Death Penalty Should Not Be Abolished Essay

In the past, their lives who commit crimes were taken easily. The Code of Hammurabi has many stern laws to punish guilty people. It was said â€Å"If anyone ensnares another, putting a ban upon him, but he cannot prove it, then he that ensnared him shall be put to death.† by the code of Hammurabi. This law shows that people were punished when doing something of illegal. Apparently the death penalty is one kind of warning punishment, and reminding people not to endanger the rights of other people. However, in the recently years, people pay more attention in the human rights. Some of people start thinking that the death penalty should be abolished. Moreover, there are contrary opinions to judge the issue of the death penalty. In my opinion, the existence of the death penalty is necessary. Especially we can save society resource, prevent the crime rate increase, console the population’s psychology. First, the society doesn’t have duty to costs much money for a murder all life in jail. It is very expensive to hold someone in prison for life. Life prisoners stay in prison on average for 30 to 40 years at a cost ofï ¼â€ž40,000 toï ¼â€ž50,000 per year. In the beginning the murder commit crimes which has encroach on other’s right. Every year the government has to pay much money on the prisoner of life imprisonment. On the other hand, if a murder is provided by all common people, it is unfair for all common people to raise the murder who is a killer. We work hard in the world, why do we have to pay our salary to a murder? Nothing the murder done, but the crime does. It seems too ridiculous to raise a murder who makes a big mistake for a life. Second, the death penalty can frighten and hinder committing crime. To prevent people not to take other people easily, they should know they would die if they kill somebody. For the investigation, enforcing the death penalty can save eighteen people’s life. Another reporter shows that the Korea has abolished the death penalty for seven years, but the crime rate has been increase. The important of death penalty can’t be ignored, and the death penalty has the position can’t be waved. The existence of death penalty warns people not to commit serious crimes easily, and prevent the crime rate increase. Third, the death penalty consoles the people’s psychology. Some people think that anyone has no right to take away other’s life, even to punish the prisoner. I agree that life is a valuable present which God gives us. So the life is very important for us. Otherwise, a murder who offended other’s the valuable right, he is not be excused. A murder may take more over one life. The same, he takes so many valuable present that he can’t be excused. Then we don’t punish him, and give him s chance to live. Who can give the chance for the victim to live? Finally, we don’t need to pay so much society resource to imprison a murder, and the government can use the money in education and improving the society. The power of executing the death penalty is a warning to tell people not to murder others. The human right is very valuable, so we can’t take other’s life easily. Enforcing death penalty is a way to confess the relatives of dead people. It stands for the justice of the society. So the death penalty cannot be abolished in this society.

Importance of nutrition during the Infancy and Toddler-hood period Essay

Children are a blessing from God and it is therefore important that we ensure that those bundles of joy are well taken care of. Infants are generally taken to be children from birth to around one year, and it becomes therefore important to give them utmost care since they are at their most vulnerable stage in life. This care should not only be confined to attention and love but most importantly should be the focus of what and how best to feed the infant. Scientists have expressed their belief that what we feed our infants might have drastic consequences later in life. These consequences include such conditions as diabetes and obesity and the rampant rate of obesity in developed countries might just be a reflection of the inability of parents to feed their children’s appropriately (Fallows & Kingham, 2005). Doctors have stated categorically that child4ren should be fed milk only during the first six months of their lives and it should be noted that faulting this wise counsel could risk the health of these infants in the future. Breast milk contains all the vital nutrients that an infant need in order to grow and appropriate vitamins to boost his/her immune system top fend off diseases. It is important to note that while it is advisable to feed the infant using breast milk, infants could also be fed with formula as a supplement of breast milk. There are many reasons why many mothers choose to use formula to feed their babies. Some simply find out that breastfeeding does not work for them either for psychological or practical reasons. The demands of life that leads to very busy lifestyles work against the need for mothers to be with their children full time and formula simply happens to be a better alternative. However, there are still those who express their breast milk in feeding bottles and the milk is fed to the infant by someone else who is available to care for the toddler (Ward, 2009). Infants usually need to feed eight to twelve times in a day since they are growing rapidly and the proteins inside the milk are a vital component for this growth. For those with infants who sleep a lot, it is advisable to wake them regularly in order to feed the since failure to do so might hamper their growth. It is also recommended that parents take their babies to the clinic to have them weighed and observed to ensure that they are growing in a healthy manner and acquire vital information about how best to take care of their babies. There are signs to observe during the sixth month to signify that the infant is ready to start being weaned. This include such period when the baby can sit up, baby does not reject the food put in its mouth, can pick up food stuffs and stuff it into the mouth and an increased appetite for milk. Babies should be weaned slowly with a meal per day and it is important to continue breast feeding at least till one year. Some of the food which one can feed and infant include cereals, soft fruits, rice and vegetables that can be crushed. However, around 10 months infants are ready to be introduced to adult foods but such a transition should be handled with utmost care. As the baby becomes a toddler a period which lasts from between 12 months to 24 months, his food needs increases. During this period the toddler starts to walk and he requires increased proteins for growth and energy foods to sustain his activities. At this period toddlers may change their eating habits due to changes in growth patterns. Moreover, toddlers become choosy when it comes to certain foods and it is nothing to do with illness. Again, parents needs top be careful about the food they feed the infants and toddlers since some of them might be allergic and impair the health of this babies. They should therefore make a point of seeking information diligently about how best to feed their children (Papalia, Wendkos & Duskin, 2007). References Fallows,C. & Karen Kingham, K. (2005). Baby & Toddler Food. Murdoch books. Papalia, D. , Wendkos S. & Duskin, R. (2007). A Child’s World: Infancy through Adolescence:11th Ed. McGraw-Hill Ward, E. (2009). What to Feed Your Baby and Toddler. Retrieved May 17, 2009 from http://children. webmd. com/guide/what-to-feed-your-baby-toddler.

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

Airline Aviation Safety - Essay Example To see an airplane fly was indeed unique to actually fly an airplane was a daring feat. The early pioneers did not take it lightly, for to do so meant flirting with death in these fragile unstable craft. Thus, the earliest aviation was restricted to relatively straight and level flight and fairly level turns. The flights were performed under visual conditions in places carefully selected for elevation, clear surroundings, and certain breeze advantages to get the craft into the air sooner and land at the slowest possible ground speed. The greatest problems with early flight were the reliability of the propulsion system and the strength and stability of the airframe. Many accidents and some fatalities occurred because of the structural failure of an airplane component or the failure of the engine to continue to produce power. Although human factors were not identified as a scientific discipline at this time, there were serious human factors problems in the early stages of flight. The protection of the pilot from the elements, as he sat out in his chair facing them head on, was merely a transfer of technology from bicycles and automobiles. The pilots wore goggles, topcoats, and gloves similar to those used when driving the automobiles of that period. Crash Of Valujet Flight 592: A Case Study Of Human Errors On the morning after the crash of ValuJet Flight 592, United States Secretary of Transportation Federico Pena appeared on television to re-affirm the safety of flying on ValuJet: "I've flown ValuJet. ValuJet is a safe airline, as is our entire aviation system" (Navarro, 1996, p. A1). Pena also added a strong endorsement for ValuJet's management team: "Whenever we have found any issues, ValuJet has been responsive, they have been cooperative, they have in some cases even exceeded the safety standards that we have" (Navarro, 1996, p. A1). Senior Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) officer David Hinson echoed Pena's sentiments about the safety of flying ValuJet. Three days later, a preliminary inquiry by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) concluded that oxygen canisters being shipped in the cargo hold ignited a fire that brought the plane down shortly after its take off (Wald, 1996a, p. A1). Vincent, Crow, and Davis (1997) contend that an airline crash provides a compelling and visually powerful news story. Vincent et al. maintain that "the events which surround air crashes are inherently dramatic, involving life and death situations, heroic actions, fatal and fateful decisions, and unforgettable visual images" (p. 354). Part of the appeal of a crash occurs because it involves ordinary people. Part of the appeal of a crash occurs because of the very randomness of the act, and the potential for a similar random act to affect millions of other air travelers. Vincent et al. perceive an airline crash to constitute a rich text with three overarching story lines: (1) "The tragic intervention of fate into everyday life" (2) "The mystery of what caused the crash" and (3) "The work of legitimate authority to restore normalcy" (p. 357). In the case of ValuJet Flight 592, these themes were altered slightly by the recurrent

Reading reflection Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading reflection - Coursework Example to be intellectually creative by having their ideas accepted as well as being offered matters to be concerned about intellectually, it gives them an opportunity to learn about the world with their general intellectual ability being stimulated as a happy side effect. In her article, she discusses issues such as learning environment, the role of a mentor or teacher as well as emotional and mental knowledge of the learner which are all significant in mentorship. Malcolm Gradwell’s book, tipping point entails application of epidemic phenomena in solving various social phenomena. The author illustrates that such a move is significant in restoring complexities and mysteries of the human behavior (Schmidt & Olson, 2008). He states that having knowledge of social phenomena as a wave helps in mystifying them other than considering them transparent. The knowledge achieved through reading the book helps mentors to understand that human behavior can be manipulated for the best. Knowledge of social phenomena is significant in understanding the behavior of the mentee and thereby manipulating it for the best. Colby and Damon’s article, â€Å"How moral commitment develops through life† explains the implication associated with the guidance of an adult which often occur mechanically. The authors argue that social influence is a more organic and an irregular process that remains closely in tune with the agenda of child development as w ell as taking place on numerous psychological processes (Damon & Colby, 1996). A mentor can offer simple encouragement or direct the attention of the child, friend or family friend. The authors offer the best approach in understanding the significant of mentorship to a friend or

Proteins and Vegetarians, Fats and Heart Disease Essay

Proteins and Vegetarians, Fats and Heart Disease - Essay Example Proteins are broken down into energy during some exercises or during starvation. Proteins maintain some of the processes in the body through substances made from proteins. Enzymes made from proteins facilitate the process of digestion. Breast feed milk used to feed children is made from proteins consumed by man. Vegetarians should ensure that they protein rich from breakfast to super time. Such foods include legumes, grains, nuts vegetables, and fats. The vegetarians should ensure that they consume adequate amounts of proteins in each serving. Other foods should also be served in the diet to ensure a balanced diet (Christophe Blecker, et al 225). Fats and Heart Disease The body stores energy through fat reservoirs in the body. These fats are used when the body needs energy. This fat is at least 10percent of an individual’s weight. Fats are used to transporting soluble nutrients around the body. Such nutrients include vitamin A, D, E and K. Fats located under the skin help insulate the body from temperature change. Fats form structural components of the cell such as the cell wall that regulates the movement of substances in the cell. Fats are used in the production of hormones that regulate body operations. Fats are used to producing milk used to feed newborns after pregnancy. Saturated fats are bad for health as they increase cholesterol levels. Increase in cholesterol clog vessels in a process called atherosclerosis. Cholesterol in heart vessels caused heart attacks (Vercambre, Grodstein, and Kang 1136).

Foreign Market Entry and Diversification Research Paper

Foreign Market Entry and Diversification - Research Paper Example Argument for diversification of your business Diversification is a much hyped topic and forms a part of strategic decisions and firm’s needs to decide whether they should diversify or not to diversify. It has been the most debated topic by business and it has been said that firms which has the resources and capability to diversify should g for diversification as most of the businesses planning to go for diversification often fails. Diversification involves the highest level of risk but still firm opt for diversification strategy solely for one reason is to create synergy. The publishing company may diversify for better opportunities, to leverage the competencies as well as capabilities by way of expanding into business where the firm’s resources can be used as competitive assets. Also to some extend diversifying will help the company to minimize the risk but as pointed earlier the risk involved is high. There is no guarantee that the business will succeed (Rao, et al, 2 009, 228). Strategy for diversification indicating the products and industries for the diversification and how synergies may be gained from the diversified activity The publishing company which deals with books and other publishing items should continue with its business and go for related diversification. ... Thus the publishing firm may search for new business whose product, market, distribution is similar to that of its own and where acquisition would result in â€Å"synergy.† Thus the company in order to create synergy should enter into related diversification and share resources and capabilities with its existing business unit. Identification and discussion on the foreign market that the company should enter and the strategy it should use to enter the market With the growth of online and digital media, the publishing business has been undergoing significant changes. Thus considering the current situation the publishing business should diversify its business into emerging and developing countries and at the same time follows the emerging trends in the publishing industry which are like eBooks, blogs, mobile publishing along with self publishing (ICMR, 2007). While diversifying the business the publishing company can opt for strategic alliance. Strategic alliances are formed thro ugh partnership between the firms and combining the resources, capabilities and core competencies and pursue a mutual interest to develop, manufacture and also manufacture goods (KAZMI, 2008. 187). The alliance is a collaboration which aims for synergy where both the partners hopes to benefit from the other alliance and will be greater as compared to individual efforts. Other benefits which the publishing company will receive by adopting the strategic alliances is gain capabilities, much easier way to access the target market, share the financial risk and most importantly achieve synergy and competitive advantage which are the important elements that lead a business to success. Challenges that company may face in the foreign market, and how it might respond

International business strategy of Nokia Corporation Dissertation

International business strategy of Nokia Corporation - Dissertation Example The study adopted the strategy typology and strategy orientation framework developed by Isoherranen & Kess (2011), where the organisation is categorised as Defender, Protector, Analyser, or Reactor, according to its particular strategic characteristics. A sample of 100 respondents was asked to accomplish the survey questionnaire based on the Isoherranen-Kess framework. The sample was comprised of 50 managers, suppliers or consultants working in or with Nokia in China, and another group of 50 similar participants working in or with Nokia in the UK. The dissertation found that based on the answers of the respondents compared against each other, a different strategic approach was employed in each of the subsidiary operations. The diverse business environments in different localities demanded flexibility and adaptability from international businesses. The parent organisation or central headquarters must factor into its strategic management the ability of overseas units to respond with it s own level of strategic prerogatives to the demands of the host environment. Table of Contents Abstract 2 Table of Contents 3 Chapter 1: Introduction 6 1.1Chapter overview 6 1.2Background of the study 6 1.3Theoretical framework 7 1.4Statement of research aim and objectives 8 1.5Statement of research question and sub-questions 8 1.6Significance of the study 9 1.7Assumptions of the study 9 1.8 Scope and delimitation of the study 10 1.9 Chapter summary 11 Chapter 2: Literature Review 12 2.1 Chapter Overview 12 2.2 International Business Strategy 13 2.3Historical information about Nokia 16 2.4 Nokia’s global strategy 19 2.4.1 Nokia organization 20 2.4.2 Nokia’s market trends 21 2.4.3Comprehensive View of Nokia’s strategy 22 2.5 Nokia’s China strategy 24 2.5.1 The strategic importance of China to Nokia 24 2.5.2 Brand performance 25 2.5.3 Product and service design 26 2.5.4 Advertising 27 2.5.5 Research and Development 27 2.6 Synthesis and critical insight 29 Chapter 3: Methodology 34 3.1Chapter overview 34 3.2 Research philosophy and strategy 34 3.3Description of research model and variables used in the study 36 3.3.1 Market orientation in strategy 37 3.3.2Product orientation in strategy 38 3.3.4Strategy orientation characteristics 40 3.3.5Strategy typology characteristics 41 3.3.6 Strategy Analysis Framework 41 3.4 Procedural model used in the study 43 3.4Data collection method 44 3.6 Sampling method 45 3.7 Data gathering and analysis 46 3.8 Reliability and validity of the data 47 3.9 Limitation of the methodology 49 3.10 Ethical considerations in the conduct of the research 51 3.11 Chapter summary 52 Chapter 4: Data and Findings 54 4.1 Chapter overview 54 4.2 Respondent profile 54 4.3 Strategy Orientation Characteristics 59 4.3.1 Strategy focus 59 4.3.2 Value Creation 60 4.3.3 Operational driver 61 4.3.4 Culture 61 4.4 Strategy Typology Characteristics 62 4.4.1 Product –Market Domain 62 4.4.2 Operational Driver 64 4.4.3 Organiz ation 65 4.5 Summary 66 Chapter 5: Discussion and Conclusion 69 5.1 Chapter overview 69 5.2 Discussion 69 5.3 Conclusion 72 Bibliography 73 Appendices 77 Chapter 1: Introd

Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 5

Accounting - Essay Example 285). The UK being an active member of the European Union has not been left behind in the adoption process. The International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) has been adopted as a basis for financial reporting by a significant number of countries worldwide. The main of the UK companies adopting the IFRS is to improve the quality of the information on the corporate performance. However, while the advantages of a common set of global reporting standards are recognized, there are a number of implementation challenges at the international and national levels if the objective of an improved and harmonized reporting system is to be achieved (Tosen, 2006, pg. 99). Today, International Financial Reporting Standards has been the main subject of discussion especially among numerous financial experts. The debate has been on how changes in the way the companies can file their financial statements and records can the enforced. Adoption of IFRS has enabled companies to swap from GAAP which depends largely on the size of the company. Transition from GAAP to IFRS has therefore helped companies to efficiently adapt the new regulations (Sale et al, 2007, pg. 114). This in turn has provided a number of benefits to the countries that its member companies have adopted the IFRS. The benefits of the adoption of the International Financial Reporting Standards can be examined not only from the reporting quality position but also from the economic perspective. These benefits include: The transition to IFRs has provided the companies with many perks. The most beneficial part of adopting IFRS has been consistency. Most companies in the world especially in the UK use this policy because it has high level of consistency and Canada too is in the process of setting up plans so that they can adopt it as well because of this benefit. It is therefore advisable that many countries should enforce this policy because it gives the member

Research methods for business and management Case Study

Research methods for business and management - Case Study Example This can be done most effectively by examining the literature on the research topic and assessing how the data was collected for that body of research as well as the way in which the data was analyzed. Based on an examination of the literature, the researcher then determines the nature of the data to be collected as well as the most appropriate method for its analysis. Additionally, the researcher should be aware that quantitative methods prove to offer the highest level of scientific evidence in that depending on the research design it can determine causation, correlation and make inferences. These qualities are absent in quantitative research. Other considerations include the fact that unlike quantitative research methods qualitative methods are inductive in nature, extremely subjective, process oriented and explanatory. These qualities prove to be more anthropological than scientific (orientated toward natural science) in nature. In business and management, however, qualitative me thods may prove to be very effective in that it can arrive at an understanding of the way in which individuals behave through a description. Essentially, the utility of qualitative or quantitative methods are highly dependent on the research question/hypothesis as well the data being collected (Holden & Lynch, 2004). 2. What are the ethical issues that you believe to be most prominent in consideration of this piece of research Discuss the issues involved in the data collection, and the need for confidentiality and sensitivity. The investigation into the perception of the managers in Mauritius with regards to dividends is no different than any other body of research utilizing human subjects. In conducting this body of research as well as any other research involving human subjects, there are precautionary measures that may be undertaken. These measures take the current ethical framework for protecting subjects and are delineated in the principles of autonomy, beneficence, and justice. First, the principle of autonomy speaks directly to the requirement of research subjects to be treated as independent individuals. In so doing, they are free to decide whether or not they wish to participate in the research study and are free to drop out of the study at any point in time. Secondly, the principle of beneficence speaks directly to the notion that the researcher is obligated to maximize the benefits of the research while minimizing the potential of harm to the research subjects. If the benefits outweigh the risks , it is ethical to proceed with the body of research. If the risks to the subjects outweigh the benefits then it would be unethical to proceed with the body of research. Finally the principle of justice involves the equitable distribution of the burdens and benefits associated with conducting the body of research whereby certain individuals or group of individuals do not bear disproportionate risks while others bear disproportionate benefits. 3. Critically evaluate the relevance of the following research designs for this study and from this evaluation draw conclusions on

Unit 1 Project Overview Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unit 1 Project Overview - Coursework Example ronments namely; people, staffing and management,IT and communications, human resources development and training, materials, manufacturing and production, materials, manufacturing and production etc. and anything else which requires planning and managing within businesses. In recent past, British Airways hired a new managing director. When this managing director started, he realized that the firm was not effective and was wasting valuable resources. To make the company more cost-effective, this managing director resolved to reshape the entire company. He noticed that the best approach to do this was via a change methodology management plan. Methodically, the firm started reducing its employees. However, before this was done, via his change management leadership, the managing director gave the organization the reasons for the reorganization and privatization of the firm so as to prepare them for the impending change. Therefore, through leadership and communication, managing director directed his organization through a tough time that could have been harmful without effective change management resistance communication (Burke, 2013). One constraint in this environment that would affect the success of the project is lack of enough resources to pay the workers being laid off. The other constraint is communication deficit – where project manager fails to provide appropriate information to enough people, along with the lack of a structure or culture for effective communication. 2) Reflect on the various roles discussed dealing with how project managers respond to change. Describe an instance involving change, in which you should have or did model the way as a project manager. Explain what you learned from this experience. The British Airways is ineffective and is wasting valuable resources. To return the company to profitability, as the company project manager who is responding to this change I have to decide to change the entire company. This can be achieved

The Postive and Negative Health Effects Essay Example for Free

The Postive and Negative Health Effects Essay What are possible effects of cell phones on teenagers? There are several ways in which cell phones can affect teenagers, such as educational, social and health, which can all be both positive and negative. Social effects of cell phones can be sex-ting, cyberbullying and social networking. Educational effects are effects relating school and education of a teenager. Health effects are health risks and benefits for a teenager while using a cell phone. There are many different effects of cell phones on teenagers but the ost important ones that are mainly looked at are educational, social and health. This essay will cover the positive and negative educational, social and health effects of cell phones specifically on teenagers. 2. 0 Discussion 2. 1 Positive and Negative Social Effects of Cell Phones on Teenagers Firstly, mobile infrastructure has changed during the past decade and this increase has become so apparent that you hardly ever come in contact with someone who does not possess a mobile phone or other mobile device. It is becoming increasingly easy and inexpensive for teenagers to contact friends and access information via their mobile phones (Reid and Reid 2007, p. 424). Teenagers run their social lives on cell phones and today, 77 percent of teenagers aged 12-17 report having a cell phone (Tippin 2012). Cell phones have become prominent aspect of teenager’s everyday life; in fact the mobile phones have turned from a technological tool to a social tool. Especially text messaging has increased significantly and is teenagers most frequent way of communicating. Study shows that 63% of all teens said they exchanged text messages on a daily basis (Tippin 2012). As it is evident that majority of teen’s posses a cell phone it is important to understand the positive as well as negative social effects of it on teenagers. â€Å"Research on cyberbullying sponsored by Opennet has found that teenager who are heavy cell phone users are more likely to engage in the practice of bullying online, as well as become bullied themselves† (Osborne 2012). Cyberbullying is bullying with the intention to torment a person with the use of technology. Statistics show that 46 percent of heavy cell phone users experience cyberbullying on their phones (Osborne 2012). Cyberbullying through a cell phone can be a serious issue and can cause very negative effects on a teenager, in fact kids that are bullied are likely to experience anxiety, depression, loneliness, unhappiness, and poor sleep. Such negative effects of bullying are often overlooked, because many victims feel the need to hide the fact that they are being bullied, they become shy and fearful of further abuse. Typically they tend to become anxious, less confident, and quieter. As a result, bullying can be a hindrance to their academic performance. Therefore, bullying is a problem that if left unattended, can be a significant obstacle in child’s social development. (â€Å"American Osteopathic Association,† n. d). Even though there are negative social effects of cell phones on teenagers such as cyberbullying there are positive advantages as well. An obvious advantage of a mobile phone is that it can help teens to communicate with others. If a teenager was lost perhaps he or she can seek help immediately by a cell phone at any time, in any place and cell phones also allow its users to make long distance calls which makes it a lot easier for them to communicate with friends and family who are distant. With cell phones video and camera functions, teens now have more opportunities to record and report any criminal events which they have witnessed. These pieces of evidence could greatly help authorities solve crimes faster (Baker 2012). Cell phones are very useful devices for communication as well as they are compulsory as they used as safety devices especially in emergencies (Ravidchandran, 2009). Therefore it is important to understand the social effects of cell phones on teenagers because although it could harm teenager’s development, it can also benefit as well as provide safety and security for the child. 2. 2 Positive and Negative Educational Effects of Cell Phones on Teenagers Secondly, the topic of cell phones affecting teenagers’ education is very controversial. Cell phones can be a major distraction to learning when students use them improperly. Cell phones can affect teenagers’ grades by being distracted with sending text messages, playing games on their phones and receiving zeros if they are caught cheating during a test. When texting teenagers use short acronyms such as laugh out loud (LOL), be right back (BRB), talk to you later (TTYL) which can significantly lead to a decline in their language and grammar skills. (Connie, 2012). Edutopia, an educational website, conducted an online poll regarding this issue of whether text messaging harms students writing skills. Out of 3359 votes, 1788 votes (53%) chose â€Å"Yes, I believe students are carrying over the writing habits they pick up through text messaging into school assignments. † 851 votes (25%) chose â€Å"No. I believe students can write one way to their friends and another way in class. They can keep the two methods separate. † 613 votes (18%) chose â€Å"Maybe. Although text messaging may have some impact on how students write, I dont think its a significant problem† (Ring, 2009). As it is evident that the majority voted that students are using their habits they have picked up through text messages in school assignments, it shows the decline of teenage students grammar skills. Although cell phones can have such a negative effect on teenagers’ education it can also provide positive benefits such as an aid for learning. With a cell phone, the students could make organizers, research work and do their projects. Cell phones have applications which can be installed individually and there are thousands of useful apps that a teenager could use at school for education, such as dictionaries to define words and phrases. Students can now take part in a mobile device learning program called â€Å"Hotsteat,† which allows students to post comments on a Twitter-like feed from a question posted by a professor, and can be accessed through a mobile device with the app. Another program called â€Å"Remind101† which  is a free site that is created for teachers and students to create text, reminders for projects quizzes, test, labs, class activities and homework. Teacher have to create an account and upload all class projects, activities, homework and assignments, then students can log in to the website, subscribe to their class and automatically receive all reminders (Dunn, 2011). Therefore, it is important to understand the educational effects of cell phones on teenagers because although schools report that student’s mobile phone use disrupts teaching and reduces student’s attention in class, which results in a negative educational outcome. It is also important to understand the benefits that cell phones bring to teenagers education by having organizers, notes, reminders and discussion groups all at their finger tips. For these reasons, teenagers get more encouragement to initiate their learning. 2. 3 Positive and Negative Health Effects of Cell Phones on Teenagers Lastly, â€Å"teenagers who overuse cell phone texting or social networking Web sites have disturbingly high rates of a wide range of  health  risk  behaviors† (Jancin, 2011). Gaby Badre, M. D. , Ph. D. of Sahlgrens Academy in Gothenburg, Sweden conducted research on the affects of cell phone usage on sleep patterns in teens. Research focused on two groups: a control group of three men and seven women compared with variable group of three men and eight women. When compared the control group against the variable group, Badre found that adolescents with excessive cell phone habits are more habituated to disrupted sleep, restlessness, stress, more c onsumption of stimulating beverages and fatigue (â€Å"American Academy of Sleep Medicine† 2008). According to Badre, addiction to cell phone is becoming common. Youngsters (teenagers) feel a  group pressure  to remain inter-connected and reachable round the clock. Children start to use mobile phones at an early stage of their life. There seem to be a connection between intensive use of cell phones and health compromising behaviour such as smoking, snuffing and use of alcohol (â€Å"American Academy of Sleep Medicine† 2008). Dr. Frank conducted a survey which was completed by 4,257  teens  at 20 schools in Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Based upon the responses these â€Å"hypertexters† who are teenagers that have self-reported texting an average of 120 or more times per day on school days are â€Å"twofold more likely to have ever tried alcohol, 43% more likely to be binge drinkers, 32% more likely to be current users of marijuana, and 40% more likely to have tried cigarettes than kids who texted less or, as was true for 22% of students, not at all† (Jancin, 2011). This shows the significant impact of cell phone effects on teenagers’ health, but although there are so many negative health effects of cell phones there are just as much positive effects. Certainly it is true that for teenagers, cell phones offer openings for conversations as well as ways of keeping up appearances by looking busy, appearing confident, popular, or relieving meeting boredom. And phones, like smoking, can be used as a defence mechanism, attention speaking behaviour as well as a way to stand out from the ‘Lonely Crowd’ (Cross, 2006) Texting with cell phones can provide health education, to campaign against smoking and behavior. For example in New Zealand an experiment was conducted with two groups, first group received text message support and the other group did not receive any text messages. The results showed that the number of people who stopped smoking was significantly higher in the intervention group than in the control group which did not receive text message based support. â€Å"Add this to the Action on Smoking findings five years ago and there is a real case for hailing mobile phone effectiveness in limiting smoking amongst Teenagers† (Cross, 2006) Although in this program cell phones did not provide direct health benefits but by constantly texting teenagers and giving them support it significantly decreased the number of smokers. Therefore it is important to understand the health effects of cell phones on teenagers because although mobile phones can have negative effects such as lead teenagers into drinking and drug use, it can also have positive effects and be used as a defence mechanism to cope with anxiety. 3. 0 Summary Cell phones are a tool of convenience and that is why almost 80% of all teenagers use one (Tippin, 2012). However having cell phones can be very negative effect on teenagers, â€Å"research on cyberbullying sponsored by Opennet has found that teenager who are heavy cell phone users are more likely to engage in the practice of bullying online, as well as become bullied themselves† (Osborne 2012) and teenagers that are bullied are likely to experience anxiety, depression, loneliness, unhappiness, and poor sleep. These social effects of cell phones on teenagers can also affect their health. Gaby Badre, M. D. , Ph. D. of Sahlgrens Academy in Gothenburg, Sweden conducted research and found that adolescents with excessive cell phone habits are more habituated to disrupted sleep, restlessness, stress, more consumption of stimulating beverages and fatigue (â€Å"American Academy of Sleep Medicine† 2008), which all contribute to negative health effects. Teenagers advantage of having cell phone at their finger tips can affect their school grades by being distracted with sending text messages, playing games on their phones and receiving zeros if they are caught cheating during a test. But having a cell phone now makes people reachable in almost any location and this makes individuals easier to contact. Ease of access is not the only benefit of cell phones; they offer features that have many other benefits. Cell phones have become an important part of society today, while schools think that cell phone usage should not occur in schools, it is imperative that they acknowledge that cell phones are extremely important to the safety of our children in school. Several schools state that you could use the telephone in the main office to call home in an emergency, but if there ever was a true emergency the phone in the main office would be surrounded by people trying to get in contact with their loved ones and chaos would be lurking. Having a cell phone enables them to contact loved ones with ease during an emergency. Also computers at schools can malfunction and stop students from getting information. However, new technology on cell phones allows them to access the internet and enable them to complete research with ease. Cell phones have organizers which help students write down their homework and help them to keep organized. 4. 0 Conclusion Cell phones are great invention. However, most schools in Ontario ban cell phone use at schools although, as it was stated in â€Å"The Japan Times† article â€Å"banning cell phones does not succeed in teaching students how, when and where an adult would use a  cell  phone (â€Å"The Japan Times†, 2008). Therefore, schools should not simply ban cell phones because of their negative effects on teenage students but teach them when and where the appropriate time and place is to use one. Schools should also look at positive side of cell phone use on teenagers because they can be a great educational tool. As Lisa Baker has mentioned â€Å"some high schools take advantage of educational games for cell phones. Educators can teach students how to use their phones as research tools, which encourages youth to take more initiative in their own learning (Baker, 2012). There are also social and health effects of cell phones on teenagers, which can be both also negative as well as positive. Before looking at negative effects of cell phone on teenagers, we should understand why they were first invented and the benefits they bring to our daily life. Therefore, although there are so many effects of cell phones on teenagers it is important to understand the main ones that are mainly looked at such as social, educational and health effects.

Multinational Corporate Case Study On Nestle Marketing Essay

Multinational Corporate Case Study On Nestle Marketing Essay According to Stuart Wall, Sonal Minocha and Bronwen Rees (2010), MNC (Multinational corporate) is a company that has headquarters in one country but has operations in other country. MNC had defined by Dunning (1993) MNC are engages in FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) and owns or controls value-adding activities in more than one country. Typically the multinational would not just own value-adding activities, but might buy resources and create goods or services in a variety of countries. Multinational Corporate in 2007 an estimated 79000 multinational corporate, collectively controlled a total of around 800000 foreign affiliates, employed almost 82million people worldwide and accounted for sales revenue of over $31 trillion, some 11% of world GDP. . (Stuart Wall;SonalMinocha and Bronwen Rees. 2010. pg. 31). Research (Global Education, 2009) has shown that globalization have many meanings and definitions, but mostly known as the greater movement of people, goods, capital and ideas affected by the increments of the economic integration which in turn is propelled by the increasing trades and investments. It is like moving towards living in a borderless world. There has always been a sharing of goods, services, knowledge and cultures between people and countries. In recent years, the improvement of technologies and a reduction of barriers mean the speed of exchange is much faster. Globalization provides lots of different types of opportunities and challenges (Global Education, 2009). Why Nestle is Multinational Corporate? Nestle is a multinational corporate since the headquarter is located in Switzerland but operates businesses in the many other countries over the world such as Europe, United State, China, Malaysia, Hong Kong etc. As we know, Nestle is an infants product. Besides producing infants, Nestle has also produces some other products such as chocolate, yogurt drink, cornflakes, ice-cream etc which can easily found in supermarkets all over the world. Introduction to Nestle In 1860s, a pharmacist named Henri Nestle had succeeded developed a food for babies whom are unable to breastfeed. And his first success was to be able to feed a premature infant who could not tolerate his mothers milk or any of the usual substitutes. (Nestle, 2010) In 1867, he adopted his own coat of arms as a trademark in 1867. In German Nestle means little nest. The Nestle symbol is universally understood to carry the meaning of nurturing and caring, security, nourishment and family bonding. These attributes are still the guiding legacy for the company Henri Nestlà © founded which fulfills the commitment to Good Food, Good Life. The Nestlà © Coat-of-Arms Sources: Nestle Sdn Bhd 2010 In 1905 Nestlà © work together with the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company, the year after Nestlà © added chocolate to its line of foods. The newly formed Nestlà © and Anglo-Swiss Milk Company had factories in the Spain, Germany, United States and Britain. Soon, the company had full-scale manufacturing in Australia with warehouses in Hong Kong, Singapore and Bombay. Most production still took place in Europe. (English Tea Store, 2004-2009) At first, Nestle business was mainly based on milk and dietetic foods for children. Then, Nestlà © grew and diversified its range of products, through acquisitions and mergers with the already famous brands of that time. For example, the manufacturing of LACTOGEN began in 1921, and in the same year, a beverage containing wheat flour was marketed under the brand name MILO. In 1938, NESCAFÉ was introduced to the as the first instant coffee. Then, in 1947, Nestlà © merged with the MAGGI Company. Currently, Nestle is still having their principles, which to provide the best products throughout the world. As the leading Food, Nutrition, Health and Wellness Company, Nestlà © provides the best food for anytime of day and for anytime of your life. Nestlà © has grown to become the worlds largest food company which offers more than 8500 brands and 10000 products throughout the whole world. With its headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, Nestlà © has more than 456 factories in more than 80 countries and having more than 283,000 employers. (Nestle Products Sdn Bhd , 2010) Actual impact of globalization on Nestle PESTLE analysis which contains of political, economic, social, technology, legal and environment analysis which consist of external environmental. It is a useful analysis to understanding the situation of a company in an industry. Political analysis The stability of political in a country will be under the consideration by NESTLE to build a plant that can operates NESTLEs factories that considering the countrys political stability, good tax incentives as well as its skilled workforce, NESTLE chose Malaysia to be the site of another regional manufacturing centre for NESCAFE (Mr. Josà © Lopez, Executive Vice President, Nestle S.A. responsible for global operations and GLOBE (Nestlà ©s Global Business Excellence Programmer)). Economic Analysis The important of economic factors will leads to the strength of consumer spending. For example, in recession economy, people might cut of their budget to consume household stuff rather than unnecessary stuff such as chocolate. Americans likes luxury chocolates, a new premium line of cacao which is called Nestle Treasures God had launched in order to cash in on the recession. Social Analysis Even though Nestle as a multinational corporate which operates their business in the other country, but do respect to peoples culture and traditional which is a corporate that think global, act local by working hard to integrate itself into the cultures and traditions of the country. For example, Kit-Kats formula is almost different everywhere. A Russian Kit-Kat is smaller than a Bulgarian, but less sweet than Germanys Kit-Kat. While in Japan, the strawberry Kit-Kat is all the rage. Technology Analysis As the technology of recently changed rapidly in global, Nestle have attracted people to purchasing their products by using advertising. For example, Kit-Kat have been advertised by attracting youngster or child because it is a sweeten tid-bits. Infants foods advertisement is to attracted housewife to purchase it to given their child a healthy life. Recent research on technology analysis (Nestle Policy and Environmental sustainable) (2008) reports shown that during the manufacturing process, Nestle had using efficient technologies to ensure that there is no wasted energy while producing products. In addition, to control the eliminate emission including the greenhouse gases. Legal Analysis In 1996, Nestle was the first multinational corporate that voluntary for Halal certification for its own food products. Those food products that exported to the other countries were certified as Halal products. As a global food company like Nestle, hygiene is a must. Since Nestle has the Halal certification and hygiene was the procedure which contain in that certificate. Besides that, health and safety were the principle that keeps by Nestle. While provided employees to minimize risks in their personal lives, Nestle had always emphasize each of their employees about to change the employees attitudes towards personal safety. Environmental Analysis Nestle always committed to people to produce the best quality to their consumers. Besides that, Nestle also prevented the wasted food by reduced the materials weight and volume, yet supported initiatives of recycle from used packaging. Nestle have also use recycled materials to produce its products. But, Nestle had done a fact that will cause of the lost of the home for orangutan. According to Heidi Marshall (2010), Nestles product-Kit Kat is a product of environmental destruction. This is because of the material that used in the candy bars and for the other Nestle products as well was comes from a palm oil that get from by destroying Indonesia rainforests. The strategy that used by Nestle to actual impact of globalization are included: Market Penetration Strategy Market penetration strategy is which to refer to increase market share of the current products. A firm using this method by raises their sale revenue without any changing of their existing products. Nestle may try to use the promotion which is buy 1 free 1 for its products. For example, buy 2 packs of 1kg Milo free a 10 pack of instant Nescafe. A market penetration will also involve the 4ps which is products, price, promotion and place. According to (Stuart Wall; SonalMinocha and Bronwen Rees, 2010), the product in international marketing is the extent to which a standard and differentiated product should be provided. For example, Nestle is using the differentiated products since it produce its products Kit-Kat in different flavor. A Russian Kit-Kat is smaller than a Bulgarian, but less sweet than Germanys Kit-Kat. While in Japan, the strawberry Kit-Kat is all the rage. The international price is related to the account market different between countries, exchange rates, difficulties of voicing and collecting payment across borders, the effects of tariffs and purchase taxes on competitiveness, governmental regulations of the host country and the long term strategic plan of the company in the different markets in which it operates. For the promotion, it is often expressed to attracted people to consume their products and yet to capture a new consumer to purchasing their products. Nestle is always advertise their products thru media ways. To make sure that people know their products yet to pursuing people to make a purchase on their products. For example, Nestle advertise its products thru the television advertisement. This can make sure that children will attracted by its advertisement while it advertise. A place or distribution it is difficult to control from outside the overseas country itself. A company will solve this problem by its own subsidiary. In addition, if the products are being imported, a multinational company will recruit a local agent to ensure that there is safety, cheapest and quickest way is using. For example, Nestle might recruit a people that located outside of overseas of it country to solve the problem such as a warehouses, the selling markets and etc. SWOT Analysis of Nestle As Dr. Jill Novak, (2009) commented that: Strength Nestle is a global food producer since it located in over 100 countries. It is consistently one of the worlds largest producers which with global sales in 2008 topped $101 billion. In addition, Nestle was named one of Americas Most Admired Food Companies in Fortune magazine. Furthermore, Nestle provides quality brands and products and line extensions that are well-known, top-selling brands including: Maggi, Haagen Dazs, Kit Kat, Nescafe, CoffeeMate, prepared baby foods, yogurt, foods for infants and many more. Weakness Most of the products have their own weaknesses. For Nestle, it was not as successful as the other country in France. Nestle could not compete against a strong and established brand which is Dannon that entered into France earlier than Nestle which is top selling of health yogurt. Besides that, since 2004, Nestle has been forced to reduce the amount of sugar in their products that may cause of diabetes among American children. In addition, Nestle has been removed the packaging and advertising that false claims of heart healthy and lower cholesterol which is an order from FDA(Food and Drug Administration) and American Medical Association which is the under fire of the breakfast cereal industry. Opportunities In today, everyone hope and needs to have a healthy life, as a producer like Nestle, it has an opportunities to raise their selling profits with producing health-based products. Since Nestle was a well-known branded, for sure, it will be easy to attract people to purchase their products. Further, they launched a new premium line of cacao called Nestle Treasures Gold, in order to cash in on the recession economy in which consumers cut back on luxury goods, but regularly indulge in candy and chocolate. Americans want luxury chocolates, and high-end chocolate is immune to the recession (so far), because it is an inexpensive indulgence. Threats Even though Nestle was a big producer in the world, but it still has its competitor, such as Hersheys, Cadbury-Schweppes (owned by Pepsi), Kelloggs, Starbucks, , Quaker, Kraft Foods, Danone, , Heinz, Unilevel and many more. Furthermore, any contamination foods supply especially e.coli which causes the recalled of their brand-Toll House cookie dough. Outbreaks were linked to 28 states and the product had to be recalled globally. Nestlà © has yet to find out how this happened, and is still investigating (Dr. Jill Novak, (2009). Potential impacts of globalization on Nestle Nestle corporate have its own potential in globalization since it is a big foods producer in global. Technology In the world of today, technology will be changing rapidly in global. And this will leads a good improvement in all type of products that will be produce around the world. A research and development department will be a part of Nestle from today towards future achievement by gaining profits without wasting the raw material in manufacturing process. Besides that, by using a developed technology may reduce the effects that will occurs greenhouse effect. For example, use of plastics packaging in every single of Nestle products improve to recycled paper packaging, used of plastic bottle in filling the Nestle beverage into tin that can recycle use. On the others side, a case that occurs in India, which is Nestle chocolate, will be melted before its eyes. This is because there are lacks of distribution and the heat temperature in India will make the chocolate melted. By using the technology that can solve this problem that is using the technology to change its chocolate ingredients so that can afford India heat temperature. Environmental As the info below, Nestles Kit Kats was made from a palm oil that came from by destroying the rainforest in Indonesia. This is cause of the pollution in Indonesia. To solve this problem, Nestle corporate should consider using the palm oil from the other countries by not destroying the rainforest of the country. On the other side, there is another solution too. That is, refining the vegetables oil that can out inside the ingredient of making chocolate. Social As a food producer in global, Nestle may do some different in their products. Such as, a new flavor of the chocolate could be launch. This is because different country has a different taste towards foods. For Malaysia, a durian can be a part of the ingredient in the making of Kit-Kat. For Korea, a Kim chi flavor Kit-Kat can also create. This is a try for Nestle to attract people by producing different flavor but same products around the world. The strategy that might use by Nestle in the potential impacts on globalization is: Diversification strategy According to Stuart Wall;SonalMinocha and Bronwen Rees diversification strategy involve the company branching out into both new products and new markets. For example, from the info that I mention below, Nestle might create a different flavor of Kit-Kat to attracted new customer. For Malaysia, Nestle may create a durian flavor Kit-Kat to attracted those customer who are not chocolate lover but is a durian lover to purchase this products. Conclusion On the day Nestle was introduced, it was only food for infants. As time goes, Nestle has grown to be more famous in brand name and focus in widen its product line. Today, Nestle is one of the most famous and successful foods and drinks producer. Furthermore, Nestle had expands to globalization which consist of factories around the world. Besides that, Nestle will always try counter threats and competitor, such as the current products or new product entrants. Therefore, Nestle still has the potential to grow more and continue to be the one of the leader in the market share.

Cultural Diversity In The Fire Service Criminology Essay

Cultural Diversity In The Fire Service Criminology Essay Todays society is much more complicated than it ever has been. The change from even ten years ago is considered drastic. Workplace diversity is a vital component to any workplace, whether its private, public, state, federal, or any other entity. Merriam-Websters Dictionary defines diversity as the condition of having or being composed of different elements: variety; especially the inclusion of diverse people (as people of different races or cultures) in a group or organization (Merriam-Webster). Workers in todays society are protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects employees and job applicants from discrimination by employers. It protects from acts of discrimination via race, gender, ethnic group, age, personality, education, and more, which is enforced by the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC applies to most employers with at least 15 or more employees. The EEOC headquarters located in Washington D.C., along with its 53 field offices throughout the United States can investigate cases, while also providing other services such as: statistics, guides and templates for EEO surveys, outreach and education, enforcement and litigation, and initiatives. Benefits of workplace diversity are countless, but the following are a few that standout. Workplace diversity encompasses a three-dimensional approach, meaning that it is best for the employer, employee, and together as a whole. It increases adaptability, which means that employees with diverse backgrounds can couple together their experiences, talents, and suggestions to better the organization, which encompasses the three-dimensional approach (Greenberg). Within this three-dimensional approach includes a benefit called variety of viewpoints. By utilizing the variety of employees that you have in your workplace you can meet the needs of the business and the customers more effectively (Greenberg). When discussing workplace diversity a problem that can often occur is a breakdown in communication. While it is important that employers staff people of all different races and ethnic groups, it must be taken into consideration that there may be a language barrier. Communication is vital fo r any business or organization to properly function, so it is in the best interest of the employer to make sure that whatever information is being dispersed, is being done so that everyone has an equal understanding. A good way to establish the effectiveness of workplace diversity is to assess and evaluate your diversity process. This can be accomplished by an employee satisfaction survey, and will present the management team with obstacles that are present along with any policy that needs to be added or eradicated. When choosing a workplace diversity plan it must be comprehensive, attainable, and measureable. In order to do so, employer and employee, along with employee and employee must cohesively work together. The plan needs to establish the needs for the whole business, and not just a certain few who might have the most say so in developing such plan. Second, the plan must be attainable. In order to do this, you need to set benchmarks or goals to reach in a certain timeframe. Creating an attainable plan is realistic and makes sure that everything within it is accomplished. Lastly, the plan must be measurable. In order to do this you can look at similar workplace diversity plans for businesse s alike and compare and contrast benchmarks and reports. A measurable plan is one that is quantifiable, assessable, finite, and verifiable. In order to make sure you incorporate all of this into your plan, a simple rubric can be followed, which is S.M.A.R.T. (Creating S.M.A.R.T. Goals). Specific Who, what, when, where, why? Measurable Tracking progress toward the attainment of goals. Attainable Set incremental goals to help you reach milestones. Realistic Objectives to which you are both willing and able to work. Timely Timeframes are required in order to reach goals, without any timeframe there would be unsatisfactory performance. Workplace diversity is very important for a successful business. By practicing effective workplace diversity with the simple guidance provided, you will not only produce a better workplace for your employees but employees will also produce a better workplace for the employer. Diversity in Recruitment A 2006 International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) report, titled Achieving and Retaining a Diverse Workforce, analyzed the factors that hinder diversity in the fire service. The findings in the report were based on a literature review and statistical analysis. The literature review prevented proposed solutions from research to the diversity problem. The statistical analysis was created after surveying a number of departments about their diversity and recruitment practices. The statistics were then used to validate the claims made in the literature (Fox, Hornick Hardin, 2006). Overall, the report found that there were five main obstacles to minority recruitment. They are listed below: 1. Most departments are passive on the issue. Diversity is not something that will happen unless departments are engaged in the community and the recruitment process. 2. Hiring processes do not measure all required job skills. If hiring processes focus on one particular attribute (i.e. physical vs. cognitive abilities) than the candidate as a whole will not be observed. 3. Any requirements for education, certification, or experience will hurt minorities. Often, traditional hiring pools score better in these areas than minorities. 4. Departments do not know how to reach the desired groups. Effective methods of recruitment to reach specific groups are discussed below. 5. Departments do not communicate a clear message of diversity. A diversity message should be used consistently from recruitment, to date of hire, to employment with the department. The study found that there were eight methods of recruitment that correlated directly to substantial recruitment of minorities. Each department used these in some sort of combination, so these are not necessarily listed in order of effectiveness (Fox, Hornick Hardin, 2006). 1. Word of mouth. This will probably be the most effective way to recruit for any job. However, fire departments can have members from the targeted group in their communities. 2. Formal advertising. Formal advertising could be print advertisements, radio spots, flyers, etc. These messages should be directed at the desired group. 3. Direct mail. Mailings can be used to inform candidates of deadlines and steps in the hiring process. This takes the burden of them and they will not miss a step. 4. Cadet/Explorer programs. These programs will help educate children and young adults about the possibility of the fire service as a career. This will help them compete with traditional applicants, since they often do have these opportunities. 5. News stories. The department can partner with local media outlets to produce stories about how the department values diversity. This would provide encouragement for minority applicants. 6. Diversity messages. Departments should have written diversity messages. These messages can be used in advertisement and recruitment materials. This would reinforce the candidates belief that the department values diversity. 7. Attend churches, cultural events, job fairs. This is the best way to get a message out to community to go out in it. Recruiters can take diversity messages to sell employment opportunities to minority candidates. 8. Candidate preparation. Offer informational sessions that will help minority plan for interviews, written tests, and physical agility tests. Do not allow these sessions to be filled with traditional applicants. This overview is by no means an exhaustive summary of the information contained in the report. There is much more knowledge contained in the seventy-one page document. Fire service administrators could study this publication to determine how it applies to these specific diversity problems (Fox, Hornick Hardin, 2006) Women in The Fire Service Women in the fire service dates back longer than anyone may realize. The first known female in the United States fire service was a slave from New York named Molly Williams, who was said to have fought fires during the early 1800s. The first all-woman forest firefighting crew was assembled in California in 1942 and the first female in North Carolina (Winston Salem) was Sandra Forcier in 1973. In a career that is traditionally dominated by men, white men especially, is seeing a change among the faces representing the fire service. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are approx 11,800 women nationwide are employed as career fire fighters and of those 4.5% are white, 2.9% are black or African American. Women comprise about 4 percent of the volunteer fire service, an estimated 32,000 members (Wiling, 2012). Women are found in all ranks of the fire service, from recruit firefighter up to chief of department. Women fire chiefs lead organizations ranging in size from small volunteer departments up to those that protect cities the size of Madison, Wisconsin; county departments such as Cobb County, Georgia; and comparable agencies within the wildland fire service. There is no such thing as a typical woman firefighter. Women firefighters come from all backgrounds, races and ethnicities. They may be single, partnered, married, divorced, or widowed. They may be 62 and weigh 200 pounds, or 51 and weigh 110 pounds. They may have no children, or be mothers or grandmothers. They may be as young as 18 or as old as 70. They may have a high-school education or Ph.D. What this diverse array of women firefighters has in common is their dedication to their work and their commitment to serving their communities through the fire service (Brenda Berkman, Teresa M. Floren, Linda F. Willing, 1999). With all that being said and situations ever changing, there are many issues that are still a major concern for women in the fire service. To name a few of the issues, sexual harassment, sleeping and showering facilities and protective gear still pose a problem for women. Because of the lack of recruiting; the culture of the firehouse; physical agility testing that favors men and the lack of accommodations within fire stations for female firefighters makes it hard for females to even want to achieve their dream. So what can be done to help the process for recruiting and hiring more women for the fire service? Have a prerecruitment checklist: The application and testing process: Policy Development and Review: Recruit Training: Fire station Facilities and Firefighter Protective Gear. So, as you can tell women do seem to have a harder time joining fire departments, but like all other things in history, its slowly moving forward and being more acceptable. Good fire training creates a positive environment for new employees, improves the skills of current firefighters, and leads a fire department safely and progressively into the future. Bad fire training or none at allthreatens the safety of all firefighters, reduces morale, particularly harms women firefighters chances of success, and violates the departments prime directive to provide the best possible protection for the community it serves. Cultural Awareness in the Community The cultural diversity in the communities that we serve is constantly changing and there is no way to stop that. We, as professionals in the fire service, must find ways to adapt and learn about these new cultures in order to effectively serve the community. Failing to do so can result in a decrease in productivity and a bad reputation of your department. There are several ways that this can be accomplished; however, the first and most important one begins with us. We must understand that certain cultures have different values and beliefs than our own and we must be able to tolerate these differences. Showing respect for that culture is the first step in doing so. This must be shown not just verbally, but also in the methods by which we conduct ourselves. A persons body language can be a good insight to their feelings about a particular situation. Not showing any judgment is another big factor when dealing with a different culture. Stay away from any form of evaluation and try to explain things as safe or unsafe, instead of right or wrong. We must also show sympathy by putting ourselves into their shoes. Looking at something through their point of view can help us get a better understanding of how or why they do something. Lastly, we must stay focused on the end goal of breaking through a cultural barrier. There will be times where th is may get very difficult but we cannot allow frustration to interfere. Although changing our attitudes and following these tips will help, they may sometimes not be enough. This is where training on a particular culture may be necessary. The training can include anything from learning about how the culture works, including any activities that they may consider taboo, to how to communicate with the members effectively. Fire Service Court Cases Involving Cultural Diversity The fire service, like all other companies, businesses, and corporations, has undergone drastic changes in its ranks with the push to have a more diverse service, this push mainly due to the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits outlawed major forms of discrimination against racial, ethnic, national and religious minorities, and women (The Civil Rights Act 1964), and has led to many court case lawsuits against fire organizations for their disregard to the law. The majority of civil rights violation cases brought against a fire organization are for the discrimination against someone, or a group of people. Two major cases that have been brought against a fire organization are the United States v. City of New York, which was an employment discrimination case, and Ricci v. DeStefano, which was a landmark discrimination case dealing with firefighter promotions. With the diversity of the fire service changing the inclusion of women in the fire serv ice has increased, which has brought with it violations of the Civil Rights Act, dealing with sexual harassment. A case that was widely publicized was the lawsuit case of Michelle Maher v. The City of Fresno, which illustrated the burden that can be placed on a fire organization for violating the law. The fire service has been changing over the last thirty to forty years, with the inclusions of different types of minorities that have been entering the fire service. With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the court cases that have been brought against the fire service for violating their rights, the inclusion of diversity in the fire service has been brought to the forefront of the organizations issues. Discrimination cases brought against a fire organization brought by the Civil Rights Act cause negative public opinions of the entire fire service. Discrimination, falls under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and refers to the treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit (USLegal Definitions). There have been two landmark cases brought against a fire organization with the subject of racial discrimination, the United States v. City of New York, and Ricci v. DeStefano. The United States v. City of New York was as case brought against the New York Fire Department, involving discrimination of blacks and Hispanic firefighter recruits. The allegation accused the City of New York of using tests that were unlawful, by changing the scores accepted for hiring entry level firefighters, leading to a noticeable disparate impact on minorit ies. The city lost the case which awarded money, jobs, seniority, and noneconomic damages to individuals who were harmed by the Citys discrimination practices (DOJ). Ricci v. DeStefano was a reverse discrimination case that brought notice to a fire organization discriminating against non-minority employees, where firefighters mainly white firefighters were not given a promotion due to there being any African Americans able to pass a promotion test (Court). The court ruled in favor of the mainly white firefighters leading to the promotion of many of them, and having to settle paying over 5 million dollars to the fire fighter plaintiffs. With the lack of understanding the law of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and that the law protects both minorities and non-minorities against discrimination, led to millions of dollars spent in settlements, causing hardships on the fire organization involved, and the city they incorporate. With the increase in women firefighters there has been gender discrimination cases brought against the fire service, mostly coming in the form of sexual harassment. Sexual Harassment is a form of discrimination, under the Civil Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender (The Civil Rights Act 1964). The case of Michelle Maher v. The City of Fresno brought the subject of gender discrimination in the fire service to the front page news. Maher was a new firefighter recruit in recruit school and was told by a superior that she would not be successful in the fire service because she was a mother, and was not given the same opportunities as male recruits to improve her test scores (Michelle Maher vs. City of Fresno) which led to her being asked to resign or be expelled. Maher brought a sexual harassment suit against the city of Fresno, California, where the court found that she was discriminated against, leading to a settlement between Maher and the City of Fresno amo unting to 2.5 million dollars. This settlement brought financial hardship to the City of Fresno and the fire organization, which could had been a non-issue if the laws accompanied with the Civil Rights Act of 1964 were fully understood. The fire service is not separate from other companies when it comes to the liability that is involved with not following the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Those that have not followed the law have been burdened with court case lawsuits against them that have led to major settlements, some in the millions. Two court cases that have been brought against the fire service were the United States v. City of New York, which was an employment discrimination case, and Ricci v. DeStefano, which was a landmark discrimination case dealing with firefighter promotions. Both court cases being seen as landmark cases due to the scope of discrimination that these fire organizations were run. With the increase of women being involved in the fire service violations of the Civil Rights Act, dealing with sexual harassment and gender discrimination, there have been court cases brought against fire organizations dealing with this subject, one being, Michelle Maher v. The City of Fresno. This case was widely pub licized because it illustrated that some fire services were not welcoming of women being involved in their organization. The fire service has been changing over the last thirty to forty years, with the inclusions of different types of minorities that have been entering the fire service. With the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the court cases that have been brought against the fire service for violating their rights, the inclusion of diversity in the fire service has been brought to the forefront of the organizations issues, and when an organization or city does not follow the rules set by the law burdens are felt through the millions of dollars of settlements that are given.

Ethan Frome: List of Quotes explained Essay -- essays research papers

1. ?Guess he?s been in Starkfield too many winters? This quote was found on page 13, in the introduction when Harmon Gow is explaining to the narrator who Ethan Frome is. When Harmon states that Ethan has been in the town of Starkfield too many winters leads to the narrator finding out that Starkfield and the town members become emotionally buried under the snow covered blanket of Starkfield?s winters. Winter in Starkfield is depressing and cold and it seems to rub off on the residents of the town. People of the town say he is cold and depressing, simply because he has been in Starkfield too many winters. 2.?But it was not only that the coming to his house of a bit of hopeful young life was like the lighting of a fire on a cold hearth.? This quote is found on page 33, in chapter one, which is explaining the entrance of Mattie Silver into the Frome home to assist the Fromes with house work because of Zeena?s sickness. This quote is explaining the feeling of Ethan when Mattie Silver comes into his home. Ethan was gloomy and pretty much sick of his wife and when Mattie comes to his house she brings hope and a whole new outlook on life to Ethan. Ethan feels that she is warm person and a polar opposite compared to Zeena. Her coming transforms Ethan?s cold and depressing existence. 3.?Against the dark background of the kitchen she stood up tall and angular, one hand drawing a quilted counterpane to her flat breast, while the other held a lamp. The light on a level with her chin, drew out of the darkness her puckered throat and the projecting wrist of the hand that clutched the quilt, and deepened fantastically the hollows and prominences of her high-boned face under its rings of crimping-pins. To Ethan, s... ...e way they are now, I don?t see?s there?s much difference between the Fromes up at the farm and the Fromes down in the graveyard, ?cept that down there they?re quiet, and the women have got to hold their tongues.? This quote is also found on page 140, in chapter 9, still while Mrs. Hale is telling the narrator about the Fromes. Mrs. Hale tells the narrator that if Mattie had dies, Ethan may have lived, but as things are, his existence is a kind of a living death. In addition, in chapter two, he had asked his dead ancestors, at their graves, to help him keep Mattie with him. We find that his natural ally is death and life is his enemy. Mrs. Hale believes that Mattie? surviving the accident is literally a fate that is worse than death, since the dead hold their peace, whereas Mattie and Zeena are often mad at each ther, adding to Ethan?s suffering and unhappiness.

Children Affected By Divorce Essay -- essays research papers

CHILDREN AFFECTED BY DIVORCE & PROTECTING THEIR BEST INTERESTS On the 11th of June, 1996, the Family Law Reform Act 1995 came into effect amending certain sections of the Family Law Act 1975, in particular, those relating to the care of children involved in divorce situations. The object of these amendments, according to the new act, was to ensure two things. Firstly, â€Å"that the children may receive adequate and proper parenting to help them achieve their full potential,† and secondly, â€Å"to ensure that parents fulfil their duties, and meet their responsibilities, concerning the care, welfare and development of their children.† These recent amendments are clearly a positive step forward for family law because the law has recognised that the child is the only important factor in a divorce and that it is crucial that the rights of the child are protected. To fairly evaluate the effectiveness of these recent amendments in protecting the interests of the child, the social implications of the act, the principles taken into accoun t when deciding a case, the impact on stakeholders, and criticisms of the act must all be taken into consideration. In order to ensure that the child’s rights are protected, the courts aim is to ensure that parental responsibility survives any changes in the nature of the child’s parent’s relationship. Parental responsibility relates to â€Å"all the duties, powers, responsibilities and authority which, by law, parents have in relation to children.† When deciding a case involving a child in the event of a separation between the child’s parents, the child’s best interests are now the court’s paramount consideration. The concepts access, custody, and guardianship have been replaced in the amendments by contact, residence, and joint parental responsibility. Between 1987 and 1997, the annual number of divorces rose from 39,700 to 51,300. As a result of this increase, one fifth of all Australian children aged one to seventeen now live in single parent households. Of these children living with only one natural parent, 88% live with their mothers with the remaining 12% living with their fathers. This ratio of which parents children resided with remained constant between 1987 and 1997, indicating that the trend of the courts to favour mothers over fathers has continued despite the changes to the act. With the number of divorces consistently risin... ... the number of cases which can be funded has dropped from 6,000 last year to 4,000 this year. It now seems very unlikely that steps will actually be taken to remedy this problem by either of the suggested solutions due to the lack of funding and the budget cuts will most likely result in a worsening of the situation. Overall, it is difficult to judge the effectiveness of the amendments to the Family Law Act 1975 because it is impossible to measure how well a child’s best interests have been served. However, if the Family Court of Australia has adequately implemented the changes then one would expect that the amendments have been effective in improving the system of determining what is in the child’s best interests. Therefore the court’s final ruling with regards to the contact, residence, and maintenance of the child will be the option which is best for the child. In conclusion, when all of the factors have been taken into consideration, it appears that the recent amendments will result in a step forward for the way in which the rights of children are protected by the court’s decisions. Whether or not the courts will make use of this improved system, however, is another question.

Frankenstein :: essays papers

Frankenstein A Freudian Interpretation In Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, the main character, Victor, has a short, but important dream right after he brings his creature to life. I have chosen to interpret this dream for several reasons. Firstly, there is no need to doubt that Victor’s retelling of the dream is anything but the truth. Also, there would be no reason for Victor to be compensating for lapses in the dream by creating falsities. In order for the novel to work, these assumptions must be made. Also with Victor’s dream, there is no need to try to extract his past from the dream because in the four chapters before the dream we get that information. Victors retelling of his dream is this: I thought I saw Elizabeth, in the bloom of health, walking in the streets of Ingolstadt. Delighted and surprised, I embraced her, but as I imprinted the fist kiss on her lips, they became livid with the hue of death; her features appeared to change and I thought that I held the dead corpse of my dead mother in my arms; a shroud enveloped her form, and I saw the graveworms crawling in the folds of the flannel. The first thing I identified in the dream was the symbolism. In his works on dreams, Freud often stresses the existence of sexual motivation in dreams. He identifies many symbols of genitals and sexual intercourse. One of the symbols for the phallis is a snake. I extended that symbol to include the graveworms that are mentioned in Victor’s dream. The existence of this symbol led me to examine the possibility that sexual feelings may have caused this dream. The two characters that are mentioned in the dream are Elizabeth, his intended wife, and Caroline, who is his now deceased mother. The presence of Victor’s love object and his mother ensure the existence of sexual feelings in the dream. The way in which Victor describes embracing and kissing Elizabeth implies that he has sexual desire for her. He may also have a genuine sense of love for her, but this aspect is not as clear. Victor’s feelings for Elizabeth could be expected by examining his childhood. As he was growing up, Victor was quite sheltered. His only contact with women being his mother and Elizabeth. When Elizabeth was brought into Victors house his mother presented her as â€Å" .

Master of Business Administration program at Georgia State University

I have chosen the flexible Master of Business Administration program at Georgia State University because it offers the best academic and skills training that would help me become better at what I do. At present I am interested in learning communication and analytical skills, how to be decisive and the importance of teamwork. I believe that these skills are necessary for the success of my career as a financial accountant and I know that I would be able to learn this through the challenging curriculum of Robinson College.Work experience is necessary for real life application, but education broadens one’s thinking and perspectives. My main reason for pursuing an MBA is because I want to further myself in the accounting field. Through the training of the MBA program I will be equipped with the skills that would allow me to help businesses expand in their operations while focusing on management and employee connections.Personally I believe that I have the leadership skills and the creative perspective for growth to be successful in my chosen career but I am also aware that I lack the educational background. By enrolling in the MBA program of Georgia State University and practicing my profession, I know that I would be able to become a financial advisor wherein I could help clients increase their revenues by using internal assessments and other strategies. I hope to become a financial accountant in the future and work on financial analysis and prepare fiscal reports.Through several work experiences I realized that I could do anything I set my mind to accomplish; that through hard work and determination I could rise from a party coordinator to manager. I also learned that a successful business enterprise is possible if there is honesty and complete customer satisfaction. I have had the opportunity to work as a Payroll and Tax Specialist, and here I have learned that customer satisfaction and the highest quality service is the best way to develop customer loyalt y.All of these experiences have no doubt enriched my professional career but I also know that I need to learn more about this field of specialization and I am most happy when I am learning something new. I know that I belong to Georgia State’s MBA program; it has the right balance of academic and practical training that appeals to me. My contributions to the university will be my collective perspective, my determination to succeed and moral character. My degree in Bachelors in Family and Consumer Sciences has imbued me with the knowledge and sensitivity to understand people.By becoming a member of the MBA program I will bring with me this humanitarian perspective and help influence other business professionals to do the same. I am determined to finish this degree and I am prepared to give my best in accomplishing the requirements of the course and to actively participate in each class. The strong business ethics and professional accountability of Robinson College is the best place to foster and develop my skills and personality.

Iron Crowned Chapter 6

I glanced around uneasily. I knew there had to be guards on watch in the garden and wondered what it would take for them to come tackle a crazy old woman. Unless she openly jumped me or something, I had a feeling I was on my own. â€Å"Unless your power extends to some kind of mind control over Katrice, I don't see how that's going to happen,† I said finally. She crooked me a grin. â€Å"No, that's not a gift the gods have chosen to bestow on any of the shining ones. Even they know the limits of mortals.† I pulled the robe more tightly around me. Seeing as I couldn't sleep, I might as well humor her. â€Å"Then what's your plan?† â€Å"You need to find the Iron Crown.† â€Å"The what?† â€Å"The Iron Crown.† She said it in a grand, ominous way †¦ one that really deserved an echo chamber to give it its full effect. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"I'll bite. What's the Iron Crown?† â€Å"An ancient artifact. One worn by the greatest, most powerful leaders in the shining ones' history. Leaders feared by all, who ruled many kingdoms.† â€Å"I have a crown. A few of them.† Only one was my official â€Å"crown of state,† but designers had crafted me others to coordinate with my outfits. â€Å"Not like this one,† she said. â€Å"Let me guess. It's made of iron.† She nodded and looked like she was waiting for me to be impressed. â€Å"Sorry. Like I said, short of mind control power, I'm not going on some magic object quest. My life is already like a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.† Masthera frowned. â€Å"Dragons haven't lived in the Otherworld in centuries.† â€Å"Forget it. Thanks for the, er, advice, but I'm not interested.† I shifted uncomfortably. â€Å"I should really get to bed.† Masthera leaned forward, undaunted. â€Å"You don't understand, Thorn Queen,† she hissed. â€Å"Only a few are capable of completing the tasks required to gain the crown. Most would not even be able to wear it.† That was easy to figure out. â€Å"Right. Because it's made of iron. I don't think an ability everyone already knows I have from being human would be that impressive.† â€Å"Queen Katrice would think so. Many of her people would too. Her armies might revolt. She herself would be afraid and back off.† â€Å"All because of the reputation of a crown that doesn't have any power?† I asked skeptically. â€Å"Where is it?† â€Å"Far away, in a place unknown.† â€Å"Oh good grief. If no one knows where it is, then how am I supposed to get it?† â€Å"That's part of the challenge. Find it, and you end the war.† I eyed her carefully. â€Å"If this is such a great idea, why not bring it to Dorian? Your king?† â€Å"He knows of it,† she agreed. â€Å"He's old enough to remember the legends. But he couldn't wear it. Only you.† Now she eyed me carefully. â€Å"Your father sought it – and failed.† I stiffened, my voice turning to ice. â€Å"Is this part of the prophecy? Some way of marking me as the conqueror's mother? Is it something I'm supposed to give to my hypothetical son?† â€Å"No,† she said. Her demeanor turned humble, but those eyes still looked shrewd. â€Å"It is merely a means to help you end your war.† â€Å"I've heard enough of this ridiculousness.† I stood up. â€Å"I'm going to bed.† Masthera started to call after me as I strode away but then bit off her words. I wondered if she had accepted my refusal or simply feared the guards' responding to continual harassment of me. I returned to Dorian's room and slipped back into bed with him. His arm unconsciously wrapped around me, and although it took a while, my troubled mind finally calmed enough to allow me some brief sleep. It was his movements that woke me a few hours later. I sat up in bed, watching as he dressed. Through the windows, the sky was barely a pinkish purple. â€Å"You're going to meet the armies already?† I asked quietly. From a chaise, he lifted a breastplate made of fine copper chain. Normally, he had attendants dressing him, and I knew he was doing it alone so that a group of people traipsing through his room wouldn't wake me. Watching him fumble at fastening it, I hurried over to help. â€Å"Katrice's forces will attack as soon as they have enough light. They may have already. It's only the unfamiliar terrain that stopped them from doing it overnight.† I finished hooking the chainmail, trying not to think about how rare it was for him to wear any sort of armor. It was a sign of the danger he walked into, even if he avoided the front lines. â€Å"I wish you weren't going.† He gave me that easy smile and rested his hands on my bare hips. â€Å"Me too. I'd much rather be back in bed with you. Stay a couple hours. I'm sure I'll be right back.† That brought a smile to my lips, though I felt no humor. â€Å"Yes, I'm sure that's all it'll take.† He released me and turned to a cabinet on the wall. Opening it, he revealed a number of weapons. One of them was an exquisitely made copper sword, crafted by a metalsmith in my employ named Girard. Dorian touched it reverently, then slipped it into a scabbard he fastened around his waist. While dangerous in and of itself, the sword possessed an extra threat because of Dorian's connection to the earth and its elements. He could infuse it with power. â€Å"Dorian †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated, afraid to ask my next question. â€Å"Have you ever heard of the Iron Crown?† â€Å"Of course.† He finished fastening the scabbard and glanced back up at me. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I ran into a woman named Masthera last night, who told me about it.† â€Å"Ah, Masthera,† he said fondly. â€Å"Every court should have a seeress. Her predictions are right about half the time – which is quite remarkable. You should see the farce of a seer they've got over in the Maple Land. I'd be humiliated to keep someone like that around.† â€Å"Hey, focus,† I chastised. â€Å"This Iron Crown. Masthera claims it could end the war. That by winning it and proving our – er, my – power, I could make Katrice back down.† The smile faded as Dorian frowned, looking deep in thought. â€Å"That's a very real possibility. And you could wear it, couldn't you?† A sense of wonder lit his words. â€Å"The iron wouldn't bother you. In legends, some shining ones could wear it through strength and force of will. But you'd need none of that. It'd just be in your nature.† I could hardly believe he was speaking about this seriously. â€Å"And you think she's right? This crown – with no power except a reputation – could end the war?† â€Å"Well, it's not the crown's reputation, exactly,† he said. â€Å"It's the reputation you gain by fighting the many obstacles to get it. Show you can do it, and you show your power.† It was similar to what Masthera had said. â€Å"If others have possessed it – â€Å" â€Å"Not for ages,† he interrupted. â€Å"Okay, even if it hasn't been for ages †¦ why would I have to quest for it? Wouldn't the last owner have just kept it around? Passed it through the family?† His smile came back. â€Å"It doesn't work that way. The crown won't stay with anyone unworthy. Once its owner passes, it returns to its home – a home that kills many who seek it.† â€Å"You didn't answer the earlier question,† I pointed out. â€Å"Could it end the war? Peacefully?† He sighed. â€Å"I don't know. Maybe. But as much as you fear me going out today †¦ I'd worry more about you going after this trinket.† I caught hold of his hand. â€Å"You wouldn't help?† I teased, though I still wasn't buying any of it. His free hand cupped my face. â€Å"I would if I could. And maybe I could. If the legends are true, you pass through iron fields to get to it. Hardly any of the shining ones could do that. I might be able to, with my abilities†¦. I'd stand a better chance than most.† I didn't like the tone of his voice. It sounded as though he was actually considering this. He might connect with the elements of the earth, but iron was still beyond him. â€Å"I could bring Volusian,† I said, wanting to distract him. â€Å"If something happens to him, no harm done, eh?† Dorian's face stayed serious. â€Å"No, the legends are quite clear. The Iron Crown's lair is blocked to the dead.† â€Å"Well, none of it matters,† I said. â€Å"The whole idea is ridiculous.† His face lightened, and he pressed a soft kiss to my lips. â€Å"Which is why I leave now.† My heart sank, knowing the inevitable had arrived. I hurriedly put on my jeans and shirt so that I could see him and the accompanying soldiers off. I knew the armies they would join were massive, but as he rode off toward the rising sun, his group seemed so frighteningly small. When he was out of my sight, I went to summon the rest of my own party. It was time for us to go home. Most had enjoyed their â€Å"night out,† but my mood that morning soon set the tone for our journey back. The one small comfort to my dark morning was that Jasmine hadn't gotten impregnated. Shaya assured me that my sister had never left her sight throughout the night and that Jasmine hadn't actually even tried anything sinister. She had simply been content to be away from my castle. Eyeing her tight iron cuffs and the chains that connected them, I felt a small pang of guilt. I quickly banished it. Those constraints had to stay. After that, it was time for another Tucson jump. I first summoned Volusian and sent him to Dorian's side, both for backup and later reports. I knew Dorian wouldn't welcome my minion, but his having a fighter that couldn't be killed would certainly make me feel better. Once that and other household affairs were settled, I went back to join humanity. The scene at my house was nearly the same as yesterday. A quiet morning, with Tim cooking in the kitchen. Only, today he was dolled up in full costume. â€Å"You're Lakota,† I said, once he'd recovered from the shock of my abrupt arrival. â€Å"What happened to Tlingit?† He shrugged. â€Å"The Tlingit are cool, but your average stereotype-loving tourist expects this.† He wore tassled buckskin pants and a long feathered headdress. His bare tanned chest looked like it had been oiled, and it had beaded necklaces hanging on it. Studying him, I reconsidered. He wasn't true Lakota either. Just some amalgamation of stereotypes, like he'd said. â€Å"Why are you dressed up so early? Morning commuters aren't going to stop for poetry slams.† â€Å"It's Saturday, Eug.† â€Å"Is it?† I asked, startled. My timing was all awry with my double life. â€Å"There's a cultural fest out by the university, just begging to hear my beautiful insights on nature.† He flipped some sunny-side up eggs onto a plate with a flourish. â€Å"A cultural – ?† I groaned. â€Å"Tim, the local tribes will be there. You know they'll try to beat you up again.† He flashed me a grin. â€Å"Be a pal. Come protect me.† â€Å"Can't. Too much stuff to do.† A knock at the back door astonished us both. We didn't get a lot of visitors. Hoping it wasn't a missionary, I opened the door and gaped at what I found. I couldn't have been more surprised if Katrice had come calling. It was Lara. She smiled at my shock. I almost never saw her in the flesh. She worked out of a home office, most of our correspondence being handled by phone and e-mail. â€Å"Come in,† I said, still amazed. She stepped into the kitchen, just as tiny, blond, and cute as I remembered. A big stack of papers was in her arms. â€Å"I don't like the looks of that.† â€Å"It's your – â€Å" Lara came to a halt when she saw Tim. Her eyes widened. He flipped his last egg onto a plate and glanced up at her. His eyes registered equal amazement. And in that charming, con-artist way of his, he instantly slipped into character. â€Å"A beautiful blossom has joined us, her petals brilliant and unfurled in the morning sun.† He was using his awful ‘How, white man' voice. Hastily, he pulled out a chair at the kitchen table. â€Å"Join us. We'll feast and enjoy Mother Earth's bounty together.† Dazed, Lara walked over to the table and sat down, unable to take her eyes off of him – his chest in particular. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"It is my honor to – shit! The cinnamon rolls!† Tim dove backward, grabbing a mitt and opening the oven, from which smoke was pouring out. Lara turned to me conspiratorially as he groaned about the state of his baked goods. â€Å"Eugenie, why is there a hot Native American chief cooking in your kitchen?† she whispered. â€Å"Well,† I said, suddenly realizing the two had never actually met. â€Å"He's neither a chief nor Native American. That's Tim.† â€Å"That's what – ?† Her baby blue eyes opened even wider. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Positive.† Tim meanwhile was scraping blackened bottoms off of his cinnamon rolls. He held one up for my inspection. â€Å"It's fine,† I said. He turned to Lara, putting his smile back on. â€Å"I beg your pardon a thousand times for this unworthy feast I must set before you. Such a delicate, beautiful creature like you deserves – â€Å" â€Å"Oh for God's sake,† I exclaimed. â€Å"Will you cut the bullshit, Tim? This is Lara.† â€Å"This is †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The cinnamon roll dropped off his spatula, back onto the pan. â€Å"Are you sure?† I sighed. Both seemed at a loss for what to say. Lara's mouth moved, no words coming out for several moments. Finally, she blurted out, â€Å"I brought tax paperwork.† Tim swallowed. â€Å"I †¦ That's pretty cool.† I moved past sighing or groaning. Now, I was fighting hitting my head against the table. â€Å"No, it's not. Can we get on with breakfast?† â€Å"I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tim finally recovered himself. â€Å"Sure. Of course.† He looked at Lara. â€Å"Do you like eggs and cinnamon rolls?† â€Å"I love eggs and cinnamon rolls.† He promptly built her a plate and handed it over. â€Å"Hey!† I said. He shot me a glare. â€Å"Be patient a sec. We have a guest. You should be more polite – especially since she went to the trouble of doing your taxes.† â€Å"I pay her to do my taxes.† Lara bit into a cinnamon roll. In his daze, Tim had forgotten to cut off the bottom. â€Å"This is the best thing I've ever tasted. How is this even possible?† She gave him a shy smile. â€Å"Good looks and cooking skills.† He smiled back, nearly dropping the plate he handed to me. â€Å"I have all sorts of skills.† â€Å"Oh my God,† I said. Until this moment, I'd thought nothing was more annoying than their phone bickering. I suddenly wished they'd get into an argument now. â€Å"Besides,† he added, joining us with his own food. â€Å"You've got mad tax skills. I could never do that.† â€Å"That's because you don't have an income or actually file taxes,† I said. â€Å"Hey,† he shot back. â€Å"Don't judge. You obviously can't do your own.† â€Å"I don't have to! That's why I pay someone.† With great effort, Lara managed to drag her eyes over to me and remember her job. â€Å"They're all done. I just need you to sign them. I wasn't sure you'd ‘get around to it' if I mailed them.† I nodded. As far as the federal government and state of Arizona were concerned, I was a self-employed contractor who did assorted home repairs. Which wasn't that far from the truth. â€Å"That was really nice of you,† said Tim. â€Å"Taking time out of your Saturday for that.† â€Å"I take my job seriously,† she replied. â€Å"Besides, I didn't have any other plans.† â€Å"Really?† He leaned forward. â€Å"Do you want to go over to the university's cultural festival with me? I'll be reading poetry there.† She gasped. â€Å"I would love that. I bet your people have some really amazing insights on the world.† â€Å"He's not – † I began. Lara turned back to me, her business face on. â€Å"Make sure you sign these while we're gone. And you know your schedule today, right? Three jobs?† â€Å"Yes, yes. While you guys are out slumming with college kids, I'll be fighting for my life.† Tim stood up and set his barely touched plate on the counter. â€Å"We can go whenever you're ready.† She handed him her equally untouched plate. â€Å"I'm ready now. Just let me run to the bathroom first.† The instant she was gone, Tim turned on me. â€Å"Why didn't you tell me she was so nice? All this time, you've let me think she was a total bitch.† â€Å"I've told you a hundred times she wasn't a bitch! You're the one who decided that, after talking to her on the phone. You only think she's nice now because you've seen her and want to get her into bed!† Tim gave me a grave look. â€Å"Eugenie, that is not the kind of woman you have a one-night stand with. She's a goddess among women.† â€Å"Unbelievable,† I said. When Lara returned, I noticed she was wearing lipstick and had neatened her hair. â€Å"All set.† I scowled at the dirty plates Tim had left on the counter. â€Å"Don't forget to do the dishes when you get back!† I called as they headed out the door. â€Å"Don't forget to earn a living while we're gone!† he called back. â€Å"This mortgage doesn't pay itself.† â€Å"Neither do you,† I muttered. But they were already gone, lost in the throes of infatuation. Considering all the things that had happened in my life, you'd think nothing could surprise me anymore. Clearly, I was wrong. Turning around, I set to washing the dishes myself, deciding that kicking some supernatural ass was exactly what I needed.