned that, even in art, women were invisible, and that, when they did make art, their works were devalued in the art world and society because of their gender (Chicago and Meyer 127). She finished graduate studies in art, which is leverage for her as an artist. When Chicago started as an artist, she de-gendered her identity and works because of the pressures in the male-dominated art world, wherein only masculine values and expressions were acceptable (Chicago and Meyer 126). Later on, Chicago changed her surname from Gerowitz to Chicago to symbolize her gender awakening (Chicago and Meyer 126). During that time, she established the country’s first feminist art education program, the Fresno Feminist Art Program, which distinctly combined feminist consciousness-raising and radical artistic experimentation (Chicago and Meyer 125). From here, she promoted art for and by women without delimiting their ideas about womanhood. Thus, Chicago acknowledged her privilege as a graduate art student by using her knowledge and skills to improve the awareness of other female artists about the need to express, and not to undercut, their gender identities. The issues of social justice are important to Chicago because she felt the injustice of the invisibility of women as artists and as leaders in their communities. Chicago showed second-wave feminism by not starting with what she thinks feminism is, but beginning with analyzing what women think about feminisms and helping her students express their gender identities through their works in her art programs. She says in an interview with Artstor,

Importance of Strategic Planning and Management

Importance of Strategic Planning and Management Strategic management involves decisions concerning what a company might do, given the opportunities in its environment; what it can do, given the resources at its disposal; what it wants to do, given the personal values and aspirations of key decision makers; and what it should do, given the ethical and legal context in which it is operating (Dobson). Organizations need to know where they are heading to and a firm concept of the kind of business it is in. An organizations product-market scope specifies the particular products or services of the organization and the growth vector is the direction the organization is moving in terms of its current product-market scope. Strategic management is an art and science that must be studied by top management and it involves formulating, implementing and evaluating the cross-functional decisions that have been created so that an organization can achieve its objectives. The organization identifies its objectives, acquire the resources needed to i mplement the policies and strategies to achieve its goals. In order to be successful, strategic management synthesizes the activities of the different sectors of the business such as sales, marketing, production, etc. so that organizational goals can be achieved. Also, strategic management is a continuous process of assessing the business, the industry it belongs, its competitors, for the improvement of the organization. According to Carter McNamara, Strategic planning determines where an organization is going over the next year or more and how its going to get there. (McNamara 2008). The strategic planning process is organization-wide, or it can be focused on a major function. The major activities of the strategic planning process include strategic analysis; setting strategic direction; and action planning. Small business owners need strategic planning because it involves figuring out where the business is going with the aim of achieving overall success and at the same time, pinpoint strategic objectives. Owners of small businesses must give time to look for ways to grow and increase turnover. Most big businesses have used strategic planning when they were still new and small businesses. Strategic planning and business strategy are essential to achieve the goals of the business and without strategic planning and decision making, no business can head forward over the long term. Strategic demands the owners own thoughts and ideas and owners must make it as a major concern. His/Her personal investment in strategic planning is essential and fundamental to make the business to grow and improve the way the business operates and without strategic planning, the business will likely stumble into one problem to another. Therefore, small business owners must consider strategic planning frequently and regularly as it is essential to long term success. The four functions of management in relation to the creation and implementation of an organizations strategic plan are as follows: planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. This paper is going to analyze an external IT company that has been assigned and contracted to take over the internal IT functions of an organization, particularly, the desktop support department. The goal of the external IT Company is to offer the highest quality service with an equally high financial return rate. In the planning stage, the company has to analyze the needs of the organization in terms of technology such as hardware types to support, peripherals, and other various office related equipment. The number of customers impacts the number of support staff needed and the skill levels required. The next phase is organizing and the company is going to reduce the number of their desk side support team for the purpose of minimizing expenses but they have to assign a technician to build an operating syst em, customize it so that the security needs and standards of the organization are met. The next phase is leading and its purpose is to channel the behavior of the personnel so that the organizations mission and objectives are accomplished. In the IT Company, they need to establish good relationship with their staff, give good compensation and benefits, provide them with the best training, promotion, and others so that they will be motivated and become more effective and contribute to the success of the organization. The last function is controlling which refers to the process of establishing the performance standards according to the companys objectives, comparing and taking preventive or corrective action as necessary. The controlling function involves evaluating and reporting the actual job performance of their staff. It is important that these points be studied and further corrective and preventive actions can be decided. In solving performance problems, there is a need for manag ement to higher their standards, speak to the employee on any problem that hinders him/her to work excellently, and check any other problems that may affect performance. Effective and efficient management leads to success, the success where it attains the objectives and goals of the organizations. (Pakhare, J. 2007). In achieving the ultimate goal, management has to be creative in solving problems in all the four functions. References http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/content/BPL_Images/Content_store/Sample_chapter/140511181X/Dobson_strategic%20management_sample%20chapter.pdf http://www.oppapers.com/essays/Definition-Strategic-Management/127324 http://managementhelp.org/plan_dec/str_plan/basics.htm http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/The-Importance-of-Business-Strategy-Planning/156896 http://www.articlesbase.com/strategic-planning-articles/four-functions-of-management-outsource-technology-377102.html http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070510055850AAFFm0y http://www.buzzle.com/articles/management-concepts-the-four-functions-of-management.html

Why Ireland is not Free Essay -- Essays Papers

Why Ireland is not Free Ireland has been in a civil war for hundreds of years with Northern Ireland because of Britain taking their independence. In the middle 19th Century the United States was also in a civil war. The Unites States civil war lasted for four years, 1861-1865, while Irelands has been going on for over a century. The United States civil war was quick and to the point, the United States knew what had to be done and they did it. While over in Ireland and Northern Ireland the civil war has been just an on going bickering for who deserves what and whether Britain should leave their land. When over in the United States they got an army, took their land, and didn’t have time to bicker. While in Ireland it’s just terrorist attacks they are dealing with. They won’t just settle the problem with Britain to make their land free again until they get back the money they think they deserve. This has all been going on because Britain was given Irelands land back in the 12th Century. Ireland has been struggling for freedom throughout history. Britain will not leave the nation of Ireland until it gets back what remains of British economical investments in the northeast of Ireland (Metress 149). Ireland had always been ruled by Britain but it wasn’t until Ireland voted to be a free nation, they were denied, and they started to fight back on Easter in 1916. According to Golway, James Connolly, the leader of the Irish labor movement, â€Å"demanded an end to mere talk of revolution† (224). This did not help the Irish like they attended it too. This only made the split of the two nations worse. Britain still thinks there are many things in the nation of Ireland that are still theirs, and believe ... ...en wrote and spoke out against Britain and thought it was not worth the time (Liam 242). Even with British troops siding with the Irish saying it is not a big deal, many Irish are wondering when they will take a stand and help them gain their independence. Throughout all history the motivation and inspiration has always been able to be seen in the Irish people. For one country to give so much dedication for their independence and to keep being overthrown time after time really shows how much one loves their country. This also shows how much Britain does not want to lose their land and shows the stubbornness by both sides of the continent by not just sacrificing a little to try to please both sides. But one thing is for certain throughout all of these conflicts; Ireland will not rest any time soon until they get the freedom they feel they deserve.

Leadership and Management Essay

The implementation of the care of the dying policy at the writer’s area of practice involved the process of change. This involved the use of both leadership and management theories which are essential to increased effectiveness as supported by Moiden (2002). The change was a political one due to the government initiatives to improve end of life care (Department of Health 2008). Antrobus (2003) states that political leaders aim to deliver improved health care outcomes for patients. The essay will critically analyze both leadership and management theories from the top of the organization to the bottom. These theories were used to implement this change to enhance quality care in this clinical area. The essay will also critically analyze and evaluate the nurses’ self management skills in fulfilling their role as clinical managers within interdisciplinary and the changing context of the healthcare. Similarly, the essay will discuss the implications upon quality assurance and resource allocation for service delivery within the health care sector. These will be related to current government strategies. The effects of government strategies in involving the user and carer or significant others in decision making process within current clinical and legal frameworks (Department of Health 2000b) will also be debated. Similar debate will also be on the nurses’ involvement in policy making (Antrobus 2003). Further discussion on government strategies will be discussed on the introduction of clinical governance and essence of care. Braine (2006) states that the purpose of implementing change is to improve effectiveness and quality. The whole process of change was based on the introduction of the care of the dying booklet which meant that all healthcare professional documented their notes in the same booklet. The change took place in a large hospital to implement a new policy which was politically driven by the government to improve quality of care. Like most hospital organizations, the hospital traditionally uses a bureaucratic management approach (Marquis and Huston 2006) reinforced with authoritarian leadership to facilitate efficiency and cost effective care. This is done through planning, coordination, control of services, putting appropriate structures and systems in place and monitoring progress towards performance activities (Finkelman 2006 and Faugier and Woolnough 2002). According to Marquis and Huston (2006) bureaucracy was introduced after Max Weber’s work to legalize and make rules and regulations for personnel to increase efficiency. The ward manager as a change agent had to design and plan the process of change. Designing change involved understanding the purpose of change and gathering data as supported by Glower (2002). Planning included identifying driving forces and ways to reduce restraining forces (Glower 2002). Unlike the top management who used bureaucratic management theory, the ward manager applied the human relations management theory (Marquis and Huston 2006) at ward level. This management theory is designed to motivate employees to achieve excellence. The human relations theory was introduced in attempt to correct what was believed to be the shortcoming of bureaucratic theory which failed to include the human aspects (Marquis and Huston 2006). Often referred to as motivational theory, Lezon (2002) agrees that this theory views the employee in a different way and helps to understand people better compared to the autocratic management theories of the past. It is based on theory Y of Douglas McGregor’s (1960) X and Y theories cited in (Lezon 2002). Theory Y assumes that people want to work, are responsible and self motivated, they want to succeed and they understand their position in the organization. Perhaps the appropriateness of this theory can be linked to the implementation of clinical governance which emphasizes that it is the responsibility of health care professionals to ensure effectiveness, high standards and quality (Braine 2006). This puts health care professionals in a responsible position and motivates them to provide high quality care. This explains why theory Y was used as opposed to theory X which according to Lezon (2002) assumes that people are lazy, unmotivated and require discipline. According to the human relations theory, there are some positive management actions that lead to employee motivation thus improving performance (Marquis and Huston 2000). Some of these actions used by the change agent were empowering and allowing employees to make independent decisions as they could handle, training and developing, increasing freedom, sharing big picture objectives, treating employees as if work is natural and other ways of motivating staff as supported by Marquis and Huston (2006 and Lezon 2002). The use of human relations theory in the implementation of this policy is well justified in contrast to other management theories. For example, theory X presumes that people must be coerced, controlled, directed and threatened with punishment (Lezon 2002). This theory adds that an average person has inherent dislike of work and prefers to avoid responsibility (Marquis and Huston 2006). In other words, theory X prefers autocratic style while theory Y prefers participative style. Managers using theory y seek to enhance the employee’s capacity to exercise high levels of imagination, ingenuity and creativity solving organizational problems. With the human relations theory, members feel special and involved rather than being controlled by threats and sanctions from the change agent (Dowding and Barr 2002). The team of health care professionals was aiming to achieve the same goal. This goal was to provide high quality care to patients approaching end of life. This involved a lot of organizational psychology and motivation to facilitate effective teamwork. Among the factors that facilitate effective teamwork, leadership is the most significant as stated by Clegg (2000). Toofany (2005) supports that leadership is on government’s modernization agenda for the National Health Service and is an influencing factor. Therefore, the change agent needed equally effective leadership style. To facilitate this, she applied the transformational leadership style. Markhan (1998) cited in Clegg (2000) defines transformational leadership style as a collaborative, consultative and consensus seeking. These are the same characteristics of the leadership style used by the change agent. Contrary to this leadership style is the transactional leadership style which is based on power of organizational position and authority to reward and punish performance (Moiden 2002). Based on Rosner (1990)’s research, Clegg (2000) states that gender affects leadership style and women prefer transformational style. Perhaps this explains why the change agent chose this style for this particular change. As in any form of change process, resistance, which falls under the unfreezing stage of Lewin’s (1951) cited in Murphy (2006) change theory is one of the common obstacles that needed to be dealt with (Curtis and White 2002). By inspiring a shared vision within the team (McGuire and Kennerly 2006) the change agent managed to increase driving forces and reduce resisting forces at the same time. Clegg (2000) values vision as a very important ingredient of transformational leadership, adding that it should be engaging and inspiring. Transformational leadership was first put forward by James Burns (1978) cited in Marquis and Huston (2006). According to him, a relationship of mutual stimulation and elevation converts followers into leaders, a fact shared by Murphy (2005). If a leader can stimulate followers, he or she can engage followers into a problem solving attitude (McGuire and Kennerly 2006). In addition, people engage together in a way that allows leaders and followers to raise each other to higher levels of motivation and morality (Marquis and Huston 2006). This approach emphasizes on the leader’s ability to motivate, coach and empower the followers rather than control their behaviors (McGuire and Kennerly 2006). Moiden (2002) states that this style is widely used in all types of organizations in dealing with change. Frequently, it is contrasted with transactional leadership which is a traditional way in which followers’ commitment is gained on the basis of exchange of reward, pay and security in return of reliable work (Mullins 2002). However McGuire and Kennerly (2006) state that if transactional leadership is predominantly used, followers are likely to place limits to organizational commitment and behave in a way only aimed at contract requirements. Despite the differences in various leadership styles, most researchers conclude that there is no one leadership style that is right for all circumstances (Reynolds and Rogers 2003). Fidler (1967) cited in Moiden (2002) agrees that a single leadership style is rarely practiced. Therefore situational theories were introduced in order to deal with various situations. Perhaps this is why the leader used the situational approach to leadership in order to meet the demands of different situations, an idea also shared by Marquis and Huston (2000). Reynolds and Rogers (2003) suggest that the effectiveness of day to day activities depends on balancing between the task at hand and human relations to meet everyone’s needs. Different competence levels, motivation levels and commitment levels of staff on this clinical area justify why a situational approach was used in conjunction with transformational leadership style. Reynolds and Rogers (2003) support that situations like this require the leader to adapt their style. However, they warn that it is important to know when to lead from the front, when to empower and when to let go. This situational approach enabled the leader to work on followers’ strength and weaknesses. Moreover, Reynolds and Rogers (2003) warn that it is not always easy to find leadership styles that suite the needs of every situation and not everything falls into place from the beginning. Marquis and Huston (2000) criticize that situational theory concentrate too much on situation and focus less on interpersonal factors. Support was given to followers according their needs. Supportive behavior, as supported by Reynolds and Rogers (2003) helps people to feel comfortable in their situations. This was facilitated by the use of a two way communication system which involved listening, praising, asking for help and problem solving. Consequently, as performance improved, the leader’s supportive behavior shifted to delegation. Delegation was mostly directed to staff with high competences, commitments and motivation. Reynolds and Rogers (2003) support that the style of leadership alters as performance improves from directing to coaching to supporting to delegation. Basing on research studies, Reynolds and Rogers (2003) warns that using different approaches to different staff can practically difficult in terms of developing the whole group as well as maintaining fairness. This further exposes the limitations of situational approach. Nevertheless, it is equally important to assess followers’ capabilities and developmental needs so this explains the relevance of situational approach to this clinical area. The delegation was directed to some members of the team while others still wanted to be directed. In addition, this was because of the leader’s trust in people, working to their strength and sharing the vision as supported by Kane-Urrabazo (2006). Delegation is defined as transferring responsibility of an activity to another individual and still remain accountable (Sullivan and Decker 2005). Davidson et al (1999) caution that critical thinking and sound decision making must be applied before delegating because it increases rather than decrease nurses’ responsibility. They clarify that to ensure safe outcome, delegation must be the right task, right circumstances, right person, right instructions and right supervision. Pearce (2006) shares the same thoughts and adds that you must be clear about what you delegate, inform other members, monitor performance, give feedback and evaluate the experience while remembering that you remain accountable. However, Kane-Urrabazo (2006) and Taylor (2007) argue that delegation is another way of empowering the subordinates. However, like every team going through the process of change, problems arose and were solved as they came. Apart from dealing with problems like resistance and lack of resources, there was an even bigger problem of interdisciplinary working for both the change agent and the subordinates. Although this policy was predominantly nurse orientated, it needed authorization by a doctor in order for a patient to be commenced on care of the dying pathway. Whether inside or outside health care, interdisciplinary working was introduced with the same concerns of improving quality (Hewison 2004). Interdisciplinary working has been emphasized by a number of government initiatives (Martin 2006b), more recently the NHS Plan (Department of Health 2000a). To ensure the demand for interdisciplinary working is met, there has been a lot of emphasis on professional education and training. Effective interdisciplinary working is meant to facilitate delivery of quality services and is fundamental to success of clinical governance (Braine 2006). However, Hewison (2004) argues that there is little evidence to support the effectiveness of interdisciplinary working. There is also insufficient evidence to support that collaboration improves quality of care given to patients (Hewison 2004). Nevertheless, if interdisciplinary working is to be achieved it is important to appreciate the potential barriers to this type of working. In this particular organization there were some barriers that impeded interdisciplinary working. These barriers needed problem solving skills from both the change agent and the nurses. In many cases there were some disagreements between nurses and doctors as to when to commence the care of the dying pathway for a patient. Although the policy was self explanatory in terms of when to commence it, doctors were often reluctant to authorize it. Hewison (2004) states that occupational status, occupational knowledge, fear and distrust of other occupational groups are some of the barriers to effective interdisciplinary working. Additionally, different backgrounds, training, remuneration, culture and language can contribute to professional barriers, mistrust, misunderstanding and disagreements (Hewison 2004). To solve this problem the change agent and senior members of the medical team held regular meetings to discuss problems like this. This way of problem solving is well recommended by Hewison (2004) who explains that if interdisciplinary working is to be successful, structures and procedures should be in place to support it. This is a way in which organization reflects emphasis on teams rather than individual professional groups. Hewison (2004) adds that if this is reinforced with communication between managers and other professional groups, it is likely to be successful. Perhaps in future interdisciplinary learning may be necessary to overcome some of the barriers to interdisciplinary working. Despite lack of evidence for its effectiveness, interdisciplinary learning has been identified as a government priority (Hewison 2004). Therefore study programmes for health care professionals are important to facilitate this approach to learning.

Inventory Management Essay

Inventory is the quantity or total amount of goods and materials in a store or factory for some immediate or some future use. The reasons for holding more than adequate stocks of inventory would be 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to keep business operations running and to meet current orders 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to meet unforeseen demand and to effectively meet customer orders 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to take care of the lead time , ie , the time gap between ordering the stores and   receiving them and place orders accordingly 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to use as a hedge against price increases and inflation and control losses 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   to even out erratic demand requirements. Inventory control or inventory management is an attempt to maintain an adequate supply of goods while minimizing inventory costs resulting from obtaining and holding inventory with the purpose of providing information to â€Å"efficiently manage the flow of materials, effectively utilize people and equipment, coordinate internal activities and communicate with the customers.†Ã‚   .   Some of the terminologies related to inventory management are EOQ-Economic Order Quantity   – or how much to order SAFETY STOCKS- how much inventory to hold on hand REORDER LEVEL – the minimum levels of stocks at which new order for stocks is to be placed. Visual control –enables the manager to examine the inventory visually and determine if more inventory is required. Tickler control -enables the manager to physically count a small portion of the inventory each day so as to cover the entire range of inventory regularly over several days. Click sheet control is a method whereby the manager records the item as it is used on a sheet of paper. This information is used while determining the reorder levels.   Stub control (used by retailers) enables the manager to retain a portion of the price ticket when the item is sold. The manager can then use the stub to record the item. Point-of-sale terminals relay information on each item used or sold. The manager receives information printouts at regular intervals for review and action. Off-line point-of-sale terminals relay information directly to the supplier’s computer who uses the information to ship additional items automatically to the buyer/inventory manager. The final method for inventory control is done by an outside agency. A manufacturer’s representative visits the large retailer on a scheduled basis, takes the stock count and writes the reorder. Unwanted merchandise is removed from stock and returned to the manufacturer through a predetermined, authorized procedure.

Free Essays on Suffering In “Crime And Punishment“

Suffering The motif of suffering plays a large role in Fyodor Dostoyevky’s Crime and Punishment. The motif of the need of suffering is used throughout the novel to produce the book's theme: great suffering leads to salvation and the expiation of man's sins. In Crime and Punishment, several characters undergo much pain and personal anguish. Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov and Katerina Ivanovna Marmeladov are two characters in the novel that undergo suffering and inner turmoil. Both these characters suffer throughout the novel in many different fashions but the effects of their suffering are the same. Raskolnikov's suffering has a direct relationship with his guilt over his crime. It is also an indirect result of his dual personality and his obsession to prove his â€Å"Extraordinary Man† theory. He is represented as being either cold, intellectual and isolated from society, or as being warm and compassionate. In the novel, he is shown as warm and compassionate when he tries to help a prostitute being solicited by an older man and when he gives most of his money to the Marmeladovs, The murder of the pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna, is the result of his intellectual side's need to determine whether or not he fits his â€Å"Extraordinary Man† theory. The humane and compassionate side of his personality was forced to suffer because of the actions of his cold and isolated side. After committing the murder, Raskolnikov’s body turns on him, mentally and physically. He become very ill and his personality is not what it was before. His personality changing is show n when he tells his family and also Razumihin to stay away. Dostoyevsky writes, â€Å"The conviction that all his faculties, even memory, and the simplest power of reflection were failing him began to be an insufferable torture"(81). This personal anguish that Rodya has to suffer with is part of his theory because the theory requires the â€Å"extraordinary man† to suffer gr... Free Essays on Suffering In â€Å"Crime And Punishmentâ€Å" Free Essays on Suffering In â€Å"Crime And Punishmentâ€Å" Suffering The motif of suffering plays a large role in Fyodor Dostoyevky’s Crime and Punishment. The motif of the need of suffering is used throughout the novel to produce the book's theme: great suffering leads to salvation and the expiation of man's sins. In Crime and Punishment, several characters undergo much pain and personal anguish. Rodion Romanovitch Raskolnikov and Katerina Ivanovna Marmeladov are two characters in the novel that undergo suffering and inner turmoil. Both these characters suffer throughout the novel in many different fashions but the effects of their suffering are the same. Raskolnikov's suffering has a direct relationship with his guilt over his crime. It is also an indirect result of his dual personality and his obsession to prove his â€Å"Extraordinary Man† theory. He is represented as being either cold, intellectual and isolated from society, or as being warm and compassionate. In the novel, he is shown as warm and compassionate when he tries to help a prostitute being solicited by an older man and when he gives most of his money to the Marmeladovs, The murder of the pawnbroker, Alyona Ivanovna, is the result of his intellectual side's need to determine whether or not he fits his â€Å"Extraordinary Man† theory. The humane and compassionate side of his personality was forced to suffer because of the actions of his cold and isolated side. After committing the murder, Raskolnikov’s body turns on him, mentally and physically. He become very ill and his personality is not what it was before. His personality changing is show n when he tells his family and also Razumihin to stay away. Dostoyevsky writes, â€Å"The conviction that all his faculties, even memory, and the simplest power of reflection were failing him began to be an insufferable torture"(81). This personal anguish that Rodya has to suffer with is part of his theory because the theory requires the â€Å"extraordinary man† to suffer gr...

Prejudices essays

Prejudices essays The differences that exist throughout our community, the nation, and the world, greatly affect a person. Some struggle every day to attain tolerance and enlightenment and avoid ignorance and prejudices. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines prejudice as a preconceived judgment or opinion and an irrational attitude of hostility directed against an individual, a group, a race, or their supposed characteristics. In the unit on tolerance we read and viewed many examples of literature that opened the audiences minds and hearts to turn them to unity, enlightenment, and tolerance. Both Elie Wiesels Night and Sonia Schreiber Weitzs I Promised I Would Tell, as well as the documentary, The Last Days, truly captured how people can be affected by the bigotry which exists in our world. All three had the purpose to demonstrate how ignorance, prejudice, and separation can negatively shape someone and their life. Elie Weisels Night is a very short yet powerful book that every person should read. It gives you a personal, thought provoking, and unforgettable message of the horrors man can inflict on his fellow man. This book is Wiesel's message to us that we must not allow this kind of nightmare to be repeated. Being a Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel wrote this to remind people of this atrocity and to justify how so many people died while the world remained silent and unaware of what was truly happening. This book truly enlightened me and brought me to realize how the worlds ignorance allowed for the separation and murder of the Jewish race. It grasped the importance of forgetting hatred, bigotry, and intolerance despite cultural or religious differences. While viewing The Last Days, I realized how hard it was for the survivors to open their hearts and bring back these painful, unbearable memories of their past experiences. After watching the footage from the concentratio...

5 Types of Conciseness Solutions

5 Types of Conciseness Solutions 5 Types of Conciseness Solutions 5 Types of Conciseness Solutions By Mark Nichol Various syntactical constructions signal the potential for verbal economy. In each example below, one or more words are easily omitted, as shown in the revision that follows the discussion about each sentence. 1. This is another step toward bringing the country’s privacy-protection regime in line with those of other international jurisdictions. In this sentence, nominalization, or transformation of a verb into a noun, results in an unnecessarily complicated syntax and an excessive word count. To reverse this process, convert â€Å"in line† to a form of align and replace the verb bringing with it: â€Å"This is another step toward aligning the country’s privacy-protection regime with those of other international jurisdictions.† 2. This contact would typically be someone who is in charge of managing privacy compliance. Here, the sentence is rendered slightly less wordy by omitting the unnecessary phrase â€Å"who is†: â€Å"This contact would typically be someone in charge of managing privacy compliance.† (â€Å"That is/are† is also often extraneous, as in â€Å"However, it is emerging technology-related challenges that are the foremost challenges for survey respondents,† which can be reduced to â€Å"However, emerging technology-related challenges are the foremost challenges for survey respondents.†) 3. There are a number of technical provisions that apply to providers of electronic communication services. This sentence includes an expletive (that term, in grammatical contexts, refers to the use of the weak phrase structure â€Å"There is/was/are/were† (or one beginning with it, followed by one of the listed verbs). This telltale phrase, and the corresponding that, are easily, productively omitted: â€Å"A number of technical provisions apply to providers of electronic communication services.† 4. The agency is analyzing the different types of alternative data available. Here, the superfluous adjective different (the idea is already implied in types) is omitted: â€Å"The agency is analyzing the types of alternative data available.† (Currently is another almost always extraneous modifier.) 5. Pinpoint which data to monitor for the purpose of helping continuously improve the department’s performance. Delete useless phrases such as â€Å"for the purpose of,† which may appear to strengthen a sentence but only clutter it (and change the phrase â€Å"of helping† to â€Å"to help†): â€Å"Pinpoint which data to monitor to help continuously improve the department’s performance.† (This sentence can also be inverted to â€Å"To help continuously improve the department’s performance, pinpoint which data to monitor.†) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:44 Resume Writing TipsWhat’s the Best Way to Refer to a Romantic Partner?

Proposal Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Proposal Paper - Essay Example What is the expected outcome of the Patient Protection and Affordable Act? It is hypothesized that, the state government is set to implement all recommendations provided in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Jacobs & Theda 44). Currently, the basic strategies recommended for implementation of the Act has been put in place. In addition, citizens and corporates also are set to embrace the changes recommended in health care system. Patient Protection and Affordable Act (Obama Care): The Patient Protection and Affordable is a Federal Statute assented by President Obama on 23rd March, 2010 (McDonough 12). The statute recommended changes in the health care systems that are aimed at improving the condition at which citizens can fund for their medical services. In general, the act the act aimed at increasing the quality of medical services, increasing affordability of medical insurance, lowering the numbers of the uninsured by increasing corporate and employer responsibility and reducing the cost of medical care for both the government and individuals (Donald 34). An appropriate research plan would effectively understand the history of health reforms until the reforms created in 2010. This would enable the determination of the appropriateness of the reforms in regards to the continuity of the trend. In addition, learning on the history of the healthcare reforms would enable research to identify the significance of the reforms in changing the health care system. Apart from learning the history, the research plan would include survey from all the involved stakeholders. The government would be consulted on the objectives it has set to achieve by the creation of the affordable act. In addition, it would be consulted on plans created to make the reforms effective in the current healthcare system. Patients would also be consulted on how effective the reforms have been since their creation in 2010. The consumer’s opinion will be

I'm attaching a document. Read the background information about Essay

I'm attaching a document. Read the background information about bacteria, antibiotics, and the evolution of antibiotic resistance at this site - Essay Example water or food) and susceptible person. If any of these factors are changed or eradicated the infection will not spread widely and the epidemic will be stopped. For example we can increase immunity by the vaccination or break the way of transmission by the provision of safe food or potable water. Definite doagnosis could be provided only after laboratory tests but we can suppose several gastrointestinal diseases. There are bacterial dysentery (shigellosis), protozoal dysentery (amebiasis), salmonellosis, enteroviral infection and staphylococcal intoxication. Correspondingly possible microbial pathogens could be named as shigellae (various species and strains), amoeba hystolitica, salmonella spp., eneroviridae spp. and staphylococcus auresus. Nevertheless the incubation period for staphylococcal intoxication usually is less than 12 hours. In the described case the data about the time frame of clinical signs are omitted thus we could take this type of microbial poisoning in the account. To avoid such cases there is necessary to improve hygienic skills of family members especially in the part of cooking and food preserving, educate them about the threats of microbial food-borne diseases. Proper thermal processing of food products, avoiding food with expired date or signs of spoiling could be important also. Hand washing is a key element of infection control and there is important to provide adequate treatment for family members having chronic intestinal infections. 3. Weese JS, Rousseau J. Survival of Salmonella Copenhagen in food bowls following contamination with experimentally inoculated raw meat: effects of time, cleaning, and disinfection. Can Vet J. 2006 Sep;47(9):887-9. 5. Callaway TR, Harvey RB, Nisbet DJ. The hygiene hypothesis and foodborne illnesses: too much of a good thing, or is our food supply too clean? Foodborne Pathog Dis. 2006 Fall;3(3):217-9. No abstract

Crito- Socrates argument against escape via the voice of The Laws Essay

Crito- Socrates argument against escape via the voice of The Laws - Essay Example Lastly, in his third argument Crito mentions Socrates responsibility to his children. As their father, it is Socrates responsibility to see that his children are brought up well and educated, and he cant do this if he is dead. (Woozley, 1979) Socrates of course is flattered, but he does not agree. Most of his response involves his theory of political obligation. He is sceptical that he will be welcomed in any other state, or will be happy and comfortable there. He will see himself as a foolish old man willing to humiliate himself in order to buy a few more years of life. If another state accepts him at all, hell be treated as a comic and pathetic figure. In addition, he is also is not swayed by the point about his children. If he flees, he will either take them with him, in which case they will be raised in a foreign land by a cowardly fugitive and lose the benefits of an Athenian upbringing, or they will be left behind to be raised by his friends. The first is undesirable, and the second is the same as what would happen if he were executed. ( Rudebusch, 2009) As far as what people will think of Crito and the others for supposedly failing to rescue him, he reminds Crito that they would long since come to realize that the opinions of the masses typically are not true anyway, just as we shouldnt care what someone who isnt an expert in physical fitness and athletics thinks about your physical training regimen, we also shouldnt care what non-experts think morally about the choices we make in life. Any time there is a choice between doing whats right and doing what will placate other people and avoid the harm that comes from their ill opinion of you, you should always do what is right, up to and including at the cost of your life. This point provides a transition to Socrates discussion of political obligation. He reminds Crito and the others present that they

Ecomonic Systems PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Ecomonic Systems - PowerPoint Presentation Example To attain full utilization of the available limited, resources in a state, it entails adequate and effective apportioning, which calls for the intervention of diverse entities. For illustration, every entity has its core role that another party cannot manage effectively to accomplish. Conventional adopted economic systems encompass free market, mixed economy and planned economy (Duffy, 2008). Free Market Regime participation is minimal or all together neglected because the private and the client are the determiners in this system (Richards & Nwanna, 2010). In this system, both the consumer plus seller are liable for their actions or verdicts, which they normally implement while trading. This entails that the commodities price or value aligns with the demand or supply forces. Hence, no stringent measures regarding the prices, except that they should be fair and do not exploit the consumer, which denotes both sides benefit mutually. The market forces lies on demand, supply and ascertai ns shifting or fixing of varied commodities’ values (Richards & Nwanna, 2010). In the incidences where the demand of a certain merchandise falls contrasted to its supply, then it yields to price decline. Nevertheless, when the supply falls, the demand and value usually hike. This system usually offers absolute command on price in ascertaining apportion of resources in the market (Zhou, 2011, p. 223). The minimal involvement of the government entails ensuring order and fair prices that compare with commensurate forces of demand and supply (Zhou, 2011). Hence, prompting the sellers to be true to their ideals in exercising their privileges in a free environment (Richards & Nwanna, 2010). Contrary to other systems, issues regarding tariffs or subsidies are nonexistent. The private firms in accordance to the forces apparent in the market ascertains what to generate and when for the client. Since, the client is the determinant in deciding what to buy and depends on the occasion at disposal. Consequently, assist in utilization and apportioning of resources efficiently (Richards & Nwanna, 2010). Controlled economic system The government exercises its full right in assigning and determining to the details the verdict regarding diverse resources (Kamimura, Burani & Franca, 2011). Private lacks necessary command, thus denoting its influence is nonexistent over the economic tasks, which the regime plans. Suppose the private has to be involved, it entails that, on its part to give full compliance to resources and diverse necessities, since they are under the regime. Government is the sole determinant regarding what to fabricate, extent, value and mode proposed for sound production aimed at protecting the clientele from exploitation. The system entails that every commodity in the market must have directives emanating from the planners (Kamimura, Burani & Franca, 2011, p. 88). Contrarily, this may possess false forecasts or wrong verdicts that are divergent to the con sumer’s demand. Hence, yielding to the respective parties (consumer and private) incur loss silently for them lack the necessary authority to improve their situations. However, the system hardly experiences joblessness incidences since the government solely regulates allocation of human resource (Kamimura, Burani & Franca, 2011). Mainly, it seeks diverse opportunities to ensure that there are no such shortages, which might

Economic Outcome Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economic Outcome - Case Study Example According to the study findings  it is imperative to explain the meaning of franchising in order to gain understanding of the whole concept. Basically, franchising is the most common type of contractual relationship in which a channel member called a franchisor links several stages in the production and distribution process.This essay discusses that the relationship created in this particular case involves the franchisor and the franchisee where the later acquires the license or right to operate their business using the trademark of the other company. This kind of relationship is very common especially in fast food business and it has significantly contributed to the success of different businesses. The franchise is licensed to market and distribute the products offered under the trademark of the franchisor. In this particular case, it can be observed that Andy’s Parties will retain its brand name and trademark while licensing other franchisees to market its services which h elps business to expand and this also helps it to gain large market share in its operations. This helps the company to increase its income base given that it would be in a position to attract a large number of customers. A close analysis of the case of Andy’s Parties shows that it costs about $60 000 to open company operated stores. This amount is quite high for a company that has been in business for a short time and intending to expand its operations to other market.         Ã‚  

Category Management (CM) And Its Scope In Improving The Performance Of Essay

Category Management (CM) And Its Scope In Improving The Performance Of Retail Organisations - Essay Example Earlier, product manufacturers have assigned the duty of selling a particular product to the product manager. However, the evolution of CM forced the organizations to create a new post; category manager. Earlier organizations give more importance to product managers whereas modern organizations give more importance to category managers. This is because of the fact that marketing of a category of product is easier than marketing a particular product. For example, smartphones are conquering the market at present. It is easy for Samsung or Apple like smartphone manufacturers to market tablets along with smartphones since both smartphones and tablets almost belong to the same category. In short â€Å"CM helps category manager to sets the prices of all brands in the category so as to maximize total category profits† (Basuroy et al., 2001, p.17). ... In short â€Å"CM helps category manager to sets the prices of all brands in the category so as to maximize total category profits† (Basuroy et al., 2001, p.17). Moreover, it enhances the interactions between between retailers and wholesalers and helps them to reap more profit (Kulikova, 2012, p.67). This paper analyses how category management can improve the performances of retail organizations. Scope of category management in improving the performance of retail organisations CM starts from the definition of category and ends in the category implementation. Between these starting and end points, CM travels through other steps such as identification of category role, category assessment, category scorecard, category strategies, and category tactics. The figure given below explains various steps involved in CM. (Basuroy et al., 2001, p.17) After category implementation, organizations review the success and failures of CM. The category review process helps organizations to ident ify the strengths and weakness of existing CM and modify it to restart the CM process in a more efficient manner. In short, CM helps organizations to polish or fine tune the existing business strategies all the time and manages the selling of a particular category of products in an efficient manner. A typical category management framework is described in the following illustration. Category management framework (Effective day-to-day category management, 2011, p.3) From the above illustration, it is evident that market insight elements such as consumers, trends, economy, competitors and suppliers help an organization to formulate company goals related to customers, strategies, finance etc. Identification of goals helps a company to formulate strategies necessary for the promotion of a specific

Economic Outcome Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Economic Outcome - Case Study Example According to the study findings  it is imperative to explain the meaning of franchising in order to gain understanding of the whole concept. Basically, franchising is the most common type of contractual relationship in which a channel member called a franchisor links several stages in the production and distribution process.This essay discusses that the relationship created in this particular case involves the franchisor and the franchisee where the later acquires the license or right to operate their business using the trademark of the other company. This kind of relationship is very common especially in fast food business and it has significantly contributed to the success of different businesses. The franchise is licensed to market and distribute the products offered under the trademark of the franchisor. In this particular case, it can be observed that Andy’s Parties will retain its brand name and trademark while licensing other franchisees to market its services which h elps business to expand and this also helps it to gain large market share in its operations. This helps the company to increase its income base given that it would be in a position to attract a large number of customers. A close analysis of the case of Andy’s Parties shows that it costs about $60 000 to open company operated stores. This amount is quite high for a company that has been in business for a short time and intending to expand its operations to other market.         Ã‚  

Environmental Economics Essay Example for Free

Environmental Economics Essay Agriculture has an instrumental role and close association in preservation and conservation of the environment and economic development. It promotes environment diversity and enhances the creation of artificial habitats. The green biomass that covers many fields forms a basis of aesthetic to the human emotions. Intensified uses of chemical in agricultural production threaten the above benefits that arise from agricultural fields. In the recent past, a growing concern has been raised with regard to the negative impact arising from agricultural related activities and policies. Legalization of substances such as pesticide and fertilizer enhance negative consequences on the environment. They contain toxic elements thus causes pollution of surface water and underground water, drainage of wetlands, air pollutions and loss of diverse life forms and habitats. Settlement scheme in implemented on fragile lands such swamps, disturbances the ecological balance in the area. Environmental issues can be resolve by promoting organic agriculture, establishing relevant institutions, formulation of legislation and policies. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) members agreed that reforms should, to the extent possible, simultaneously enable progress to be made on trade liberation and environment. They also agreed to uphold the need to integrate agricultural development with environmental issues. (OECD 1993, p, 24-50) The focus of this study is therefore to examine the risk of inorganic agriculture against organic agriculture on the environment and thereafter formulate alternative strategies to foster sustainability. Environmental issues are diverse and multi-disciplinary in nature since they cut across all sectors of the economy and cultures. Unsustainable agriculture and increase in populations in the world modifies environmental issues. Population increase exerts high pressure on the economic processes to stretch, in most cases beyond the natural sustainable limit, to accommodate the excess demand (Sandler, Todd. 1997, p, 34-73) In response, the world has embarked on intensified adoption to scientific invention and advancement in technological development to improve production. Organic means of production are therefore considered redundant and barbaric in favor of inorganic agriculture. Unsustainable means of production, consequently, have widened and continue to widen environmental global challenges that threaten to cripple and suffocate the world’s economy. Studies have shown that increased use of chemical, such as pesticides and fertilizers for production in farming activities perpetuates the environmental global challenges. This puts the future livelihood for mankind at a stake and uncertain. It is therefore important to examine environmental challenges attached to intensive use of chemical for agricultural production and thereafter provide an alternative strategy to enhance sustainability. (Dutch Committee, 1994, p, 30-50) Intensified use of chemical for production is largely attributed to agricultural and industrial revolution. Population has also influenced the need to use chemicals to increase food production to meet the ever growing world demand for food. Initially, the above means of agricultural production were common in Europe and Asian continent. Abject poverty in the world has created great desire and demand for technological innovation to increase food production. Globalization and scientific advancement has therefore provided a solution to the world food demand problem. However, the solution comes with a bundle of side effects. Technological and scientific information transfer, particularly, to African countries, where poverty is obsolete and unsustainable (Andersons, L. and Bruce, Yundle, 2001, p, 50-200) Over the last three decades there has been an increasing global use of chemicals for agricultural production. Traditionally, production was based on organic means thus less environmental concerns. Merchandised agriculture has raised the public concern over the nature of the problems that arises from agricultural production. These problems are diverse and wholly attributed to environmental pollution caused by intensified use of pesticide and fertilizers. (Uri, Noel, 1999, p, 23-123) The problems are aggravated by improper management of agricultural chemicals thereby causing serious environmental issues. These pose a great problem to the survival and well-being of humanity, particularly those living in developing world. This is because fertilizers and pesticides are agent of pollution to water bodies, food sources, land, air and vegetation. The development of agriculture production through specialization and intensification of land use in recent decades has given rise to a wide range of environmental effects, both within the agricultural industry itself and increasingly, externally to it. The recognition and understanding of these consequences of modern high technology agriculture developed in the 1970s and during the 1980s progress was made in addressing these impacts. Some problems still remain however and will be of increasing importance. (OCED, p, 177) The use of chemicals for agricultural production therefore will continue to compromise the environmental sustainability. The World Health Organization estimates that about a quarter of the diseases facing mankind today occur due to prolonged exposure to environmental pollution. Most of these environmental related diseases are however, not easily detected and may be acquired during childhood and manifest later in adulthood. The indiscriminate and excessive use of agrochemicals for crop protection represents by far the greatest threat to human health, to the genetic stock of the population and to sustain agriculture and environment. At a United Nations seminar in Nairobi Kenya in 1984, it was reported that almost 370,000 people suffer from pesticide poisoning and about 10,000annually die due to poisoning. Recently, the World Health Organization estimated 500,000 fatalities due to pesticide poisoning in developing world. This WHO’s report further claims that another 400,000 cases of poisoning were due to pesticide handling and usage. (Mervyns, p, 12) From the quotation above, it is clear that the impacts of agrochemical increases with time and magnitude. This kind of trend is unsustainable and therefore threatens the future of humanity. The impact of pesticide and fertilizer on human health is crucial and therefore should never be under-estimated. The traces of these chemical causes inhalation problems. Accumulation of the elements in the body system affects the free circulation of blood in the body. Biodiversity forms a basis upon which the world’s beauty, emotional fulfillment and aesthetic appeal are based. Agriculture spices up the aesthetic-array of the world. It also creates artificial habitats that shelter migratory organisms such as birds, insects and animals. It therefore follows that agricultural production is a gene bank for scientific development. Intensive use of pesticides and fertilizers puts the existence of nature in it natural form at stake. This is because chemicals kill organisms that perpetuate natural fertilization processes thereby hindering the natural form of nature stabilization. Chemical enhances the process of mutation. This leads to evolution of hybridized species of pests which are resistant to natural mean of pest control and at times even resistant to pesticides. Loss of biodiversity as a result of chemical use in agricultural production is therefore eminent. It has been reported that, â€Å"The first sub lethal effect of a pesticide on a bird was probably the eggshell thinning phenomena first described by Ratcliff. DDE, the stable metabolite of DDE is reported to be the cause of eggshell thinning and consequent decline in the breeding success of birds of prey. † (Mervyns, p, 78) Equity is a controversial aspect of resource distribution in the world. The gap between the rich and the poor is quite disheartening. Economic processes and advancement also work towards widening the gap. Commercialization of agriculture with intensive use of chemicals, poses environmental degradation. This consequently deprives the land of its ability to naturally produce food thereby lowering its production yield. The poor depend totally on the environment for their livelihood. Inorganic agriculture is a world’s strategy to check the gap between the poor and the rich. It is widely believe that many people in the world sleep without food for many days. Increased food production, will therefore help to resolve one of the greatest challenges that is threatening to tear the earth a part. However, inorganic farming has failed to bridge the gap between the poor and the rich. The efficiency of using chemicals to increase food production is questionable. Traditional means of production were more manual, labor intensive and time consuming with minimum negative impacts to the environment. Current means of agricultural production are merchandized and more efficient as compared with the traditional methods. However, with regard to the environmental challenges, the efficiency of inorganic production to address the abject poverty in the world is low. Ecology is defined as the domestic site of organism, knowledge and the sum of the relation of the surrounding world. It is a self sustaining environment. Ecology is always sensitive to changes. Introduction of foreign substances such as traces of pesticides and fertilizer modify the ecological characteristic and identity. Nutrients like nitrate and phosphate are normally washed down into water bodies when it rains. This initiates the process of eutrophication. Eutrophication is a process whereby the water experiences enrichment with nutrients of nitrate and phosphate. Consequently water lilies, phytoplasm and algae blooms to experience luxuriant growth. This phenomenon has negative impacts on the functions of the water body. In the first place, Algae bloom forms a green like layer on top of the water thereby hindering penetration of light to the water body. Due to high accumulation of substance in the water, decaying process increases. This causes a biological oxygen demand which leads to suffocation of aquatic lives in the water body. Bad smell arises from the water body as a result of decaying processes. The value of water for domestic use therefore reduces.

Mobile Phone Industry PESTEL and SWOT

Mobile Phone Industry PESTEL and SWOT 1. INTRODUCTION This report will critically analyse the external environment of the mobile phone operators industry with the application of appropriate strategy tools including PESTEL and Michael Porters five forces models. An immediate result of this would be the identification of opportunities and threats that may arise from change in environmental factors and assessment of the attractiveness of the industry respectively. The report will also analyse critically, the strategic capability of Vodafone, also applying appropriate strategy tools resulting in the identification of key strengths and weaknesses of the firm. The aim here will be to identify and discuss the core competences the firm possesses. To aid the analysis, the report will draw on information from various sources such as: The Vodafone case study on page 557 in the main textbook by Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, Exploring Strategy 9th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2011. Other sources include Keynotes, Mintel and Magazines. 2. QUESTION ONE: PESTEL, KEY DRIVERS AND MICHAEL PORTERS 5 FORCES 2.1 PESTEL The PESTEL framework is used for the analysis and according to Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2011), â€Å"it provides a comprehensive list of influences on the possible success or failure of particular strategies†. Discussed below are a few issues of PESTEL, please see appendix for other issues. (P)olitical/Legal factors Governments privatisation(through Ofcom) of the national telephone company, BT, compelling it to allow access to its network (via Openreach) for voice and broadband. This has helped to break down BTs monopoly thereby creating an opportunity for mobile operators to operate and at competitive rates.(case study p.558) (E)conomic factors The UK economy has still not fully recovered from the financial crisis of 2008, recovering even slower than other countries amidst huge government resuscitation efforts and even consumer spending is expected to decline by 0.6 per capita in 2011(the Telegraph, May 2011).This is a threat to the industry as, the slower the economic recovery, the slower the market growth for the mobile operators industry. Though the case study(p.558) says that personal disposal income growth as experienced between 2002 and 2007 was forecasted to resume in the future, recent developments suggest otherwise. Now the future is here, reports say household incomes are falling(NewStatesman, May  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­2011 and Mail Online, May 2011 ). This is a threat to the mobile industry as it means less income at the disposal of households, hence less subscribers to its services. (S)ocial factors Consumer need for converged services, such as mobile telephony, fixed line telephony, television and broadband internet, was increasing(case study p.558). This means an opportunity for mobile operators to expand their market as more people are coming on board with this convergence need which could be a result of the plunge in disposable income so people want all services in one and pay a lower lump sum for all in a bid to ration their income. A decline in UK fixed line telephone market as households were becoming â€Å"mobile-only† users. This is an opportunity for mobile operators to capture the market share of fixed line telephone operators in a bid to expand theirs. Consumer perceived prestige that comes with owning smartphones is an industry opportunity. For example, everyone wants to have an IPhone, HTC or Blackberry because they are ‘cool or for other reasons, so operators in the industry can capitalize on this and increase their market share by offering cheap deals. Consumer ‘hype for new and modern technologies as everyone wants to have the latest ‘thing in technology. This would create an opportunity for the industry to capitalize on and expand their market share. (T)echnological factors Development of new technologies, IP(Internet Protocol) for voice, data and video transmission(case study p.557). The dynamic nature of technology is posing a threat as operators may be stuck with obsolete technology thereby facing a challenge to be pro-active in order to retain market share and keep churn rates at bay. Continued upgrading of speeds over mobile networks poses a threat as operators have to keep up with the upgrading of speeds because they might loose customers to service providers who can offer better speeds. (E)nvironmental factors As a result of advancement in telecommunications technology, mobile operators have to replace network equipments and hazardous wastes(masts, cables, construction waste etc)frequently. Mobile operators are then faced with the challenge of finding energy efficient ways of recycling which may also be capital intensive, altogether posing a threat. (L)egal factors Ofcoms issuance of licences for additional mobile network operators will pose a threat to incumbent operators( as their market share is threatened) and be an opportunity to potential operators as this will lower entry barriers for them. Elaborate legal contracts can also be a threat to the industry as lots of legal obligations have to be satisfied prior to and after entry. Drawing up different phone contracts for different mobile packages can prove challenging for the operators. 2.2 KEY DRIVERS FOR CHANGE Socio-cultural issue: Consumer need for converged services: Consumer needs(which has led Virgin Media to provide multiple services such as the ‘quad play and others providing the triple play) change from time to time and even some firms will try to create the needs for the consumers thereby pushing the industry towards finding ways to satisfy these needs as the market expands. This is one of the major drivers of change for the industry. Technological issue: Development of new Technologies: The dynamic nature of technology will keep operators findings ways to stay ahead of competitors by developing new technologies such as the IP, digitising high-speed distribution of voice, data and video over multiple networks. 2.3 MICHAEL PORTERS 5 FORCES ANALYSIS a.Threat of entry: (low) The barrier of initial capital cost of entry may be daunting but the regulatory changes in the UK communications industry by Ofcom saw the issuance of licences to more mobile operators and also allowing MVNOs to lease network capacity without the capital cost of building their own hence reducing barriers to entry. This has also led to increase in the number of competitors. b. Threat of substitutes: (low/moderate) Considering the advantages of mobile connections (make calls, sending messages/data, music etc), substitutes would be the fixed line connections, skype(or VOIP) on broadband, radio airwaves, phone booths or simply go without. With the fixed line connections, Ofcom reported that the number of lines dropped from 34.9million in 2003 to 33million in 2009. Call minutes had also decreased by 15% from 167billion to 138billion over the same period with mobile minutes expected to exceed fixed line minutes in 2010(Case study p.558). A report on Broadband news also says that mobile broadband will overtake fixed line connections in 2011.(Broadband Choices 2009). It is likely that the trend will continue in this way, considering the convenience offered by mobile connections, of being able to make a call on the move. c. Competitive rivalry: (high) One of the aims of Ofcom is to ensure healthy competition among operators which saw a rapid growth in the number of competitors. The major competitors in the industry are Vodafone, Telefonica O2, Orange, 3 UK and Tmobile plus lots of MVNOs. According to the case study, wireless operator margins in the UK were up because of strong competition(p.559). d. Buyer power: (moderate) The main buyers from the industry are households(individuals) and businesses. According to case study(p.559), average churn(customer switching) rates in the market was 20% annually due to the introduction of number portability in 2007 and competitive tactics such as subsidising handsets for subscribers. Customers would switch operators for better offers or added value for their money. To counter this churn rate, most operators have found a way to switch post-paid customers to longer contracts of 18months or even 24months as at 2009. A recent 2011 report (Sim-only deals, 2011) highlights other reasons for low switching rates including providers loyalty programme and value for money SIM only deals which altogether gives them the power to make customers stay. e. Supplier power: (moderate) The main suppliers to the industry would be the handset makers and Ofcom. Major handset suppliers such as Nokia with 40% of UK handset market and Samsung,21%, supply handsets to the industry under global contracts(case study p.559). There are more suppliers today including Apple, which is another fast growing supplier as their phones are deemed trendy and a must-have because of its innovative features. Sony-Ericsson, Samsung are among the loads of others. The case study p.559 says mobile handset sales had experienced a decline in 2009 as UK wireless operators started to offer sim-only plans which allow consumers to retain their current handset and pay lower monthly tariffs. Ofcom on the other hand is the sole provider of spectrum. ATTRACTIVENESS: Based on the evidences from the five forces, the report concludes that the industry is attractive. This being that, though rivalry is high, but other threats and powers are low. Essentially incumbents or new operators can then focus only on competition and worry less about powers and other threats. 3 QUESTION TWO: STRATEGIC CAPABILITIES OF VODAFONE According to Johnson et al.(2011), Strategic capabilities are capabilities of an organization that contribute to its long-term survival or competitive advantage made up of two components: Resources, which are assets the company has or can call upon and Competenceswhich are ways in which those assets are used or deployed effectively. 3.1 RESOURCES AND COMPETENCES Human Resources Vodafone has had a history of experienced CEOs including Arun Sarin(resource), who was skilled in achieving growth in developing markets(competence/strength). Also, Gary Laurence(resource), head of Vodafone UK, appointed CEO in September 2008 was known for his ability to identify strategic options(competence/strength) and the current CEO, Vittorio Colao(resource) who succeeded Arun in 2008 is known for strong reputation as cost cutter.(competence/strength). (Case study page 563) Vodafones partnership with BT(resource) hosting BTs MVNO, allowed it to provide services to corporations.(competence/strength). It started a joint venture with O2(resources) which enabled it to extend its fixed-line network.(competence/strength). Vodafone, in its target of business travelers with passport services(resources), was able to offer home country voice rates while roaming in Europe and mobile data services for  £10 a day(competence/strength).(case study page 563) Financial Resources Financial Performance of Vodafone: (a) ROCE(Return on Capital Employed): measures the returns made from all forms of resources or capital employed in the business. Vodafones resources are the capital employed and its competence is shown in the amount of returns generated from utilization these capital. Vodafones ROCE plunged by 3.73% to give a ROCE in 2010 of 19.85. This may be slightly better than industry average but it shows a weakness to efficiently utilise resources to yield maximum profits. Vodafone 2010 2009 Industry ROCE 19.85 20.59 19.48 Source. Morning Star Stock Report. (b) Current ratio:   measures a companys efficiency at meeting its short term obligations. A good ratio would be for current liabilities to be covered at least once but Vodafones current assets(resources) can barely cover 50% of its liabilities in 2010 though it improved from previous year. On the whole, this is a weakness as the company is low on liquidity and incurring too much liabilities in terms of its short term borrowings. Vodafone Plc 2010 2009 Industry Current Ratio 0.50:1 0.47:1 Source: Morning Star Stock Report. (c) Net Gearing: shows the proportion of debt within a companys overall capital. The table below shows that Vodafones net gearing has declined from 40.67% in 2009 to 37.76% in 2010. Overall for the industry borrowing is about 40% of total capital. The reduction therefore for Vodafone is good as its means a reduction in finance costs too. Vodafone 2010 2009 Industry Net Gearing ratio 37.76% 40.67% 39.40% Source: Morning Star Stock Report. (d) Interest cover: explains Vodafones ability to service its debt. From the table below, it appears Vodafone makes enough profits to service it finance costs as it has been able to increase its interest cover to 7.51times in 2010 from 7.03times in 2009. This may not be a core competence but it is a strength for Vodafone. Vodafone 2010 2009 Interest cover 7.51 times 7.03 times Source: Morning Star Stock Report. Physical Resources Vodafone makes heavy investments in the marketing of its Product brands (competence/strength) which includes, landline solutions and mobile telephony, mobile broadband and secure employee remote access(resources), making them well known.(Vodafone website). It invests also in the marketing (competence/strength) of 3G dongles or cards(resources) for internet connection giving it the largest share of 3G subscribers. Vodafone used wholesale services to distribute its fixed voice and broadband (resources) but its prices were too high giving it only a few customers(weakness). Another of its products is the Vodafone-at-home(resources), with which it competed with fixed line providers by offering fixed line prices when customers call from within or near their home(competence/strength). Core Competences For the sake of this report, the core competences identified are Vodafones CEOs. They have been exceptional with what they bring to the table and how their expertise has been able to transform the company. Vodafone UK CEO, Gary Laurence has been formidable in terms of identifying strategic options available to the company such as successful alliances and joint venture with likes of BT and O2. Heavy investment in the marketing of its products giving it largest share of 3G subscribers is another core competence. 3.2 VODAFONE VALUE CHAIN Primary Activities Inbound logistics: Vodafone possesses its own network equipments, backbones and infrastructure to provide various communication services, and purchasing of handsets (Annual Reports 2010, p.21). Now, its in a network sharing agreement (sharing masts, sites and towers) with O2 covering the UK and 4 European countries,.(case study page 559, Guardian March 2009)., Another inbound logistic is the ownership of spectrum. Spectrum is of particular importance to the mobile phone and mobile broadband industry, which relies on it to carry information between customers handsets and mobile masts. Vodafone spectrum is 1800MHz. (Ofcom report, Feb 2011). Operations: All Vodafone operations are based on in-house infrastructure. Vodafones operations is dependent on its people, infrastructure and financial resources. Its logistics operations (which provides a variety of value-added services), evolves from a single, purpose built site in West Midlands.(Unipartlogistics.com) Out-bound logistics: Vodafone has consumer on-line purchasing systems in place that allow customers to purchase its services directly(Vodafone website). It also has its own billing system. Marketing and Sales: Vodafone has several own branded and other retail chains that it uses in distribution. According to the case   study(page 563), Vodafone invests a lot in marketing in all markets whilst promoting its brand and also sponsors Formula 1 and England cricket sports. Services: Its all encompassing website enables customer online ordering and feedback monitoring.(source).Vodafone has customer services helpline that offer after sales  services and it also offers services to MVNOs such as Lebara mobile, Asda mobile, Talk mobile(Carphone Warehouse) and BT mobile(http://ukmobilecoverage.co.uk/), Support Activities Infrastructure: Vodafones mode of expansion was the formation of a joint venture with O2(case study p.559) to manage its mobile network and share network covering 4 European countries and the UK. It also leases BTs fixed line services and hosts BTs MVNO.(case study p.562) Human Resource Management: Vodafone depends on its employees for the quality of its services to customers. It ensures an inclusive working environment and encourages innovation, ambition and pro-activeness. Vodafone encourages enthusiasm, talent and commitment in its employees in order to build and maintain its success and stay competitive.(Vodafone, Our people). Technology and Development: Vodafone owns internet portals which enables on-line ordering. Also, continuous RD helps the company to incubate and deliver innovation to the business. (Annual Report, 2010. p.20) Procurement: Vodafone, like other networks, purchases branded handsets from suppliers. Vodafone holds several training courses for its procurement team for efficient management of supplier performance. CONCLUSION SWOT MATRIX STRENGTHS 1. Experienced CEOs(UK CEO, Gary Laurence). 2. Partnership with BT and O2. 3.Offering home country voice rates abroad. 4.Heavy investment in marketing. 5.Vodafone at home 6. Good Interest Cover 7. Reduced borrowing WEAKNESSES 1.Low level of liquidity 2.Inability to increase ROCE 3.High prices and inefficient channel of distribution for fixed voice and broadband. OPPORTUNITIES 1. Governments privatization of Ofcom. 2. Consumer need for converged services. 3. Decline in Fixed line telephone market 4. 2012 Olympics 5. Consumer demand for smart phones 6. Consumer hype for modern technology 7. Ofcom issuance of entry license THREATS 1.Slow economic recovery from recession 2.Decline in disposable income 3.Immigration cap 4.Health issues in areas of mobile masts. 5.Customer switching rates. 6.Development of new technologies 7.Capital intensive recycling 8.Ofcoms issuance of entry license 9.Elaborate legal contarcts From all facts assessed in the report and also information from the case study and Vodafone accounts, it is indeed evident that Vodafone is struggling to develop a total communications strategy to enable it to secure leadership   in the rapidly growing market for high speed internet services in its UK home market due to the fact that it actually cannot improve its core activities in order to gain competitive advantage.

The Lives and Contests of the Gladiators :: Papers

The Lives and Contests of the Gladiators One form of entertainment in the Roman world was gladiatorial contests. In these, the Roman citizens would go to watch gladiators fight, often to the death. Today, these contests seem brutal and cruel, but at the time it was very popular and widely accepted. The Roman people would quite happily judge over whether a man would live or die. Why were the contests so entertaining that they would cost a man his life over it. There were different types of gladiators and different types of contests to keep the citizens interested. The gladiators were traditionally slaves or convicts and therefore very low in the social hierarchy. We also know that they were low down in the hierarchy because they were sold and given between masters, for example one advertisement said: "Twenty pairs of gladiators, given by Lucretius Satrius Valens, priest of Nero, and ten pairs of gladiators will fight". However, despite this apparent lack of social standing, gladiators could become very popular and famous and could eventually be freed. Gladiator is taken from the term "gladius", which means sword. They were originally used during funeral services for dead heroes. Fights between them would be held during the funeral to celebrate the hero. This tradition was taken from the Etruscans. Although today we would see such a custom as cruel, it was in fact made less so than it originally was. Festus wrote - "it was the custom to sacrifice prisoners on the tombs of valorous warriors; when the cruelty of this custom became evident, it was decided to make gladiators fight before the tomb. It seems strange to modern people that somebody would want to have people die at their funeral, but then it was seen as "appeasing the spirit" of the dead man, by honouring them with as big a thing as the life of a man. The Romans would not have seen the loss of a gladiator as too much anyway, as the slaves or convicts that became gladiators were generally considered unimportant anyway.

Consequence of Artificial Light Essay examples -- Essays Papers

Consequence of Artificial Light Our world is an ever changing place, in the last 100 years we have seen more technological advances than ever in the preceding years of history. We have built computers, gone to the moon, developed x-rays, microwaves, telephones, and the incandescent light. A seemingly small invention, the light has forever placed its mark not only on the human race, but on the earth itself. In pictures taken from space, we can see that much of the world is lit 24 hours a day, which begs the question: is that much light good for us? It is not an easy question to answer, but in this essay, I hope to examine some of the history that has brought us to the situation that we are in as well as some of the possible solutions to try and cope with a world that has become addicted to never-ending light. As our knowledge of the world grows, so too does our understanding of the health hazards that excessive light during the night can bring to the human body, and this understanding has led to many interesting discoveries. The search for medical understanding that too much light in the dark hours is poor for health was begun by astronomers who were dismayed at the growing loss of darkness in the night sky, but has quickly grown to include, medical researchers, city planners as well as average people in the community that are unhappy with the excessive amount of light that is prevalent today. One of the major discoveries that have been made in recent history is the finding of a photo receptor that sets circadian rhythms1. Cryptochrome is a protein that is sensitive to blue light, and it is theorized that in the morning and evenings, when blue light is most prevalent, this protein helps humans adjust their internal... ...roduce into our lives and culture, the more problems begin to arise, it is time that some major steps need to be taken to help stop this problem, and I hope that some of the solutions outlined above will be a good start. References: 1:http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/1998-11/BU-TBSS-231198.php 2:http://www.peerless-lighting.com/p20_body.htm 3:http://library8.municode.com/gateway.dll/RI/rhode%20island/875? f=templates&fn=default.htm&npusername=11458&nppassword=MCC&npac_credentialspresent =true&vid=default 4:http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/deputate/pollprev/lighting/outdoor.htm 5:http://www.turtles.org/threats.htm 6:http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/NightLights.html 7:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?holding=f1000&cmd=Retrieve&db=P ubMed&list_uids=12495746&dopt=Abstract 8:http://www.darksky.org/infoshts/is012.html

Storm Born Chapter Twenty-Five

â€Å"I know what you're thinking.† I stretched my arms above me, tucking my hands between my head and the pillow. Sunlight poured over me from the giant window but did little to help my troubled mood. I'd been sullen and quiet all morning. â€Å"Not likely.† Dorian reached over to a tray of assorted pastries and sweets that had been sitting by the bed when we awoke. That and the newly built-up fire were only a couple of signs that tidying servants had been up and around in here. Their presence shouldn't have bothered me; everyone had already believed Dorian and I were sleeping together. Yet, knowing others had moved around us while we slept still felt odd. He popped a marzipan-stuffed tartlet into my mouth. I made a surprised sound but ate it anyway. He had excellent cooks. â€Å"Well, then, let me guess anyway. I do so love trying to reason out your thoughts.† He grinned at me, every inch the lighthearted and frivolous man I usually knew. He bore almost no trace of the impassioned lover from last night, the one who'd repeatedly told me in explicit detail exactly what he could do to me if he wanted – and then proved that he could. I rolled to my side, putting my back to him. â€Å"Knock yourself out.† â€Å"All right. You're now realizing you did the unthinkable. You made love to me – one of the shining ones. You crossed over that invisible line, and now the horror and regret of that is eating you up.† â€Å"No.† â€Å"No?† â€Å"No, that's not what I'm thinking.† â€Å"Oh.† I heard him shift again and then felt a cookie balanced delicately on my arm. I snagged it and munched on it, getting crumbs on the sheets while he reconsidered. Lemon sugar. â€Å"Very well. How about this: You're thinking about the kitsune. About Kiyo. You miss him and lament what happened. Being with me makes you feel guilty.† I hadn't been thinking about Kiyo, but mentioning him suddenly brought him to mind. I did miss Kiyo. I missed the easy way we interacted, his solid and steady presence. I missed the way he held me and made me feel safe. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Hmm. Well, then. My perception appears to be off this morning. It has been known to happen once or twice before.† I stared out the window, unsettled emotions turning over and over in me. Finally, I said, â€Å"I'm bothered by†¦how it was last night. How rough it was.† â€Å"Truly? I really don't know you so well. I thought you enjoyed it.† â€Å"I did.† He waited a beat. â€Å"Forgive me, then, but I don't quite grasp your concern.† I rolled back over toward him, and it all spilled out. â€Å"Don't you get it? All this time I've been trying to avoid hordes of gentry and monsters from raping me. And yet†¦that's essentially what happened last night. I let you†¦I let you be aggressive and possessive. And then I liked it. What's that say about me? What's wrong with me?† Dorian's face shifted to that rare and serious concern that sometimes seized it. He reached out and cupped my face with both of his hands. â€Å"Oh, gods, no. Is that what's upset you? Eugenie, Eugenie. That's not rape. Rape is brutal. Rape is done against your will, usually with someone you hate – or at least like a little less than me. What we did last night†¦that was a game. I believe it initially helped you get over a mental stumbling block, but after that†¦there was nothing violent or bad. It was a†¦novel way of approaching sex. You consented. There's nothing wrong with you for liking it.† Maybe he was right, but it still made me feel strange. â€Å"I've just never done anything like that. I've had rough sex before but never anything so†¦kinky.† â€Å"Kinky. Fantastic word. It always takes us awhile to catch up with your world's slang.† â€Å"It makes things weird between us. I mean, weirder than usual.† He ran his hand over my cheek and through my hair. â€Å"Then tell me how to make things right.† â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"Perhaps this will cheer you up: We're ready to go to Aeson's now.† â€Å"What?† That didn't cheer me up so much as surprise me. Where had this come from? â€Å"We can go whenever you wish.† â€Å"You're giving in because I have morning-after regrets?† â€Å"I'm ‘giving in' because you crossed the point I wanted you to with your magic.† I scoffed and rolled away. â€Å"Bullshit. I can make water drops appear in the air. Somehow I doubt that's the life-or-death difference needed on this mission.† â€Å"The life-or-death factor here is that you can control a fine portion of your magic now. I needed that to happen before I felt comfortable on this venture. I couldn't risk your emotions flaring and creating a storm that might kill us. Now, you may very well still have some sort of magical breakdown, but I believe your current skills will go far to at least minimize the impact.† â€Å"Then what you said before – about it being protection in case I was defenseless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Yes. I'm afraid that was a ruse. I'd hoped the thought might spur you on to try harder.† Typical Dorian. His absurdity made me half-smile. â€Å"You're happier now?† he asked. â€Å"I don't know if happy is the right word, but I will be when the Jasmine thing is over.† â€Å"Excellent. Come here.† He motioned me into his outstretched arm, and for a moment, I expected an advance. Like a Hey, baby, I'll make you happier type thing. I moved over tentatively, and he only put his arms around me. Just that simple. No jokes. No kinkiness. Just a simple embrace between two people, two people close enough to have rattled the headboard last night. I took comfort in it, relaxing into his warmth and security. He wasn't Kiyo, but he felt nice. At last he moved his face away so he could look at me. â€Å"Very well, then. Tell me how you would like this to unfold.† Staging another heist turned out to take a fair bit of planning and didn't actually unfold until later the next day. We assembled all three of my minions in one of Dorian's lounges. They waited patiently for orders, each watching me as their minds undoubtedly stirred with their assorted neuroses. As Volusian had once pointed out, they had little to lose. They couldn't die. When Dorian called in Shaya to join us, I couldn't help an exclamation of surprise. â€Å"Remember the distraction we discussed?† he asked me. I did. Before getting out of bed, we had come up with the tentative outline of a plan. Part of it had included a major distraction near Aeson's home, enough to draw the attention of his guard so we could enter undetected. My spirits had long since verified that the siege tunnel had been blocked off. Shaya, he explained, would be our distraction. She had the power to command small ranges of vegetation. In particular, she could summon and order around trees – something she'd apparently done before to great effect. Dorian's thought was that Shaya would have a small regiment of said trees attack the western side of Aeson's hold. On the eastern side, we knew there was a servants' entrance we could slip into. Normally, that would be too exposed but not if the castle's security was preoccupied elsewhere. I nodded, thinking it was a good plan. Shaya crossed her arms and looked thoroughly displeased. â€Å"You got a problem with it?† â€Å"I don't think it's our place to interfere with Aeson's affairs, nor do I feel this is worth risking my king's life over.† I glanced between her and Dorian uneasily. â€Å"So you won't do it?† â€Å"Of course I will. My king gives a command, and I obey. I am merely expressing my honest opinion first. I would be doing a disservice otherwise.† Dorian touched her cheek, smiling at her stern expression. â€Å"And that is why you are so valued.† â€Å"It's a bad idea,† said Finn suddenly. We all turned to him. â€Å"What do you mean?† I asked. â€Å"What's a few trees? It screams, ‘Hey, look at our obvious distraction.' It'll make them suspicious. You want to really get their attention, send him in.† He inclined his head toward Dorian. â€Å"A little bit of that rock mojo, and they'll think there's an all-out assault going on.† â€Å"We can't. I need him as my backup,† I argued, â€Å"and protection for Jasmine. Shaya can do her thing and get out of there quickly. If I go in without him, then we're in exactly the same situation as before.† â€Å"Except without the army waiting for you,† said Finn. Shaya shook her head, glossy black braids swinging. â€Å"I don't like the idea of my king left alone.† â€Å"He'll be in and out, no problem. And if he has to face off, he can take anything Aeson's people throw at him.† â€Å"Unless it's Aeson himself,† mused Dorian. â€Å"Is he stronger than you?† I asked. â€Å"We're very evenly matched.† â€Å"Huh. That surprises me. I mean, Kiyo walked away alive from a fight with him.† â€Å"King Aeson wasn't using his full power then,† said Nandi. â€Å"Most likely he feared burning down his home.† Seeing my startled look, she continued. â€Å"It would have created a terrible inferno from whence you would not have escaped. Your skin would have melted, only your bones left behind.† â€Å"So you're saying he wouldn't have to worry about that outdoors. He could unleash as much as he liked.† Something struck me, and I turned back to Dorian. â€Å"What about you? Are you limited indoors?† â€Å"Hypothetically, no. Realistically? Well†¦I still have to operate in a way that won't bury us alive.† He smiled, seeing my consternation. â€Å"Don't worry, my dear. I'll still be of use to you.† â€Å"More use outside,† said Finn. â€Å"We won't even need extra backup, not if nobody's inside to find us.† I sighed and rubbed my eyes. I'd walked into Aeson's with a lot less planning last time, and foolish or not, it had been a hell of a lot simpler than this. I turned to the room's darkest corner, which had been silent thus far. â€Å"Volusian?† He straightened up from where he'd slouched in the shadows. â€Å"I will be very surprised if we emerge from this without any sort of confrontation, regardless of who creates the initial distraction. If I must honestly answer what will keep you alive† – he sighed, obviously unhappy about that outcome. I suspected Nandi's horrific description of my death by fire had kindled warm and fuzzy feelings in him – â€Å"then yes, bringing the Oak King affords more protection for you and the girl, mistress.† â€Å"Then it's settled.† Finn pouted and turned his back on us, pacing around sulkily. After that, it simply became a matter of waiting. We wanted to go under cover of darkness. Dorian and Shaya left to pursue household duties, and the spirits flitted off to do whatever it was they did. This left me with a lot of downtime. I paced the castle's grounds, ruminating over the same old things: Kiyo, the upcoming raid, and the prophecy. The appointed time came, and our strike team reassembled for a few last-minute details. Most of it was simply a repetition of what we already knew. The spirits drifted along, but the rest of us set out on horseback. Shaya rode with the physical grace that permeated her normal movements, but I was surprised to see how agilely Dorian rode as well. He seemed so languid and comfort-oriented in his day-to-day affairs that I never thought of him as having athletic abilities, his feats in bed notwithstanding. We crisscrossed the assorted kingdoms. It seemed to take longer than last time, and Volusian affirmed as much for me. â€Å"The land has shifted its layout,† he explained. â€Å"It does that,† said Dorian, seeing the panic on my face. â€Å"It's normal. We're on the right path.† â€Å"Yeah, but will we make it there before sunrise?† â€Å"Certainly.† He smiled too broadly, and I could tell he didn't know for sure. I looked up. Right now we had perfect blackness, lit only by stars. The moon was dark tonight. Persephone's moon. I could feel the tingle of the butterfly on my arm and felt reassured. Before, I'd needed Hecate to escape back to my own world. Here, that wasn't an issue. Staying alive and sending my enemies on to death was the issue now, so I didn't mind the boost to my connection with the Underworld. â€Å"How much farther?† I asked a little while later. I felt like a kid on a road trip but couldn't help the anxiety tickling my brain. I might have imagined it, but I swore the eastern sky now looked deep purple rather than black. â€Å"Not far,† said Shaya, voice calm. Sure enough, we pulled off and secured the horses, going the rest of the way on foot, traveling through trees and undergrowth. I couldn't see anything, but we soon reached some significant point. Shaya split off from us to do her thing. Dorian squeezed her arm before she left, and she made a solemn bow of acknowledgment. I watched her disappear before I turned and joined the others to continue straight ahead. Aeson's fortress finally loomed up before us as we reached the edge of the tree line. It could really be perceived only through its blockage of the stars. Otherwise, it appeared almost as black as the sky beyond. We stopped just before the terrain cleared, staying under cover. Studying the building further, I could make out small black figures moving back and forth in front of the wall. Guards. Presumably there were lookouts on the towers too. â€Å"Now we wait,† I muttered. I was tired of waiting. I wanted action. Almost opposite us, on the other side of the forest, Shaya should have been preparing to summon her tree warriors. She and Dorian swore it would be a noisy affair, so there'd been no need for a secret countdown or anything like that. The castle was too far away for me to make out any identifiable features, but the spirits indicated the spot containing the side door. Minutes dragged by, and I imagined all sorts of horrible fates for Shaya. Oh, God. What if they caught and killed her? She'd come here out of loyalty to Dorian, and no matter what else had happened, I'd come to respect her immensely. I didn't want her to die because of this. Dorian approached my right side and put an arm around me. â€Å"Don't worry. This will be finished before you know it. Ah – there we are.† In the distance, we heard it. Wood crackling and splitting. A low roar. Faint shouts of alarm carried over the air, and the guards in our view took off running toward the noise. We waited until they'd cleared the area. â€Å"Now is our time,† murmured Volusian. â€Å"Go.† We streaked across the open area, toward the doorway. I could hear the noise on the other side. The sound of something breaking. More shouts. Shaya's plan had been to send about a dozen massive trees to beat on the walls over there. What a wake-up call that had to have been. â€Å"W-wait! Hold it!† I suddenly cried. The spirits stopped instantly. Dorian took a moment longer to slow down and gave me an odd glance. â€Å"What's wrong?† I peered around. My senses tingled. I could feel water, lots of it. The way I felt in crowds or at Dorian's. Water in numerous condensed clusters. The water sources were people. Lots of them. We'd been set up. Again. â€Å"Fuck!† They seemed to come out from everywhere, though I knew they all had to have been hiding in the castle's vicinity or else I would have felt them sooner. They came down from the roofs, out the door we'd been staking out, from around the corner. And somehow I knew the ones who ostensibly had run off would return. I heard Dorian yell, â€Å"They won't kill you – not if they don't have to!† Then, the side of the castle exploded in a downpour of huge black rocks, causing those above and still scaling to fall down to death or at least serious injury. Others standing nearby were buried by the fallout. My spirits had standing orders to attack anyone attacking us, and I saw them flare up for battle. As for me, I'd come packing two guns tonight, again courtesy of Lara. Both had steel cartridges, and my pockets held more clips still, plus a few silver ones. I kept what distance I could from the thick of the fray and fired, aiming for heads and faces if I could, but mostly happy if I could bring anyone down at all. Regular range practice paid off, and I hit almost everyone I fixed on. No one ever managed to get too close to me. The spirits I ignored. They couldn't die, and only another shaman or Dorian-caliber magic user could banish them. After his spectacular wall demolition, Dorian had resorted to a more conventional method: a copper sword he'd worn sheathed under his cloak. It glowed red in the darkness, and I realized he could enhance its power since copper came from inside the earth. He didn't fight with brute force, but he moved with speed and skill, surprising me as much as the horse-riding had. I wouldn't have minded another show of that earth power, but all magic took its toll. It would do no good for him to burn himself out yet. Suddenly, I saw one of the guards moving up on him, just out of Dorian's line of sight. I started to cry out a warning, and then a large, four-legged form ran forward, snarling as he threw his weight into the guard. Dorian gave a quick glance of surprise but quickly returned to fighting. I couldn't recover so quickly and could only stare as Kiyo, in what I had jokingly dubbed the â€Å"superfox† form, clawed and ripped at his victim. The man did manage to slice Kiyo's side, making me wince, but the fox seemed unaffected. Shaking my head, knowing I could neither wonder how he'd shown up nor worry about his safety, I returned to my own battles. A few victims later, I had my aim on someone when I sensed another form sneaking up behind me. I turned but wasn't quite fast enough. He grabbed my arm and bent the gun away from him, forcing me to the ground. With my left hand, I managed to drag out the other gun. It was more or less smothered as his body tried to pin mine down, and I had no real target. It didn't matter. I just sort of aimed in an upward direction and fired. He screamed and recoiled enough for me to push off and fire again with more precision. Someone else took advantage of my distraction and grabbed me from behind. I'd stuffed the extra gun back in my pants and now struggled against him with the first gun when suddenly it grew hot in my hands. Burning hot. I yelped and dropped it, staring as it lay sizzling on the ground, glowing faintly orange. I didn't have to hear his voice in my ear to know who held me. â€Å"Eugenie Markham, lovely of you to pay me a visit.† â€Å"I'm going to kill you,† I hissed. â€Å"Yes, yes, you told me that before, and yet, I see it's not really working out. You should have taken me up on my earlier offer.† He barked out a command to a nearby guard who ran up to us. â€Å"Disarm her before she kills anyone else.† With all the confusion, none of my other allies noticed what was happening. I opened my mouth and began chanting the ritual words to bring the spirits. They were currently too far out of range to simply hear me shout. Realizing what I attempted, Aeson threw me onto the ground, using his body weight to hold me while one hand covered my mouth. â€Å"Hurry!† The guard removed my athames and wand. For the extra gun, he wrapped his hand in the folds of his cloak to retrieve the weapon and then hastily tossed it away. â€Å"You're a damned nuisance – and a deadly one,† muttered Aeson. â€Å"Keeping you alive for nine months may be more trouble than it's – ow!† I didn't see what happened to him but heard a thunk above me. â€Å"You used your power to toss one rock at me?† he exclaimed, an almost comic note of incredulity in his voice. â€Å"On the contrary,† I heard Dorian say pleasantly. â€Å"I didn't use magic for that. I just threw it.† Aeson tossed me toward his guard, just as flames rose up from the ground. In the darkness, the bright light hurt my eyes, forcing me to glance away. Heat rolled off that scorching orange wall, instantly heating up my skin. The guard attempted to scramble back and hold me at the same time, doing a half-assed job at both, though he still managed – just barely – to keep me restrained. My gaze stayed on the fire's flickering colors until I suddenly felt the ground shake. Jerking my head up as much as my restraint allowed, I saw a cloud of darkness rise above the flames. It crashed down, like the palm of one's hand, and the fire abruptly went out, extinguished as pounds of dirt slammed it to the ground. Without missing a beat, Dorian gestured to the spot Aeson stood on. I felt shaking again and saw the earth ripple, like a wave of water moved under the surface. It knocked Aeson off-balance, and then a storm of rock shards – much as I'd seen with the nixies – swirled around, taking aim. Still on the ground, Aeson lifted his own hands. Waves of heat blasted away the rocks, scattering them in different directions. Some of them melted, dripping back to the earth in a molten shower. Ashes filled the air, and I could hear Aeson coughing as he stumbled to his feet. The ground trembled again, pushing him back to his knees. He supported himself with one hand and gave a shaking, raspy laugh. â€Å"It didn't have to come to this,† he said. â€Å"If you would have just shared her, she might already be with child.† A shower of rocks spattered Aeson as Dorian strode forward. They weren't razor sharp, but they looked like they hurt. The Alder King winced and shielded his face. â€Å"I don't share,† Dorian said flatly. The earth near Aeson coalesced into ropes of dirt, winding their way around his limbs. Score one for bondage fetishes. â€Å"Too bad. You might have lived had you felt differently.† Aeson suddenly burst up, breaking through the bonds of earth. As he did, fire blasted from all around him, outlining him and then shooting forward. My scream was smothered in my captor's hand as I saw Dorian fly backward. Aeson charged forward, his hands controlling and shaping the flames into a ring around Dorian's crouching form. The walls flared up high and thick, so hot they gleamed blue and white. I wouldn't have thought Dorian could survive that inferno, but Aeson kept talking to him as though he were still alive. â€Å"Too many theatrics, Dorian, and not enough strength left now to free yourself.† I looked around desperately. There weren't many guards left. In the distance, I saw Kiyo nail some guy pretty handily – the man's pain-filled scream affirmed as much – but he was too far to help, just like the spirits. I realized then my guard's hold had slackened; he was apparently transfixed by his master's showdown. Others, just as captivated, stopped and stared. Taking advantage of the guard's lack of attention, I shoved my elbow back into his stomach and attempted to spring free. I didn't really expect to achieve that goal, but it did uncover my mouth. I spoke the summoning words, and Nandi and Volusian appeared. â€Å"Get Aes – † I began, just before the hand slammed on my mouth again. Another guard joined mine to help with the confinement. The spirits shifted from humanoid form to something else, still vaguely anthropomorphic but more like a cloud of energy. They swooped toward Aeson, one shining and blue, the other black and silver. He deflected them with flames while still holding the walls on Dorian. An instant later, I saw a wand in one of his hands. No. He couldn't – He spoke banishing words, and I felt the surge of power in the air as he tore open a hole to the Underworld. The form that was Nandi trembled and then exploded, disappearing in sparkles. She'd found her peace at last – and without another two years of service to me. â€Å"Call the other one off,† snapped Aeson, â€Å"unless you want to lose him too.† The hand on my mouth lifted. I hesitated. I had nothing to lose if Volusian won or lost. In fact, Aeson's request likely indicated he couldn't banish the spirit to the land of death. Gentry rarely had that kind of power anyway, so Aeson probably couldn't do what I had been unable to do. But if he fought Volusian, it was possible he could have enough strength to break my control and enslave him as a minion. That was not an option. Better for the spirit to be destroyed than turned against me. â€Å"Hold, Volusian.† He retreated immediately, coalescing back into his normal shape. Aeson returned to Dorian. The Alder King held up his hand and brought his fingers together in a fist. The burning walls contracted, resembling more of a cocoon than a cylinder now. Through the crackling of flames, I heard Dorian scream. Helplessness choked my heart. Just like with the mud elemental. Just like with the nixies. I had no weapons and no freedom. This was exactly the kind of situation Dorian kept speaking of. The time magic would be handy. I couldn't use it, however. My abilities included only miniscule water manipulation and out-of-control storms and their consequences. Yet, suddenly, I didn't care about the consequences. I wanted to summon a major storm, a storm to devastate this whole area. Maybe it'd kill my friends and me, but things didn't really look good for us anyway. Focusing my mind on that, I tried to recall the angry tempests I'd created before. Only†¦it didn't work. Maybe it was because I'd never consciously done such a thing before. Or maybe it was because I could no longer see storms as a whole. They were pressure and charged particles and – most importantly – water. Dorian had taught me to compartmentalize the elements, and that's all I could do now. I thought about storms, but all my mind did was reach out and touch all the water sources nearby. Damn it. Finding water did no good, not unless I could move a whole lake and douse the fire. I doubted I could command that much water, even if I had a source like that nearby. But I didn't need one that big. I only needed to summon a smaller water source, one my powers could manage. I refocused. My magic reached out, grasping and connecting with the water molecules I wanted. They recognized me, and I called them forward. They resisted a little. There were more of them here than had been in the pitcher. Obey me! I shouted to them. Come to me! I am your mistress. Only a few seconds passed while I struggled for control of the water. Meanwhile, Aeson was still holding his arms up, collapsing the walls slowly in what was probably a sadistic effort to prolong Dorian's pain. Still, I needed the delay as I pushed and pulled the water more fiercely. A funny look crossed Aeson's face just then, and he glanced around, as though trying to find something. Yet, he didn't know what that was. Come to me! I could feel the water breaking free, unable to resist my command. A look of horror twisted Aeson's face. His hands dropped and clutched his head, almost as if he would claw it off. Behind him the flames around Dorian abruptly faded and disappeared, almost as if a lake had dropped onto them after all. But as I'd noted, I hadn't needed a lake. I'd only needed a smaller source. I'd needed Aeson. The water in him was a size I could manage, the source I'd called out to and commanded. After all, the human – or gentry – body is 65 percent water. And a moment later, all of it came to me. The other 35 percent didn't.