Comparing The Supernatural Of `` Tam O Shanter And...

Comparing the supernatural In Robert Burn’s â€Å"Tam O’Shanter† and Samuel Coleridge’s â€Å"Ancient Mariner† supernatural forces appear in both poems. These strange elements change the lives of the main characters that do bad things and get punished. One gets punished through his horse and the other is cursed for life. In Robert Burn’s â€Å"Tam O’Shanter† Tam rides out in a storm (on the back of his horse Meg), heading home â€Å"holding fast his gude blue bonnet† (Burns, line83, page 88). As Tam continues to ride he approaches the â€Å"kirk† (Burns, line87,page 88) in order to cross river doon. He is then drawn towards the sound of â€Å"mirth and dancing† (Burns, line104, page 88) and spots strange flashes of light across the street. Tam sees the witches playing foul at the church as they torch it down. Tam’s drunken state is made to realize once again and there is a strong hint as to what effec ts alcohol has â€Å"wi tippeny (ale) we fear na evil† (Burns, line107, page89) and â€Å"wi usquabae (whiskey) we’ll face the devil†(Burns line108, page 89). Tam’s horse Meg is reluctant to ride any further but Tam pushes her and what he sees in the church are full blown witches accompanying the devil playing on the bagpiper. The witches continue their merriment and dancing and start to undress until they were in their â€Å"sarks† (Burns, line150, page89) or underpants. The witches were young but seeing them standing in their underwear didn’t arouse Tam as expressed through the poem humorously, except the young Witch

Customer Service At An Affordable Price - 1598 Words

INTRODUCTION Executive Summary Technology Point will provide computer and technical support to local home computer users and small business users. The company will focus its marketing strategy on gaining new customers and providing a high level of specialized customer service to each in order to retain them. Initial marketing will be aggressive and exploit competitor’s weaknesses. Cost control will be important to keep expenses low and profits high. The company will offer affordable, on-site service to customers. THE BUSINESS Vision Statement A tomorrow where technology and people coexist peacefully. Mission Statement Our goal is to provide personalized attention to customers at an affordable price. Customers are our number one priority. Our employees should be ready to provide the right service and therefore shall be highly trained. Goals – Objectives 1. Provide the best customer service at an affordable price. 2. To make Technology Point the go to business for technology issues. 3. Grow small business customers by two percent annually. 4. Establish brand identity and recognition through marketing. 5. Develop relationships with customers which results in repeat customers. Company Background Technology Point will be an LLC and owned by Alexander Sanchez. The business started as a side business for many years while Alexander worked as a computer technician at the local university. While a member of the university numerous faculty, staff, and students would often askShow MoreRelatedGlobalPhone Provides Innovative Connections950 Words   |  4 PagesGlobalPhone Provides Innovative Connections GlobalPhone is a VOIP provider that offers a wide selection of communication services tailored for business use. Gphone was founded in 1995 and is a privately-held, debt-free corporation. They currently offer their services to thousands of customers located in the United States as well as in other countries located throughout the world. 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Sustainable Enterprises

Question: Discuss about the Sustainable Enterprises. Answer: Introduction The Travel, leisure and the event related industries in both the developing as well as the developed countries have increased the opportunities in business and for such reasons both the developing and the developed countries have been successful in making certain percentage of contribution over the countrys economic growth and success (de Grosbois 2012). The contribution in business made by the Indian Hotel industry is noticed to push the country economy more forward and on the other hand the international hotel industry is noticed to increase its manpower resistance by making a disparity over the demand and supply of different kinds of services. Enterprise 1: The Taj Bengal. In the developing country like India the Indian Hotel Company LTD (IHCL) is branded by the name Taj Group. This is estimated as the chain of hotels as well as resorts which has its headquarter at the Oxford house situated in Mumbai and it was incorporated by the Tata group in the year 1903. Further, the Taj group is estimated to be a part of the Tata group of companies which is Indias one of the largest business conglomerates. Under the information supplied by various resources the Taj group is estimated to operates about 108 hotels across India and has 17 other hotels in countries like the USA, Africa, Malaysia, and Bhutan (Kusluvan et al 2010). Also it has been found that the Taj group owns few numbers of private lands even. With the expansion of its luxury hotels the Taj group has been successful in making division in the business hotels and likely expanded its market coverage. It contributes about 6.23 percent to the GDP and about 8.78 percent of the total employment. The Taj gro up of hotel is noticed to serve huge number of people as this hotel has a largest chain and is deemed to serve about 450 people. It has many hotel all over which serves more number of people on certain basis every day. Enterprise 2: Baglioni Hotel The Baglioni Hotel is estimated as the luxury five star hotels which are situated in London, England. This hotel is highly luxurious and is located in the Hyde Park Gate which is Kensington area In London. The Hotel is mainly consist of the Italian hotel and has a fountain and stone floors. This hotel consists of about three executive sites as well as two presidential sites. The Hotel contributes about 2.3 percent of its GDP to the country of UK and further is estimated to possess a good relation with the Tourism industry (Mok, et al 2013). By maintaining a proper relation with the tourism industry the hotel is able to establish satisfaction among the customers. The hotel is estimated to follow certain legal policies for which they are able to continue their business in the market and attract more customers with the supply of different luxurious services. The hotel is noticed to serve a number of people all throughout the day and in its package includes a 3 night stay within one bedr oom suite specially designed for two people and full English breakfast served within the suite. A three course dinner is also includes for the people. The price value of this package is included within the range of 1,110.00 to 1,150.00 per night including about 20% of the vat charged. This package that is supplied by the Baglioni hotel is estimated as totally prepaid and the charges are taken at the time of booking. Enterprise 3: ITC sonar The ITC sonar is one of the best luxurious hotels which are situated in West Bengal, India. This hotel has been awarded by the east India and has been categories under the platinum rating. For the purpose of maintaining a good relationship with the tourism industry it has been found that the ITC Sonar, has introduced certain percentage of the green education as well as reward programmes basically for making an educational outreach and helping people to experience sustainable living. Being one of the well known five star hotels within developing country Like India it has been found that the hotel does contribute about 5.3% of its net income towards the countrys GDP (Sloan, 2013). The background information about ITC sonar states that the hotel possess enhanced occupant as well as thermal comfort and also has the availability of the green sealed certified form of housekeeping chemicals as well as equipments. The ITC sonar is estimated to have a marvelous hall that has a finishing with different forms of modern designed interiors. The Pala is situated within ITC Sonar and is estimated as one of Kolkatas largest pillar free hotel ballroom. This hall is actually named after the Pala dynasty and accommodates about 750 guests and this hall serves as the spectrum of different events, gala dinners, wedding celebrations, conference meet. The conference room could accommodate about 20-40 people. Also it has been noticed that conference room are actually a form of intimate gatherings designed approximately for about 14 people each. A comparison of the management practise and policies Name of enterprise Economic Social Political Sustainability issues and challenges Policies / practices Policies / practices Policies/ practices The Taj Bengal Policies- the Taj Hotel is mainly noticed to consider every employee as an important member (de Grosbois 2012). Practices- the Taj hotel is noticed to acquire as well as retain the employees interest by supplying them with rewards and mainly emphasise on the formal communication basically for promoting certain level of transparency. Policies- Taj amalgamates the HR policies with the different kind of social activities in order to perfectly manage the performance of the industry. Practices- the Taj hotel Industry is estimated to work by considering certain well defined targets for assessing the employees (Kusluvan, et al 2010). Different hospitality industry based policies are being followed by the Taj hotel so that they could perform different business activities legally. Practices- the Taj hotel considers the legal principles designed by the government and the community management group so that they could supply efficient services to their customers (Mok, et al 2013). The hotel have experienced the challenge of supplying honest and trustworthy services to the customers, they have even experienced the financial issues as well as scarcity of opportunities during economic crisis in the country (Sloan, et al 2013). Baglioni Hotel The economic policies of this hotel are to look into the interest rate and taxation paid by the hotel so that they would not have to experience serious business risks. The process followed by this is that they look into the economic and fiscal condition of their organisation. The hotel is highly concerned about the different social practices like renewable energy solutions and for such reason the hotel is estimated to carry out different forms of sustainable management practices. The governmental rules and regulations in operating a hotel industry are highly considered as important practices and the it is important to follow the legal policies like that are customer based because customer satisfaction is one of the main concerns for the hotel industry. The hotel has experienced huge challenges like spreading awareness through renewable energy solutions and many more. ITC sonar Different economic policies like the taxation rate and the interest rate should be paid by the hotel industry and different green initiatives should also be considered for the purpose of making reaffirmation that the hotel industry does care for the future generation by undertaking certain proactive measures (Walker, et al 2012). The ITC sonar has been noticed to experience challenges regarding the balance development and environmental concerns, the different issues that has been experienced by the hotel was the economic crisis at the time climate change in business. Conclusion The travel, leisure and the event related industries of both the developing as well as the developed countries are playing a major role in contributing to the GDP of their country and increasing the market share. Both the countries hotel industry is now noticed to erode their competitiveness for the purpose of reaching out to an extremely cost effective destination (Walker, et al 2012). From the different sources it has been estimated that the demand of the hotel industry is noticed to experience a higher level of increase by it the next 2 years. With fulfillment of the manpower requirements the hotel industry of both the developing and the developed countries are able to earn a huge share in the competition of business. References de Grosbois, D. (2012). Corporate social responsibility reporting by the global hotel industry: Commitment, initiatives and performance. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 31(3), 896-905. Kusluvan, S., Kusluvan, Z., Ilhan, I., Buyruk, L. (2010). The human dimension a review of human resources management issues in the tourism and hospitality industry. Cornell Hospitality Quarterly, 51(2), 171-214. Mok, C., Sparks, B., Kadampully, J. (2013). Service quality management in hospitality, tourism, and leisure. Routledge. Sloan, P., Legrand, W., Chen, J. S. (2013). Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry 2nd Ed: Principles of Sustainable Operations. Routledge. Walker, J. R., Walker, J. T. (2012). Introduction to hospitality management. Pearson Higher Ed.

Jungleland (Edited) free essay sample

The roar of sixty-five thousand people was louder than any thunderclap that night. Stranger’s voices had become mine, and mine became theirs. The Boss had given an inordinate set-list, and no one could stop singing, laughing, or dancing in the dark under the stormy night sky. Comity was abundant that night in East Rutherford. All of a sudden, in a moment of overt tranquility, the stadium went completely voiceless. In a distance, a violin was being played. From seventy rows away, I could feel the vibrations of the bow in my fingers. Suddenly, an accompanying piano began bursting notes that spoke a universal language to all that had heard them before. The Rat had returned to East Rutherford. Every word was sung. Every beat was kept. Every line, note, and voice was forever etched into my mind. When it came time for late Big Man’s solo, his nephew took the stage. We will write a custom essay sample on Jungleland (Edited) or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page For a moment we all stood looking at him, thinking of the Big Man. The ghosts of our past and thoughts of our futures seemed to be released by the brass in the hands of the new soloist. It was at that moment that I realized why the Big Man’s death had disconcerted an array of emotions inside me. In my life, the people and experience I have revered the most have come and gone. From my grandfather’s stories, to little league victories, to fishing with a plastic rod under the moon, dreaming about fish rather than catching them. It was a mystifying and perplexing realization that none of those memories would ever take place again. And yet it was not a depressing revelation. It was neither pessimistic nor somber. I was exultant. Hearing the Big Man’s solo come out of his nephew’s saxophone was just a symbol, signalizing that new and unpredictable memories were to be made. That all of the positive impacts left behind by the Big Man were to be carried over, and built upon, by his successor and shared with everyone in the arena that night. And that just like the footprint the Big Man left behind, I realized all of my memories from the past would only pass into my future. What I didn’t know was how or when these memories would transcend later into my life. But Bruce and the Big Man let me know that day would come on that night in East Rutherford. Bruce retook the stage, and the night’s silence reappeared with him. In a moment of breathtaking solace, he broke the barriers of the darkness’ requiescence in a seemingly ceaseless bellow that echoed across the swamps of Jersey. Without speaking a word, the crowd understood what that roar meant. It was an obituary. A memoriam. A cry to the past. It was also a glimpse into the covert dexterity the human condition contains; the ability to transcend adversity. Jungleland is a place where sixty-five thousand strangers band together, and in one shining moment, they hurdle the quagmires of the past and set foot into an unforeseeable yet optimistic future.

Spanish Shawl Nudibranch - Flabellina iodinea Profile

Spanish Shawl Nudibranch - Flabellina iodinea Profile    The Spanish shawl nudibranch (Flabellina iodinea), also known as the purple aeolis, is a striking nudibranch, with a purple or bluish body, red rhinophores and orange cerata. Spanish shawl nudibranchs can grow to about 2.75 inches in length. Unlike some nudibranchs, which remain on their chosen substrate, this nudibranch can swim in the water column by flexing its body from side to side in a u-shape. Click here for a video of a Spanish shawl nudibranch swimming. Seeing this nudibranch swimming may remind you of the fringed shawls worn by Flamenco dancers, for which this nudibranch gets its name.    Classification:    Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Mollusca Class: Gastropoda Order: Nudibranchia Family: Flabellinoidea Genus: Flabellina species: iodinea    Habitat and Distribution: You might think of a colorful creature like this as inaccessible - but Spanish shawl nudibranchs are found in relatively shallow water in the Pacific Ocean from British Columbia, Canada to the Galapagos Islands. They can be found in intertidal areas out to a water depth of about 130 feet. Feeding: This nudibranch feeds on a species of hydroid (Eudendrium ramosum), which possesses a pigment called astaxanthin. This pigment gives the Spanish shawl nudibranch its brilliant color. In the Spanish shawl nudibranch, the astaxanthin shows up in 3 different states, creating the purple, orange and red colors found on this species. Astaxanthin is also found in other marine creatures, including lobsters (which contributes to the lobsters red appearance when cooked), krill, and salmon. Reproduction:    Nudibranchs are hermaphroditic - they poses reproductive organs of both sexes, so they can mate opportunistically when another nudibranch is nearby. Mating occurs when two nudibranchs get together - the reproductive organs are on the right side of the body, so the nudibranchs match up their right sides. Usually both animals pass sperm sacs through a tube, and eggs are laid. Nudibranchs may be found first by seeing their eggs - if you see eggs, the adults who laid them may be nearby. The Spanish shawl nudibranch lays ribbons of eggs that are pinkish-orange in color, and are often found on the hydroids upon which it preys. After about a week, the eggs develop into free-swimming veligers, which eventually settle on the ocean bottom as a miniature nudibranch that grows into a larger adult.    Sources:    Goddard, J.H.R. 2000. Flabellina iodinea (Cooper, 1862).  Sea Slug Forum. Australian Museum, Sydney. Accessed November 11, 2011.McDonald, G. Intertidal Invertebrates of the Monterey Bay Area, California.  Accessed November 11, 2011.Rosenberg, G. and Bouchet, P. 2011. Flabellina iodinea (J. G. Cooper, 1863). World Register of Marine Species. Accessed on November 14, 2011.SeaLifeBase. Flabellina iodinea. Accessed November 14, 2011.

Muhammad Ali - The Greatest Boxer

Muhammad Ali - 'The Greatest' Boxer Muhammad Ali was one of the most famous boxers of all time. His conversion to Islam and draft evasion conviction surrounded him with controversy and even exile from boxing for three years. Despite the hiatus, his quick reflexes and strong punches helped Muhammad Ali become the first person in history to win the heavyweight champion title three times. At the lighting ceremony at the 1996 Olympics, Muhammad Ali showed the world his strength and determination in dealing with the debilitating effects of Parkinsons syndrome. Dates: January 17, 1942 June 3, 2016 Also Known As: (born as) Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., The Greatest, the Louisville Lip Married: Sonji Roi (1964 - 1966)Belinda Boyd (1967 - circa 1977)Veronica Porche (1977 - 1996)Yolanda Lonnie Williams (1996 - Until his death) Childhood Muhammad Ali was born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. at 6:35 p.m. on January 17, 1942, in Louisville, Kentucky to Cassius Clay Sr. and Odessa Grady Clay. Cassius Clay Sr. was a muralist, but painted signs for a living. Odessa Clay worked as a housecleaner and a cook. Two years after Muhammad Ali was born, the couple had another son, Rudolph (Rudy). A Stolen Bicycle Leads Muhammad Ali to Become a Boxer When Muhammad Ali was 12 years old, he and a friend went to the Columbia Auditorium to partake in the free hot dogs and popcorn available for visitors of the Louisville Home Show. When the boys were done eating, they went back to get their bicycles only to discover that Muhammad Alis had been stolen. Furious, Muhammad Ali went to the basement of the Columbia Auditorium to report the crime to police officer Joe Martin, who was also a boxing coach at the Columbia Gym. When Muhammad Ali said he wanted to beat up the person who stole his bike, Martin told him that he should probably learn to fight first. A few days later, Muhammad Ali began boxing training at Martins gym. From the very beginning, Muhammad Ali took his training seriously. He trained six days a week. On school days, he woke early in the morning so that he could go running and then would go workout at the gym in the evening. When Martins gym closed at 8 pm, Ali would then go train at another boxing gym. Over time, Muhammad Ali also created his own eating regimen that included milk and raw eggs for breakfast. Concerned about what he put in his body, Ali stayed away from junk food, alcohol, and cigarettes so that he could be the best boxer in the world. The 1960 Olympics Even in his early training, Muhammad Ali boxed like no one else. He was fast. So fast that he didnt duck punches like most other boxers; instead, he just leaned back away from them. He also didnt put his hands up to protect his face; he kept them down by his hips. In 1960, the Olympic Games were held in Rome. Muhammad Ali, then 18 years old, had already won national tournaments such as the Golden Gloves and so he felt ready to compete in the Olympics. On September 5, 1960, Muhammad Ali (then still known as Cassius Clay) fought against Zbigniew Pietrzyskowski from Poland in the light-heavyweight championship bout. In a unanimous decision, the judges declared Ali the winner, which meant Ali had won the Olympic gold medal. Having won the Olympic gold medal, Muhammad Ali had attained the top position in amateur boxing. It was time for him to turn professional. Winning the Heavyweight Title As Muhammad Ali started fighting in professional boxing bouts , he realized that there were things he could do to create attention for himself. For instance, before fights, Ali would say things to worry his opponents. He would also frequently declare, I am the greatest of all time! Often before a fight, Ali would write poetry that either called the round his opponent would fall or boast of his own abilities. Muhammad Alis most famous line was when he stated he was going to Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. His theatrics worked. Many people paid to see Muhammad Alis fights just to see such a braggart lose. In 1964, even the heavyweight champion, Charles Sonny Liston got caught up in the hype and agreed to fight Muhammad Ali. On February 25, 1964, Muhammad Ali fought Liston for the heavyweight title in Miami, Florida. Liston tried for a quick knockout, but Ali was too fast to catch. By the 7th round, Liston was too exhausted, had hurt his shoulder, and was worried about a cut under his eye. Liston refused to continue the fight. Muhammad Ali had become the heavyweight boxing champion of the world. The Nation of Islam and Name Change The day after the championship bout with Liston, Muhammad Ali publicly announced his conversion to Islam. The public was not happy. Ali had joined the Nation of Islam, a group led by Elijah Muhammad that advocated for a separate black nation. Since many people found the Nation of Islams beliefs to be racist, they were angry and disappointed that Ali had joined them. Up to this point, Muhammad Ali was still known as Cassius Clay. When he joined the Nation of Islam in 1964, he shed his slave name (he had been named after a white abolitionist that had freed his slaves) and took on the new name of Muhammad Ali. Banned From Boxing for Draft Evasion During the three years after the Liston fight, Ali won every bout. He had become one of the most popular athletes of the 1960s. He had become a symbol of black pride. Then in 1967, Muhammad Ali received a draft notice. The United States was calling up young men to fight in the Vietnam War. Since Muhammad Ali was a famous boxer, he could have requested special treatment and just entertained the troops. However, Alis deep religious beliefs forbade killing, even in war, and so Ali refused to go. In June 1967, Muhammad Ali was tried and found guilty of draft evasion. Although he was fined $10,000 and sentenced to five years in jail, he remained out on bail while he appealed. However, in response to public outrage, Muhammad Ali was banned from boxing and stripped of his heavyweight title. For three and a half years, Muhammad Ali was exiled from professional boxing. While watching others claim the heavyweight title, Ali lectured around the country to earn some money. Back in the Ring By 1970, the general American public had become dissatisfied with the  Vietnam War  and was thus easing their anger against Muhammad Ali. This change in public opinion meant Muhammad Ali was able to rejoin boxing. After participating in an exhibition match on September 2, 1970, Muhammad Ali fought in his first real comeback bout on October 26, 1970, against Jerry Quarry in Atlanta, Georgia. During the fight, Muhammad Ali appeared slower than he used to be; yet before the start of the fourth round, Quarrys manager threw in the towel. Ali was back and he wanted to reclaim his heavyweight title. The Fight of the Century: Muhammad Ali vs.  Joe Frazier  (1971) On March 8, 1971, Muhammad Ali got his chance to win back the heavyweight title. Ali was to fight Joe Frazier at Madison Square Garden. This fight, billed as the Fight of the Century, was viewed in 35 countries around the world and was the first fight Ali used his rope-a-dope technique. (Alis rope-a-dope technique was when Ali leaned himself on the ropes and protected himself while he let his opponent hit him repeatedly. The intention was to quickly tire out his opponent.) Although Muhammad Ali did well in a few of the rounds, in many others he was pounded by Frazier. The fight went the full 15 rounds, with both fighters still standing at the end. The fight was unanimously awarded to Frazier. Ali had lost his first professional fight and had officially lost the heavyweight title. Shortly after Muhammad Ali  had lost this fight with Frazier, Ali won a different kind of fight. Alis appeals against his draft evasion conviction had gone all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court, who unanimously reversed the lower courts decision on June 28, 1971. Ali had been exonerated. The Rumble in the Jungle: Muhammad Ali vs. George Foreman On October 30, 1974, Muhammad Ali had another chance at the championship title. In the time since Ali lost to Frazier in 1971, Frazier himself had lost his championship title to George Foreman. While Ali had won a rematch against Frazier in 1974, Ali was much slower and older than he used to be and was not expected to have a chance against Foreman. Many considered Foreman to be unbeatable. The bout was held in Kinshasa, Zaire and was thus billed as the Rumble in the Jungle. Once again, Ali used his rope-a-dope strategy - this time with much more success. Ali was able to tire out Foreman so much that by the eighth round, Muhammad Ali knocked Foreman out. For the second time, Muhammad Ali had become the heavyweight champion of the world. Thrilla in Manila: Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier Joe Frazier really did not like Muhammad Ali. As part of the antics before their fights, Ali had called Frazier an Uncle Tom and a gorilla, among other bad names. Alis comments greatly angered Frazier. Their third match against each other was held on October 1, 1975, and called Thrilla in Manila because it was held in Manila, Philippines. The fight was brutal. Both Ali and Frazier hit hard. Both were determined to win. By the time the bell for the 15th round was rung, Fraziers eyes were swollen nearly shut; his manager wouldnt let him continue. Ali won the fight, but he himself was badly hurt as well. Both Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier fought so hard and so well, that many consider this fight to be the greatest boxing fight in history. Winning the Championship Title a Third Time After the Frazier fight in 1975, Muhammad Ali announced his  retirement. This, however, did not last long as it was just too easy to pick up a million dollars here or there by fighting one more bout. Ali did not take these fights very seriously and became lax on his training. On February 15, 1978, Muhammad Ali was extremely surprised when novice boxer Leon Spinks beat him. The bout had gone all 15 rounds, but Spinks had dominated the match. The judges awarded the fight - and the championship title - to Spinks. Ali was furious and wanted a rematch. Spinks obliged. While Ali worked diligently to train for their rematch, Spinks did not. The fight did go the full 15 rounds again, but this time, Ali was the obvious winner. Not only did Ali win back the heavyweight champion title, he became the first person in history to win it three times. Retirement and Parkinsons Syndrome After the Spinks fight, Ali retired on June 26, 1979. He did fight Larry Holmes in 1980 and Trevor Berbick in 1981 but lost both fights. The fights were embarrassing; it was obvious that Ali should stop boxing. Muhammad Ali had been the greatest heavyweight boxer in the world three times. In his professional career, Ali had won 56 bouts and lost only five. Of the 56 wins, 37 of them were by knockout. Unfortunately, all of these fights took a toll on Muhammad Alis body. After suffering increasingly slurred speech, shaking hands, and over-tiredness, Muhammad Ali was hospitalized in September 1984 to determine the cause. His doctors diagnosed Ali with Parkinsons syndrome, a degenerative condition that results in decreased control over speech and motor skills. After being out of the limelight for more than a decade, Muhammad Ali was asked to light the Olympic flame during the Opening Ceremonies of the  1996 Olympics  in Atlanta, Georgia. Ali moved slowly and his hands shook, yet his performance brought tears to many who watched the Olympic lighting. Since then, Ali worked tirelessly to help charities around the world. He also spent a lot of time signing autographs. On June 3, 2016, Muhammad Ali died at age 74 in Phoenix, Arizona after suffering from respiratory problems. He remains a hero and icon of the 20th century.

Survey and ethical Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Survey and ethical - Essay Example It addresses a problem by asking what, deals with a specific population as who, apply systematic concepts in the form of how and is carried out within a given geographical coverage which defines where (Goodwin 480-1). Survey therefore solves a problem through a collective engagement of who, what, how and where. Ethics is a set of socially defined rules that guide the behavior and conduct of people in the society. It is important to note that ethics is specific to a given group of people and governs the better part of the interpersonal relations. The link between ethics and survey comes when dealing with people to carry out a specified goal. Any survey must be done alongside a specified code of ethics and practice. Ethics require that respondents are given content, sponsorship, and purpose of the survey so that each can make informed judgment of either participating or otherwise. Confidentiality or anonymity assurance to the respondents constitutes ethical standards (Goodwin 482-4). The sponsors of the survey must also be given clear information on any possible hitches so that they are aware of any possible errors hence elimination of

Strategic Dissection of Blackberry Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategic Dissection of Blackberry - Assignment Example The management after analyzing hidden demand of the market decided to design software which would enable users of Blackberry Smartphone to gain access of wide array of advanced technology based applications. When the phone was launched in the initials stage it attracted huge percentage of profit margins. However with changing scenario of business environment Blackberry witnessed fluctuating consumer demand. On a broader context, it can be stated that there was a need for strategic change in its business operations. This organization possesses competitive advantage in the form of its innovative ideas to provide wireless solutions to target market. In the present scenario there are certain strategic objectives being implemented by the company such as making strategic development period much shorter, ensuring direct and simple communication, and drawing a clear distinction between aspirations and commitments (Blackberry, 2013). Product oriented approach is the major strategy of the comp any. This form of strategy even includes customer, technology, market and products. Long term version of consumer understanding is not facilitated in the company as the focus is on mitigating present consumer demand. Functional, business and corporate level strategies are incorporated by every organization so as to gain a competitive position in the industry. Blackberry always has followed product oriented strategy since its main aim was to convey product benefits across the globe. There are certain strategic changes being made at all levels in order to sustain its business operations. Corporate level strategy of Blackberry is to compete effectively in global and national markets. The company desires to acquire the maximum market share in coming years. Business strategy of the company denotes the market diversification strategy implemented by

Identity Thesis Essay Example for Free

Identity Thesis Essay Over the course of history, different theories have been formulated to help explain the complex relationship between the mind and the body. One of the theories elucidating the mind-body relation is dualism—the view that mental states are independent from physical states. Mental states are ones of thinking, feeling, and believing whereas physical states are those outlined by physical and biological sciences. In contrast to dualism, physicalism insists that mental states are somehow physical states. The most straightforward version of physicalism is the identity thesis—the theory that every type of mental state is identical to some type of physical state (Reasons and Responsibility, 285-286). Dualists and physicalists have disputed over the validity of the identity thesis; dualists denying its claim and physicalists defending it. The biggest problem facing physicalists and the identity thesis is the concept of qualia, the phenomenal quality of a mental state (Reasons and Responsibility, 281). Philosopher Frank Jackson offers what he calls the â€Å"Knowledge Argument† for qualia. Jackson’s knowledge argument presents that nonphysical facts can be devised from facts about phenomenal quality. Through the concept of qualia, Jackson’s knowledge argument shows that the identity thesis is false. The identity thesis holds that mental events are simply identical with brain processes—identical in the same manner that sounds are identical with density waves in the air. The thesis bases on the idea that mental states of thought, sensation, and awareness are alike those of physical states (such as those of the brain and central nervous system). An example of identity thesis is that lightning and an electric charge are two of the same thing. In other words, lightning is an electric charge. An advocate of the identity thesis is materialist Peter Carruthers. Carruthers argues that everything (including mental states) exists through physical causes. Carruthers’ argument for the identity thesis can be summarized from the beliefs that some conscious states and events are casually necessary for the occurrence of some physical ones, and that there will be no need to advert to anything other than physical-physical causality in a completed neuro-physiological science. Thus, some conscious states and events are identical with physical brain states and events (Reason and Responsibility, 301-302). However, the concept of qualia refutes the idea of physicalism, and is the foundation of Jackson’s knowledge argument against identity thesis. As a believer of dualism, Jackson uses the concept of qualia to support that the mind and matter are distinct and independent substances capable of existing without the other. Qualia are the subjective, felt qualities of experiences. For example, one may know all the physical properties of the color red and the physics behind why some things are red; however it is qualia that allows one to experience what it is like to actually see red. Jackson constructs his knowledge argument around the ideas of dualism and qualia. To further illustrate Jackson’s argument for qualia (and dualism), the case of Fred and his unique color vision will be presented (Reasons and Responsibility, 298-299). For some reason, Fred has the ability to see two colors where others only see one. His retina is capable of distinguishing between two wavelengths of red in which others familiarizes with only one. He tries to explain the difference between the two reds. However he fails in doing so because others do not comprehend the difference. Therefore it is concluded that Fred can visually see one more color than everyone else. Despite having all the physical information about Fred and his special trait, one cannot know what it actually feels like to see two different types of red. Thus, Jackson believes that the physicalist left something out in the theory of physicalism—the qualia or what it feels like to actually experience something. Consequently, quale explains how dualism is valid and physicalism is incomplete. The existence of knowledge through qualia (mental state) and that of physical facts (physical state) demonstrates the idea of dualism—the view that two fundamental concepts exist. Jackson’s knowledge argument derives mainly from his thought experiment of Mary; the brilliant scientist who has spent her life confined within a black-and-white room and has never seen colors. Mary learns all the physical facts relevant to the mind. She becomes an expert on the neurophysiology of vision and knows all there is to know about color. When Mary is released from her room, she experiences color for the first time. One would think intuitively that her color experiences provide her with knowledge she previously lacked, and that what she learns includes certain facts about what color experiences are like. The facts she learns upon her release cannot be physical facts because she already knew all physical facts before leaving the room. Therefore, the new knowledge comes from the concept of qualia, which indicates that not all facts are physical facts (Reason and Responsibility, 298-299). Thus physicalism is false. Jackson reaches his conclusion that the identity thesis is false by proving that mental states are not physical states. According to the identity thesis, states and processes of the mind are identical to states and processes of the brain. The concept of qualia refutes the validity of the identity thesis by presenting subjective forms of experiences. The knowledge acquired from subjective forms of experiences differs from those of physical knowledge about experiences. Since physicalism requires that all aspects of knowledge are the same, physicalism cannot be sound. Thus the identity thesis must be false. The cases of Fred and Mary show that physicalism doesn’t amount to all knowledge. The summation of Jackson’s knowledge argument can be illustrated by the following: before Mary leaves the room, she knows all the physical facts about color experiences. When Mary leaves the room, she learns new facts about color experiences—facts about what it’s like to see in color. Therefore, there are nonphysical facts about color experiences. Furthermore, the identity thesis is false because Jackson’s knowledge argument reveals that there is something about the experience of color (in Mary’s case) that cannot be captured by the physicalist view. So, physicalism is incomplete. Physicalism lacks the phenomenal quality of the mental state—the ability to experience something regardless of physical knowledge. Qualia and the mental experience can never be achieved from the premises of physicalism and the identity thesis. Thus, the phenomenal quality of experiences cannot be accounted for through physical properties of the brain. In conclusion, the identity thesis is false because nonphysical properties, like phenomenal properties, exist.

Character Eric Draven:A Hero with Faults in the Film, The Crow :: Movies

Character Eric Draven:A Hero with Faults in the Film, The Crow The story of "The Crow" (a graphic novel turned movie) is the story of Eric Draven, a handsome young musician living in the dark gloom of a gothic-industrialized city plagued by continual rain. He is set to wed a beautiful girl when she is raped and left to die by a gang of criminals. Upon arriving to witness it in progress (taking place at his own home), Draven is killed as well; pushed out of a window as high as a skyscraper. The story then chronicles his resurrection from the dead in order to avenge their murders. His only lifeline (or shall we say deathline) is through a black crow. The crow is the connection between the dead and the living, providing Draven with the means to be immortal for one night only. If the crow is harmed then Draven will lose his immortality and assume mortality, putting an end to his plans for revenge. The conflict of the story comes as Draven attempts to execute the criminals one by one, but is cut short by the harming of the crow. He fights to overcome this and prove successful in his journey. There is a strange duality between the character of Eric Draven as a cultural legend and the actor who played him, Brandon Lee. While Draven became a legend of the story, Lee became a legend in reality. Lee was accidentally shot and killed while filming "The Crow"; the product of a gun and a scene gone awry. Lee's death came at the verge of a rising career and coincidentally, occurred at the exact age of his father's death. Lee, as many people do, became legendary not for his deeds so much as his death. Eric Draven became a legend, or legendary figure, more from the qualities he possesses as a character. Draven is portrayed as strong, powerful, and in control, fueled by his angry death. Lurched out of the living world, the love he felt while alive has propelled him back into a heightened mortality--a supernatural state of being. He is not the average man anymore, he has risen above that level of mundaneness to fulfill his purpose. But the twist comes in the fact that he still has human characteristics, and suffers because of them. He is burdened with memories of the past, and memories of his previous life.

Globalization: a boom or a threat? Essay

Globalization is an interaction between different economies, societies and cultures through a worldwide network of trade, communication and transportation. Globalization has both advantages and disadvantages on every economy that exists in this world. Globalization affects every country in a very serious manner. According to studies globalization has more advantages over its disadvantages. Globalization leads to exchange of technology between different countries, exchange of weapons for defense, it reduces the fear of war between developed nations, it leads to free trade between countries, it reduces cultural barrier and helps to increase global village effect. These examples are just a part of the story and there are many more advantageous of globalization over its disadvantages. Globalization is a controversial topic since last two decades; many people believe that globalization has many disadvantages like outsourcing of jobs to other nations, losing cultural identity and exploitation of workers rights. Following is the list of advantageous of globalization and its disadvantages. However, list of advantages of globalization is way longer than its disadvantageous that leaves us to decide that is globalization a boom or a threat? Globalization leads to exchange of technology from developed countries to other developing nations. Taking an example of America’s technology transfer to India has changed the world. America transfers it’s nuclear, information technology, medicine and machinery technology to India, which brought a boom in the Indian economy. India was known the as third world country but now it is known as upcoming super power after china. Globalization affected Indian economy is a very serious and a good manner. In return India offers US with its call center services. Also, U.S. is outsourcing its manufacturing and white collar jobs to India which saves America tons of billions of dollars every year because of cheap and reliable services provided by India to American customers. The U.S. shares its army training programs with India and transfer latest weapons to Indian army which is very useful to maintain an army balance in south Asia and also to fight with terrorists. In return Indian army trains American army with jungle warfare tactics. Working out together is a key to success and globalization makes it possible. It is beneficial for both the economies by being interdependent on each other. It leads to rapid growth of both the economies. Globalization leads to reduce tension of war between two or more developed nations. Globalization pacifies international relations. Two countries that trade together are reciprocally dependent to each other. One is interested in selling and other is interested to buy. The best example is the U.S. and China, China wants to sell and U.S. wants to buy cheap stuff. Even though, China is the biggest threat to the US at this moment, U.S. does not want a war with China because of its national interest. In return U.S. provides China with money and technology. Both the countries are equally and reciprocally dependent to each other. Hence, globalization helps reducing tension of war between developed nations. Globalization leads to freedom to exchange good and capital by free trade policies. With globalization, companies can manufacture goods at places with low cost labor and at place where there are not many jobs available. For example American companies prefer to outsource its manufacturing plants to India or other Asian countries because of its cheap labor, massive man power available there, very less cost of production and very less or no taxes by their government which results in lowering the cost of the product. Globalization reduces cultural barrier and makes the global village effect dream come true. Taking an example of America, we know a lot more about other cultures now than what our parents or grandparents knew. We are more open to other cultures. Our minds are more open to other ideas, traditions and this has made it a very exciting time for our generation and for those to come. We eat sushi in lunch or Italian in dinner, all this counts to make us more knowledgeable about other cultures. People on the other side of the world like in India or China watch Hollywood movies, eat peanut butter jelly in breakfast, wear Hollister or American eagle which in a way helps them to understand western culture. As a result, they overcome their cultural barrier and compete with rest of the world. Now days every culture affects other culture directly or indirectly and making ourselves more and more knowledgeable about different cultures will help us to make our global village effect dream come true. A quote from Pico Iyer’s essay would have worked in this previous paragraph. However, disadvantages of globalization like outsourcing of white collar jobs and manufacturing jobs to developing nations by developed nation’s leads to decent percentage of unemployment in the developed nations. Also, problems like losing cultural identity and exploitation of workers’ rights are concerning many people in the world. Even though, globalization has many advantages, its disadvantages moves along with it and these disvantages cannot be neglected. Taking an example of world recession, 2008, U.S. citizens lost millions of jobs and the only reason was not enough jobs available in the U.S. because decent amount of white collar jobs were outsourced to India or China. Subject?Bad moves along with good and we should accept it and find a way to get rid of these disadvantages of globalization instead of criticizing it. Globalization has many advantages and disadvantages, but it’s advantageous like exchange of technology between different countries, exchange of weapons for defense, reduced fear of war between developed nations, free trade between countries, reduced cultural barrier and increase in global village effect overcomes its disadvantages like outsourcing of white collar jobs, exploitation of worker rights and loss of cultural identity. Studies show that demerits of globalization are way lesser than its merits and these demerits can be resolved by imposing some policies. As a result globalization is more of a boom to the world and not than a threat.

% Mgo Determination

Vu Ngo % MgO Determination September 10, 2012 Procedure: Reference to lab manual Data: Mass of Na2EDTA†¢2H2O, g| . 9289| Standardization of EDTA Solution | Trial 1| Trial 2| Final buret reading, EDTA (mL)| 18. 5| 36. 7| Initial buret reading, EDTA(mL)| 0. 5| 18. 5| Determination of % MgO of Unknown Unknown Number | 4J| | Sample 1| Sample 2| Sample 3| Mass of sample (g)| 0. 2135| 0. 2132| 0. 2139| Final buret reading, EDTA (mL)| 73. 5| 74. 2| 74. 2| Initial buret reading, EDTA(mL)| 0. 5| 0| 0| Measurement of water blank Final buret reading, EDTA(mL)| 14. 5| Initial buret reading, EDTA(mL)| 14. 2| Sample Calculation:Given: Molar mass of Na2EDTA*2H2O, g/mol| 372. 25| Expected M of EDTA solution, mol/L (M)| 0. 01| Concentration of Zn2+, (M)| 0. 0125| 10mL*1L1000mL= 0. 01L C1V1=C2V2 .0125M. 010L)=C2(. 018L) C2=. 0125M*. 0100L. 0180L=. 00694M .00694M+. 0687M2=. 00691M C2=. 00691M. 073=5. 04*10-4mol %MgO=5. 04*10-4mol40. 05. 2135g*100=9. 51% Results: Standardization of EDTA Solution | Trial 1| Trial 2| Volume used, EDTA(mL)| 18. 0| 18. 2| Molarity of EDTA solution, (M)| 0. 00694| 0. 00687| Average Molarity of EDTA solution, (M)| 0. 00691| Determination of % MgO of Unknown | Sample 1| Sample 2| Sample 3| Volume used, EDTA (mL)| 73. | 74. 2| 74. 2| Mole of Mg2+in sample| 5. 04E-04| 5. 12E-04| 5. 12E-04| % of MgO in sample, %| 9. 52| 9. 69| 9. 66| Average % of MgO in sample, %| 9. 62| Error Analysis: The measurement of the sample in gram, have +/- . 0001g error. The measurement using the the buret have a +/- . 1mL error. These types of measurement error are based on the sensitivity of the instrument, during the measurement. These errors could cause the result to deviate from the actual answer. During the experiment, using titration to find the end point. Because of the end point was unknown, a single drop could determine its end point.There might be an extra drop that caused the data to vary as both parts of the experiment have determined. The first trial of both th e experiment, the number is different, because of the unsure number of drops. Using the result from the first trial, the result of the second trial was more accurate. As proven from the experiment of determination of percent of MgO of the unknown. The sample 2 and sample 3 testing results in similarity that differ from the sample one. The sample used 73. 0 ml of the EDTA solution, while both samples 2 and 3 used 74. 2 ml of EDTA solution.This will cause a tip in the result toward a lower number used to find the end point. This error is not a major factor since it is only of my 1. 2 ml of the actual result. The percent of all three result of MgO is different under 1 percent different. Thus, a very reasonable result in all three of the experiment. Discussion: This experiment is to help us understand the reaction between an anion and the metal cation. It demonstrated the Lewis base understanding of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA). The goal was achieved through titration of the s ample in multiple trials in order to find its endpoint.The end point was found when the pink coloration, due to EBT was added, turn into a blue/ violet color. This signified its endpoint of the sample. The result is good quality, because of the deviation from the first trial and last trial that was done on the same sample. The result is off by . 2ml in the standardization of EDTA solution. In the second part of the determination of % MgO of the unknown; the first, second, and third sample the percentage displaces is well under 1% difference. The result is worth 99% confident that the result is good quality, because of the consistency of the data.

Why you sould keep a small book launch street team

Why you sould keep a small book launch street team "Keep a Small but Dedicated Street Team" - Interviewing Eliot Peper Eliot Peper is an author we've been following quite closely at Reedsy. Maybe it's because he started publishing around the same time we got started. Or maybe it's because we think alike in terms of publishing, marketing, building connections, etc.Last month, he released the last book in his "Uncommon Stock" trilogy: Exit Strategy. So we decided to interview him again to see what he had learned between his first book launch and his third one. Turns out, he's learned a lot, and is sharing a particular piece of knowledge with us: "small is beautiful"!Play the video  below to learn how Eliot was able to build a small but ultra-dedicated "street team" to launch his books (with a 70%+ conversion rate). As usual, for the lovers of the written word, we also provide a transcript of the key learnings from this interview! Today, Eliot’s third book is launching and I was one of the lucky people who got an advance copy - and it's awesome!  Eliot, why don’t you introduce yourself and talk about your trilogy?Sure - this book is called â€Å"Uncommon Stock: Exit  Strategy† from the the Uncommon series which is a tech start-up thriller which follows a college student who drops out to start a startup software company and ends up becoming embroiled in an international financial conspiracy along the way. So, people have compared it to John Grisham for tech in the sense that it's a thriller that takes place in the startup world.Yeah, I really empathize with the character and it’s an awesome book for all startup founders out there. I’d say it’s better to read that than a non-fiction book on e.g. fundraising or growing your startup. As to your book marketing, you have said that you really appreciate that your readership is small: it’s a niche. Why is that?This is the third book I’ve written and secretly, when you write a book, in the back of your head, you would love it if there was mainstream appeal. Once the creative side is done, you have to then put on a different hat: now this piece of art is becoming a product, how does it reach the marketplace and how do readers find it? When I started I tried pitching major news magazines to get coverage and doing things that took so much energy by didn’t really have much Return on Investment. But when you read blogs on how books become bestsellers, that seems like what we should be doing.For the second book, I approached it much differently. I went to Amazon reviews and left comments â€Å"Hey, I really like your review. As an Indie author this means a lot to me. If you’d like an advance copy of the next one, send me an email.† I was amazed! Over 70% of people responded and I was shocked!Now that I’m with book three, I’m thinking again. Fundamentally, Ià ¢â‚¬â„¢ve become much, much more interested in serving a few of my core readers and putting all my energy into that. That’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem. I realized this is the bit that mattered, in the 99% of hot air that I blew. With me, I sent out a mailing list to a small list of people I knew who could be interested in the book. As they hadn’t opted in for a mailing list, a lot of people unsubscribed, but I was left with a core group that I could focus on.Let’s get granular†¦ how are you doing it?Firstly I wrote the book! Then I asked 16 beta readers to give me feedback and 9 people who actually gave feedback. This was whilst I was doing editing with my actual editor. Once we had a copy with multiple revisions, design, formatting into all the format, I then built a list of advance review copy readers. These readers are different: I’m not expecting advanced editorial feedback, but the goal for them is that they are fans who are excited enou gh to read the book before it launches, leave an Amazon review, catch any minor errors and be the champions of the book.I reached out to 126 people, but, critically, I sent them a very short email. I didn’t just send them an advance copy right away, I asked if they would like to be included. My hope was, if people said yes, they would  have a much higher chance of actually leaving a review. It acted as a useful filter. This was about a month before launch. I also had a separate list of friends and influencers who had some history with the books before, and who might have a larger audience to share their enthusiasm with.Even on my Facebook post, I’ve learnt something: what I found was that for the first book, my post was an announcement, with links to Amazon. This time, because it’s my dog’s birthday, I took a picture of my dog, put the three books in front of her and took a few more funny pictures, making the post more personal. The reason why my approa ch has changed is because I realized that, for the first book, I was approaching the book from my perspective. â€Å"It would be great for me if people shared my book.† Or â€Å"It would be great for me if a journalist picked it up†. So essentially it was really selfish and comes across as self-promotional.Now I think: as a user of Facebook, what posts do I like best? Really putting your audience first, before thinking about yourself, is the best way to get perspective, even in the hailstorm of personal self-doubt that is a book launch.Yes, and if you’ve got a real connection with you readers, you feel more comfortable in sharing more personal things. Thanks for your time, and congrats on getting the Uncommon Stock trilogy out there! "Really putting your audience first is the best way to get perspective" @EliotPeper #bookmarketing @ReedsyHQ The entire "Uncommon Stock" trilogy is available on Amazon! Check it out here!  How big is your "street team"? Do you agree that keeping a small audience makes it easier for the author to promote his books? Leave us your thoughts, or any questions for Elliot, in the comments below!

Thanking in French - Merci et Les Autres Remerciements

Thanking in French - Merci et Les Autres Remerciements You all know â€Å"merci†. But there are different ways to say thank you in French, as well as different meanings to the word. Merci: The Common Way of Saying Thank You in French â€Å"Merci† is ‘thank you’. Its pronounced â€Å"mair see† with an open ‘ay’ sound not a closed ‘ur’ sound. You can make it stronger by saying â€Å"merci beaucoup† – ‘thank you very much’. Note that the very is included, you cannot say â€Å"merci trà ¨s beaucoup†. To say ‘a thousand thanks’ we say â€Å"mille mercis† or â€Å"merci mille fois†. It’s pretty common in French as it is in English. You usually accompany a vocal â€Å"merci† with a smile, and it implies that you accept whatever is being offered to you. However, if you want to refuse something, you could say â€Å"non merci†, or even just say â€Å"merci† with a hand gesture, showing your palm to the person in front of you in a kind of stop gesture.  You make shake your head â€Å"no† at the same time. You may smile or not, depending on how firm you want the  refusal to be. When you thank someone, they may answer merci toi / vous - in English, youd say thank YOU, with the emphasis on the you, meaning I am the one thanking you. Je Vous/Te Remercie Pour... I Thank You For in French Another way to say ‘thank you’ is to use the verb â€Å"remercier†. â€Å"Remercier†, ‘to thank’ is followed by a direct object (so it will take the pronouns me, te, le, la, nous, vous, les), and then by â€Å"pour† ‘for’, just as it is in English. Je vous/te remercie pour ce dà ©licieux dà ®ner. I thank you for this delicious dinner meal. Note that the verb â€Å"remercier† has a stem in â€Å"i†, so the final sound will often be a vowel, just like the verb â€Å"à ©tudier†. Je vous/te remercie pour les fleurs – I thank you for the flowers.Je voulais vous/te remercier pour votre/ta gentillesse – I wanted to thank you for your kindness. Using â€Å"remercier† is very formal in French, much less common than using â€Å"merci†. Click here for more ways of expressing gratitude in French. Les Remerciements - The Thanks When talking about the thanks, the noun, you’d use the noun â€Å"le/les remerciement(s)†, usually used in the plural. Tu as les remerciements de Susan – you have Susan’s thanks.Je voudrais lui adresser mes remerciements – I would like to send him/her my thanks. No Thanksgiving in France Thanksgiving  is not a French holiday at all, and most French people have never heard of it. They may have seen some Thanksgiving dinner on a sitcom on TV, but probably discarded the info. There is no Black Friday sale in France either.   In Canada, Thanksgiving is called â€Å"l’Action de Grà ¢ce(s)† with or without an S and is celebrated pretty much in the same fashion as in the US, but on the second Monday of October. Thank You  Notes in France Its somewhat less common in France to write une carte de remerciement. I mean, its not uncommon, and its very polite, but its not like in the Anglo-Saxon countries  where Thank You cards are a huge market. If youve been treated to something really special, you can absolutely send a thank you card or a handwritten note, but dont expect your French friend to necessarily reciprocate. Its not rude of them, its just not that deeply rooted in our politeness.

Engineering Products Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Engineering Products - Case Study Example The largest of the three business areas is automotive components, employing 60% of the group's workforce. The division is a first-tier supplier, dealing with several of the multinational final producers of cars, and is less concentrated in the UK than the company as a whole; Table 11.2 shows that only a small proportion of the division's sales are made in Britain, while an even smaller proportion of the workforce is employed there. Continental Europe is the base for a much larger proportions of sales and employment, with most of this being in Germany, France and Spain. The case study concentrates on this division of the multinational. In recent years the pressure from the automotive division's customers has become a central force in shaping how it manages its international operations in general and its international workforce in particular. The customers themselves have sought to standardise their methods of production and working practices through a process of sharing 'best practice' across sites. This has meant that, while the cars sold vary in minor respects between countries, they are produced in increasingly similar ways. One consequence has been that the components they purchase need to be of exactly the same specification in different countries. Since many of the first-tier suppliers in the motor industry are themselves multinational and in many cases supply the same companies in different countries, the effect has been to persuade the components manufacturers to standardise their own operations internationally. The Standardisation of Production across Borders The impetus for international integration in Engineering Products, therefore, came from the demands of its customers. Management at the HQ of the division have been faced with the task of integrating what had previously been disparate plants, serving customers in their own country and operating in a largely decentralised way. A key part of forging greater integration was to create management structures at the international level in order to bring together managers from different parts of the group, facilitating the exchange of information between them. In Engineering Products there are several such structures which serve this function. The division operates 'manufacturing councils' which periodically bring together senior manufacturing directors from the plants to examine the processes which are adopted in each of the plants. A different structure fulfilling a similar function is the 'International College of Engineering', located in Germany, at which engineers develop and learn about new manufacturing methods. A further way in which the HQ has sought to drive integration at the international level is through the creation of an international cadre of managers who are expected to spend time on assignments in countries other than their own. One element of this has been the creation of internal consultants; these are managers who have been responsible for pioneering a new practice and who are subsequently given

MGT422 Answer Questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MGT422 Answer Questions - Assignment Example Also the release of prisoner number 8612 after he was deemed to have crazed, shows the stressful life of inmates and depression levels. Considering this was just an experiment and he was to be released after one and half days, the critically one can tell the level or amount of agony in the long run. First, stripping by prisoners, which is mostly by force or without the prisoner’s consent or option, is degrading and a violation to that extent. Despite the fact that the prisoner is on the wrong side of the law, stripping may cause untold trauma as everyone deserves privacy and psychologically this may bring other issues like strong revolt and defiance by the prisoner, all in violation of freedom or rights at the start. Delousing and shaving of the heads of the prisoners, as it is put by the guards or from the societal conception, inflicts much internal suffering to the prisoner or the military as they are viewed as dirty, and from the prisoner’s point of view, psychologic ally creates fear as he/she tries to figure out the place he is about to be incubated. Push-ups were aversive forms of punishment at first but this changed with time which shows the adaptation character of humans to a life without a choice. That is, at first they were punishment but since the prisoners did not have a choice, and violation or redress was followed by tougher punishments, they were forced to adapt to the push-up as they were done by everyone and doing them, averted one from extra punishments. Personally, if I were a prisoner, life could have been worse for me especially on the issue of confinement and minimal sensory stimulation. I would be stressed and disoriented and I think I could be the first prisoner to be released of crazing. Personally, I would have rejected the offers to show the prisoner solidarity since from the slides we see some prisoner taking long to adapt to the prison life, justified by the fact that we are not the same, and by rejecting the offers, I will save the â€Å"slow adapters† agony of further torture since the guards will perceive them as notorious or showing some revolt. Misperception of the guards being â€Å"bigger† than the prisoners is always there but here we are dealing with two different cases, the first of prisoners without rights and freedoms and that of the guards who had power and authority to even to torture them. The misperception is always based on the power, privileges and authority involved as body size may not necessarily matter. Their behavior was more controlled and channeled to an intended goal of finishing the study unlike on the case of civilian and police encounters. For instance, in the latter, the civilians show much revolt during arrest as they are not aware on the kind of suffering and conditions of these cubicles and also the fact that they don’t know how long they can take in there after conviction, tends to necessitate revolt from the start. To minimize bias in the stu dy, the choice of variables should be independent and non-discriminatory in that our case where the principle investigator assumed the role of a superintendent, he could control the simulation of the study to meet his personal expectations and also the choice of students as prisoners and guards, would affect the authenticity and independence of simulation as the relationships were more friendly

Warfare in Medieval Japan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Warfare in Medieval Japan - Essay Example During the Nara period, conscription policy did not distinguish between a warrior and a peasant, which resulted in an army that suffered from poor organization because of the presence of unwilling farmers and government failure to devise regular system of promotion or command. Prior to 789 reforms in Japan’s army system with new regulations that necessitated the use of trained warriors together with men specially selected for their strength and prowess, imperial army was humiliated in 724. The year saw Yemeshi people revolt killing the governor of the province of Mutsu and seizing much of Japan’s mainland. Military power was the province of samurai families with two clans comprising many warrior households became the main security of the Imperial and the clans were Minamoto and Taira (Ratty and Westbrook 80). Another clan, the Fujiwara at the time dominated both Imperial court and the nation, grew its impact with soft life and intricate politics in the capital, which co ntained the seeds of disaster (Brinkley 4). However, the Fujiwara experienced their its first danger in 930 when the Fujiwara attempted the customary maneuver of putting a child in throne, a son eight years old named Shujaku, since the clan had selected Tadahira for the role (Kane 48). During Tadhira’s rule, Taira Masakado a warrior in Japan aspired to be a governor in his native province; however, Tadhira appointed his companion in a debauch manner, a man named Sadabumi. This made Masakado return to his home in disgust and even though he did not instantly get involved in a revolt, he was involved in family feuds. From his actions, Masakado became an outlaw to the Imperial court and instead of submitting to punishment of rulers that he detested, he raised a revolt. In 1159 rivalry in Fujiwara family created another upheaval with a dispute that concerned imperial succession with emperor Go-shirakawa abdicating in favor of his son and Fujiwara Shinzei supporting the ex-emperor. In an open battle, once the Taira household assembled its army the households met in the battle where Taira and Shinzei won a stupendous victory. Thus, the Fujiwara no longer ruled by their power and Taira Kiyomori, a man whose martial skills twice shaped the nation’s future, took advantage of the situation and crushed several conspiracies against his life (Kane 49). The Gen and Pei war that ended in 1183 with a naval battle at Dan-no-ura, saw Minamoto forces’ 800 ships attack Taira’s fleet of 500 in a battle that involved gaining the upper hand. When Minamooto secured defection of Taira admiral Tomomori, the Taira suffered total defeat as their samurai struggled to protect the ship carrying the infant emperor (Van Bergen 41). Emperor Antoku took the throne and the victorious Yoritomi paid long visits to the imperial capital seeking the office of Sei-i-tai-Shogun, the supreme military leader of the country, which he later gained. Though in the past emperors app ointed military leaders for brief periods in order to see the nation through certain crises, Minamoto Yoritomi ensured the office became permanent (Kane 50). Hideyoshi managed to impose control as well as peace and government, which partly lay in his diplomatic skills. Moreover, Hidoyeshi fought several fights campaigns against internal enemies, which ended not in military victories but with treaties in which rival clans received an active stake in the fresh Japanese order. Hideyoshi success lay in the ruthless

Congenial associates Essay Example for Free

Congenial associates Essay This want issues from the social need of gregariousness and acceptance. Management can aid the process by carefully planned and executed induction programs, provision of means to socialize through rest periods and recreational programs, and promoting the formation of work teams through proper work-station layouts and human-related work procedures. Credit for work done: This want issues from the egoistic classification of needs and can be supplied by management through verbal praise of excellent work, monetary rewards for suggestions, and public recognition through awards. Releases in employee’s newspapers, and the like. A meaningful job: This want issues from both the need for recognition and the drive toward self-realization and achievement. This is a very difficult want to supply, particularly in large organizations having minute division of work and mechanically paced assembly lines. Some research into the possibilities of job enrichment has indicated the possibility of integrating the need of employees for significant work and the need of the organization productive, co-ordinate activity. Opportunity to advance: Not all employees want to advance. Some feel the social needs more strongly than the egoistic ones. However, most employees like to know that the opportunity is there, should they desire to use it. This feeling is influenced by a cultural tradition of freedom and opportunity. Comfortable, safe, and attractive working condition: The want for good working conditions also rests upon multiple needs. Safe working conditions issue from the security need. The specific attributes, such as desks and rugs, constitute symbols of status denoting a hierarchy of importance. Much management has discovered that the allocation of such status symbols can be quite as difficult as the allocation of money. In today’s environment where the threat of violence is increasing safety is also an important factor which plays an important role in employee motivation. Competent and fair leadership: The want of good leadership can issue from physiological and security needs. Good leadership helps to assure that the organization and its jobs will continue to exist. In addition, the ego demands that one-respect person from whom orders and directions are to be received. It is very frustrating to be subjected personally to a command from an individual who is deemed unworthy and incompetent. Reasonable orders and directions: The order is the official communication of organization requirements. In general, it should be related to the requirements of the situation, capable of being executed, complete but not unnecessarily detailed, clear and concise, and given in a manner that stimulates acceptance. Unreasonable orders incapable of accomplishment serve only to increase insecurity and frustration. Unreasonable orders that work contrary to the best interests of the organization may lead to a form of malicious obedience; the employee takes great delight in following them to the letter in hopes of harming the superior who merits little respect. A socially relevant organization: The trend toward greater social expectations of private organizations has impact upon such an organization’s employee’s expectations. This want issues from human needs of self-esteem, and levies a highly challenging responsibility upon the organization’s management. In a job environment where the most of the above mentioned conditions will fulfilled the employees will be more committed and productive. The managers at ACTAVIS should fulfil the conditions above in order to achieve the desired goals. Solution through using theories: As Locke (1976) put forward a theory of motivation based on goal setting. The individuals in the company can be motivated by setting goal as Goal Theory suggest that it is the goal that an individual is aiming for which motivates, rather than just the satisfaction of attaining it. Locke’s view is that what a person values or desires determines the goals he sets for himself, but that what actually drives him (motivates him) are the goals themselves. Locke’s own researches indicated that individual performance was better when people had been set specific goals of a challenging or difficult nature, and when they received feedback on their performance. This approach clearly has implications for the practice of management-by-objectives of target setting. Which relies for its success on the mutual agreement of specific goals between a manager and his subordinate. A modern and a more permanent approach to motivation are through job enrichment. This involves putting meaning into jobs. In other words, it is putting Herzberg’s two-factor theory into effect by building motivators into the job. These motivators include achievement, growth, responsibility, advancement and recognition. This approach can also work for ACTAVIS since the company is renovating its units. According to the approach the company should plan to change the job contents of the employees in order to motivate them for the new unit settled by ACTAVIS in Bulgaria. A number of research studies have indicated that the job content is an important factor in motivating people. So the content of a routine or repetitive task must be restructured to provide motivation to the performer of that job. One way of restructuring the job is through job enrichment, or making jobs more meaningful. If a manager can include more of Herzberg’s motivators, people who perform such jobs utilize their skills and potentials to the best of their abilities and be more productive on the job. Thus, the jobs would be richer and not just bigger. Hence the use of the term job enrichment. Keeping in view the case of ACTAVIS following steps have been recommended to make jobs enriching: Selection of an area or job where an improvement in motivation will make a difference in performance or productivity. Clues such absenteeism, turnover, tardiness, poor quality, lack of interest and production delays may provide an answer in selecting an area or jobs to be enriched. Development of criteria for measuring changes in productivity among the employees in the selected area or job. These measurements may include rate of absenteeism, number of products rejected, waste, etc.

Prejudice and Racism in America :: Sociology Racism Prejudice Essays

In America there seems to be a major problem. It has hindered this country since America was founded. It has been used against Native Americans, Japanese, and Black Americans. The problem is racism. If this country wants to become truly great racism must be eliminated. Racism began when someone thought they were better than someone else. One source said, " Racism began during the Enlightenment Period in Europe" ( D' Sourza 87). Now organizations like the Ku Klux Klan and the Islamic movement are promoting and continuing the terrible problem. As a consequence, a bad effect on this country is inevitable. Racism has had a bad effect on this country. Incidents like the Rodney King beating and the O. J. Simpson verdict have practically split this country into two sides. " When white policemen routinely stop black people for traffic violations, they feel a deep resentment for the O. J. Simpson verdict and look for any reason to take out their anger on the unlucky black victim" ( Kennedy 72). The only solution to this problem is to eliminate racism. No one can deny the effect racism has had on America; so we must do our best to stop it.. to end racism we must be able to understand each other. " In a recent poll, 11% of whites thought that blacks were lazy, yet 76% of blacks think whites think they are lazy" ("color" 41). It is this kind of misunderstanding that racism thrives on. If we work harder to understand each other better, racism would have a harder time existing. There is no doubt that we need to find a solution to racism. It has torn this country apart, and the aftermath of this invisible enemy will be devastating if something is not done to stop it. Before this country can become truly great, a solution must be found and racism eliminated. In America there seems to be a major problem. It has hindered this country since America was founded. It has been used against Native Americans, Japanese, and Black Americans. The problem is racism. If this country wants to become truly great racism must be eliminated. Racism began when someone thought they were better than someone else.

Storm Born Chapter Three

I'd been people-watching for almost an hour, so I saw him as soon as he walked in. It was hard not to. The eyes of a few other women in the bar showed that I wasn't the only one who'd noticed. He was tall and broad-shouldered, nicely muscled but not over the top in some crazy Arnold Schwarzenegger way. He wore khakis with a navy blue T-shirt tucked into them. His black hair was not quite to his chin, and he had it tucked behind his ears. His eyes were large and dark, set in a smoothly chiseled face with perfect, golden-tanned skin. There was some mix of ethnicities going on there, I suspected, but none I could discern. Whatever the combo, it worked. Extremely well. â€Å"Hey, is anyone sitting here?† He nodded at the chair beside me. It was the only empty one at the bar. I shook my head, and he sat down. He didn't say anything else, and the only other time I heard him speak was to order a margarita. After that, he seemed content just to people-watch, like me. And honestly, it was a great place to do it. Alejandro's was right next to a midlevel hotel and drew in patrons and tourists from all sides of the socioeconomic scale. TVs showed sporting events or news or whatever the bartender felt like putting on. A few trivia machines sat at the other end of the bar. Music – sometimes live, but not tonight – forced the TVs to have closed-captioning, and dancing people crowded the small space among the tables. It was humanity at its best. Teeming with life, alcohol, mindless entertainment, and bad pick-up lines. I liked to come here when I wanted to be alone without being alone. I liked it better when drunk, stupid guys left me alone. I wasn't sure about articulate, good-looking ones. One nice thing I soon discovered was that with Tall, Dark, and Handsome sitting next to me, no losers dared approach. But he wasn't talking to me either, and after a while, I realized I'd kind of like him to – not that I'd have any clue what to say back. With the glances he kept giving me, I think he felt the same way. I didn't know. A sort of tension built up between us as I nursed my Corona, each of us waiting for something. When it finally came, he started it. â€Å"You're edible.† Not the opening I'd been expecting. â€Å"I beg your pardon?† â€Å"Your perfume. It's like†¦like violets and sugar. And vanilla. I suppose it's weird to think violets are edible, huh?† â€Å"Not so weird as a guy actually knowing what violets smell like.† It was also weird that he could even smell it. I'd put it on about twelve hours ago. With all the smoke and sweat around here, it was a surprise anyone's olfactory senses could function. He shot me a crooked grin, favoring me with a look that could only be described as smoky. I felt my pulse quicken a little. â€Å"It's good to know what flowers are what. Makes it easier to send them. And impress women.† I eyed him and then swirled the beer in my bottle. â€Å"Are you trying to impress me?† He shrugged. â€Å"Mostly I'm just trying to make conversation.† I pondered that, deciding if I wanted to play this game or not. Wondering if I could. I smiled a little. â€Å"What?† he asked. â€Å"I don't know. Just thinking about flowers. And impressing people. I mean, how strange is that we bring plant sex organs to people we're attracted to? What's up with that? It's a weird sign of affection.† His dark eyes lit up, like he'd just discovered something surprising and delightful. â€Å"Is it any weirder than giving chocolate, which is supposed to be an aphrodisiac? Or what about wine? A ‘romantic' drink that really just succeeds in lowering the other person's inhibitions.† â€Å"Hmm. It's like people are trying to be both subtle and blatant at the same time. Like, they won't actually go up and say, ‘Hey, I like you, let's get together.' Instead, they're like, ‘Here, have some plant genitalia and aphrodisiacs.'† I took a drink of the beer and propped my chin in my hand, surprised to hear myself going on. â€Å"I mean, I don't have a problem with men or relationships or sex, but sometimes I just get so frustrated with games of human attraction.† â€Å"How so?† â€Å"It's all masked in posturing and ploys. There's no honesty. People can't just come up and express their attraction. It's got to be cleverly obscured with some stupid pick-up line or not-so-subtle gift, and I don't really know how to play those games so well. We're taught that it's wrong to be honest, like there's some kind of social stigma with it.† â€Å"Well,† he considered, â€Å"it can come out pretty crass sometimes. And let's not forget about rejection too. I think that adds to it. There's a fear there.† â€Å"Yeah, I guess. But being turned down isn't the worst thing in the world. And wouldn't that be easier than wasting an evening or – God forbid – months of dating? We should state our feelings and intentions openly. If the other person says ‘fuck off,' well, then, deal. Move on.† I suddenly eyed my beer bottle suspiciously. â€Å"What's wrong?† â€Å"Just wondering if I'm drunk. This is my first beer, but I think I'm sounding a little unhinged. I don't usually talk this much.† He laughed. â€Å"I don't think you're unhinged. I actually agree with you.† â€Å"Yeah?† He nodded and looked remarkably wise as he contemplated his answer. It made him even sexier. â€Å"I agree, but I don't think most people take honesty well. They prefer the games. They want to believe the pretty lies.† I finished off the last of the Corona. â€Å"Not me. Give me honesty anytime.† â€Å"You mean that?† â€Å"Yes.† I set the bottle down and looked at him. He was watching me intently now, and his look was smoky again, all darkness and sex and heat. I fell into that gaze, feeling the response of nerves in my lower body that I'd thought were dormant. He leaned slightly forward. â€Å"Well, then, here's honesty. I was really happy when I saw the empty seat by you. I think you're beautiful. I think seeing the bra underneath your shirt is dead sexy. I like the shape of your neck and the way those strands of hair lay against it. I think you're funny, and I think you're smart too. After just five minutes, I already know you don't let people screw around with you – which I also like. You're pretty fun to talk to, and I think you'd be just as much fun to have sex with.† He sat back in his chair again. â€Å"Wow,† I said, now noticing I'd put on a white shirt over a black bra in my haste. Oops. â€Å"That's a lot of honesty.† â€Å"Should I fuck off now?† I played with the rim of the bottle. I took a deep breath. â€Å"No. Not yet.† He smiled and ordered us another round. Introductions seemed like the next logical step, and when his turn came, he told me his name was Kiyo. â€Å"Kiyo,† I repeated. â€Å"Neat.† He watched me, and after a moment, a smile danced over his mouth. A really nice mouth too. â€Å"You're trying to figure me out.† â€Å"Figure you out how?† â€Å"What I am. Race. Ethnic group. Whatever.† â€Å"Of course not,† I protested, even though I'd been trying to do exactly that. â€Å"My mother is Japanese, and my father is Latino. Kiyo is short for Kiyotaka.† I scrutinized him, now understanding the large dark eyes and the tanned skin. Human genes were exquisite. I loved the way they blended. How cool, I thought, to have such a solid grip on your ancestry. I knew my mother had a lot of Greek and Welsh, but there was a mix of all sorts of other things there too. And as for my deadbeat father†¦well, I knew no more about his heritage than I knew anything else about him. For all intents and purposes, I was very much the mongrel the keres had called me earlier. I realized then I'd been staring at Kiyo too long. â€Å"I like the results,† I finally said, which made him laugh again. He asked about my job, and I told him I worked in Web design. It wasn't entirely a lie. I'd majored in it and in French. Both areas had turned out to be completely irrelevant to my job, though Lara swore having a Web site would drive up our business. We mostly relied on word of mouth now. When he told me he was a veterinarian, I said, â€Å"No, you aren't.† Those smoldering eyes widened in surprise. â€Å"Why do you say that?† â€Å"Because†¦because you can't be. I just can't see it.† Nor could I imagine telling Lara tomorrow: So I was in a bar last night and met this sexy veterinarian†¦ No, those concepts somehow didn't go together. Veterinarians looked like Wil Delaney. â€Å"It's God's truth,† Kiyo swore, stirring his margarita. â€Å"I even take my work home with me. I have five cats and two dogs.† â€Å"Oh, dear Lord.† â€Å"Hey, I like animals. It goes back to the honesty thing. Animals don't lie about how they feel. They want to eat, fight, and reproduce. If they like you, they show it. If they don't, they don't. They don't play games. Well, except maybe the cats. They're tricky sometimes.† â€Å"Yeah? What'd you name all those cats?† â€Å"Death, Famine, Pestilence, War, and Mr. Whiskers.† â€Å"You named your cats after the riders of the apocal – wait. Mr. Whiskers?† â€Å"Well, there are only four horsemen.† We talked for a while after that about whatever else came to mind. Some was serious, some humorous. He told me he was in town from Phoenix, which kind of disappointed me. Not local. We also talked about the people around us, our jobs, life, the universe, etc., etc. All the while I kept wondering how this had happened. Hadn't I just been noting how I lived outside of society? Yet, here I was, talking to a guy I'd just met like I'd known him for years. I barely recognized the words coming out of my own mouth. I didn't even recognize my body language: leaning into him as we talked, legs touching. He wore no cologne but smelled like he looked: darkness and sex and heat. And promises. Promises that said, Oh, baby, I can give you everything you've ever wanted if you'll just give me the chance†¦. At one point, I leaned toward the bar to slide an empty bottle across it. As I did, I suddenly felt Kiyo's fingers brush my lower back where my shirt had ridden up. I flinched as electricity crackled through me at that slight, casual touch. â€Å"Here's more honesty,† he said in a low voice. â€Å"I like this tattoo. A lot. Violets again?† I nodded and sat back in my chair, but he didn't remove his hand. That tattoo was a chain of violets and leaves that spread across my lower back. A larger cluster of the flowers sat on my tailbone, and then smaller tendrils extended outward on both sides, almost to my hips. â€Å"Violets have sort have become my patron flower,† I explained, â€Å"because of my eyes.† He leaned forward, and I almost stopped breathing at how close his mouth was to mine. â€Å"Wow. You're right. I've never seen eyes that color.† â€Å"I've got three more.† â€Å"Eyes?† â€Å"Tattoos.† This got his interest. â€Å"Where?† â€Å"They're covered by the shirt.† I hesitated. â€Å"You know anything about Greek mythology?† He nodded. A cultured man. Cue swooning. I touched my upper right arm. My sleeve covered the skin. â€Å"This one's a snake wrapped all the way around my arm. It's for Hecate, the goddess of magic and the crescent moon.† What I didn't add was that Hecate guarded the crossroads between worlds. It was she who governed transitions to the Otherworld and beyond. This tattoo was my link to her, to facilitate my own journeys and call on her for help when needed. I moved to my upper left arm. â€Å"This one's a butterfly whose wings wrap around and touch behind my arm. It's half black and half white.† â€Å"Psyche?† he asked. â€Å"Good guess.† He really was cultured. The goddess Psyche was synonymous with the soul, which the butterfly represented in myth. â€Å"Persephone.† He nodded. â€Å"Half black, half white. She lives half her life in this world and half in the Underworld.† Not unlike my own life. Persephone guided transitions to the world of death. I didn't travel there myself, but I invoked her to send others across. â€Å"She governs the dark moon. And back here† – I tapped the spot behind me where my neck connected to my back – â€Å"is a moon with an abstract woman's face in it. Selene, the full moon.† Kiyo's dark eyes held intense interest. â€Å"Why not one of the more common moon goddesses, then? Like Diana?† I hesitated with my answer. In many ways, Diana would have served the same purpose. She, like Selene, was bound to the human world and could keep me grounded here when I needed it. â€Å"The others are†¦solitary goddesses. Even Persephone, who's technically married. Diana's a virgin – she's alone too. But Selene†¦well, she doesn't get a lot of press anymore, but she was a more social goddess. A sexual goddess. She opens herself up to other people. And experiences. So I went with her. I just didn't think it'd be healthy to be marked with three goddesses who were all alone.† â€Å"What about you? Are you alone, Eugenie?† His voice was velvet against me, and I could have drowned in those eyes. They were like chocolate. Chocolate is an aphrodisiac. â€Å"Aren't we all alone?† I asked with a rueful smile. â€Å"Yes. I think in the end, we all are, no matter what the songs and happy stories say. I guess it's just a matter of who we choose to be alone with.† â€Å"That's why I come here, you know. To be alone with other people. There's isolation in a crowd. You're hidden. Safe.† He looked around at the buzzing, moving sea of people in the bar. They were like a wall surrounding us. There but not there. â€Å"Yes. Yes, I suppose that's true.† â€Å"Isn't that why you're here too?† He glanced back down at me, his expression a little less sexual and a bit more pensive. â€Å"I don't know. I'm not sure. I guess maybe I'm here because of you.† I didn't have any quick retorts for that, so I started playing with the bottle again. The bartender asked if I wanted another, and I shook my head. Kiyo touched my shoulder. â€Å"You want to dance?† I was pretty sure I hadn't danced since high school, but some force compelled me to agree. We stepped out into a crowd of very bad dancers. Most were just sort of floundering around to a fast song with a heavy beat that I'd never heard before. Kiyo and I weren't much better. But when a slower song came on, he wrapped me to him, pressing us together as close as two people could be. Well, almost as close. I couldn't ever remember anything like this happening with a guy I'd just met, a desire for someone I actually wanted and not just someone who was available. His body felt hard and perfect against mine, and my flesh kept concocting ways to touch his. I was already picturing him naked, imagining what it would be like to have his body move against and inside of mine. What was going on with me here? The images were so vivid and real, it was a wonder my feelings weren't written across my face. So I didn't really mind when he slid his hand up the back of my neck and brought his mouth down to kiss me. It wasn't a tentative kiss either. No first-date kisses here. It was the kind of kiss that meant business, the kind of kiss that said, I want to consume every inch of you and hear you scream my name. I'd never really made out in a public place, but it seemed kind of a trivial concern as that kiss burned between us, our tongues and lips exploring the contours of each other's mouths. But when his other hand slid up and cupped my breast, even I was surprised. â€Å"Hey,† I said, breaking off slightly. â€Å"There are people around.† Amusing, I thought a moment later, that I was less concerned about him doing it than being seen doing it. He kissed the side of my neck, just below my ear, and when he spoke, his words heated my skin. â€Å"People only notice if you make a big deal about it.† I let him kiss me again and didn't say anything else about the hand that continued to stroke the curve of my breast and tease my nipple into hardness beneath the shirt. His other hand slid down to my ass and ground me closer to him, letting me feel exactly what was underneath his jeans. The fact that we were doing this in public suddenly made it a lot sexier. I let out a small, trembling sigh and then broke away from the kiss again. Only this time, it wasn't because of any prudish feelings. It was from need. My body's suddenly urgent and excruciating need. â€Å"Are you staying next door?† I asked, indicating the hotel adjacent to the bar. â€Å"No. Out at the Monteblanca.† I let surprise show on my face. That was in the region near where I lived, in the Santa Catalina foothills. â€Å"That's not a hotel. That's a resort. A really nice one. Veterinarians must make a lot.† He smiled and brushed his lips against my cheek. â€Å"You want to see it?† â€Å"Yes,† I told him. â€Å"I certainly do.†