Amazon vs. Borders Books Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Amazon versus Fringes Books - Essay Example Having seen the colossal developments of Borders, Kmart gained it in 1992 and renamed the organization name as Border Group. It began global development during the last times of 1990’s and began its first worldwide office in Singapore in 1997. Along these lines the organization was extended to numerous different abroad nations and was fit as a fiddle till 2004. Be that as it may, it began to confront numerous issues from 2004 onwards and right now one the skirt of devastation. It declared financial insolvency suit for shutting down its 200 stores in 2011. Examination of the administration moves toward each organization took to Internet showcasing and deals Amazon planned numerous procedures to save the guests for longer periods in its site. They knew about the way that investing more energy by surfers in their site may expand their deals. They did everything conceivable to tie up the guests in their site. Since dominant part of the web surfers are young people, Amazon concentr ated more in providing food the necessities of the youngsters while they visit Amazon’s site. To put it plainly, Amazon’s web promoting procedures were fundamentally founded on the adolescent network. Promoting, E-retailing, Channeling, , Affiliation, Franchising, Subscription and so on were a portion of the web advertising approaches created and executed by Amazon the executives for misusing the market openings. Then again, Borders submitted such a large number of vital bumbles which carried numerous difficulties to the presence of the organization. For instance, â€Å"Borders made a significant key blunder in 2001 when it gave off its online business to Amazon†(Wahba, 2011). Rather than abusing the open doors in online business, Borders attempted to avoid it. They thought... The paper Amazon versus Fringes Books discusses the action and rivalry of two biggest book shops on the planet. The paper breaks down why in various circumstances one of them was fruitful and the other one was a disappointment. Amazon.com is at present one of the highest online book shops on the planet. It was begun in the mid-1990s and was not productive in the initial scarcely any years. In any case, with creative business procedures, it conquered the underlying difficulties and turned into the pioneer in web based bookselling. Then again, Borders Books was the second biggest book retailer in America. It was begun in 1971. Until 2004, Borders confronted little issues and was running productive. In any case, after 2004, it began to confront numerous administration and business issues which constrained them to petition for Chapter 11 of every 2011. The administration of Amazon adjusted superbly to the changing economic situations while Borders neglected to do as such. While Amazon rushed to understand the open doors in online business, Borders neglected to remember it. Amazon has acquainted client cordial sites with draw in the online clients though Borders depended intensely on the capacities of deals staff in selling their books from its store. Amazon delivered inventive sites with the assistance of present day innovations to discuss successfully with the clients. Intelligent parts were a portion of the offices accessible in amazon sites. Fringes remained totally away from its online clients and it was a significant bumble submitted by the organization.

Aids Attitudes Among Pharmacy Students Health And Social Care Essay Free Essays

Since the time the main case of HIV was perceived in 1981, HIV has spread over the landmasses to recognize itself as the most aspiring ailment to order. AIDS ( AIDS ) is portrayed as ‘pandemic ‘ of twenty-first century and Fiji island has non had the option to rescue itself from it. As of February 2009, there were 294 affirmed occurrences of HIV positive patients however no investigation of what number of formed into AIDS was given. We will compose a custom paper test on Helps Attitudes Among Pharmacy Students Health And Social Care Essay or then again any comparative point just for you Request Now Contrasted with universal figure of occurrences, Fiji was positioned 137 with commonness of 0.1 % ( ref ) . In Fiji, AIDS speaks to a status which will take to expire and can be simple be transmitted. Regardless of health exposure and awareness by Ministry of wellbeing ( Fiji ) , open position AIDS with a degratory disposition which non only influences people groups perceptual experience, however next to patients experiencing HIV mediation. Wellbeing consideration experts play a basic capacity in bearing of AIDS patient and understanding their disposition towards AIDS quiet is of significant concern. Drug specialist being the provider of pharmaceutical consideration, it must be assumed that demeanor of a drug specialist ought to be of no preference or predisposition as they are providing regard for a patient. Despite the fact that pharmacists in retail and open division exchange with HIV patients on everyday balance, there is lack of writing measuring demeanor of pharmacist or pharma ceutics students towards AIDS. Along these lines, motivation behind this examination is to investigate disposition towards AIDS among drug store understudies at Fiji School of Medicine. Besides, heft of the pharmaceutics understudies in south Pacific are prepared at Fiji School of Medicine ( FSM, presently Fiji National University, College of Health logical order ) . Drug store students are chosen for this examination in light of the fact that at last they will be called for consideration of AIDS or related miracles after they completed their program. Henceforth, this study will help to actualize any approach changes that might be expected to consolidate among pharmaceutics understudies through organizations of wellbeing exposure and guidance through course of study. Foundation Social sigma towards AIDS persistent has been of significant worry in South Pacific and it has appeared to affect heading and mentality of patient towards mediation orchestrating to study led by Pacific Islands AIDS establishment. Issue of sigma non just exist in Fiji, however close to in states around the Earth. In 1987, World Health Organization ( WHO ) grouped AIDS epidermics in three phase which incorporated the plague of HIV, the scourge of AIDS, and the pandemic of disgrace, preference, and refusal. The last part is the most hard of AIDS epiderminc. Blending to Peter Piot, official director of UNAIDS discovered AIDS related sigma is the most ‘continuing challenge ‘ that is by all accounts affecting the universe. Besides, inadequacy of methodological instruments and research in AIDS related sigma composite and differing. The best strategy used to demonstrate mentality was created by in Health Psychology journal and was in this manner approved in 1997. It was named AIDS Attitude Scale ( AAS ) which contained 15 focuses painstakingly chose through their examination and was more remote partition into 3 subscales viz. Dread of infectious ailment, Professional resistance and negative feelings. To thwart any cultural attractive answers by members, focuses from Crowne-Marlowe Social Desirability ( ref ) was sprinkled with the focuses. Due to ever-expanded interest for pharmaceutical consideration, more pharmacists are not out of the ordinary clinical way of patients. Along these lines, it happens to import to dissect disposition of pharmaceutics students towards infections exceptionally socially delicate AIDS. Orchestrating to break down done by Edward Krupat, pharmaceutics students demonstrated negative disposition towards AIDS understanding on infectious malady, feeling and expert restriction graduated tables which other than suggested change in guidance program over the span of study. In any case, no surveies of such nature has non been done on pharmaceutics understudies in Fiji. It is fascinating to break down mentality and partner it to free factors, for example, sexual orientation and age and occur if any affiliation exists. System Study Design Enlightening study. Study will other than look to relate factors which might be connected with constructive and adverse disposition towards individuals with AIDS. Study territory/setting Fiji School of Medicine Study Participants Drug store understudies from mature ages 1 †4 selected Bachelors of Pharmacy or Diploma in Pharmacy program in twelvemonth 2011. Test Size Roughly 80 †100. Test size may change as it is obscure what number of students will come in twelvemonth 1 of every 2011 and the individuals who may go out pharmaceutics program. Examining method Delineated testing will be utilized in light of the fact that basic element of the examples will be understudies who will be taken a crack at Bachelors in Pharmacy or Diploma in Pharmacy program in 2011. Information Management Information accumulation instruments, methods and program Helps Attitude Scale ( AAS ) will be utilized to mensurate disposition of pharmaceutics understudies towards AIDS. It is a 15 point instrument produced for clinical and nursing students by for mensurating demeanor towards AIDS. ASS has been effectively utilized in arranged looks into to mensurate demeanor and has been reliable and there has non been any surveies definitive to picture uncertainness in ASS. For this exploration, AAS will be changed over into a signifier of sense of self regulated survey and disseminated to pharmaceutics students. Facts Entry Information will be go into SPSS. Information examination/Design of investigation signifier Reactions from 1-3 will be arranged to bespeak disagreement with every one of the 15 focuses. Closeness, reactions from 4-6 will be arranged to bespeak understanding with every one of the 15 focuses. Factual techniques/investigation Arranged informations ( for example dispute and comprehension ) will be determined of its per centum, against every 15 focuses in the undermentioned table configuration. Things N n= oppose this idea n=agree Infection Subscale Helps makes my occupation a high danger business Regardless of all I think about how AIDS is transmitted. I ‘m still scared of getting it. I would non want my child to make a trip to class with a child with AIDS I would eat in an eating house where I realize the gourmet specialist has AIDS In any event, following thorough disease control step, almost certainly, I would go septic with HIV, on the off chance that I were working with AIDS patients over an extensive stretch of clasp Proficient Resistance Subscale I would rather work with a superior class of individuals than AIDS patients I would want to make reference to people with AIDS to my expert collaborators Given a pick. I would favor non to work with AIDS patients I would see modifying my expert forte/position in the event that it got important to work with AIDS patients It is ideal to build up a couple of specializers who might be liable for the intercession of AIDS patients I do n’t want those at higher danger for AIDS, for example, IV tranquilize clients and homophiles, as patients Negative Emotions Subscale I now and again think that its hard to be thoughtful to AIDS patients I would encounter angry if AIDS patients represented a significant bit of my caseload I every now and again have delicate, concerned affections for individuals with AIDS I feel irate about the risk of AIDS which homophiles have forced on the sequential network a ) Dependability of the graduated table will be tried by computing Cronbach ‘s alpha and recorded in the undermentioned even cluster Steadfastness Statisticss Cronbach ‘s Alpha N of Items .022 4 Second segment of investigation will be Pearson ‘s Chi squared preliminary to examine any relationship between Contagion, Professional Resistance and negative feelings subscale against sexual orientation or twelvemonth of the student. Index I. Survey The most effective method to refer to Aids Attitudes Among Pharmacy Students Health And Social Care Essay, Essay models

Worthy

Worthy I often feel unworthy. I face this feeling when I write about serious topics. I question whether I’m qualified to write about certain subjects, conjuring a tornado of negative thoughts: I’m not perfect. I’m not a Zen master. I’m not Dr. Nicodemus. I’m not worthy. I could blame my upbringing for my psychological defect: I wasn’t encouraged to be more than I was; however, I clearly remember being told what I wasn’t. Whenever I catch myself inside this whirlwind of negative thought, I recognize what I’m doing and redirect my self-talk toward a more positive direction. Instead of what I’m not, I focus on what I am: I am kind. I am genuine. I am adding value. I am worthy. Our level of self-worth is directly affected by the rules we’ve built for ourselves. If you have a rule for yourself that says, “I am not a baker if I don’t own a bakery,” then guess what: you’re not going to feel worthy enough to call yourself a baker until you open a bakery. Most of our internal rules have been shaped by years of reinforcement. That doesn’t mean we must live by those rules for the rest of our lives, though. When we catch ourselves feeling unworthy, we should look for the rule we’ve established that makes us feel this way. Regardless of what we’ve done in our pasts, we still get to decide our own levels of self-worth based on the rules we’ve established. As long as you are living up to those rules, you are worthy. Read this essay and 150 others in our new book, Essential.

To Kill A Mockingbird Analysis Essay - 1301 Words

To ‘Kill a Mockingbird’ is a fairly long, complex novel that encompasses a wide range of issues and universal themes. Accordingly, Harper Lee’s highly acknowledged ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ emphasises the importance of people in positions of privilege to stand up and resist systemic discrimination in order to protect the innocent. Lee has fictionalised the infinitesimal county of Maycomb, a town set in the plot of her Pulitzer prize winning book. This piece of golden fiction is narrated through Jean Louise â€Å"Scout† Finch, a girl whose naivety increasingly declines as the story progresses; furthermore, her sense of morality. Her father, Atticus Finch is a lawyer who upholds high moral standards. Atticus was given the position to defend Tom†¦show more content†¦Less significant character relationships include Miss Maudie, Mrs Dubose, Boo Radley etc. Atticus is a strong-willed believer in standing up for your own beliefs and distinguish ing the difference between right and wrong. His relationship with Scout impacts the audience significantly as readers are narrated the story through Scout’s naà ¯ve eyes, evoking a more emotional aspect between Scout and Atticus. Atticus simply wants the best for his kids and for them to cultivate accepting the different cultures that Maycomb has to offer. This is clearly demonstrated in Chapter 9. â€Å"’If you shouldn’t be defendin’ him, then why are you doin’ it?’ ‘For a number of reasons’...’The main one is, if I didn’t I couldn’t hold up my head in town, I couldn’t represent this country in the legislature, I couldn’t even tell you or Jem not to do something again’...’every lawyer gets at least one case in his lifetime that affects him personally’† (page 81-82). Despite Atticus’ hesitation with the case, he accepts the indictment and the consequences tha t follows. Atticus is aware that if he didn’t take the case he would be perceived as heartless and ultimately racist, contrary to this, the characters in the novel felt sympathetic towards him for having to deal with this trial. â€Å"..do one thing for me if you will: you just hold your head high and keep those fits down. No matter what anybody says to you, don’t let ‘em get your goat. Try fighting with your head for aShow MoreRelatedTo Kill a Mockingbird Character Analysis Essay763 Words   |  4 PagesEssay Prompt: In a 1-2 page character analysis, explain what makes Atticus such a good parent, using quotes and evidence from the text to back up your claims. The Most Memorial Parent In 2003, the American Film Institute chose Atticus Finch, a respectful, dignity attorney from To Kill a Mockingbird, as the greatest hero in 100 years of film history. Harper Lee published To Kill a Mockingbird in the 1960s and it immediately received huge acclaims from readers throughout the world. In the novelRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Academic Analysis Essay1404 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The worst sin of all†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The academic analysis of the discrimination, racism, and prejudice in To Kill a Mockingbird. Extra, Extra, read all about it! Negro Tom Robinson get what he deserves! Now that peoples attention has been grabbed, lets talk about To Kill A Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. To Kill a Mockingbird (or TKAM) is set in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama in the 1930s. It follows the adventures of Jean Louise ,or better known as Scout, and her older brother Jem. They encounter a boyRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Analysis Essay805 Words   |  4 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird is a mix between unjust, and just ways of life in an old town in Alabama called Maycomb that takes a twist into a court case that creates a racist and deadly argument. Harper Lee, a book writer with lots of thought and creativity produces a now, award winning book that she considers to be a simple love story that has transformed into a masterpiece. (Cover copy) To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the town of Maycomb with a small population full of big personalities. â€Å"KillingRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Analysis Essay1431 Words   |  6 Pageseveryone judges their surroundings and the people living in it through a secret lens. Since the beginning of time racism has occurred, but during the Great Depression this lens was most clear to all. This goes hand in hand with the story of â€Å"To Kill a Mockingbird†, written by Harper Lee. This book is based on Lee’s childhood during the Depression. Some of the characters in the story are portrayed in her actual life; Atticus is based off her father who was also a lawyer, Dill was in reference of her friendRead MoreEssay To Kill a Mockingbird: An Analysis of Discrimination893 Words   |  4 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird: An Analysis of Discrimination The most important theme of the 1960 Pulitzer Prize winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird is author Harper Lee’s tenacious exploration of the moral nature of people. Lee tenaciously explores the moral nature of human beings, especially the struggle in every human soul between discrimination and tolerance. The novel is very effective in not only revealing prejudice, but in examining the nature of prejudice, how it works, and its consequencesRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Character Analysis Essay711 Words   |  3 Pages In Harper Lee’s novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, she writes about what it’s like to live in a small town around the 1930s. Lee tells the story of life in the town of Maycomb through the eyes of an innocent girl named Scout. Scout and her brother, Jem, go through many events together over the three years that the book takes place such as meeting Dill, getting presents from Boo Radley, learning about the people in their neighborhood, and going to s chool, just to name a few. By using a child as the narratorRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Character Analysis Essay869 Words   |  4 PagesTo Kill a Mockingbird, written by Harper Lee, is a book that takes place in Maycomb, Alabama. It is about a young girl, Scout, and her brother, Jem, learn about the racial and social ranks in society at the time of the Great Depression through struggle and events that occur throughout the book. To convey this theme, the book focuses on the trial of a black man accused of and mistreated due to the white supremacy at that time. The book also focuses on the story of a misunderstood man named Boo RadleyRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird: Analysis of Atticus Essay863 Words   |  4 Pages Throughout Harper Lee’s novel To Kill a Mockingbird, it seems as if Atticus Finch is a failure as both a parent and a lawyer. However, somebody with a good understanding of the novel will realise that Atticus is in fact a terrific lawyer and a superb father. However, like all people, Atticus has his flaws. Throughout Scout and Jem’s childhoods, their father Atticus was always there for them. Atticus always made sure he made time to talk to his children and teach them valuable life skills. AtticusRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Character Analysis Essay791 Words   |  4 Pagespages of To Kill a Mockingbird, created masterfully by Harper Lee. From a rousing court case to a reclusive neighbor, challenging situations wait at every turn. How individuals handle these circumstances depends on their qualities. Lee portrays many diverse characters in this novel. While some become uncertain and crumble under the pressure of tough situations, others force themselves unfalteringly through. Some measure up, but others fall short. Although many characters presented in To Kill a MockingbirdRead MoreTo Kill A Mockingbird Character Analysis Essay889 Words   |  4 PagesTO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD ESSAY Audience: People who have read To Kill A Mockingbird. Purpose: To get readers to understand that although Mayella is guilty of causing an innocent man’s death, she still deserves some sympathy. Suddenly Mayella became articulate. I got somethin to say, she said. Atticus raised his head. Do you want to tell us what happened? But she did not hear the compassion in his invitation. Is Mayella a character for whom we should feel compassion? In Harper Lee’s To Kill a

Definitions and Examples of Debates

Broadly defined, a debate is a discussion involving opposing claims:  an argument. The word comes from Old French, meaning to beat. Its also known (in classical rhetoric) as  contentio. More specifically, a debate is a regulated contest in which two opposing sides defend and attack a proposition. Parliamentary debate is an academic event held at many schools, colleges, and universities. Debate Examples and Observations In several senses, there is no correct way to debate. Standards, and even rules, differ between—and sometimes within—communities...There are at least eight distinct college debate organizations with their own rules and styles of debate. (Gary Alan Fine, Gifted Tongues: High School Debate and Adolescent Culture. Princeton University Press, 2001) Skilled political debaters will first present their overall theme in the introductory statement if the opportunity to make such a statement is allowed in the debate format being used. Then they will reinforce it with answers to as many specific questions as possible. Finally, they will return to it in their concluding statement.(Judith S. Trent and Robert Friedenberg, Political Campaign Communication: Principles and Practices, 6th ed. Rowman Littlefield, 2008) Argumentation and Debate Argumentation is the process whereby humans use reason to communicate claims to one another. . . .Argumentation is useful in activities like negotiation and conflict resolution because it can be used to help people find ways to resolve their differences. But in some of these situations, differences cannot be resolved internally and an outside adjudicator must be called. These are the situations that we call debate. Thus, according to this view, debate is defined as the process of arguing about claims in situations where the outcome must be decided by an adjudicator.​ (The Debatabase Book. International Debate Education Association, 2009) How to argue is something people are taught. You learn it by watching other people, at the breakfast table, or in school, or on TV, or, lately, online. It’s something you can get better at, with practice, or worse at, by imitating people who do it badly.  More formal debate follows established rules and standards of evidence. For centuries, learning how to argue was the centerpiece of a liberal-arts education. (Malcolm X studied that kind of debate while he was in prison. Once my feet got wet, he said, I was gone on debating.) Etymologically and historically, the artes liberales are the arts acquired by people who are free, or liber. Debating, like voting, is a way for people to disagree without hitting one another or going to war: it’s the key to every institution that makes civic life possible, from courts to legislatures. Without debate, there can be no self-government.​ (Jill Lepore, The State of Debate. The New Yorker, September 19, 2016) Evidence in Debates Debate teaches cutting-edge  research skills. Because the quality of an argument often depends on the strength of the supporting evidence, debaters quickly learn to find the best evidence. This means going beyond run-of-the-mill Internet sources to government hearings, law reviews, professional journal articles, and book-length treatments of subjects. Debaters learn how to evaluate study methodology and source credibility...Debaters also learn how to process massive amounts of data into usable argument briefs. Argument briefs bring together the strongest logical reasons and evidence supporting various positions. The ability to gather and organize evidence into logical units is a skill that is treasured by business makers, government policy-makers, legal practitioners, scientists, and educators.​ (Richard E. Edwards, Competitive Debate: The Official Guide. Alpha Books, 2008) U.S. Presidential Debates American doesnt really have presidential debates. Instead, we have joint appearances where candidates recite talking points in settings so carefully controlled by party apparatchiks that the only real wrangling is over the height of the lecterns and the temperature of the drinking water. As with so many other aspects of the political process, debates that should be enlightening, perhaps even transformational, are instead stage-managed to satisfy the demands of power brokers with money and connections rather than the needs of democracy.​ (John Nichols, Open the Debates! The Nation, September 17, 2012)Thats what were missing. Were missing argument. Were missing debate. Were missing colloquy. Were missing all sorts of things. Instead, were accepting.​ (Studs Terkel) Women and Debates Following Oberlin Colleges admission of women in 1835, they were grudgingly permitted to have  rhetorical preparation in elocution, composition, criticism, and argument. Lucy Stone and Antoinette Brown helped to organize the first womens debating society there, for women were banned from public speaking in their rhetoric classroom because of its mixed audience status.​ (Beth Waggenspack, Women Emerge as Speakers: Nineteenth-Century Transformations of Womens Role in the Public Area. The Rhetoric of Western Thought, 8th ed., by James L. Golden et al. Kendall/Hunt, 2003) Online Debates Debate is a maneuver where learners are divided onto opposing sides, generally as teams, to discuss a contentious issue. Learners are afforded the opportunity to improve their analytic and communication skills by formulating ideas, defending positions, and critiquing counter positions. Historically, a debate is a structured activity; however, online media permit a wider range of designs for online debates, from an inflexibly structured exercise to a process with minimal structure. When an online debate is more rigid, step-by-step instructions are provided for debate and defense, as in a formal face-to-face debate. When online debate is designed with less structure, it operates as an online discussion concerning a controversial issue.​ (Chih-Hsiung Tu, Online Collaborative Learning Communities. Libraries Unlimited, 2004) The Lighter Side of Debates Ms. Dubinsky: Wed like you to join our debate team.Lisa Simpson: We have a debate team?Ms. Dubinsky: Its the only extracurricular activity that doesnt require any equipment.Principal Skinner: Because of budget cuts, we had to improvise. Ralph Wiggum will be your lectern.​ (To Surveil, with Love, The Simpsons, 2010)

Should Women Participate in Politics Free Essays

Do you agree or disagree that women should participate in politics? Opinion Essay Whether the women should participate in politics or not is debatable. We see that at the turn of the 21st century, almost every country in the world provides the right for women to participate in politics. Women make up half of the population of every country in the world, they can vote and support candidates. We will write a custom essay sample on Should Women Participate in Politics or any similar topic only for you Order Now But despite of these facts, they are not well represented in politics, in contrast to men. As Amon Karagara (2008) mentioned â€Å"The worldwide average percentage of women in national parliaments is only 16%†. It is often said that women face more difficulties than men in politics. As well as politics shows the fact of predominance of men, it also includes some problems to women with health, the difficulty of creating a strong family and even life-threatening. The first reason why women should not participate in politics is taking care of their health, because stress that they experience from taking part in politics supports a variety of diseases. It is true that women are tempted to crying. The Health Magazine agrees with this point, saying, â€Å"In women, the part of the brain that deals with stress is linked to the area that controls hormones, which is not the case in men. That means that women tend to exhibit more physical symptoms from stress than men†. Also women stand political pressures harder. Stress affects every bodily system or body part. So, participation in politics is actually bad for a women health. Another reason related to difficulties of creation a family. We know that the most significant professions for women are wifehood and motherhood. If woman becomes a politician, she will have some difficulties with creating a good family. Every year politicians leave their children because of business trips. Some of them move their families with them to different places, but it is very hard for children to change atmosphere too often, and also it interferes with their learning. We all know that motherhood is a wonder with a lot of joys and challenges. And the role of women is confined to dedicate most of their energy to parenting and taking care of the home. Another reason related to difficulties of creation a family. Every year politicians leave their children because of business trips. Some of them move their families with them to different places, but it is very hard for children to change atmosphere too often, and also it interferes with their learning. From my point of view, the most significant professions for women are wifehood and motherhood. If woman becomes a politician, she will have some difficulties with creating a good family. We all know that motherhood is a wonder with a lot of joys and challenges. And the role of women is confined to dedicate most of their energy to parenting and taking care of the home. The last reason for women not to be a politician is danger for their lives. There are a lot of sudden attacks for political reasons. In the modern world, the killing of important people involves with struggle for power. Most modern murders have been committed either during a public performance because of weaker security. So, to consider all these things, a lot of women have come a long way into a male dominated world but it isn’t right because firstly the woman must be woman. Modern women are beginning to become politicians, directors in business companies. But what comes to mind when we think about the word â€Å"politics†? The popular political figures who are mostly male. Nowadays, some women compete for men in positions that were traditionally for men. Nevertheless, the best women’s purpose is motherhood. The best thing a girl can be is a good wife and mother. How to cite Should Women Participate in Politics, Papers

Should Women Participate in Politics Free Essays

Do you agree or disagree that women should participate in politics? Opinion Essay Whether the women should participate in politics or not is debatable. We see that at the turn of the 21st century, almost every country in the world provides the right for women to participate in politics. Women make up half of the population of every country in the world, they can vote and support candidates. We will write a custom essay sample on Should Women Participate in Politics or any similar topic only for you Order Now But despite of these facts, they are not well represented in politics, in contrast to men. As Amon Karagara (2008) mentioned â€Å"The worldwide average percentage of women in national parliaments is only 16%†. It is often said that women face more difficulties than men in politics. As well as politics shows the fact of predominance of men, it also includes some problems to women with health, the difficulty of creating a strong family and even life-threatening. The first reason why women should not participate in politics is taking care of their health, because stress that they experience from taking part in politics supports a variety of diseases. It is true that women are tempted to crying. The Health Magazine agrees with this point, saying, â€Å"In women, the part of the brain that deals with stress is linked to the area that controls hormones, which is not the case in men. That means that women tend to exhibit more physical symptoms from stress than men†. Also women stand political pressures harder. Stress affects every bodily system or body part. So, participation in politics is actually bad for a women health. Another reason related to difficulties of creation a family. We know that the most significant professions for women are wifehood and motherhood. If woman becomes a politician, she will have some difficulties with creating a good family. Every year politicians leave their children because of business trips. Some of them move their families with them to different places, but it is very hard for children to change atmosphere too often, and also it interferes with their learning. We all know that motherhood is a wonder with a lot of joys and challenges. And the role of women is confined to dedicate most of their energy to parenting and taking care of the home. Another reason related to difficulties of creation a family. Every year politicians leave their children because of business trips. Some of them move their families with them to different places, but it is very hard for children to change atmosphere too often, and also it interferes with their learning. From my point of view, the most significant professions for women are wifehood and motherhood. If woman becomes a politician, she will have some difficulties with creating a good family. We all know that motherhood is a wonder with a lot of joys and challenges. And the role of women is confined to dedicate most of their energy to parenting and taking care of the home. The last reason for women not to be a politician is danger for their lives. There are a lot of sudden attacks for political reasons. In the modern world, the killing of important people involves with struggle for power. Most modern murders have been committed either during a public performance because of weaker security. So, to consider all these things, a lot of women have come a long way into a male dominated world but it isn’t right because firstly the woman must be woman. Modern women are beginning to become politicians, directors in business companies. But what comes to mind when we think about the word â€Å"politics†? The popular political figures who are mostly male. Nowadays, some women compete for men in positions that were traditionally for men. Nevertheless, the best women’s purpose is motherhood. The best thing a girl can be is a good wife and mother. How to cite Should Women Participate in Politics, Papers

Univerzitet u Beogradu , Filoloski fakultet Essays -

Univerzitet u Beogradu , Filoloski fakultet Spanski jezik , knjizevnost i kultura Spanski jezik 1 R ezime teksta Dr Ana Kuzmanovic Beograd , decembar 2016. Uvod Udzbenik Svet hispanistike napisan je 2011. godine kako bi se u velikoj meri studentima hispanistike olaksalo upoznavanje sa kulturom i civilizacijom spanskog govornog podrucja. Autori udzbenika kazu da ova knjiga ima ambiciju da predstavlja neku vrstu vodica kroz svet hispanistike. Mi cemo se u ovom rezimeu fokusirati na spanski jezik, podrucje na kom se koristi i njegove dijalekte i varijante. Jezik Iz cinjenica navedenih u tekstu, mozemo videti da spanski jezik ili katiljanski (el castellano) spada u velike jezike savremenog sveta i da se govori sirom planete. Zvanican je jezik u Spaniji, zemljama Hispanske Amerike i Ekvatorijalne Gvineje. Spada u grupu romanskih jezika i potice od narodnog govornog latinskog (latin vulgar) koji se govorio na Iberijskom poluostrvu za vreme rimske okupacije. Jedan od jezika koji je najvise uticao na razvoj spanskog jezika je arapski, koji je obogatio spanski recnik u raznim oblastima. Upravo tom periodu, izmedju desetog i trinaestog veka,se kastiljanski konsolidovao kao jezik. Kastiljanski jezik se nametnuo kao jezik Spanije zbog jacanja Kastilje i prevlasti nad ostalim kraljevinama. Danas su jezici tih kraljevina ostali u tragovima u vidu sledecih dijalekata: leonski (leones) asturijski (asturiano) aragonski (aragones) andaluzijski (andaluz) Iako je zvanicni jezik u mnogim zemljama, u govornom jeziku se primecuju velike razlike, pogotovo u zemljama Hispanske Amerike. Zato dolazi do pojava varijanata. Postoje razlicite varijante od kojih su meksicke, argentinske, kubanske i filipinske, kao i ladino, jezik Jevreja Sefarda. U ovim varijantama dolazi do mesanja drugih jezika i kultura okolnih zemalja i naroda sa spanskim jezikom. Autor ovog poglavlja nam u ovom tekstu daje do znanja da jezik mora da ispunjava sledecih pet kriterijuma da bi se smatrao svetskim jezikom: Kohezija Jezik mora da bude razumljiv i da stvara poruku na koherentnom jezickom kodeksu. Zajednistvo Treba da postoji velika zajednica kojoj je taj jezik maternji. Kultura Mora biti povezan sa kulturom i knjizevnoscu koja prevazilazi granice govornog podrucja. Kolonizacija Smatra se da svetski jezici pripadaju narodima koju putuju i osvajaju nove prostore. Trgovina Trgovina omogucava komunikaciju sa drugim narodima. Spanski jezik ispunjava svih pet uslova i njegov uticaj raste sa razvojem kulture i brojnim emigracijama. Dolazimo do jos jedne podele jezika: Medjunarodni jezik - jezik koji se govori u nekoliko zemalja Lingva franka - jezik koji je sredstvo komunikacije ljudi koji imaju razliciti maternji jezik Univerzalni jezik -poseduje odlike oba navedena jezika, ali i usvojen je od strane razlicitih naroda na razlicitim prostorima Jezicka situacija u Spaniji i spanski jezik danas Zvanicni jezik Spanije je kastiljanski ili spanski, medjutim u ustavu Spanije, jezici autonomnih zajednica su takodje prihvaceni. To su: Baskijski (el euskera) Govori se u podrucju Baskije i jedini je jezik koji ne pripada grupi romanskih jezika. Njegovo poreklo je nepoznato. Postoje spekulacije o njegovom poreklu, ali nijedna nije potvrdjena. Galisijski (el gallego) Nastao je od narodnog govornog latinskog jezika i vodi poreklo od galisijko-portugalskog. Zajedno sa spanskim je postao zvanicni jezik Galisije 1981. godine. Katalonski (el catalan) Pripada grupi romanskih jezika. Varijanta katalonskog je valensijski jezik koji se koristi u vecem delu Valensije. Spanski ustav podjednako ceni sve varijante spanskog jezika i one se vode kao kulturna bastina. Varijante jezika se stite pomocu statuta koje raspisuju autonomne pokrajine. Katalonski, galisijski i baskijski su od 2005. godine u upotrebi pri skupovima Evropske unije, sto govori o njihovoj vaznosti i priznatosti. Iako postoji dosta varijanti spanskog, sve su na neki nacin srodne normiranom jeziku, te se govornici razlicitih varijanti i dalje lako razumeju. Autor se u daljem tekstu pita odakle potice prevlast kastiljanskog nad ostalim varijetetima. Bitan faktor jeste istorija i period rekonkiste, kada se Kastija na celu sa kraljicom Izabelom istakla kao pokretac borbe protiv Muslimana i mecena Kristoferu Kolumbu, zahvaljujuci cijim otkricima je Kastilja zagospodarila novim prostranstvima i ucvrstila politicku i jezicku dominaciju u Spaniji. Danas spanski jezik govori kao maternji ili koristi u sluzbene svrhe preko 440 miliona ljudi. Spanski se govori na teritoriji Spanije, Ekvatorijalne Gvineje, u jednom delu Sahare, Severnoj, Srednjoj, Juznoj Americi (sem Brazila i Gvajane) i delovima SAD-a. Spanski jezik je cetvrti na svetu po broju govornika. (Soldatic, Donic, 2011: 47,48) Prva gramatika spanskog jezika napisana je 1492. godine od strane Antonija de Nebrihe. Dalje normiranje i negu jedinstva gramatike, fonetike i recnika nastavila je Spanska kraljevska akademija (Real Academia Espanola) osnovana 1713. godine. Nova gramatika spanskog jezika uvazava

100 Mostly Small But Expressive Interjections

100 Mostly Small But Expressive Interjections 100 Mostly Small But Expressive Interjections 100 Mostly Small But Expressive Interjections By Mark Nichol They often seem disreputable, like sullen idlers loitering in a public thoroughfare, but they actually do a lot of hard work and are usually persnickety about the tasks to which they are put. They are interjections one class of them, anyway: those lacking etymological origins but packed with meaning. But how do you know how to distinguish similar ones or spell them, for that matter? Here’s an incomplete inventory of interjections (not including variations of actual words such as yeah for yes or onomatopoeic echoes of externally produced sounds like boom): Ack communicates disgust or dismissal. Ah can denote positive emotions like relief or delight (generally, pronounced with a long a). Aha signals triumph or surprise, or perhaps derision. Ahem is employed to gain attention. Argh, often drawn out with additional h’s, is all about frustration. Aw can be dismissive or indicative of disappointment, or, when drawn out, expressive of sympathy or adoration. Aye denotes agreement. Bah is dismissive. Blah communicates boredom or disappointment. Blech (or bleah or bleh) implies nausea. Boo is an exclamation to provoke fright. Boo-hoo is imitative of crying and is derisive. Boo-ya (with several spelling variants) is a cry of triumph. Bwah-hah-hah (variously spelled, including mwah-hah-hah) facetiously mimics the stereotypical archvillain’s triumphant laugh. D’oh is the spelling for the muttering accompanying Homer Simpson’s trademark head-slapping self-abuse. Duh derides someone who seems dense. Eek indicates an unpleasant surprise. Eh, with a question mark, is a request for repetition or confirmation of what was just said; without, it is dismissive. Er (sometimes erm) plays for time. Ew denotes disgust, intensified by the addition of one or more e’s and/or w’s. Feh (and its cousin meh) is an indication of feeling underwhelmed or disappointed. Gak is an expression of disgust or distaste. Ha expresses joy or surprise, or perhaps triumph. Ha-ha (with possible redoubling) communicates laughter or derision. Hamana-hamana, variously spelled, and duplicated as needed, implies speechless embarrassment. Hardy-har-har, or har-har repeated as needed, communicates mock amusement. Hee-hee is a mischievous laugh, while its variants heh and heh-heh (and so on) can have a more derisive connotation. Hey can express surprise or exultation, or can be used to request repetition or call for attention. Hist signals the desire for silence. Hm, extended as needed, suggests curiosity, confusion, consternation, or skepticism. Hmph (also hrmph or humph) indicates displeasure or indignation. Ho-ho is expressive of mirth, or (along with its variant oh-ho) can indicate triumph of discovery. Ho-hum signals indifference or boredom. Hubba-hubba is the vocal equivalent of a leer. Huh (or hunh) is a sign of disbelief, confusion, or surprise, or, with a question mark, is a request for repetition. Hup, from the sound-off a military cadence chant, signals beginning an exerting task. Hurrah (also hoorah, hooray, and hurray, and even huzzah) is an exclamation of triumph or happiness. Ick signals disgust. Lah-de-dah denotes nonchalance or dismissal, or derision about pretension. Mm-hmm, variously spelled, is an affirmative or corroborating response. Mmm, extended as needed, conveys palatable or palpable pleasure. Mwah is suggestive of a kiss, often implying unctuous or exaggerated affection. Neener-neener, often uttered in a series of three repetitions, is a taunt. Now (often repeated â€Å"Now, now†) is uttered as an admonition. Oh is among the most versatile of interjections. Use it to indicate comprehension or acknowledgment (or, with a question mark, a request for verification), to preface direct address (â€Å"Oh, sir!†), as a sign of approximation or example (â€Å"Oh, about three days†), or to express emotion or serves as a response to a pain or pleasure. (Ooh is a variant useful for the last two purposes.) Oh-oh (or alternatives in which oh is followed by various words) is a warning response to something that will have negative repercussions. Olà ©, with an accent mark over the e, is borrowed from Spanish and is a vocal flourish to celebrate a deft or adroit maneuver. Ooh, with o’s repeated as needed, conveys interest or admiration, or, alternatively, disdain. Ooh-la-la is a response to an attempt to impress or gently mocks pretension or finery. Oops (and the jocular diminutive variation oopsie or oopsy and the variant whoops) calls attention to an error or fault. Ouch (or ow, extended as needed) signals pain or is a response to a harsh word or action. Oy, part of Yiddish expressions such as oy gevalt (equivalent to â€Å"Uh-oh†), is a lament of frustration, concern, or self-pity. Pff, extended as needed, expresses disappointment, disdain, or annoyance. Pfft, or phfft, communicates abrupt ending or departure or is a sardonic dismissal akin to pff. Phew, or pew, communicates disgust, fatigue, or relief. (Phooey, also spelled pfui, is a signal for disgust, too, and can denote dismissal as well. PU and P.U. are also variants.) Poof is imitative of a sudden disappearance, as if by magic. Pooh is a contemptuous exclamation. Pshaw denotes disbelief, disapproval, or irritation or, alternatively, communicates facetious self-consciousness. Psst calls for quiet. Rah, perhaps repeated, signals triumph. Shh (extended as necessary) is an imperative for silence. Sis boom bah is an outdated encouraging cry, most likely to be used mockingly now. Tchah communicates annoyance. Tsk-tsk and its even snootier variant tut-tut are condemnations or scoldings; the related sound tch is the teeth-and-tongue click of disapproval. Ugh is an exclamation of disgust. Uh is an expression of skepticism or a delaying tactic. Uh-huh indicates affirmation or agreement. Uh-oh signals concern or dismay. Uh-uh is the sound of negation or refusal. Um is a placeholder for a pause but also denotes skepticism. Va-va-voom is an old-fashioned exclamation denoting admiration of physical attractiveness. Whee is an exclamation of excitement or delight. Whew is a variant of phew but can also express amazement. Whoa is a call to halt or an exclamation of surprise or relief. Whoop-de-doo and its many variants convey mocking reaction to something meant to impress. Woo and woo-hoo (and variations like yahoo, yee-haw, and yippee) indicate excitement. (Woot, also spelled w00t among an online in-crowd, is a probably ephemeral variant.) Wow expresses surprise. Yay is a congratulatory exclamation. (Not to be confused with yeah, a variant of yes.) Yikes is an expression of fear or concern, often used facetiously. Yo-ho-ho is the traditional pirates’ refrain. Yoo-hoo attracts attention. Yow, or yowza, is an exclamation of surprise or conveys being impressed. Yuck (also spelled yech or yecch) signals disgust. (Not to be confused with yuk, a laugh.) Yum, or yummy, is a response to the taste of something delicious and, by extension, the sight of an attractive person. Zoinks is an expression of surprise or amazement popularized by the cartoon character Shaggy, of Scooby Doo fame. Zowie, often in combination following wowie, a variant of wow, expresses admiration or astonishment. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Definitely use "the" or "a"15 Great Word GamesWhat the heck are "learnings"?

The Most Famous Wildfire Photograph Ever Taken

The Most Famous Wildfire Photograph Ever Taken Some consider the image shown, taken by an observant wildland firefighter, to be one of the most beautiful photographs of both wildfire  and wildlife taking refuge. The photo  was taken on August 6,  2000, by John McColgan who was a fire behavior expert working under a  cooperative agreement with the  Bureau of Land Management (BLM)  and attached to an Alaskan Type I Incident Management Team on a Montana wildfire.​ McColgan says he was at the perfect spot with his Kodak DC280 digital camera when fire conditions and wildlife activity combined to create his image. The pic was saved as just another image file in the new type of digital camera.   McColgan finished his work for the BLM and returned to his home in Fairbanks, Alaska. He could not be found for days after one of those pictures turned viral and spread quickly over the Internet.   One of his elk and fire snapshots has fast become one of the most downloaded environmental photos of wildlife and wildfire on the Internet. Rob Chaney, a  reporter for the  Montana Missoulian  suggested that there were multiple reasons this photo was so great. Here are some of the comments reported:   Best darned elk photo Ive ever seen.Best darned fire photo Ive ever seen.Best darned photo, period, Ive ever seen. From the Official Record The famous photo was taken on a Sunday, in the late evening where several fires burned together near Sula, Montana (population 37) and turned into one large 100,000-acre wildfire. McColgan just happened to be standing on a bridge crossing the East Fork of the  Bitterroot River  in the  Sula  Complex of the  Bitterroot National Forest  in the state of  Montana where he took what is now called his elk bath digital Image. McColgan was employed by the Alaska Fire service and was on loan to Montana and acting as an expert on wildfire behavior. McColgan just happened to be a contract fire analyst with a new camera and took digital pictures of two elk who escaped the fire by wading in the Bitterroot River. No big deal. As a natural resource professional, McColgan understood both wildfire and wildlife.  When asked about the elk, he assured that they know where to go, where their safe zones are...a lot of wildlife did get driven down there to the river. There were some bighorn sheep there. A small deer was standing right underneath me, under the bridge. McColgan completed his assignment and left for home. The Search for McColgan The digital image he took was sent from one person to another person and according to the Montana Missoulian within about 24 hours the elk photo had world-wide-webbed its way across the West. For about a week now, theres been a medium-size manhunt underway across the West. The man everyones been hunting for is John McColgan of Fairbanks. The Nation and the World were sending emails and making phone calls for weeks to find out just who took the images of the wildfire and wildlife. It was the newspaper  Missoulian in Montana who finally solved the mystery and tracked McColgan down. He had indeed been in Montana and was now in Fairbanks attending the birth of his son, where the paper finally found him and where he told reporter Rob Chaney that he had taken the picture. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.  McColgan confirmed that he had been in fire protection for  years  and that this particular fire ranked in the top three  extreme fire behavior  events he had ever seen.   Rob Chaney in response to the photo wrote that many people have never even seen an elk. Most of those who have, even those whove seen thousands of them, never get to see an image like this. Most people dont get to see a fire like this, either. Thanks to McColgan and Rob Chaney, millions of people have seen this stunning image. McColgans image went viral and eventually was picked as a Time Magazine favorite.

Defining The Clinical Question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Defining The Clinical Question - Essay Example Some studies have shown that education given to patients may be insufficient. Noncompliance with medication, diet, or symptom monitoring caused 15-64% of hospital readmissions. One way to combat these barriers is to design advanced practice nurse led heart failure clinics for outpatient management of heartfailure . Many studies have shown that heart failure clinics designed with advanced practice nurse post hospital follow-up improved patient education and compliance thus decreasing hospital readmissions (Paul 2008). The types of heart failure patient typically followed in advanced practice nurse led clinics are New York Heart Association Classifications II-IV. These patients were classified based on either echocardiography or radiography evidence of pulmonary congestion or signs or symptoms of heart failure. Background Despite advancements in the management of this debilitating condition, such as introduction of beta blockers, aldosterone antagonist, and angiotensin receptor blocker s mortality and morbidity among heart failure patients remain high. Generally 25-50% of hospitalized patients will be readmitted within 6 months of discharge (Gustafsson, Schou et al. 2009). The most cited incidents for readmissions are noncompliance with drug therapy, poor compliance with dietary restrictions, fluid restrictions, and inadequate medical therapy (Paul 2008). Thus, it appears that the readmission and mortality rates of heart failure patients maybe the result of less than optimal approach by the patient and provider. In terms of mortality the Framingham Study showed that once patient was diagnosed with heart failure the 6 year mortality was 85% for men and 67% for women . Heart failure puts a significant health and financial burden on patient’s families and society. Estimated cost of heart failure in the US is over $35 million according to the American Heart Association. As we all know the incidence of heart failure increases with age. According to the center fo r disease control 70% of the people over the age of 60 have heart failure and the number is expected to rise (Ferguson 2008) . For instance in 2000 approximately 12.7% of the American population was 65 years of age or older. It is estimated in 2020 this number will rise to 16.5%. In an effort to reduce 30 day readmissions, mortality, and overall cost a growing number of hospitals and medical groups are forming evidenced based heart failure clinics to combat this epic problem. The population to be evaluated in this project are patient diagnosed with heart failure with either systolic or diastolic impairment that have recently been hospitalized, The purposed intervention is one week follow up post discharge in a nurse practitioner led heart failure clinic. The patients will then be monitored by nurse practitioner and MD . A comparison will then be made to those patients followed by an MD only . The outcome that is proposed is that patients followed in a nurse practitioner and MD colla borative heart failure clinic will have a decrease in 30 day readmission rates to the hospital . Clinical Question Does the addition of a nurse practitioner to a heart failure clinic reduce 30 day readmission rates for heart failure patients? Keywords: A medline search was conducted using the terms â€Å"

Proposal argument Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Proposal argument - Essay Example The purpose of this proposal argument is to evaluate the reasons as to why the physical punishments are not the best ways of handling the problems. This proposal argument explains that something could be missing in our attempt to come up with an upright generation. In addition, it is the missing element that this article sheds light on. Children whose parents use amicable mechanisms of discipline possess extraordinary social skills. Parents should avoid using physical punishment because it increases violent behavior among the youth (Sumner, 132). This paper seeks to explain why use of physical punishment increases violent behavior among the youth. A Deeper Perspective to the Problem A correct support measures put in place are the sources of successful behavior change. The current generation may be carried away by events and this is proved by the fact that most of them often get into trouble due to their uncalled for behavior. A survey carried out by the body charged with monitoring f uture generation established that most of the mistakes carried out by the youths are due to their characters. To be specific 97% of the cases reported are due to the behavior. This is clear proof that bad behavior is fast becoming a problem. The big question is whether are we going to watch the youths fall or are we going to be the straw they clutch on. The fact that these perverse actions always soil their reputations in that they put question marks on their records is another reason as to why we should be on the lookout just to help out a brother who is off track (Gershoff, 539). Current Measures Most of the parents have resorted to physical punishment as the corrective method in their attempts to curb bad behavior. Those kinds of parents beat their children; force them to do things that they are not well conversant with and shout at them with the intention of amending and making the youths reformed. They do not know that more often than not, they are wrecking the child based on m aking things right. Physical punishments have been a major cause of injuries in children some of which have resulted into the physical impairments of the children. What is more worrying is that physical punishments have even led to cases of child deaths. Studies carried out to evaluate the extent at which physical punishments have spread in various regions, found that the habit escalated over time. The actuality that physical punishment is practiced throughout all the regions is clear proof that it is growing into a complication and does not benefit the child in any way. Similarly, it is important to observe that any form of physical punishment however soft it may be may intensify and become worse (Burton, 1447). Physical punishment is unsatisfactory because it increases the extent of aggression among children. It is proven beyond doubt that children, who are exposed to lots of physical punishments, are more likely to be characterized by aggressive behavior towards their coequals. I n like manner, the children may employ the brutal mechanisms in working out their problems and at the same time, they can be inconsiderate towards their own parents. What raises the level of concern higher is the fact that this children may end up being violent in future, thereby being insolent and impolite towards

Strategies for Performance Improvement

Strategies for Performance Improvement In a simple way performance means doing something successfully mainly by using the available resources. Performance can be elusive concept. It deals with the outcomes, results, and accomplishments achieved by a person, group or Organisation. (William J. Rothwel, Carolyn K.Hohne Stephen B. King: 2007). In many cases people do define performance based on financial aspects of the business. Focusing only on financial matters does not tell us what should we do and how to do in order to be successful. Performance is the definition and progressive achievement of tangible, specific, measurable, worthwhile and personally meaningful goals. (Darryl D. Enos 2007). We get a clear point in this definition that organisation should have well defined, specific and measurable goals. This serves as the first requisite in assessing the organisations performance. Having vague and general goals without proper measurement, pose a problem in evaluating corporate performance and proposing techniques for imp roving the performance. Michael Milgate 2004 said that, by monitoring performance for each measure and taking appropriate remedial action, improve revenues, business growth, reduced expenses and compliance with sector regulations have resulted. 2.1 PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT There is a clear relationship between performance improvement and change management (discussed in Section 2.5 of this chapter). Many studies concluded that most organisations either fail or achieve very limited success in their efforts to improve performance. Success or failure in performance improvement efforts begins with the reasons why organisational decision makers decide to get involved in the first place. Darryl D.Enos 2007). Personally, I feel that there should be a motivation factor to stir up the process of improving performance. In addition to this Darryl Enos 2007 added that commitment and involvement of leadership is the most critical element for the performance efforts to be successful. Rephrasing Enos unless a leader is motivated by authentic interest and be committed in the process then efforts of performance improvement have little chance to work. Every organisation has problems. A good start is to admit the problem and find what is to be accomplished to solve the problem. Sometimes performance improvement starts with a targeted program for dealing with a problem that is limiting achievement of a worthwhile goal.'(Darryl Enos 2007). As a suggestion, before approaching any technique to boost performance or implementing the efforts, management should identify areas which need improvements. The problem of poor performance or constant/stagnant performance may be caused by the top management itself.( Refer Enrons Scandal 2001).Thus, the areas for performance improvement must be clearly identified and evaluated to avoid investing efforts in areas which are not critical to performance improvement. In trying to adopt efforts and strategies to achieve corporate performance, Organisations face challenges and end up failing. In one of their research Kaplan and Norton found that 9 out of 10 companies fail to implement their strategies. (Bob Paladino 2007). Paladino explains four barriers that contribute to Organisations failure to achieve expected results from their efforts and strategies put in process. There barriers are: Vision barrier (where research shows that only 5 % of companys employees fully understand their companys strategy); Management barrier (where 85 % of executive teams spend far less time discussing strategies and strategic issues than traditional operating results); Resource barrier (where most companies do not link their budgets to strategy): and the fourth barrier being People barrier (where research shows that only 25 % of managers have incentives linked to strategy). 2.2 PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (PMS1) Performance management system (PMS1) is not an end by itself, but its improvement enables an Organisation to perform better. Improving its efficiency ensures the data generated will tell where the Organisation is, how it is performing and where it is going. Effective management depends on the effective measurement of performance and results (Gobal. K. Kanji, 2002). Mohan Nair (2004) argued that Corporations sometimes measure too much of something and too little of others. Contributing to this it is even possible that Organisations unknowingly does not measure some of the business aspects. Moreover many organisations fail to link what they measure with corporate strategy. Nair added that many of these measurements are un-integrated and serve the wrong goals. Many corporations lack an overarching model for monitoring, measuring and managing the business. Balanced Scorecard offers a broad and overarching skin to the structural architecture of the business. (Nair 2004) Gobal K. Kanji (2002) explains the role of PMS1 and how an organisation may achieve business excellence by identifying areas to improve and how it can use its limited resources to reflect the improvement of the system. The design and implementation of a new PMS1 may in one way or another bring questions and tensions to employees. Kanji (2002) stated that, It is important to build a measurement system where measures are used as a management and motivational tool. I personally back this idea as will help in gaining management and employees support during designing and implementing the new system. In this regard, the PMS1 should be clear to employees explaining how each will contribute to the overall strategy. The efficient PMS1 also serves as the communication and rewarding tool. Furthermore, Kanji (2002) explains the past and present performance measurements and their implication on todays business era. Traditionally, performance measurement focuses on financial measures .. that do not match entirely with competencies skills companies require to face todays business environment. In insisting that financial measures of performance are under criticism in todays world, Paul Niven (2003) said that they lack predictive power, reinforce functional silos, may sacrifices long term thinking and are not relevant to many levels of the Organisation.. Kanji then supports the significant contribution by Kaplan Norton (1992) to overcome the shortcomings of traditional PMS1 that employs only financial measures. 2.3 THE BALANCED SCORECARD (BSC) Robert S. Kaplan and David P. Norton (2005) invented BSC in 1992 due to the fact that traditional accounting measures like Return on Investment and Earning per Share give misleading picture while in todays business environment continuous improvement and innovation is very important. The authors realised that many managers do not depend on single set of measures in isolation of the other. This implied the need of balanced presentation of both financial and non financial measure. Kaplan Norton complemented financial measures by operational measures calling it Balanced Scorecard (BSC). Kaplan and Norton define BSC as, a set of measures that gives top management a fast but comprehensive view of the business. The BSC includes financial measures that tell the results of actions already taken. And it complements the financial measures on customer satisfaction, internal processes, and Organisation innovation and improvement. These (including financial measures) are the four perspectives of BSC as mentioned by the authors. They suggested that for each of the perspective, managers should translate their visions and missions to strategic goals and objectives and these goals should be translated into specific measures. The word Balance in the Balanced Scorecard represents the balance between financial and non financial performance indicators; internal and external elements stakeholders of the Organisation; and lag lead indicators (Paul Niven 2003). Michael Milgate (2004) defines scorecard as a balanced management system in which shared vision and strategy are reference points for the management process; achieving this balance enables synergy and a practical fit with other frameworks. BSC serves as a powerful tool as it focuses on achieving breakthrough performance considering all measures without isolating non financial performance measures (Kanji 2002).Since its creation in 1992 by Drs. Norton Kaplan of Harvard Business School the Balanced Scorecard has been implemented by different business units in the Public as well as in the Private sectors-worldwide.( Michael E. Nagel- Vice President, BSC Collaborative) Henri .JF (2006) applied the BSC framework in his survey on how top management in a manufacturing company could use PMS to improve the strategic management and Organisational performance. Given its depth as a strategic management system, the BSC principle will continue to be widely adopted and further refined in user Organisation as experiences in its implementation emerge ( Michael A.Milgate 2004). This shows how widely BSC is used to improve the PMS if the Organisation chooses to adopt and implement it. Henri .JF (2006) poses a question that top managers should ask themselves; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"How can we improve our system? .However, the author suggested that the improvement of the PMS is a continuous process that involves changing measures to reflect the new ideas and insights brought to the Organisation through creativity and other development activities. BSC can be successfully implemented in any organisation where the management is committed and devote time to formulate strategy and ready to accept changes. BSC has been implemented many organisations including services business , military units, schools, government institutions and also for profit organisations ( Wikipedia). An important point to note here is that an organisation should design its own BSC as management is knowledgeable of its responsibilities organisations operations rather than adapting another Organisations BSC. David P. Tarantino (2003) complements the work of Kaplan and Norton. He defined BSC, as a performance management tool that is used to provide an integrate perspective of an organisation.He also pointed out the four perspectives of the BSc as, external (how customers views the Organisation; Internal (Look at where the organisation must succeed and improve); Growth learning (examine how organisation grows and learns) and Financial (study financial performance of the organisation).These perspectives depend and influence one another. Tarantino (2003) said, To concentrate on only one, such as financial performance fails to recognise the contribution and balance of the other three perspectives. Of interest from the author is the explanation on how to develop the BSC. The first step he suggested is for the organisation to decide which goals are to be measured that should be included in the four perspectives. Then the organisation should figure out the measures for each of the four BSC pers pectives and determine the weight of each for ultimate evaluation of overall performance. Harvard Management-Update (2000), No need to wait for a companywide initiative-the key principles of this strategic-management system can be put to work in your unit right away.The author of the article tries to convince management to apply BSC reporting system. He is of the views that even if companies take years and spend millions to implement the scorecard across their operations the effects can be dramatic when the system takes root. He said that managers today dont have to wait for a scorecard- inspired corporate transformation before learning- and implementing some of the methods centred ideas. He explained the four lessons from BSC that can be applied right away in virtually any business unit or department. Watch a variety of metrics Connect your metrics to strategy Develop a strategic budget Get everyone involved in tracking metrics The author still insists that BSC is a method that helps managers to develop a well -rounded strategy and then get everyone in the company involved in implementing it. Mohan Nair 2004, arguing in favour of BSC, the changes in the character of business assets has exaggerated the challenges faced by business. In the past company assets would be reflected in the balance Sheet but now 85% of the assets are intangibles.Having the same arguments as previous authors about the inefficiencies of the financial measures, Nair also added that those financial measures are applied only to tangibles, when the intangibles are what fuels the future. According to an online source, www.balancescorecard.org/BSCresources the benefits of BSC are: improve organisation alignment, improve communication, more emphasis on strategy and organisational results, linked strategy and operations, and integrated strategic planning and management. 2.3.1 BSC development Kaplan and Norton explained four steps which many organisations have used to develop their balanced scorecard. The process includes: Define the measurement architecture To a beginner, it is recommended to start with a business unit applying the metrics as designed in the BSC rather than to the corporate level. Specify strategic objectives This step includes deriving strategic objectives for each of the four perspective from corporate goals. Choose strategic measures The third step is to choose related measures for the strategic goals to evaluate the performance so as to achieve the strategic objectives. Develop the implementation plan After selecting measures for each of the perspective, remains implementation process.Target values are assigned to the measures. A link is then established from various metrics from the top to bottom of the BSC. The established scorecard is then incorporated in the organisations management system.. The online source www.balancescorecard.org/BSCresources also recommended nine steps to success develop and deploy BSC framework- In a sequential order these are; Organisation assessment, strategy development, strategic objectives, strategic mapping, performance measures and targets, strategic initiatives, automation, cascading the BSC throughout the organisation and last evaluation. Overall the BSC involves the following steps: Clarify the vision Communicate to middle manager and develop business unit scorecards Eliminate Non-strategic investments and launch corporate change programs Review business unit scorecard Refine the vision Communicate the BSC to the entire company and establish individual performance objectives Update long-range plan and budget Conduct monthly and quarterly reviews Conduct annual strategy review Link everyones performance to the BSC 2.3.2 BSC criticisms The use of the balanced scorecard system may not result to what managers expect. Some professionals spoke some problems that make the BSC under criticisms. It has been noted by professionals that the BSC concept does not guide how the approach can be deployed within an organisation. It is just been viewed as an approach that attracts managers to install and implement without a real sense on how it works, and what should be expected. (Stephen Smith 2006).From his article à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"problem with a balanced scorecard, Smith pointed out some of the key issues that can cause BSC initiatives to fail. These are: Poorly defined metrics These should be relevant ,clear and easily understood Lack of efficient data collection and reporting Smith is concerned with the investments made in collecting metrics data, whether consuming too much time and energy. He then suggests the importance of prioritising key performance indicators to get most relevant information. Lack of formal review structure This is necessary to accommodate any change in metric value. Reviewing is a cross functional activity. No press improvement methodology Many organisation lack basic and standard toolkits and approaches for tracking problems. It therefore consumes a lot of time an efforts to address a problem that is caused by the performance gap. Too much internal focus Smith ranks this as one of the major criticism of BSC. He suggests that Organisation should always start with an external focus through analysing organisations markets, shareholders, competitors, employees and other stakeholders. However Smith assured that all is well with the introduction and the concept of balanced scorecard. This means that the BSC approach is a useful tool and can bring desired results if management knows how to structure it and take the above points in considerations to avoid its initiatives from failing. It has also been learnt that BSC is being criticised by academic society on its practical nature, applicability and functionality. (Wikipedia).They also noted that some of the criticisms focus on technical flaws in the method and design of the original BSC proposed by Kaplan Norton. Supporting the main problem as seen by Smith 2006 other academicians have focused on the lack of citation support. Another criticism is that the BSC does not provide a bottom line score or a unified view with clear recommendations; it is simply a list of metrics. (Wikipedia). Regardless of these criticisms the studies done so far indicated that BSC is a useful tool in strategic performance management in an Organisation. An online source www.netmba.com added to the BSC pitfalls that during implementation managers should avoid the use of generic measures, which are being adopted by successful firms. Management should not take BSC as a guarantee of success in companys operations. It should think clearly the companys strategy and implement the scorecard for improving performance in operational level that derives improved financial performance. Kaplan and Norton said, Even an excellent set of BSC measures does not guarantee a winning strategy. The BSC can only translate a company strategy into specific measurable objectives. They also advised that by combining the four perspectives, the BSC helps managers understand implicitly many interrelationships. The four perspectives relate to each other and the effect on either of the perspective will impact the other. A well designed BSC should describe your strategy through objectives and measures you have chosen. These measures should link together in a chain of cause and effect relationships (Paul Niven 2003). Thus, it is suggested that all have equal importance and neither should be taken in isolation of others. 2.4 COMPARISON BSC AND OTHER PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT TECHNIQUES When we talk of performance improvement in an organisation apart from BSC, Six sigma and Total Quality Management (TQM) come under discussion. Both tools when applied properly work to achieve what management really expects. These tools are contrasted with BSC in the subsequent sections. 2.4.1 Balanced Scorecard (BSC) Vs Six Sigma It has been learnt that BSC and Six Sigma work independently from each other. BSC translates corporate strategy into actions that help to achieve the strategy. Six Sigma aims to solve the problem of poor performance by closely looking at the root cause of performance problem. In this case Six Sigma tries to minimise the errors and reduce other causes of defects in business processes. However, these frameworks are complementary and if used together they offer huge potential value. (Michael E. Nagel). BSC and Six Sigma when used together can deliver great and unexpected business performance (Alastair Horn 2006) . Nagel justifies his idea by clarifying that BSC and Six Sigma are complementary because the former provides the strategic context for targeted improvement initiatives and the latter is a business improvement approach that solve a myriad of performance issues. To make the difference more clearly, Nagel stated that, unlike Six Sigma, BSC is not a solution for closing specific st rategic performance shortfalls. He then concluded that BSC describes the strategy for creating value and aligns resources to ensure the strategy is successfully executed. Six Sigma executes the strategy by using data and process improvement tools. It has been learnt that both BSC and Six Sigma strive for good performance through fixing up the performance gaps. In a clear manner a corporation may choose to implement any of the frameworks but the use of both the approaches would result to high performance according to the way each of them works. Rephrasing Horn, Six Sigma focuses on the best processes that organisation may adopt to improve its performance of products and processes on a continuous basis. while BSC focuses on performance management that translates strategy into executions. In explaining how both BSC and Six Sigma can work together, Henry Killackey (2008) speaks his idea that it is a very common practice to label organisation performance matrix in the BSC with red ( poor performance), yellow ( mixed results),and green ( excellent). If the organisation implements Six Sigma approach then the red ratings alert Six Sigma practitioners the areas which need immediate attention so that they can figure out ways of reversing the poor situation. In simple words, we may say that BSC serves as a communication tool for Six Sigma professionals. It has been learnt that BSC prompts weak and bad performing areas for Six Sigma professionals to act upon. As previously explained, the ultimate aim of both BSC and Six Sigma is to improve the performance of the organisation. In this regard the organisation can simultaneously implement both the approaches. They both rely on accurate data from customers and external stakeholders. Moreover the output indicators in Six Sigma may be used as measures in the BSC framework where by both the BSC and Six Sigma professionals will concentrate on the same goals. (Henry Killackey 2008) However Paul Grizzell (2004) in his article admitted that many authors see Six Sigma as the most effective performance management control system ever. But he cautioned readers that it is important to first consider the assumptions that were used to generate the opinions. Grizzell put forward his opinion that all performance management tools (in his case, Six Sigma, lean, BSC, Baldrige) when used as an integrated approach to maximise performance will lead to breakthrough and not just incremental improvement. 2.4.2 Balanced Scorecard (BSC) Vs. Total Quality Management (TQM) It is argued that the best approach for an organisation between BSC and TQM depends on the organisation itself. When developing a business strategy an organisation must consider multiple factors including leadership, customers ,business processes, financial goals and the structure, culture and the size of the corporation.( Schwartz Jay 2005). Jay continues that TQM and BSC share a common theme of improving communication in an organisation. He also added another shared goal of the BSC and TQM as the reduction of costs and improvement of services of an organisation. Moreover both TQM and BSC need management support to ensure that all employees support the new initiatives. However BSC and TQM differ in other aspects. The difference between TQM and BSC is in the number of people involved in the process; TQM requires full participation, compared with limited involvement for the BSC'(Schwartz Jay 2005).With my little knowledge on the BSC, I think it also requires full participation. This is very important to prevent any possible resistance. Another difference named it major difference by Schwartz is that BSC places more emphasis on finance i.e. using traditional financial objects; TQM while not diminishing the importance of financial solvency, it focuses more on the systems of the organisation, the concept of empowering people and employees involvement. I also raise my concern to Schwartzs views on where the focus is in BSC .i.e. finance!!.Looking at the four perspectives of the BSC ( financial, customer, internal process and learning growth) it is clear that BSC involves both financial and non financial aspects. BSC was established to compliment the fin ancial measures, so it does not put much emphasis on financial matters only but includes also non financial measures. The BNET business dictionary defines BSC as a system that measures and manages an organisations progress towards strategic objectives. Introduced by Kaplan Norton (1992) ,the BSC incorporates not only financial indicators but also other perspectives . To conclude this Schwartz (2005) suggests that before managers decide whether TQM or BSC which fits the organisation they must ask themselves the following questions: What is the organisation structure?, What is the corporate structure? What is the size of the organisation?. He then recommends that for a large and bureaucratic organisation BSC fits best and TQM fits best with small service related organisation. However Schwartz didnt make it clear how to define a large organisation either in terms of capital, employees ,etc. I would rather say that whether using BSC or TQM the most important aspect to consider is whether the organisation is real committed and has a leader to initiate the change including involving all the employees. I would personally recommends the use of BSC as its structure is clear and helps the organisation to put the strategy into measurable goals. 2.5 MANAGEMENT CHANGE Management change involves the process of reducing the chances for resistance done by top management personnel and executives. In many organisations the tendency of management to resist changes, especially in adopting a new system keeps on growing day by day. Thus for the organisation to manage the changes there should be a systematic process, planned properly and which involves the shareholders and other key stakeholders. In this respect a change may be defined as any addition to an existing or modification to an old system or any deletion of an aspect of an old system. Some of the reasons for making changes could be solving problems, growth motives/purposes, improving performance, accommodating technology change, etc. In any organisation for a change to be successful, management should commit itself to make the change operational within a reasonable time. In many organisations this has not been the case as it has been relative difficult to implement changes especially adding a new thing to an existing system. It may be said that the systematic approach to implement changes reduces the negative impact of changes and the possible failure. The researcher will evaluate the performance of the Local Authorities Pensions Fund ( LAPF) using the metrics as structured in the proposed Balances Scorecard (Table 1) which is relevant to the Funds operations. Some metrics may be in use while others may not. In this case LAPF may wish to fully adopt the performance metrics as shown in the proposed BSC. Thus all issues relating to change management should be considered before trying to implement BSC approach to measure and improve the overall performance. This is the essence of analysing how change process may be done, possible challenges and change failure together with suggesting how to maximise chances for successful change process. Improving the performance is a continuous process, that necessitates new measures and approaches to be adopted. This also justifies why changes cannot be avoided by an organisation if it wants to occupy large market share, beat competition and improve the overall performance.( Henry J.F, 2006). Change management means to plan, initiate, realise, control and finally stabilise change process on both corporate and personnel level. In some situation change brings problems for instance disturbing system , staff programs and other development programs that are in progress. ( Oliver Recklies 2001).The author shows much concerns on those management and staff who have negative thoughts and perception on what is change and why change.. Management always fears to be questionable for failure while employees have fears of losing their jobs. Majority of employees tend to put forward resistance to change without considering that change facilitates improvements (Oliver Recklies 2001). The effects of change may be unclear to employees and thus fear something bad may happen that affects their tasks, responsibilities and worse enough even their lives. Management should consider possible aspects that may have negative impact on the change initiative so as to achieve the desired results. The su ccess of change projects depends on the Organisations ability to make all their employees participate in the change process in one way or the other. ( Oliver Recklies 2001). Lawler (1986), viewed from Rob Paton James Mc Calman (2008),said that overall change is not impossible but it is often difficult. The difficult is that most organisations view the concept of change as a highly programmed process which takes as its starting point the problem that needs to be rectified, breaks it down to constituent parts, analyses possible alternatives, select the preferred solution and applies this relentlessly- problem recognition, diagnosis and resolution Recklies (2001) made a significant contribution on how to minimise the negative effects of change to arrive at successful change process. He therefore divided the change process into seven stages it is relative better for management to understand in which stage they should expect what kind of problems. The stages are : shock and surprise, denial and refusal, rational understanding, emotional acceptance, exercising and learning, realisation and last being integration.( diagrammatically presented in figure 2.1) Shock surprise- This involves confrontation with unexpected situations Denial refusal-No need for change, i.e. Change is not necessary Rational understanding- people realised the need for change but unwilling to change own pattern of behaviour Emotional acceptance This is the most important stage characterised by slow pace. Management should succeed in creating willingness for change for the organisation to exploit its real potentials that lie in different aspects. Exercising learning This is the learning stage that will be influenced by peoples willingness. It is a trial for a new system and process. The stage is characterised by failure and success. This leads to the increased perceiveness of people own competence. Realisation This stage highly depends on stage 5 above, as people get more information through learning and allows mind to receive new challenges and experiences, The stage is characterised by flexibility and thus perceived competency increased. Integration At this stage people have acquired new skills and patterns of thinking The introduced change becomes familiar and a routing process. Figure 2.1 .Change process ( adapted from Oliver Recklies 2001) The seven stages simplify the implementation of the new process or change. Those who are responsible to accommodate the changes into the business should understand these stages so as to apply them systematically. John P. Kotter (1996) in his book Leading change explained clearly the most common mistakes done by organisations when adopting change and also he came up with their solutions. As Recklies 2001 (above) Kotter 1996 also explained eight stages for change process. Lets now examine the change mistakes done by management ( by Kotter ) and later we will explain the change stages and contrast them with Recklies change stages. Allowing too much complacency This is one of the biggest mistake as ranked by Kotter. The over confidence attitude of an executive wishing to process change may cause change failure. Having been successful in the past drives the executive to proceed with change plan without establishing and understanding the urgency of

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 29

â€Å"Elena!† Something was bothering her. â€Å"Elena!† Please, no more pain. She couldn't feel it right now, but she could remember†¦oh, no more fighting for air†¦ â€Å"Elena!† No†¦just let it be. Mentally, Elena pushed away the thing that bothered her ears and her head. â€Å"Elena, please†¦Ã¢â‚¬  All she wanted was sleep. Forever. â€Å"Damn you,Shinichi!† Damon had picked up the snow globe with the miniature forest when Shinichi found Elena's smudged glow radiating from it. Inside it, dozens of spruce, hickory, pine, and other trees grew – all from a perfectly transparent inner membrane. A miniature person – given that someone could be miniaturized and placed into such a globe, would see trees ahead, trees behind, trees in every direction – and could walk a straight line and come back to their starting point no matter which way they went. â€Å"It's an amusement,† Shinichi had said sullenly, watching him intently from under his lashes. â€Å"A toy, for children, usually. A play-trap.† â€Å"And you findthis amusing?† Damon had smashed the globe against the driftwood coffee table in the exquisite cabin which was Shinichi's secret hideout. That was when he had discovered why these were games for children – the globe was unbreakable. After that Damon had taken a moment – just one moment – to get hold of himself. Elena had perhaps seconds to live. He needed to be precise with his words. After that single moment, a long flow of words had spilled out from his lips, mostly in English, and mostly without unnecessary curses or even insults. He didn't care about insulting Shinichi. He had simply threatened – no, he hadsworn – to carry out on Shinichi the kind of violence that he had seen sometimes in a long life filled with humans and vampires with skewed imaginations. Eventually, it had gotten through to Shinichi that he was serious, and Damon had found himself inside the globe with a drenched Elena in front of him. She was lying at his feet, and she was worse off than his worst fears had allowed him to picture. She had a dislocated right arm with multiple fractures and a hideously shattered left tibia. Horrified as he had been to imagine her staggering through the forest of the globe, blood streaming from her right arm from shoulder to elbow, left leg dragging behind her like a wounded animal's, this was worse. Her hair had been soaking with sweat and mud, straggling over her face. And she'd been out of her mind, literally, delirious, talking to people who weren't there. And she was turning blue. She had been able to snap exactly one creeper with all her effort. Damon clawed up huge armfuls of them, ripping them from the earth viciously if they tried to fight or wrap around his wrists. Elena gasped in one deep breath just as suffocation would have killed her, but she didn't regain consciousness. And she wasn't the Elena he remembered. When he'd picked her up, he'd felt no resistance, no acceptance, nothing. She didn't know him. She was delirious with fever, exhaustion, and pain, but in one moment of half-consciousness had kissed his hand through her damp, disheveled hair, whispering â€Å"Matt†¦Find†¦Matt.† She didn't know who he was – she scarcely knew whoshe was, but her concern was for her friend. The kiss had gone through his hand and up his arm like the touch of a branding iron, and since then he'd been monitoring her mind, trying to divert the agony she was feeling away – away anywhere – into the night – into himself. He turned back to Shinichi and, in a voice like an icy wind, said, â€Å"You'd better have a way to cure all her wounds – now.† The charming cabin was surrounded by the same evergreens, hickory, and pines as grew in the snow globe. The fire burned violet and green as Shinichi poked it. â€Å"This water is just about ready to boil. Make her drink tea made with this.† He handed Damon a blackened flagon – once beautiful chased silver; now a battered remnant of what it had been – and a teapot with some broken leaves and other unsavory-looking things at the bottom. â€Å"Make sure she drinks a good three quarters of a cup, and she'll fall asleep and wake up almost as good as new.† He dug an elbow into Damon's ribs. â€Å"Or you can just let her have a few sips – heal her partway, and then let her know it's in your power to give her more†¦or not. You know†¦depending on how cooperative she is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Damon remained silent and turned away. If I have to look at him, he thought, I'll kill him. And I might need him again. â€Å"And if you really want to accelerate the healing, add some of your blood. Some people like to do it that way,† Shinichi added, his voice picking up speed with excitement again. â€Å"See how much pain a human can take, you know, and then when they're dying, you can just feed them tea and blood and start over†¦if they remember you from last time – which they hardly ever do; they'll usually go through more pain just to get a chance to fight you†¦,† he giggled, and Damon thought he sounded not quite sane. But when he had suddenly turned to Shinichi, he had to hold himself very still inside. Shinichi had become a blazing, glowing, outline of himself, with tongues of light lapping from his projection, rather like close-up solar flares. Damon was nearly blinded, and knew he was meant to be. He clutched the silver flagon as if he were holding on to his own sanity. Maybe he was. He had a blank space in his mind – and then there were suddenly memories of trying to find Elena†¦or Shinichi. Because Elena had abruptly been absent from his company, and it could only be the fault of the kitsune. â€Å"There's a modern bathroom here?† Damon asked Shinichi. â€Å"There's whatever you want; just decide before you open a door and unlock it with this key. And now†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Shinichi stretched, his golden eyes half shut. He ran a languid hand through his shiny black hair tipped with flame. â€Å"Now, I think I'll go sleep under a bush.† â€Å"Is that all you ever do?† Damon made no attempt to keep the biting sarcasm out of his voice. â€Å"And have fun with Misao. And fight. And go to the tournaments. They – well, you'll have to come and see one for yourself.† â€Å"I don't care to go anywhere.† Damon didn't want to know what this fox and his sister considered fun. Shinichi reached out and took the miniature cauldron full of boiling water off the fire. He poured the boiling water over the collection of tree bark, leaves, and other detritus in the battered metal teapot. â€Å"Why don't you go find a bushnow ?† Damon said – and it wasn't a suggestion. He'd had enough of the fox, who had served his purpose now anyway, and he didn't care a bit about whatever mischief Shinichi might make for other people. All he wanted was to be alone – with Elena. â€Å"Remember; get her to drink it all if you want to keep her for a while. She's pretty much unsalvageable without it.† Shinichi poured through a fine sieve the infusion of dark green tea. â€Å"Better try before she wakes up.† â€Å"Will you justget out of here ?† When Shinichi stepped through the dimensional crack, taking care to turn just the right way so as to reach the real world, and not some other globe, he was steaming. He wanted to go back and thrash Damon within an inch of his life. He wanted to activate the malach inside Damon and cause him to†¦well, of course, notquite kill sweet Elena. She was a blossom with nectar untasted, and Shinichi was in no hurry to see her buried underground. But as for the rest of the idea†¦yes, he decided. Now he knew what he would do. It would be simply delicious to watch Damon and Elena make up, and then, during the Moonspire Festival tonight, to bring back the monster. He could let Damon go on believing they were â€Å"allies,† and then, in the middle of their little spree – let the possessed Damon loose. Show that he, Shinichi, had been in control all along. He would punish Elena in ways she had never dreamed about and she would die in delicious agony†¦at Damon's hand. Shinichi's tails quivered a little ecstatically at the thought. But for now, let them laugh and joke together. Revenge only ripened with time, and Damon was really quite difficult to control when he was raging. It hurt to admit that, just as his tail – the physical one in the center – hurt from Damon's abominable cruelty to animals. When Damon was in a passion it took every ounce of Shinichi's concentration to control him. But at Moonspire Damon would be calm, would be placid. He'd be pleased with himself, as he and Elena would undoubtedly have laid some absurd plot to try to stop Shinichi. Thatwould be when the fun would begin. Elena would make a beautiful slave while she lasted. With the kitsune gone, Damon felt that he could behave more naturally. Keeping a firm grasp on Elena's mind, he picked up the cup. He tried a sip of the mixture himself before trying it on her and found it tasted just slightly less nauseating than it smelled. However, Elena really had no choice, she could not do anything of her own volition, and little by little, the mixture went down. And then a dose of his blood went down. Again, Elena was unconscious and had no choice in the matter. And then she'd gone to sleep by herself. Damon paced restlessly. He had a memory that was more like a dream floating around in his head. It was of Elena trying to throw herself out of a Ferrari going about 100 kilometers an hour, to get away from – what? Him? Why? Not, in any case, the best of beginnings. But that wasall he could remember! Damn it! Whatever came right before it was a total blank. Had he hurt Stefan? No, Stefan was gone. It had been the other boy with her, Mutt.What had happened? Damn it tohell ! He had to figure out what had happened so he could explain it all to Elena when she woke up. He wanted her to believe him, to trust him. He didn't want Elena as a one-night bleeder. He wanted her tochoose him. He wanted her to see how much better suited she was to him than to his mousy, milksop brother. His princess of darkness. That was what she wasmeant to be. With him as king, consort, whatever she wished. When she saw things more clearly, she would understand that it didn't matter. That nothing mattered except them being together. He viewed her body, veiled under the sheet, with dispassion – no, with positiveguilt .Dio mio – what if he hadn't found her? He couldn't get the picture out of his mind of how she'd looked, stumbling forward like that†¦lying there breathless†¦kissing his hand†¦ Damon sat down and pinched the bridge of his nose. Why had she been in the Ferrari with him? She'd been angry – no, not angry. Furious was closer but so frightened†¦ofhim . He could picture that clearly now, the moment of her throwing herself out of the speeding car, but he couldn't remember anything before it. Was he going out of his mind? What had been done to her? No†¦Damon forced his thoughts away from the easy question and made himself ask thereal question. What hadhe done to her? Elena's eyes, blue with golden flecks, like lapis lazuli, were easy to read even without telepathy. What had†¦he†¦done to her that was so frightening that she would jump out of a speeding car to get away from him? He'd been taunting the fair-haired boy. Mutt†¦Gnat†¦whatever. The three of them had been together, and he and Elena had been†¦damn! From there to his awakening at the steering wheel of the Ferrari, all was a shimmering blank. He could remember saving Bonnie at Caroline's house; he could remember being late for his 4:44A.M . meeting with Stefan; but after that, things began to fragment.Shinichi , maledicalo! That fox! He knew more about this than he was telling Damon. I have always†¦been stronger†¦than my enemies, he thought. I have always†¦remained†¦in†¦control. He heard a slight sound and was by Elena in an instant. Her blue eyes were shut, but the lashes were fluttering. Was she waking up? He made himself turn down the sheet by her shoulder. Shinichi had been right. There was a lot of dried blood, but he could sense that the blood flow itself was more normal. But there was something horribly wrong†¦no, he wouldn't believe it. Damon barely kept himself from screaming in frustration. The damn fox had left her with a dislocated shoulder. Things were definitely not going well for him today. Now what? Call for Shinichi? Never. He felt he couldn't look at the fox again tonight without wanting to murder him. He was going to have to put her shoulder back in the socket alone. It was a procedure usually only attempted by two people, but what could he do? Still keeping Elena in an iron mind-grip, making sure shecouldn't awaken, he grasped her by the arm and began the painful business of dislocating the humerus even farther, pulling the bone away so that he could finally release pressure and hear the sweetpop that meant that the long arm bone had slipped back into the socket. Then he let go. Elena's head was tossing from side to side, her lips parched. He poured some more of Shinichi's magical bone-knitting tea into the battered cup, then lifted her head gently from the left side to put the cup to her lips. He let her mind have some freedom, then, and she started to lift her right hand and then dropped it. He sighed and tilted her head, tipping the silver flagon so that the tea trickled into her mouth. She swallowed obediently. It all reminded him of Bonnie†¦but Bonnie hadn't been so terribly hurt. Damon knew he couldn't return Elena to her friends in this condition; not with her camisole and jeans shredded, and dried blood everywhere. Maybe he could do something about that. He went to the second door off the bedroom, thought, bathroom – modern bathroom, and unlocked and opened the door. It was exactly what he'd imagined: a pristine, white, sanitary place with a large heap of towels piled, ready for guests, on the bathtub. Damon ran warm water over one of the washcloths. He knew better by now than to strip Elena and dump her in warm water. It was what she needed, but if anyone ever found out, her friends would have his beating heart torn out of his chest and staked on a pike. He didn't even have to think about that – he simply knew it. He went back to Elena and began to gently stroke dried blood off her shoulder. She murmured, shaking her head, but he kept it up until the shoulder at least looked normal, exposed as it was by torn cloth. Then he got another washcloth and went to work on her ankle. This was still swollen – she wasn't going to be running away anytime soon. Her tibia, the first of the two bones in the lower leg, had grown properly together again. It was more evidence that Shinichi and theShi no Shi had no need for money, or they could simply put this tea on the market and make a fortune. â€Å"We look at things†¦differently,† Shinichi had said, fixing Damon with those strange golden eyes. â€Å"Money doesn't mean much to us. What does? The deathbed agonies of an old rogue who fears he's going to hell. Watching him sweat, trying to remember encounters he's long forgotten. A baby's first conscious tear of loneliness. The emotions of an unfaithful wife when her husband catches her with her lover. A maiden's†¦well, her first kiss and her first night of discovery. A brother willing to die for his brother. Things like that.† And many other things that couldn't be mentioned in polite company, Damon thought. A lot were about pain. They were emotional leeches, sucking up the feelings of mortals to make up for the emptiness of their own souls. He could feel the sickness inside him again as he tried to imagine – to calculate – the pain Elena must have felt, leaping out of his car. She must have expected an agonizing death – but it was still better than staying with him. This time, before entering the door that had been a white-tiled bathroom, he thought,Kitchen, modern, with plenty of ice packs in the freezer. Nor was he disappointed. He found himself in a strongly masculine kitchen, with chrome appliances and black-and-white tiling. In the freezer: six ice packs. He took three back to Elena and put one around her shoulder, one at her elbow, and one around her ankle. Then he went back into the kitchen's spotless beauty for a glass of ice-cold water. Tired. So tired. Elena felt as if her body were weighted with lead. Every limb†¦every thought†¦lapped in lead. For instance, there was something she was supposed to be doing – or not doing – right now. But she couldn't make the thought come to the surface of her mind. It was too heavy. Everything was too heavy. She couldn't even open her eyes. A scraping sound. Someone was near, on a chair. Then there was liquid coolness on her lips, just a few drops, but it stimulated her to try to hold the cup herself and drink. Oh, delicious water. It tasted better than anything she'd ever had before. Her shoulder hurt terribly, but it was worth the pain to drink and drink – no! The glass was being pulled away. She tried, feebly, to hang onto it, but it was pulled out of her grasp. Then she tried to touch her shoulder, but those gentle, invisible hands wouldn't let her, not until they had washed her own hands with warm water. After that they packed the ice packs around her and wrapped her like a mummy in a sheet. The cold numbed her immediate feelings of pain, although there were other pains, deep inside†¦. It was all too difficult to think about. As the hands removed the ice packs again – she was shivering with cold now – she let herself lapse back into sleep. Damon treated Elena and dozed, treated and dozed. In the perfectly appointed bathroom, he found a tortoiseshell hairbrush and a comb. They looked serviceable. And one thing he knew for certain: Elena's hair had never looked like this in her life – or unlife. He tried to stroke the brush gently through her hair and found that the tangles were much harder to get out than he'd imagined. When he pulled harder on the brush, she moved and murmured in that strange sleep-language of hers. And, finally, it was the hair brushing that did it. Elena, without opening her eyes, reached up and took the brush from his hand and then, when it hit a major tangle, frowned, reached up to grasp a fistful and try to get the brush through it. Damon sympathized. He'd had long hair at times during his centuries of existence – when it couldn't be helped, and though his hair was as naturally fine as Elena's, he knew the frustrated feeling that you were ripping your hair out by the roots. Damon was about to take the brush from her again, when she opened her eyes. â€Å"What – ?† she said, and then she blinked. Damon had tensed, ready to push her into mental blackout if it were necessary. But she didn't even try to hit him with the brush. â€Å"What†¦happened?† What Elena was feeling was clear: she didn't like this. She was unhappy about another awakening with only a vague idea of what had been going on when she slept. As Damon, poised for fight or flight, watched her face, she slowly began to put together what had happened to her. â€Å"Damon?† She gave him that no-holds-barred lapis gaze. It said,Am I being tortured, or treated, or are you just an interested bystander, enjoying somebody's pain while drinking a glass of cognac? â€Å"Theycook with cognac, princess. Theydrink Armagnac. And I don't drink†¦either,† Damon said. He spoiled the entire effect by adding hastily, â€Å"That's not a threat. I swear to you, Stefan left me as your bodyguard.† This was technically true if you considered the facts: Stefan had yelled, â€Å"You'd better make sure nothing happens to Elena, you double-dealing bastard, or I'm going to find a way to come back and rip off your – † The rest had been muffled in the fight, but Damon had gotten the gist. And now he took the assignment seriously. â€Å"Nothing else will hurt you, if you'll allow me to watch over you,† he added, now getting into the area of the fictitious, since whoever had frightened or pulled her out of the car had obviously been around when he had. But nothing would get her in the future, he swore to himself. However he had blundered this last time, from now on there would be no further attacks on Elena Gilbert – or someone would die. He wasn't trying to spy on her thoughts, but as she stared into his eyes for a long moment, they projected with total clarity – and utter mystery – the words: I knew I was right. It was someone else all along. And he knew that under her pain, Elena felt a huge sense of satisfaction. â€Å"I hurt my shoulder.† She reached up with her right hand to grip it, but Damon stopped her. â€Å"You dislocated it,† Damon said. â€Å"It's going to hurt for a while.† â€Å"And my ankle†¦but someone†¦I remember being in the woods and looking up and it wasyou . I couldn't breathe but you tore the creepers off me and you picked me up in your arms†¦.† She looked at Damon in bewilderment. â€Å"Yousaved me?† The statement had the sound of a question, but it wasn't. She was wondering over something that seemed impossible. Then she began to cry. A baby's first conscious tear of loneliness. The emotions of an unfaithful wife when her husband catches her with her lover†¦ And maybe a young girl's weeping when she believes that her enemy has saved her from death. Damon ground his teeth in frustration. The thought that Shinichi might be watching this, feeling Elena's emotions, savoring them†¦it was impossible to bear. Shinichi would give Elena her memory back again, he was certain of that. But at a time and place most amusing to him. â€Å"It was my job,† he said tightly. â€Å"I'd sworn to do it.† â€Å"Thank you,† Elena gasped between her sobs. â€Å"No, please – don't turn away. I really mean it. Ohhh – is there a box of tissues – or anythingdry ?† Her body was heaving with sobs again. The perfect bathroom had a box of tissues. Damon brought it back to Elena. He looked away as she used them, blowing her nose again and again as she sobbed. Here there was no enchanted and enchanting spirit, no grim and sophisticated fighter of evil, no dangerous coquette. There was only a girl broken by pain, gasping like a wounded doe, sobbing like a child. And undoubtedly his brother would know what to say to her. He, Damon, had no idea of what to do – except that he knew he was going to kill for this. Shinichi would learn what it meant to tangle with Damon when Elena was involved. â€Å"How do you feel?† he asked brusquely. No one would be able to say he'd taken advantage of this – no one would be able to say he'd hurt her only to†¦to make use of her. â€Å"You gave me your blood,† Elena said wonderingly, and as he looked quickly down at his rolled-up sleeve, she added, â€Å"No – it's just a feeling I know. When I first – came back to Earth, after the spirit life. Stefan would give me his blood, and eventually I would feel†¦this way. Very warm. A little uncomfortable.† He swung around and looked at her. â€Å"Uncomfortable?† â€Å"Too full – here.† She touched her neck. â€Å"We think it's a symbiotic thing†¦for vampires and humans who live together.† â€Å"For a vampire Changing a human into a vampire, you mean,† he said sharply. â€Å"Except I didn't Change when I was part spirit still. But then – I turned back human.† She hiccupped, tried a pathetic smile, and used the brush again. â€Å"I'd ask you to look at me and see that I haven't Changed, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She made a helpless little motion. Damon sat and imagined what it would have been like, taking care of the spirit-child Elena. It was a tantalizing idea. He said bluntly, â€Å"When you said you were a little uncomfortable before, did you mean thatI should take some of your blood?† She half glanced away, then looked back. â€Å"I told you I was grateful. I told you that I felt†¦too full. I don't know howelse to thank you.† Damon had had centuries of training in discipline or he would have thrown something across the room. It was a situation to make you laugh†¦or weep. She was offering herself to him as thanks for rescue from suffering that he should have saved her from, and had failed. But he was no hero. He wasn't like St. Stefan, to refuse this ultimate of prizes; whatever condition she was in. He wanted her.