Living Life to It’s Fullest

â€Å"Begin at once to live and count each separate day as a separate life. † At times, it’s seemed as though life contains an endless supply of days. When I was younger, I thought this for sure. It didn’t matter how long I held a grudge, or how long I waited to do something I wanted—there would be an unlimited pool of other opportunities. At least that’s what I thought back then. Maybe it’s a rite of passage from childhood to adulthood: the moment when you realize life happens now, and that’s all you’re guaranteed. It doesn’t really hit you when you merely know it intellectually, like you know your ABCs, state capitals, and other concrete facts.It hits you when somehow you feel it. Your health declines. You lose someone you love. A tragedy rocks your world. It isn’t until you realize that all life fades that you consider now a commodity and a scarce one at that. But maybe that’s irrelevant. Maybe living a m eaningful, passionate life has nothing to do with its length and everything to do with its width. So, i have created this list with a few tips to live life to it's fullest!!! 1. Live in the moment. Forget the past and don’t concern yourself with the future. 2. Fully embrace the now, no matter what the situation. 3. Do the things you love. 4.Learn to forgive and embrace unconditional love. 5. Live every day as if it’s your last, embracing each experience as if it’s your first. 6. Believe in â€Å"live and let live. † 7. Use quiet reflection, honesty, and laughter. 8. Be other-centered. 9. Find calm in making art. 10. Focus on today and how you can do your best to live it to the fullest. 11. Participate in life instead of just watching it pass you by. 12. Stay healthy, eat right and most importantly, be kind to all. 13. Pray, forgive yourself, appreciate others, listen to your gut, do things you enjoy, and remind yourself that we are all loved and connected . Sandra Lumb) 14. Don’t sweat the small stuff. 15. Question everything, keep it simple, and help whenever and however you can. 16. Try to enjoy every minute of every day. 17. Appreciate life’s every second. 18. Step through new doors. The majority of the time there’s something fantastic on the other side. 19. Remember that all is a gift, but the most precious of all gifts is life and love. 20. Keep your spirit free, be flexible, let go. 21. â€Å"Do one thing every day that scares you. † 22. Don’t attach to outcomes. 23. Spend as much time with a two year old as possible. 4. Enjoy each and every moment of life. Every day is a new challenge and opportunity to discover something new. 25. Budget travel. It is always an adventure! You get to enjoy what fate has to offer with limited means. 26. Be honestly thankful for every breath you take. 27. Just be. 28. â€Å"Trust yourself. Trust your own strengths. † 29. Pause momentarily before everythin g you do so that you notice everything you should or could notice. (Scott Hutchinson) 30. Follow your hopes and not your fears. What have you done today to live life to the fullest?

Succubus Blues CHAPTER 10

Jesus. What had I been thinking? I had to work today. Not only that, I had to work in ten minutes. I had no time for â€Å"real† clothing or makeup. With a sigh, I shape-shifted form, my robe giving way to gray slacks and an ivory blouse, hair and makeup suddenly done to my normal, immaculate perfection. Brushing my teeth and adding perfume could not be faked, and after performing those tasks, I grabbed my purse and sprinted out. When I reached my lobby, the desk clerk called out to me. â€Å"Got something for you.† He handed over a flat parcel. Still conscious of the time, I quickly tore at the wrapping and stifled a gasp at what I found. Black Velvet Paint by Number Kit, read the package. A subheading proclaimed: Create Your Own Masterpiece! Contains Everything You Need to Paint Just Like a Real Artist! The â€Å"masterpiece† I could create depicted a desert landscape with a giant cactus to one side and a howling coyote on the other. An eagle soared in the sky, and a ghostly, disembodied Native American head floated nearby. Terribly stereotyped and cheesy. A small piece of paper had been taped to it. Start small, the note said. Love, Roman. The writing was so perfect as to be unreal. I was still chuckling when I got to work. In my office, I settled in front of the computer and discovered a second morning surprise: another e-mail from Seth. It had been sent at five in the morning. Georgina, A few years ago, while writing Gods of Gold, I met a woman at a class I took on South American archaeology. I don't know how it is for women; it's probably not even always the same for us men. But for me, when I meet someone I'm attracted to, time stands still. The planets come into alignment, and I stop breathing. The angels themselves descend to sit upon my shoulders, whispering promises of love and devotion while less heavenly creatures whisper promises of an earthier, baser nature. I guess that's part of being a man. Anyway, that was what happened with this woman. We fell pretty hard for each other and dated off and on for a very long time. Some days we wouldn't be able to leave each other's side for more than a minute, and then later, months would go by without any sort of contact. I have to confess, this latter behavior was more my fault than hers. I mentioned before that Cady and O'Neill are demanding. During phases when I was hot into my writing, I wouldn't be able to think about or do anything else that didn't involve my novel. I knew it hurt her – knew she was the kind of person who wanted to settle down and start a family, live a quiet and committed life. I was not that kind of person – I'm not even sure I am now – but I liked the idea of always having someone around, someone reliable who I could call up when I was finally ready to make time. It really wasn't fair to do that to her, always leave her hanging like that. I should have ended things early on, but I was too selfish and too comfortable. One day, after not having spoken to her in a few months, I called her up and was astonished to hear a man answer the phone. When she came on the line, she told me she'd met someone else and wouldn't be able to see me anymore. To say I was shocked would be an understatement. I started rambling, going on and on about how much I cared for her, how she couldn't throw away what we had. She took it all pretty nicely, considering what a psycho I must have sounded like, but in the end, she closed things by saying I shouldn't have expected her to wait forever. She had her own life to live. The reason I share this embarrassing tale from the canon of Seth Mortensen is twofold. First, I need to apologize to you for what happened tonight. In spite of my grumblings, I really did intend to meet you. A couple hours before the game, I ran home to get something and suddenly thought of a solution to the snag that had been blocking me all day. I sat down to write, only planning to spend an hour on it. As you might be guessing by now, it took a lot longer than that. I got so caught up that I completely forgot about the game – and about you. I never heard my phone ring. I wasn't aware of anything else except getting the story out on paper (or rather, my screen). This, I'm afraid, is a problem I frequently have. It happened with my ex, it happens with my family, and unfortunately, it happened with you. Don't even get my brother started about how I nearly missed his wedding. The worlds and people in my head are so alive to me that I lose track of the real world. Sometimes I'm not even convinced Cady and O'Neill's world isn't the real one. I never mean to hurt people, and I feel terrible afterward, but it is a failing I can't seem to overcome. None of this justifies abandoning you last night, but I hoped this might offer some insight into my unbalanced worldview. Please understand how very sorry I am. My second reason for the memoir is to address your comment about Cady â€Å"getting some.† In thinking about her and O'Neill, I decided that Cady wasn't the kind of person who would wait around forever either. Now, don't get me wrong: I don't think Cady and my ex-girlfriend have a lot in common. Cady isn't looking to settle in the suburbs and pick out curtains with O'Neill. But, she is a bright and passionate woman, who loves life, and wants to live it. A lot of people were upset to see her break out of her devoutly chaste, puppy-at-O'Neill's-side role, but I think she had to do it. Let's face it: O'Neill takes her for granted, and he needed a wake-up call. Now, does this mean steps are being made to finally bring them together, as so many readers have asked? Naturally, as their creator, my lips are sealed on that, but I can say this: I have a lot more books with them in mind, and readers tend to lose interest when protagonists hook up. – Seth P.S. – By the way, I bought the condo. Mistee was so excited that she took me on the spot, and we made love all over the granite countertops. P.P.S. – All right, I'm making up that last part. Like I said, I'm a man. And a writer. My eyes still heavy with sleep, I sluggishly pondered the letter's message. Seth had had a serious girlfriend. Wow. That shouldn't have surprised me, especially considering the sex scenes he wrote. I mean, he couldn't have pulled them all out of imagination. Still, it was hard to picture introverted Seth participating in all the social exchanges normally required of a long-term relationship. And then the other part, his reasons for not showing. What to think of those? He was right in saying his burst of inspiration was no excuse for what he had done. The explanation did take away some of the sting, however, moving him from rude to simply thoughtless. No, maybe thoughtless was too harsh. Scattered, that was it. Perhaps scattered wasn't such a bad thing, I mused, since ignoring the real world allowed him to work on the written one. I just didn't know. I pondered all this for the rest of the morning, my anger from last night growing cold in the wake of time passing and my speculation on a brilliant writer's mind. By the time lunch rolled around, I realized I had gotten over the hockey mishap. He had not intended the neglect, and it wasn't like my night had turned out too badly after all. Around late afternoon, Warren came trolling around. â€Å"No,† I said immediately, recognizing the look in his eyes. I hated his presumption, yet always found myself eerily drawn to it. â€Å"I'm in a terrible mood.† â€Å"I'll make you feel better.† â€Å"I told you, I'm too bitchy.† â€Å"I like you bitchy.† The succubus feeding instinct began waking up. I swallowed, annoyed at it and my own weakness. â€Å"And I'm really busy. There are†¦ things†¦ I should do†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My excuse sounded halfhearted, though, and Warren apparently recognized that. He walked over to me and knelt by my chair, running a hand over my thigh. I wore thin, silky slacks, and the feel of his fingers stroking me through that smooth material was almost more sensual than on bare skin. â€Å"How was your date the other night?† he murmured, moving his mouth up to my ear and then my neck. I arched my head obligingly, in spite of my best resistance, liking the way his mouth grew fiercer against my skin, his teeth just teasing me. He was far from being a boyfriend but was still the closest I had to any sort of consistent relationship. That meant something. â€Å"Fine.† â€Å"Did you fuck him?† â€Å"No. I slept alone, alas.† â€Å"Good.† â€Å"He's coming back tonight, though. For the dance lesson.† â€Å"Really?† Warren unbuttoned the top two buttons of my blouse, revealing a pale pink lace bra. His fingertips traced the shape of one of my breasts, following its inner curve down to where it met the other one. Then he moved his hand up to that breast, playing with the nipple through the lace. I closed my eyes, surprised at my swelling desire. After helping Hugh close the contract with Martin, I wouldn't have thought I'd need a fix so soon. Yet, the hunger tugged ever so slightly within me, mingled with lust. Pure instinct. â€Å"We'll introduce him to Maria.† Maria was Warren's wife. The thought of passing Roman off on her was too funny. â€Å"You sound jealous,† I teased. I pulled Warren toward me, and he responded by pushing me on top of the desk. I moved my hands down to unfasten his pants. â€Å"I am,† he grunted. Leaning over, he pulled the bra down to bare my breasts and lowered his mouth to one of the nipples. He hesitated. â€Å"Are you sure you didn't fuck him?† â€Å"I think I'd remember something like that.† A knock sounded at the door, and Warren hastily sprang away from me, pulling up his pants. â€Å"Shit.† I, too, sat up and returned to my chair. With Warren's eyes on the door, I quickly used some more shape-shifting to neaten myself up and rebutton my blouse. Satisfied we were both decent, I called, â€Å"Come in.† Seth opened the door. I clamped down on my jaw, lest it drop open in astonishment. â€Å"Hi,† said Seth, looking back and forth between Warren and me. â€Å"I didn't mean to interrupt.† â€Å"No, no, you aren't,† Warren assured him, clicking into public relations mode. â€Å"We were just having a quick meeting.† â€Å"Not a very important one,† I added. Warren gave me a droll look. â€Å"Oh,† said Seth, still appearing like he wanted to bolt. â€Å"I just came by to see if maybe†¦ you wanted lunch. I†¦ e-mailed you about what happened.† â€Å"Yeah, I read it. Thanks.† I smiled at him, hoping to silently communicate that all was forgiven. The worried look on his face was so heart-wrenching that I felt certain his conscience had suffered more than my ego last night. â€Å"Excellent idea,† boomed Warren. â€Å"Let's all go get some lunch, shall we? Georgina and I can meet again later.† â€Å"I can't.† I reminded him about how short-staffed we were and how I was needed for coverage. He scowled when I finished. â€Å"Why haven't we hired anyone?† â€Å"I'm working on it.† Warren ended up just taking Seth out – something the writer seemed highly uneasy about – and I was left alone, feeling abandoned. I would have half liked to hear what else Seth had to say about writing taking over his life. I might have even liked getting laid. Neither was to be. Ah, the injustices of the universe. I apparently had one karmic favor left, however. Around four, Tammi – the red-haired girl from Krystal Starz – showed up to solve my staffing problem. As suggested, she brought a friend. After a quick interview, I felt satisfied by their competency. I hired them on the spot, pleased to have one task taken off my list. When the store finally closed later, those few hours of sleep were catching up with me more fiercely. I felt in no mood to teach a dance lesson. Realizing I needed to change, I closed the office door and shape-shifted my outfit for the second time that day. It felt like cheating, as always. For dancing I selected a sleeveless dress, clingy through the bodice and flowing through the skirt – just right for twirls. Colored in blending hues of peach and orange, I hoped the dress would warm my mood up. I also hoped no one had noticed I hadn't carried a change of clothes in with me this morning. On the overhead speakers, I heard one of the cashiers make the announcement that the store had closed, just as another knock sounded on my door. I called an entry, wondering if it might be Seth again, but Cody appeared this time. â€Å"Hey,† I said, forcing a smile. â€Å"Are you ready for this?† I had taught Cody to swing dance a year or so ago, and he had picked it up remarkably well, probably half due to vampire reflexes. As a result, I had – against his better judgment – recruited him to be my coteacher in these impromptu lessons for the staff. He kept claiming he was no good, but in both lessons so far, he'd proven remarkably efficient. â€Å"What? Dancing? Yeah. No problem.† I glanced around, ascertaining we were alone. â€Å"Any more weird occurrences?† Cody shook his head, blond hair framing it like a lion's mane. â€Å"No. It's been pretty quiet. Maybe I was overreacting.† â€Å"Better safe than sorry,† I advised, feeling like somebody's cliched grandmother. â€Å"What are you doing after this?† â€Å"Meeting Peter at a bar downtown. You want to come with us?† â€Å"Sure.† We'd all be safer as a group. The door pushed open, and Seth stuck his head inside. â€Å"Hey, I – oh, I'm sorry,† he stammered, catching sight of Cody. â€Å"I didn't mean to interrupt.† â€Å"No, no,† I said, waving him inside. â€Å"We were just talking.† I gave Seth a curious look. â€Å"What are you still doing here? Are you staying for the lesson?† â€Å"Er, well I, that is, Warren invited me to†¦ but I don't think I'll actually dance. If that's okay.† â€Å"Not dance? What are you going to do then, watch?† I demanded. â€Å"Be like a voyeur or something?† Seth gave me a sage look, appearing for the first time in a while like the guy who had written the comic observations about real estate agents and old girlfriends. The guy I'd once engaged in a stumbling flirtation with. â€Å"I'm not that desperate. Not yet, anyway. But it's really safer if I don't dance. For those around me.† â€Å"That's what I used to say until she made me try it,† remarked Cody, clapping me on the shoulder. â€Å"Just wait until you've been in Georgina's capable hands. You'll never be the same.† Before any of us could acknowledge that suggestive comment, Doug appeared behind Seth, outfitted as his grunge band self rather than assistant manager self. â€Å"Hey, are we getting this party started or what? I came back here today just for this lesson, Kincaid. You better make the trip worth my while. Hey, Cody.† â€Å"Hey, Doug.† â€Å"Hey, Seth.† â€Å"Hey, Doug.† I groaned. â€Å"All right. Let's do this.† We left en masse for the cafe, where tables were being moved to give us space. I introduced Cody and Seth along the way. They shook hands briefly, the young vampire looking at me meaningfully when he realized just which Seth this must be. â€Å"You sure you aren't going to dance?† I asked the writer, still puzzled by his obstinacy. â€Å"Nope. Just doesn't feel right.† â€Å"Yeah, well, after the shitty day I've had, running this shindig doesn't feel right to me either, but we all endure. Put on the happy face and go, you know?† Seth looked like he didn't know, only giving me a small, bemused smile. A moment later, that smile dimmed slightly. â€Å"You said you got the e-mail†¦ did it†¦ do you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It's fine. Forget about it.† His bizarre social habits might not mesh with mine, but I couldn't stand seeing him worry anymore about last night. â€Å"Honestly.† I patted his arm, gave him my Helen of Troy smile, then turned my attention to the scene upstairs. Most of the staff who'd worked today milled around, along with a few others who, like Doug, had come back. Warren and his wife waited with them, and so did Roman. He approached with a smile when he saw me, and I felt a faint wave of lust sweep me, independent of any succubus feeding. As good-looking as ever, he wore black slacks and a teal shirt that gleamed like his eyes. â€Å"Group date, huh?† â€Å"For my safety. I've always found it best to keep a few dozen chaperones on hand.† â€Å"You'll need a few dozen more in that dress,† he warned in a low voice, those eyes molesting me from head to toe. I flushed, taking a few steps away from him. â€Å"You'll have to wait your turn, like everyone else.† Turning away from him, I inadvertently made eye contact with Seth. He had obviously overheard the brief exchange. My blush deepening, I fled both of them for the center of the floor, Cody in tow. Putting on the so-called â€Å"happy face,† I pushed my long day out of my mind and grinned at my coworkers' whoops and cheers. â€Å"All right, gang, let's get going. Doug's in kind of a hurry and wants to finish this up as quickly as possible. I understand that's pretty standard for him in a lot of matters – especially romantic ones.† This elicited both positive and negative catcalls from the crowd, as well as an obscene gesture from Doug. I reintroduced Cody, who was less comfortable with the attention than I was, and began sizing up the group. We had more women than men, per usual, and a wide range of skill levels. I split couples up accordingly, putting especially adept women with other women since I felt confident they could dance the male part for this practice and switch effortlessly later. I didn't have such faith in everybody; some of them still struggled to follow a beat. Consequently, I started the lesson by reviewing from last time, turning on the music and making everyone practice basic steps. Cody and I monitored, making minor adjustments and suggestions. My tension from the long day eased slightly as I worked the crowd. I loved swing dancing, had loved it when it first emerged in the early twentieth century, and had been thrilled when its revival came around recently. I knew it was going out of style again, which was part of the reason I wanted to pass on the knowledge to others. Not knowing Roman's level of expertise, I'd placed him with Paige, a pretty skilled dancer. After watching them a minute or so, I shook my head and approached. â€Å"You hustler,† I chastised. â€Å"You acted all nervous about dancing, but in reality, you're a pro.† â€Å"I've done it a few times,† he admitted modestly, taking her into a turn I hadn't taught them yet. â€Å"Stop that. I'm splitting you guys up. Your skills are needed elsewhere.† â€Å"Oh come on,† pleaded Paige. â€Å"Let me keep him. It's about time we had a man around here who knows what he's doing.† Roman cut me a glance. â€Å"She said it, not me.† I turned my eyes heavenward and reassigned them to new partners. After a bit more supervising, I grew satisfied with the whole group's prowess, convinced I'd see little change. Deciding to move on, Cody and I taught them lindy kicks next. Not surprisingly, chaos soon broke out. The gifted in the group picked the move up right away, those who had struggled previously continued to struggle, and some who had performed fine with the basic steps and turns now fell completely apart. Cody and I moved through the dancers, doing damage control, offering our words of wisdom. â€Å"Keep the tension in your wrist, Beth – not too much, though. Don't hurt yourself.† â€Å"Count, damn it! Count! The beats are still the same as before.† â€Å"Keep facing your partner†¦ don't lose track of her.† My role as teacher consumed me, and I loved it. Who cared about vampire hunters and the eternal struggles of good and evil? I caught sight of Seth sitting off to the side, just as he'd vowed. â€Å"Hey, voyeur, still just want to watch?† I chided, breathless and excited from running all over the makeshift dance floor. He shook his head, a faint smile playing across his features as he studied me. â€Å"Plenty to see from here.† Standing up from his chair, he leaned forward in a familiar sort of way, startling me when his hand reached out and pushed up a dress strap that had slipped off my shoulder down to my arm â€Å"There,† he pronounced. â€Å"Perfect.† Goose bumps rose on my flesh at his touch, his fingers warm and gentle. For just a moment, a look I hadn't seen before crossed his face. It made him look less like the distracted writer I'd come to know and more†¦ well, male. Admiring. Considering. Maybe even predatory. The look was gone as quickly as it had come, though I still felt taken aback. â€Å"Keep an eye on that strap,† warned Seth mildly. â€Å"You've got to make him work for it.† He inclined his head slightly toward some dancers, and I followed the motion to see Roman walking one of the baristas through a complex step. I admired Roman's graceful moves a moment before turning back to Seth. â€Å"It's not that hard. I can teach you.† I held up a hand by way of invitation. He looked as though he might agree but shook his head at the last second. â€Å"I'd make a fool of myself.† â€Å"Ah yes, and sitting here alone, while everyone else dances and we're short of men – yes, that doesn't make you look foolish at all.† He gave a soft laugh. â€Å"Maybe.† When no other explanation came, I shrugged and returned to the dance floor, continuing my instruction. Cody and I added a couple new tricks, assisted in more practice, and finally stood off to the side admiring our pupils. â€Å"Think they'll be ready for the Moondance ?† he asked. The Moondance Lounge was a ballroom dance club that hosted monthly swing dance nights. We considered this group's appearance there to be the ultimate triumph of graduation. â€Å"One more lesson, I think. Then we can take them out in public.† An arm caught me around the waist, pulling me onto the dance floor. I recovered my footing quickly, falling in step with Roman as he spun me into an intricate turn. A few people nearby stopped to watch. â€Å"It's my turn to be teacher's pet,† he admonished. â€Å"I've hardly seen you all night; I don't think this counts as a date.† I let him lead me around flamboyantly, curious as to just how good he really was. â€Å"You're always changing what you want,† I complained. â€Å"First you just want to go out, now you say you actually want to be alone with me. You need to pick a story and stick with it. Be more specific.† â€Å"Ah, I see. No one told me that.† He led me into a reverse whip, and I followed through flawlessly, earning a grudging look of approval from him. â€Å"I don't suppose there's a Georgina Kincaid Instruction Manual around somewhere to help me avoid these embarrassing blunders in the future.† â€Å"We sell them downstairs.† â€Å"Oh yeah?† He began improvising steps now, and I enjoyed the challenge of second-guessing where he would go. â€Å"Is there a page on how to woo the fair Georgina?† â€Å"Page? Hell, there's a whole chapter.† â€Å"Required reading, I'd imagine.† â€Å"Definitely. Hey, thanks for the paint by number.† â€Å"I expect to see that on your wall the next time I'm over.† â€Å"With that horrible Native American stereotype? The next time you see it will be on the ACLU's hit list.† He spun me out into a flourish-filled ending, much to the delight of everyone else. They had long since stopped dancing to watch me make a spectacle of myself. I felt slightly self-conscious but shrugged it off, savoring the moment, taking Roman's hand to bow luridly to my coworkers' applause. â€Å"Get ready,† I announced, â€Å"because that's going to be next week's exam.† Cheers and laughter continued, but as they faded and the group dispersed for the night, Roman persisted in holding on to my hand, his fingers laced with mine. I didn't mind. We walked around, making small talk and saying goodbyes. â€Å"You want to go get a drink?† he asked me, once we were momentarily alone. I turned toward him, standing close, studying those gorgeous features. In the now-warmed-up room, I could strongly smell his perspiration mingled with cologne, and it made me want to bury my face in his neck. â€Å"I want to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began slowly, wondering if alcohol and raw animal lust would be a wise combination with someone I wanted to avoid sleeping with. Looking beyond him, I caught Cody's eye. He was talking earnestly with Seth, which I found odd. Suddenly, I remembered my earlier promise to go meet the vampires at the bar. â€Å"Damn,† I muttered. â€Å"I don't think I can.† Still holding Roman's hand, I led him over to Cody and Seth. They stopped talking. â€Å"I feel left out,† joked Cody a moment later. â€Å"I saw you do some stuff just now that you never taught me.† â€Å"You were supposed to have been doing it for homework.† I cocked my head in consideration. â€Å"Have you met Roman, Cody? Or you Seth?† I made quick introductions around, and they all politely shook hands, guy-style. Once that was done, Roman settled his hand comfortably on my waist. â€Å"I'm trying to get Georgina to have a drink with me. But I think she's playing hard to get.† Cody smiled. â€Å"I don't think she's playing.† I looked apologetically at Roman. â€Å"I told Cody I'd meet him and another friend tonight.† The young vampire made a wave of dismissal. â€Å"Forget about it. Go have fun.† â€Å"Yeah, but – † I cut myself off and made significant eye contact with him  §?la Jerome and Carter. I didn't want Cody to go off alone, lest he be targeted by the vampire hunter, but I could hardly say that in front of the others. â€Å"Take a cab,† I said at last. â€Å"Don't walk.† â€Å"Okay,† he said automatically. Too automatically. â€Å"I mean it,† I warned. â€Å"Yes, yes,† he muttered. â€Å"Do you want to call it for me?† I rolled my eyes at him, then suddenly remembered Seth's presence. Feeling kind of embarrassed with him standing there while we all made plans, I wondered if I should offer to invite him along or send him with Cody. As though reading my mind, Seth bluntly declared, â€Å"Well, I'll see you guys later.† He turned around and left before any of us could answer. â€Å"Is he mad or something?† asked Cody after a moment. â€Å"I think that's just the way he is,† I explained, not sure I'd ever understand the writer. â€Å"Weird.† Roman turned back to me. â€Å"Ready to step out?† Seth quickly left my mind. Roman and I walked over to a small restaurant across the street from Emerald City, sitting together on one side of a booth. I ordered my vodka gimlet, and he got brandy. When our drinks arrived, he asked, â€Å"Should I be jealous of anyone back there?† I chuckled. â€Å"You don't know me well enough or have any claims on me to worry about jealousy yet. Don't jump the gun here.† â€Å"I suppose not,† he agreed. â€Å"Still, famous writers and suave, young dance partners are certainly exalted company.† â€Å"Cody's not that young.† â€Å"Young enough. Is he a close friend?† â€Å"Close enough. Not romantically close, if that's what you're still driving at.† Roman and I had snuggled together in the booth, and I gave him a playful poke in the ribs. â€Å"Quit worrying about my acquaintances. Let's talk about something else. Tell me about the world of linguistics.† I meant it half-jokingly, but he complied, explaining his specialty – classical languages, ironically enough. Roman knew his material well, speaking about it with the same wit and cleverness used in his flirtations. I followed these explanations avidly, enjoying the opportunity to engage in a topic few others knew anything about. Unfortunately, I had to taper my participation, lest I show just how well versed in the subject I truly was. It might look a little weird if a bookstore manager knew more about an area of study than someone who had made a career out of it. Throughout this whole gripping discourse, Roman and I stayed in contact – arms, hands, and legs touching. He never tried to kiss me, for which I was grateful, as that would have been walking into dangerous territory. We were really on an ideal date for me: stimulating banter and as much physical contact as a succubus could safely handle. Our flirty conversation flowed effortlessly, like reading from a script. Our drink flew by in an eye blink, and before I knew it, we stood back outside, parting ways and making arrangements for another date. I attempted my protests, but both of us could see how weak they were. He kept claiming I owed him a real, unchaperoned outing. Standing there with him, warmed by his presence, I felt surprised at how badly I wanted that date. The thing about sparing nice guys was that I always ended up lonely. Looking up at Roman, I decided then that I wanted to put off being lonely again – just for a little while. So I agreed to go out again, ignoring the mental warning bells this decision set off. His face lit up, and I thought he would definitely try a mouth kiss now. My heart thumped loudly at the prospect, scared and eager. Apparently my previous neurotic rants about not getting too close hit home, however. He merely held my hand, finally brushing his lips across my cheek in a kiss that was barely a kiss. He wandered off into the streets of Queen Anne, and a moment later, I walked the half-block back to my apartment. When I reached my door, I discovered a note taped to it. My name, done in beautiful, heavily inked calligraphy, lay scrawled across the surface. An apprehensive coldness ran through me. The note read: You are a beautiful woman, Georgina. Beautiful enough, I think, to even tempt angels into falling – something that doesn't happen nearly as often as it should anymore. Beauty such as yours is effortless, however, when you can make it anything you like. Your large friend, unfortunately, doesn't have such luxury, which is a damned shame after what happened today. Fortunately, he works in the right business to correct any damage to his appearance. I stared at the note like something that might bite me. It bore no name, of course. Ripping it off the door, I hurried into my apartment and picked up the phone. I dialed Hugh's number without hesitation. With the references to â€Å"large† and â€Å"right business,† he was the only one the note could be referring to. His phone rang and rang before giving way to an answering machine. Annoyed, I dialed his cell number. After three rings, an unknown female voice answered. â€Å"Is Hugh Mitchell there?† There was a long pause. â€Å"He†¦ can't talk right now. Who is this, please?† â€Å"This is Georgina Kincaid. I'm his friend.† â€Å"I've heard him talk about you, Georgina. This is Samantha.† The name didn't mean anything to me, nor did I have the patience for this runaround. â€Å"Well, can I please talk to him then?† â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice sounded strained, upset. â€Å"Georgina, something bad happened today†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 

An Introduction To Malcolm X And His Life History Essay

An Introduction To Malcolm X And His Life History Essay Malcolm X was a black civil rights leader in the 1960s in the U.S. In the U.S, blacks were segregated by the Jim Crow Laws. Black people did not have equal rights compared to white people in this era. Malcolm X was born on May 19, 1925 in Omaha, which is in the state of Nebraska. In the U.S history, people knew Malcolm X as a violent, black civil rights activist. His idea was that racial separation was the only way to help and improve African Americans’ lives in the U.S because he thought that white people controlled the U.S society completely. Thus, he taught black people that they should have their own society, economy, and community. Also, he taught that white people were devils, who brainwashed black people. He did not believe the idea of whites and blacks in the U.S living together. So, even if other black civil right activists, such as Martin Luther King Jr. helped black people by using non violent resistance, Malcolm X did not participate in their nonviolent civil righ ts movements. Therefore, Malcolm X thought that violence or fighting against whites is the only way of helping and improving black people in the U.S. So, his idea of racial separation was shaped by his earlier life experiences and the Nation of Islam, however, Malcolm X finally realized that the whites and the blacks could live together under God, Allah, after he visited Mecca. Historical Back Ground: African Americans in the south were segregated by the Jim Crow Laws. (Hickman, 2010) The Jim Crow Laws was â€Å"the name of the racial caste system which operated primarily, but not exclusively in southern and border states, between 1877 and the mid to 1960s. Jim Crow was more than a series of rigid anti – Black laws. It was a way of life. Under the Jim Crow, African Americans were relegated to the status of second class citizens† (Pilgrim, 2000). Black people were segregated in restaurants, public restrooms, drinking fountains, etc. In addition, â€Å"many blacks were the victims of mob violence that ranged from being beaten to actually being killed† (Dean, 1994, pp. 9). So, black people were not protected by the law completely in this era. During the 19th century, American Civil Rights movements occurred many times, such as the sitting movement and the bus boycott in Montgomery. Black people tried to have their civil rights in this era, and black people followed famous civil rights activists. There were two famous protesters, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, who were against the Jim Crow Laws. They were black, and they were the leaders of the American Civil Rights movements. However, there were some differences between King and Malcolm. Martin Luther King Jr. was a protestant, and he used nonviolent resistance. Many black people followed his idea because nonviolent resistance was a more popular approach in the Civil Rights Movement in this era. On the other hand, Malcolm X’s idea was that black people should create their own wo rld without white people, the rejection of King’s method of nonviolence, and the acceptance of violence as an effective means to realize his goal. So, Malcolm X did not suggest that black people should live with white people.

Internal Monitoring for a Stronger Police Force Research Paper

Internal Monitoring for a Stronger Police Force - Research Paper Example A metaphor is something that is used to signify an idea through example, and therefore this is an objective example of applying something that may be completely unrelated objectively, but still has meaning as it is seen to relate to a larger concept. In the case of the broken windows theory, this larger concept is the assumption that, basically, one thing leads to another. This is related in some ways to the previous objective portrayal of the domino metaphor, in which it only takes one domino falling to make many other dominos fall. Objectively, in terms of the broken window theory, â€Å"The germ of the idea is simple and compelling. A broken window--or a littered sidewalk, a graffito, or what you like--does no great harm to a neighborhood if promptly addressed. But left untended, it sends a signal: that no one cares about this neighborhood, that it is a safe place to break things, to litter, to vandalize. Those who engage in such behaviors will feel safe here. And once these mino r miscreants have become well established, perhaps it will seem a safe enough neighborhood in which to be openly drunk† (Siegel et al., 2006). The first part of this statement is very objective by nature. Zero tolerance programs are also features of traditional policing. Traditional policing involves theory and other issues. It is also anticipated that results will be mixed in terms of officers’ perceptions of ethics training as an effective option to cut down on misconduct. â€Å"Usually, the content of ethics training consists of adopting one philosophical framework and discussing hypothetical or researched ethical dilemmas within that framework. To be sure, examples of ethical dilemmas for criminal justice students and practitioners can be gathered from newspapers, books, and journal articles.  

Ryanair Marketing Mix Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Ryanair Marketing Mix Analysis - Case Study Example Rather than assume that its role was to 'steal' customers from other airlines, it determined that the customer base should be defined in a different way: those who were price-sensitive, but were looking for a scheduled airline approach (rather than charter airlines, which had no fixed schedule). Ryanair also defined the real 'competitors' included alternative modes of travel (bus, train, and car) and fairly inflexible 'budget' scheduled airline seats. Airlines have pioneered in the use of yield management software to increase their average revenue per seat-mile, starting with American Airlines in the early 1980's. New, low-cost airlines started with few of these yield management techniques, calculating that the leisure traveler was put off by the plethora of fares for the same trajectory. Ryanair assumed that passengers placed different values on their travel. The vacationer and displaced worker could count on long-term travel planning. They are price-conscious. For those willing to plan ahead, Ryanair could price significantly below scheduled airlines. As capacity filled and the date for flight departure approached, Ryanair could adjust its pricing online in a flash, helping to assure that most planes fly full. Whereas legacy carriers layered time constraints (greater than 21, 14 or 7 days, for example), Ryanair might price in the opposite direction, giving last-minute flyers a discount for booking. Again, Ryanair defined their customers differently than at the legacy carriers. Their last-minute flyers needed three key attributes: flexible in their flight schedule, price-sensitive and impulsive. Here are the thoughts of potential customers in this last-minute category: "Sure, I'd fly to Dublin to catch a play and quaff a Guinness, if the price were less than 20 return." This is an impulse customer. "I need to get back to Warsaw to handle some immigration papers." This customer is price-sensitive and flexible in his/her schedule. Distribution Channels and Their Importance to Ryanair's Marketing Mix Ryanair could not exist without the Internet. The key benefits and tools for Ryanair are all internet-based: 1. Ryanair's cost per transaction must remain low in order to keep down fares. By bypassing the travel agent (once novel, now commonplace), Ryanair reduced its transaction costs per passenger by 5-10% of airfare. 2. Related to the above, Ryanair was able to reduce labor costs by having the passenger perform much of the administrative work online (and obviating the need at the airport or on the phone). 3. In order to fill planes, Ryanair must have to-the-minute pricing flexibility. Empty seats make no money; the ability to fill the 137th seat in a 737, even if it only provides 20, is an extra 20 falling to the bottom line for that flight. 4. Internet booking allows Ryanair to control all aspects of the customer relationship. This information is invaluable for future promotions. If Ryanair knows, for example, that it has a London-based passenger who travels often to Warsaw, they can focus on that customer for future

Construction law - standard form contracts Essay

Construction law - standard form contracts - Essay Example Comparison is made in the context of provisions such as Design Changes, Delays and Disputes, Payments, and Dispute Resolution. The first version of the National Engineering Contract came into being in 1991 under the name New Engineering Contract and was used for a number of projects, particularly in South Africa (Smith 1999, p.250). The contract was different in many respects from other similar contracts and therefore it was criticized by many in the initial periods of its inception. With its new version came into force as NEC3, its popularity has widenened. Established in 1931, Joint Contracts Tribunal (JCT) has much experience and resources in the field of construction industry. Its resources include standard forms of contracts, standard documentation, and other guidance notes. JCT was incorporated as a company limited by guarantee in 1998. Thereafter, it has been the responsibility of the company to look after the JCT Council and producing suites of contract documents for the use of construction industry (Mulcahy 2008, p. 165). Under this contract, the contractor is obliged to design the works of the project in conformity to the project information supplied by the employer (Clause 21, p.7). The contractor is also responsible to ensure that that the project design is accepted by the Project Manager. Sometimes, the project manager may not accept the design in case the design is not prepared in accordance with the work information and / or relevant legislation. The contractor needs to commence the works once the consent from the project manager as to the acceptance of work design is received. One of the provisions of this contact grants authority to the employer, to use the design so prepared for purposes in connection with construction, use, alteration or demolition of the project work. In case, it is not allowed, it will be separately stated in the contract. It is also notable that the project manager is given the authority to accept or reject the design after a careful scrutiny of the same. Joint Contract Tribunal 2005 As per the provision of JCT 2005, the preparation of the work design is the responsibility of the contractor like that of NEC3. The provisions of this contract stipulate that the contractor is required to prepare and submit the project design before the administrator/architect appointed by the employer. It also states that the design should be prepared in such a way that it meets all the requirements as mentioned in the Employer's work requirement. Once the design is prepared, the same is handed over to the architect for scrutiny. The architect, within 14 days of acceptance, should give the design back to the contractor after putting his comment on one copy of the original design. Three comment grades are usually used under this contract, namely A, B, and C. The mark 'A' signifies that the contract can commence the work as per the work requirements with the same design and no change is needed. The mark 'B' implies the design need not be changed, but works have to be carried out as pe r the comments put forward

Omnivores Dilemma - A Natural History of Four Meals is a Nonfiction Essay

Omnivores Dilemma - A Natural History of Four Meals is a Nonfiction Book by Michael Pollan - Essay Example The book illustrates the American way of living from the source to the final meal that is eaten. From an economic viewpoint, there are many shortcomings of the book worth noting, such as in the Pollan’s self financed meals; he only focuses on what is before his eyes and ignores the macroeconomic factors that influence the transparency of the cost of foods, which is not attainable within the interconnectedness of the markets. Essentially, Omnivore’s Dilemma is a book about the state of America’s food production, consumption, regulation and distribution (Tyler, 2006). Food Chain Food chains are usually applied in ecological modelling, which provides a continuous variable for measuring passage of energy through various linear linkages from the lowest to the highest trophic feeding levels. Long food chain lengths are unstable with increasing length increases with the ecosystem size and reduction of energy at every successive level. Food chain lengths vary from three to six or even more levels. For example, a four-level food chain will consist of a flower, a frog, a snake and an owl. A five-level food chain may consist of the grass, a grasshopper, a rat, a snake and an owl. The organisms that use solar energy or heat energy to synthesize starch are the producers, such as plants. Consumers are those organisms that feed on other organisms, whereas, all food chains begin with the producer then progresses to the consumer. Therefore, all organisms within a food chain except the first one are all consumers. This fascinating journey through the food chain does not make Pollan a preacher, but he is engrossed in his thoughtfulness and so much dogged a researcher to let ideology take over him. He is surely not a writer who is afraid of soiling his hands in the quest for a better understanding on the manner in which modern food is produced. For example, he does everything from buying his cow to the slaughterhouse, then ultimately to the dinner table. Polla n really capture how Americans eat today from the fast food to the big organic to the locally sourced, ultimately to foraging for dinner armed with a rifle. This idea examines the human diet from capitalism to consumption (Pollan, 2006). National Eating Disorder Americans have changed the way they eat and the usual question that arises daily is based on what will be taken for dinner. This is a simple question that can evolve to be very complex as one tries to figure it out. The evolution of human culture has a great influence on how peoples’ native wisdom about eating, such that the way people eat is riddled with confusion and anxiety. Most ancient and venerable staple foods have abruptly disappeared from the American dinner tables and have made Americans to change the way they eat. This condition can be described as carbophobia. This was supplanted by lipophobia around 1977 when Americans were warned against loving the red meat during the Carter reign, which forced the Senat e committee to issue a set of dietary goals.  

Essay Questions For My Midterm Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Questions For My Midterm - Essay Example the staff should keep in mind include integrating current structures while working on new structures to improve service delivery (project management and program management slide 10). The growth and effective service delivery will depend majorly on the effectiveness of the IRM staff. The team should practically lay strategies that reflect the plan’s objective. The applicability of their knowledge towards the political science plan will depend on existing structure and will focus on logistics. The two rules in the CPIC process will include information security, which will entail delivery and evaluation of the system without experiencing external forces interference. The second rule will be on system performance; the system will undergo scrutiny and evaluate its viability in an aim of ensuring quick and effective service delivery. The system should ensure compliance with the OMB requirement. The plan will contain three phases; the first phase will involve selection criteria to choose. The CIO will do the system selection where a cost benefit analysis will be done. The security and reliability of the system will be done prior to its applicability to the political science class. The design will be adjusted top meet the proposed standards. After a reliable system is chosen, the system undergoes the second phrase, which is control, the IRM team will ensure that there exist limits in which the system will operate, the period placed for the CPIC will be adhered to and the team w ill enable the IT initiatives are executed. The final phase will be the evaluation phase, the system will be evaluated according to its outcome and the invest performance will be compared to the amount of resources pumped into the system. The period given will determine if the system is below par of is working according to plan. Departments requesting for ongoing projects or new projects will have to forward their request to the financial manager who is under the CIO and attach the proposal

Bringing a Global Perspective on Business Studies to IGCSE Essay

Bringing a Global Perspective on Business Studies to IGCSE Underprivileged Youths - Essay Example ‘Organizational structure’ refers to the people conducting and carrying out the processes within the Organization. It also describes the different functional areas within a corporation and how well they work together to complete their task in the most effective and efficient manner. It is well understood that organizational structure directly impacts the alignment between business units. This emphasizes the need for a fluent structure in order to streamline the business operations in a more complete manner that will allow for more efficient and effective operations. Having a good and complete organizational structure will lead to better a decision-making process in order to achieve long-term goals. The following parts will explain the hierarchical order of the organizational chart for this project, as well as a detailed elaboration of each of the main organizational roles.Simply defined, an organization chart is a graphical representation of the people in a project team and the relationships and linkages between them. The organizational chart here shows the duties and responsibilities of each individual involved in this project from a hierarchical perspective. This chart also gives an idea of what the flow of operations are and how it was throughout the term of the project. These positions in the organizational chart were the main ones held by the people implementing the whole project, and it would be important to note that there was a heavy interaction between these positions.

United Arab Emirates Essay Example for Free

United Arab Emirates Essay In his article titled â€Å"United Arab Emirates† Sulayman Najm Khalaf gives an interesting overview of the UAE, one of the richest and most prosperous countries in the world. He briefly covers a wide range of subjects that concern the way of life of the Emirati society and vary from the country’s location and geography, its history, ethnic and social composition, political institutions, social welfare, the history of economic development, urbanization to the family life of its citizens, religion, child rearing, education, eating habits, etiquette, etc (Khalaf). Khalaf’s brief account of gender roles and statuses in the Emirati society now make me see the role of women in the country’s social, political, religious, or artistic life in a slightly different way. Although it is a well known fact that Emirati women, like women in many other Muslim countries, do not have the same rights and opportunities as men regardless of whatever the country’s government officials may declare, I did believe they had a greater influence on many aspects of social life and better access to the country’s politics than they actually have. I was also surprised to learn that in spite of the high ratio of the number of educated women in the UAE and their impressive performance in schools and universities, most of them tend to get married early, instead of taking the existing career opportunities, and actually choose to dedicate themselves to raising children and managing domestic affairs. I wrongly believed that the current status of women in the UAE was somewhat approaching the status of women in Western countries. In his article Khalaf describes some aspects of the special relationship between four principal social classes existing in the United Arab Emirates on the one hand, and between the Emirati nationals and the immigrants on the other hand. I was not aware of the high importance which is attached to the division of the nationals into social classes, their roles in â€Å"Page # 2† the Emirati society, and particularly the obvious impossibility for their members to move from a lower social group to a higher one. The article also changed my beliefs about the existence of equal opportunities for the citizens of the United Arab Emirates. Despite apparent openness and equality that I believed were typical of the country, and also tolerance for other ethnic or religious groups, now I am quite aware of the visible existence of gender discrimination and discrimination against other cultural or religious groups which, what is particularly shocking for a Westerner, are overtly encouraged by the state. As far as discrimination against the immigrants is concerned, now that I have read Khalaf’s article I am inclined to believe that the incomers are tolerated in the UAE not out of a sense of Emirati hospitality that is often advertised abroad, but because the country needs them and their low paid labor and services. This can be substantiated, for example, by the fact that the nationals that are just a minority group representing only 20% of the population are favored by most state laws or business regulations (Khalaf). Despite being a multiethnic society, the UAE grants privileges to and appears to protect the interests of only one ethnic group reserving other groups for a sustainable but nonetheless a relatively decent, by local standards, existence. It can be thus concluded that equal opportunities as we understand them in the West simply do not exist in the United Arab Emirates. The author explains that apart from Islam which is the country’s official religion foreign incomers can open and attend their own places of worship, too. But, as he emphasizes in the article, the majority of immigrants are of Asian or Arab descent following Islam. Khalaf does not mention, for example, how many, if any, practicing Christians or Buddhists as well as their churches or temples there are in the country. It would be also interesting to find out more about how the UAE regulates the inflow of immigrants from the much poorer countries of the region. Little does the author say about certain aspects of the country’s â€Å"Page # 3† political life, for example, how the president and his deputy are elected and by whom, how the judiciary is formed, etc. REFERENCES: 1. Khalaf, S. N. United Arab Emirates. Retrieved April 17, 2008 from the World Wide Web: http://findarticles. com/p/articles/mi_gx5228/is_2001/ai_n19144272

Successful Corporate Diversification Strategies

Successful Corporate Diversification Strategies Study of rationale behind corporate diversification, its implication and implementation falls under the subject of Strategic Management. Strategic management deals with the long term goals of the corporation. Managers take strategic decisions to react to the changes in the market place and the competitive environment. Decision making at this level is highly unstructured and are generally considered on case by case basis. The cost of corporate diversification is very large hence managers have to make an informed decision to ensure the continued success of their business. Introduction Statement of purpose An attempt will be made to identify the factors that motivate companies to diversify. Using historical data and examples we will try to understand the different diversification strategy, companies employ. However, is it that particular set of strategy more effective than others? Is diversification more common in a particular industry sector? Should a company diversify when it is successful and have surplus wealth or should they diversify when their business is not doing well? Should all the business eventually diversify? Does diversification help companies to minimize risk? These are some of the questions that will be tacked in this final management project. Globalization has brought about new challenges and opportunities for the companies around the world. Phenomenon such increase in competition, softening of trade barriers and advancement in technology and transportation has forced companies to come up with strategies to position them on the path of sustained growth. Despite being acknowledged as an important topic, very few researches have been undertaken to explore the key drivers behind successful diversification decisions. Literature Review The idea of corporate diversification is not new, over the last few decades there have been quite many companies which have diversified its business, some succeeded while others failed. Due to the lack of any influential ideas and frameworks, it is still a puzzle for many general mangers as to what constitute a successful diversification strategy. Academic researchers have also divided themselves in two opposing schools of thought. There are some who describe corporate diversification as a value destroying practice whereas others consider it as a value creation process. According to Michael Porter (1987), diversification records of thirty three large, prestigious U.S. companies from 1950 to 1986 show that most of them had divested many more acquisitions than they had kept. Instead of creating value, it has led to dissipation of shareholder value. Establishment of business school in 1950s and 60s provided manager the necessary general management skills, basic management principles applicable to all kinds of enterprise was the prime focus. Acquisition of unrelated business and growth of conglomerates, served as an opportunity to experiment new ideas and business models. Success of U.S. conglomerates such as Textron and ITT encouraged other European and Asian companies to try out diversification strategy. However instead of applying management principles and following a process of thoughtful evaluation, emphasis was more on the acquisition of companies whose assets were worth more than their stock price. During this period, popular view suggested that managers of the large conglomerates possessed the skills to manage their extensive business operations. Effective application of key management principles like managerial accounting, rigid financial control, detailed budgets and frequent interaction amongst managers were thought to be mantra for successful diversified business. All these seem to justify the fact that diversification, if managed properly would lead to corporate success. As we approach the 70s, things started looking quite different. Stock prices of conglomerates begin to fall; in some cases it was as high as fifty percent as compared to only nine percent decline in the Dow Jones Industrial Average over the same period. Even General Electric who pioneered in developing and using sophisticated management practices to manage their diverse portfolio encountered a period of profitless growth from 1965 to 1970. Continued trends illustrating the failure of diversified business forced conglomerates to divest and think about new ways to manage their diversity. Suddenly it was becoming very difficult to manage such diversified business. Managers were confused as to which part of their business should they concentrate. The senior managers began contemplating about on their corporate strategy. By late 1970s formal strategic planning systems and frameworks were put in place, the irony was that it was focused at business unit level and did very little to guide ma nagers handling different business. However Andrews (1980) listed identification of the businesses in which the firm would compete as the main task of corporate strategist, and this became the convention of corporate strategic management. Consulting Groups such as Boston Consulting Group came up with new techniques of portfolio planning that helped executives in allocation of resources amongst different business. Growth/Share matrix and attractiveness/business position matrix etc are still the most widely used strategic frameworks, used to assess the corporate position and opportunities in a particular business. However the problem with portfolio management was found soon. Philippe Haspeslagh (1982) found that organizational framework was an important variable explaining the corporate performance. Different kinds of business had to be managed differently and most companies were missing the right organizational mix/integration/adaptation to run their diversified business efficiently. During 1980-90s, weak performance of many conglomerates drew harsh criticism from prominent management strategists and thinkers like Michael E. Porter. In a bid to restore the faith in diversified businesses, executives turned their attention to Value based planning, motivating them use financial tools such as discounted cash flow, ROE and hurdle rates to improve the stock price and deliver the stockholder expectation. It still did not answer how managers can add value to diversified portfolio. Peters and Waterman (1982) ushered a new wave of corporate view on diversification Stick to the knitting. They observed that successful conglomerates never diversified widely. They specialized in particular sector and focused on building knowledge and skills in those areas. As we fast forward to 1990-2000s the main issues for corporate manager were organizational restructuring, identification of core portfolios and adding values in them. Three philosophies have received support in current management thinking: 1. Limit diversification to business with synergy 2. Diversification should be able to exploit the core competence 3. Build a portfolio that fit within the organizational structure and that has compatible management style at all levels. Methods The research topic will first be explored from an academics point of view, facts and data about diversified conglomerates will be collected from the business/management databases. Management frameworks will be applied to test the hypothesis whether diversification strategy is in line with current academic thinking and whether companies diversified in the right business. List of both successful and unsuccessful diversification will be considered. Websites of the companies can be used as a reliable source to collect information about their different portfolios. Attempts will be made to contact the researchers and academician, who can provide us an updated view on the current diversification scenario.

Essay --

Cyber Crimes are crimes committed via the Internet. In some cases, the source of attack is the computer system. These types of attacks can come in the forms of computer viruses such as worms or Trojan horses, DOS (denial of service), and electronic vandalism. (OJP, 2013). The computer can also be used to commit theft such as embezzlement, financial information, and fraud. Other uses involves malicious adware, phishing, spoofing, spyware, and hacking; to name a few. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, over the past few years, have worked diligently monitoring and combatting criminal behavior occurring on the Internet. To do this, they have joined forces with the National White Collar Crime Center and formed an organization known as the IC3. The IC3 was developed in 2000 with its purpose of combating Internet crimes. This organization accepts criminal complaints that occur on the Internet. The IC3 conducts investigations into the complaints and with sufficient evidence or cause, refers them to state, local, federal or international law enforcement agencies for further investigations. The IC3 mission is to â€Å"serve as a vehicle to receive, develop, and refer criminal complaints regarding the rapidly expanding arena of cybercrime.† (IC3, n.d.). According to the IC3, in 2008, they received 275,284 complaints. Compared to the 2007 complaints, there were 33.1% more complaints. The majority of the complaints filed were related to both fraudulent and non-fraudulent issues on the Internet. The crimes reported consisted of non-delivery of merchandise and/or payment which was 32.9%, auction fraud represented 25.5% of the complaints, credit and debit card fraud represented 9.0% of complaints, Confidence fraud, computer fraud, and check f... ... loss: $4,187.†(IC3, 2012). In 2012, the IC3 received 289,874 complaint submissions. Of these 39.64% reported financial loss. The 2012 Internet Crime Report indicated that the overall statistics were as so: Total complaints received: 289,874, Complaints reporting loss: 114,908, Total Loss: $525,441,110.00, Median dollar loss for those reporting a loss: $600.00, Average dollar loss overall: $1,813.00, Average dollar loss for those reporting loss: $4,573.00. (IC3, 2013). Based on the statistics and rise in Internet crime since the organization was formed in 2000, the need for additional staffing has been sufficient enough to withstand the number of complaints received on a monthly basis. For states that experience high levels of a particular Internet crime, the IC3 should consider increasing staff in an effort to combat the crimes that plague that particular area.

Native American Religion Essay -- Native American Culture

When Europeans first set foot upon the shores of what is now the United States they brought with them a social structure which was fundamentally based around their concept and understanding of Western European Christianity. That the indigenous peoples might already have a thriving civilization, including religious beliefs and practices, that closely paralleled the beliefs and practices of European civilization, was a concept not considered by these early explorers and settlers. This European lack of cultural understanding created tensions, between Native Americans and Europeans, and later between Native Americans and Euro-Americans, that eventually erupted into open warfare and resulted in great bloodshed between cultures. For the Lakota peoples of North America, cultural misunderstanding culminated with Euro-American misinterpretation of the purpose of the Native American Ghost Dance with its related religious beliefs and the massacre of peaceful Native American Lakota people as th ey were attempting to flee to the safety of the Agency at Pine Ridge Reservation near Wounded Knee Creek in what is now the state of South Dakota. When contact was made with indigenous peoples, Europeans discovered that the languages of the indigenous peoples did not include words for religion or for God as Europeans understood these concepts. These Europeans considered themselves a civilized and pious people who lived according to the ways and teachings of the Christian Bible and believed that this was the only proper and correct code of conduct. Believing that the lack of Native American words to identify and describe God and religion meant that these concepts did not exist within the culture and society of the indigenous peoples, the European... ...itor footnote number 8, Joseph Epes Brown, The Sacred Pipe Black Elk’s Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux, (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1989), 6. Editor footnote number 9, Joseph Epes Brown, The Sacred Pipe Black Elk’s Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux, (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1989), 6. Editor footnote number 9, Joseph Epes Brown, The Sacred Pipe Black Elk’s Account of the Seven Rites of the Oglala Sioux, (Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 1989), 6. Colin G. Calloway, First Peoples, (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008), 306. Ibid., 310. Ibid., 313. Ibid., 340. Colin G. Calloway, First Peoples, (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2008), 312. Gregory E. Smoak, ghost dances and identity, (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2008), 154. Ibid., 114. Ibid., 120. Ibid., 114.

Creative Management Essays -- essays research papers

Creative Management gives creative ideas of how a manger should present himself and how to approach different situations. Creative Management written by Shiegru Kobanashi, focuses mainly on the importance of teamwork, and on group management. How can we transform our present methods of production, under which we become slaves to machines, and regulations for the temporary increase in productivity, into one in which we are the masters of our work? How can we establish a system, which will make people work voluntarily and feel good about doing it. The book starts with waking up make sure you have proper hygiene. Wear simple clothes. Not close that stand out. A fussy dresser doesn’t impress people, but it gives a false impression of the person wearing the clothes you should wear clean, pleasing clothes that match your personality. A manager should always meet someone with a smile. It will lighten the mood and there is no better way to show your personality them by your smile. â€Å"Face every day with a smile, and you will lead a pleasant life everyday.†(Page 86) It expresses the importance of saying the simple words good morning and good night. When talking to employees you should speaking sincerely and low toned which will make others understand your thinking or feeling. Speaking forcefully and loud with raw emotion can affect other people as well as yourself. The book also emphasizes the importance of a manager to use empathy when dealing with fellow employees. Always put yourself in other people’s position. If you base all decisions and give information to workers solely on how you feel chances are the advice you give will not be what the person coming to you needed. Everyone is different and everyone’s lives are different. A good manager should get to know his employees as best as possible. Giving the manager a little incite into each of their lives. The more you know about your fellow workers the easier it will be to put yourself in there shoes and give the correct advice. .  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The world is filled with all types of temptations, and sometimes a manager is put into a situation where he has the opportunity to make some extra cash or maybe get something from some one for doing a not so legal favor. When these situations occur you should stop think things through. You have a mind and are used to doing your own thinking, but you a... ...wth are discussed. This type of meeting takes place every six months. Each department manager or team leader becomes familiar with other functions and groups, learns from hearing their work revised, and participates in policymaking. They learn the significance of his department’s activities in relation to the whole company. They discuss policy making ideas, review appraisals, and set goals. Teams don’t function on order from above, rather it functions on it’s own ideas. The same thing can be said about the individuals who make team, and revise goals that are also handled by team. In other words they work as a unit. A manager should hold himself as a person of power who is still an equal of his work force. The job of the manager is not to order people around and push his ideas. A manager's job is to keep the work force unified and keep it working as a team. Most people in today’s society are power hungry and are only in it for them selves. They don’t realize that if everyone is successful you will be successful they will be to. So remember . there is no â€Å"I† in team. Working to getter and putting minds together is much more efficient then one person how thinks they know everything

Dramatic Irony Essay

‘The Bad Beginning’ is the first of thirteen books in ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ written by Lemony Snicket in which three Baudelaire orphans learn about their parents’ death while they were enjoying on a beach. These children have to live with a distant relative, Count Olaf who is only interested in the fortune that Mr. And Mrs. Baudelaire had left behind. Count Olaf is a very filthy man, lives in a dirty house and makes them do chores and tasks and also calls them orphans rather than children. Olaf nce tell the children that they will participate in his next play, ‘The Marvelous Marriage’ in which Olaf plans to marry Violet. Here is the place where the dramatic irony in the novel is noticeable. It seems that Klaus has some doubt over the whole issue and reads a book of law, which states that two people can get married in front of a legal judge by signing a document and stating their wedding vows. During the play Violet signs the document with her left hand. And immediately after the marriage Olaf stops the play and declares that Violet is his wife now. Olaf had also taken captive of Sunny and as soon as Sunny is back with Violet she announces that she is a right-handed and that makes the judge declare that the marriage is invalid. After this Olaf runs away but also whispers that he would kill these children as soon as he gets hold of the fortune. The novel ends with children going along with Mr. Paul and the audience remains ‘The Bad Beginning’ is the first of thirteen books in ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ written by Lemony Snicket in which three Baudelaire orphans learn about their parents’ death while they were enjoying on a beach. These children have to live with a distant relative, Count Olaf who is only interested in the fortune that Mr. And Mrs. Baudelaire had left behind. Count Olaf is a very filthy man, lives in a dirty house and makes them do chores and tasks and also calls them orphans rather than children. Olaf nce tell the children that they will participate in his next play, ‘The Marvelous Marriage’ in which Olaf plans to marry Violet. Here is the place where the dramatic irony in the novel is noticeable. It seems that Klaus has some doubt over the whole issue and reads a book of law, which states that two people can get married in front of a legal judge by signing a document and stating their wedding vows. During the play Violet signs the document with her left hand. And immediately after the marriage Olaf stops the play and declares that Violet is his wife now. Olaf had also taken captive of Sunny and as soon as Sunny is back with Violet she announces that she is a right-handed and that makes the judge declare that the marriage is invalid. After this Olaf runs away but also whispers that he would kill these children as soon as he gets hold of the fortune. The novel ends with children going along with Mr. Paul and the audience remains anxious about the children and their future. Here again Lemony Snicket is able to create dramatic irony and keep the audience glued to the story that is going to turn up in the next books of the series. Mishra 2 anxious about the children and their future. Here again Lemony Snicket is able to create dramatic irony and keep the audience glued to the story that is going to turn up in the next books of the series.

Recreation Wellness Essay

Manage Your Health, Inc. (MYH) is a fortune 500 company that provides a variety of health care services across the globe. MYH has more than 20,000 full time employees and more than 5,000 part-time employees. MYH recently updated its strategic plan, and key goals include exploiting new web-based technology to help employees, customers, and suppliers work together to improve the development and delivery of its health care products and services. The performance of the current intranet MYH is not very smooth and has some problem occur likes lack of the information which related of some sports and the employees of MYH not active involve in any sports which organize by the company. This will indirectly makes the employees of the MYH will become not energetic when perform the daily working tasks due to this, this will make the customer lost confidence on MYH because MYH is a health care services across the globe. So, the MYH decide to update the strategic plan. Some ideas have developed for supporting the strategic goal which idea by the information technology department. Approach of the project: Exploiting new web-based technology to improve the development and Delivery of health like giving some information and guideline to the employee what is the project main purpose. Make an easy way to them purpose. Make an easy way to them hope they can understand well. Develop detailed cost estimate and time requirement for the project and report to the project sponsor. Using the prototyping methodology to performs the analysis, design, and Implementation phases concurrently and repeats them until the system completed. Issue a request to obtain software and hardware Have a status review meetings to exchange project information with team members. Recreation and Wellness Intranet Project is the new web-based technology which provides an application on the current intranet to help employees to improve their health. Our project team will initiate the current problem of the intranet and implement the new idea on the new intranet project. We will prepare the business case for the current intranet project which included the introduction of the company, business objective, current situation and problem and critical assumption and constraints. Besides that, analysis of option and recommendation, preliminary project requirements, budget estimate and financial analysis, schedule estimate, potential risks and the exhibits which will assign it into our business case. We will start this project within the duration, nine months which start on January, 2004 until September, 2004. Project charter will be preparing from the initiating phase which include the project title, project start date, project finish date, budget information, project manager and project objectives. All of the criteria will stated down. Besides those criteria, approach, roles and responsibilities, sigh-off and the comments also assign into the project charter to make sure every of the project team members will have their own roles and responsibilities. After initiating the current problem of the current intranet, we will analysis the new system which will implement it into the MYH. In the planning phase, our project manager, Tony will starting to put the jobs and assign it to the project team members and also from other departments. Tony, the project manager of this project would have to develop a survey to solicit input from all employees about this new system and make sure it was very user- friendly. Tony will develop a team contract and stakeholder analysis for this project. Besides that, he will develop a scope statement and will be as specific as possible in describing product characteristics and requirement, as well as the product deliverables. A work breakdown structure (WBS) will develop for this project and the WBS is based on the project charter, scope statement, and other relevant information. Gantt chart and network diagram also will be well prepared for this project. While preceding the planning stage, the resource usage cash flow report will showing the hours each person is assigned to work on each task each week.  Furthermore, the probability/ impact matrix and list of prioritized risks for the project will be included in the project We will submit weekly milestone reports directly to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The milestone repost for the project will base on information in the Gantt chart. An agenda for the project team meeting will develop to work through some of the challenges while facing in executing the project. Update the scope of the project while having some changes in the executing phase. We will develop detailed lists of assumptions and questions that all the project team has related to the new scope of the project. We will decide to outsourcing much of work related to user requirements, user interface design, and collecting information about similar programs offered through the health club chain MYH recently acquired and all similar community- sponsored programs within twenty miles from the company. Updated the Gantt chart and also the project charter and the scope statement last but not least, we will updated the list of prioritized risks while the changes of the scope statement. After the controlling phase, roll out the intranet project for the user and maintaining the system is been required. Final presentation to top management will be require and will updated the project web site so that is includes all final project and product deliverables. Final project report/ Project assessment: The Recreation and Wellness Intranet project is provide an application to improve the employees’ health. The objectives of having this intranet is because a recent study was been found that MYH, Inc. pays 20 percent more than the industry average for employee health care premiums, primarily due to the poor health of its employees. This application will help improve employee health within one year of its rollout so that can negotiate lower premiums, saving about $30/employee/year for the full-time employees over the next four years. The application would include/produce some capabilities like allow employees to register for company- sponsored recreational programs, such as soccer, softball, bowling, jogging, walking, and other sports. Besides that, it allows employees to register for the company-sponsored classes and programs to help them manage their weight, reduce stress, stop smoking, and manage other health-related issues. Track data on employees involvement in these recreational and health management  programs and also offer incentives for people to join the programs and do well in them is a part of the capabilities of this application. The project is a success because as stated above, the sponsor was not too concerned about going over budget as long as the system would have a good payback period and help promote our firm’s image. We have already document some financial and image benefits of the new intranet site. The project management tools we have been use for are the business case, charter, team contract, scope statement, WBS, schedule, cost baseline, status report, final project presentation, final project report, lessons-learned report, and Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, Project, html, or PDF format, as appropriate. and any other documents required to manage the project. Thos project management had help us a lots while assigning the whole project by proceeding the system easily and be more systematic so that we can review the information easily. One example of what went right on this project is can help improve employee health to reduce intranet cost by negotiates lower employee health care premiums. When employees have a better health, it can lead to better performance in daily company operation. Beside that, it also can increase employee motivation and loyalty to company and helps to built up healthy image public. One example of what went wrong on this project is the cost of this project was over budget. We did meet our schedule goal, and the final cost for the whole system was about $500,000. We group member can learn by working on this project is getting more experience after this project and improving their skill and problem solving. Project Deliverable, as appropriate: Project management-related deliverables: (business case, charter, team contract, scope statement, WBS, schedule, cost baseline, status reports, final project presentation, final project report, and lessons learned report, etc.) Product-related deliverables: 1. Survey: Survey current consultants and clients to help determine desired content and features for the site. 2. Files for templates: The initial site will include templates for the following items: (business case, charter, etc.) 3. Examples of completed templates: The initial site will include examples of projects that have used templates for the following items: business case, charter, etc. 4. File for tools: The initial site will include information on how to use several project management tools, including, as a minimum, the following: work breakdown structures, critical path analysis, cost estimates, earned value management, etc. Where appropriate sample files will be provided in the application software appropriate for the tool. 5. Example applications of tools: The initial site will include examples of projects that have applied tools for the following items: work breakdown structures, critical path analysis, cost estimates, earned value management, etc. 6. Articles: The initial site will include at least ten useful articles about relevant topics in project management. 7. Links: The initial site will include links along with brief descriptions of the site being linked to for at least twenty useful sites. The links will be categorized into meaningful groupings. 8. Expert database: In order to deliver a â€Å"Feedback† feature, the system must access a database of approved experts, their contact information, etc. 9. Intranet site content: The initial site will include content for the templates and tools section, articles section, links section, â€Å"Feedback† section, and security. 10. Test plan: The test plan will document how the site will be tested, who will do the testing, how bugs will be reported, etc. 11. Site promotion: A plan for promoting the new site will describe various approaches for soliciting inputs while designing the site as well as announcing the availability of the new site. Project benefit measurement plan: A plan for measuring the financial value of the site. Lessons Learned Report: Project Name: Recreational And Wellness Intranet Project Project Sponsor: Andrew Chao Project Managers: Tony Prepared by: Tony, Project Manager Chloe, Programmer/Analyst Patrick, Network Specialist Nancy, Business Analyst Bonnie, Programmer/Analyst Project Dates: 7/26/05 Final Budget: $500,000 1. Did the project meet scope, time, and cost goals? We did meet scope and time goals, but we had to request an additional $10,000, which the sponsor did approve. 2. What was the success criteria listed in the project scope statement? Below is what we put in our project scope statement under project success criteria: â€Å"Our goal is complete this project within nine months for no more than $400,000. The project sponsor, Andrew Chao, has emphasized the importance of the project paying for itself within one year after the intranet site is complete. To meet this financial goal, the intranet site must have strong user input. We must also develop a method for capturing the benefits while the intranet site is in development, tested, and after it is rolled out. If the project takes a little longer to complete or costs a little more than planned, the firm will still view it as a success if it has a good payback and helps promote the firm’s image as an excellent consulting organization.† 3. Reflect on whether or not you met the project success criteria. As stated above, the sponsor was not too concerned about going over budget as long as the system would have a good payback period and help promote our firm’s image. We have already documented some financial and image benefits of the new intranet site. For example, we have decided that we can staff the MYH with one less person, resulting in substantial cost savings. We have also received excellent feedback from several of our clients about the new intranet site. 4. In terms of managing the project, what were the lessons your team learned from this project?  The main lessons we learned include the following: Having a good project sponsor was instrumental to project success. We ran into a couple of difficult situations, and Tony was very creative in helping us solve problems. Teamwork was essential. It really helped to take time for everyone to get to know each other at the kick-off meeting. It was also helpful to  develop and follow a team contract. Good planning paid off in execution. We spent a fair amount of time developing a good project charter, scope statement, WBS, schedules, and so on. Everyone worked together to develop these planning documents, and there was strong buy-in. Project management software was very helpful throughout the project. 5. Describe one example of what went right on this project.  One example of what went right on this project is can help improve employee health to reduce intranet cost by negotiates lower employee health care premiums. When employee has a better health, it can lead to better performance in daily company operation. Beside that, it also can increase employee motivation and loyalty to company and help company built up healthy image to public. 6. Describe one example of what went wrong on this project. One example of what went wrong on this project is the cost of this project was over budget. We did meet our schedule goal, and the final cost for the whole system was about $500,000. 7. What will you do differently on the next project based on your experience working on this project? We will do differently on the next project based on this project is give more care and thought this project for about when we do the estimate time requirements and identify required resources and budget. We must very carefully when our choose the resources because we should take budget to identify it and should be wise to control the over-budget.

Free Trade In Society Essay

How does the society benefit from an economy built on free trade where both the labor and the buyer only seek personal gain?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   On an economy that is built of free trade, society will run like clockwork because of the various incentives that the various sectors of the economy provide.   It is human nature for individual to act upon incentives.   Children are commonly disciplined by their parents with the use of incentives. It is the same in the case of the laborer and the buyer.   Both of them seek only personal gain.   It is highly uncommon that either buyer or laborer will act for the greater good of the nation or for world peace.   They work because they want to earn a living.   They want a nicer car, a bigger home, a good education for their children, and a trip abroad for the summer perhaps.   All their efforts are targeted to their personal goals, all of which is quantifiable in terms of money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The laborer will always look for a place where there is a higher monetary yield for a lesser amount of work.   He will work harder if he knows that there is a promotion ahead. The buyer, on the other hand, will always search for a good bargain for any of his purchases.   All in all, everyone wants more for their money and time.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Society benefits from this system because it creates more competition in the markets of both buyers and laborers, resulting in more options and better options for both sectors.   With this equilibrium, society benefits because the economy benefits, thus increasing the standard of living. If however, there is an oversupply of labor, wages will go down and unemployment will go up, distorting the balance.   This is the same for buyers. A lack in competition will increase prices and decrease their purchasing power.   It is therefore necessary to maintain a good equilibrium in both labor markets and buyer markets which will result in a better economy, and which will eventually result in a higher standard of living for society.

Florence kelleys speech on child labor Essay

In Florence Kelley’s speech to the National American Woman Suffrage Association, she connects with her audience and encourages them to fight for the end of child labor by showing how horrifying it truly it is. Through bringing up the horrors of child labor, she implies that women need the right to vote, as they would abolish child labor. By appealing to pathos, using imagery, and applying repetition, Kelley successfully convinces the audience to agree that child labor is wrong. Through appealing to pathos, Kelley connects with the audience’s conscience by showing how barbaric child labor and pushes her audience to desire the end of child labor. By stating that children â€Å"in age from six and seven years and eight, nine, and ten years†, work to provide for their families and themselves, Kelley strikes a chord in the listeners’ hearts and shows how this system takes advantage of young kids. This shows the monstrosity that is child labor as they are so young. As she writes that â€Å"boys and girls, after their 14th birthday, enjoy the pitiful privilege of working all night long†, Kelley shows that working all night is like forcing children into slavery. With the oxymoron â€Å"pitiful privilege†, she shows ironic it is that when a child has an important birthday, they are jokingly rewarded with longer work hours. Kelley connects with the audiences’ emotions as she shows how unjust it is to make children work as har d and as long as adults do. By describing the children as â€Å"little beasts of burden, robbed of school life that they may work for us†, Kelley makes the audience feel guilty for allowing child labor to be a common occurrence within America. By utilizing pathos, Kelley connects with her audience through proving how horrendous child labor is and calls them to action to rid America of it. Kelley also uses imagery to convince the audience that child labor is horrendous and should come to an end by vividly describing the working conditions that the child laborers go through and how young these workers truly are. She describes the children as, â€Å"just tall enough to reach the bobbins†, which brings to the audience’s mind an image of an innocent girl forced into working at such a young age. As she describes the harsh factory working conditions the children face, she points out, â€Å"the deafening noise of spindles and the looms spinning†. By using such descriptive imagery, Kelley transports the audience to the rooms where little children are suffering and working. Through placing these unforgettable images in her audience’s mind, she causes them to realize the unfairness and horror of child labor which they will never be able to forget. Another rhetorical device Kelley uses to convince her audience that child labor is a monstrosity is a repetition of certain phrases. Through repetition, Kelley pushes her words and facts into her audience’s head leaving them no room to deny the unfairness of child labor. Throughout her speech, Kelley repeatedly starts paragraphs with, â€Å"in (certain state)†. By doing this, she is able to state facts on child labor laws in certain states; showing that though there are laws on child labor, they are still extremely unreasonable and unfair. This shows the audience that child labor is very real and though they do not witness it, these kids make their items of comfort. She also repeats the phrase â€Å"while we sleep†. This repetition highlights that children work through the night, but more importantly, it implies that this occurs while everyone else is relaxing and sleeping soundly in their beds. By showing that children are forced to work extremely hard, the audience is left horrified. By utilizing repetition, Kelley successfully imprints the facts of child labor and its’ unfairness in the listener’s mind. In Kelley’s speech, she appeals to the audience’s conscience and emotions, paints vivid imagery, and uses repetition to call others to fight to end child labor as it is a horrendous occurrence.

The dream act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The dream act - Essay Example migrants completed at least two years of military service at a higher learning institution, they would earn a six year temporary residence, within which they could qualify for permanent residency only if; one, they achieved a degree from a higher education institution in the U.S, too, they served in the military for two years, and three, to have completed two years while pursuing a higher or bachelor’s degree within the country (â€Å"DREAM Act Summary† n.p.). Come November 2013, most (14) states introduced customized versions of the Dream Act that controls the financial aid and tuition charges for state-level universities. The mentioned act resulted in both embracement and rebellions as well. The proposers supported the bill, saying it would create economic and social positives in that it would not support an amnesty program. Opposers on their part criticized the bill as one that would feed and promote illegal immigration, in addition to crippling deportations. The following text will discuss the Dream Act, focusing from an anthropological point on biopolitics and hegemony as social forms of governmentality. An overall definition of the term hegemony refers to it as a success of equalizing status quos between dominant classes and subordinate classes by presenting and exercising a common customized definition of reality as per a general worldview, and enforcing it on the different classes such that they accept it as common sense in achieving similar grounds. It is a rather effective mode of eliminating mean dominance in it eliminates exercising indirect dictatorship on other classes which establish status quos that only benefit members of their own while discriminating on the others. This is the â€Å"cultural hegemony† theory as explained by one Italian Marxist Gramsci. Concisely, the dominating class, by use of consensus pushes other classes into accepting their perspectives of the world as the only ones, therefore marginalizes them. Gramsci however, explains