Analysis of a Marketing News Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis of a Marketing News Story - Essay Example Although this particular news report talks about the business tactic of Google, it also brings up new idea with regards to the future developments in online marketing options. Advertisements are referring to a â€Å"paid-message in a form of media† with the purpose of attracting the attention of the target consumers (Faber, Lee and Nan, 2004). Aiming to reach for the target audience, the traditional advertisers utilizes newspapers, magazines, radio, television, mail, telephone, billboards, posters, fliers, CDs, and audiotapes as a communication channels (Kotler, 2000, p. 15). On the other hand, the use of on-line advertisements such as the use on-line banners (usually appears at the top end of a web page), e-mail, search engine advertisements such as Google.com or Yahoo.com, the interactive on-page media ads, streaming audio and video among others has been widely used to catch the attention of online viewers. In fact, the use of online advertisement tools is considered as on o f the fastest growing medium for modern advertisements (Faber, 2002). According to Kotler (2003, p. 4), the main reason why large-scale companies are advertising their products is to â€Å"inform, persuade, remind, or reinforce† the public consumers’ purchasing behaviour. ... 7, 12). Based on consumers’ response with regards to the use of online and traditional advertisements, Gallagher, Foster, and Parsons (2001) revealed that the use of a traditional print ads and advertiesements in Web format does not necessarily provide any significant difference with regards to the viewers’ ability to recall the advertised message. After exploring the impact of pop-up windows and animation on the memory of 60 online advertisement viewers, Diao and Sundar (2007) revealed that the viewers ability to recall the pop-up advertisements is higher as compared to the use of banner advertisements. Not all advertisements are effective in terms of sending the company’s message accross their target customers. For this reason, a lot of researchers have focused their studies on examining the effectiveness of online advertisements (Callaway, 2010; Chtourou and Abida, 2010; Shukla, Sharma and Swami, 2010; Diao and Sundar, 2007). After conducting a researh study w ith regards to the effectiveness of online advertisements, Shukla, Sharma and Swami (2010) explained that the ability of the online advertisers to make the online viewers satisfied with what they see and read about the advertised products and services increases the public viewers’ intention to make online purchases. Therefore, online advertising companies are looking for new ways to improve their existing online advertising services through product and technology innovation. Recently, Sparkes (2012) mentioned that roughly 16,000 businesses are already using the social media as part of their marketing campaign. In line with this, Chtourou and Abida (2010) revealed that the continuously increasing number of existing

Fallacies and Generalizations Essay Example for Free

Fallacies and Generalizations Essay Fallacies and generalizations of complex topics is common in today’s high-pace society. Even before the era of 24/7 news, it was often easier to persuade people to an action if the terms were simplified. Unfortunately, this simplification often mires debates, and those who have no cost to being wrong often burden others with the cost of making a wrong decision. As I have been reading Economic Facts and Fallacies (by Sowell), many of the common fallacies of today’s economics and culture situations are broken down to reveal possible causes, as well as the true causes. For today’s post, common fallacies and generalizations will be defined, as well as an example of each. When debating with others, watch out for these fallacies and call them out when you are able to. 1. Ad hominem One of the most common fallacies today, in which an argument is linked to a personal characteristic or belief to the opposition. It should not be confused with general name-calling or with legitimate concerns of the opposition’s motives for arguing. Example: Mark: Gay marriage is wrong. Susan: Well, to you it is because you are a Christian. Mark: All the reasons against have had nothing to do with religion. Susan: You are religious so it does not matter what your reasons are for not supporting gay marriage. 2. Argument from Authority Simply put, an argument/statement is correct because someone with recognized authority (person or organization) has said it is correct or endorses the position. It is commonly seen in commercials, but also prevalent in areas of debate that do rely upon factual data. Arguments based on a person’s expertise must be heavily scrutinized, especially in the scientific and mathematical fields, which require non-biased data to support conclusions in experiments. Example: â€Å"Hi, I’m (Athlete) here to talk to you about the amazing advantages of using the Dental Pro-Product Extreme! Example 2: Susan: Global Warming has not yet been conclusively proven to have been caused by human activities. Mark: 90% of scientists with the UN and many climate agencies around the world have agreed that man is the cause of this Warming. 3. Appeal to Emotion The fallacy of appealing to emotion is broad, a person can appeal to fear, ridicule, or some positive benefit. Emotion though has not place in a debate based upon facts. Example: Mark: If we don’t support our troops, then our national security is at risk! Who really wants to let up security so terrorists can sneak through and harm us? 4. Correlation does not imply Causation One of the biggest generalizations committed today is this one. Many of the fallacies in Sowell’s book revolve around this type of fallacy including various â€Å"discrimination† such as the gender-wage gap, and black-white income/education gap. The other problem with this generalization is that it generally applies broadly to a diverse group, such as â€Å"women†. Example: Mark: Women consistently earn 75 cents per dollar that men make doing the same jobs despite all the advances they have made over the years. Susan: Did you know that women, as a group, tend to choose jobs that are lower pay and have less hours? And that when compared individually, productivity differences due to time off from work explain the gap? 5. Slippery Slope The bane of many internet debates and political debates is the slippery slope fallacy. It is often combined with other fallacies to make the argument stronger. In essence, the person will use this fallacy to say that a small event will cascade into ever larger events, typically against the wishes of the audience. Susan: If we legalize prostitution, then drug use will increase. Which means more tax dollars will be needed to combat the rise in crime that will result, and schools will need to enforce stricter drug policies to protect children. Mark: Why not legalize drugs as well? Shouldn’t people be free to use their bodies as they please? Many, many, infinitely many more fallacies exist. Generalizations are also common when people are treated as a homogeneous group, such as the income differences amongst ethnic groups in the United States. Of course, at times fallacies and generalizations can be useful, if they are true and conform to reason, but for every-day usage, most are just to win the debate and shame the opponent one way or another.

Analysis of Fable by Nina Cassian :: Cassian Fable Essays

Analysis of Fable by Nina Cassian Whereas the extent of my poetic appreciation lies in a decided distaste for Dante and a zest for limericks concerning Nantucket - it behooves me to discuss a poem that my limited capacities can grasp. Fable by Nina Cassian is just such a poem. I view this piece as Ms. Cassian's perspective on life (a "sentence" or an obligation), death, and sadly, the fact that most people do not appreciate the beautific nature of existence. I understand the first stanza as a depiction of man's earthly plane as a sort of testing ground for "angels" - a place where beings are concerned with the development of spirit, "to master imbalance." The second and third stanzas I interpret as the transformation of the ethereal spirit to a corporeal state. The "angel plummeted" and thus left spiritual beauty in a quest for purity. The angel,s descent is clearly painful: "...feathers carbonized, his sole wing impotent, dangling." Though the cost of corporeal existence is dear, I believe Ms. Cassian sees this as an obligation which must be met, a "sentence." The final sentence is the saddest. The nature of this newly formed being is mundanely categorized. The "people" fail to see its purpose and its intrinsic beauty; by extension, they have lost their own missions, their own true value. They have forgotten God. The second poem was written by an astonishingly brillant N.Y.U. student hoping to receive an "A" in an introductory literature course taught by a fascinating (and underpaid) professsor. 12/2/97 is the date that this author spent approximately six minutes dead. He had minored in theology and had developed a healthy scepticism concerning all religions. The author had laughed at so called "near-death experiences -" believing them either fantasy or resultant of a chemical secretion of the frontal lobe in times of catastrophic distress. This erstwhile pillager of the business world, this glorified "strett hustler" discovered upon his demise that as the "people" of Fable he had lost his way, his appreciation, his God.

Organizational Behavior Terminology and Concepts Essay -- Organization

Organizational Behavior Terminology and Concepts   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organizational behavior is defined as the study of human behavior in organizations. Organizational behavior is an interdisciplinary body of knowledge with strong ties to the behavioral sciences such as psychology, sociology and anthropology as well as to allied sciences. However, the goal of organizational behavior is to integrate the diverse insights of these other disciplines and apply them to real-world problems and opportunities. The ultimate goal of organizational behavior is to improve the performance of people, groups and organizations (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organizational culture is defined as the shared beliefs and values that influence the behavior of organizational members. The internal environments of organizations display an underlying respect for people and for workforce diversity. Diversity is the presence of individual-differences based on gender, race and ethnicity, age, able-bodiedness, and sexual orientation. Members of diverse organizations are skilled at working successfully with people from different racial and ethnic backgrounds, of different ages and genders, different ethnic and national cultures, and different life styles (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2005).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Organizational effectiveness is an indicator of how well organizations perform. The analysis of performance can be done from different perspectives. The first is the systems resource approach, which looks at the inpu...

Reaction paper: “3 idiots” Film Essay

I. Title: 3 Idiots II. Director: Rajkumar Hirani III. Characters: Aamir Khan as Ranchoddas Shamaldas Chanchad/ Chhote/ Phunsukh wangdu Kareena Kapoor Khan as Pia Sahastrabuddhe R. Madhavan as Farhan Qureshi Sharman Joshi as Raju Rastogi Boman Irani as Dr. Viru Sahastrabuddhe Omi Vaidya as Chatur Ramalingam IV. Opening Story: Both Farhan and Raju wants to meet again their fellow collegian, Rancho after faking a stroke abroad an Air India plane, and excusing himself from his wife respectively. On the way to destination, they encounter another student, Chatur, now a successful businessman, who reminds them of a bet that they had undertaken 10 years ago. As they are recollecting hilarious funny act, including their argument with the Dean of Delhi’s Imperial College of Engineering, Viru Sahastrabudhe, race to locate Rancho, at his last known address. Little they did not know about the secret that was kept from them all this time. V. Passing action: Farhan, Raju, and Rancho are three engineering students who share a room in the residence of Imperial College of Engineering (ICE). Farhan is studying engineering to pursue his father’s wishes over his own wish that is to become a wildlife photographer. Raju is studying to raise his family’s fortunes and get them out of pover ty. On the other hand, Rancho studies for his simple passion in machines and devices. Rancho believes that success in studying is not achieved by solely memorizing definitions given by textbooks or professors, but by understanding and applying the concepts. He believes that one should follow excellence, not success, as success will come itself if excellence is followed. VI. Rising Action: Things further escalate when the three friends drunkenly break into Virus’s house one night to allow Rancho to confess his love to Pia, and urinate on the front door before fleeing. The next day, Virus threatens to rusticate Raju unless he squeals on Rancho. Not wanting to betray his friend or let down his family, Raju attempts suicide and ends up paralyzed. Following his recovery, Raju discards his fear of the future. Encouraged by Rancho, both Raju and Farhan gain courage to do what they were afraid to do before. Raju takes a frank approach in an  interview for a corporate job, while Farhan convinces his parents to allow him to pursue his love of wildlife photography, both successful in their endeavors. VII. Climax: Their story is framed as intermittent flashbacks from the present day, ten years after Chatur bet that he’d become more successful than Rancho. Having lost contact with Rancho, who disappeared during the graduation party and went into seclusion, after five years, Raju and Farhan begin a journey to find him. They are joined by Chatur, now a wealthy and successful professional in the USA, who is looking to seal a deal with a famous scientist and prospective business associate named Phunsukh Wangdu. When they find Rancho’s house in Shimla, they find a completely different man: the real Rancho. From him, they come to know that their friend was a destitute servant boy â€Å"Chhote† who loved learning, while he, the real Rancho, disliked study. After seeing the boy’s intelligence, the family agreed to let the servant boy study in Rancho’s place instead of laboring. In return, the real Rancho would pocket his qualifications and after graduating, the servant boy will cease all contact. The real Rancho reveals that Chhote is now a schoolteacher in Ladakh. At the same time, they find out that, without Rancho, Pia decided to marry the same price-obsessed banker that Rancho initially talked her into dumping, and they go to rescue her from the wedding. VIII. Falling action ending: Raju and Farhan find Pia and arrive at Rancho’s school. Pia and the fake Rancho rekindle their love, while Chatur mocks Rancho for becoming a lowly schoolteacher. He asks Rancho to sign a â€Å"Declaration of Defeat† document. When Rancho’s friends ask what his real name is, he reveals that he is actually Phunsukh Wangdu himself. Chatur finds out about this and is horrified; he accepts his defeat and pleads his case with Phunsukh to establish the business relationship he was after.

G.I. Jane essays

G.I. Jane essays The movie is about a female soldier that is going to Special Forces training. This training is only supposed to be for men, and she will be the first woman at this training. She went to the training because the Senator from Texas wanted to prove that women can do the same job that a man can. However, the Senator just wanted publicity to get votes. The Senator ended up trying to take her out of the training because she made a deal to keep some military bases open which she thought would get herself elected. The Senator finally changed her mind, and the Navy Lieutenant got to finish her training, and she became a SEAL (SEa Air Land). She went on a real mission at the end, and was able to rescue her trainer, a Master Chief. The main point of the movie that I will focus on is the discrimination of women inside the workplace. I found that in the American Military, women are discriminated against. They are not allowed to do the same jobs as the men are, like going on submarines, or serving in the special forces. The men feel that the women are either too weak, or that they simply cant do the same amount of work that a man can. In the movie, Lieutenant ONeil was able to keep up with all the men. She complained any time she was treated any different than the other people in her company. She did not want any special treatment for her being a girl. After a while, she proved that with a strong character, and a strong will, everyone has an equal chance of meeting their goals. In her case, she was able to overcome all the obstacles that were put in her way, and successfully completed the training. In my opinion, the United States people feel that a womans life is more valuable than a mans. It has always been that way, and still the same. For a long time, the people of the United States wont change their mind, and that is a point of view that the whole world shares. ...

The Present Participle in English

The Present Participle in English A present participle is a  verb form  (or verbal)- made by adding -ing to the base- that often functions as an adjective. Present participles are the only verb forms that are completely regular. The present participle (also known as the -ing form) is used with a form of the auxiliary be to express the progressive aspect. For a discussion of the differences between present participles and gerunds (both of which end in -ing), see gerunds. Examples and Observations The hotel were staying in is super deluxe, and we have a working television set.(Cristina Garcia, I Wanna Be Your Shoebox. Simon Schuster, 2008)The Mole had been working very hard all the morning.(Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows, 1908Working in shifts, we get the grave dug by early afternoon and return to the bunkhouse.(Guy Vanderhaeghe, The Englishmans Boy. McClelland Stewart., 1996Im looking for something in an attack dog. One who likes the sweet gamey tang of human flesh.(Mr. Burns in The Simpsons, 1992Looking back you realize that a very special person passed briefly through your lifeand that person was you. It is not too late to find that person again.(attributed to Robert Brault)And standing on the sidelines during those first games were the veterans, holding the spaldeens, bouncing them, smelling them in an almost sacramental way.(Pete Hamill, A Drinking Life, 1994When suffering comes, we yearn for some sign from God, forgetting we have just had one.(Mignon McLaughl in, The Complete Neurotics Notebook. Castle Books, 1981 I drive through the electric gates of a three-acre estate, passing landscaped gardens before I pull up in front of a neocolonial mansion, parking beside a Bentley, two Porsches and a Lamborghini Spyder. Moonsamy, wearing jeans and a T-shirt, is waiting for me at the door.(Joshua Hammer, Inside Cape Town. Smithsonian, April 2008Their hair in curlers and their heads wrapped in loud scarves, young mothers, fattish in trousers, lounge about in the speed-wash, smoking cigarettes, eating candy, drinking pop, thumbing magazines, and screaming at their children above the whir and rumble of the machines.(William Gass, In the Heart of the Heart of the CountryAlthough we have traditionally thought of the participle as an adjectival (and that is certainly its more common role), some participles and participial phrases clearly have an adverbial function, providing information of time, place, reason, and manner, as other adverbials do.(Martha Kolln and Robert Funk, Understanding English Grammar. A llyn and Bacon, 1998 Walking through Sherwood Forest at sunset, we could feel an air of mystery, as if the ancient trees had a story to tell, if only we could hear.(Winsoar Churchill, Robin Hoods Merry England. British Heritage, April 1998Standing near the door, we dipped our fingers in the holy water, crossed and blessed ourselves, and proceeded up to the sleeping-room, in the usual order, two by two.(Maria Monk . . . StandingIn the shoes of indecision, I hear themCome up behind me and go on ahead of meWearing boots, on crutches, barefoot, they could neverGet together on any door-sill or destination- (W.S. Merwin, Sire. The Second Four Books of Poems. Copper Canyon Press, 1993 Whats the Difference Between a Gerund and a Present Participle? Both of these -ing forms are verbals. A gerund functions as a noun:  Laughing is good for you.  A present participle functions as an adjective: The old laughing lady dropped by to call Usage Advice: Not Simultaneous Not Simultaneous. The misuse of the present participle is a common structural sentence-fault for beginning writers. Putting his key in the door, he leapt up the stairs and got his revolver out of the bureau. Alas, our hero couldnt do this even if his arms were forty-feet long. This fault shades into Ing Disease, the tendency to pepper sentences with words ending in -ing, a grammatical construction which tends to confuse the proper sequence of events. (Attr. Damon Knight) (Bruce Sterling, A Workshop Lexicon. Paragons: Twelve Master Science Fiction Writers Ply Their Crafts, ed. by Robin Wilson. St. Martins Press, 1997 Time and the Present Participle The problem of teaching the participle is certainly not simplified by the fact that this term is obviously a misnomer. The student, accustomed to present tenses which indicate present time, and past tenses which indicate past time, cannot comprehend the sophistry of a present participle which indicates now present, now past, now future time. . . . Why insist on calling the participle in -ing present no matter what time it happens to be indicating? (Karl G. Pfeiffer, The Present Participle- A Misnomer. The English Journal, 1931) Also Known As: active, imperfect, or -ing participle

Love Poems of the English Renaissance

Love Poems of the English Renaissance The love poems of the Renaissance are considered to be some of the most romantic of all time. Many of the most famous poets are more well-known as playwrights Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson and the most renowned of all, William Shakespeare. Throughout the medieval period, which preceded the Renaissance, poetry changed dramatically throughout England and Western Europe. Slowly, and with influence from movements like  courtly love, the epic ballads of battles and monsters like Beowulf were transformed into romantic adventures like the  Arthurian legends. These romantic legends were the precursor to the Renaissance, and as it unfolded, literature and poetry evolved still further and took on a decidedly romantic aura. A more personal style developed, and poems clearly became a way for a  poet to reveal his feelings to the one he loved. In the mid-to-late 16th  century, there  was a virtual flowering of poetic talent in England, influenced by the art and literature of the Italian Renaissance a century before. Here are some prominent examples of English poetry from the crest of the English Renaissance of letters. CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE (1564-1593) Christopher Marlowe was educated at Cambridge and known for his wit and charm. After he graduated from  Cambridge he went to London and joined the Admirals Men, a group of players. He soon began writing plays, and those included Tamburlaine the Great, Dr. Faustus and The Jew of Malta. When he wasnt writing plays he often could be found gambling, and during a game of backgammon one fateful night with three other men he got into a quarrel, and one of them stabbed him to death, ending this most talented writers life at the age of 29. Besides plays, he wrote poems. Heres an example: Who Ever Loved That Loved Not at First Sight?   It lies not in our power to love or hate,For will in us is overruled by fate.When two are stripped, long ere the course begin,We wish that one should love, the other win;And one especially do we affectOf two gold ingots, like in each respect:The reason no man knows; let it sufficeWhat we behold is censured by our eyes.Where both deliberate, the love is slight:Who ever loved, that loved not at first sight?   SIR WALTER RALEIGH (1554-1618) Sir Walter Raleigh was a true Renaissance man: He was a courtier in the court of Queen Elizabeth I, an explorer, an adventurer, a warrior, a poet. He is famous for putting down his cloak over a puddle for Queen Elizabeth in an act of stereotypical chivalry. So its no surprise that he would be a writer of romantic poetry. After Queen Elizabeth died, he was accused of plotting against King James I and was sentenced to death and was beheaded in 1618. The Silent Lover,  Part 1 Passions are likend best to floods and streams:The shallow murmur, but the deep are dumb;So, when affection yields discourse, it seemsThe bottom is but shallow whence they come.They that are rich in words, in words discoverThat they are poor in that which makes a lover. BEN JONSON (1572-1637) After an unlikely beginning as an adult that included being arrested for acting in a seditious play, killing a fellow actor and spending time in jail, Ben Jonsons first play was put on at the Globe Theatre, complete with William Shakespeare in the cast. It was called Every Man in His Humour, and it was Jonsons breakthrough moment. He got in trouble with the law again over Sejanus, His Fall and Eastward Ho. accused of popery and treason. Despite these legal troubles and antagonism with fellow playwrights, he became poet laureate of Britain in 1616 and is buried in Westminster Abbey. Come, My Celia Come, my Celia, let us proveWhile we may, the sports of love;Time will not be ours forever;He at length our good will sever.Spend not then his gifts in vain.Suns that set may rise again;But if once we lose this light,Tis with us perpetual night.Why should we defer our joys?Fame and rumor are but toysCannot we delude the eyesOf a few poor household spies,Or his easier ears beguile,So removed by our wile?Tis no sin loves fruit to stealBut the sweet theft to reveal.To be taken, to be seen,These have crimes accounted been. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (1564-1616) William Shakespeare, the greatest poet and writer in the English language, is shrouded in mystery. Only the barest facts of his life are known: He was born in Stratford-Upon-Avon to a glover and leather merchant who was a prominent leader of the town for a time. He had no college education. He turned up in London in 1592 and by 1594 was acting and writing with the play group the Lord Chamberlains Men. The group soon opened the now-legendary Globe Theatre, where many of Shakespeares plays were performed. He was one of the most, if not the most, successful playwright of his time, and in 1611 he returned to Stratford and bought a substantial house. He died in 1616 and was buried in Stratford. In 1623 two of his colleagues published the First Folio edition of his Collected Works. As much as a playwright, he was a poet, and none of his sonnets is more famous than this one. Sonnet 18: Shall I Compare Thee to a Summers Day?   Shall I compare thee to a summers day?Thou art more lovely and more temperate.Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,And summers lease hath all too short a date.Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,And often is his gold complexion dimmed;And every fair from fair sometime declines,By chance, or natures changing course untrimmed.But thy eternal summer shall not fadeNor lose possession of that fair thou owst;Nor shall death brag thou wandrest in his shade,When in eternal lines to time thou growst,So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

BSc (Hons) Computing & Web Technologies Coursework

BSc (Hons) Computing & Web Technologies - Coursework Example Over the years, e-commerce gained tremendous recognition and still going across the globe even to the remotest country ever. Dealing business through e-commerce entails fundamentals to succeed in this business approach. Establishing a successful online gateway for your targeted customer needs some internet elements established for the market. This may not only be limited to the physical server where the data are stored but may be detailed as far as visibility, accessibility and security concerns. E-commerce extends to provide and online ordering system and may apply to any business industry desiring to offer online business with their customers. This project aims to create an online Restaurant Order System which will be a web-based application that seeks to increase the number of customer by offering online order system subsequently increase sales. East Eat Chinese Takeaway is the prospect establishment for the implementation of the said system. The web application will provide menu details and provides a shopping cart for customers placing orders online. Eventually, a checkout tool is linked to the shopping cart to proceed with the payment. Delivery details will be asked during checkout. Keywords: Restaurant Order System, E-commerce, Online Shopping, Online Payments via Credit Cards 1 Introduction Today, many companies are shifting to web-centric computing to support their business enterprises. It is important to build resiliency into business operations, but it is just as important to build resiliency into a company's customer handling. One way to achieve this is by adopting

New Concept evaluation with planning & execution proposals Essay

New Concept evaluation with planning & execution proposals - Essay Example As Griffin’s model above indicates, the addition of a new product line is the riskiest venture that a company can undertake so careful planning and execution is required to avoid negative cost and schedule variances. In addition, dehumidifiers are already market available so consumer perspectives need to be taken into account to deal with concerns with existing competition. The customer will be treated as a co-creator for the current project as explained by Nambisan (2002). In order to pursue product development for the proposed dehumidifier, a gate stage model will be used to plan various stages and oversee their productive gains from concept to final market product. This report will discuss the various phases, their gated formations and checks available to ensure a smooth product development process for the proposed dehumidifier. The stage-gate (alternatively phase-gate) technique is utilised in project management when dealing with new product development. Product development processes are broken down into various phases that are limited by the presence of gates. Each phase has its own sets of objectives to achieve. Once these objectives are achieved, the selected gatekeepers review the progress and decide if the project is to be moved into the next stage or if it is to be revised or rejected altogether. The iterative character of the entire process ensures that risks are minimised, contingencies are adapted for and that the project remains as market relevant as possible (Chao et al., 2005). The zero phase is intended to allow for project management planning through the confluence of different departments that would need to corroborate for product development. This phase also known as â€Å"fuzzy front end† is aimed to solicit ideas from various team members in order to decide if the idea is workable in the given circumstance and to

Book review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Book review - Essay Example Utilitarianism is a philosophical movement essentially defined by what pleases the most people. Morality is defined by the majority. The trend that follows is one of hedonistic pursuits with the avoidance of pain. Initially, this philosophy was delineated by Jeremy Bentham and later expounded on by John Stuart Mills. Utilitarian proponents view all things as measured by the amount of happiness they can elicit rather than the intrinsic value. The moral compass of any individual is gained from actual experiences, rather than any set of core values instilled in the individual by a higher power. Utilitarianism has largely been successful amongst the English, who consider all experiences derived from the five senses. This doctrine is contrary necessitates a physical experience as a means of understanding right from wrong, morality from immorality. The lineage of such a concept can be traced back to Hobbes’ code of ethics as measured by what best serves the individual while disregarding others. However, the utilitarian ideals are more carefully crafted, taking consideration of the greater good for the greater number of individuals. It is true that a perfect society in which all can be perfectly content is impossible. Therefore the only possible recourse is to try to please the majority. That is the fundamental premise of a democracy which holds to a standard of majority rule. As exemplified in various democracies around the world, a rule by the people has tremendous success while political regimes that are totalitarian in nature are not as successful socioeconomically. In Albert Camus’s The Stranger, Mersault is indifferent to his morally reprehensible acts. He represents the universe in his detachment to the events in his life. Even Camus’s style of of using first person to convey the story of his protagonist Mersault gives the impression of his conscience and the adopted morality that guides his thoughts

Volcker Rule Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Volcker Rule - Essay Example These governments argue that the rule would make it hard for them to access loans for their public operations and projects (Goldfarb and Schneider 2012, par. 1). The business community argues that the rule should be made more permissive in case it restricts the bank’s capability to procure capital and loans (Eichler 2012, par. 7). Local and state officials state that the Volcker Rule will make it more costly for them to gather money from investors to pay for expenditures such as housing assistance and environmental cleanup. Within the Washington region, the rule could influence borrowing costs for various agencies. Authorities that can be adversely affected by the rule include those that operate Dulles International airport, Reagan National airport, and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (Goldfarb and Schneider 2012, par. 2). The European governments caution that the rule could further worsen the debt crisis which is already affecting the global financial markets. Foreign governments and municipalities are complaining that the legislation will considerably limit their purchasing of bonds by the banks. Thus, it will increase the interest rates that the issuers of bonds have to pay in order to attract investors (Goldfarb and Schneider 2012, par. 8). If the Volcker Rule would be implemented, it would indicate that the banks will have to close their prop trading desks and consequently, 10,000 employees will probably lose their jobs. There are also concerns in relation to how the United States’ banks will be able to compete with the financial institutions in Europe that are less affected by the proposed legislation. Most of the US banks’ business model will be influenced by the proposal indicating that they will have lower competitive advantage in comparison with their counterparts in Europe (Brinded 2011, p1; Lynch 2012, par. 1). The huge US banks fixed income business models offer a considerable amount of prop

Final english Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Final english - Essay Example More importantly, governments are also providing incentives and tax waives to people who buy hybrid cars in order to encourage the manufacturers in their efforts to manufacture energy efficient automobile engines. Different automobile engines have evolved with time. However, the most common are the 4 cylinder inline engine, v6, v8, and hybrid engines. This paper discusses the different automobile engines whilst comparing their technology, efficiency, environmental friendliness, and the challenges faced while developing engines that are more efficient. Additionally, the paper will discuss the advantages of hybrid cars with much reference to Toyota Prius. 4 Cylinder (V4) Inline Engines Perhaps 4 cylinder inline engines are the most commonly used engines today. However, the technology for this type of engine has revolutionized for decades. Many improvements have been made on the engines to make them efficient, more powerful, and compact and environmental friendly. Technologically, the 4 cylinder inline engine has all the four cylinders arranged in a straight line with all the four pistons being used to drive a common crankshaft. In most cars, the piston displacement goes up to 2.4 liters. However, diesel powered 4 cylinder inline engines have most often gone beyond 3.0 liters displacement. Notably, a series of modifications have been made on this type of engine. Whereas most of earlier versions used carburetor, modern cars use complicated electrical systems such as the VVTi systems (â€Å"U.S department of Energy†). Indeed, most modern cars produced in the last ten years have a computerized system otherwise referred to as engine management systems for controlling fuel and air into the engine. Considering the widespread use of4 cylinder inline engines, it is safe to conclude that these are the most efficient automobile engines so far especially considering the widespread use of gasoline and diesel as the propellant (â€Å"U.S department of Energy†). V 6 Engines V6 engines are indeed the second most commonly used engines in automobiles. The v6 engine comprises of 6 cylinders with 6 pistons driving a common crankshaft. However, the 6 cylinders are not often placed in one straight line. Actually, three cylinders are put on either side making a v shape with the crankshaft. Most of these engines are either configured at 60 degrees or 90 degrees. However, the 60 degree orientation is arguably the most efficient and provides less engine vibration as well. However, it is important to note that most v6 engines are most commonly used in medium sized cars especially most of the lower end sports utility vehicles (SUVs). However, in line with the need for energy conservation, v6 engines have undergone tremendous improvements. For instance, the inline 6cylinder engines are no longer being manufactured. The piston angle has also been factored in many model manufacturing. For instance, some of the modern cars using v6 engines are either turbocha rged or use super chargers to improve fuel efficiency and produce more torque. Simply put, turbo chargers are systems that compress and sometimes preheat air and force it into combustion chambers at high pressure hence generating more energy (â€Å"U.S department of Energy†). V8 engines V8 engines have eight cylinders with four cylinders on each side. All the eight cylinders drive the same

Volcker Rule Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Volcker Rule - Essay Example These governments argue that the rule would make it hard for them to access loans for their public operations and projects (Goldfarb and Schneider 2012, par. 1). The business community argues that the rule should be made more permissive in case it restricts the bank’s capability to procure capital and loans (Eichler 2012, par. 7). Local and state officials state that the Volcker Rule will make it more costly for them to gather money from investors to pay for expenditures such as housing assistance and environmental cleanup. Within the Washington region, the rule could influence borrowing costs for various agencies. Authorities that can be adversely affected by the rule include those that operate Dulles International airport, Reagan National airport, and the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (Goldfarb and Schneider 2012, par. 2). The European governments caution that the rule could further worsen the debt crisis which is already affecting the global financial markets. Foreign governments and municipalities are complaining that the legislation will considerably limit their purchasing of bonds by the banks. Thus, it will increase the interest rates that the issuers of bonds have to pay in order to attract investors (Goldfarb and Schneider 2012, par. 8). If the Volcker Rule would be implemented, it would indicate that the banks will have to close their prop trading desks and consequently, 10,000 employees will probably lose their jobs. There are also concerns in relation to how the United States’ banks will be able to compete with the financial institutions in Europe that are less affected by the proposed legislation. Most of the US banks’ business model will be influenced by the proposal indicating that they will have lower competitive advantage in comparison with their counterparts in Europe (Brinded 2011, p1; Lynch 2012, par. 1). The huge US banks fixed income business models offer a considerable amount of prop

The Lebanon Crises (1958) Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

The Lebanon Crises (1958) - Term Paper Example In Lebanon, the big problem was the fragile nature of the social and political structure of the country. Lebanon was a multi-confessional state with Christians and Muslims sharing power. The new Government appointed by President Chamoun in 1956 seemed to tilt more towards the West. On January 5, 1957, President Eisenhower appeared before Congress to announce a new US policy for the Middle East. He asked Congress to pass a resolution authorizing economic assistance and the use of US forces to prevent a Communist takeover in the Middle East (Meo 132-144). Lebanon was the only Arab country to announce publicly its support for the doctrine. The decision by President Chamoun to endorse the new US policy, and accept aid under the terms of the Middle East Resolution, caused a major foreign policy rift between the Government and the opposition in Lebanon and led to the formation of the united National Front, an opposition grouping composed of Muslims and Christians (Meo 132-144) This rift coincided with Chamoun's plans to amend the electoral law before the elections in June 1957. The passage of the new law increased the number of seats in the Chamber of Deputies and had a direct impact on the outcome of the elections, outside influences also affected the outcome. The United States provided covert funds for pro-Government candidates, while Egypt and Syria supported and funded the opposition (Eveland 248-250). Since assuming the Presidency, Camille Chamoun had made a determined effort to destroy the power of the feudal landowners who formed the backbone of the Lebanese political system.

Apples Organisation Learning Essay Example for Free

Apples Organisation Learning Essay This paper is the report of the research done on Apple as a learning organization, the purpose of the assignment is to understand how you can identify the organization which learns, what their business is, and map out their learning cycle. Other objectives of the researchers are to understand how learning theories are applied in real world and to identify which theory is most suitable for Apple’s learning style. 1. Introduction This paper discuss about learning organizations, the case subject for this paper is Apple computer. The purpose of this study is to understand the real example of learning organization and to clarify the organizations which are flexible and adaptive from rigid organizations, this clarification help one to understand the advantages and disadvantages of organizational learning. Furthermore while doing this research one will learn how to do company analysis, and make a company profile which is vital for every organizations to have one. Also we will look at how Apple is implementing organizational learning, assess it, and what are other strategies Apple uses to implement and maintain organizational learning. Company profile ; Background Apple, founded in 1976 by Steven P. Jobs and Steve Wozniak, is the world’s largest technology company in terms of market capitalization, taking the lead from its long-time rival Microsoft in 2010. Steven Wozniak and Steven Jobs had been friends in high school, they had both been interested in electronics, and both had been perceived as outsiders. They kept in touch after graduation, and both ended up dropping out of school and getting jobs working for companies in Silicon Valley, Woz for Hewlett-Packard, and Jobs for Atari. Wozniak had been dabbling in computer-design for some time when, in 1976, he designed what would become the Apple I. Jobs, who had an eye for the future, insisted that he and Wozniak try to sell the machine, and on April 1, 1976, Apple Computer was born. Sculley became the de facto head of Apple in May 1985. Over the next few months, Apple was forced to lay off a fifth of its work force, some 1,200 employees. The company also posted its first quarterly loss. All this

Concepts of Physical Anthropology

Concepts of Physical Anthropology A correlation is also known as a relationship between two or more variables. There are three types of correlation, positive, negative, and no correlation. Positive correlation is when the data of the two variables increase. Negative correlation occurs when one of the variables increases, but the other decreases. And last but not least, no correlation, which shows that neither of the variables has an effect on the other. Different types of data, collected by social scientists, can be put into a scatter plot to identify any relation between the two variables. This cartoon is related to correlation because it shows two penguins discussing whether there is a relation between global warming and film crews. The humour behind this cartoon is that the penguins are not sure if the film crews are the cause of global warming because of the pollution they created or if the film crews are here because of global warming. Objectivity is the lack of favoritism and being equal and fair to both sides of the situation. However, when talking about social sciences, objectivity is when one tries to gather and evaluate information that is approached in a way as free from bias as possible to carry out a fair outcome. This cartoon is related to the concept of objectivity because it shows a marriage counselor as he is telling his two patients how he keeps his objectivity without any biased results. This cartoon is funny because the method the marriage counselor uses to maintain his objectivity is staying single. This tells the reader what he means is that if he was married, he would probably side up with the men because he knows how much of a pain having a wife can be. And so, he tries to not be biased to the women side by not getting married and keeping his objectivity in place. Surveys involve gathering a large number of persons to ask them a particular question or set of questions about their views and attitudes towards something or someone. The survey method is one of many other methods used by social scientists to gather a sample set of data that represents the opinion of a whole. This kind of method can be done by using the Social Science Research Method. The Social Research Science method involves raising a question, posing a hypothesis to the question asked, and then gathering the data by conducting an interview, an experiment, case study, or in this case, a survey. This cartoon is related to the method of surveying because it shows two people asking a man a question and then recording it on a sheet of paper as a way of gathering data. The humour behind this cartoon is that the two men dressed in black look very serious about their job when the question they are asking is simply, â€Å"would you pay $2.99 for the toothpaste?† The expression on the face of the man being surveyed is really funny because he is puzzled whether to take them seriously or not. One of anthropology’s branches is physical anthropology, which is the study of human evolution, human biology, and other primates. Forensic Science is also part of physical anthropology and it uses scientific studies to discover, record, gather, and preserve evidence and clues that might be of some help to establish what occurred based on collected evidence. The evidence gathered from the crime scene can be in the shape of finger prints, bit marks, foot wear, firearms, and many more. These clues can provide the forensic police officers with hints about the criminal and what weapon was used. For example, bite marks can be useful when in need of DNA, foot prints can tell the skin pattern and foot size, which can later be matched with the suspects, and firearms can detect which weapon was used at the crime scene since each gun has a unique rifle mark to it. This cartoon relates to the concept because you can see a dead snowman and two policemen trying to find out who committed th is crime by matching one snowflake to another through DNA, which is an area of expertise to forensic science. The humour of this cartoon is that the snowmen are having a hard time matching DNA because it is known that, â€Å"no two darn snowflakes are alike,† and so it is impossible to solve that crime since snowmen are all made out of snowflakes. Jane Goodall is a British primatologist who is best known for her study of chimpanzees. She began observing chimpanzees by first naming those who were being observed to tell them apart. She gave them names such as Flo, Fifi, Mike, and Flen. She observed them to have unique personalities from one another, and that is when she discovered that humans are not the only beings who have different personalities and behaviours. She made many discoveries about chimpanzees that are very much similar to our human behaviour. She found that chimps make and use tools in a variety of ways, can hunt, and have family relationships. This cartoon gives you an idea about the work Jane Goodall used to do with chimps because you can see that Jane Goodall is the one in the bushes observing someone, who she thinks is a chimp, from far away. The humour in this cartoon is that Bill’s wife notices Jane Goodall staring at her husband, but what’s really happening is that Goodall thinks she is observ ing a chimp when that ‘chimp’ is actually Bill, but he appears to look like a chimp because he is hairy. Evolution is a theory that is based upon physical anthropological indication of bones and fossils. It is the idea that all living things went through a process of continuous transformations from one or few simple life form(s) to more complex ones. According to this theory, it is believed that the earth is 4.5 billion years old, humans appeared 3 million years ago, and the existence of life emerged about 3.3 billion years ago. Charles Darwin played a big role in the influence of the evolutionary theory through the introduction of an assumption of his own, natural selection. Charles Darwin believed that natural selection occurs when a population consists of different individuals with different traits. Some of these individuals have traits that improve the way of survival, and later on get passed on to their offspring. While the species that do not have these traits end up dying off. The assumption that genetic material is passed on from parent to offspring was later on proved genetical ly by Gregor Mendel by the cross-breeding of pea plants. The cartoon chosen to represent this concept is a good example because it shows a person who appears to be asking this family about whether they are evolutionists or not. The humour of this cartoon is that the father of the family is saying that his family doesn’t believe in evolution, which states that we developed from simpler life forms like chimps and apes, but it is clear that they are all up on the tree and hanging around it, acting like apes. Creationism is the belief that all existing forms of life were fully-created in their current state by a superior being of higher power. This theory relies on the faith in one’s religion, and even though each religion has its own way of life, beliefs, and tome, they all involve a creator. Many creationists believe in Christianity, which states that the world was created in six days, and men were created in their current state on the fifth day. This cartoon is related to creationism because it shows a creationist teacher educating his science class about creationism and telling them why the evolution theory is wrong. I find this cartoon funny because of the method the teacher used to prove that evolution was just a misunderstanding. The teacher told his students that God buried fossils all over the place as a way of tricking evolutionists because, as stated in the other cartoon, evolution is based on fossils and bones. And so the teacher is taking advantage of his students beca use they are easily tricked and he appears to be a creationist and wants others to think like him. Creationism is the belief that all existing forms of life were fully-created in their current state by a superior being of higher power. This theory relies on the faith in one’s religion, and even though each religion has its own way of life, beliefs, and tome, they all involve a creator. Many creationists believe in Christianity, which states that the world was created in six days, and men were created in their current state on the fifth day. This cartoon is related to creationism because it shows a creationist teacher educating his science class about creationism and telling them why the evolution theory is wrong. I find this cartoon funny because of the method the teacher used to prove that evolution was just a misunderstanding. The teacher told his students that God buried fossils all over the place as a way of tricking evolutionists because, as stated in the other cartoon, evolution is based on fossils and bones. And so the teacher is taking advantage of his students beca use they are easily tricked and he appears to be a creationist and wants others to think like him. Classical conditioning is one of the two types of conditioning, classical and operant. Conditioning is the process of when one learns a response by being rewarded or punished each time he performs a specific action to make a change in his behaviour or attitude. Classical conditioning was first discovered by a Russian scientist, Ivan Pavlov, by presenting different stimuli along with his dogs’ food. Instead of rattling the dishes, he would ring a bell. After hearing the bell regularly, the dogs became conditioned to it and salivated whenever they heard it. On the other hand, B.F. Skinner, an American psychologist, described operant conditioning to be done by applying a system of reinforcement and punishment to strengthen or weaken a voluntary behaviour. The cartoon shows classical conditioning because there is dog, appears to be one of Pavlov’s, getting help from a psychologist and telling him about the trouble his owner, Pavlov, seems to be giving him at home. I find th is cartoon funny because the dog seems to be so upset that his owner keeps tricking him into thinking he is giving him food, when he is actually just ringing a bell, like the dog is demonstrating in the cartoon and he doesn’t know that he is being conditioned to it. Non-verbal communication is a type of body language that uses gestures, signals, eye contact, facial expressions, position, and territory to communicate without any spoken words. It is said that more than half of communication is done without using words but by using non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication can come in the form of applause, a node, a smile, or even your body posture. Many things can be interpreted through these forms, for example, giving someone a smile; it can show that you are a friendly person or just simply happy. In this case, sign language is a type of non-verbal communication for it doesn’t need any spoken words and only uses visual gestures and signals to send and receive a certain message to one another. This cartoon demonstrates the use of non-verbal communication because one friend is telling the other about why she decided to go into sign language and the benefit she gets out of it. The amusing part about this cartoon is the part when the one friend says her mom used to tell her, â€Å"If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.† This also means she couldn’t say anything nice to people, and saying something is using non-verbal communication, so she decided to get into sign language so she wouldn’t have to say what she has to say to people, but gesture it, and still follow her mom’s words. Intelligence is the ability to learn and understand things in life and know how to deal with difficult situations you are put in. Intelligence can be tested with an Intelligence Quotient test, which is also known as an IQ test. Alfred Binet was the first to develop a valid intelligence test. The IQ test is designed to test your ability to think and reason, it doesn’t test a person’s whole intelligence, but it does test a person’s compenential intelligence, which is also known as â€Å"Book Smarts†. The IQ test isnt only used for finding a person’s intelligence, but it can also help in finiding if somebody has a learning disorder by comparing it with 50% of the population’s score, 24-34 out of 60. This cartoon illustrate the use of intelligence by showing a man that is planning on taking the intelligence test. The humour I found in this cartoon is that the man is asking where he could go to take the intelligence test when it is clearly stated in huge letters on the wall in front of him, but he has no clue. It is funny how the lady on the desk is giving him that â€Å"don’t even bother† look because she can already tell that he wont be passing the test. The word ‘cult’ comes from the Latin word, cultis, meaning to worship. A cult is usually mistaken to be a religious group, but the main differences between a cult and a religion is that cults worship a live person and use methods of deception, manipulation and abuse to get members to join them. They usually aim for people who are going through personal struggles, searching for answers, or just looking towards making the world a better place. These cult recruiters are found everywhere. They target many places, such as: college campuses, beaches, concerts, and malls. There are many methods of deception that cults use to trick people into joining their cult. They get you to believing that you will be guaranteed with happiness, family, equality, and answers if you were to join their cult, but what it does is narrow your world. The cult members worship their leader because he claims to have all the answers and they believe that he is the one to lead them to a better place. Th ere has been many â€Å"Killer Cults† in the past who live together in a group, including The People’s Temple Lead by Rev. Jim Jones , but now a days, cults include normal people who do not live in communes. This cartoon is related to a cult because it shows peanuts being tricked into joining a religion, where â€Å"everybody becomes one†, which sounds a lot like something a cult would say to get you to join. The humour behind this cartoon is that the peanuts have no idea that they will actually all become one and be made into peanut butter. Socialization is the process in which humans obtain their habits, ethics, behaviour, and knowledge about different kinds of topics. Media is known to play a big role in shaping the way we act, and behave in our society, for we are bombarded with it on a daily basis. It is an influential instrument that is used through TV, radios, newspapers, magazines, and the internet. The media can play a beneficial part in our society, for it is a source of education for many, and makes learning more fun. As stated before, it can teach a person how to act, and how ‘normal’ people should behave. In this case, the cartoon relates to how and what boys should and shouldn’t act or use when associated with the society they live in. In the eyes of the media, Barbie dolls should be used by young girls and girls only because they were made for girls, it would be a weird site to see a boy playing with a Barbie doll or in this case, has a Barbie band-aid; it isn’t considered a norm al behaviour because media suggests so. The funny thing about this cartoon is the expression on the child’s face. He is terrified to have a Barbie band-aid because he knows it is for girls and he is scared of people’s judgments, so it looks like as if he rather bleeds to death than have a girly band-aid. Deviance is the act that is done by a person that goes against a social standard or expectation. These standards and expectations are also known as norms, which are rules put up by the society and are normally followed by everyone in that community. If these norms are not followed, it can be considered to be a deviant act or if done frequently, you yourself might be a deviant. Deviant acts can be spotted as to how a person might react to your behaviour. Media attempts to prevent acts of deviants by the use of socialization to teach people the right way to behave. However, Emile Durkheim believes that deviant behaviour has a positive effect on society because it gives one a sense of unity. This cartoon is related to deviance because it shows a dog dressing differently than any other dog, and that shows a deviance act of him because he is noticed by another dog and questioned about his behaviour. The humour behind this cartoon is that I wasn’t expecting a deviant act to come fro m a dog and in the shape it came in. The attitude the dog is giving the dog of higher power and how he said, â€Å"The pants stay on,† sound very funny because dogs don’t wear clothes and he insists to keep them on. Social Institutions are organized structures that help a society function and develop to meet its peoples’ needs. There are five main institutions, this includes: families, economics, politics, educational and religious institutions. Each of these major institutions plays an important role in shaping our society and making it a functional place by assigning a role to each of its members. The educational institution is to provide and transmit knowledge to the younger generation. These basic needs can be met by assigning teachers, administrators, support workers, and other staffs who are eligible and meet the expectations of their roles. Teachers are expected to teach the required curriculum, evaluate students’ work and report on their achievement. This cartoon is related to the social institution of school because it shows a family as they are staring at their child’s report that he received from school. The funny thing about this cartoon is when the child added, â€Å"She skipped right over ‘E’!† Of course she went on to F, there is no such mark as an ‘E’. He also states that it is not fair, which is funny because every student does that just as an excuse to why they got a bad mark.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: essays research papers

I’ve been reading a fascinating book about a little community in Alabama called To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This book portrays lessons about life and the importance of telling the truth. One of the best lessons taught in this book is that doing the right thing isn’t always rewarded. There are three characters in this story that I’d like to tell how they play a part in this small community of Maycomb. These characters are Boo Radley, Scout, and Atticus. First let me talk about Boo Radley, also known as Arthur. Boo is the object of fascination for Jem, Scout, and Dill. He is a recluse who has remained in the house down the street from the Finch house for years. When he was younger he got into some trouble when he became involved with a group of rowdy kids from Old Sarum. One night they resisted arrest by Maycomb County’s beadle and locked him in the courthouse outhouse. After that, Arthur’s father, Mr. Radley, took him home and he wasn’t seen again for fifteen years. But it was said that one day Boo Radley stabbed his father in the leg with a pair of scissors while cutting newspaper clippings for his scrapbook. For this he was locked in the courthouse basement for many years before he came home again. From these stories learned from gossiping neighbors, Jem, Scout, and Dill made ghost stories of Boo Radley, and the other children in town were afraid of him as well. They said that he only came out at night to eat cats and squirrels, and he was the local spook. Boo, however, begins to win Scout and Jem over by leaving gifts for them in the knothole of an oak tree until his brother, Nathan, cements the knothole. Boo even covers Scout with a blanket on a cold night she and Jem spent in front of the Radley house while Miss Maudie’s house burned down. Boo was so quiet that Scout never even realized he’d covered her shoulders with the blanket until after the fact. After all the children’s attempts to drag Boo Radley from his house, he ends up saving them from Bob Ewell. Now let me talk about Scout. Originally named Jean Louise Finch, scout is the narrator. In the story she is looking back as an adult to the two years of her life when she learned courage and kindness and the importance of doing the right thing.

Environmental Crisis :: essays research papers

Environmental Crisis "We Have An Environmental Crisis Because We Have A People Crisis - A Crisis of Population Growth, of Wasteful Consumption of Resources, and A Crisis of Apathy and Inaction." An environmental crisis is an emergency concerned with the place in which every human lives - the environment. A people crisis is an emergency with the community that inhabits the world environment. A crisis of population growth is a turning point where the environment can no longer sustain the amounts of people which it contains. A crisis of apathy and inaction is one where the human race cannot be motivated to solve the problems with the environment that they themselves have created. The claim that we have an environmental crisis because we have a people crisis is valid because our environmental problems have largely resulted from population growth, which has lead to apathy and inaction with regard to the wasteful consumption of resources. Examples are the desertification of the Sahel in Africa, the one child policy in China and the mis-management of our oceans. The Sahel is a strip of land that extends for more than 6000 kilometres across the southern edge of the Sahara desert. It stretches from Senegal and Mauritania in the west to Ethiopia and Somalia in the east. These nations are among the world's poorest. The area is one of social and biophysical crisis because of the way the population are forced to live; they are destroying the productivity of the land. The alarming rate of population growth and ever increasing pressure on the land have initiated an expansion of desert-like conditions into the Sahel - a process called desertification. Traditionally, the people of the drier, northern Sahel followed a nomadic lifestyle, constantly moving their herds of cattle, sheep and goats over large areas in the search for suitable grazing land. These movements prevented overgrazing and lessened the likelihood of land degradation. With increasing human numbers, the increased intensity of land use, and the harvesting of trees and scrub for fuel wood threaten to overwhelm the region's fragile environment and result in permanent ecological damage and declining standard of living. During the 20th century 3.9 billion people have been added to the world's population. This is an increase of 244%. Rapid growth occurred because of the improvement of living conditions, reduced child mortality rates and increased life expectancy. The population of undeveloped nations will continue to grow in the foreseeable future because at present 45% of the population is under 15 years of age. In the North the population growth is slowing down because children are considered an expense. In Italy, Germany and Austria, the growth rate is

Last Sacrifice Chapter Twenty-one

I DIDN'T GET TO DRIVE. â€Å"General' Sydney didn't either, much to her outrage, though Dimitri did some fast- talking to explain why. It all started when Victor discovered his car was having â€Å"engine trouble.' He wasn't very happy about that. He made no accusations, but I think everyone there–even Sonya and Robert–could guess the malfunction wasn't coincidental. This meant we all had to pile in the CR-V, which hadn't been designed to seat so many people–which was why Dimitri had come up with a creative seating plan. Of course, one of those â€Å"seats' turned out to be the cargo space in the back. It was good-sized, but when Sydney learned it was her seat, she accused Dimitri of adding insult to the injury of taking her keys. I wouldn't tell her so, but putting her back there was a sound choice. Dimitri's seating chart was configured to minimize threats inside the car. Dimitri drove, with Robert going shotgun, and me between Victor and Sonya in the backseat. This put a guardian in each row, separated the brothers, and kept the spirit users apart too. When I argued that he and I could switch spots and still maintain the same security, Dimitri pointed out that having me at the wheel wouldn't be safe if I had to suddenly flip to Lissa's mind. It was a fair point. As for Sydney †¦ well, she was neither a threat nor a fighting force, so she got offloaded to the back. And speaking of dead weight †¦ â€Å"We have got to get rid of Victor and Robert now,' I murmured to Dimitri, as we loaded the CR-V with groceries and our meager luggage (further reducing Sydney's space, much to her outrage). â€Å"They've done what we needed. Keeping them is dangerous. It's time to turn them over to the guardians.' The brothers wanted to continue on with us in order to find Lissa's sibling. We were letting them–but not out of generosity. We simply couldn't let them out of our sights yet. â€Å"Agreed,' Dimitri said, frowning slightly. â€Å"But there's no good way to do it. Not yet. We can't leave them tied up beside the road; I wouldn't put it past them to escape and hitchhike. We also can't turn them in ourselves, for obvious reasons.' I set a bag inside the car and leaned against the bumper. â€Å"Sydney could turn them in.' Dimitri nodded. â€Å"That's probably our best bet–but I don't want to part with her until we get to †¦ well, wherever we're going. We might need her help.' I sighed. â€Å"And so, we drag them along.' â€Å"Afraid so,' he said. He gave me wary look. â€Å"You know, when they are in custody, there's a very good chance they'll have quite a story to tell the authorities about us.' â€Å"Yeah.' I'd been thinking about that too. â€Å"I guess that's a problem for later. Gotta deal with the immediate problems first.' To my surprise, Dimitri smiled at me. I would have expected some prudent, wise remark. â€Å"Well, that's always been our strategy, hasn't it?' he asked. I smiled in return, but it was short-lived, once we hit the road. Mercifully, Victor wasn't his usual annoying chatty self–which I suspected was because he was growing weak from lack of blood. Sonya and Robert had to be feeling the same way. This was going to be a problem if we didn't get a feeder soon, but I didn't know how we were going to pull that off. I had the impression Sydney hadn't realized any of this yet, which was just as well. Being a human among a group of hungry vampires would certainly make me nervous. She was actually probably safer sequestered in the back from everyone else. Sonya's directions were vague and very need-to-know. She only gave us short-term information and often wouldn't warn about a turn until we were right on top of it. We had no idea where we were going or how long it would take. She scanned a map and then told Dimitri to go north on I-75. When we asked how long our trip would take, her response was: â€Å"Not long. A few hours. Maybe more.' And with that mysterious explanation, she settled back in her seat and said no more. There was a haunted, pensive expression on her face, and I tried to imagine how she felt. Only a day ago she'd been Strigoi. Was she still processing what had happened? Was she seeing the faces of her victims as Dimitri had? Was she tormenting herself with guilt? Did she want to become Strigoi again? I left her alone. Now wasn't the time for therapy. I settled back, preparing myself to be patient. A tingle of consciousness suddenly sparked in the bond, shifting my attention inward. Lissa was awake. I blinked and looked at the dashboard clock. Afternoon for humans. The Moroi at Court should have been long asleep by now. But no, something had awakened her. Two guardians stood at her door, faces impassive. â€Å"You have to come with us,' one of them said. â€Å"It's time for the next test.' Astonishment filled Lissa. She'd known the next test was â€Å"coming soon' but hadn't heard any further details since returning from the endurance test. That trip had taken place during the Moroi night too, but she'd at least had fair warning. Eddie stood nearby in her room, having replaced my mother as Lissa's protection a few hours ago. Christian sat up in Lissa's bed, yawning. They hadn't gotten hot and heavy, but Lissa liked having him around. Snuggling with her boyfriend while Eddie was in the room didn't seem as weird to her as it did when my mom was there. I didn't blame her. â€Å"Can I change?' Lissa asked. â€Å"Be quick,' said the guardian. She grabbed the first outfit she could and hurried to the bathroom, feeling confused and nervous. When she came out, Christian had pulled on his jeans already and was reaching for his T-shirt. Eddie meanwhile was sizing up the guardians, and I could guess his thoughts because I would have shared the same ones. This wakeup call seemed official, but he didn't know these guardians and didn't totally trust them. â€Å"Can I escort her?' he asked. â€Å"Only as far as the testing area,' said the second guardian. â€Å"What about me?' asked Christian. â€Å"Only as far as the testing area.' The guardians' answers surprised me, but then, I realized it was probably common for monarch candidates to go to their tests with entourages–even unexpected tests in the middle of the night. Or maybe not so unexpected. The Court's grounds were virtually deserted, but when her group reached their destination–a small, out of the way section of an old brick building–she had to pass several groups of Moroi lining the halls. Apparently, word had gotten out. Those gathered stepped aside respectfully. Some–probably advocates of other families–gave her scowls. But lots of other people smiled at her and called out about â€Å"the dragon's return.' A few even brushed their hands against her arms, as though taking luck or power from her. The crowd was much smaller than the one who'd greeted her after the first test. This eased her anxiety but didn't shake her earlier resolve to take the tests seriously. The faces of the onlookers shone with awe and curiosity, wondering if she might be the next to rule them. A doorway at the end of the hall marked the conclusion of her journey. Neither Christian nor Eddie needed to be told that this was as far as they could go. Lissa glanced at the two of them over her shoulder before following one of the guardians inside, taking comfort from her loved ones' supportive faces. After the epic adventure of the first test, Lissa expected something equally intimidating. What she found instead was an old Moroi woman sitting comfortably in a chair in a mostly empty room. Her hands were folded in her lap, holding something wrapped in cloth. The woman hummed, seeming very content. And when I say old, I mean she was old. Moroi could live until their early 100s, and this woman had clearly crossed that mark. Her pale skin was a maze of wrinkles, and her gray hair was wispy and thin. She smiled when she saw Lissa and nodded toward an empty chair. A small table sat beside it with a glass pitcher of water. The guardians left the women alone. Lissa glanced around her surroundings. There were no other furnishings, though there was a plain door opposite the one she had come through. She sat down and then turned toward the old woman. â€Å"Hello,' said Lissa, trying to keep her voice strong. â€Å"I'm Vasilisa Dragomir.' The woman's small smile grew, showing her yellowed teeth. One of her fangs was missing. â€Å"Always such manners in your family,' she croaked. â€Å"Most people come in here and demand we get down to business. But I remember your grandfather. He was polite during his test as well.' â€Å"You knew my grandfather?' exclaimed Lissa. He had died when she was very, very young. Then, she picked up another meaning in the woman's words. â€Å"He ran for king?' The woman nodded. â€Å"Passed all his tests. I think he would have won the election, if he hadn't withdrawn at the last moment. After that, it was a coin's toss between Tatiana Ivashkov and Jacob Tarus. Very close, that one. The Taruses still hold a grudge.' Lissa had never heard any of this. â€Å"Why'd my grandfather withdraw?' â€Å"Because your brother had just been born. Frederick decided he needed to devote his energy to his fledgling family, instead of a nation.' Lissa could understand this. How many Dragomirs were there back then? Her grandfather, her father, and Andre–and her mother, but only by marriage. Eric Dragomir hadn't had any brothers or sisters. Lissa knew little about her grandfather, but in his place, she decided that she too would have rather spent time with her son and grandson, instead of listening to the endless speeches Tatiana had had to deal with. Lissa's mind had wandered, and the old woman was watching her carefully. â€Å"Is †¦ this the test?' asked Lissa, once the silence had gone on too long. â€Å"Is it, like, an interview?' The old woman shook her head. â€Å"No. It's this.' She unwrapped the object in her lap. It was a cup–a chalice or a goblet. I'm not sure which. But it was beautiful, made of silver that seemed to glow with its own light. Blood-red rubies were scattered along the sides, glittering with each turn of the cup. The woman regarded it fondly. â€Å"Over a thousand years old, and it still gleams.' She took the pitcher and filled the chalice with water while Lissa and I processed the words. A thousand years? I was no metal expert, but even I knew silver should have tarnished in that time. The woman held out the cup to Lissa. â€Å"Drink from it. And when you want to stop, say'stop.† Lissa reached for the cup, more confused than ever by the odd instructions. What was she supposed to stop? Drinking? As soon as her fingers touched the metal, she understood. Well, kind of. A tingle ran through her, one she knew well. â€Å"This is charmed,' she said. The old woman nodded. â€Å"Infused with all four elements and a spell long since forgotten.' Charmed with spirit too, thought Lissa. That too must have been forgotten, and it put her on edge. Elemental charms had different effects. Earth charms–like the tattoo she'd been given–were often tied with minor compulsion spells. The combination of all four in a stake or ward provided a unified blast of life that blocked the undead. But spirit †¦ well, she was quickly learning that spirit charms covered a wide range of unpredictable effects. The water no doubt activated the spell, but Lissa had a feeling that spirit was going to be the key player. Even though it was the power that burned in her blood, it still scared her. The spell woven into this cup was complex, far beyond her skills, and she feared what it would do. The old woman stared unblinkingly. Lissa hesitated only a moment more. She drank. The world faded away, then rematerialized into something completely different. She and I both recognized what this was: a spirit dream. She no longer stood in the plain room. She was outdoors, wind whipping her long hair in front of her face. She brushed it aside as best she could. Other people stood around her, all of them in black, and she soon recognized the Court's church and graveyard. Lissa herself wore black, along with a long wool coat to protect against the chill. They were gathered around a grave, and a priest stood near it, his robes of office offering the only color on that gray day. Lissa took a few steps over, trying to see whose name was on the tombstone. What she discovered shocked me more than her: ROSEMARIE HATHAWAY. My name was carved into the granite in regal, elaborate font. Below my name was the star of battle, signifying that I'd killed more Strigoi than could be counted. Go me. Beneath that were three lines of text in Russian, Romanian, and English. I didn't need the English translation to know what each line said because it was standard for a guardian's grave: â€Å"Eternal Service.' The priest spoke customary funeral words, giving me the blessings of a religion I wasn't sure I believed in. That was the least weird thing here, however, seeing as I was watching my own funeral. When he finished, Alberta took his place. Lauding the deceased's achievements was also normal at a guardian's funeral–and Alberta had plenty to say about mine. Had I been there, I would have been moved to tears. She concluded by describing my last battle, how I'd died defending Lissa. That actually didn't weird me out so much. I mean, don't get me wrong. Everything going on here was completely insane. But, reasonably speaking, if I was actually watching my own funeral, it made sense that I would have died protecting her. Lissa didn't share my feelings. The news was a slap in the face to her. She suddenly became aware of a horrible empty feeling in her chest, like part of her was gone. The bond only worked one way, yet Robert had sworn losing his bondmate had left him in agony. Lissa understood it now, that terrible, lonely ache. She was missing something she'd never even known she'd had. Tears brimmed in her eyes. This is a dream, she told herself. That's all. But she'd never had a spirit dream like this. Her experiences had always been with Adrian, and the dreams had felt like telephone calls. When the mourners dispersed from the graveyard, Lissa felt a hand touch her shoulder. Christian. She threw herself gratefully into his arms, trying hard to hold back sobs. He felt real and solid. Safe. â€Å"How did this happen?' she asked. â€Å"How could it have happened?' Christian released her, his crystal-blue eyes more serious and sorrowful than I'd ever seen. â€Å"You know how. Those Strigoi were trying to kill you. She sacrificed herself to save you.' Lissa had no memory of this, but it didn't matter. â€Å"I can't †¦ I can't believe this is happening.' That agonizing emptiness grew within her. â€Å"I have more bad news,' said Christian. She stared in astonishment. â€Å"How could this get any worse?' â€Å"I'm leaving.' â€Å"Leaving †¦ what? Court?' â€Å"Yes. Leaving everything.' The sadness on his face grew. â€Å"Leaving you.' Her jaw nearly dropped. â€Å"What †¦ what's wrong? What did I do?' â€Å"Nothing.' He squeezed her hand and let it go. â€Å"I love you. I'll always love you. But you are who you are. You're the last Dragomir. There'll always be something taking you away †¦ I'd just get in your way. You need to rebuild your family. I'm not the one you need.' â€Å"Of course you are! You are the only one! The only one I want to build my future with.' â€Å"You say that now, but just wait. There are better choices. You heard Adrian's joke. â€Å"Little Dragomirs'? When you're ready for kids in a few years, you're going to need a bunch. The Dragomirs need to be solid again. And me? I'm not responsible enough to handle that.' â€Å"You'd be a great father,' she argued. â€Å"Yeah,' he scoffed, â€Å"and I'd be a big asset to you too–the princess married to the guy from the Strigoi family.' â€Å"I don't care about any of that, and you know it!' She clutched at his shirt, forcing him to look at her. â€Å"I love you. I want you to be part of my life. None of this makes sense. Are you scared? Is that it? Are you scared of the weight of my family name?' He averted his eyes. â€Å"Let's just say it's not an easy name to carry.' She shook him. â€Å"I don't believe you! You're not afraid of anything! You never back down.' â€Å"I'm backing down now.' He gently removed himself from her. â€Å"I really do love you. That's why I'm doing this. It's for the best.' â€Å"But you can't †¦' Lissa gestured toward my grave, but he was already walking away. â€Å"You can't! She's gone. If you're gone too, there'll be no one †¦' But Christian was gone, disappearing into fog that hadn't been there minutes ago. Lissa was left with only my tombstone for company. And for the first time in her life, she was really and truly alone. She had felt alone when her family died, but I'd been her anchor, always at her back, protecting her. When Christian had come along, he too had kept the loneliness away, filling her heart with love. But now †¦ now we were both gone. Her family was gone. That hole inside threatened to consume her, and it was more than just the loss of the bond. Being alone is a terrible, terrible thing. There's no one to run to, no one to confide in, no one who cares what happens to you. She'd been alone in the woods, but that was nothing like this. Nothing like it at all. Staring around, she wished she could go sink into my grave and end her torment. No †¦ wait. She really could end it. Say ‘stop,' the old woman had said. That was all it took to stop this pain. This was a spirit dream, right? True, it was more realistic and all- consuming than any she'd ever faced, but in the end, all dreamers woke up. One word, and this would become a fading nightmare. Staring around at the empty Court, she almost said the word. But †¦ did she want to end things? She'd vowed to fight through these trials. Would she give up over a dream? A dream about being alone? It seemed like such a minor thing, but that cold truth hit her again: I've never been alone. She didn't know if she could carry on by herself, but then, she realized that if this wasn't a dream–and dear God, did it feel real–there was no magic â€Å"stop' in real life. If she couldn't deal with loneliness in a dream, she never would be able to while waking. And as much as it scared her, she decided she would not back down from this. Something urged her toward the fog, and she walked toward it–alone. The fog should have led her into the church's garden. Instead, the world rematerialized and she found herself in a Council session. It was an open one, with a Moroi audience watching. Unlike usual, Lissa didn't sit with the audience. She was at the Council's table, with its thirteen chairs. She sat in the Dragomir seat. The middle chair, the monarch's chair, was occupied by Ariana Szelsky. Definitely a dream, some wry part of her thought. She had a Council spot and Ariana was queen. Too good to be true. Like always, the Council was in a heated debate, and the topic was familiar: the age decree. Some Council members argued that it was immoral. Others argued that the Strigoi threat was too great. Desperate times called for desperate actions, those people said. Ariana peered down the table at Lissa. â€Å"What does the Dragomir family think?' Ariana was neither as kind as she'd been in the van nor as hostile as Tatiana had been. Ariana was neutral, a queen running a Council and gathering the information she needed. Every set of eyes in the room turned toward Lissa. For some reason, every coherent idea had fled out of her head. Her tongue felt thick in her mouth. What did she think? What was her opinion of the age decree? She desperately tried to dredge up an answer. â€Å"I †¦ I think it's bad.' Lee Szelsky, who must have taken the family spot when Ariana became queen, snorted in disgust. â€Å"Can you elaborate, princess?' Lissa swallowed. â€Å"Lowering the guardian age isn't the way to protect us. We need †¦ we need to learn to protect ourselves too.' Her words were met with more contempt and shock. â€Å"And pray tell,' said Howard Zeklos, â€Å"how do you plan to do that? What's your proposal? Mandatory training for all ages? Start a program in the schools?' Again Lissa groped for words. What was the plan? She and Tasha had discussed it lots of times, strategizing this very issue of how to implement training. Tasha had practically pounded those details into her head in the hopes Lissa could make her voice heard. Here she was now, representing her family on the Council, with the chance to change things and improve Moroi life. All she had to do was explain herself. So many were counting on her, so many waiting to hear the words she felt so passionately about. But what were they? Why couldn't Lissa remember? She must have taken too long to answer because Howard threw his hands up in disgust. â€Å"I knew it. We were idiots to let a little girl on this Council. She has nothing useful to offer. The Dragomirs are gone. They've died with her, and we need to accept that.' They've died with her. The pressure of being the last of her line had weighed on Lissa since the moment a doctor had told her that her parents and brother had died. The last of a line that had empowered the Moroi and produced some of the greatest kings and queens. She'd vowed to herself over and over that she wouldn't disappoint that lineage, that she would see her family's pride restored. And now it was all falling apart. Even Ariana, whom Lissa had considered a supporter, looked disappointed. The audience began to jeer, echoing the call of removing this tongue-tied child from the Council. They yelled for her to leave. Then, worse still: â€Å"The dragon is dead! The dragon is dead!' Lissa almost tried again to make her speech, but then something made her look behind her. There, the twelve family seals hung on the wall. A man had appeared out of nowhere and was taking down the Dragomir's crest, with its dragon and Romanian inscription. Lissa's heart sank as the shouts in the room became louder and her humiliation grew. She rose, wanting to run out of there and hide from the disgrace. Instead, her feet took her to the wall with its seals. With more strength than she thought herself capable of possessing, she jerked the dragon seal away from the man. â€Å"No!' she yelled. She turned her gaze to the audience and held up the seal, challenging any of them to come take it from her or deny her her rightful place on the Council. â€Å"This. Is. Mine. Do you hear me? This is mine!' She would never know if they heard because they disappeared, just like the graveyard. Silence fell. She now sat in one of the medical examining rooms back at St. Vladimir's. The familiar details were oddly comforting: the sink with its orange hand soap, the neatly labeled cupboards and drawers, and even the informative health posters on the walls. STUDENTS: PRACTICE SAFE SEX! Equally welcome was the school's resident physician: Dr. Olendzki. The doctor wasn't alone. Standing around Lissa–who sat on top of an examination bed–were a therapist named Deirdre and †¦ me. Seeing myself there was pretty wacky, but after the funeral, I was just starting to roll with all of this. A surprising mix of feelings raced through Lissa, feelings out of her control. Happiness to see us. Despair at life. Confusion. Suspicion. She couldn't seem to get a hold of one emotion or thought. It was a very different feeling from the Council, when she just hadn't been able to explain herself. Her mind had been orderly–she'd just lost track of her point. Here, there was nothing to keep track of. She was a mental mess. â€Å"Do you understand?' asked Dr. Olendzki. Lissa suspected the doctor had already asked this question. â€Å"It's beyond what we can control. Medication no longer works.' â€Å"Believe me, we don't want you hurting yourself. But now that others are at risk †¦ well, you understand why we have to take action.' This was Deirdre. I'd always thought of her as smug, particularly since her therapeutic method involved answering questions with questions. There was no sly humor now. Deirdre was deadly earnest. None of their words made sense to Lissa, but the hurting yourself part triggered something in her. She looked down at her arms. They were bare †¦ and marred with cuts. The cuts she used to make when the pressure of spirit grew too great. They'd been her only outlet, a horrible type of release. Studying them now, Lissa saw the cuts were bigger and deeper than before. The kinds of cuts that danced with suicide. She looked back up. â€Å"Who †¦ who did I hurt?' â€Å"You don't remember?' asked Dr. Olendzki. Lissa shook her head, looking desperately from face to face, seeking answers. Her gaze fell on me, and my face was as dark and somber as Deirdre's. â€Å"It's okay, Liss,' I said. â€Å"It's all going to be okay.' I wasn't surprised at that. Naturally, it was what I would say. I would always reassure Lissa. I would always take care of her. â€Å"It's not important,' said Deirdre, voice soft and soothing. â€Å"What's important is no one else ever gets hurt. You don't want to hurt anyone, do you?' Of course Lissa didn't, but her troubled mind shifted elsewhere. â€Å"Don't talk to me like a child!' The loudness of her voice filled the room. â€Å"I didn't mean to,' said Deirdre, the paragon of patience. â€Å"We just want to help you. We want you to be safe.' Paranoia rose to the forefront of Lissa's emotions. Nowhere was safe. She was certain about that †¦ but nothing else. Except maybe something about a dream. A dream, a dream †¦ â€Å"They'll be able to take care of you in Tarasov,' explained Dr. Olendzki. â€Å"They'll make sure you're comfortable.' â€Å"Tarasov?' Lissa and I spoke in unison. This other Rose clenched her fists and glared. Again, a typical reaction for me. â€Å"She is not going to that place,' growled Rose. â€Å"Do you think we want to do this?' asked Deirdre. It was the first time I'd really seen her cool facade crumble. â€Å"We don't. But the spirit †¦ what it's doing †¦ we have no choice †¦' Images of our trip to Tarasov flashed through Lissa's mind. The cold, cold corridors. The moans. The tiny cells. She remembered seeing the psychiatric ward, the section other spirit users were locked up in. Locked up indefinitely. â€Å"No!' she cried, jumping up from the table. â€Å"Don't send me to Tarasov!' She looked around for escape. The women stood between her and the door. Lissa couldn't run. What magic could she use? Surely there was something. Her mind touched spirit, as she rifled for a spell. Other-Rose grabbed a hold of her hand, likely because she'd felt the stirrings of spirit and wanted to stop Lissa. â€Å"There's another way,' my alter ego told Deirdre and Dr. Olendzki. â€Å"I can pull it from her. I can pull it all from her, like Anna did for St. Vladimir. I can take away the darkness and instability. Lissa will be sane again.' Everyone stared at me. Well, the other me. â€Å"But then it'll be in you, right?' asked Dr. Olendzki. â€Å"It won't disappear.' â€Å"I don't care,' I told them stubbornly. â€Å"I'll go to Tarasov. Don't send her. I can do it as long as she needs me to.' Lissa watched me, scarcely believing what she heard. Her chaotic thoughts turned joyous. Yes! Escape. She wouldn't go crazy. She wouldn't go to Tarasov. Then, somewhere in the jumble of her memories †¦ â€Å"Anna committed suicide,' murmured Lissa. Her grasp on reality was still tenuous, but that sobering thought was enough to momentarily calm her racing mind. â€Å"She went crazy from helping St. Vladimir.' My other self refused to look at Lissa. â€Å"It's just a story. I'll take the darkness. Send me.' Lissa didn't know what to do or think. She didn't want to go to Tarasov. That prison gave her nightmares. And here I was, offering her escape, offering to save her like I always did. Lissa wanted that. She wanted to be saved. She didn't want to go insane like all the other spirit users. If she accepted my offer, she would be free. Yet †¦ on the edge or not, she cared about me too much. I had made too many sacrifices for her. How could she let me do this? What kind of friend would she be, to condemn me to that life? Tarasov scared Lissa. A life in a cage scared Lissa. But me facing that scared her even more. There was no good outcome here. She wished it would all just go away. Maybe if she just closed her eyes †¦ wait. She remembered again. The dream. She was in a spirit dream. All she had to do was wake up. Say â€Å"stop.' It was easier this time. Saying that word was the simple way out, the perfect solution. No Tarasov for either of us, right? Then, she felt a lightening of the pressure on her mind, a stilling of those chaotic feelings. Her eyes widened as she realized I had already started pulling away the darkness. ‘Stop' was forgotten. â€Å"No!' Spirit burned through her, and she threw up a wall in the bond, blocking me from her. â€Å"What are you doing?' my other self asked. â€Å"Saving you,' said Lissa. â€Å"Saving myself.' She turned to Dr. Olendzki and Deirdre. â€Å"I understand what you have to do. It's okay. Take me to Tarasov. Take me where I won't hurt anyone else.' Tarasov. A place where real nightmares walked the halls. She braced herself as the office faded away, ready for the next part of the dream: a cold stone cell, with chains on the walls and people wailing down the halls†¦. But when the world put itself back together, there was no Tarasov. There was an empty room with an old woman and a silver chalice. Lissa looked around. Her heart was racing, and her sense of time was off. The things she'd seen had lasted an eternity. Yet, simultaneously, it felt like only a couple seconds had passed since she and the old woman had conversed. â€Å"What †¦ what was that?' asked Lissa. Her mouth was dry, and the water sounded good now †¦ but the chalice was empty. â€Å"Your fear,' said the old woman, eyes twinkling. â€Å"All your fears, laid out neatly in a row.' Lissa placed the chalice on the table with shaking hands. â€Å"It was awful. It was spirit, but it †¦ it wasn't anything I've seen before. It invaded my mind, rifling through it. It was so real. There were times I believed it was real.' â€Å"But you didn't stop it.' Lissa frowned, thinking of how close she had come. â€Å"No.' The old woman smiled and said nothing. â€Å"Am I †¦ am I done?' asked Lissa, confused. â€Å"Can I go?' The old woman nodded. Lissa stood and glanced between the two doors, the one she'd entered through and the plain one in the back. Still in shock, Lissa automatically turned toward the door she'd come through. She didn't really want to see those people lined up in the hall again but swore she'd put on a good princess face. Besides, there'd only been a fraction here compared to the group who'd greeted her after the last test. Her steps were halted when the old woman spoke again and pointed toward the back of the room. â€Å"No. That's for those who fail. You go out this door.' Lissa turned and approached the plain door. It looked like it led outdoors, which was probably just as well. Peace and quiet. She felt like she should say something to her companion but didn't know what. So, she simply turned the knob and stepped outside †¦ Into a crowd cheering for the dragon.