Determining Training needs at Summit Credit Union Case Study

Determining Training needs at Summit Credit Union - Case Study Example Summit credit union noted that newly employed lenders did not have the needed skills and information to take up the job and the problem attribute to the way the training curriculum was organized. The problem identification will be through conducting a needs assessment. A needs assessment is the process of identifying and analyzing a company’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats with an aim of improving to achieve the company goals and initiatives. The first step in a needs assessment would be an organizational analysis to determine the skill and abilities the organization needs. The analysis establishes whether the training would benefit the company and whether the required resources are available. The analysis also identifies the merits and opportunities of the company and helps to focus on the demerits and threats. The second step is to do a personal analysis to establish who will receive the training and who will conduct the training (Boyer Management Group, 2014). This analysis establishes the level of the existing competency and the areas that require more training. Thirdly, this will involve analyzing the job and the requirements. This analysis will identify the main duties, experience, skills, and competency required to take the job and perform well. The forth step would be to perform an analysis on the performance of the specific task and establish whether it is below the expectations and whether the training will help bridge the gap between the actual performance and the expected performance. Next would be to do an analysis on the content of the training to identify the appropriate content that is in line with the requirements of the specific job. This will help in delivering the appropriate training to the employees. The next step is to establish whether training will solve the employment or there are other underlying reasons of not performing well (Employee Opinion Survey, 2014). Lastly, a cost benefit analysis

3 Ps Self-Assessment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

3 Ps Self-Assessment - Assignment Example These were due to unavoidable circumstances that were explained to respective lectures in advance. My interpersonal relations with both lecturers and students have also been good without even a single reported case of conflict. This is because I always respect people’s opinions and personality and I have excellent communication skills towards approaching people (Lambert, p. 3-6). My level of preparation for class work has similarly been outstanding with a 46 points rating. This includes my readiness with respect to assignments, presentations, and class readings. My assignments and presentations have always been done and reviewed in time, before submission time, a fact that has facilitated my excellence as I have always had time for revision and editing of my work. Both lectures and classmates have also recommended my preparedness for class readings (Lambert, p. 3-6). My participation is similarly highly rated at 45 points. While I am always ready to participate in discussions and class exercises, I normally allow other people to participate and only engage when called upon. The relatively lower score in my participation can be explained by my passive nature (Lambert, p.

Trama In Wireless Sensor Networks

Trama In Wireless Sensor Networks Recent advances in wireless sensor networks have led to many new protocols specially designed for different applications where the energy efficiency is the main consideration. The traffic adaptive medium access protocol (TRAMA) is introduced for energy efficient collision free channel access in wireless sensor networks. TRAMA reduces the energy consumption by avoiding the collisions of transmitted data packets and it allows the nodes to switch low power mode whenever they are not in transmitting and receiving mode. This article is explained about TRAMA operation, related applications developed based on TRAMA protocol and its advantages and disadvantages. A wireless sensor network is a wireless network consisting of spatially distributed autonomous devices that use sensors to measure the physical or environmental quantities like temperature, sound, vibration, pressure, motion at different places. The main purpose of wireless sensor network is to collect the information from target domain and transmit the information back to specific task. Such a network usually consisting of a number of wireless sensor nodes arranges in ad-hog fashion and each node consisting of one or more sensors, low power transceiver, processor and an energy source likely a battery. A significant amount of energy is consumed by the sensor nodes radio that degrades the network lifetime. In order to reduce the energy consumption of these sensor nodes research has been done on the design of low power electronic devices. Because of hardware limitations further energy efficiency can be achieved by designing energy efficient communication protocols. Medium access contro l (MAC) is an important technique that ensures the successful operation of the network by avoiding the collisions and switching the nodes to idle mode which are not participating in the transmission and receptions. The following attributes has to consider while designing a good MAC protocol such as energy efficiency, latency, throughput and fairness. In a wireless sensor network, the communication part consumes most of the energy which is the main optimization goal for making of MAC protocols. The MAC protocols directly controls the communication module and saves the energy. The major sources of energy consumption in wireless sensor networks are collisions, overhearing, control packet overhead and idle listening. Collisions are generated when a transmitted packet is corrupted due to interference and it has to retransmit again. Collisions also increase the latency. Overhearing is that a node takes up the packets which are intended to other nodes. Control packets used in wireless sensor network include ready-to-send (RTS), clear-to-send (CTS) and acknowledgement (ACK). The transmission of these packets leads to energy consumption, therefore a minimum number of control packets should be used to make a data transmission. Idle listening is one of the major sources of energy consumption. A node really does not know when it will be the receiver of a massage from one of its neighbours. So, it must be wake up all the time for incoming message resulting in idle listening and that can consume 50-100% of the power required for receiving. The MAC protocols for wireless sensor networks can be classified broadly into two categories i.e. contention based and scheduled based. The schedule based protocol can avoid collisions, overhearing and idle listening by scheduling the transmission and listen periods under the strict time synchronization requirements. The contention based protocols have relax time synchronization requirements and can easily adjust to the topology changes as some new nodes are joining to the network or some of the nodes are expired after deployment. These are based on carrier sense multiple access technique and have higher costs for message collisions, overhearing and idle listening. There are a considerable number of MAC protocols which are implemented for different applications in WSN. Each protocol works on different techniques and at last all are targeted for energy efficiency. TRAMA is one of the scheduled based distributed TDMA (time division multiple access) based protocol that has been designed for energy efficient collision free channel in WSNs. The remainder of this section is explained in next sections. TRAMA: Traffic adaptive medium access (TRAMA) protocol which aims to achieve the energy efficiency by avoiding the collisions of data packets while receiving and by employing a low power mode for node which are not scheduled in transmission and reception. The usage of low power mode is dynamically determined and adapted according to traffic pattern. TRAMA applies a traffic adaptive distribution election scheme that selects the receivers based on the schedules announced by transmitters. Nodes using TRAMA, exchange their two hop information and the transmission schedules fixing which nodes are the intended receivers of their traffic in chronological order. TRAMA consists of three components which are neighbour protocol(NP), schedule exchange protocol (SEP) which allows to exchange two-hop neighbour information and schedules and adaptive election algorithm (AEA) uses the information of NP,SEP and it selects transmitters and receivers for current time slot and leaving the other nodes in network to switch to the low power mode. TRAMA assumes a single time slotted channel for both data and signalling transmissions. The above figure shows the overall timeslot organization of the protocol. Time is organized as sections of random and scheduled access periods. The author [1] assumes that random access periods as signalling slots and scheduled access slots as transmission slots. NP propagates among neighbouring nodes and gathers the data during random access period using signalling slots; this way two-hop topology information is obtained. Collisions may happen when contention based mechanism is used during random access period. Transmission slots make collision free data exchange possible by schedule propagation. Schedule exchange protocol (SEP) is responsible for maintaining the updated schedules with neighbours periodically. Generally these schedules are holds the traffic based information which is useful for collision free data transmissions. A node announces its schedule before the transmission stage. The length of the transmission slot is fixed based on channel bandwidth and data size. Signalling packets are smaller in size compared to the data packets so the transmission slots are typically longer than signalling slots. ACCESS MODES AND THE NEIGHBOR PROTOCOL: In the sensor networks, often nodes are power drained and some new nodes are may join to the network. To accommodate these dynamic changes in topology, TRAMA alternates between random and scheduled access. TRAMA starts in random access modes where each node transmits the data by selecting a slot randomly. More dynamic networks require more frequent random access periods and it is opposite to static networks. During these random access periods, all the nodes must be in transmit or receive mode. NP gathers the neighbourhood information by exchanging signalling packets during the random access periods. The above figure 2(a) shows the format of the header of a signalling packet. If there is no up dated information, the signalling packets will sendkeep-alive beacons to its neighbours. A node times out its neighbours, if it does not hear from that node for a certain period of time. By the end of random access period all the nodes will have the information about its two hop neighbours with 0.99 probabilities. SCHEDULE EXCHANGE PROTOCOL: The name itself tells that SEP maintains the traffic based schedules across the neighbours and it periodically updates the schedules. A node has responsible to announce its schedule using SEP before starting the actual transmission. Schedule generation process as follows that each node computes SCHEDULE_INTERVALL based on the packets are generated by the higher layers. The SCHEDULE_INTERVALL of a node represents the number of transmission slots for which the node announce to its schedule to its neighbours according to its current state of MAC layer queue. The node then pre-computes its number of slots in the interval for which it selects the highest priority among its two hop neighbours which we called as winning slots. These winning slots are selected as transmitter and as well node announces these slots to intended receivers. If the node does not have data to send in its slots then it gives up the corresponding slots to other nodes who want to use these vacant slots. A node lost wi nning slot is this interval is reserved for broadcasting the schedule in next interval. Nodes announce their schedule through schedule packets. In these criteria there is no need of receiver address which has obtained through NP. Nodes convey the information to intended receiver using a bitmap whose length is equal to the number of one hop neighbours. Each bit in the bitmap corresponds to one of the receiver order by their identities. An advantage of using these bitmaps is simple with broadcast and multicast communication can be supported. To broadcast a packet to all its neighbours then all the bitmap bits are set to one. If the packet need to multicast with the neighbouring nodes then only that bits are set in the bitmap. For vacant slots the node announces zero bitmap. The slots which are mapped as zero can be used by other nodes in the two-hop neighbourhood. The format of scheduled packet is shown below. In that format the last winning slot in the bitmap is always reserved for announcing the next scheduling. Additionally, the data packets can carry the summary information of a node schedule to its neighbours. These schedule summaries help to minimize the effects of packet loss. As shown in the figure 2(b) the data packets contain the three blocks of summary information of scheduled data in that bitmap corresponds to the number of winning slots in the current interval. The size of the bitmap is number slots and is used to indicate whether it in transmit mode or giving up the corresponding slot. Nodes will maintain synchronization with their one hop neighbours by this schedule information. The slot after which all the winning slots go unused is called change over slot. All nodes have to listen during the change over slot to synchronize their schedules. ADAPTIVE ELECTION ALGORITHEM(AEA): A node is selected to transmit when it has the highest priority among its contending set. At any given timeslot T, the state of a given node U is determined by Us two-hop neighbourhood information and the schedules announced by Us one-hop neighbours. The node can be in three states at given timeslot T, that are transmit, receive and sleep. (i) If a node U at T in transmits, then it has the highest priority and it has the data to send then the slot is used for transmission. (ii) If a node U in receive mode, when it is the receiver of the node which is in transmit mode in the current slot. (iii) Otherwise it will go to sleep mode. Whenever a node has absolute winner for a particular slot and it has non zero bitmap for this slot, it knows that no other node in its two hop neighbourhood will be transmission in this slot. Then collision free transmission is happened to intended receivers. When a node is not absolute winner, then it is not sure who the actual transmitter for a particular slot is. For example, consider a topology in figure (4), it shows that node D is the highest priority in Bs two-hop neighbourhood. In a given time slot and node A is the highest priority in its two-hop neighbours. So, both the AD transmit in the timeslot because they are absolute winners. The absolute winner to node B is node D. The node B is looks at it schedule for D and finds that B is not intended receiver of D, then it goes to sleep mode by missing the As transmission. So, before going to sleep mode a node must also account for the alternate winner. This inconsistency will occur when the alternate winner is hidden from the ab solute winner i.e. they are three hops away. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES: Higher percentage of sleep schedules and collision free transmissions are achieved compared to CSMA based protocols. TRAMA performance can get adapted dynamically to the network traffic conditions and adapts the topology changes throughout the network. Moreover, without considering the transmission and reception, the duty cycle is at least 12.5%; the percentage is excessive for the kind of networks. The latency of TRAMA is more when compared with other contention based protocols such as S-MAC and IEEE 802.11. The delay performance is obtained by analytical mode which notes that TRAMA has higher delay when compared with NAMA. TRAMA protocol is suitable for applications like not delay sensitive but require high energy efficiency and throughput. A typical example is sensor network used for periodic data collection and monitoring applications. CONCLUSION: TRAMA is energy- aware channel access protocol for wireless sensor networks. TRAMA uses the traffic based schedules and avoids the wasting slots and switch the nodes to low power mode when there is no data to send and they are intended receivers of traffic. Through extensive simulations, TRAMA shows significant energy savings i.e. nodes can sleep 87% of its time when compared with scheduled and contention based MAC protocols depending on the offered load. TRAMA also have higher throughputs around 40% over S-MAC and CSMA and 20% over 802.11. It avoids the collisions due to hidden terminals. TRAMA protocol is more suitable for applications like with not delay sensitive and produce high energy efficiency.

Slavery Is The South Essay -- essays research papers

Slavery is the South Essay #3 Slavery played a dominating and critical role in much of Southern life. In the struggle for control in America, slavery was the South’s stronghold and the hidden motive behind many political actions and economic statistics. By dominating Southern life, slavery also dominated the economic and political aspects of life in the South from 1840 to 1860. By the 1840’s and 50’s the Southern economy had almost completely become slave and cash crop agriculture based. Without slaves in the south a person was left either landless and penniless or struggling to get by on a small farm. However, even though slaves dominated the southern economy, slaveholders only included about 2 to 3 percent of the population. This small percentage was the amount of people successful in a slave based, cash crop agricultural, Southern economy. Therefore, the Southern economy was controlled and dominated by those who did and did not have slaves. Furthermore, with t he high demand for Southern items in Europe and Northern America more slaves were needed in the South to produce these cash crops. Without slaves there would be no cotton, tobacco, or sugar production and without these integral items the Southern economy would absolutely fail. The South depended on slaves to fuel their economy and therefore slavery dominated their economy. Between 1840 and 1860 many political issues, debates, and actions were inflamed by slavery. As America grew, the South wanted more slave states...

Ideas and Values Shape Who You Become in Society Essay

Most people strive to have a good social standing and the ideas and values they hold on to can often influence their place in society. Society dictates which ideas and values will be accepted and which will be rejected. The values that stick with us the most are usually taught to us as children and help to influence who we become. In â€Å"Girl† and â€Å"Good People†, the characters were raised to have religious values and to behave in a way that will make it easy for them to fit into their society. The main characters in these stories had their values imposed on them at a young age, and helped to shape who they’ve become and how they behave in society. Read more: Good people by David Foster Wallace  essay Religion is a cornerstone for the characters in both stories. They are taught what is acceptable in their religion, in this case Christianity, and realize certain actions could alienate them from their social groups. In â€Å"Girl†, the girl is given specific instructions on how to behave, including â€Å"don’t sing benna in Sunday school† (Kincaid, 120). She is taught that singing folk music on the Lord’s day is improper, and even though she â€Å"doesn’t sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday school† (120), she is explicitly told a few times not to do it. There, it is important for her to be on her best behavior. On Sundays she is shown she must â€Å"try to walk like a lady and not the slut you are so bent on becoming† (120) because how she is perceived on Sundays can be detrimental to her public image. In â€Å"Good People† Lane A. Dean Jr and his girlfriend Sheri’s values weigh heavily on their thoughts as they consider their options when making a momentous decision. The two are very religious and â€Å"they’d prayed on it and talked it through from every different angle† (Wallace, 152). They are worried about how their society will perceive them and if they are still good people if they go through with having an abortion and never really mention the word in conversation. Even  on the phone they speak â€Å"in a kind of half code in case anybody accidentally picked up the extension† (153). Neither of them goes to a friend or even religious leaders to talk about their situation, â€Å"not Pastor Steve or the prayer partners at campus ministries, not his UPS friends or the spiritual counselling available through his parents’ old church† (152) because they are ashamed. Specifically, Lane feels â€Å"like he knew now why it was a true sin and not just a leftover rule from past society† (152). In â€Å"Girl† and â€Å"Good People†, the main character’s religious values have an affect on who they are in society, a good person or someone â€Å"who gets to touch the bread† (Kincaid, 121). Even though Lane Dean and Sheri had made the appointment, they were still uncertain of their decision. Lane knew he couldn’t make up his girlfriend’s mind because â€Å"he knew if he was the salesman of it and forced it upon her that was awful and wrong† (Wallace, 152) and he knows it isn’t his place to make a decision for her. However, he wishes he could know what Sheri is thinking and â€Å"get her to open up and say enough back that he could see her and read her heart and know what to say to get her to go through with it† (152). Sheri knows Lane Dean is a good person, and that he respects her enough to know he cannot force her to side with him, but he still wishes he could persuade her to have the abortion. Ultimately, it is Sheri’s decision to have the abortion, or cancel the appointment. Similarly, included in the long list of instructions in â€Å"Girl† is â€Å"how to make a good medicine to throw away a child before it even becomes a child (Kincaid, 120), so the girl can decide for herself whether or not to have an abortion. Beside how to make medicine, the girl is taught other gender specific lessons that include cooking, sewing, laundry, and grocery shopping. She needs to learn how to sew in order to hem a dress â€Å"so to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming† (120) and looking indecent in public. All of these instructions are aimed to make it easier for the girl to find a husband by teaching her â€Å"how you set a table for dinner with an important guest†¦ how to behave in the presence of men who don’t know you very well† (120). Understanding of gender roles and how to behave around men, or be a wife, are important lessons for the girl to learn in order to survive in her society. Class affiliation plays a role in the upbringing of the girl. She is instructed to â€Å"wash the white clothes†¦ and put them on the stone heap†(119) and â€Å"when buying cotton to make yourself a nice blouse, be sure that it doesn’t have gum on it†(119-120) because it doesn’t matter which social class she belongs to, she still needs to have clean, well-made clothes. Sewing is a useful skill for her, because she cannot afford clothes that are already made, or even premade fabric. Harsh words and phrases that are repeated throughout the story such as â€Å"slut† and â€Å"wharf-rat boy† accentuate the point that there is a certain way for her to behave in society and that if she acts like a slut or associates with wharf-rat boys, people will view her as being lower than them. Unlike the girl, Lane A. Dean Jr seems to belong to the upper middle class based on his name, and the fact that he attends junior college while living at home with his parents. He was named after his father, and perhaps this close affiliation with the patriarch of his family makes him apprehensive of confiding in his parents about his situation. He is close with his mother as well, and she thinks Sheri is â€Å"good people†¦she made this evident in little ways† (150). Lane is worried their decision and their sins mean they will no longer be viewed as good people to the people in their upper class society and knows Sheri â€Å"can neither [have an abortion] today nor carry a child alone and shame her family† (155). Trying to fit in to society, whether upper or lower class can be an arduous task with many lessons to learn and roles to play. Knowing your place and where you fit in determines your success. The ideas and values imprinted on youth to build character and deter bad behavior allow them to conform to society. Works Cited Mays, Kelly J. ed. _The Norton Introduction to Literature._ Portable 11th ed. New York: Norton, 2013. Print. Kincaid, Jamaica. â€Å"Girl.† Mays 119. Print. Wallace, David Foster. â€Å"Good People.† Mays 149. Print.

Cultural Autobiography Essay

Cultural Biography: How My Roots Shape My Identity It is often said that we should not let a single feature of ourselves define who we are. For example, a basketball should not only be an athlete, but must also value her roles as a sister, a daughter, a student, and anything else that gives her life meaning. A doctor should not only focus on his identity in the medical field but also his place in his neighborhood, his church, and, of course, his family. Otherwise, he would be considered the workaholic. In many cases, though, it is very easy to do. People’s identities are made up of all the roles they play in their lives. Defining oneself or someone else in only way is not healthy because it does not consider the full complexity the person. Thinking of ourselves in a limited way, such as if I considered myself only a student but did not consider my roles as a friend to others and a family member, could lead to shallow thinking. Thinking of others in such a way can result in stereotyping and even discrimination, such as if someo ne thinks she knows all she that needs to know about someone based on his religious beliefs. Nonetheless, not all aspects of our identities contribute equally to the whole. Certain elements of our environment and background help to shape us fundamentally. They seem to serve as a base for everything else that we would learn, do, and become. I think everyone has one or two areas of that nature. For me, I think that one of the most defining traits about me is the culture I came from, which is Mainland Chinese. Although I keep an open mind and try to learn new ways of looking at the world, the beliefs of my upbringing often are dominant. If you asked me to describe who I am at my core, I would probably say that I am a Chinese woman. Culture, of course, comes from the people around us. As I see it, my family, including a large extended family, has been the most influential community in shaping who I am today, because they passed on their culture to me. Often we do not realize what is our culture until we leave it. I can remember when I first arrived in America and stayed for a short time with a host family. They had a daughter who was 10 years old. She had a little cold at the time. She drank cold orange juice. I was so shocked that her mother allowed her to drink it. In my family, we feel that cold drinks are not good for sick people and that they can hurt the stomach. Many people in China think this way. I could almost hear my own mother’s voice in my head, scolding her disapproving of the cold drink. She and her sisters could never accept this. After hearing this idea for so many years, I, too, was starting to have the same reaction. When people have flu or cold, in China the appropriate drink is thought to be hot water. I suggested to the girl’s mother that she should drink warm water. They both suddenly got a disgust look on their faces. They said orange juice would be better because it has a lot of vitamin C to fight the germs. This was one of my first lessons in culture, both Am erican and my own. For my part, I still do not like to have very cold drinks. However, I do not make any suggestion about what other people should drink. In explaining how my family has influenced me, I should discuss some basic elements about Chinese culture. It is collectivist culture, not individual culture like America. That means that Mainland Chinese society tends to see the group as being more important than the person. The question then is who is the group. Based on stereotypical Western movies or shows, it would be easy to assume that nearly all Chinese act and look alike and that they would see themselves as one group. In fact, this is not true at all. Chinese people think in much smaller terms, most typically, and would see their immediate family, including elders such as parents and grandparents, as their group. In some sense, they would also consider old friends and former and current co-workers to be part of their group. It is not so common in Mainland China to make many new friends as adulthood. People in China depend on these tight networks to help them in hard times, and they have to be ready to repay the favor at som e point in the future. Tight informal networks are very important for getting by in life in China. Chinese culture value family piety. It means we believe in a strong obligation to respect and honor our family members. I would always try my  best to take care of my parents and also older relatives such as grandparents, aunts, and uncles. In a broad sense, family members, because all consider themselves a close group, would do almost anything to help each other. As is said in English, they would take the shirt from his or her own back to give to the other person. This kind of thinking is based on Confucianism, where taking care of the family is considered to be the highest value. Unfortunately, a related matter is that sometimes in Mainland China, people are not as quick to get involved when a stranger needs help, and some people without integrity are quick to take advantage of strangers and cheat them. We also do not have as much public volunteer and charity culture, as many people would feel guilty if they spend their money on people who are outside their own family. The concept of taking care of the family is so important to culture that it is sometimes humorous to other people from other countries. I once was at dinner in a group that included both American and international students. Some people were talking about what they would do if they won the lottery. A Chinese boy said he guessed that if he won, he would soon get married, and have a child. His friend, another boy from China, commented that the money would not only last for the lifetime for him and his son, but also for generations into the future. The American boys at the table laughed at the Chinese boys’ ideas. They thought they should use the money for their own fun, and would not like to get married. However, the Chinese students were looking from Chinese point of view, where not only the individual but the entire family name and bloodline is considered. They see a responsibility to their ancestors and to future bloodline that they should have a child. Personally, I like the viewpoint of thinking about multiple generations and not only focusing on the present. I have always been raised by my family to hold this point of view. Without a network of family and close friends, it is hard to survive in China, especially during hard times several decades ago. It is not so easy to get credit, so people rely on their networks to help them make a down payment for a house. Many people lack health insurance, and so if they needed and expensive surgery, they could perhaps ask their closest family and associates for help with money. Furthermore, in hospital, it is not like in America where nurses feed and bathe the  patients. In China, patients’ family members must help with those chores, and nurses usually would not help. As a result of these factors, Chinese people spend a lot of time cultivating their networks by choosing the right gifts on holidays, offering a helping hand when possible, and asking for help when needed. It is fair t o say that in China, if you do not have close connections in your life, including family members, friends, coworkers, then it is almost like you do not exist, according to society’s point of view. On the other hand, if you do have a family, then you feel much more secure and happy. You also get a large amount of your own identity from the group rather from your individual situation. It is important to behave well in society and try to be successful not only for your own sake, but also in order to create a good name for your family. Therefore I think that sometimes even if I do not feel like studying sometimes, I push myself to do so anyway, because if I came to America and did not perfect well in university, then I would create a bad impression on my family, including parents and extended relatives, as well. In fact, Chinese people from Mainland often do not like to spend time alone or to be in secluded places. We tend to like crowds and a lot of excitement and perceive them as safer because it would be harder for criminals to get away with serious crime amid a crowd. I felt strongly this way when I first arrived in America, but now I am getting used to peace and quiet. I have heard that Americans often like to go camping or fishing in order to get away from other people. This concept is a little different from China. I remember showing my mother a picture of our campus and she wanted to know why it looked so lonely. Later I took a photo when more students were out walking, and she seemed to feel much more comforted that I was in a safe place. On the other hand, some Americans have told me they think crowds are more dangerous, because it is easier for thieves to pick pockets or commit other crimes. My immediate and extended family has always been a source of much emotional support for me. My mother has several siblings and they each have children, so I have many aunts, uncles, and cousins. They always ask what I am doing in my life and they give me suggestions. They are not afraid to criticize me  if they feel it is warranted, such as for eating too much junk foods or not studying hard enough. In Chinese culture, these comments would never be taken as offense but instead in a spirit of caring. I always spend much time finding appropriate Chinese New Year gifts for my aunts and uncles as a show of respect. Sometimes the gifts could be as simple as fruit baskets, chocolates, or cake. I just want to show them that I am thinking of them. My family, including parents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, serves as my home base on life. I have always felt that no matter what happened, there is a safe haven with many people who always cared about me. Much of Chinese family culture is expressed over food. If I go to visit one of my aunts and she knew I am coming, then it is sure that she will prepare my favorite noodle dish. Caring is often expressed with food. From my mother and father and several of their siblings and my grandparents, I learned to cook many dishes at a young. I learned mostly at quite a young age. In this way, too, my family has been the biggest influence on my life, as now I cook almost every day and can take care of myself. I do not need to depend on others to cook and I do not have to go to restaurants except for fun. Over meals, much culture gets passed to children as adults talk about what is going on in their lives and how they handle it. They often give advice to children, but it seems to be that there is not as much two-way communications culture as in America and other Western countries. In other words, adults would not often ask children what they think about things. I am sure that I am not the only person who feels that family has been the largest influence in life, and certainly not the only Chinese person with this idea. In fact, when we are away from our families, we try to recreate the experience in some ways. In UC, there are many Chinese students all in the same situation, living away from their home country. We have formed friend groups and often cook together, go to restaurants, or go to other activities. At times, groups of students even go on vacation to New York or Chicago or other locations. As it is in China, most social activities for us here have revolved around eating food. We often chat, give each other advice, and try to help each other to study and make good grades. As vitamin and other health supplements are very popular, we often discuss products  that we have tried or plan to try. Everyone has similar goals and we almost do not even need to say them out loud, because they are widely known. We all come from similar kinds o f families, usually involved in business. Everyone wants to make good grades, be successful, and make their parents happy. My friends are a very important group to me here, but in my overall life, I guess they are not nearly as influential to me as my relatives are. Chinese families were large for many years, sometimes with seven to 10 children. I know that my great grandmother came from a very large family. However, because of overpopulation, China has implemented the one-child policy. Although there are exceptions, the general rule is that only one child is allowed per couple. Now China is becoming a land of spoiled only-children. I often wonder what will happen to China’s family culture and if culture and knowledge will be passed down as efficiently. Many people grow up without uncles, aunts, cousins or, of course, siblings. This seems to be a significant social issue for a country whose character is still collectivist. Perhaps China will make the shift rather quickly to a culture of individualism. Or perhaps they will express collectivism in some other different formats, such as neighborhood groups and volunteer societies. At any rate, eventually rising population of people without close relatives to watch after them as they age will mean a need for more caregiving and health care professionals. There are many aspects that define my life, including my status as a student, family member, and friend. While these are important roles, they do not capture everything about who I am. One element that runs deeper than those items is my culture, most of which I received from relatives. I grew up in China until coming to school at UC. My thinking has certainly been influenced by the time I have spent living abroad, but it nonetheless does continue to be Chinese at the heart. In a Chinese family, your family is almost literally all that you have to depend on in many cases. I am quite thankful that I have a wonderful family.

Significance of Color in the Scarlet Letter Essay Example

Significance of Color in the Scarlet Letter Essay Example Significance of Color in the Scarlet Letter Paper Significance of Color in the Scarlet Letter Paper Essay Topic: The Scarlet Letter A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray, the opening lines of Nathaniel Hawthorns The Scarlet Letter recognizes color in depicting images into the readers mind. The novel unfolds over a span of seven years in Puritan America during the seventeenth century. Moral Justice is tested as the plot revolves around the sin of adultery. The author uses color to Illustrate the significance and symbolism of the emblem A, Roger Chlorinating, and Pearl Prone. The adulterer, Hester Prone, Is obligated to wearing the letter A as a sign of her sinfulness. The emblem is recognized as fine red cloth surrounded with elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread. It Is Important to note that Hester has dark hair and black eyes; therefore, the scarlet and gold of the emblem are focal points to her Image as well as It conveys her sin. The fact that the A Is done In gold thread further makes the scarlet letter appear extravagant and Immodest. The townspeople are recognized for wearing their plain garment of coarse gray cloth. This exemplifies that the colors of the A, being a brilliant gold and scarlet, are in contrast to the common dress of the people. Bystanders are frequently offended because Hester seems to be proud of what should be an emblem of sin. Simply, the color of the scarlet letter portrays its ubiquitous presence throughout the novel. Roger Chlorinating, the suspicious physician, is associated with the color black throughout the novel. He is clearly the enemy and is depicted as devilishly evil and cruel. Enemies are most commonly identified with darkness. Hester, who is scared of him, asks, Art thou like the Black Man that haunts the forest round about us? Hast thou enticed me into a bold that will prove the ruin of my soul? She identifies Chlorinating with Satan, the fugue who tries to get people to sign his book and enlist hem for evil. Pearl later also remarks in the same sense about him being the Black Man in the forest. It is also worthy to note that Chlorinating is not associated with scarlet or red which resembles the letter and Pearl.. Chlorinating even says, Let the black flower blossom as it may! The black flower is the truth of all the events leading up to who the father is, and who Chlorinating is. The truth is a dark truth. A very symbolic character throughout the novel, Pearl is often associated with the color red . Most definitely, Pearl has been linked to the letter since birth. The letter Is the first thing that Pearl relates to her mother. Her character as an infant Is recognizable as the deep stains of crimson and gold, the fiery luster, the black shadow, and the undeterred light. This Is the same as how the letter upon Hester chest Is described. Throughout the novel, Pearl also wears red garments frequently. Pearls connection with the color red signaled Hawthorns meaning of life. She Is often compared to such things as a little bird of scarlet plumage or the wild roses that grow by the prison door. Pearl represents red at Its most functioning and high- splatter state. By accepting that Puritan America Is uniquely religious, It Is Important to accept that sinfulness is a tremendous Issue In their dally lives.

Borons Chemical and Physical Properties

Boron's Chemical and Physical Properties Atomic number: 5Symbol: BAtomic weight: 10.811Electron configuration: [He]2s22p1Word origin: Arabic Buraq; Persian Burah. These are the Arabic and Persian words for borax.Isotopes: Natural boron is 19.78% boron-10 and 80.22% boron-11. B-10 and B-11 are the two stable isotopes of boron. Boron has a total of 11 known isotopes ranging from B-7 to B-17. Properties The melting point of boron is 2079Â °C, its boiling/sublimation point is at 2550Â °C, the specific gravity of crystalline boron is 2.34, the specific gravity of the amorphous form is 2.37, and its valence is 3. Boron has interesting optical properties. The boron mineral ulexite exhibits natural fiberoptic properties. Elemental boron transmits portions of infrared light. At room temperature, it is a poor electrical conductor, but it is a good conductor at high temperatures. Boron is capable of forming stable covalently bonded molecular networks. Boron filaments have high strength, yet are lightweight. The energy band gap of elemental boron is 1.50 to 1.56 eV, which is higher than that of silicon or germanium. Although elemental boron is not considered to be a poison, assimilation of boron compounds has a cumulative toxic effect. Uses Boron compounds are being evaluated for treating arthritis. Boron compounds are used to produce borosilicate glass. Boron nitride is extremely hard, behaves as an electrical insulator, yet conducts heat, and has lubricating properties similar to graphite. Amorphous boron provides a green color in pyrotechnic devices. Boron compounds, such as borax and boric acid, have many uses. Boron-10 is used as a control for nuclear reactors, to detect neutrons, and as a shield for nuclear radiation. Sources Boron is not found free in nature, although boron compounds have been known for thousands of years. Boron occurs as borates in borax and colemanite and as orthoboric acid in certain volcanic spring waters. The primary source of boron is the mineral rasorite, also called kernite, which is found in Californias Mojave Desert. Borax deposits are also found in Turkey. High-purity crystalline boron may be obtained by vapor phase reduction of boron trichloride or boron tribromide with hydrogen on electrically heated filaments. Boron trioxide may be heated with magnesium powder to obtain impure or amorphous boron, which is a brownish-black powder. Boron is available commercially at purities of 99.9999%. Quick Facts Element Classification: SemimetalDiscoverer: Sir H. Davy, J.L. Gay-Lussac, L.J. ThenardDiscovery date: 1808 (England/France)Density (g/cc): 2.34Appearance: Crystalline boron is hard, brittle, lustrous black semimetal. Amorphous boron is a brown powder.Boiling point: 4000 Â °CMelting point: 2075 Â °CAtomic radius (pm): 98Atomic volume (cc/mol): 4.6Covalent radius (pm): 82Ionic radius: 23 (3e)Specific heat (20Â °C J/g mol): 1.025Fusion heat (kJ/mol): 23.60Evaporation heat (kJ/mol): 504.5Debye temperature (K): 1250.00Pauling negativity number: 2.04First ionizing energy (kJ/mol): 800.2Oxidation states: 3Lattice structure: TetragonalLattice constant (Ã…): 8.730Lattice C/A ratio: 0.576CAS number: 7440-42-8 Trivia Boron has the highest boiling point of the semimetalsBoron has the highest melting point of the semimetalsBoron is added to glass to increase its resistance to heat shock. Most chemistry glassware is made from borosilicate glassThe isotope B-10 is a neutron absorber and used in control rods and emergency shutdown systems of nuclear generatorsThe countries Turkey and the United States have the largest reserves of boronBoron is used as a dopant in semiconductor production to make p-type semiconductorsBoron is a component of strong neodymium magnets (Nd2Fe14B magnets)Boron burns bright green in a flame test References Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001)Crescent Chemical Company (2001)Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952)International Atomic Energy Agency ENSDF database (Oct 2010)

Black People and Larger Racial Minorities

Associate Program Material Racial Diversity: Historical Worksheet Answer the following questions in 100 to 250 words each. Provide citations for all the sources you use. * Throughout most of U. S. history, in most locations, what race has been in the majority? What is the common ancestral background of most members of this group? White people have been the majority of the population. The common ancestral background of most of the members in this group are Europeans. * What are some of the larger racial minorities in U. S. history? What have been the common ancestral backgrounds of each of these groups? When did each become a significant or notable minority group? Whites and blacks are a larger race in us. Europeans are the common ancestral background of whites and African American common ancestral background was from the west. The whites became a significant minority group in the 1600’s and blacks became a significant minority group in the 1800’s * In what ways have laws been used to enforce discrimination? Provide examples. These laws were intended against which racial minorities? Laws have been enforcing discrimination by making sure that all races have the same opportunity at a job. This is the civil rights act and it was made so that blacks and other races could all have a fair chance at a job and could not be rejected because of their race. If a black person would try to get a job and not get hired but a white person goes in and has everything the same as the black person but gets hired the black person can take that company to court for discrimination. These laws where intended for all racial minorities so everyone has the same opportunity. * In what ways have laws been used to eliminate discrimination? Provide examples. Did the laws work to eliminate discrimination? Allowing blacks and white to attend the same schools and allowing them to sit anywhere on a bus. Back years ago blacks had to sit in the back of the bus and if a white person needed a seat they had to give up theirs, as far as the schooling goes now black and whites can go to the same schools. I think the laws worked to eliminate discrimination because you do not see anyone making a black person move for a white person or having a school with only white kids. They laws have helped us become one country instead of 2 and everyone has a better look at each other now that we can combine races.

Systems and Operations Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Systems and Operations Management - Assignment Example If we define this question the answer that we will get goes something like this: managing the activities, decisions and responsibilities of the resources so that it can produce and deliver the quality products or services in a stipulated span of time is called as Operations Management. Mainly, Operations Management about managing resources to create goods and services (Slack et al., 2010). In today’s competitive world, every organization has the operations management team that oversees the smooth functioning of the operations in terms of production and delivery of products and services. As Hayes et al. (2005) claims, effective operations strategy should be consistent and contribute to give competitive advantage. The person who manages this particular team is called as Operations Manager and it is his/her responsibility to see the operation is going smooth. Strategic Importance of the Digital Economy A decade before the Civil War, which was in 1850, the economy of the United St ates was not very big. It was even smaller than that of Italy. But after 40 years of the war United States was world’s largest economy. The reason behind this enormous progress is the railroads. What they did was connect the east and the west along with the interior parts with both the sides. With this move the industrial goods of the eastern part of the country gained access for the rest of the country; they scaled the economy with stimulation of the steel and manufacturing industries (Arthur, 2011). And this had made the economy to prosper many folds making it the largest economy. These types of changes are not unusual. Since 60 years or so there has been a great transformation in the economy of the country and most of the reforms are being done by the technology that has entered the country almost unnoticing. The entry of the technology has brought new social classes with them and also creates different classes of business. In today’s fast paced world is it possible to think such silent and slow yet deep economic transformation? If we look at the genetic or nano technology we can see the same, however, the time for them has not yet come in full force (Arthur, 2011). But it is arguable that there is something deep that is going as far as the information technology is concerned, which is way beyond the computers or the social media or e-commerce. The business processes that were completely human effort are now being executed electronically without losing time. These processes are executed in an unseen strictly digital domain (Katz and Koutroumpis, 2012). Let us take a look at an example. If you think about 20 years back, when you had to go somewhere in flight you would have a paper ticket that you would produce to a human being in the airport counter. After that the person would register your ticket, check your luggage in and help you know if the flight has arrived or not. All these activities were to be done manually by human interventions (Art hur, 2011). However, today, in the time of information technology, when you go to the airport you just need to swipe your frequent flyer card or credit card in the kiosk and you will get all the necessary stuffs – boarding pass, luggage tag, receipt etc. in just few seconds, without any human intervention. Once you swipe your card, an enormous conversation is being initiated among the

Trial Observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Trial Observation - Essay Example I strolled into the courtroom at 1:18 PM, noticed there were only the attorneys of the defense as well as the people. Apart from that, a map with points drawn in various colors, hang alongside the wall on an easel, for communicating space between various locations. Finally, Judge Honor Nanci Grant arrived in the court with the jury in tow and immediately after settling, the trial begun with the swearing in of witnesses for the people. Firstly, the police detective responsible for the lawsuit as well as the arrest of the defendant had been called in by the prosecutor. Primarily, the questioning of the detective focused on the map discussing the distance from the point of arrest together with a school roughly 400 feet away as the witness narrated. The point of arrest then began to be called the â€Å"18 and Allison† home. Subsequently, the detective was questioned about what was discovered in custody of the defendant. The detective responded that he together with his colleagues stumbled upon lottery tickets concealed in a manner to be utilized as pouch something that proved a plan to distribute heroin. Alongside the lottery â€Å"pouches† the police further discovered 39 tenths of a gram of â€Å"normal quality† heroin having a street worth of $390. Thus the officer was convinced to consider that the quantity was doubtful and it would have dawned on any other officer that the defendant also had the intention to distribute versus basically being in possession of the drugs. More evidence was brought into the lawsuit, for instance , letters to the defendant. My assumption was that the prosecutor used them to confirm defendant’ residence at the time. Included were photographs showing the defendant’s shoes together with the table having the items on it, on the night of the raid. One’s impression of Mr. Lewis’ chances initially and what you saw toward his departure had changed dramatically. After hearing the cross-examination of the detective and Mr. Lewis you could see room for mistakes. The circumstances involved with the household could have led to a mistake in the identity of possession; the facts against the defendant may not have been his. However, Mr. Lewis could be guilty or not guilty; the jury could arrive at either decision. Finally, alongside the appreciation for the law, I gained new knowledge; I learned what a choirboy was. I also now see why that would be crucial to the case since it is a household item but can also be used for doing drugs. I further learned the strictn ess of following the system when trying a case. For every piece of evidence brought up, there had to be permission from the judge to admit it or even show it to the witness. Lastly, one could not fail to appreciate the legal system in place for placing the burden of proof on the people and having the defendant innocent until proven guilty.   

Bone Disorders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bone Disorders - Essay Example Bone problems are of different kinds. They may include osteoporosis caused by low density of bone and which makes bones weak and susceptible to breakage, osteogenesis imperfect which increases the brittleness of bones, and Paget’s bones disease which makes bones weaker. In addition to these bone disorders, bones may also develop a range of infections and cancers. There can be many reasons for the development of bone disorders. Some major causes of bone disorders include genetic factors, poor nutrition, and poor rate of rebuilding and growth of bones. The most important modulators of the process by which bones form are hormones. Optimal development and maintenance of bones depends upon parathyroid hormone, estrogen, and testosterone. Of these, the most direct impact on the cells of bone is made by estrogen which interacts with specific receptors or proteins on the surface of osteoclasts and osteoblasts (Zallone, 2006). Bones maintain their strength and integrity through a process of continuous renewal known as remodeling. Accelerated bone remodeling may cause a range of bone disorders that include but are not limited to familial expansile osteolysis (FEO), juvenile Pagets disease (JPD), Pagets disease of bone (PDB), early-onset Pagets disease of bone (EOPDB), and expansile skeletal hyperphosphatasia (ESH) (Beyens and Van Hul, 2007). Many stud ies have concluded that the main cells responsible for causing disease in these bone disorders are bone-resorbing osteoclasts. Connective tissues are unlike the parenchymal organs in that their form and function reflects the extracellular matrices of the matter they are made up of. These different compositions of matrices lend unique appearance and mechanical properties to cartilage, bone, and dense fibrous connective tissue (Teitelbaum and Bullough, 1979). Dense fibrous connective tissue is made up of collagen in the form of well-oriented collagen bundles whose main

Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Economics - Essay Example It was noted that ticket prices are relatively higher in 1978, wherein passengers disburse 19 cents per mile. As compared to the present price, which is 14 cents per mile, it is relatively higher. Thus, there is an increase in the influx of passengers (Bonsor, 2006). Airfare prices and travel time are considered the most important factors for passengers as compared to in-flight amenities. As William O’ Conner, an economist stated that â€Å"The speed, comfort, and safety aspects of the journey, whichever airline a passenger selects, are more likely to be the same† (1995). Thus, the amenities are not the priority of passengers in choosing the flight. People based their choice of flight on factors such as having the cheapest ticket price at the same time having the most convenient times of departure and arrival. The consequence is for airlines to increase the number of flights for a certain routes and maintain the price like the competitors (Kons, 2000). Reservation system serves a crucial role in an airline company. By being able to predict the passenger’s need and willingness to pay, the system sets up the scheme of pricing and setting from which passengers have no control on the differences the prices of tickets belonging t o even the same class (Watson, 2004). Pricing of airline tickets is a very complex process that is affected by various factors and considerations. These include the date of purchase and reservation wherein tickets bought several months before the flight schedule is normally lower in price than when it is purchased a day before the flying date. Normally these trend is known to the flying public and for those who wanted to grab these opportunity of buying cheaper tickets they will get one especially those people who travel regularly every week and month. Seat classification or the class is another factor being

Report 1b Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Report 1b - Essay Example This report tries to put across some of these concepts that media has impacted to people. The ideas are sampled from the comments made by other students on the same and other sources whose link is given for one to get more information on the same Social responsibility is vital fo companies as this make it survive as it intarracts with the community. Sustainability of the enterprise requires an active social responsibility that attracts more customers to deal with the enterprise http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=395681. This elaborates the need of incorporation of social resposibility for business sustenance and advantages in competition although the stategy may lead to a lowprofit making (DuBrin, 2012). The other vital link illustrates the enhancement of gender diversity by Microsoft in the workplace. There is exploration of diversity in gender at workplace in the Microsoft office. Through this the company has achieved gender leadership diversity with women in executive positions (DuBrin, 2012). Diversity in workplace is important in improving innovativeness and overall performance. Transformation in work environment using initiative ‘New World of Work’ that enables employees to work from any place using technology. This diversity improves productivity of the employees http://www.humanresourcesonline.net/enabling-gender-diversity-workplace/. This explains not only the gender diversity but also diversity culture of working with new technology.this information is relevant in current diversity issues in workplace. Gilli comments that the ethical of the food companies. (Kattasova, 2014) Here there is the case environmental context of leadership and ethics in addition to social responsibility. There is the highlighting of theses issues through rating firms basing on their different activities. Its facilitated through a mean of ensuring strict

The Role of Mobile Health Devices in Healthcare Research Paper

The Role of Mobile Health Devices in Healthcare - Research Paper Example With the expansion of mobile technology and through the advancement of 3g and 4g, mobile devices like PDA’s, phones, Nook, Ipad etc have transformed the fields of communication, healthcare, Information management, commerce and entertainment. As West points out in his research, with the growth of these technologies there was significant improvement in service delivery, in the way people interact, and they have also made business, entrepreneurs and organizations much more powerful (1). M-health is the name given for the practice of using mobile devices like mobile phones, tablet computers and PDA’s in health care. The m-health applications using mobile devices include collecting clinical and community health data, providing sufficient health care information for doctors, patients, researchers and also performing real-time monitoring of patients. These mobile devices have brought changes in the health care delivery and have brought better patient experiences. These technol ogy devices have been a real advantage in the management of chronic diseases. They can be used for reminding the patients to take timely medication, can be used to monitor health status of expectant mothers and elderly people and also could be used to extend the medical services in the areas which are underserved. Overall, these innovative mobile technologies have significantly improved medical system efficiency and have brought better health outcomes and reduced the cost involved. The various mobile technologies used in healthcare include mobile phones, PDA’s, PDA phones like smart phones, tablet e-reader/ media player like Nook Tablet ,handheld ultra portable computers like Ipads or tablet PC’s. A mobile phone or cellular phone can be used to receive telephone calls using radio signals. They also support text messaging. A smart phone is a cell phone which supports some additional features like internet or email. These mobile devices operate on

Report 1b Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Report 1b - Essay Example This report tries to put across some of these concepts that media has impacted to people. The ideas are sampled from the comments made by other students on the same and other sources whose link is given for one to get more information on the same Social responsibility is vital fo companies as this make it survive as it intarracts with the community. Sustainability of the enterprise requires an active social responsibility that attracts more customers to deal with the enterprise http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/NewsDetails.aspx?storyid=395681. This elaborates the need of incorporation of social resposibility for business sustenance and advantages in competition although the stategy may lead to a lowprofit making (DuBrin, 2012). The other vital link illustrates the enhancement of gender diversity by Microsoft in the workplace. There is exploration of diversity in gender at workplace in the Microsoft office. Through this the company has achieved gender leadership diversity with women in executive positions (DuBrin, 2012). Diversity in workplace is important in improving innovativeness and overall performance. Transformation in work environment using initiative ‘New World of Work’ that enables employees to work from any place using technology. This diversity improves productivity of the employees http://www.humanresourcesonline.net/enabling-gender-diversity-workplace/. This explains not only the gender diversity but also diversity culture of working with new technology.this information is relevant in current diversity issues in workplace. Gilli comments that the ethical of the food companies. (Kattasova, 2014) Here there is the case environmental context of leadership and ethics in addition to social responsibility. There is the highlighting of theses issues through rating firms basing on their different activities. Its facilitated through a mean of ensuring strict

Business Strategy Kerry Group Essay Example for Free

Business Strategy Kerry Group Essay In 1972 Kerry Group started its operation in Listowel, Co. Kerry. In 1974 Kerry Group has been formally established as Kerry Cooperative Creameries Limited in County Kerry, Ireland. The company grew in less than 30 years from this small provincial dairy for one of the world leaders in specialty food ingredients producers and distributors. During the 1970s, the company expanded to include a large number of dairy farms and processing plants in the counties of Cork, Killarney, Galway and Limerick. Between 1979 and 1985, Kerry has built a lot of confidence in their abilities and technologies. During the 1980s the business strategy of the organization was based on organic growth with a focus on diversification. With that Kerry began branching out from its core dairy products in other categories of food. The company had its growth through acquisitions including a number of manufacturing facilities and other food processing, located throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland. In 1986 with Denis Brosnan as chief executive, the cooperative decided to become a full-fledged company, listing its shares on the Irish Stock Exchange. The newly public company reported strong growth after its first  full year of operations, with revenues nearing IR £ 300 million, and net profits of nearly IR £ 6.3 million. Before the end of the decade Brosnan managed to double the sales of the company maintaining its Expansion in Ireland with the acquisition of 1986 Snowcream Moate Dairies, and the formation of a division of convenience foods, bringing the company into this increasingly prominent market. Alongside this movement was the intensification of business Kerry special ingredients. At the same time, Kerry also established presence in the United States, the opening of a processing facility dairy product, Jackson, Wisconsin in 1987. In the 1990s Kerry Group continued to expand its business into the UK from the acquisition of new businesses to the already existing portfolio company. Kerrys acquisition drive continued into the late 1990s, bringing the company into France, Italy, Poland, Malaysia, Brazil. Two important acquisitions highlighted Kerrys expansion. The first came in 1994 when the company acquired the business of food processing DCA, bringing the company to a position outstanding among North Americas specialty ingredients producers. The DCA purchase also introduced it to the Australian and New Zealand markets. The opportunity for renewed expansion came in February 1998, when the Kerry Group announced its agreement to purchase the food ingredients businesses of the U.K.s Dalgety PLC. Kerry acquired Dalgety Food Ingredients plants in the United Kingdom and in Hungary and the Netherlandsnew markets for Kerry well as plants in France, Italy, and Germany. The Dalgety acquisition firmly established Kerry as the top specialty ingredients producer in Europe, and one of the worlds leaders in its specific categories. Kerry was now turning its attention to two new markets: the Far East and South America both markets represent a huge potential new customer, both for the companys products and food brands, and products for their  ingredients. Companys initial forays into these markets include acquisitions of plants in Malaysia and Brazil, while the company predicted that these markets are reaching some 25 percent of the companys revenue at the beginning of the next century. Strategic Levels According to Porter Porter in Montgomery (1998) corporate strategy is the general plan for a diversified company, which has two levels of strategy: the strategy of the business unit (or competitive), and corporate strategy (or entire corporate group). To Christensen in Fahey Randall (1999), corporate strategy is one that is concerned with three major issues to be faced by the managers of the corporation: 1. The corporate scope: that complex business corporation should attend? 2. The relationship between its parts: on what basis the business units of the corporation should relate to each other? 3. Methods for managing the scope and relationships: that specific methods acquisitions, strategic alliances, divestitures, and others will be adopted to effect specific changes in corporate scope and relationships?

The Importance Of Internet And Communication Media Essay

The Importance Of Internet And Communication Media Essay The essay states the importance of internet, communication, virtual way of life and peculiarities of the modern world. The Internet opens large opportunities for work, leisure, communication, and sharing diverse information. Internet has changed the world and society consistently because the creation of internet and its growing popularity contributed to the consistent change in the life of people. They have opened the new, virtual world and a new effective means of communication- internet which have started to replace the traditional means of communication, to the extent that online communication has started to replace the live, real, physical communication between people. As well, essay shows to the audience the advantages and disadvantages of such way of life, the opportunities and interest in everything new. Today, staying online for the majority of people, who have computers at home, means more than staying offline. In actuality, people are relying too much on internet and on th e virtual way of life. Such a change has occurred under the impact of internet and innovation it brought into the life of people and their social relationships. The essay also states, that Internet era has changed the perception of having rest or relaxation for many people, as the unknown world of virtual reality seems to have something special. People tend to use internet as the means to escape from reality, from problems they have in the real life. Running from reality has become one of the most simplest ways to avoid problems, to postpone them, to try to forget and to involve in something that brings joy and happiness. The essay context is aimed to show the trends of the society, of the business and of the future. The essay also described that people prefer share their problems with strangers in their blog, as this way they are unknown in the internet and this fact helps people to communicate, inventing new ways of solving problems, communication and also fun. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦blo gs help people to talk to someone, without revelation of their personality. In such a way, people can make a sort of confession and receive feedback from users that relieves them and encourages people to carry on writing about issues which important for them in their blogs. The essay shows the counter arguments of people who have different opinion from the majority. People can live without technology, having other interests, probably more interesting than the online world. For instance, many people have little ideas of advanced information technologies and they are quite happy in their non-technological world. Some people do not admit the existence of the virtual world, considering it as a game, or something not serious and that will pass soon. They do not take it seriously and do not take into consideration all the advantages it brings, that is why there are claims that staying in the virtual world means just killing of time. For instance, Guillermo Gomez-Pena in The Virtual Barrio @ the Other Frontier refers to the example of Mexicans, who live next to the US, with its advanced information technologies, and local people are still simple and maintain traditional social relationships instead of virtual ones [Mexicans] are simple people. They are happy w ith the little they gotà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ They are not ambitious and complex like us. They dont need all this technology to communicate. Sometimes I just feel like going down there and living among them. (p. 555). Counter argument can exist, but they should not hide the reality and the important technologies along with the technological progress that has its advantages. Nevertheless, technologies keep progressing and affect more and more people. Technology has definitely changed humanity, as nowadays people devote a lot of time to the online way of life, exploring it, reading, watching, listening and communicating. Some people can balance and live in harmony with the technologies, but some people become addicted to the technologies, to the computer especially. Some people do not have the limit, as described in the essay. Some people create their own virtual world of online friends, of the websites to visit, of the places to spend time, of the games to play, of the videos to download. People no more want to share their thoughts, their dreams or ideas with their friends offline; instead they choose the options to write about all that in their blogs and micro blogs and social networking sites. There is the reasoning of a counter argument and there should be found a balance to be able to depict everything useful from the online world and to live happily in the offline world. The essay ethically responds to the reasoning of a counter argument and shows the both sides of the issue. Communication offline has become something challenging especially for youngsters these day, as it is much easier to respond or to give ideas when a person is at home and he does not fear to see the reaction of another person who will read his message. The more people get involved in the virtual world, the more challenging it is to get out of there. The essay about violence addresses counter argument and arguments reasoning. It includes the description of the problem, the different views on it, the possible solutions and different opinions of the experts. When analyzing the problem of violence and its impact on individuals, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that violence is a fundamental part of the life of people. In regard, it is possible to refer to history, when cruel and violent acts were considered to be a norm. The essay also includes the major claim considering the fact how violence is widely- spread and how many people suffer from it. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦cases of domestic violence were a norm in the past, because the violence in relation to children, for example, was considered to be essential to raise them up as good people. Others would argue that this kind of violence is still practiced. I would totally agree, but what is beginning shown by me side is that it used to be a norm that people did not see it anything more than a tool used to bring up good disciplined kids. Whereas, nowadays, it is considered a crime, at least in our society, and so, people have distanced from it to an extent. Reflective essay claims concentrate on the facts that some believe that by using violence they can solve all their problems and gain the respect of their social environment. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦they are unconscious of the negative effect of the violence on their own personality because the violence has a destructive impact on the behavior and psychology of individuals. Some would argue this, Many people like to use Mohandes Ghandi as an example of non-violent protest winning the day. But the only reason Ghandis tactics worked is because he was using them against a civilized adversary, the British Empire. Had he tried to use them against someone else, like Nazi Germany, he would have ended up with a bullet to the back of the head or in one of the cremation ovens after being worked to death in a concentration camp. There are also counter arguments present in the essay to highlight the opinions from different people with different points of views.Violence does solve things. It has ended brutal dictatorships, saved citizens from the predation of criminals, prevented injustices on a small and large scale, and prevented wars. Perhaps the old saying needs to be modified. Instead, it should be Violence never solves anything if it is used at the wrong time in the wrong place. Violence in and of itself solves nothing. It is the proper use of violence under the right circumstances that solves problems (Farm). Essay context is aimed to show the importance of the issue, the key problems and claims. There are a lot of factors that provoke the violence and that increase the risk of the violent and aggressive behavior from the peoples side. At the same time, people are vulnerable to a consistent impact of their environment and different situations in their life which make them choosing the violent model of behavior as the only effective way of behavior. The essay also described the solutions to the problem for the audience. People often have an alternative to the violent model of behavior but they do not always use them because they need much more efforts and they are not as widely-spread as violent methods, which have always accompanied the mankind in the course of its development and evolution.

The Octopus - Review Essays -- essays research papers

At the turn of the century, American readers were interested only in stories with happy endings, where goodness was praised and evil was punished. They did not particularly care if that was a false interpretation of the way life really was. When men such as Frank Norris, the author of The Octopus, wrote angrily of the injustices and poverty to be found in America, readers turned away. The Octopus made them change their minds. The course of the novel and the reality of its characters held the readers’ attention. It is so powerful a book that people had to care about the wheat growers, almost against their wishes. The impact did not end in the early twentieth century, but continues its legacy into the new millenium.The Octopus, depicts the conflict between farmers and the railroad over land and power in California. The conflict between these two is revealed through the perspectives of several different groups, each viewing it their own way and offering differing ways to solve or overcome this problem. Norris uses this story as an example to show what he feels is the most important ethical dilemma of his time. The Pacific and South West railroad (P. and S.W.) was the cause of the crisis, and as the crisis built up, they saw it as an opportunity to make even more money off of the farmers. The company, in their selfish desire for wealth, continually cheated the farmers, first promising to sell them railroad land at a relatively low price, and then after the farmers greatly im... The Octopus - Review Essays -- essays research papers At the turn of the century, American readers were interested only in stories with happy endings, where goodness was praised and evil was punished. They did not particularly care if that was a false interpretation of the way life really was. When men such as Frank Norris, the author of The Octopus, wrote angrily of the injustices and poverty to be found in America, readers turned away. The Octopus made them change their minds. The course of the novel and the reality of its characters held the readers’ attention. It is so powerful a book that people had to care about the wheat growers, almost against their wishes. The impact did not end in the early twentieth century, but continues its legacy into the new millenium.The Octopus, depicts the conflict between farmers and the railroad over land and power in California. The conflict between these two is revealed through the perspectives of several different groups, each viewing it their own way and offering differing ways to solve or overcome this problem. Norris uses this story as an example to show what he feels is the most important ethical dilemma of his time. The Pacific and South West railroad (P. and S.W.) was the cause of the crisis, and as the crisis built up, they saw it as an opportunity to make even more money off of the farmers. The company, in their selfish desire for wealth, continually cheated the farmers, first promising to sell them railroad land at a relatively low price, and then after the farmers greatly im...

Jesus & Buddha :: essays research papers

Jesus & Buddha Disciple?: I have heard that you are two of the wisest men in the land and so I have come to you in hopes of advise. I am scared for my future and for the future of my newborn   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  daughter. Can you tell me what is in store for us or give me an assurance me that we   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  will be all right? Jesus: Do not worry about your life. Do not worry about food, drink, the body. Life is more than these things. Believe in your heavenly Father. He knows what you need and will provide you with it if you practice and have faith in his teachings. Strive for the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Buddha: No. Comfort in the present and future must come from inside the self , not from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  a God. In meditation you will find the truth of life that will set you free from worry.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Don't chase after the past,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Don't seek the future;   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The past is gone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The future hasn't come   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  But see clearly on the spot   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  That object which is now,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While finding and living in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  A still, unmoving state of mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This focus on the present is the beginning of the path to enlightenment which is comfort   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  through understanding. When you are able to keep your mind focused on the present   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  in a ‘still, unmoving state of mind' you have reached enlightenment, where you will be beyond all emotion including suffering and worry. Jesus: That is not so. A search for the entire true of life can never make you content in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  your life because you can never know everything there is. That is for God alone to know. To enter the kingdom of heaven you must have faith in our Father. You must trust in His wisdom even in hard times. For to know all and understand all you would be a god. And putting yourself on a platform with God is disrespectful and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  blasphemous. But if you follow His laws your suffering will end in the hereafter. Buddha: Truth is available to all people not just gods. For truth is in all things in the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  universe. We only have to learn not to react with emotion to see it. If you can master   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  not reacting through meditation you will see the true nature of the universe that lies   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  behind the illusion of emotion. In this truth you will see the cause and effect relationship of all things and in that an order which will bring you understanding and comfort.

Objective And Impressionistic Description

Objective and Impressionistic DescriptionThere are two ways to describe depending on the kind of result or response that you like to elicit from the reader. Objective description is the enumeration of details in a matter-of-fact way to simply show the appearance or condition of a person, place,or thing. This kind of description is commonly used when writing journalistic,reports,encyclopedia entries,or scientific observations. Impressionistic description is used when you like to imply certain feelings, or set a mood, or build an atmosphere in what is described. The use of highly connotative words and abstraction usually results in more impressionistic descriptions. This kind of description is often found in literary works and feature articles.Consider this objective description of an eagle:An eagle is any of the hawk family, Accipitridae. Eagles have hooked beaks,curved claws (called talons), keen eyesight, powerful wings, strong bodies, and feathered legs. Land eagles build their nes ts high up in trees,while sea eagles (or ernes) usually build theirs on the rocky ledges of cliffs. Eagles feed on small mammals,birds,fish, and carreon.Now take a look at this impressionistic description of â€Å"The Eagle† by Alfred Lord Tennyson: He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands. Ringed with the azure world, he stands.The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt, he falls.Objective and Impressionistic DescriptionThere are two ways to describe depending on the kind of result or response that you like to elicit from the reader. Objective description is the enumeration of details in a matter-of-fact way to simply show the appearance or condition of a person, place,or thing. This kind of description is commonly used when writing journalistic,reports,encyclopedia entries,or scientific observations. Impressionistic description is used when you like  to imply certain feelings, or set a moo d, or build an atmosphere in what is described. The use of highly connotative words and abstraction usually results in more impressionistic descriptions. This kind of description is often found in literary works and feature articles.Consider this objective description of an eagle:An eagle is any of the hawk family, Accipitridae. Eagles have hooked beaks,curved claws (called talons), keen eyesight, powerful wings, strong bodies, and feathered legs. Land eagles build their nests high up in trees,while sea eagles (or ernes) usually build theirs on the rocky ledges of cliffs. Eagles feed on small mammals,birds,fish, and carreon.Now take a look at this impressionistic description of â€Å"The Eagle† by Alfred Lord Tennyson: He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands. Ringed with the azure world, he stands.The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt, he falls.Objective and Impressionistic DescriptionTh ere are two ways to describe depending on the kind of result or response that you like to elicit from the reader. Objective description is the enumeration of details in a matter-of-fact way to simply show the appearance or condition of a person, place,or thing. This kind of description is commonly used when writing journalistic,reports,encyclopedia entries,or scientific observations. Impressionistic description is used when you like to imply certain feelings, or set a mood, or build an atmosphere in what is described. The use of highly connotative words and abstraction usually results in more impressionistic descriptions. This kind of description is often found in literary works and feature articles.Consider this objective description of an eagle:An eagle is any of the hawk family,Accipitridae. Eagles have hooked  beaks,curved claws (called talons), keen eyesight, powerful wings, strong bodies, and feathered legs. Land eagles build their nests high up in trees,while sea eagles (or ernes) usually build theirs on the rocky ledges of cliffs. Eagles feed on small mammals,birds,fish, and carreon.Now take a look at this impressionistic description of â€Å"The Eagle† by Alfred Lord Tennyson: He clasps the crag with crooked hands; Close to the sun in lonely lands. Ringed with the azure world, he stands.The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls; He watches from his mountain walls, And like a thunderbolt, he falls.

Ebay Culture Essay

What is organizational culture? This indefinable combination of values, beliefs, and practice that a corporation posses, which makes the difference between surviving and thriving, succeeding and failing. Most large corporations typically have a strong culture with values and norms appropriate to the organizational purpose. In a big organization, sub-cultures also exist, division to division, office to office. In this part of this group assignment I will describe the organizational culture of one of the most famous internet companies in the world, which is also the largest marketplace in the internet – EBay. Many articles and books have been written in recent years about culture in organizations, usually referred to as â€Å"Corporate Culture. † The dictionary defines culture as â€Å"the act of developing intellectual and moral faculties, especially through education. This paper will use a slightly different definition of culture: â€Å"the moral, social, and behavioral norms of an organization based on the beliefs, attitudes, and priorities of its internal community. Every organization has its own unique culture or value set. The culture of the organization is typically created unconsciously, based on the values of the top management or the founders of an organization. Organizational culture has been defined as â€Å"a pattern of basic assumptions, values, or beliefs and norms of behavior. According to O’Reilly, organizational culture defined as the values shared by members of an organization. These basic values may be thought of as internalized normative beliefs that can guide behavior inside an organization. If organizational culture is developed as an organization learns to deal with the dual problems of both external adaptation and internal integration, then values that enhance the organization’s capability in these two functions should be useful for it. To the extent that members of an organization share the same sets of values, thought processes, and languages, they will have similar mind-sets and behaviors as they integrate their efforts inside the organization and adapt to environmental changes. Research has documented a variety of outcomes that are related to organizational culture. For example, organizational culture has been found to relate to organization growth and organization performance. Other studies have shown that its effect can be observed directly at the individual level, in outcomes such as commitment, resource allocation decisions, retention, and perceived attractiveness of an organization. Given the dramatic changes in both the external environment and the internal structure of worldwide organizations, organizations that emphasize cultural values that relate to external adaptation and internal integration should be more effective than those that do not. The character of any corporation or an organization characterized by set of values and principles by which the founders and the upper management run the company from its creation when it’s really begin to become part of the DNA of the company. I believe that companies form culture very early on and they get imprinted very early on with a sense of right and wrong. And it starts from the top. It started with the CFO, the President, and CEO. According to Whitman, sis he had innate sense that they needed at EBay to establish very early on what the code of behavior was going to be, what the code of ethics would be. EBay’s internal company culture was very dominant and strong. Even though its culture had great influence of its member’s behavior, the culture encourages its members to feel more commitment. Employees were expected to be open and honest, to treat one another with respect, and to speak up if they believed they were not being treated in this manner. EBay functioned as being a nonhierarchical, democratic organization that encouraged ideas and feedback from all employees. The culture at eBay characterized as being open and low risk, where employees were encouraged to express their opinions despite their different points of view. Mistakes were acceptable, but employees were encouraged to truly learn from them. According to Whitman, unlike other companies where different views and opinions from the senior management were barely heard , at EBay they do not have â€Å"punishes† attitude, meaning that there is no penalty for being on the wrong side of an issue or changing your mind in the face of better information. If an employee`s point of view contradict with his/her colleague when you end up convinced to be wrong, the culture is to appreciate your opinion and at the same time to come with the approach of: â€Å"ok? hat’s smart. You’re right. Let’s move on. † In addition, As role models, senior managers had to act with a high degree of professionalism and respect. EBay does not encourage people who scream loud or pound the tables. At EBay, it’s pretty even-keeled culture. Sustaining its culture provide a better understanding of the strength of the culture. As EBay grew , in order to conserve the unique internal culture of the organization, EBay made sure it hires only individuals who fit with the culture of the organization. In order to emphasize the importance of its culture, EBay`s CEO Meg Whitman, met with new candidates and describe eBay’s values and to set expectations for how each employee would support and contribute to the company’s culture. According to EBay founder Pierre Omidyar, experience was not the only quality they were looking in potential applicants, but for someone who really understands the significance of its both internal and external communities and that person should express its most respect to these communities. Moreover, measuring the community and organization very often represents a major challenge in terms of being sure the values and culture of EBay are being communicated correctly. Therefore, on the organizational side, they had to be sure they were hiring quality employees who fit with the culture; they could not afford to let that slip. Even though most well establish cultures resist changes, EBay was able to accept changes within its upper management and the way it works. For example, when Whitman arrived EBay she tried to make some changes because she felt they were needed the way the company goes and in order to adapt to these new changes. An example would be her trying to set up these meetings, but no one had a calendar. According to Whitman, at EBay this was a culture where appointments were not needed because of its small size – there were only 35 people at the company. So she laid out a calendar and asked people to sign up for appointments. She did not appreciate the feedback; the employees did not like the changes. What ended up happening was that the employees who had previously worked in big companies signed up for multiple meetings, and the people who had worked primarily in start-ups didn’t sign up at all. Furthermore, EBay`s culture was designed to mirror its external community culture. Very important element of EBay`s culture is a respect for its community. It goes far beyond â€Å"the customer is always right† because eBay wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for its community The meetings helped Whitman realize just how special the chemistry was between eBay’s internal and external communities. EBay’s internal culture mirrored many of the characteristics of its external community culture in tangible ways: they were empowered to develop recommendations, and the company employed a nonhierarchical, team-based approach to problem solving. According to Omidyar this configuration was so important: Internally, EBay had to share the same values as their community because they indirectly influence the community in everything they do. Everything EBay put on the Web site, every press release, every utterance to the press, every corporate action, every deal, every partnership that happens in any part of the organization eventually trickles down to the community. EBay rely on all of its executives and then their managers to continue to communicate the culture. The message should trickle down to the very last employee, so that everyone really understands what we’re about and what our values are. EBay also encourage its employees to call the upper management if we’re doing something that is not quite right. EBay empowered everyone to be a guardian of the culture – everyone.

Thorn Queen Chapter Twenty-Eight

â€Å"Oh,† I said lamely, stepping aside so that he could enter. â€Å"I thought you were someone else.† â€Å"Someone in a velvet dress shrieking at the top of her lungs?† he asked. He moved past me in that graceful way of his, and I noticed he was careful to keep a healthy distance between us without being asked, as though he suspected my aversion to touch. â€Å"Something like that.† I shut the door. He shrugged and immediately found the room's wine. â€Å"She won't bother you anymore,† he said, pouring a cup. â€Å"I'm sending her away.† â€Å"Yeah, she told me. You know, I feel kind of bad for her.† â€Å"Stop,† he ordered. â€Å"She's none of your concern. She should have had no expectations about her relationship with me.† â€Å"Yeah, well, she kind of did.† â€Å"Again, one angry person is none of your concern-not with everything else going on.† I grimaced. â€Å"I suppose not, though it sure seems like a lot of people are angry at me-oh. God. I nearly forgot. Do you have Volusian?† Dorian was setting his sword and cloak down. He didn't look happy at the reference. â€Å"Yes†¦I enslaved him to me.† â€Å"Can I†¦can I have him back?† He eyed me. â€Å"Are you sure that's what you want? It'd be better if we banished him together.† I hesitated, recalling Volusian's hands on my throat and knowing what would happen if I ever lost control again. I wouldn't, though. I would stay strong, and I needed him for what was to come. â€Å"Yes,† I said firmly. â€Å"I want him back.† Dorian shrugged. â€Å"Then I'll summon him later. Let's not ruin the moment just yet. He's quite depressing, you know.† Dorian strolled toward the window and bent over, picking up the dress I'd dropped. â€Å"This is lovely.† â€Å"I was going to put it on, but†¦but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I swallowed and nodded toward the window. â€Å"There's a, um, army out there.† He neatly laid the dress on the chair and glanced out the window. â€Å"Yes. Yes, there is. Yours and mine. Well, part of them.† â€Å"I can't believe this happened.† â€Å"Hiding from them won't make them go away.† â€Å"I kind of hoped it would.† He said nothing but gave me an expectant look. Something about it drew me out, and steeling myself up, I approached the window again, staring out at the wide, sandy stretch in the back of the castle. There were so many more than I'd expected-and this was only allegedly a portion of the soldiers that would be fighting Katrice. My small army in their mismatched attire stood in formation on one side. Dorian's â€Å"reserves† stood beside them, much more sharply dressed in deep green shirts under their leather armor and golden oak emblems. So many†¦and again, still not the whole force. More of his soldiers would join up, and then my numbers would grow when the call went out throughout the land when I went to Highmore-if I went there. â€Å"All of this,† I murmured, â€Å"all of this because of a chain of decisions. Me refusing Leith, him kidnapping me, you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I couldn't finish the words, but Dorian and I both knew what I'd been about to say. â€Å"Do you regret it?† he asked. â€Å"What I did?† He sounded as cool and confident as ever, but I could have sworn there was a tiny note of fear in his voice-fear that he'd done something I hadn't wanted. Kiyo's words about how I would regret all this came back to me, and I kept wondering if it was really worth it, all these men and women who might die†¦for what? For my honor? My revenge? I could still respond to Katrice's message, tell her I'd marry her nephew and make peace†¦. A knot formed in my stomach, and I knew that wasn't an option. I could never be with anyone in that family, not without thinking of Leith, of his hands and his body. I could never let her or anyone else think I or my people could be pushed around. After all, Leith hadn't just taken advantage of me. Those girls had suffered too. I was the protector of my people. I was the Thorn Queen and the Thorn Land both. An image of Dorian running his sword through Leith returned to my mind. Probably I should have found it gruesome. Instead, it brought me†¦peace. â€Å"No.† I turned and looked straight into Dorian's eyes. â€Å"I don't regret it. I†¦I'm glad you did it.† My voice wavered a little. â€Å"I'm so glad you did it.† His face transformed somewhat, filled with a type of wonder. I think he'd grown so accustomed to my usual style, my human way of being rational and merciful†¦Well, I think he'd been long bracing himself for my wrath. My earlier suspicion about the worry in his voice had been correct. He'd probably expected a reaction similar to when he'd given me the Thorn Land. The look on his face made me flustered and confused. I turned back to the window and admitted, â€Å"But I†¦I'm scared. I don't want to wage a war. I certainly don't know how to.† Dorian came to stand beside me, still careful to maintain a buffer between us. â€Å"It's in your blood,† he said. â€Å"Storm King was the greatest tactician in centuries.† â€Å"I'm not him. I don't want to be like him.† A nasty voice spoke in my head: But you called yourself Storm Queen, according to Kiyo. â€Å"You can inherit his genius without his cruelty,† said Dorian. â€Å"I suppose, but still†¦I still don't know what to do. Will you help me?† We turned to look at each other, and again, his face seemed to be lit from within. â€Å"Of course. You're not the only one Katrice is after. I'm the one who killed the poor bastard, remember?† The light faded from his face a bit at the reference to Leith. He leaned toward me, eyes intense. â€Å"I'd do it a thousand times over, if I could. War or not.† That earnestness in voice, that fierceness-it sent a shiver down my spine. â€Å"You only say that because we haven't gone to war yet. You don't know what's going to happen.† â€Å"Ah, Eugenie. I know. We will be victorious, you and me. We're the strongest monarchs in this world. Katrice knows this but is blinded by her grief and rage. You and I will lead this army, and we will conquer the Rowan Land. We'll split it between us, adding on to our own kingdoms†¦and from there, we can go anywhere. We could rule half this world together-all of this world-you and me. Kingdom after kingdom would fall to us†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stared him, almost caught up in his vision. The apprehension I'd been holding began to lift as I imagined us destroying her forces and me summoning up storms that made the world tremble. I laughed uneasily, alarmed at the way my thoughts had gone. â€Å"One kingdom's enough,† I said, the human part of me bringing me back to earth. â€Å"You say that now, but I tell you, it's in your blood.† He looked down at me intently, and those rapture-filled eyes seemed to be every shade of green and gold in the world. I fell into them. I felt beautiful in them. Like a goddess. â€Å"Eugenie, you're going to be a warrior queen the likes of which no one has ever seen. Your name will live on when Storm King's has faded to dust. You will lead your armies on-powerful, fearless, and beautiful. Katrice's ‘war' is but a skirmish you'll stamp out underneath your boot.† I had a disorienting moment then, recalling a vision I'd had in the Underworld. My soul had been seeking Kiyo's, but it was Dorian I'd seen in a dream-like state, with the two of us standing on a cliff before armies, both of us radiant and majestic. There'd been a baby in my arms and a crown on my head. I'd never told anyone about that. It had been a test, not a vision of the future. Trying to keep things light with Dorian, I asked, â€Å"And where will you be in all of this? Somehow I don't think you'll be lurking in the shadows.† â€Å"My sweet Eugenie,† he said, back to his flippant, gallant self, â€Å"there you go, always suspecting ulterior motives.† He straightened up, affecting a dignified air. â€Å"I, of course, shall be by your side.† I laughed. Dorian would always be Dorian. â€Å"Sharing in that glory and power, no doubt.† â€Å"A little, certainly.† His mirth vanished, and he grew serious once more. â€Å"But also there to keep you safe. Whatever battles you engage in, whether you choose to conquer this world or simply go back to exorcising ghosts†¦what happened with Leith will never, never happen again. Not while I live. I swear it. I will always keep you safe.† He moved forward but was still careful not to touch me. The vehemence in his voice was so strong, however, that it was practically tangible. â€Å"Always.† My smile was gone. I studied him for a long time and realized I believed him. Kiyo had failed me. Dorian would not. And I realized then that I'd been an idiot to keep trying to push Dorian away. Did I entirely trust his motives? No. I did trust him to protect me, though. I'd realized just before my capture that I loved both him and Kiyo, loved them just as my blood and soul were also split in two. The two halves of my nature would always war with each other. And right now, I didn't need the cautious human half that would rationally seek peace. I needed the part of me that wasn't afraid to unleash all the power I had, to charge forward with no restraints. I needed Dorian right now. It was his love that was going to allow me to be strong and unafraid of what was to come. Slowly, hesitantly, I reached out and caught hold of his hand. It was monumental. I think he knew it was, too. I hadn't been able to stand anyone except my mother touching me these last couple of weeks. I certainly hadn't been able to handle any man doing it. His eyes widened slightly at my contact, and I realized he was holding his breath, afraid for me. I held his hand, feeling its warmth and the long, smooth fingers. There was so much power in connecting with another person, in having physical closeness. With just as much care as I'd used to touch it, I moved his hand to rest on my hip and stepped forward. Dorian swallowed, and for the first time since I'd known him, he looked timid. â€Å"Eugenie-â€Å" I pressed a finger to his lips and then stood on tiptoe to kiss him. His mouth opened instantly to mine, warm and eager. I pushed myself closer to him, but when I put his other arm around me, he pulled back slightly. I could feel and see the desire all over him, but he shook his head. â€Å"No, no†¦it's too soon†¦.† â€Å"I'm the one who says when it's too soon.† I kissed him again, harder, and was surprised at how quickly the lust burned through my body. Despite what I'd just said, I had believed until this moment that I would never want another man. But being near Dorian, feeling that electricity and power crackle between us†¦it brought forth all the old desire I'd been fighting recently, the desire that had nearly made me give in to him in that little village, back when I'd still been committed to Kiyo†¦ But I had no such commitments now. He returned my kiss with equal intensity, his hands running along my hips. The passion was seizing him, he was starting to lose himself in it. Then, like before, some reasonable part of him slapped him to attention one more time. I think the world would have been shocked to know the Oak King had such a conscience. He broke away again, but this time, I didn't let him speak. â€Å"Do you want my most recent time to be with him?† I demanded. â€Å"Do you want Leith to be the memory I carry with me of the last time I had sex?† My fingers moved to the buttons of my short-sleeved cotton shirt and unfastened them all. Catching hold of his hands, I brought them toward my chest, spreading the shirt apart and making him touch my breasts. I'd gone braless today, and his hands felt warm where they stroked my bare skin. â€Å"Make this my memory,† I said huskily, with a bit more command in my voice than I'd intended. â€Å"Make it good. Make this be what I think of when I think of sex. Finish what you started that day†¦.† His hands no longer needed my urging. He cupped my breasts, fingers dancing around my nipples. At the same time, he pushed me toward the bed, laying me out on my back. His mouth crushed me with its kiss, and then his lips moved down my neck and to my breasts, taking one of my nipples in his mouth. He sucked gently at first, tongue darting back and forth, but then his lips grew more urgent. His teeth nipped at me while his hands deftly slid my jeans off. After they were on the floor, he sat up a moment, surveying me and all the bare skin before him. Not having him touch me was agony, and I reached up, unfastening the bejeweled belt and his pants. He backed off the bed, standing up so that he could push his pants down the rest of the way. His shirt came off next, and then he stood there naked before me for my inspection, the perfect, marble god he'd been once before. Looking over the leanness of his muscles, how strong and hard he was, I felt my own body respond urgently. I'd complained to Kiyo before about foreplay, but right now, I wanted none with Dorian-though I had no doubt he would have given me hours of it, armies be damned. â€Å"Don't wait,† I begged him as I pushed my panties down over my hips. â€Å"Don't wait.† He caught hold of the panties and pulled them the rest of the way. I thought he'd join me on the bed, but instead he remained standing. He caught hold of my ankles and pulled me toward him until my ass just rested on the bed's edge. Still holding my ankles, he brought my legs up so they were nearly straight in the air, almost leaning on his shoulders. Then he leaned forward and pushed into me, moaning at the warmth and wetness he found there. I threw my hands over my head, arching my body up and watching as he thrust back and forth. His eyes were on me too, taking in every part of me. There was something special about sex in the daylight, particularly with him standing over me like that so we could both fully see each other. There was no hiding. Everything was exposed. Vulnerable. It's easy to feel insecure in such moments, but I didn't, not with the way he looked at me, not with just lust-but with awe and adoration too. He buried himself in me over and over, hard and forceful without being painful. It was such a lifetime away from what had taken place at Art's house that I realized nothing there could even be considered sex. Having Dorian in me felt good and right. My body was brimming with need, and he felt like fire where he moved between my thighs. That heat intensified within me, and I felt a spark of aching pleasure grow stronger and stronger, fueled with each thrust. I cried out, feeling my body on the verge of orgasm, and when it came, it was like an explosion of me, of the world†¦pure ecstasy and elation bursting from between my thighs to the tips of my fingers and toes. He set my legs back flat on the bed and then lay on top of me, never breaking stride. If anything, he pumped more forcefully, nearing his own climax. That glorious hair rained down on my face, and I wrapped my arms around his neck, tangling my fingers in the silken strands. His own arms wrapped around my body, encircling me like a cocoon as his hips moved harder and harder. Then, he exclaimed loudly, words that had no real form, and pressed his face against my neck as he came, his body spilling into mine. I held him close as he breathed heavily against my neck, his heart racing. Minutes passed, and his body finally calmed, though I continued to hold him. Finally, without breaking from my embrace, he lifted his head and brushed the hair from my face. â€Å"I told you, Eugenie. I told you the world would be reborn when we were together. It will be reborn, and we will conquer it all†¦.† I brushed his lips with my fingers. â€Å"Don't get carried away. We're just settling a grudge here.† The look in his eyes told me he believed a lot more would come of that, but he wisely said nothing. Rolling over, he settled beside me on the covers, and we both lay there, our fingers interlaced. â€Å"I suppose,† I said at last, â€Å"I should go talk to all those people out there, seeing as they're going to risk their lives for my honor.† â€Å"It's more than just your honor,† he said. â€Å"It's the land's too. You are the land, and when they see you, they will gladly fight for you.† I sat up, my eyes falling on the silk dress. â€Å"I guess I've got to play the part. Too bad there's no crown.† Dorian sat up as well. â€Å"Isn't there?† He walked over to the table he'd set his sword and cloak upon when entering. I'd been too distraught to notice at the time, but there was a small cloth-wrapped bundle there too. He brought it over to me, and I found myself holding my breath. I suddenly knew what it was, and I was afraid. â€Å"What's wrong?† he asked when he held it out to me and I didn't take it. â€Å"I†¦I had a dream†¦.† I couldn't explain that vision from the Underworld to him, that one where we'd stood on the hill together. When we had, I'd accepted Storm King's crown-or, well, a feminine version of it-and that's when I'd found myself looking down upon all those soldiers waiting to fight for me. â€Å"What kind of dream?† â€Å"It's hard to explain.† Not waiting for me, Dorian unwrapped the bundle himself. My heart lurched as I braced myself to see it again, an elaborate work of platinum, laden with diamonds and amethysts†¦ But it wasn't. The crown he held was gold and very, very delicate. I hesitantly took it and studied the fine details of it. There were little roses etched into it-roses with lots of thorns. Tiny emeralds-nothing too overwhelming-were scattered amongst the golden leaves. It didn't resemble Storm King's crown at all. â€Å"This is Girard's work,† I said with certainty. â€Å"It is,† Dorian agreed, running a finger down my bare arm. He seemed relieved that I had taken the crown. â€Å"You aren't the only one who can commission projects.† â€Å"But he works for Katrice.† â€Å"Not anymore. Remember that day you met him? I told you then he was an opportunist. He's rolled the dice and decided we're the side to align with-which, of course, we are. He'll come in very handy for weapons, I think.† My eyes were still on the crown and its beauty. I couldn't explain how relieved I was that it was nothing like the crown from the vision. Hesitantly, I lifted it and rested it on top of my head. I looked to Dorian for confirmation. â€Å"What do you think?† He smiled, reaching out to straighten it and arrange my hair slightly. â€Å"Go see for yourself.† Climbing out of bed, I walked over to the full-length mirror and surveyed myself. I was still naked, all that pale skin contrasting with the red of my hair and the glitter of the crown. My hair didn't have the blond that Jasmine's did, but it had the occasional gold highlight, and the crown made those locks gleam as they rested just past my shoulders. The emeralds were subtle, not gaudy, but vivid enough to further set off my hair and eyes. â€Å"So what do you think?† Dorian asked. I glanced over at him, still sprawled on the bed and watching me with amusement. I turned back to the mirror, studying my naked, crowned self. I smiled. â€Å"I think it looks good on me.†