Blood Promise Chapter Seventeen

Convincing them to release a Strigoi-particularly when we had him trapped-wasn't easy. My questioning hadn't made sense to them either, but they'd gone along with it. Letting a Strigoi go? That was really crazy-even for the unpromised. They exchanged uneasy glances with one another, and I wondered if they'd disobey. In the end, my harshness and authority won out. They wanted me as their leader and put their faith in my actions-no matter how insane they seemed. Of course, once we did let the Strigoi go, we had the new problem of making sure he actually went. At first, he started to attack again, and then, realizing he'd probably get overwhelmed, he finally skulked off. He gave us one last menacing look as he disappeared into the darkness. I didn't think being taken down by a group of teenagers had done a lot for his self-esteem. He gave me in particular a look of hatred, and I shuddered at the idea of him knowing my name. There was nothing to be done about it now; I could only hope my plan had a chance of working. Denis and the others got over me letting the Strigoi go once we made a few other kills that week. We fell into a routine, investigating clubs and dangerous parts of town, relying on my senses to tell us when danger was near. It was funny to me how much the group soon began to rely on my leadership. They claimed they wanted no part of the guardians' rules and authority, but they responded surprisingly well to me telling them what to do. Well, more or less. Every once in a while, I'd see a bit of that unhinged recklessness. One of them would try to play hero, underestimate a Strigoi, or go in without the rest of us. Artur nearly ended up with a concussion that way. As the largest of all of us, he'd gotten a bit cocky and was therefore caught off guard when a Strigoi threw him into a wall. It had been a sobering moment for all of us. For a few agonizing moments, I'd feared Artur was dead-and that it was my fault as their leader. One of Sydney's Alchemists had come-though I'd made sure not to be around, lest Abe find me-and had treated Artur. The guy said Artur would be fine with some bed rest, meaning he had to stop hunting for a while. It was hard for him to do-and I had to yell at him when he tried to follow us one night, reminding him of all their friends who had died before because of such stupidity. Out in the human world, dhampirs tended to run on human schedules. Now I put myself on a nocturnal schedule, just like I'd been on at the Academy. The others followed suit, except for Tamara, since she had a day job. I didn't want to be asleep during the time Strigoi prowled the streets. I had called Sydney each time we left a kill, and word had to be getting around in the Strigoi community that someone was doing a lot of damage. And if the Strigoi we'd released had carried my message, some of those Strigoi could specifically come looking for me. As days passed, our kills dropped a little, making me think the Strigoi were indeed being cautious now. I couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing, but I urged the others to be extra careful. They were beginning to revere me as a goddess, but I took no satisfaction in their adoration. My heart still ached from all that had happened with Lissa and Dimitri. I wrapped myself up in my task, trying only to think of working the Strigoi community to get closer to Dimitri. But when we weren't out hunting Strigoi, I had a lot of downtime with nothing to do. And so I kept visiting Lissa. I'd known there were a lot of kids-like Mia-who lived at the Royal Court because their parents had jobs there. I didn't quite realize how many there were, though. Avery naturally knew them all, and to no one's surprise (at least not mine), most of them were spoiled and rich. The rest of Lissa's visit had been a series of other functions and formal parties. The more she listened to royal Moroi talk business, the more it irritated her. She saw the same abuses of power she'd noted before, the same unfair way of distributing guardians like they were property. The controversial issue of whether Moroi should learn to fight alongside the guardians was also still a hot topic. Most of the people Lissa ran into at Court were of the old-school mentality: Let guardians fight and Moroi stay protected. After seeing the results of that policy-and the successes that had happened when people like Christian and I tried to change it-hearing the selfishness among the Moroi elite enraged Lissa. She welcomed her escapes from these events whenever she could, anxious to run wild with Avery. Avery was always able to find people to hang out with and attend parties of a much different nature than Tatiana's. Stifling Court politics never came up at these parties, but there were still plenty of other things to drag Lissa's mood down. In particular, Lissa felt her guilt, anger, and depression over me spiraling deeper and deeper. She'd seen enough of spirit's effects on her moods to recognize potential warning signs, though she hadn't been actively using spirit while on this trip. Regardless of the moods' cause, she still continued to do her best to seek distraction and drown her depression. â€Å"Watch it,† warned Avery one evening. She and Lissa were at a party the night before they had to fly back to the Academy. A lot of those who lived at Court had permanent housing, and this party was at the town house of some Szelsky who served as an aide on a committee Lissa didn't know. Lissa didn't really know their host either, but that didn't matter, save that his parents were out of town. â€Å"Watch what?† asked Lissa, staring around the sights. The town house had a courtyard out back, lit up by tiki torches and strings of twinkling lights. There were drinks and food in full force, and some Moroi guy had a guitar out and was trying to impress girls with his musical skills-which were nonexistent. In fact, his music was so awful that he might have discovered a new way to kill Strigoi. He was cute enough, though, that his admirers didn't seem to care what he played. â€Å"This,† said Avery, pointing at Lissa's martini. â€Å"Are you keeping track of how many of those you're taking down?† â€Å"Not from what I can tell,† said Adrian. He was sprawled on a lounge chair nearby, a drink in his own hand. Lissa felt a bit amateur compared to them. While Avery was still her wild and flirtatious self, she didn't have the crazed or stupid air of someone completely trashed. Lissa didn't know how much the other girl had been drinking, but it was presumably a lot since Avery always had a drink in hand. Likewise, Adrian never seemed to be without a beverage, the effects of which mostly mellowed him out. Lissa supposed they had a lot more experience than her. She'd gone soft over the years. â€Å"I'm fine,† lied Lissa, who was watching her surroundings spin a little and seriously contemplating joining some girls dancing on a table across the courtyard. Avery's lips quirked into a smile, though her eyes showed a bit of worry. â€Å"Sure. Just don't get sick or anything. That kind of thing gets around, and the last thing we need is everyone knowing that the Dragomir girl can't hold her liquor. Your family has a fierce reputation to maintain.† Lissa downed the drink. â€Å"Somehow, I doubt alcohol consumption is part of my family's illustrious ancestry.† Avery pushed Adrian over and lay down next to him on the lounge chair. â€Å"Hey, you'd be surprised. In ten years, this group will be your peers on the council. And you'll be trying to pass some resolution, and they'll be like, ? ®Remember that time she got trashed and threw up at that party?'† Lissa and Adrian both laughed at that. Lissa didn't think she was going to get sick, but like everything else, she would worry about it later. The bright point of all this was that drinking was helping numb the memories of what had happened earlier in the day. Tatiana had introduced her to her future guardians: a seasoned guy named Grant and the â€Å"young lady,† who was named Serena. They had been nice enough, but their parallels to Dimitri and me had been overwhelming. Taking them on had seemed like a betrayal to us, yet Lissa had simply nodded and thanked Tatiana. Later, Lissa had learned that Serena had originally been lined up to be the guardian for a girl she'd known her entire life. The girl wasn't royal, but sometimes, depending on guardian numbers, even non-royals got assigned guardians-though never more than one. When positions for Lissa's protection opened up, however, Tatiana had pulled Serena from the job with her friend. Serena had smiled and told Lissa it didn't matter. Duty came first, she said, and she was happy to serve her. Yet Lissa felt bad, knowing it had to have been hard on both girls-and terribly unfair. But there it was again: an unfair balance of power with no one to really keep it in line. Leaving that encounter, Lissa had cursed her own meekness. If she hadn't had the courage to follow me, she thought, she should have at least put her foot down and demanded that Tatiana give her my mother instead. Then Serena could have gone back to her friend, and there'd be one friendship still left intact in the world. The martini simultaneously seemed to numb the pain and make her feel worse, which honestly made no sense to Lissa. Whatever, she thought. And when she caught a glimpse of a server passing by, she waved him over to order more. â€Å"Hey, can I-Ambrose?† She stared in surprise at the guy standing before her. If there'd been a swimsuit calendar for hottest dhampir guys, this one would have been the cover model (aside from Dimitri-but then, I was biased). This guy's name was Ambrose, and she and I had met him on our trip there together. He had deeply tanned skin and well-formed muscles underneath his gray button-down shirt. He was a particular oddity at Court, a dhampir who'd rejected guardian service and performed all sorts of tasks here, like giving massages and-if rumor was true-having â€Å"romantic encounters† with the queen. That one still made me cringe, and I'd run into some pretty disgusting things in my life. â€Å"Princess Dragomir,† he said, flashing her one of his perfect white grins. â€Å"An unexpected surprise.† â€Å"How have you been?† she asked, genuinely happy to see him. â€Å"Good, good. I have the best job in the world, after all. And you?† â€Å"Great,† she replied. Ambrose paused, eyeing her. He didn't drop that gorgeous grin, but Lissa could tell he didn't agree with her. She could see the disapproval in his face. Avery accusing her of drinking too much was one thing. But some pretty dhampir servant? Unacceptable. Lissa's demeanor grew cold, and she held out her glass. â€Å"I need another martini,† she said, her voice as haughty as that of any perfect royal. He sensed the change in her, and his friendly smile turned to one of polite indifference. â€Å"Right away.† He gave her a small bow and headed off to the bar. â€Å"Jeez,† said Avery, watching admiringly as he walked away. â€Å"Why didn't you introduce us to your friend?† â€Å"He's not my friend,† snapped Lissa. â€Å"He's nobody.† â€Å"Agreed,† said Adrian, putting an arm around Avery. â€Å"Why look elsewhere when you've got the best right here?† If I hadn't known any better, I'd have sworn there was a hint of legitimate jealousy underneath his jovial tone. â€Å"Didn't I go out of my way to bring you to breakfast with my aunt?† Avery gave him a lazy smile. â€Å"That's a good start. You've still got a ways to go to impress me, Ivashkov.† Her gaze drifted over Lissa's head and turned surprised. â€Å"Hey, Jailbait's here.† Mia, with Jill in tow, came striding through the garden, indifferent to the shocked looks she received. The two of them were clearly out of place. â€Å"Hey,† said Mia when she reached Lissa's group. â€Å"My dad just got called away, and I have to go with him. I've got to give Jill back.† â€Å"No problem,† said Lissa automatically, though she clearly wasn't happy about Jill being there. Lissa still kept wondering if Christian had some special interest in her. â€Å"Everything okay?† â€Å"Yeah, just business.† Mia made her farewells to everyone and left the party as quickly as she'd come, rolling her eyes at the other royals' sneers and shock as she passed. Lissa turned her attention to Jill, who had sat gingerly in a nearby chair and was staring around her in wonder. â€Å"How's it been? Did you have fun with Mia?† Jill turned back to Lissa, face brightening. â€Å"Oh yeah. She's really great. She's done so much work with water. It's crazy! And she taught me a few fighting moves, too. I can throw a right hook†¦ although not very hard.† Ambrose returned then with Lissa's drink. He gave it to her wordlessly and softened a bit when he saw Jill. â€Å"You want anything?† She shook her head. â€Å"No, thanks.† Adrian was watching Jill carefully. â€Å"You okay here? Do you want me to take you back to guest housing?† Like before, his intentions weren't romantic in the least. He seemed to regard her as a little sister, which I thought was cute. I hadn't thought him capable of that kind of protective behavior. She shook her head again. â€Å"It's okay. I don't want you to have to leave†¦ unless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her expression grew worried. â€Å"Do you want me to go?† â€Å"Nah,† said Adrian. â€Å"It's nice to have someone responsible around in the midst of all this madness. You should get yourself some food, if you're hungry.† â€Å"You're so motherly,† teased Avery, echoing my thoughts. For whatever reason, Lissa took Adrian's â€Å"responsible† comment personally, like he was directly slamming her. I didn't think that was the case at all, but she wasn't really thinking all that clearly. Deciding she wanted some food herself, she got up and wandered over to the table in the courtyard's garden that had trays of appetizers on it. Well, it had earlier. Now the table was being used by the dancing girls Lissa had noticed before. Someone had cleared space by moving all the trays of food to the ground. Lissa leaned over and picked up a mini sandwich, watching the girls and wondering how they could find any sort of beat in that royal guy's horrible music. One of the girls spotted Lissa and grinned. She extended a hand. â€Å"Hey, come on up.† Lissa had met her once but couldn't recall her name. Dancing suddenly seemed like a great idea. Lissa finished the sandwich and, drink in hand, allowed herself to be pulled up. This got a few cheers from people gathered around. Lissa discovered that the crappy music was irrelevant and found herself getting into it. Her and the other girls' moves varied from overtly sexual to mockeries of disco. It was all fun, and Lissa wondered if Avery would claim this would haunt her in ten years too. After a while, she and the others actually attempted some synchronized moves. They started by swaying their arms in the air and then moved on to some chorus line kicks. Those kicks proved disastrous. A misstep-Lissa was wearing heels-suddenly sent her over the table's edge. She lost the drink and nearly collapsed before a pair of arms caught her and kept her upright. â€Å"My hero,† she muttered. Then she got a good look at her savior's face. â€Å"Aaron?† Lissa's ex-boyfriend-and the first guy she'd ever slept with-looked down at her with a smile and released her once he seemed certain she could stand. Blond-haired and blue-eyed, Aaron was handsome in a surfer kind of way. I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Mia had seen him. She, Aaron, and Lissa had once been involved in a triangle worthy of any soap opera. â€Å"What are you doing here? We thought you disappeared,† Lissa said. Aaron had left the Academy a few months ago. â€Å"I'm going to school out in New Hampshire,† he replied. â€Å"We're here visiting family.† â€Å"Well, it's great to see you,† said Lissa. Things hadn't ended well between them, but in her current state, she meant her words. She'd had enough booze to think it was great to see everyone at the party. â€Å"You too,† he said. â€Å"You look amazing.† His words struck her more than she would have expected, probably because everyone else here had implied that she looked trashed and irresponsible. And breakup or no, she couldn't help but recall how attractive she'd once found him. Honestly, she still found him attractive. She just didn't love him anymore. â€Å"You should stay in touch,† she said. â€Å"Let us know what's going on.† For a moment, she wondered if she should have said that, in light of having a boyfriend. Then she dismissed her worries. There was nothing wrong with hanging out with other guys-particularly since Christian hadn't cared enough to come with her on this trip. â€Å"I'd like that,† Aaron said. There was something in his eyes she found pleasurably disconcerting. â€Å"I don't suppose, though, that I could get a goodbye kiss, seeing as I rescued you and all?† The idea was preposterous-then, after a moment, Lissa laughed. What did it matter? Christian was the one she loved, and a kiss between friends would mean nothing. Looking up, she let Aaron lean down and cup her face. Their lips met, and there was no denying it: The kiss lasted a bit longer than a friendly one. When it ended, Lissa found herself smiling like a dazed schoolgirl-which, technically, she was. â€Å"See you around,† she said, heading back toward her friends. Avery wore a chastising look, but it wasn't over Aaron and the kiss. â€Å"Are you crazy? You nearly broke your leg. You can't do that kind of thing.† â€Å"You're supposed to be the fun one,† pointed out Lissa. â€Å"It wasn't a big deal.† â€Å"Fun isn't the same as stupid,† Avery retorted, face serious. â€Å"You can't go do stupid shit like that. I think we should get you home.† â€Å"I'm fine,† said Lissa. She stubbornly looked away from Avery and instead focused on some guys who were doing shots of tequila. They were having some sort of competition-and half of them looked ready to pass out. â€Å"Define ? ®fine,'† said Adrian wryly. Yet he looked concerned too. â€Å"I'm fine,† Lissa repeated. Her gaze snapped back to Avery. â€Å"I didn't get hurt at all.† She'd expected grief about Aaron and was surprised they hadn't given it to her-which made it even more surprising when it came from another source. â€Å"You kissed that guy!† exclaimed Jill, leaning forward. Her face was aghast, and she displayed none of her usual reticence. â€Å"It was nothing,† said Lissa, who was irked to have Jill reprimanding her of all people. â€Å"Certainly none of your business.† â€Å"But you're with Christian! How could you do that to him?† â€Å"Relax, Jailbait,† said Avery. â€Å"A drunken kiss is nothing compared to a drunken fall. God knows I've kissed plenty of guys drunk.† â€Å"And yet, I remain unkissed tonight,† mused Adrian, with a shake of his head. â€Å"It doesn't matter.† Jill was really worked up. She'd grown to like and respect Christian. â€Å"You cheated on him.† With those words, Jill might as well have practiced her right hook on Lissa. â€Å"I did not!† Lissa exclaimed. â€Å"Don't drag your crush on him into this and imagine things that aren't there.† â€Å"I didn't imagine that kiss,† said Jill, flushing. â€Å"That kiss is the least of our worries,† sighed Avery. â€Å"I'm serious-just let it go for now, you guys. We'll talk in the morning.† â€Å"But-† began Jill. â€Å"You heard her. Let it go,† a new voice growled. Reed Lazar had appeared out of nowhere and was looming over Jill, face as hard and scary as ever. Jill's eyes went wide. â€Å"I'm just telling the truth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I had to admire her courage here, considering her normally timid nature. â€Å"You're pissing everyone off,† said Reed, leaning closer and clenching his fists. â€Å"And you're pissing me off.† I was pretty sure this was the most I'd ever heard him say. I tended to kind of think of him as a caveman, stringing three-word sentences together. â€Å"Whoa.† Adrian leapt up and rushed to Jill's side. â€Å"You need to let this go. What, are you going to start a fight with some girl?† Reed turned his glare on Adrian. â€Å"Stay out of this.† â€Å"The hell I will! You're crazy.† If anyone had asked me to make up a list of people most likely to risk a fight in defense of a lady's honor, Adrian Ivashkov would have been low on that list. Yet there he stood, face hard and hand sitting protectively on Jill's shoulder. I was in awe. And impressed. â€Å"Reed,† cried Avery. She too had risen and now stood on Jill's other side. â€Å"She didn't mean anything. Back off.† The two siblings stood there, eyes locked in some kind of silent showdown. Avery wore the harshest look I'd ever seen on her, and at last, he glowered and stepped back. â€Å"Fine. Whatever.† The group stared in amazement as he walked abruptly away. The music was so loud that only a few of the partygoers had overhead the argument. They stopped and stared, and Avery looked embarrassed as she sank back in her chair. Adrian still stood by Jill. â€Å"What the hell was that?† Adrian demanded. â€Å"I don't know,† Avery admitted. â€Å"He gets weird and overprotective sometimes.† She gave Jill an apologetic smile. â€Å"I'm really sorry.† Adrian shook his head. â€Å"I think it's time for us to go.† Even in her drunken state, Lissa had to agree. The confrontation with Reed had shocked her into soberness, and she was suddenly uneasily evaluating her actions tonight. The glittering lights and fancy cocktails of the party had lost their charm. The drunken antics of the other royals seemed clumsy and stupid. She had a feeling she might regret this party tomorrow. Once back in my own head, I felt fear set in. Okay. Something was very wrong with Lissa, and no one else seemed to notice it-well, not to the extent they should have. Adrian and Avery did seem concerned, but I had the feeling they were blaming her behavior on the drinking. Lissa was still reminding me a lot of how she'd been when we'd first returned to St. Vladimir's, when spirit had been seizing her and messing with her mind. Except†¦ I knew enough about myself now to realize that my anger and fixation on punishing Strigoi was being influenced by spirit's dark side too. That meant I was draining it away from her. It should have been leaving Lissa, not building up. So what was wrong with her? Where was this short-tempered, crazy, and jealous persona coming from? Was spirit's darkness simply growing in intensity so that it spread to both of us? Were we splitting it? â€Å"Rose?† â€Å"Huh?† I glanced up from where I'd been staring blankly at the TV. Denis was looking down at me, his cell phone in his hand. â€Å"Tamara had to work late. She's ready to go now, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He nodded toward the window. The sun was almost down, the sky purple, with only a little orange on the horizon. Tamara worked within walking distance, and while there probably wasn't any real danger, I didn't want her out alone after sunset. I stood up. â€Å"Come on, we'll go get her.† To Lev and Artur I said, â€Å"You guys can stay here.† Denis and I walked the half-mile to the small office where Tamara worked. She did assorted clerical tasks, like filing and copying, and there'd apparently been some project that kept her there late tonight. We met her at the door and walked back to the apartment without incident, talking animatedly about our hunting plans for the evening. When we reached Tamara's building, I heard a strange wailing across the street. We all turned, and Denis chuckled. â€Å"Good God, it's that crazy woman again,† I muttered. Tamara didn't live in a bad part of town but, as in any city, there were homeless people and panhandlers. The woman we watched was almost as ancient as Yeva, and she regularly walked up and down the street, muttering to herself. Today, she lay on her back on the sidewalk, making strange noises while waving her limbs like a turtle. â€Å"Is she hurt?† I asked. â€Å"Nope. Just crazy,† said Denis. He and Tamara turned to go inside, but some soft part of me couldn't abandon her. I sighed. â€Å"I'll be right in.† The street was quiet (aside from the old lady) and I cut across without fear of traffic. Reaching the woman, I held out my hand to help her out, trying not to think about how dirty hers was. Like Denis had said, she merely appeared to be in crazy mode today. She wasn't hurt; she'd apparently just decided to lie down. I shuddered. I tossed the word crazy around a lot when it came to Lissa and me, but this was truly crazy. I really, really hoped spirit never took us this far. The homeless lady looked surprised at the help but took my hand and began talking excitedly in Russian. When she tried to hug me in gratitude, I stepped back and held up my hands in the international â€Å"back off† signal. She did indeed back off but continued chatting happily. She grabbed the sides of her long coat and held them out like a ball-room skirt and began spinning around and singing. I laughed, surprised that in my grim world, this would cheer me up. I started to cross back over to Tamara's place. The old woman stopped dancing and began talking happily to me again. â€Å"Sorry, I have to go,† I told her. It didn't seem to register. Then she froze mid-sentence. Her expression gave me warning only half a millisecond before my nausea did. In one fluid motion, I spun around to face what was behind me, pulling my stake out as I moved. There was a Strigoi there, tall and imposing, having sneaked up while I was distracted. Stupid, stupid. I'd refused to let Tamara walk home alone, but I'd never even considered danger right outside my â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I wasn't sure if I said the word or thought it. It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered just then was what my eyes saw before me. Or, rather, what my eyes thought they saw. Because surely, surely, I had to be imagining this. It couldn't be real. Not after all this time. Dimitri. I knew him instantly, even though he'd†¦ changed. I think in a crowd of a million people, I would have recognized him. The connection between us would allow nothing else. And after being deprived of him for so long, I drank in every feature. The dark, chin-length hair, worn loose tonight and curling slightly around his face. The familiar set of lips, quirked now in an amused yet chilling smile. He even wore the duster he always wore, the long leather coat that could have come straight out of a cowboy movie. And then†¦ there were the Strigoi features. His dark eyes-the eyes I loved-ringed in red. The pale, pale, death-white skin. In life, his complexion had been as tanned as mine, thanks to so much time outdoors. If he opened his mouth, I knew I'd see fangs. My whole assessment took place in the blink of an eye. I'd reacted fast when I'd felt him-faster than he'd probably expected. I still had the element of surprise, my stake poised and ready. It was perfectly lined up with his heart. I could tell, then and there, that I could make the hit faster than he could defend. But†¦ The eyes. Oh God, the eyes. Even with that sickening red ring around his pupils, his eyes still reminded me of the Dimitri I'd known. The look in his eyes-the soulless, malicious gleam-that was nothing like him. But there was just enough resemblance to stir my heart, to overwhelm my senses and feelings. My stake was ready. All I had to do was keep swinging to make the kill. I had momentum on my side†¦ But I couldn't. I just needed a few more seconds, a few more seconds to drink him in before I killed him. And that's when he spoke. â€Å"Roza.† His voice had that same wonderful lowness, the same accent†¦ it was all just colder. â€Å"You forgot my first lesson: Don't hesitate.† I just barely saw his fist striking out toward my head†¦ and then I saw nothing at all.

Dogs Make Good Companions

Dogs make good companions, because of the loyalty, unconditional love, friendship, and protection they give. When you wake up in the morning they don’t care if you have morning breathe, bed head, and no make-up, after a long day stressful day, door to that tail-wagging ready to give you hugs and kisses because your home. It makes all You’re worries and stresses go right out the door. For instance, they will always show unconditional love and loyalty. You might feel emotional, angry, or even talking out loud to yourself about your horrible day, who is there?Your dog, listening wagging its tail. They will never be judgmental, they don’t care about what name brand clothes you’re wearing, the car you drive, the house you live in, they will love you for you. If your late feeding them, or you raised your voice because they did something wrong, they won’t complain and will always forgive you. On a cold winter night they will be right there to be your snugg le buddy and keep you warm. Another instance dogs can be good protectors of their family/owner and home.Next time You’re out on a walk or in the park with family and friends watch the reactions of dogs. If a person or animal are getting a little too close they will get that alert look, eyes wide open, ears at attention, watching the surroundings. When they feel a possible threat, they get that vicious look, curled lips, fangs all out and making brutish noises through their nose, making sure, that person or animal knows they mean business when it comes to protecting Family/owner. When it comes to protecting their home, they will go to great lengths, even giving their life.Do some research on how many dogs have saved their family from burglars, fires, Carbon Monoxide Statistics show that owners are less likely to be burglarized than non- dog owners are. Dogs bark to alert, letting you know something is not wrong and for you to go investigate. Did you know dogs are also good for your health? Just petting or cuddling with your dog can Relieve stress, lower blood pressure, and lower your heart rate. Taking your dog for a walk provide them the exercise, but you’re also getting some cardio exercise in as well. Dogs sense when you’re not feeling well, staying by your side comforting you the best way they now how. When you’re emotionally drained or depressed, they are right there showing you love and support, letting you know it’s going to be all right, and they are there for you for matter what. Dogs enjoy making you smile, which is good for the soul. One final thought is dogs don’t ask for much for the unconditional love, friendship, loyalty. Dogs are willing to give their life to protect their family. Dogs need very little care for the companionship they give you in return. Sure, they need food, water, and basic care just like you, but all they want is love, attention, and affection.Rather, it’s playing fetch, going f or a walk, for a ride, or cuddling on the couch, doing little things, makes the companionship stronger. Just like any other friendship in your life, you have to make time and make it work. Now ask yourself a couple of questions. Do you have friends that give unconditional love? Do you have any friends there for you 24/7? Do you have friends that want to be around you when you’re emotional, angry, and stressed? Are friends their when you’re feeling sick? Dogs just may be the true friend and companion you never had. That’s why dogs make good companions.

Indentured servitude Essay

Indentured servitude was considered a fine replacement for slavery, rising as slavery fell out of favor in many of the European countries. However, despite the rules that were out in place, they were often changed and didn’t follow the what could be considered the lowest form of humanity. Indentured servitude was used instead of slavery, but in the end, it was almost the same affliction. David Northup’s Doc 4 compares directly with Doc 3, 6, and 9. They show almost just the sheer amount of indentured servants that were shipped for the purpose of hard labor. All three documents are purely data and can be considered un-bias, trustworthy sources. In Doc 3 it is hugely visible that a massive amount of servants are sent to the Caribbean such as Trinidad and plantations in Suriname from India, a British colony. Doc 4 backs up this information as well as provide a huge number of455,000 people bent sent from India to the ‘Spice Islands’, Mauritius. Doc 6 shows tha t many of these indentured servants were previous slaves, or Asian Indians, whom the British considered below their station. Doc 9 also shows this huge number of indentured servants in Mauritius, showing that 71% of the population was Asian Indian, as well as the population of Trinidad being 33% Asian Indian. This information may not seem prevalent, but when compared to the stark contrast of Doc 7 and Doc 8. Doc 7 is an official document from the British Guiana Indenture Agreement from 1895. The document itself is a sign-up sheet that the servant would sign to agree to conditions that he trusted were to be followed until the end of his term, which lasted 5 years. This agreement states that work is every day except Sundays and Holidays and work will be 7 hours in the field or 10 in the buildings. However in Doc 8 an indentured servant complains about the conditions of his work. He works from 5:30 to 8:30, which is 15 hours total, and must work on Sundays till 2:00, which is 8 hours and 30 minutes. This amount of work is double the promised 7 hours, and even more than the normal hours on a day in which they weren’t to work at all. This was a gross abuse of rights and scholars even knew it, but people still didn’t see them as ‘people’ but workers. Doc 1 and 2 shows this. At first it was drafted just as the necessity of importation of foreign labor, but grew into a huge problem. The natives couldn’t keep up with the work and more and more immigrants were needed to keep up a study supply of sugar. However, it wasn’t as what one could call, nice, as it sounded. They were machines.  Indentured servant were not voluntary immigrants, but they weren’t slaves. They were raised, with pain, much like recruits for military service. Indentured servitude was indeed not a slavery of people, but it was the outcome of slavery and led to something very similar. People were worked to the bone and foreigners were pulled in to tiny islands just to maintain a steady flow of sugar and other rich resources. I believe Doc 5 was completely unnecessary and would have preferred another document with another account of mistreatment, or a change of time graph of indentured servants, or a change over time graph of slaves to indentured servants.

Answer questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Answer questions - Assignment Example 102). It became apparent that mass advertising and promotional programs were quickly losing their effectiveness. Several new segments began to appear and it was becoming costly for companies to satisfy these customers with the same approaches. Southeast Asian companies entered the markets and began using their core competency of operational efficiency to lure customers and price competition to beat competitors. However, the same did not translate into sustainable competitive advantage for most of the players as brand loyalty and profit margins continued to decrease (LeSueur, 2007, p. 98). Experts were quick to realise that the rules of the game have changed and companies that wish to survive and prosper will have to differentiate between transactional marketing and relationship because the former only focuses on customer acquisition, whereas, the latter has a more balanced focus on customer acquisition and retention (Nash, 2000, p. 52). Discussion At its very core, the goal of market ing is to generate value for the customers while also maximising the profits of the organisation. However, transactional marketing and relationship marketing take very different approaches to achieve these objectives. The transactional marketing approach views the client solely as a means to an end while, the relationship marketing approach takes the liberty to consider the person with whom the sale is being as the end in himself or herself. The transactional marketing approach places the utmost importance on making as many sales as possible in the shortest span of time. Therefore, transactional marketers do not find themselves in position of spending time and resources at building relationships with their customers (Nash, 2000, p. 52). Also known as the traditional marketing approach, transactional marketing mainly focuses on pushing the product through mass advertising and promotion. There is little or no emphasis on customer services. Organisations that employ a transactional app roach are highly likely to follow a pull technique, where the focus would remain on the four Ps of marketing without any focus on the activities that are strategically required once the purchase has been made by the customers (Clow, 2007, p. 47). Relationship marketing, on the other hand, remains focused on building valued and close long-term personal relationships, which are built through highly targeted and personal interactions. Important here to note is that organisations that follow a relationship marketing approach do not consider their brand to be their greatest asset, but rather they take the greatest pride in their ability to satisfy their customers and keep them happy (Spiller & Baier, 2005, p. 75). Furthermore, following relationship marketing is a time consuming and painstaking process because it requires a complete rethink of the entire value chain, business model and operations strategy of the organisation. It requires a top-down shift of the organisational strategy. R elationship marketing, at its very core, represents a strong commitment from the side of the organisation to understand the customers and invest at building relationships with customers (Morgan & Hunt, 1994, p. 25). Customers who feel connected with companies are likely to profit the company in

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 18

Marketing - Essay Example Studies have shown the increased rate of smokers among the population especially among the youth. â€Å"Smoking kills around 114,000 people in the UK each year.† (Petrie 2007). It is where the relevance of the product and the topic under study lies. The topic is chosen in order to analyze the prospects of the company by launching the product. The final report is in the form of a report addressed to the top level executives of the company. The report is intended to conduct a study in detail about the marketability of ‘smokers’ choice’. The product aims to carve a niche of the health product market through the launch of smoker’s choice. Therefore, the report studies in detail the average smokers in the population, the market position of the toothpaste, the customer acceptability, etc. It is a report that uses standard statistical tools for the data analysis and interpretations. The primary aim of this report is a market study. The report is intended to study the market and to make required changes in the strategies if needed. This is a company project and the organization is going to benefit by knowing its market and market position. The tooth paste ‘smoker’s choice’ is launched by the company named Oral Care Plc. â€Å"The oral care market is worth $7.5 billion at retail and headed for $8.9 billion by 2012.† (Oral care products on the U.S. 2007). The tooth paste is the main product of the company at present. The product is aimed at conquering dual markets, the health care and the personal care sector. The tooth paste is very effective in whitening the teeth. But the main feature of the product is that it helps to stop the smoking habits of the people. The mouth after being brushed with smokers’ choice brings a bad taste when it comes in contact with smoke thus helping the people to stop the smoking habit. The toothpaste will keep this effect in the mouth for 18 hours. Even though the product belongs to the

The World Bank and IMF effects on developing countries Essay

The World Bank and IMF effects on developing countries - Essay Example United States, being the biggest stakeholder holds 17% of the vote in World Bank while all African countries have less than 9% vote (â€Å"The World Bank and IMF in Africa†,2008). Despite six decades of uninterrupted function, according to United Nations development program, over a fifth of world’s population lives below international standard of poverty line of $1 a day, another 1.6 billion survive between one and two dollar. One third of world’s population is either unemployed or underemployed. Combined incomes of richest fifth of the world population was over 60 times greater than the poorest fifth in 1998,in 1997 41% of Third World had no access to safe drinking water,57% had no access to sanitation,40% of children under five were underweight, 840 million people malnourished and under five mortality rate was 169/1000 live births. Moreover, external debt repayment or servicing amounts to 92.3% of the GDP and the list goes on (Ecologist, 2000). Since Asian financial crisis, role of IMF in managing the economies of developing countries is facing severe criticism. Non-governmental bodies have always been concerned about African development and IMF’s role in helping or hampering the process. Moreover, increasing debates over US economic policy for Africa and international pressures for poor countries debt cancellation highlighted IMF policies in Africa. Increasing external debt and multiplying IMF’s power also diverted the attention towards the impact of IMF’s economic policies in African countries (Naiman & Watkins 1999). Davison Budhoo resigned from IMF in 1988 in revulsion over policies what he identified as IMF’s â€Å"Increasingly genocidal policies.†Operations of these agencies proved to be catastrophic (Budhoo n.d., p.20). ‘Instead of development and favourable adjustment, the Third World today is in an accelerated spiral of economic and social decline. That

Venezuela's economic environment Research Paper

Venezuela's economic environment - Research Paper Example This means that the country has a great share in the geopolitical structure of the world. Venezuela, at 2013, is the world’s 34th largest economy with a GDP of $ 407.4 billion (Central Intelligence Agency 1). It experienced a growth rate of 1.6 percent, which is attributed to a slow and unstable recovery from the 2008’s world recession. In 2012, it experienced a growth rate of 5.6 percent. Besides, it has Per Capita GDP of $ 13, 600. This is the world’s 99th largest PPP. Oil forms a major part of Venezuelan economy since it contributes 96 percent of its export earnings, 12 percent of its GDP, and 45 percent of its annual budget. Manufacturing forms a huge percent of Venezuelan’s economy as the country exports steel, cement, and aluminum. The industry sector contributes 35.5% of the country’s GDP. Agriculture forms a mere 3.7 percent of the economy suggesting that the sector is underdeveloped. Although it exports agricultural products such as fish, the country imports two-thirds of its food supplies. The services’ sector is occupi es the largest part of the GDP, 60.8 % thereby employing 70.9 percent of the Venezuelan population. In terms of economic freedom index, the country has a score of 36.3 thereby making it a repressed economy. This means that there is limited individual freedom and liberty as pertains to investment and economic prosperity. The government has a big stake in economic activities, which in turn limits innovation and individual economic prosperity. It is essential, however, to note that Hugo Chavez, the former president, nationalized the oil industry in order to prevent conflicts and eliminate corruption. Venezuela experiences significant economic problems that correspond with state control of economic activities. Venezuela has a corruption index of 20 and ranks 166th in the world. This also

Commercial Aviation Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Commercial Aviation Safety - Essay Example After the two wars, the availability of decommissioned military aircraft as well as the increase in number of decommissioned military pilots paved the way for the modern aviation industry. At the same time, aircraft manufacturers such as Cessna, Piper and Beechcraft made passenger aircraft made for specific roles. These aircraft manufacturers eventually became the world's leaders in passenger aircraft technology ("Commercial Aviation", 2006). The development continued over the next 20 years and by the 1950's, Boeing introduced their first line of passenger aircraft that utilized jet engine technology such as the Boeing 707. The evolution of the commercial aircraft industry continues with airport authorities and airline services going hand in hand in providing safe and efficient air travel around the world ("Commercial Aviation", 2006). But the industry is never without its troubles and complications. There are several factors that make air travel rather risky and dangerous. Among the se are technical problems, human error, unpredictable weather conditions, hi-jacking and many more. Out of these issues, terrorism had the most significant impact in the industry, as it was responsible for the death of thousands of innocent lives. The most infamous of these aerial terrorists act was the September 11, 2001 attacks, also known as 9/11 ("September 11 Attacks", 2006). There are a ... Weather disturbances such as ice and other forms of precipitation pose great risks for the pilots and passengers. Take for example the case of a certain Georgian Express Flight that happened in January 14, 2004. The flight involved a Cessna 208B that took off from Pelee Island Ontario and eventually crashed into Lake Eerie moments later after take-off killing all 9 passengers and the pilot. The crash was believed to be due to pilot fatigue and poor visibility due to icy weather conditions (Aarons, 2006). Other cases of human error are linked to faulty and obsolete flight equipment, such as manual controls that are totally dependent upon the pilot's skills. Obsolete equipment combined with mediocre skills can greatly increase the occurrence of a mishaps happening in the industry (Evans, 2004). Proof of this comes from the Aviation Safety Network which reported that there were about a dozen or so airline mishaps in June 2006 alone, among these involved n A-320 Airbus incident in Sochi, Russia and a DC-10 incident in Managua, Nicaragua (Aviation Safety Network, 2005). Aircraft structural fatigue is also blamed as the number one killer in the skies, this happens especially in a lot of older aircraft that are still used by some airliners up to this date (Aubury, 2006). Also, financial problems may plague an institution if it is not ready to support airline operations. Such was the problem of South African Airways when their profit plunged into an all-time low of almost 90% because of rising fuel prices, lower cost of competition as well as their failure to generate enough profit. South African Airways has also run through debts in the course of its operations thus forcing it to cut back on costs while maintaining its

Environmental and Corporation Social Responsibility Assignment

Environmental and Corporation Social Responsibility - Assignment Example The efficiency of production range between 50 and 60 percent; this translates to only to the preferred replacement technology of energy production. From the same graph, it should be noted that the higher the emission of biofuel byproducts into the atmosphere, the higher the ionization rate (Werther and Chandler, 2011). Additionally, the same biofuel products usually react with the free hydrogen gas and radicals in the atmosphere leading to acidic atmosphere. From the graphs, it is also apparent that the higher the energy generation form the biofuel the higher the chances of formation of the acidic atmosphere. The effects of the use of biofuel are stronger when the emission is directed to the air other than water (Mullerat and Brennan, 2011). In fact, it should be noted that the direct use of these gases is intense in air emission than water since the water emissions usually result in accidents. Nonetheless, both cases are never environmental friendly. Finally, it should be noted that eutrophication is also affected by increased emission and use of biofuel into the environment. Charts c and d indicate that the high the electrici ty generation the high the emission; thus, the higher the global warming thereby affecting the normal ecosystem functionalities (Kao, 2010). Hence, it is worth noting that electricity generation among the use of other energy sources contributes to the efficiency of the environment in different ways. All the charts above indicate the higher or the massive use of biofuels in the United States, the higher the effects on Eutrophication, Acidification, and Global Mass Warming; hence, the corporates should minimize such energy use to minimize the effects on the same. All these graphs and their subsequent analyses relate to the energy regulation and generation of barley.

Managing and leading people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Managing and leading people - Essay Example The management team, led by a manager helps to harness, support, and offer direction to what is to be done within and outside the organization. The manager does the role of directing individuals to engage in driving the vision, mission, and maintaining the core values of the organization so that it tries succeeds in a competitive market (SIMS 2002, p. 65). Managers participate in a critical role of delivering performance within an organization. A consistent delivery of performance is what dictates the level of performance of a manager. A manager is like a father in a family. He appears to be the breadwinner. He takes less credit now of great success but an entire blame in the case of underperformance in an organization. This means that the work of a manager ranges between performance and underperformance. The manager is the leader of the teams within an organization. Any performance level is dictated by the strategies put forth by an organization, and the ultimate decisions and pathways of meeting these strategies as set by manager. Therefore, the manager is the carrier of every managerial role that is supposed to be realized within an organization. The manager is the sole head when deliberating on the goals and objectives of an organization. Through an effective management of an organization, the manager will be able to relay the best approaches and mechanisms of performance to be adopted by the individual workers in an organization. The manager takes the role of identifying how the individual workers and groups contribute towards fulfillment of the goals and objectives set by an organization. The organizational values are an observance of the manger in charge of an organization. Management involves almost every aspect of living within an organization, and is taken care of by the manager in charge. An organization has its own values and value systems that dictate the nature and code of living, working, and interaction within an

Sherman Antitrust Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sherman Antitrust Act - Essay Example The Sherman Act is also a consumer protection measure that ensures a single company will not monopolize a product, service or industry in a way that deprives consumers of a reasonable choice of whom to do business with. This enables consumers to influence the pricing of products and services by leveraging their demand among multiple competing suppliers. Despite the important purposes of the antitrust laws, Congress has seen fit to carve out various exemptions for certain types of businesses and activities. For each such exemption, there is a rationale, the merits of which can often be debated. Among the antitrust exemptions are the following: One of the most debated - and maligned - exemptions to the antitrust laws is the exemption for professional baseball. It is an exemption that no other professional sport enjoys. The exemption was granted to Major League Baseball in 1922 by the U.S. Supreme Court, which held that baseball is a sport, not a business engaged in interstate commerce, and therefore antitrust laws do not apply (Stephenson, 2001, par. 2). The effect of this decision is that "owners can act in concert on many matters that a regulated business cannot" (par. 3).

Partnership for Lebanon and Cisco Systems Essay Example for Free

Partnership for Lebanon and Cisco Systems Essay The â€Å"Partnership for Lebanon and Cisco Systems† case study discusses a project developed after the war in Lebanon in July of 2006. After the war, President George W. Bush urged 5 U. S. based companies to partner together to help with the reconstruction efforts in Lebanon, including Cisco systems (led by John Chambers), Intel corp. (led by Craig Barrett), Ghafari Inc. (led by Yousif Ghafari), Occidental Petroleum (led by Dr. Ray Irani), and Microsoft (led by Steve Balmer). The partnership of these 5 successful U. S. companies formed the Partnership for Lebanon, or the PFL, for which a woman named Salam Yamout was appointed as project manager (Jimali, 2011). Upon the formation of the PFL in 2006, the leaders met at the Paris III donor conference with Fuad Seniora, the Lebanese prime Minister, to discuss and develop the key goals that would need to be achieved in the Lebanese reconstruction efforts, and to map out the main initiatives of the PFL (Jimali, 2011). With a primary focus on efficient and productive communities and advancement opportunities for the Lebanese people, they developed the following 5 key objectives for which they made significant progress over the next three years: 1. Emergency Relief and Response: The first of the 5 key objectives, emergency relief and response, was essential to establishing a sense of security among the Lebanese people following the war. From 2006 through 2009, the PFL helped more than 1000 families to rebuild their homes, and helped many communities to resettle. This was a first step toward rebuilding the infrastructure and public society needed for economic and workforce growth (Jimali, 2011). The PFL also rebuilt 10 youth and IT centers, complete with computer labs and Internet technology, providing a training center for over 1400 young people in Lebanon and rehabilitated the schools that stood in the areas most affected by the war, focusing on school safety, quality of student life, and Information Communication Technology (ICT) training (Jimali, 2011). Finally, in order to reduce continued casualties, the PFL trained and certified two dogs to detect landmines, a $65,000 effort that likely saved lives and increased the mobility of the Lebanese people. 2. Job Creation/Private Sector renewal: The next key objective of the PFL was to increase the number of available jobs in Lebanon, particularly in the private sector. Much of the focus on this initiative was suggested by Cisco leader John Chambers, who, in a visit to the American University of Beirut, was affected by the number of highly educated, multi-lingual Lebanese young people who would look for employment opportunities outside of Lebanon immediately following graduation. Noting the emigration of the most capable young workers as a significant obstacle to the future prosperity of the Lebanese people, Chambers suggested the job creation be made a top priority. As a top global leader in the Information Communication Technology industry, Cisco took the lead by developing a $1 million grant program called the â€Å"CREDIT† program, which they used to deliver 133 loans to businesses specializing in ICT (Jimali, 2011). Furthermore, in order to provide learning opportunities for Lebanese businesses, the PFL developed the Executive Mentorship Program, which matched successful U. S. businesses with leaders of Lebanese businesses. 3. Developing ICT infrastructure: As part of the PFL’s job creation efforts, Cisco also took the lead in developing a sustainable Information Communication Technology infrastructure. The first step toward this was to expand broadband service to all rural and urban areas. By partnering with the Lebanese Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (TRA), the PFL developed a long-term strategy for expanding broadband service, which began with the development of several new Internet exchange points and an International Internet gateway. 4. Workforce Training ICT education: Finally in workforce development, the PFL set out to create private sector job opportunities for the uneducated Lebanese population. By creating professional training programs and ICT education, a basic infrastructure targeted at building a middle-class could be developed. The PFL made several achievements in this area, including using high-speed broadband connections to connect 50 public schools to the Ministry of Education, providing online learning materials, sponsoring and ICT/life skills youth summer camp program, placing interns in Lebanese businesses, and helping to integrate ICT programs in Lebanese schools (Jimali, 2011). 5. Developing connected communities and connected governments: The final PFL objective sought to develop connected communities throughout Lebanon. A major stride in this objective involved developing ICT centers where people without broadband capabilities could go to stay connected through variety of Medias. In addition to developing 10 of these ICT centers, the PFL also enabled 5 full-service community access points that were affected by the war (Jimali, 2011). CSR Lessons There are several key strategic lessons that the PFL learned throughout their efforts in Lebanon concerning the creation and implementation of development programs, particularly those that would be able to be adopted by any senior manager. Perhaps the most important strategic lesson was that a targeted, overall objective must be developed in order to maintain the highest likelihood of success. Instead of developing a wide spectrum of initiatives to help rebuild Lebanon, Cisco and the other PFL partners focused on ICT as a means for rebuilding infrastructure and developing economic and educational opportunities for the Lebanese people. By developing this focused mission, Cisco avoided wasting time and resources or putting a great deal of input into unrelated initiatives that may or may not have had beneficial results. Furthermore, by developing a single mission that was within their expertise, Cisco was able to make valuable contributions in a vital area and thus maximize their impact. The PFL recognized that it could not solve all of Lebanon’s problems, but by developing a set of initiatives that Cisco and partnering companies felt well equipped to address, they were able to develop a plan within the ICT industry where it could make a measurable impact (Jimali, 2011). Another key strategic lesson learned by the PFL was that a thorough situational analysis is essential to developing an effective restructuring campaign. This is a lesson that is relevant to any rebuilding efforts, whether it is for a nation, a corporation, or a nonprofit organization. By conducting a detailed situational analysis, Cisco as able to analyze which objectives would create opportunities in Lebanon and how Lebanese government organizations, businesses, and communities would utilize various initiatives. Cisco’s thorough analysis allowed them to develop an effective methodology for implementing various programs, as well as to gain government cooperation and support throughout the process. This analysis also provided Cisco with insight regarding which support and resources they would need to ensure success and therefore allowed them to gather the support they needed before beginning the process in order to produce the fastest and more effective results. John Chambers, Cisco CEO, said, â€Å"In September, we visited Lebanon and we saw a country that can achieve many of the goals itself, but with the proper assistance can achieve them at a much faster pace and rebuild the country for the future, not just rebuild back to where they were before. † (Cisco CSR Report, 2009). Lastly, an essential strategic lesson learned by the PFL concerning the implementation and running of development programs was that a change process must be developed in carefully planned incremental steps, beginning with the development of the infrastructure needed to prepare for the next step. This is especially important for ensuring that the strategy can be adopted by any senior manager, because it allows for a step-by-step map of development that allows managers to build upon previous initiatives. Cisco, Corporate Sponsors, and PFL Because of its expertise in this area and its long-time commitment to investing in community sustainability, Cisco was an effective leader in the PFL’s objectives, providing valuable insight on how to encourage job creation that would continue to evolve over time. Cisco is a leading organization in global networking and communications technology, and was the creator of the multi-protocol router, which revolutionized Internet communications. A company worth $550 billion in 2000, Cisco’s success has been attributed to a focus on customer need that was so targeted that they did not commit to any specific technology and were willing to change in whatever way they needed in order to meet their customers need. It was this willingness to adapt as well as Cisco’s commitment to community and economic investments that made Cisco the right leader for the PFL’s goals. Cisco’s CSR initiatives had always been designed in a way that sought to add value to the organization through strategically planned initiatives and to leverage the company’s core competence and sustainability levels in a way that provided clear and measurable outputs. Cisco also took a lead in the PFL’s educational and professional training programs, which provided crucial career opportunities for the Lebanese people. The Challenge of Sustainability Despite the successful implementation of the PFL initiatives from 2006 through 2009, in September of 2009, PLF project manager Salam Yamout expressed concern to her manager, George Akiki regarding the long-term sustainability of the PLF initiatives. She said, â€Å"The PFL has undoubtedly been successful across the 5 work streams, and has infused much needed resources, support and hope in a context of post-war devastation, but the key question haunting me now is how to sustain this impact into the future. † (Jimali, 2011). Akiki agreed, and thus the question of how Lebanon could sustain the development initiated by the PLF without the generous management and resource contributions of Cisco and PLF partners. While the sustainability challenges faced by the PLF may seem daunting, the educational and job training programs developed by the program can be designed to be self-supporting, these programs, if continued and managed by competent leaders, can allow Lebanon’s ICT related programs to continue to prepare Lebanese people for good jobs. The first step to maintaining these programs is to gather investors from both within Lebanon and from the International community, particularly those who benefit from the increased educational and professional opportunities in the Middle East. Moreover, if the Lebanese government is able to recognize the benefit hat a more vibrant ICT community can offer to the economy, a system of public funding can be developed. Furthermore, if individuals who are trained through these programs can be offered incentives to remain within the program as educators, the programs can become self-sustaining through generations. Conclusion Cisco and the partners that formed the PLF provide an example of an efficient program for utilizing the specific expertise and resources of one industry to enact positive change on a community in desperate need of rebuilding. Their thorough analysis, clear-cut mission, and careful planning in an area that they were well resources in, allowed for an extremely effective rebuilding process. Moreover, Cisco provided a valuable framework for how with productive partnerships and effective leadership, successful organizations can help to address societal problems in a way that adds value to both the community involved and the partnering organizations. Too often, today’s conversation regarding CSR presents in if/or debate, as if companies must choose between economic value and ethical value. The economic argument suggests that corporations are obligated only to shareholders, and that investments made in activities that do not directly maximize profits are irresponsible, while the ethical argument suggests that because corporations benefit from the people and infrastructure of communities, they are obligated to make investments in those communities (Bansal, 2005). However, a modern view of CSR suggests that there is a middle ground where economics and ethics can converge to create longer term sustainable value. Cisco’s participation in the PLF program is an example of this middle ground. In its participation in the PLF program, Cisco expanded its influence in a part of the world where they previously had little reach, thus creating added value to their organization while addressing significant societal problems.

Motivations of an arsonist

Motivations of an arsonist Arsonist Arsonist is a person who sets anything on fire intentionally. This intentional act is called the arson. Generally a home or another type of structure has been targeted by the Arsonist. Arson is committed for a number of reasons, and the crime is strictly punished throughout the world because arsonist sets property and lives at risk. In certain parts of the globe, if somebody expires in an arson fire, it is deemed to be a murder, instead of neglectful homicide or manslaughter because arsonist is considered such a reprehensible criminal. In all cases, an arsonist holds a prison term. (Holmes Holmes, 2008, pp. 3) In the majority of states, arson has been extended to comprise burning arrangements in addition to dwellings, burning the own assets for unlawful purposes, and destruction caused by an explosion or a fire. Currently if someone arson his/her house to avail the insurance benefits because the amount of insurance is higher than the actual real value of property that would be linked to arsonist (Stewart, 2006, 15-16). Other motives for arsonist would be to bomb or burn a religious place in a hate crime, or burn the property in vengeance for a denial to sell it. If an arsonist burns down his building as a figure of cheap destruction and unintentionally sets half the neighborhood on fire that may or maybe not an arsonist, depending on the legislation of the state. Fire by an arsonist includes the induction of a heat source that can be as unadorned as a match or as compound like dangerous chemicals with very low explosion temperatures. By the rule of legislation a fire is thought to be an arson fire when all other unintended causes have not been met. We can say that reason of a fire was arson and consequently intentional, the detective must have adequate proof the one of the issues in the arson triangle was interfered with. Motives for Arson The motives of that motivate arsonist vary from situation to situation and much research has been established to determine the motives of arsonists, which has allowed the Neighborhood Fire Team, to compile a list of ten broad groups of motives, drawn from current study and from the experience of group members. Such motives contain: Vandalism: This group covers intentional and willful fire setting that is just for the sake of it (Stewart, 2006, 18). It also contains fire setting due to dare and colleague group pressure. Vandalism motivated arson is usually spontaneous and impulsive and engages manifold executors. Schools are often the target of vandalism motivated arson, as are abandoned or empty properties and, in the experience of this project, abandoned vehicles. Unfriendly behavior fires are also often motivated by vandalism. Curiosity/ Fire Play: This group is usually utilized when the fire has been set by young kids who do not realize the hazards of fire and were playing with, for instance, discarded cigarette lighter or matches. The people concerned are generally taken onto the fire setters intersession program. Excitement: This group contains those who set fires for thrills, attention seeking, identification and sexual perversion. It can be seen already that none of these groups are clear-cut and one may lead to another: for instance vandalism may lead to the arsonist setting fires for the thrill of it; and childhood fire play may lead to setting fires intentionally for the amount of concentration it generates from adults. Revenge: This group contains fires set for individual retaliation (against a spouse, partner or other family member); retaliation against regime or other institutions: and fires which are set as retribution against rival gangs or groups or in order to intimidate. In fact, much arson has a component of retaliation (aware or unaware) as part of the motive. Arsons of this category are often much greater planned and carried out than other types, and may be one-off events. Crime-concealment: This is used to explain arson fires which are set in order to hide another offense or vital proof. For instance, a room that a murder had taken place might be fired by the executors in order to destroy the body and destroy the crime scene. Stolen vehicles are often set alight after being abandoned in order to try and destroy any forensic proof. (Schulz, 2007, pp. 55) Profit: This type contains insurance fraud and arson executed against a competitor to try to put them out of business. Extremist: This type contains arson perpetrated by terrorists or other extremists (animal rights activists) and also arson which happens during or as part of disturbances or other civil riot. Racial: This type is fairly self-explanatory and covers all fires which are set for reasons of ethnic tension or intolerance. Psychological illness: Neighborhood Fire Team employees have attended many incidents, both within housing units and in the wider society, where fire setting has been due to psychological illness. Serial Arson: This is where one person working alone sets a series of fires, often over a long period of time. Serial arsonists may have one or more of the other causes also involving to their fire setting behavior. (Pawson, 2006, pp. 91) Although the causes for arson are sometimes difficult, the law is generally crystal clear: anybody who intentionally sets fire to something will be punished for it. In some areas, a fire that is caused by great negligence or disregard will also be classified as arson. The punishment for committing arson depends on the degree of the offense: how much property was damaged the total cost of the damages, and whether or not people were trapped in the fire. The intent also performs a role: whether the fire was set to defraud an insurance agency, cover up an offense, was part of a retaliation offense, or was intended to amuse or entertain the arsonist, for instance. Most parts of the world have arson researchers, who examine the sites of suspicious fires to decide the cause of the fire and whether or not it was arson. This job can sometimes be quite complex, particularly when proof is obscured by the efforts of those attempting to put out or clean up the fire. Arson examiners use a range of methods to inspect the sites of fires containing chemical analysis of proof, the use of sniffer dogs, and simple powers of surveillance. References Holmes, Ronald M. Holmes, Stephen T. (2008). Profiling Violent Crimes: An Investigative Tool. New York: Sage Publications, pp. 1-5. Stewart, Gail. (2006). Crime Scene Investigations Arson. New York: Lucent Books, pp. 15-25. Pawson, Stuart. (2006). Some by Fire. Washington: Allison Busby, 92. Schulz, Karen K. (2007). Crime Scene Detective: Arson. New York: Prufrock Press, Inc, pp. 54-60.

Elie and Marion Wiesel Night | Book

Elie and Marion Wiesel Night | Book Night The title suggests a clear setting of the nighttime and in a symbolic way the setting is during a time as dark and long as the night. Elie Wiesel lived through a time in world history that is so sinister many people refuse to believe it could have even happened. The Holocaust, World War II, Nazi Germany invasion of Eastern Europe countries, all are the setting and background story for Elie Wiesel firsthand account of surviving it all written in his book Night. Starting in Sighet, Transylvania â€Å"a small village that didn’t even make the maps† (Birthplace) Elie, his family, and many other Jews felt safe. They were far from the action in 1941 living their normal lives. The years passed and the Nazi threat grew closer their daily routines were changed, they were forced to move, to wear a star, and finally to be transported in 1944 to Auschwitz a German concentration camp, the largest of the death camps. (Auschwitz-Birkenau) Arriving at Birkenau men and women were separated as soon as they exited the train. In the moment so many families and loved ones were looking at each other for the last time, and none had the foresight to even know it. The same was true for Elie, â€Å"I didn’t know that this was the moment or the place where I was leaving my mother and Tzipora forever.† (Wiesel p.29) In the night (around midnight) Elie and his family were in Birkenau in the year 1944 and for two family members this was also their final resting place. It stands out to me how human nature is portrayed in the experience in this book. Even as they were separated from families, beaten, yelled at, seemingly marched to their death in the crematoria, told to strip, shaved, marched around camp, made to stand in the elements, and all the while smelling the stink of burning human flesh, they were still able to share joy when finding friends in the same place as you, in holding a family members hand because at least you weren’t alone, and having a moral boost after some sleep. (Wiesel 33-42) This holds true for the rest of the book, people always keeping the faith, holding on to some dream, and living for the family they know are still alive. All these things gave them the will to go on and the will to survive because it had to get better, didn’t it? But for the ones who did survive to the liberation by the allied troops I don’t think life will ever be a continuous sunny day, because the night always comes and with it th e memories and nightmares that will never be forgotten. But thankfully it will never be forgotten because the people who perished under these circumstances of the Holocaust should never be forgotten. In Birkenau Elie and his father were made to work in the warehouse and there the author begins to note has life in a concentration camp had changed him. After his father was beaten his anger was directed not at the Kapo who beat him but at his father who should not have provoked the Kapo. (Wiesel p. 54) This is where I began to see the separation of Elie and his father and imaged how it must have been for many others during this time in concentration and work camps. The human body can separate from the heart and emotion and learn to only survive and sometimes survival means only taking care of you. Take the story told on page 63 where a pipel was beating his own father because he did not make his bed properly and then demanded he stop crying or he would stop bringing his food. (Wiesel) In the winter of 1945 as the allied troops drew closer, the camp was told of evacuation and the decision had to be made to go as told or stay behind in the infirmaries where there was a possibility of being finished in the furnaces. At this point Elie was more worried about not being separated from his father and they chose to be evacuated with the others. Foresight would have saved them his father’s death had they have know those in the infirmary were liberated by the Russians two days later. (Wiesel p 82) â€Å"SS units evacuate Auschwitz in January. Elie and his father are transferred to  Buchenwald  concentration camp, near Weimar Germany. Soviet troops liberate Auschwitz on January 27.† (Elie Wiesel Timeline and World Events: 1928–1951) The evacuation proves to be the wrong choice for Elie’s father but it struck me how during the march it was his father’s existence that kept him going and in the snowy night his father was the one encouragin g his son who wanted to quit. This was also the time that Elie prayed the prayer to never do what Rabbi Eliahu’s son had done. â€Å"He had thought by this separation† from his father he could â€Å"free himself of a burden that could diminish his own chance for survival.† (Wiesel p. 86-91) This goes back to the idea of survival being a journey that one feels like they have to do alone, so others won’t bring them down or get in their way. It is so heart breaking that the encouragement the group needed to continue came from the very people that were making them march in the cold in the first place. So strange that they were wishing and praying for the barbed wire of Gleiwitz to appear, to be hoping and pining for another concentration camp where death seemed imminent. (Wiesel p. 92) On the move again from Geliwitz they were put in train cars again this time different people entirely entered the cars. They had different views on life and what it meant to live. They also had different appearances, now so skinny more could fit into the cars. (Wiesel p. 97) â€Å"Our brains a whirlwind of decaying memories. Our minds numb with indifference†¦The night was growing longer, never ending.† (Wiesel p. 98) The author could be speaking of the literal night as they road to their new location but I feel that he was talking about the night that they will all live in for the rest of their lives. They will never be able to remove those memories from their minds and after experience something so horrific the night must seem never ending. The story of the workers throwing bread on to the train car shows another parallel in the story of the fight the human body has for survival above anything else and it takes over the heart and emotions numbing them. When the old man g ets bread for he and his son and his son is the very one that is beating him to death to take the bread from his father, the son is beyond human in that moment and does not even recognize his own father calling out for him to stop. (Wiesel p. 101) When they finally reach their destination, Buchenwald, Elie’s father has given up. The will to live is the key to survive in any aspect of life. When a person is diagnosed with cancer, when you are lost in the wilderness, when any struggle arises you must keep the will to live. This was proven in the book when people lost their will to live after learning of loved ones who did not make it; they gave up and died soon after. â€Å"I knew that I was no longer arguing with him but with Death itself, with Death that he had already chosen.† (Wiesel p. 105) As his father’s health worsens Elie starts to realize that he is too is acting the way he prayed he would not. He tried to help his father but was given the advice â€Å"In this place, there is no such thing as a father, brother, friend. Each of us lives and dies alone.† (Wiesel p. 110) When his father did pass in the night no one was aware of it happening and Elie was changed forever. He felt freedom and hung er. Nothing else mattered after his father died but food. This was his body taking over his mind and emotions and driving everything in his being toward survival and to survive you just need food. (Wiesel p. 112-113) When the Front came closer and closer to Buchenwald Elie thought only of food. When the American tanks arrived and liberated the remaining men they only thought of provisions. â€Å"No thought of revenge, or of parents. Only of bread. And even when we were no longer hungry, not one of us thought of revenge.† (Wiesel p. 115) I hope that the survivor’s still do not think of revenge but instead of preserving and continuing the memory of all those that were lost during the Holocaust and World War II. The families not only lost people they cared for but the world suffered a great loss in losing so many lives and stories and possibilities. I am glad that Elie Wiesel had the strength to write this book and I hope that there is truth in the saying that time heals all pain. Maybe with time he and others have healed enough to see the light at dawn and not focus completely on the night. Works Cited Auschwitz-Birkenau.Auschwitz-Birkenau. PaÅ„stwowe Muzeum Auschwitz-Birkenau W OņºwiÄâ„ ¢cimiu, 1999. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. Birthplace.Birthplace. G. Seila M. Acree, n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. http://enloehs.wcpss.net/projects/west42002/wiesel3/birthplace.html> . â€Å"Elie Wiesel Timeline and World Events: 1928–1951.United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. United States Holocaust Memorial Council, 20 June 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014. http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007200>. Wiesel, Elie, and Marion Wiesel.Night. New York, NY: Hill and Wang, a Division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2006. Print.

La Oferta del Año - Spanish Essay :: Papers

La Oferta del Aà ±o Esta casa es ideal para una familia grande. Es situado en el corazà ³n de la ciudad y es la cerca muchas estaciones. Hay abajo una bastante grande cocina integral. Es muy mordern con baldosines. Hay tambià ©n un comedor grande y es decora agradablemente. Prà ³ximo a el comedor hay un aseo pequeà ±o. La casa tiene dos espacios de recibo, ambos grande y con chimineas. Al lado de primero espacio de recibo, hay un conservatorio nuevo con el plan encantador de madera y es la iluminacià ³n muy buena. Hay arriba cuatro dormitorios y dos cuartos de baà ±o. Ambos cuartos de baà ±o son completamente embaldosado. El dormitorio principal es grande, tiene las ventanas grandes y armarios empotrados. El tercero y segundos dormitorios son idà ©nticos con armarios empotrados. El cuarto dormitorio es pequeà ±o pero puede quedar una cama matrimonial. Todo el dormitoros son decorado hermosamente. Afuera, hay un garaje con suficiente espacio para dos coches. En el fachada jardin hay arboles frutales y las plantas grandes. En el jardà ­n de espalda hay una piscina climatizada pero pequeà ±o. La casa tiene el calefaccion central, vantanas insulados y parabolica. La arquitectura es extraordinaria, mordern y es diseà ±ado por un arquitecto bueno. El precio muy razonable y se acceptan afertas. Para mà ¡s informacion, contacta. Agentcia Anjani Amlani sobre: TLF: 0208 863 4444 CELULAR: 07704 404 404 ====================== Mi Casa Mi casa esta en Harrow Weald. Esta tambià ©n cerca de Wealdstone y diez minutos de mis escuelas. Mi casa tiene dos pisos. Abajo hay un grande salon. Es decorà ³ agradablemente pero es un poco pequeà ±o. El comedor es conectado el salon y es decorà ³ misma manera con una mesa pequeà ±a de vidrio en el centro del cuarto. La conservitorio es muchisimo largo y y tiene la iluminacià ³n bueno. Es muy frio en inverno o muy caliente en verano. Arriba hay tres dormitorios y una cuarto de baà ±o. El cuarto de bano es regular y es todo azul. El dormitorio de mi hermano es muy pequà ±o y

Robert Frost Home Burial - The Insensitive, Selfish Husband Essay

The Insensitive, Selfish Husband of Home Burial  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      Even in the closest of relationships, the death of a baby can separate and form a wedge between a husband and wife. Husbands and wives tend to handle the process of mourning differently, not only because of the differences between male and female, but also because of personality and the social molding in one's upbringing. In the poem, "Home Burial," Robert Frost gives a glimpse of the conflicts caused by non-communication and misunderstanding between a husband and wife upon the death of their first and only child. Their conflict is rooted in part in the husband's selfishness, revealed by his insensitivity, narrow-mindedness, and pride. The husband's selfishness is reflected in his unconscious insensitivity to his wife's feelings. The death of a child is extremely hard for anyone to deal with, but it seems to be an impossible task for the man's wife Amy. Even in just walking down the stairs from a window overlooking their family graveyard, her frequent "Looking back over her shoulder at some fear" (3) is a sign of Amy's inability to let go of her emotional hurt. The husband seems to be blind to her concern, for he has to ask her, "What is it you see / From up there always?for I want to know" (6?7). It is not until he goes to the window and looks out for awhile that he finally makes the connection that his wife is hurting from the sight of ". . . the child's mound?" (30). Amy tries to run away from confrontation with her grief, for she ". . . slid[es] downstairs; And turn[s] on [her husband] with . . . a daunting look, . . ." (32?33). The air between them might have begun to clear if her husband had not lost his temp er and lashed out saying, "Can't a man speak o... ...ring you back by force. I will!?" (116). His prideful male instinct of leadership cannot take her rebellion, and her assertive independence takes her right out the door. The difficulty of men understanding women and women understanding men can probably be traced back to creation. When life adds such things as death on top of individual personality traits, the balance in a marriage often teeters. In his personal views and ideals, the husband in Frost's poem has begun to build a brick wall between Amy and himself. Since his understanding of Amy and her grief has not moved beyond the point of self, he might be close to placing the last brick in the wall.    Works Cited Frost, Robert. "Home Burial." Introduction to Literature: Reading, Analyzing, and Writing.2nd ed. Ed. Dorothy U. Seyler and Richard A. Wilan. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice, 1990. 144?47.   

Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism Essay

The Chinese are the among the cultures to whose lives and philosophies are greatly influenced by their religion – Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. These three school of thoughts basically deal as to how the Chinese live in harmony, not only among themselves but with nature as well. Among the three schools of thought, Buddhism is the only one which did not originate in China. Hence, it differs with Confucianism and Taoism in as much as it deals with the human being alone and his suffering. Nonetheless, although it is different from Confucianism and Taoism, it is admittedly not in conflict with these two but rather it reinforces the concepts and tenets of the two schools of thought. Buddhism primarily believes in reincarnation (nirvana) and affirms the fact that life is â€Å"suffering† and that â€Å"desire and craving† are the causes of suffering. In order to attain happiness, one has to overcome his cravings and desires, hatred and complaints. Although Buddhism was not originally from China, it has nonetheless gained widespread popularity over the centuries. At the start, Buddhism and the Chinese native religions vastly varied. Buddhism reinforced reincarnation while the native Chinese believed in single life only. Secondly, Buddhism insists that in order to achieve the state of Nirvana, one has to give up or leave society and enter the celibate and homeless life of a monk or nun while the Chinese placed great emphasis on the family and its continuance of descendants. Furthermore, Buddhism does not believe in the existence of the soul compared to the native Chinese who believe in earthly and heavenly souls and lastly, while Buddhism reiterates the independence of the monastic community, native Chinese religions insist that all institutions whether religious or secular are under the government. Eventually though, Buddhism adjusted to Chinese society and vice versa. Hence, the Chinese came to believe in reincarnation and believed that their deceased relatives became ancestors. Because Buddhism propagated the belief of reincarnation and the Chinese came to believe in it, it was able to bring together the development of a series of ideas regarding heaven and eternal happiness and that they could be reborn into different levels. Hence, modern Chinese society used Buddhist temples as the centrepiece of worship and study. It also made Buddhists the key players in funerals by taking over the burial and remembrance of the deceased. Wealthy and affluent Chinese make sure to have Buddhist monks during funerals because their presence more or less became an assurance of a good rebirth. Moreover, a deceased’s name place in a spirit plaque inside the temple meant that he or she is part of the daily Buddhist prayer. Gleaning from the history of Buddhism, the religion took different paths. Originally, it was an individualistic religion wherein one is responsible for his own progress in the path to nirvana. Thus, it entails that the believer has to enter the monastery and become a monk, with the aim of abandoning their desires. This is done by not doing any work and was only supported through begging and donations from the community. But the Chinese found this path to be very difficult and soon â€Å"easier paths† took form. The Chinese are known for their excellent health and long life. This is also attributed to Buddhism. With the separation from the original form of Buddhism came the Tantric form of Buddhism which stresses the total involvement of the body, mind and speech in the search for enlightenment and nirvana. As the doctrine of the karma took hold and fabricated itself into Chinese society, out came new types of behaviour that can be attributed to the Buddhists. The Chinese began to practice seated meditation and make offerings to images. They also adapted the Buddhist rites of confession and consecration. While Buddhism mainly seeks to promote the belief of reincarnation and karma, it was also able to alter the world of the Chinese in terms of materials by introducing new objects, symbols and rituals. The practice of making donations to the Buddhist monks in order to ensure their good rebirth also became adapted. Hence, inspite of its belief that in order to achieve Nirvana, one has to abandon all worldly and material things, Buddhism today especially in Chinese society encourages donations even at such huge amounts to the extent that the donor fails no reluctance for giving such to a supposedly celibate and austere community all for the sake of ensuring good karma and Nirvana. There is one basis for this practice: the monks relied mainly on the donations of the community. Aside from donating for the monks’ clothing and food, donors are also encouraged to make material offerings to Buddha such as gold, topaz, silver and crystal. Devotees are also encouraged to make images of the Buddha. While the Chinese are known for their frugality, they nonetheless place great importance in the splendour of Buddhist practices and images or objects. As can be seen, the Chinese value images of the Buddha that are made of precious stones and metals. Unlike Christians who use wood or clays for their images and icons, Chinese Buddhists believe that Buddhist deities must be given such images as their expression of respect. In summary, although Buddhism maintained the belief and practice of austerity and celibacy in order to attain eternal happiness and enlightenment, Chinese society in practice contradicts the tenets of Buddhism. This may be attributed to the fact that Buddhism adapted the culture of the Chinese instead of the other way around. Therefore, even though monks promoted and practiced austerity, they nonetheless encouraged their believers to give material wealth to the monastic community as security for their â€Å"rebirth†.

Analysis of Eating Christmas in the Kalahari

Analysis of â€Å"Eating Christmas in the Kalahari† Richard Lee’s piece, â€Å"Eating Christmas in the Kalahari,† describes his experience living with the ! Kung Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert in south central Africa, but it does more than just reiterate a three year stint with a native African tribe. It also serves as documentation of another instance of how different societies of people distinguish themselves from one another with certain customs and differences in how they conduct themselves socially. Misunderstandings are commonplace when it comes to anthropologist living among an unfamiliar group of people due to many sorts of cultural barriers.The primary obstacle that Lee encounters is a misinterpretation between himself and the tribesman on why he isn’t receiving the gratitude that he expects for slaughtering such an enormous ox. While it may not seem like it at first, the conflict that arises between the tribesman and Lee can symbolize the dispari ty between society in the United States and society in the Kalahari Desert. In the United States, when people do a deed that they deem as an act of kindness, they expect a â€Å"thank you† from the beneficiary. The! Kung Bushmen operate a little differently.Instead of the â€Å"thank you† that is customary in the United States, they ridicule and degrade the gift. This is what occurred with Lee and his ox which left him bewildered as to why the Bushmen would treat him this way when he was sure that he has chose a more than adequate ox for the feast. This is another example of how cultures can contrast with one another. The reasoning behind why the! Kung Bushmen handle gifts the way they do is actually a simple one. Their goal is to have no one man perceive himself greater than others just because he can bring home food.The line â€Å"We insult men after they make a kill because of Arrogance. Yes, when a young man kills much meat he comes to think of himself as a chief or big man, and he thinks of the rest of us as inferior or servants. We can't accept this† supports this line of thinking. When the Bushmen realized how proud Lee was of his sacrifice, they utilized this in order to keep him humble. Many times when Americans perform a good deed it is so they can receive some sort of recognition which in turn builds their ego. This is where the !Kung and Americans contrast. The ! Kung act the way they do because they see it as a service. They consider keeping one humble as doing the person a favor. Richard Lee’s firsthand experience served to deliver the message to the reader much more efficiently than if we were to read it from someone who received their information indirectly. By reading Lee’s account, we are able to fully grasp the effect that the ! Kung have on someone and how that person reacts to it, in addition to why the ! Kung act operate in the manner that they do.

Case Study Report – Motorola

This case is about implementation of a new â€Å"shared vision† concept within The Analog Division of Motorola Company. In 1993 Analog division was a major manufacturer of analog products in the world and had its divisions in many different countries. In other words the division had strong global presence. In order to create more efficient global company, Alison and John have decided to develop new shared vision within The Analog Division where managers would be involved directly and indirectly in the decision making process. Before the new vision development, Analog Division and its managers was very limited in decision making. Because they had such a strong global presence their vision didn’t work. The problem was that they were not open to new global ideas or possible obstacles where managers around the world would make decisions together. Visioning process of Motorola’s Analog Division had number of cultural challenges. One of the challenges was the difference in the way different cultures perceived concept of â€Å"shared vision†. One of the key words in the vision statement was â€Å"family† and â€Å"union†. For instance, people in China take the word â€Å"family† literally and in their own setting this word is not appropriately applicable to vision statement. Another challenge was getting managers to think globally and get accustomed to the concept of shared vision. Many of the managers from different countries had their own cultural ways of doing things and to open ones ideas to others was hard to achieve. Alison and John had hard time communicating to managers that this idea is not imposed on them. The major barrier in the vision implementation was the language. Sometimes, the same words in one language have very different meaning in another. The following quote is good example of the language and communication style perception: â€Å"Good communication American style is to say what you mean precisely, in as straightforward a manner as possible. Be direct, get to the point, and say what the bottom line is. For other cultures, this style is rude, abrasive and self-centered†. (http://www. frugalmarketing. com/dtb/xcultcomm. html) Therefore, Alison and John were trying to be careful about this issue. They had vision statement written in five different languages. The important thing was that the vision statement was not just literally translated but rather adjusted to its own culture so people of that division have clear understanding of the vision. First cultural misstep that Alison and John made was their lack of research prior to the task. They have conducted research reg arding managers and the ways they communicate decisions overseas. They also gained insight of the success of each division but what they failed to consider some of the psychological cultural differences. They overlooked possibility of different reactions among the managers based on their background. For instance, some managers were afraid to lose their jobs where in fact that was not the case. We can see that from this quote† Every culture possesses a unique mixture of attitudes, values, and social expectations. I think that Seven Tasks process definitely added significant value to the final results. The way the tasks were broken down helped both, managers and Alison to have a better grasp of the vision statement process. It was easier to account for details and to adjust to reactions by going through steps. Phase four will definitely be challenging one. Working in a group is one thing but agreeing on the process could be challenging especially where different cultures are agreeing on one thing. Another additional challenge is taking the vision to the future and building upon it.