A Story of an entrepreneur

Entrepreneur is an individual who organizes and operates a business and taking financial risk to do so. The entrepreneur is commonly seen as an innovator of new ideas, and business processes. Everyone has different strengths and weaknesses ,and entrepreneurs are no exception. But all entrepreneurs share certain qualities. We all know about Md. Yuan's, Salmon F. Raman, Bill gates, Richard Brannon and so on. They create such a miracle in the world as an entrepreneur.But now we are talking about a person who is not such popular like hem; but he an real life entrepreneur He earns very low but he can be the great example for us or those who wants to be an entrepreneur. His name is Md Kafka All, An entrepreneur. He is a freedom fighter and now he is a hawker of Goulash Hawkers Market ,make his earnings by selling cloth products like T-shirts, pant, children's outfits and other materials. He was born in 1950 in National at Lakehurst district in Islanders village . He is the youngest son of Mohammad All and Nazism statue.From childhood he was familiar with poverty and at very early GE he lost his parent's. Md. Kafka all is not an educated person at all. He Just went to school only for one day!!!!! And that day he decided that he will never come to school again!!! But this fact can't beat his confidence. In 1971, he participated in the war. After that 9 month bloodshed war. He lost everything. He had nothing to do at that time. So he took a loan of only 500 take from a relative and then came in Dacha 1975 . He didn't have any plan or idea. He didn't knew his destination.But he had only one thing and that is courage and self-confidence. He slowly made connections everywhere. He met as many people as he could and bullied up relationships. Afterwards, this people helped him. They took him to guiltiest and attached him how to do his business. From that day he started a new life. Then he started his business by a rickshaw van from one area to another to sell his product like T-shirts, pant, children's outfits and other materials. Then after some time he rented a small shop with his product in sultana.It is true that Kafka all is not as popular as the other entrepreneur but now he is much solvent. Now he is the owner of his own shop in the goulash hawkers market he is very much popular for his honesty. He usually opens his shop at 9:00 am and finishes his work 10:00 pm. So he works for 14 hours a day,but in the seasonal times like Did he works for almost 20 hours daily. Beside him,his grandson helps him to work. Basically,there is only one employee working in the shop but in seasonal times he hires 4 employees by working in two shifts and he pays 3000 take to each employees and also provides food and shelter to them.He also give them performance bonuses so that they get motivated to attract more customers. He rations the bonus by the number of products sold by an individual employee. He maximizes his profit in the winter season;This is peak time he sell s his product the most. He also makes a handsome amount of profit in the national festivals like Did LU flirt and Durra Pupas. He incurred a severe loss when there is a hart. Hart interrupts his daily business routine. Let is quite impossible for him to various places. He mainly asks for people from his relatives and brings employees room his village.He expects good behavior from them so that they can deal with customers effectively. Elf they fails to maintain this,he fires them out. He expects honesty and loyalty from the employees. From Sultana and Maryanne,Saber All brings all his Readmes garment products. He had many dealers and keep regular contact with them, and bought good from them. Very rarely he buys the goods on cash but most of the times he buys them on account. His daily sales revenue is equivalent to 2000 to 3000 Take and from there he makes a profit of 700 to 900Take. He states that he is quite happy with the profit he makes. The customers mainly comes to his shop bec ause he charges less then the other shoppers which sit Just beside his shop. He attracts the customers by the diversity of the products. The most interesting fact is his main customers are not the lower class people but the higher class ones from the trip-state area like Goulash and Banana?and they are the regular ones!! He gave an advice to us about what a person need to be if he [she wants to be an entrepreneur.He states that every entrepreneur must believe in himself. One should maintain honesty and believe in the decisions he make. He notes that without honesty no one can succeed in life. One should be hardworking to achieve the goal of the business. We should salute and respect this Freedom fighter because instead of all this ups and downs he never gave up. He continued his business even after incurring a loss. He has tremendous self confidence which made him able to run the business for 38 years. That is what a true entrepreneur have to have.

A Study of Najdi Arabic & Arabic Language (Saudi Arabia)

If you ask a question to a Saudi Arabian, an Egyptian, an Algerian and a Syrian that which thing makes you an Arab? They will answer in just a second that speaking Arabic makes us an Arab. This language makes the Arab world and it binds the whole Arab world from Morocco to Kuwait.This language gives identity to the Arab society and makes them aware about the history of the Arab. Since the inception of Islam Arabic is the speaking language of the Islamic world. Islamic holy book the Qur’an was initially written in Arabic.There is a great religious significance of this language in the Islamic world. According to Muslims – if you want to understand properly the messages of Qur’an, you should read it in Arabic language. That’s why Arabic is not only the language of Arab world. (Seikaly, 2001)Arabic language is not only official language of Saudi Arabia, but it is also considered as an official language in more than forty five countries and dialect of Arabic is being spoken by 200,000,000 people all around the world. Main part of this population lives in the Arabic countries, but a considerable number of Arabic Speakers live in some parts of Africa. Arabic is treated as a biggest member of the Semitic branch and it is some what same as Hebrew and Aramaic.Arabic is studied widely in the Islamic world. Since 6th century Arabic is being taught as a literary language and many words of other languages had been taken from Arabic such as English and Spanish. Some words like sugar, cotton and magazine had been derived from Arabic. In Arabic these words are pronounced like sukkar, quá ¹ ­Ã… «n, maá ¸ «Ã„ zin. Some other words like alcohol, algebra and zenith came from Arabic language. (Shah, 2007)There are many verities of Arabic language. In this paper we will discuss those varieties in brief. We will mainly focus on the Najdi (A variety of Arabic language). Najdi Arabic speakers oppose the theory of generative phonology. We will move step by step and in an arranged manner.  The First Word of ArabicThe first word of Arabic, which was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, is iqra (means â€Å"recite†).   According to literature the meaning of Qur’an is recitation. Muslims say that it was the command, which was given to the Muhammad by god, when the Prophet began to receive the revelation and this finally got converted into the Qur’an. The word Qur’an is based on the three letters, those are Q, R and A and the word iqra contains these 3 letter root. (Seikaly, 2001)Forms of ArabicArabic language can be divided in the three forms- classical, modern standard, and colloquial. The Arabic, which has been used in the Qur’an, is considered as classical Arabic. The Arabic used in Qur’an is treated as the perfect Arabic and is a stander for written form of Arabic.The modern standard Arabic is derived from the Classical Arabic and is used in the formal communication such as in literature, in news, in offices and in print media. Colloquial Arabic is locally spoken Arabic language and it varies from nation to nation and area to area. Many varieties of the Colloquial Arabic have been found in the Arab World and Najdi is one of them. In religious and social functions the oral Arabic is used for writing also because the written and spoken forms of Arabic language are highly interconnected.Modern Standard Arabic is not used at such moments. It is used in television and radio news broadcasts. Modern Standard Arabic plays an important role to bind the whole Arab world because the Arabic speakers from Lebanon and Morocco cannot easily understand one-another’s Arabic language due to their local dialects. But they can talk in Modern Standard Arabic easily.That’s why Modern Standard Arabic is used in formal meetings and occasions. Many local and regional variations have taken place in spoken Arabic and written Arabic has also been changed since 7th century. Many forei gn words are being used in Spoken Arabic such as computer, telephone, television, and radio.On the other hand lots of words have been borrowed from Arabic by the many Western languages like English, Spanish and Portuguese. In the earlier time, the Arab world was known for medicine mathematics, philosophy, and astronomy. Name of many stars are based on the Arabic language such as Betelgeuse, Rigel, Deneb, Altair, and Aldebaran. (Seikaly, 2001)The Arabic script had been taken from Nabataean Aramaic script. Originally, Arabic language had been used since 4th century but there is no solid evidence for it. Generally 6th century is treated as the starting era for Arabic language. Initially Aramaic language was there in use, but there are fewer consonants in this language. Hence in the 7th century new Arabic letters had been created with the help of dots. Then vowels came into the picture. . (Omniglot writing systems & languages of the world, 2010)Classification of varietiesThe Arabic scri pt had been taken from Nabataean Aramaic script. Originally, Arabic language had been used since 4th century but there is no solid evidence for it. Generally 6th century is treated as the starting era for Arabic language.Initially Aramaic language was there in use, but there are fewer consonants in this language. Hence in the 7th century new Arabic letters had been created with the help of dots. Then vowels came into the picture. Nowadays Arabic is spoken in many different ways in different areas. (Omniglot writing systems & languages of the world, 2010)

Education and Richard Wright

During last week, I read 2 excerpts from Richard Wright and Malcolm X’ autobiographical writing. The interesting part is the authors both got self- educated by reading books while they were in tough situations because of racism. Although the way they accessed to education was different, they had a strong feeling that word could lift them up, and fight for their people after reading books. Ralph Ellison once said â€Å"If the word has the potency to revive and make us free, it has also the power to blind, imprison, and destroy. The similar quote is also right from Bel Kaufman, he said â€Å"Education is not a product: mark, diploma, job, money in that order; it is a process, a never ending one. † Words are the symbol human beings use to express what they want to say. It can be used in speaking and writing. Using words are the only thing people can do in order to communicate. Therefore when it comes to those who don’t have chance to learn in school, words will open the new whole world to them. That makes people escape from their ignorance, and enter to the world of education. Moreover, if people can use words fluently, it will be effective. Words do not have any physical power to kill, but mental power which can last in a long period of time. The quote of Ralph Elision is right, and it can apply in Richard Wright and Malcolm X’ situation. The criticism of people to Mencken makes Richard Wright curious, and brings him to books. The desire in writing letters, and the competition with his inmates bring Malcolm X to prison’s library to get dictionary and book. They both are brought to the new world, and find out their true feelings in reading books. With Richard, he thinks words can use as weapon to fight against unequal events in the world, reveal the truth of history, especially racism. On the other hand, Malcolm X tries to learn as many words as he can in order to fully understand the book, and gain more knowledge, which can help him gain respect of people around him. In the other quote, human come to education is not only for making money, it also helps people get the ideas how things work. Knowledge itself is the most important thing to make people realize the value of things, not just for making profit. Furthermore, knowledge is like the endless ocean, once people get into it, a lot of new things open to them. Thus, with Richard Wright and Malcolm X, whom dropped out of school, education is not a process to make money; it is the one that helps them understand what they lack of. As a writer, Richard Wright would think a lot about what needs to write. His mind would never end thinking to make more ideas, and give all he had into his books. Malcolm X was the same, he spent almost 15 hours per day to read, even though he was pretty successful at the time. Those two quotes are great philosophies. I learn a lot more from the quotes and through Richard Wright and Malcolm X’ self- educations. That’s good for me when I read them, and my mind opens wider.

Managerial Systems and Operations Management Essay

Managerial Systems and Operations Management - Essay Example No organization will ever want to have disgruntled customers, to achieve efficiency a plan is needed to improve the productivity of the company. Sometimes an ad hoc approach may be used on simplest grounds that may need very small changes. Outlined plans must be initiated to analyses the risks that are associated with a particular implementation strategy in accomplishing the drafted project. The last option to be considered is the effectiveness of the project to the organization, these acts as an assessment into the real functionality of the project in aiding organization performance. This paper analyses some of the problems faced by Marston Lodge, which in the long run inhibit its performance in the market. The paper will critical assess the impacts of these problems and come up with significant solutions that will cushion the problems. A detailed plan will exhibit what will assess the associated costs and the approach that will be taken when initiating the project. Last the end of the paper will depict how the technological project impacts on the levels of performance in the Hotel; this will consider the needs of employees and management towards attainment of quality production (Koontz & Weihrich, 2010). Marston Lodge is an example of an organization that is operating under minimal production levels. Numerous complaints hailed towards the company. For instance, long queues and poor conditions of the rooms depict that management and the employees are not taking seriously their jobs and working towards attaining the set objectives of the company. This thwarts the efforts of the hotel on profit maximization. The longer Marston Lodge keeps without addressing these challenges, the faster it degrades an eventually becoming bankrupt. What is also evident from the case scenario is the fact that Marston Lodge is using many funds to train its employees yet productions levels in the

Political-Economic Resentments in Gulf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Political-Economic Resentments in Gulf - Essay Example Oil costs rose drastically. Though Saudi Arabia was the uncontested largest producer of oil, its oil industry, located very close to the war face and sell overseas lines were affected by the persistence of the war2. In fact, the war overstated the oil production all over the Gulf area. The "Tanker War" was expanded to the extent of involving the tankers that were used to transport oil to the Gulf since 1987. The Iranian came up with this idea to stop Gulf being held up to Iraq. In its place, it led to the first enormous American military operation in the region to guard Gulf tankers against Iranian attacks3. The two countries incurred foreign debts. They were unable to pay off them after the war ended due to loans from other countries. The war shifted the worlds concentration in the Middle East from the Arab-Israeli clash to the Gulf section. That Lead to decrease in relation of this country with foreign countries in fear of damages; hence, decrease economically. If the Iranians are capable of having some of the economic sanction lifted they would turn into a chief opponent for Iraqs oil led developmental

Buyer Behaviour Analysis - The Psychology of Buying Coursework

Buyer Behaviour Analysis - The Psychology of Buying - Coursework Example It is therefore important to understand how they arrive at a decision to purchase in order for a marketer to build an offering that would attract them. This paper focuses on how psychological factors; motivation, perception, learning and attitude could influence purchasing decision of luxury cars. A motive can be defined as the internal energizing force that directs individual’s activities towards achieving a goal or satisfying a need. Actions are however affected by several motives thus marketers’ ability to identify these motives forms the basis of developing a successful marketing mix. Motivation is the internal force that reorients our behaviour towards the decision making process and purchasing behaviour. According toYalch& Brand (1996, p.406), once an individual recognizes that they have a need, there is normal a state of tension existing that drives the consumer to achieving the goal by eliminating the need and reducing the tension. In this regard, it is important to note that only unmet needs motivates an individual and once they are eliminated there could only be another motivation emanating from another need. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs identifies five levels of needs that are likely to determine the level of hierarchy the consumers are and determine what motivates their purchases. According to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, purchasing behaviour is mainly driven by the lowest need that has not been met by a buyer. The five primary areas of needs identified by Maslow model are physiological, safety and security, love and belongingness, self esteem and finally self actualization. This model postulates that as the needs of consumers are met in the first level say physiological, they move towards the next and so on (Lester, 2013 p.15). In this model, consumer buyer decisions are motivated by one of the 5 needs level in their hierarchy. In this regard, ability of a marketer to appeal to one of five motivational

Media critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media critique - Essay Example The media depicts the adolescents as a social group that is affected by health problems associated to sex. In relation to the elderly, the health problem associated to them is related to ageing. Children are on depicted as having health problems related to nutrition. Sexually transmitted diseases amongst the adolescents in the society are among the health problems that receive more media attention (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services 2000). This is in comparison to other health problems affecting other members of the society such as the elderly and children. There are a variety of reasons as to why this health problem receives more media attention. One of the reasons is that the adolescent population is greater than that of other members of the society. Therefore, this social group is more vulnerable hence the media attention directed towards it. The emphasis of sexually transmitted diseases amongst adolescents is justified because this social group is very important for the welfare of any nation. The adolescents who are mostly teenagers are the hope for the future. Therefore, if their welfare is not protected at present then the status of the future is at jeopardy. The attention given to the adolescent’s health issues by the media in relation to other social groups should be encouraged. This is because most of the teenagers at the adolescent stage are naà ¯ve and therefore need a lot of guidance and counseling. Teenagers at the adolescent stage undergo a series of physical and physiological changes and hence why they need guidance on how to handle the changes (Goldwasser, 2008). Sex is one of the issues that affect their lifestyles and it is therefore the obligation of the media to concentrate on sexually transmitted diseases amongst them so as to enlighten them. Research has revealed that the publics portray the attention of the media to sexually transmitted diseases amongst adolescents in a

Organizational Behavior & Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Organizational Behavior & Leadership - Essay Example The other feature is that these leaders promise rewards as a way of motivation for a desired performance (Schein, 2010). Contrary to transactional leadership, transformational leadership is proactive and always forms new expectations in surbodinates.Leaders also have good visioning abilty, manegement and rhetorical skills and develop strong bonds with the followers. These kinds of leaders inspire subordinates to work for goals going beyond self interest. On the other hand the level five leadership qualities which have been mainly exhibited by leader A includes, self confidence, humility and modesty and unwavering resolve in them. They directly participate in work and gives credit to others for their achievements. To them, success is not attributed to personal might but good luck (Schein, 2010). Leader B to a larger extent identifies with transactional style of leadership. He puts great focus on rewards for tasks successfully accomplished. The visioning aspect he portrays in his leadership style is an influence from the outgoing Chief Executive Office which he is likely to shade off when he takes over. One demerit to his kind of leadership to employees is that this type of leader may become unpredictable and instill fear of being held hostage for their actions. His subordinates feel less motivated to go beyond self interest.Surbodinates feel some sense of freedom when this leader is away and they fear taking up new challenges for fear of the consequences if at all they

The evolution of the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, planets, and other Essay

The evolution of the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, planets, and other bodies in the universe - Essay Example The last and furthest planet is Pluto, which is a dwarf planet. After the sun, the second brightest object in the sky is the moon. It orbits around the earth once monthly. The impact theory suggests that the moon got formed out of collision between the earth and a very large object, the size of Mars or more. The moon got borne out of the ejected materials from the collision. At the center of the solar system is the sun. The sun is the largest object in the solar system. The sun makes up close to 99.8% of the solar systems mass (Merali & Skinner, 2008). The heat and light shed by the sun makes life possible on planet earth. The planets orbit the sun in paths called ellipses, which are oval shaped. A solar system references a star and all the objects that orbit around it. In our solar system, the sun is the star. The sun as the center of our solar system illuminates the light and heat that make it possible for life within any of the planets (Merali & Skinner, 2008). The planet earth is the only one proven to support life among the system. The planets Mercury and Venus are too close to the sun making them too hot and dry with little atmosphere. The outer planets are also unable to support life because they lack atmosphere, solid ground, oxygen and contain too much

Organisational Behaviour Individual Case Study Assignment

Organisational Behaviour Individual Case Study - Assignment Example It helps in perceiving ideas about organization, groups and individual employees involved in the organisational structure. Thus, the concept is often considered as a parameter pertaining to the explanation, understanding, forecasting and calculation of human behaviour in an organization (Pomsuwan, 2007). In order to access the individual or group performance in an organization, certain areas are primarily focused which include personality, perception, attitudes, job satisfaction, group dynamics, politics, leadership, job design, culture, communication chain, stress of work, and decision-making power that tend to influence the employees’ behaviour at large (Rollinson, 2008). This paper intends to present an understanding of the concept of organisational behaviour and its influences on the employees in case of mergers and acquisitions. Based on a case study scenario of David Orton and Cost Wise, the discussion in this paper also aims at identifying the various issues faced by th e organizations and its employees due to structural changes as a result of acquisition. 2.0. Methodology Organisational behaviour is also known as organizational science which encompasses a prearranged study and cautious relevance of knowledge about how people operate in an organization. ... s which are considered in this regards are employee morale, job satisfaction, absenteeism rate, salary issues and various other inter as well as intra organisational conflicts. The approach considered for this project tends to be purely qualitative based on an objective-oriented research design. The data collected for this study majorly includes journals, books, articles related to the research issue and similar other relevant secondary sources. In order to gather primary data, interviews were conducted with the former employees of Cost Wise and the management personnel of David Orton. Observation technique was also used to identify the various dimensions of the work culture within the organisation from September 2011 to November 2011. In addition, staff visits have also been considered in this study to support the views of the other staffs associated with a similar industry. As often noted by researchers, mergers and acquisitions not only affects the organisational structure and the financial operations, but also influences the employees’ needs at the basic level (Salame, 2006). To conclude on this prediction, the analysis of the data collected will be based on the Maslow’s Need Hierarchy so as to determine the gap between the employees’ interest in these two companies before and after the merger. 3.0. Findings 3.1. Motivational States of Cost Wise Employees Motivation is typically referred as the forces that account for the arousal, selection, direction and continuation of behaviour. These forces act as foundations for enhancing both individual and organizational needs and can be better described by Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs model. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is often depicted as a pyramid consisting of five levels. The first four levels are

Choosing between the Trans-Siberian, Bhutan or the South Pacific Essay Example for Free

Choosing between the Trans-Siberian, Bhutan or the South Pacific Essay Section One: I have always wanted to travel. In fact, if I had unlimited money and a lot free time, the thing I would like to do more than anything is see the world. Not just the tourist spots, but the real world – the places where real people live and work and have lives. My journey would largely ignore the main hotel chains and tourists spots. Instead, I would search out those places that are not well known to the average tourist. I would try to find places worth seeing because they have not been commercialized and because what they offer is a part of the real lives of the people who live there everyday. The kinds of places I am thinking about are the ones that tourists would not usually find unless they went â€Å"off the beaten path† and tried to experience the real essence and spirit of the location as a local person does. In general, there are already a number of places I would be interested in finding out more about. The Trans-Siberian railway route from Moscow to the east interests me. So does Bhutan. I am also interested in learning more about travel in the South Pacific Islands. For the purposes of this paper, my goal would be to research about these places and narrow down to one so that I could plan a trip that would take place in a year or two. The Trans-Siberian railway fascinates me. Starting from Moscow, it covers an incredibly large area of land and the cultures of the people who live along its route vary immensely. This trip would no doubt be one that would open my eyes. Nevertheless, I have heard many people say that it can be a dangerous journey for foreigners and I would want to know that I am not putting myself at risk by doing it. Bhutan is interesting because it is a part of the world that is largely closed off from the rest of civilization. I have heard that the government places restrictions on the number of tourists each year in order to control the effect of outside cultures on the local traditions. I do not know if this is true or not, but I would like to know more. The South Pacific is also fascinating. Aside from the stereotypical notion of palm trees and coconuts, this area is also largely unknown to the average person. A place of natural wonder, it also is a part of the word that has seen a fair amount of strife and turmoil. I don’t know very much about this region of the world at all and would like to find out more. In narrowing down the possibilities, I will research a number of things in each area. First, I will look at a general history of each area as well as overview the current social, economic and political situations. I will also gather as much information as possible about the tourist restrictions, rules and regulations for each area. Next, I will follow internet forums where people share information about their journeys to gather as much information about other people’s experiences in these areas. I would want to know both the positive things as well as the negative in order to prepare for any eventuality. I will also identify three people – one for each area- that have been to these places to do an email interview about their experiences, thoughts and suggestions. In doing this research, I am hoping that it will become clear to me which of these areas would my best choice as a destination. I am, nevertheless, aware that I may also conclude that I would like to visit all three or none at all. In this case, I hope to at least narrow down and identify my own person criteria for a successful personal journey.

Understanding European history Essay Example for Free

Understanding European history Essay Although experiencing a period of expanding intellectual and geographical horizons, European history in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries witnessed, on the whole, a profoundly intolerant age. To clarify our opinion, we must first introduce European history under the literary history of this age. Here, we will display our understanding of European history in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, the one by Brecht or the one by Montaigne as two famous authors of the Renaissance age. Herr Bertolt Brecht in relation to European drama and theatre Anyone who was anyone in Germany and France wrote historical dramas. It is therefore understandable that the poets of inner conflicts, the prophets of the Byronic hero, also emerged as writers of historical drama and often released the two themes in the same play. The most important condition a historical drama should fulfill when it was to be performed was that should represent history as an all-embracing system and as a force which helps to define identity. Unlike ONeil and Pirandello, however, Brecht does not want the spectator to identify or feel empathy with his heroes. In 1922, he noted in his diary: I hope in Baal and Jungle Ive avoided one common artistic bloomer that of trying to carry people away. Instinctively, Ive kept my distance and ensured that the realization of my†¦. effects remains within bounds. The spectators splendid isolations is left intact; it is not sua res quae agitur. Consequently, Brecht draws quite different conclusions from the concept of the impossibility of individuality in Baal than do ONeil or Pirandello in their work. Brecht opposes the idea of the ever-constant – tragic or polyvalent – absurd being (Sein) of man with the theorem of mans changeability. He designed the comedy Mann IST Mann (Man equals Man) as a kind of experimental apparatus which would demonstrate the basic pre-conditions of re-assembling one personality into another. Herr Bertolt Brecht maintains man equals man- a view that has been around since time began. But then Herr Brecht points out how far one can maneuver and manipulate that man. All of Brechts re-writs began from the insight gained from Baal, that man is nothing without his social and economic relations (One is none) and that it is only through relationships that he becomes something; these relationships prove to be not primarily human ones but rather relationships based on commodity exchange. Such relationships of ownership turn man into an object which can be used in a negative or positive way, according to the situation, and this can be demonstrated experimentally. Brecht developed the form of Lehrstuck in response to a very specific problem which repeatedly confronted his theater in the course of 1920s. It concerns, on the one hand, the new type, and, on the other, the middle-class audience response to it. Brecht presumes that there can be no individuality in the way conceived by the former bourgeoisie, and that no definitive statements can be made on new trans-individual man since it can only rise as the result of a lasting process of development. Brecht felt supported in this view by Marxism, which defines man as a changeable and world-changing being, whose consciousness is determined through his social being. The new man, who will be formed as a product of situation where there is no bourgeoisie, in a classless society, thus cannot be defined and fixed in advance. The dramatic poet in my view is merely someone who records history. He stands above history, however, in that he creates history for a second time and places us directly in the life of a certain time, instead of providing a dry account; he provides characters instead of characteristics, and figures instead of descriptions. It is his greatest ask to come as close as he can to history as it really happened. Brecht constructed as antithesis, from similar points of departure he arrives at completely opposite conclusion: †¢ The absolute self-realization of the vital individual, liberated from all moral scruples is impossible in bourgeois society, since this form of society forces everyone to fit in and its conventions stand in total opposition to the individuals claim to happiness and eradicate individuality. †¢ The individual who sets himself up to be absolute, who lives out his insatiable sexual lust, his incontinent consumption of food and drink, is a monstrous social being who either falls into the realms of the mythic or becomes part of the circle of nature- from the white mothers womb to the dark womb of the earth- and dissolves his own individuality. Brecht turns his conclusion into a positive one- something only Hugo von Hofmannsthal had recognized at that time. Michel de Montaignes essays in the Renaissance age Mantaigne essentially invented the literary form of essay, a short subjective treatment of a given topic, of which the book contains a large number. Essay is French for trial or attempt. Montaigne wrote in a kind of crafted rhetoric designed to intrigue and involve the reader, sometimes appearing to move in a stream-of-thought from topic to topic and at other times employing a structured style which gives more emphasis to the didactic nature of his work. His arguments are often supported with quotes from classical Greek and Roman texts. Montaignes stated goal in his book is to describe man, and especially himself, with utter frankness. As an essayist, his great project centered on the sustained delineation of only one character, which was Montaignes character. He finds the great variety and volatility of human nature to be its most basic features. A typical quote is I have never seen a greater monster or miracle than myself, He describes his own poor memory, his ability to solve problems and mediate conflicts without truly getting emotionally involved, his disgust for mans pursuit of lasting fame, and his attempts to detach himself from worldly things to prepare for death. Montaigne is known for popularizing the essay as a literary genre. He became famous for his effortless ability to merge serious intellectual speculation with casual anecdotes and autobiography- and his massive volume essays (translated literally as Attempts) contains, to this day, some of the most widely influential essays ever written. Montaigne had a direct influence on writers the world over, from William Shakespeare to Rene Descartes, from Ralph Waldo Emerson to Stephan Zweig. Montaigne freely borrowed of others, and he has found men willing to borrow of him as freely. We need not wonder at the reputation which he with seeming facility achieved. He was, without being aware of it, the leader of a new school in letters and morals. His book was different from all others which were at that date in the world. It diverted the ancient currents of thought into new channels. It told its readers, with unexampled frankness, what its writers opinion was about men and things, and threw what must have been a strange kind of new light on many matters but darkly understood. Above all, the essayist uncased himself, and made his intellectual and physical organism public property. He took the world into his confidence on all subjects. His essays were a sort of literary anatomy, where we get a diagnosis of the writers mind, made by himself at different levels and under a large variety of operating influences. It was reasonable enough that Montaigne should expect for his work a certain share of celebrity in Gascony, and even, as time went on, through ¬out France; but it is scarcely probable that he foresaw how his renown was to become world-wide; how he was to occupy an almost unique position as a man of letters and a moralist; how the Essays would be read, in all the principal languages of Europe, by millions of intelligent human beings, who never heard of Perigord or the League, and who are in doubt, if they are questioned, whether the author lived in the sixteenth or the eighteenth century. This is true fame. A man of genius belongs to no period and no country. He speaks the language of nature, which is always everywhere the same. Evaluating the difference between Brecht and Montaigne Thus, if the Stream of things is a mixture of dying and regeneration, the thought problems confronting us are dialectical, in the identity of opposites, of negative and positive; and also linguistic, in the logical validity of sentences and the mutual exclusion of their meanings; and also aesthetic, in so far as one aspect of the dead moons continued life is its perception as strange [fremd] by even one last living being, its estrangement of itself and of that being. Finally, causality intervenes, and intersects the vast sublunary landscape of all that is: raising its own linguistic and dialectical questions. Brecht was willing to force the issue even more pointedly, as in his suggestion that although the purely biological death of the individual IS uninteresting to society, dying ought none the less to be taught. It is probably less a Montaigne-like aspiration than the expression of themes surrounding Die Massnahme from this same period. A social Tao, on the other hand, is surely bound up with the issues of technology and modernity raised above, to which we will return in conclusion. Bibliography References used in the current essay: 1. History of European drama and theatre, Erika Fischer-Lichte, Jo Riley. Pages 232-238-315-317-318 2. The Complete Essays of Michel de Montaigne, Vol. 1 of 2. Michel de Montaigne. Pages 1-2 3. Brecht and method, Fredric Jameson. Page 171

Human Resource Information System In Pharmaceutical Industry Information Technology Essay

Human Resource Information System In Pharmaceutical Industry Information Technology Essay This paper generates propositions analyzing the association between Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS) and the reliance, pharmaceutical industry places in the technology and models the effect of those associations on HRIS implementation success. It gives information about the human resource management at different levels and how the information technology is used in human resource department to fulfill all its functions with ease. It also gives information about the aspects that help in effective and optimal use of Human Resource Management system and effectiveness in integrating the HR activities with IT. It gives the idea of the uses of different modules of HRMS and other software related to Human resource management. It says about the margins of error and the performance level of current HRMS. It provides with the clues about the challenges faced by most of the pharmaceutical companies in which HRMS assists them to successfully deal with it. It enlightens the pros cons and the outcomes of usage of human resource information system used in pharmaceutical industries. This system adds value to the Human Resource functions but also changes the competencies that define the winning of human resource professionals. This paper also generates the importance of HRIS in Novartis International AG. It also explains its various challenges while implementing the system in the company. Introduction The main use of technology advancement in the corporate has driven the change of means, needs and styles of working. When advanced work effectiveness and output, falling in line with time management agendas and devotion to punctuality guidelines, there are more profits to employees effectively, and best utilization of available resources and a successful deal with corporate. The term, Human Resource Management System (HRMS) or Human Resource Information System (HRIS), matches to all the features in the business system. HRMS is the procedure engaged by the combination of better ways of technological development with conventional ways of the human resource mode of functioning. A Human Resource Management System or Human Resource Information System (HRIS) or HR system is the systems and processes between human resource management (HRM) and information technology (IT). HRM is a discipline which blends its basic HR functions and processes with the information technology. HRMS software was provided by the PeopleSoft.Inc. Earlier, most of the administrative jobs constituted tiresome practice of manual paperwork like determining payroll, tracing data, conserving the collection of database, maintaining and evaluating productivity records, keeping employee personal information, addressing issues and resolving conflicts and scrutinizing employee welfare schemes have now become a simple, time-saving and cost-saving process. There are other functions such as monitoring and retrieving periodic employee performance, planning, controlling and coordinating activities, organizing tables, figures and statistics and evaluating them. This technology is used as a device to make the work environment simple, standardized and user-friendly. Importance of Information System to HR Better safety Better service Competitive Advantage Fewer Errors Greater Accuracy Improved Communication Increased Efficiency Increased Productivity More efficient administration More opportunities Reduced labor requirements Reduced costs Superior managerial decision making Superior control The Human Resources Department needed more management-level information and support to encounter all the expectations. These practices have now begun to branch into the different trends that makeup many organizations today. The huge part of human resources is now E-business. Many companies have implemented a web-based system known as the Oracle Human Resources Management System which helps data access through centralized core HRMS system, enabling companies to control and measure their workforce potentials and allows them to manage risk by recording and monitoring compliance with statutory, regulatory, and industry requirements relating to their employees. The stronger use of technology has allowed HRM professionals to invest more time in counselling, selecting, and coaching managers and front-line supervisors. History of HRIS 1950s virtually non-existent 1960s only a select few 1970s greater need 1980s HRIS a reality in many organizations 1990s Numerous vendors, specialties Aspects helping in effective and optimum use of HRIS HRIS is useful for the employees according to their needs. It can be accessible by adding or modifying the modules and also by offering different facilities to them. Also, HRMS is The best means by which the employees of different departments within the company can communicate. It gives information to support and analyze the companys continuous development. It establishes the level of knowledge which is helpful for upgrading the process and research-based practices. It creates the companys planning agenda and defines its decision making process. It Verifies validates the companys mission statement. Effectiveness in integrating the HR activities with IT To prevent from moderating data and viewing information, a role based security is designed. To make the functionalities easy, various functional roles are available which provides ways of data recording, forwarding, reporting and authorizing. It helps to record and view information for different plant, locations, department and employee. HRIS have different segments categorized as modules like payroll module, HR management module, training module, employee self-service module, etc. The maintenance work consumes less effort due to its different way of designing. Uses of different modules There are different types of HR modules in Human Resource Information System, and they are as follows: Payroll module: This module mechanizes the pay process and calculates different deductions and taxes, by gathering information on employee presence and their work timings. It helps to generate periodic pay checks and employee tax reports. For calculating automatic deposit and manual checks, data is generally available from the human resource department. It contains all employee-related dealings as well as all the information is combined with financial management systems. Benefits administration module: Employee benefits programs such as encompass insurance, compensation, profit sharing and retirement of the employees are being tracked and managed by this system for the organizations. HR management module: This module covers different aspects from application to retirement. All the basic information of the employees such as their demographics, address data, selection, training and development, capabilities, skills, compensation records and other functions are recorded with the help of this module. This module helps the system to offer the facility to read applications and enter appropriate data to specific database fields, informs employers and helps to provide position management and control which are not in use. Human resource management systems work is mainly the job placement, recruitment, training, compensation, evaluation and developments of the people working in the company. Mainly, industries use computer based information systems to create pay checks and payroll results; to maintain personnel records and information of the employees; and training and developing the employees. ATS module: Nowadays, online recruiting has become very popular as the key method of employment by the human resource department. This helps in gathering potential and eligible candidates for the available positions in a company. ATS module generally helps in the following ways: It investigates personnel usage in a company ; recognizes potential applicants for the available positions; It helps in recruiting through company-facing entries; It provides help in hiring through online recruiting sites or publications which is marketed to both recruiters and applicants. Training module: It offers the system for the companies to help in managing and tracking employee training and growth efforts. This system is generally known as a Learning Management System and it is a stand-alone, that permits the HR to track all the information of the employees regarding their education, qualifications and skills, as well as recording their training courses ,books, CDs, etc. whichever are available to improve their skills in different areas. Thereafter the employees are registered for the appropriate courses which are offered at a particular dates with specific sessions, with delegates and training resources by which they are being recorded and managed within the same system. The learning management system helps the managers in approving training, budgeting and arranging together with performance management and appraisal metrics. Employee Self-Service module: This module is useful for the employees of the companies to ask question to the human resource about HR related information. They can also perform HR transactions through the system such as querying about their attendance records from the system without asking the HR personnel. This module also provides service to let the upper managers approve overtime requests from their subordinates without disturbing the functions of HR department. Benefits to the Employees The ways in which employees can be benefited by the HRMS are as follows: Identification of employees key skills for retention excellence. Automated and precise performance appraisals promote healthy relations. Expedite employees recruiting process. Multitude data pulling from single entry can cut in various reports. Helps building a successful environment where employees strive to perform well and exceeding their goals. A collegial flexible work place, Employee input in to how the work gets done, trust in senior management and lack of hierarchy flexible work arrangement. Web-based management system can streamline improvement plans by collaborating creation, implementation and monitoring phases. Help manage workforce and resources. Focuses and aligns staff development and resources. The margins of error The margin of error for the HRIS system is very minimal. The HRIS system maintains and updates its form of modifications or additions of HR modules on a regular basis. The performance level of this system is ideal. Unique areas where the pharmaceutical company uses HRMS effectively The HRMS system, implemented in various pharmaceutical companies, is highly sophisticated and provided with latest versions. Consultants who are expertise in making the software, seeks suggestions and advice on the implementation of the HRIS software in their own company. All the pharmaceutical companies customize its HRIS as per the needs and requirements of the personnel and staff. The unique areas where the pharmaceutical company uses the HRMS effectively are: It contains all the personal information of the employees such as their training, experience, education, leave, job description, pay description at a single point of access. All the information about the leave allocation and movement can be easily drawn with the help of it. It helps in searching appropriate applicants for the available vacancies and in the interviewing process. It is also helpful in managing the insurance of the employees easily. It is important for the growth of the employees which are under their respective training given for their skill development. It is helpful in development of the employees performance appraisal system. It is also helpful in managing all the policy documents at a single source depository. It is also used to do online survey about the companys environment by the employees. By the help of this software, an employee gets the benefit of suggesting any useful advice for the companys well-being. It facilitates with an extra benefit to the employee by notifying about the urgent and critical notices or important messages from a single point. It gives an access to collect opinions easily, fast and with security and confidentiality companywide. It can be used as a budget allocation and consumption tool. The long term benefits The HRMS software is a customized tool and due to this reason, it had very high level of flexibility and the company gets the advantage of adding more features and HR modules according to their specific needs of the management and employees. This provides the company to communicate the employees with their respective departments even better day-by-day. Recently online HRMS newsletter is introduced which enables the employees to share news and information. Through this, it is involving the employees to participate in sharing and gaining knowledge and capabilities with the other departments of the company. Reasons why HRIS fails sometimes Unclear goals/objectives System solves the wrong problem Improper vendor/product selection Low user involvement Planning overlooks impact on clerical procedures Lack of HR/functional expertise in designing Underestimate conversion effort Management- unrealistic expectations Lack of overall plan for record management Lack of flexibility and adaptability Misinterpret HR specifications Poor communication between HR/IS Inadequate testing The HRIS software is sold by different vendors. Some of the contacts of the vendors are PeopleSoft, Oracle HR Applications, Ascentis Software, Eric Systems Inc., Infinium, and Spectrum. Novartis international AG case Now, lets take the case analysis of Novartis International AG. It is a multinational pharmaceutical company based in Basel, Switzerland with 140 branches worldwide. Around 100,000 associates work in this company. This company manufactures drugs such as diclofenac, carbamazepine, letrozole, methylphenidate, etc. There were various issues that Novartis faced regarding its Human Resource System. Some of the issues are as follows: Significant priority of the company was to implement a firm wide HRIS that would convert many of transaction-based HR core processes to an internet-based system. HRIS project was an integral part of Novartis long term strategy for improving overall HR service delivery to the organization that would result in a full HR transformation. A gap in the infrastructure priority was the lack of a global HR information system. Managers in the company were unable to figure out quickly how many HR associates were working at Novartis. Lack of number of associates within the company to fill the leadership position. The existing IT systems within Novartis were not up to mark. Centralization or standardization of HR data. No consistent standards. No consolidated database. Difficult in supporting in the businesses in identifying, moving, and tracking talent. Multiple fragmented systems. Exposure for many small vendors with non-integrated niche application. Exposure to legal/regulatory non-compliance. Employees are feeling stretched because of initial post-merger integration. The top internal issue is little centralization or standardization of HR data. The company operated in 140 different countries. Due to lack of HRIS in the company, the company has many loop holes such as no consistent standards, no consolidated database, and no ability to provide data in form to reflect their matrix structure whereas has difficulty in supporting the business in identifying, moving and tracking talent etc. So, with the implementation of new HRIS, the company will be able to solve the problem easily and allow the managers and HR professionals to respond to the business challenges. The top external issue is the Shifting of HR role from functional expert and transaction processor to strategic partner and change agent. The implementation of HRIS system will enable the HR transformation. It will cut down most of the administrative activities of the HR managers leading to be an evolution of the basic role of HR in the company. There will be requirement of more skilled and professional HR associates who can act as a strategic business partner and change agent. Major challenges faced by Novartis in implementation of the HRIS: 1. The HRIS effort represented a major transformation in the fundamental role and responsibilities of the HR function within Novartis. 2. The new system changed the relationships of HR professionals with their business partners. 3. HR associates expected to play a more strategic, consultative role to the business. 4. Technical challenges for system implementation such as web enabling, SAP R/3 -a core transaction processing system, SAP business warehouse (BW), an enterprise HR portal solution etc. Competencies needed by the HR professionals at Novartis for using HRIS The HR professionals at Novartis should have more human resource knowledge; understand their business and its language. They must have expertise in staffing, development, compensation, etc. They must be able to deliver innovative HR practices that add value to the company. HR professionals need to be effective, able to detect trends and early signals and initiate flexibility in fast changing environment. With implementation of HRIS, the HR professionals have to be a technology expert to deliver services to employees and help them to understand the new system. They must be proficient in using technology to collect data and producing it more strategically valuable information. Hence, HRIS is very essential in the companies all over the world providing better safety, competitive advantage, fewer errors, greater accuracy, improved communication, increased efficiency and productivity and reduced labor requirements.

A CBR-based Approach to ITIL-based Service Desk Essay examples -- Custo

Abstract: Many organization’s customer service and technical support department like to use Service Desk systems. It is crucial to provide a convenient and fast method. In this paper the Incident and Problem Management of ITIL framework are described and used as the underlying structure of Service Desk and then CBR technique is selected for the main implementation technique after make a comparison between CBR and RBR. Lastly, this paper actually tries to work on new perspective by adopting Knowledge management techniques with Services Desk systems. INTRODUCTION The Knowledge Management Service Desk has attracted attention. By adding Knowledge Management to the ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library), the importance of Knowledge Management in IT organizations is observed more than ever. Service Desk makes the accessibility and availability of IT organization’s services in supporting the agreed IT service provision become easy. By using Service Desk the reception, response and troubleshooting of end-users’ issues regarding organization’s services are solved. There are several problems in Services Desk topic. First is the acquisition of the knowledge about information technologies supported by Service Desk. The technicians must have the knowledge of information technologies to solve the reported incident. But, nowadays the information technologies are increasing rapidly. The other problem is to finding proper solution when technicians do not possess the knowledge over domain to find the solution in term of time consuming. Knowle dge Management can be describe as a technology that increases our understandings and helps the organizations to make decisions and solve problems more effectively by providing strategy, process and technology... ...ime to fill the database, and it is effective to find nearest neighbor of the current incident. CONCLUSION Nowadays, many organization’s customer service and technical support department like to use Service Desk systems. It is crucial to provide a convenient and fast method. In this paper the Incident and Problem Management of ITIL framework are described and used as the underlying structure of Service Desk and then CBR technique is selected for the main implementation technique after make a comparison between CBR and RBR. Lastly, this paper actually tries to work on new perspective by adopting Knowledge management techniques with Services Desk systems. Works Cited Farjadi Tehrani, A. R., & Mustafa Mohamed, F. Z. (2011). A CBR-based Approach to ITIL-based Service Desk. Journal of Emerging Trends in Computing and Information Sciences, 2(10), 476-484. A CBR-based Approach to ITIL-based Service Desk Essay examples -- Custo Abstract: Many organization’s customer service and technical support department like to use Service Desk systems. It is crucial to provide a convenient and fast method. In this paper the Incident and Problem Management of ITIL framework are described and used as the underlying structure of Service Desk and then CBR technique is selected for the main implementation technique after make a comparison between CBR and RBR. Lastly, this paper actually tries to work on new perspective by adopting Knowledge management techniques with Services Desk systems. INTRODUCTION The Knowledge Management Service Desk has attracted attention. By adding Knowledge Management to the ITIL (IT Infrastructure Library), the importance of Knowledge Management in IT organizations is observed more than ever. Service Desk makes the accessibility and availability of IT organization’s services in supporting the agreed IT service provision become easy. By using Service Desk the reception, response and troubleshooting of end-users’ issues regarding organization’s services are solved. There are several problems in Services Desk topic. First is the acquisition of the knowledge about information technologies supported by Service Desk. The technicians must have the knowledge of information technologies to solve the reported incident. But, nowadays the information technologies are increasing rapidly. The other problem is to finding proper solution when technicians do not possess the knowledge over domain to find the solution in term of time consuming. Knowle dge Management can be describe as a technology that increases our understandings and helps the organizations to make decisions and solve problems more effectively by providing strategy, process and technology... ...ime to fill the database, and it is effective to find nearest neighbor of the current incident. CONCLUSION Nowadays, many organization’s customer service and technical support department like to use Service Desk systems. It is crucial to provide a convenient and fast method. In this paper the Incident and Problem Management of ITIL framework are described and used as the underlying structure of Service Desk and then CBR technique is selected for the main implementation technique after make a comparison between CBR and RBR. Lastly, this paper actually tries to work on new perspective by adopting Knowledge management techniques with Services Desk systems. Works Cited Farjadi Tehrani, A. R., & Mustafa Mohamed, F. Z. (2011). A CBR-based Approach to ITIL-based Service Desk. Journal of Emerging Trends in Computing and Information Sciences, 2(10), 476-484.

Essay --

.1 Introduction The definition of Low Carbon Society which the action is suitable with the principle of sustainable development is to ensure that create all the development needs of all folks in the society and via reduction in global emission by effort to fix the atmospheric CO2 emission and GHGs, which the climate change is dangerous at that level. All national positions in the world have different definitions of Low Carbon Society because all countries have different level of progress to produce pollutions. For developed countries, by the center of the 21st century with decreasing the CO2 emissions they can gain to a low carbon society. Also it can change to lifestyle and institute with the spread and development of low-carbon technologies. For developing countries, by the accomplishment of broader development objectives, they can attain to a low carbon society. By progress in developed countries, must be considered the level of CO2 and also this advanced is proportional to the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere that has to appropriate with low carbon societies (Skea and Nishioka, 2008). Also recent studies have illustrated that the developing country's association to stabilize long term greenhouse gas (GHG) emission at 450 ppm CO2 emission or lower (Blanford et al., 2009). Reduction policies of climate change not only help to control GHG concentrations but also result in an improvement of ethnic energy security and mitigation of local air pollutant concentrations. Then, it is important in a developing countries content to read about the direct and indirect benefits of GHG reduction policies and also potential for GHG mitigation (Shrestha and Shakya, 2012). The main goals of climate change policy 2010 are: (i) advance... ...ivate cars is yet enhanced and has turned into a united part of both modern society and of the life of people and families. It has a duty to play as a method of transport as well as in cultural and social life. One needs to know and comprehend this entire picture if the plan is to change the example of transport so as to take care of the environmental issues inside and from the transportation part. The key discoveries demonstrate that so as to expand public transport utilization, the service ought to be composed in a manner that obliges the levels of service needed by customers and by completing so absorb potential users. Moreover, attitude towards transport is an essential determinant of mode decision. It is not wanted that all car users, totally, will change from driving a car to utilize public transport only by enhancing the public transport system.

Motivating Employees Essay -- Business Management

MOTIVATING YOUR EMPLOYEES Every human being needs motivation now and then. Incentives and recognition programs can support you in helping your employees become happier and more productive at work. As a leader, one of the main things to think about is how to recognize an employee for a performance that has exceeded expectations, objectives and goals. Therefore, I would like to introduce you in this paper to some ideas that hopefully would promote this method as one of the main priorities in today's and tomorrow's workplace. People want to do more than work as machines; they want to be productive as well as being recognized by others. Following the successful managers handbook, when employees have the opportunity to work with a leader who challenges, inspires and appreciates them, they are more likely to perform above their expectations. However, there are two different strategies when dealing with this matter that are necessary to identify before implementing these techniques. According to Philip Holmes, "although the two often seem interchangeable, recognition should not be confused with incentives. Recognition involves all the techniques that draw attention to employees who perform. Incentive programs generally use selective techniques to induce people to achieve a specific objective, such as increasing sales. Recognition can be spontaneous, even to the extent that there is no formal announcement that the organization has a recognition program. Incentives are designed to act as carrots, and they're publicized well in advance to whip up enthusiasm for winning a tangible reward". Turnover, absenteeism, and low productivity are some of the many reactions that an unmotivated worker might bring to the company. However, leaders ... ...ccording to the successful managers hand handbook, "people are the key to your organization's present and future success. Organizations compete for talent as well as for customers. Having a reputation as a desirable place to work helps organizations attract and retain top people. It is to your advantage to know the talent of your organization and to know what needs to be done to help each person develop, and understand the priority of a particular talent so you can meet your business goals". There are many methods to promote and expand employee motivation. The main goal to motivating your employees is to know them enough where as a leader you will know what motivates them, and as a result, you will create a motivation program based on those needs. I believe that employee satisfaction is the key to a successful workforce, and it will definitely help pay for itself.

Film as a Subject of Study Essay

The tremendous expense involved in producing motion pictures reminds us that film is both an Industry, and an Art. Each film is the child of a turbulent marriage between businessmen and artists. Yet despite an ongoing battle between aesthetic and commercial considerations, film is now recognized as a unique and powerful art form on a par with Painting, Sculpture, Music, Literature, and Drama. As a form of human expression, the moving picture is similar to other artistic media, for the basic properties of other media are woven into its own rich fabric. Film employs the compositional elements of the visual arts: line, form, mass, volume and texture. Like painting and photography, film exploits the subtle interplay of light and shadow. Like sculpture, film manipulates three-dimensional space. But, like pantomime, film focuses on moving images, and as in dance, the moving images in film have rhythm. The complex rhythms of film resemble those of music and poetry; and like poetry in particular, film communicates through imagery, metaphor, and symbol. Like drama, film communicates visually and verbally : visually, through action and gesture; verbally, through dialogue. Finally, like the novel, film expands or compresses time and space, traveling back and forth freely within their wide border. Despite these similarities, film is unique. 1. It is set apart from all other media by its quality of free and constant motion. The continuous interplay of sight, sound, and motion allows film to transcend the static limitations of painting and sculpture – in the complexity of its sensual appeal as well as in its ability to communicate simultaneously on several levels. Film even surpasses drama in its unique capacity for revealing various points of view, portraying action, manipulating time, and conveying a boundless sense of space. 2. Unlike the stage play, film can provide a continuous, unbroken flow, which blurs and minimizes transitions without compromising the story’s unity. Unlike the novel and the poem, film communicates directly, not through abstract symbols like words on a page but through concrete images and sounds. What’s more, film can treat an almost infinite array of subjects. 3. There is almost nothing that the eye might behold or the ear hear, in actuality or imagination, which can’t be represented in the medium of film. From the North and South poles to the Equator, from the Himalayas as a vast mountain range to the minutest flaw in a piece of steel, from the whistling flight of a bullet to the slow growth of a flower, from the flicker of though across an almost impassive face to the frenzied ravings of a madman, there is no point in space no degree of magnitude or speed of movement within the apprehension of man which is not within reach of the film. To simplify what I’m getting at, recall the many faces of Gabbar Singh in the film Sholay, and you recall the power of film. 4. The Elasticity of Time in a Film Film is unlimited not only in its choice of subject but also in its approach to that material. A film can look to the remote past or probe the distant future; it can make a few seconds seem like hours or compress a whole century into minutes. Film can run the gamut of feeling from the most fragile, tender, and beautiful to the most brutal, violent, and repulsive. 5. Of even greater importance than film’s unlimited range in subject matter, however, is the overwhelming Sense of Reality it can convey. The continuous stream of sight, sound, and motion creates a here-and-now excitement that immerses the viewer in the cinematic experience. Thus, through film, fantasy assumes the shape and emotional impact of Reality. The technological history of film can in fact be viewed as an ongoing evolution toward greater realism, toward erasing the border between art and nature, between fiction and reality. In sum, Film is a uniquely powerful combination of the Seven Arts. II A. In the two pages above, a way of looking at films has been offered which says that films are more than just an entertaining way to pass the time. There is an art, and a science to them, which usually goes unnoticed. When you begin to notice these two dimensions, your understanding of cinema will be much smarter and sharper. To take an example, please go back to pt. 2 above, and especially the observation that film does not communicate ‘through abstract symbols’. How then does it communicate? The answer : through concrete, flesh and blood symbols. With the help of camera angles and special lighting, almost everything becomes symbolic on film. The protagonists’ hair style, dimpled cheeks, the clothes they wear, the voice in which they speak, the way they walk, the way they smoke, the solitary glass on a table, the chair, the curtain – anything and everything can be loaded with extra meaning in a film shot, and through the device of repetition be made symbolic. For instance if you see the empty glass on the same table in more than one scene, it becomes symbolic. B. Let us now go to pt. 5 which stresses the power of the camera in creating a ‘sense of reality’. This is the cinematic experience, in a nutshell. You may be watching computer-created beings as in the Hollywood film Avatar, but they succeed in feeling and sounding like humans. The same perhaps can be said about the Tiger in the film The Life of Pi. This ability to convey the sense of reality endows the filmmaker with tremendous power – which can be used to great public benefit, or it can be abused. Try and think of examples of both use and abuse†¦

Going to war with Mexico was Justified Essay

Can’t decide if the United States going to war with Mexico was justified or not justified? It can be a struggle to decide. Mexico won its independence from Spain in the nineteenth century. Spain controlled most of Central America. Due to the extremely low population for such territorial extension, Mexico relaxed its immigration policies, as a result, allowing American settlers to help populate the northern territories. Their conditions to settle were self-explanatory. Now what do think? The United States was justified in going to war with Mexico. The United States was justified in going to war with Mexico because, of the Manifest Destiny, Mexico robbed the United States citizens, and the U.S. wanted to extend slavery and land. One reason the Mexican war was justified was because of the Manifest Destiny. (Doc A) When we’re welcoming Mexicans into the Texas territory, they’re keeping the U.S. from expanding. America needs land because of our massive population. Mex ico’s government is so deprived that they can’t keep California. If Mexico can’t afford California, how will they even afford Texas? America will eventually have California, but that’s not enough for our evolution population. This evidence shows the U.S. was justified in going to war because Mexico can’t control the land they already have; America has more population than Mexico, the U.S. should have more land. A second reason the Mexican War was justified was an invasion that Mexico has passed the boundary of the U.S. (Doc B) James Polk, an American Political wrote to the Senate and House of Representatives that was a war message from the President. James informed the Senate & House of Representatives to order an efficient military to take position on the Rio Grande to meet a threatened invasion of Texas by the Mexican forces. Mexican troops were preparing to cross the river. This evidence shows the U.S. was justified in going to war with Mexico because Mexico had killed and injured sixteen Americans, also, Mexico had passed the boundary of the United States , invaded our their territory, and shed American blood upon the American soil. A third reason the Mexican War was justified was an invasion robbery. (Doc D) Charles Sumner, an American political and young state legislator from Massachusetts who later served twenty-four years in the U.S. While citizens from the U.S. moved into Texas to prove that it needs to be a part of the U.S., Mexico robbed them. Mexico and the U.S. both wanted Texas, but instead, the U.S. moved without letting Mexico know; therefore they robbed  the citizens of the United States. This evidence shows the U.S. was justified in going to war with Mexico because they did something so immature, only the Mexicans would do it. The United States in going to war with Mexico was justified. Many of those have died trying to receive the land of Texas. (Doc A) America should have more land because of our growing population, meanwhile, Mexico doesn’t even half nearly as the occupants that the U.S. has. It’s significant that the U.S. was justified or not in going to war with Mexico because one of them will have Texas. It’s important today because Texas enlarged one-third of the United States nation. Plus, if Mexican had won â€Å"The Mexican War†, the United States would’ve been less powerful than it is today. {http://voices.yahoo.com/the-significance-mexican-american-war-285493.html}

My Lai †Culpability of Guilt

Series Vietnam: A Television History.   The solider was describing the reasons why the American soldiers turned on the civilians whom they were sent to protect during the Vietnam War. The same soldier would start sobbing uncontrollably as he would go on to state, â€Å"You don’t remember the enemy that you shot and killed. But you always remember the 58 year old woman you shot and killed because she was running away. And she was running away because you were threatening to shoot her.† The Vietnam War was no more ugly than any other war in history, but it was the first war that had aired uncensored on American television. This time, there would be no illusory tales of grandeur that would put mythic heroics onto the exploits after they war came to a close. The blood of the Vietnam War had been captured for eternity. â€Å"Although popular sentiment among the lower classes for the [North Vietnamese Army] was not strong, there was still a great desire for independence.† (Morrison 17) This is not to say there were no noble intentions or heroic actions. Many Americans served their country honorably and in a noble manner. Their deeds, however, would forever be overshadowed by the atrocities committed by American soldiers who assaulted a free fire zone in the town of My Lai, a town that was primarily occupied by civilian women and children. The soldiers that went to Vietnam were normal, everyday young adults. Some were volunteers and some were conscripted, but none were murderers before they went to Vietnam. Even under the conditions of war, they did not easily crack or lose their humanity, yet, for some reason they snapped under pressure and followed orders that resulted in the death of many innocent civilians. Were they entirely guilty for their actions or were their actions justifiable under the conditions of war? Did the directives of their superiors absolve them of guilt? Was the stress they were under a driving force behind their decisions? Or had the military’s policy of dehumanizing the enemy play the vital role in their decisions? Most of all, would these factors absolve them of guilt? In order to understand the culpability of guilt, one needs to clearly understand what actually occurred in the village of My Lai on the day of the incident. March 16th, 1968: A company of the 23rd Infantry Division commanded by Lt. William Calley slaughters 347 unarmed civilians (including a dozen babies as young as one month of age) at the hamlet of Song My (My Lai 4) in Vietnam’s southern zone. Although Calley’s superiors observe the massacre from helicopters and its true nature known to higher ups, it is falsely cast as an intense firefight in which 128 â€Å"enemy soldiers† were killed. Only when a former soldier forces the incident into public view a year later is an extremely limited official investigation initiated. (Churchill 141) Needless to say, this description hardly sounds as if there is a lack of guilt on the part of the soldiers. This description of the incident also points the finger at the higher ups in the military and places blame on those who were knowledgeable about the incident, as they not only did nothing to punish those who took part in the incident, but so  casually ignored the massacre, that it would appear that such an incident may not have been entirely out of the ordinary. What is it that would lead the soldiers to launch such a massive offensive against the civilians? What reduced the moral qualms about taking such violent action against noncombatants? Part of the reason is a issue that is endemic to all military conflicts. Throughout the history of warfare throughout the world, there needs to be a certain instillation of a psychological attitude into a soldier in order to make the soldier acceptable to taking part in such wide-scale slaughter. This psychological instillation involves the dehumanization of the enemy in the eyes of the soldier. That is, the enemy is never portrayed as a human being. Rather, the enemy is always presented in a derogatory manner so as to appear less than human. After all, it is much easier to kill someone who is not seen as â€Å"someone†, but rather seen as â€Å"something†. In Vietnam, the soldiers were generally referred to under the derogatory term as â€Å"gook†. (Davis) As such, they are not presented as a real person, but rather as an object of a subhuman animal. For years, this was considered necessary or the troops may have not taken full action when in a combat situation. However, such derogatory attitudes also remove a great deal of the moral qualms that soldiers may have during situations where moral qualms might be necessary in order to make the judgment calls that would be required in a situation that needs restraint. Further complicating the matter is the fact that as the Vietnam War dragged on, many of the members of the military were drafted. They were not â€Å"real† soldiers so they were far more prone to cracking under the pressure of the highly brutal Vietnam conflict. It was an ugly war and many â€Å"average† people off the street were rushed through boot-camp and then off to the jungles of Southeast Asia. Such inexperience and reservations to combat combined with an out of control war have all the elements for mental breakdowns and psychological behavior. â€Å"A complete lack of understanding of the terrain and the culture of the people who inhabited contributed to the chaos.†Ã‚   (Windrow 55) This, of course, leads to the very important question, â€Å"Does this absolve the individuals who committed the atrocities of guilt?† Under the letter of the law, the answer is absolutely not. The random slaughter of civilians is not justifiable under any circumstances. There simple is no â€Å"good excuse† or a deliberate act of genocide. This guilt, however, does not mean that one should not examine the reasons behind the creation of the environment that lead to the deliberate massacre. Military and international law (drawing from precedents derived from the Nuremberg trials) clearly states that â€Å"following orders† is not an acceptable defense for a war crime. Much of the problems with the war in Vietnam were directly related to the American populace’s total misunderstanding of Vietnam and its history. Vietnam had fought several centuries long war of independence with the Chinese. It also fought a hundred years war with French colonialists and also occupying Japanese forces. The country’s goals were to free itself from foreign rule. While the United States saw itself as liberating the nation from communism, the general population simply wanted self determination. While the communist regimes that ended up controlling Vietnam were as brutal, if not worse, than the foreign occupying forces, at the time, the â€Å"hearts and minds† of the people were not with the American forces so the war quickly became a situation that was not winnable for the US troops. As such, the war trudged on without any clear  goal or end in sight. Only two viable options existed to end US involvement: withdraw and surrender; or drop an atomic bomb of Hanoi. The third option, perpetual aerial and ground war, simply dragged on forever costing an incalculable number of lives on both sides. This aerial assault also included large amounts of napalm bombs that made the landscape of war even more vicious. (Franklin)   From this, the entire landscape of the Vietnam War was one of mayhem that led to unspeakable acts on both sides. Ultimately, however, no one truly faced punishment from the massacre at My Lai. Lt. Calley saw a mere 3  ½ years of house arrest before President Nixon pardoned him. The deaths of those civilians have never been justly punished. So, was there ever a lesson that comes from these deaths? There were many lessons that were learned from the Vietnam War, particularly lessons derived from the horror of the My Lai massacre. If anything, the My Lai massacre shows what will result from the evils of dehumanizing the enemy and not instilling a sense of clear moral guidelines in soldiers so they understand the difference between an act of war and an act of genocide. Clearly, the military brass and the officials in the government must realize that they are culpable for such actions and must be held accountable to the public. The United States never truly recovered from the disaster of the Vietnam War as its specter hangs over the military to this very day. Perhaps, it is haunted by the ghosts of My Lai. Works Cited The American Experience. Vietnam: A Television History. PBS DVD. 1983. Churchill, Ward. On The Justice of Roosting Chickens. Oakland: AK Press, 2004. Davis, Peter. Hearts and Minds. Criterion Collection DVD. 1974 Franklin, H. Bruce. Vietnam and other American Fantasies. Boston: University of Massachusetts Press, 2000. Morrison, Wilbur H. The Elephant & the Tiger: The Full Story of the Vietnam War. New York: Hippocrene, 1990. Windrow, Martin. The Last Valley. Cambridge: De Capo Press, 2005.      

HTTrack Essay

During this week I had the pleasure of using HTTrack. I found that HTTrack is a program that works like an offline browser and allows you to download a World Wide Web site from the internet. The downloaded site can be directed to a local directory, building recursively all directories, getting HTML, images, and other files from the server to your computer. I had HTTrack mirror the site www. certifiedhacker. com and it allowed me to browse the site from link to link, as if I were viewing it online. My local website compared to the actual website was very accurate. The links in the local website function just as well as the links in the actual website. The local websites structure is identical or very near identical to the actual website. As shown in the picture above HTTrack is transferring the data of the acutal site (www. certifiedhacker. com) to the mirrored site in my local directory. This tool can be used to allow an attacker to gather information about a target. When an attacker mirrors a site using HTTrack they will create an exact duplicate of the website which can be used to deceive the users of that website. For example, a hacker can mirror a site and use the mirrored sites login screen or applications to gather information about the website user. The user would enter sensitive data such as passwords, bank account numbers and credit cards, believing that the site is legitimate. All of this information is actually input onto the mirrored site and now the hackers have gathered information about their target.

Blood Promise Chapter TwentyFour

I’d never seen it coming. Hell, no one had. Avery had made a good show of being an air user. Each Moroi had a very low level of control in each element. She’d just barely done enough with air to make it seem like that was her specialization. No one had questioned her further because honestly, who would have ever expected another spirit user around? And since she was out of school, she had no reason to be tested anymore or forced to demonstrate her ability. No one was there to call her on it. The more I thought about it, the more the little signs were there. The charming personality, the way she could talk people into anything. How many of her interactions were spirit controlled? And was it possible†¦ was it possible that Adrian’s attraction had been compulsion on her part? I had no reason to feel happy about that, but†¦ well, I did. More to the point, what did Avery want with Lissa? Avery compelling Adrian into liking her wasn’t too out there. He was good-looking and came from an important family. He was the queen’s great-nephew, and although family members of the current monarch could never inherit the throne immediately afterward, he’d have a good future, one that would always keep him in the highest circles of society. But Lissa? What was Avery’s game there? What did she have to gain? Lissa’s behavior all made sense now-the uncharacteristic partying, weird moods, jealousy, fights with Christian†¦ Avery was pushing Lissa over the edge, causing her to make horrible choices. Avery was using some sort of compulsion to spin Lissa out of control, alienating her and putting her life in danger. Why? What did Avery want? It didn’t matter. The why wasn’t important. The how was, as in how I was going to get out of here and back to my best friend. I looked down at myself, at the delicate silk dress I wore. Suddenly, I hated it. It was a sign of how I’d been, weak and useless. I hastily took it off and ransacked my closet. They’d taken away my jeans and T-shirt, but I’d at least been allowed to keep my hoodie. I put on the green sweater dress, seeing as it was the sturdiest thing I had, feeling moderately more capable. I slipped the hoodie on over it. It hardly made me feel like a badass warrior, but I did feel more competent. Sufficiently dressed for action, I returned to the living room and started that pacing that tended to help me think better-not that I had any reason to believe I was going to come up with new ideas. I’d been trying to for days and days with no luck. Nothing was going to change. â€Å"Damn it!† I yelled, feeling better with the outburst. Angry, I flounced into the desk chair, amazed that I hadn’t simply thrown it against the wall in my frustration. The chair wobbled, ever so slightly. Frowning, I stood up and looked at it. Everything else in this place was state-of-the-art. Odd that I’d have a faulty chair. I knelt down and examined it more closely. There, on one of the legs, was a crack near where the leg joined with the seat. I stared. All of the furniture here was industrial strength, with no obvious joints. I should know, seeing how long I’d beat this chair against the wall when I first arrived. I hadn’t even dented it. Where had this crack come from? Slamming it over and over had done nothing. But I hadn’t been the only one to hit it. That very first day, I’d fought with Dimitri and come after him with the chair. He’d taken it from me and thrown it against the wall. I’d never paid attention to it again, having given up on breaking it. When I’d later tried cracking the window, I’d used an end table because it was heavier. My strength hadn’t been able to damage the chair-but his had. I picked up the chair and immediately slammed it into that diamond-hard window, half-hoping I might kill two birds with one stone. Nope. Both remained intact. So I did it again. And again. I lost track of how many times I slammed that chair into the glass. My hands hurt, and I knew despite my recovery, I still wasn’t at full strength. It was infuriating. Finally, on what felt like my gazillionth try, I looked at the chair and saw the crack had grown bigger. The progress renewed my will and strength. I hit and hit, ignoring the pain as the wood bit into my hands. At long last, I heard a crack, and the leg broke off. I picked it up and stared in amazement. The break hadn’t been clean. It was splintered and sharp. Sharp enough to be a stake? I wasn’t sure. But I knew for a fact that wood was hard, and if I used enough force, I might be able to hit a Strigoi’s heart. It wouldn’t kill one, but the blow would stun. I didn’t know if it’d be enough to get me out of here, but it was all I had now. And it was a hell of a lot more than I’d had one hour ago. I sat back on the bed, recovering from my battle with the chair and tossing the makeshift stake back and forth. Okay. I had a weapon now. But what could I do with it? Dimitri’s face flashed in my mind’s eye. Damn it. There was no question about it. He was the obvious target, the one I’d have to deal with first. The door suddenly clicked open, and I looked up with alarm. Quickly, I shoved the chair into a dark corner as panic raced through me. No, no. I wasn’t ready. I hadn’t fully convinced myself to stake him. It was Inna. She carried a tray but didn’t wear her usual subservient expression. The brief look she gave me was filled with hate. I didn’t know what she had to be pissed off about. It wasn’t like I’d caused her any damage. Yet. I strode over like I was going to examine the tray. Lifting the lid, I saw a ham sandwich and french fries. It looked good-I hadn’t eaten in a while -but the adrenaline running through me had shoved any appetite I might have to the background. I glanced back up at her, smiling sweetly. She shot me daggers. Don’t hesitate, Dimitri had always said. I didn’t. I jumped at Inna, throwing her so hard against the floor that her head slammed back. She looked dazed, but quickly recovered and tried to fight back. I wasn’t drugged up this time-well, not much-and my years of training and natural strength finally showed themselves again. I pressed my body against her, keeping her firmly in place. Then, I produced the stake I’d had concealed and pressed those sharp points against her neck. It was like being back in the days of pinning Strigoi in alleys. She couldn’t see that my weapon was a chair leg, but the sharp points got her attention as I dug them into her throat. â€Å"The code,† I said. â€Å"What is the code?† Her only response was a string of obscenities in Russian. Okay, not a surprise, considering she probably didn’t understand me. I flipped through the meager Russian-English dictionary in my head. I’d been in the country long enough to pick up some vocabulary. Admittedly, it was equivalent to a two-year-old’s, but even they could communicate. â€Å"Numbers,† I said in Russian. â€Å"Door.† At least, that’s what I hoped I said. She said more impolite things to me, her expression defiant. It really was the Strigoi interrogation all over. My stake bit harder, drawing blood, and I forcibly restrained myself. I might question whether I had the strength to pierce a Strigoi heart with this, but severing a human’s vein? Cake. She faltered a little, apparently realizing the same thing. Again, I attempted my broken Russian. â€Å"Kill you. No Nathan. Never†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What was the word? The church service came back to me, and I hoped I had it right. â€Å"Never eternal life.† It got her attention. Nathan and eternal life. The things most important to her. She bit her lip, still angry, but her tirade had stopped. â€Å"Numbers. Door,† I repeated. I pushed the stake in harder, and she cried out in pain. At last she spoke, rattling off a series of digits. Russian numbers were something I had memorized pretty solidly, at least. They were essential for addresses and phone numbers. She cited seven numbers. â€Å"Again,† I said. I made her say it three times and hoped I had it. But there was more. I was pretty sure the outer door had a different code. â€Å"Numbers. Door. Two.† I felt like a caveman. Inna stared, not quite getting it. â€Å"Door. Two.† Understanding glinted in her eyes, and she looked mad. I think she’d hoped I wouldn’t realize the other door had its own code. More cutting with the stake made her scream seven more numbers. Again, I made her repeat them, realizing I had no way to know if she was telling me the truth at least until I tried the numbers. For that reason, I decided to keep her around. I felt guilty about what I did next, but these were desperate times. In guardian training, I’d been taught both to kill and to incapacitate. I did the latter this time, slamming her head back against the floor and rendering her unconscious. Her expression went slack, her eyelids drooping. Damn. I was reduced to hurting teenage humans. Standing up, I moved to the door and punched in the first set of numbers, hoping I had them right. To my complete and utter astonishment, I did. The electronic lock clicked, but before I could open the door, I just barely made out another click. Someone had unlocked the outer door. â€Å"Shit,† I muttered. I pulled away from the door immediately, picked up Inna’s unconscious body, and hurried to the bathroom. I set her in the tub as gently as possible and had just shut the bathroom door when I heard the main door open. I felt the telltale nausea that signaled a Strigoi was nearby. I knew one of the Strigoi could smell a human, and I hoped shutting her away would be enough to mute Inna’s scent. I emerged from the hall and found Dimitri in the living room. I grinned at him and ran into his arms. â€Å"You’re back,† I said happily. He held me briefly and then stepped back. â€Å"Yes.† He seemed slightly pleased at the greeting, but soon his face was all business. â€Å"Have you made your decision?† No hello. No how are you feeling? My heart sank. This wasn’t Dimitri. â€Å"I have more questions.† I went over to the bed and lay down in a casual way, just like we always did. He followed a few moments later and sat on the edge, looking down at me. â€Å"How long will it take?† I asked. â€Å"When you awaken me? Is it instantaneous?† Once more, I launched into an interrogation session. Honestly, I was running out of questions, and at this point, I didn’t really want to know the intricacies of becoming Strigoi. I was becoming more and more agitated with each passing moment. I had to act. I had to make use of my fleeting opportunity here. And yet†¦ before I could act, I had to reassure myself that this really wasn’t Dimitri. It was stupid. I should know by now. I could see the physical changes. I’d seen his coldness, the brutality. I’d seen him come fresh from a kill. This wasn’t the man I’d loved. And yet†¦ for that one fleeting moment earlier†¦ With a sigh, Dimitri stretched out beside me. â€Å"Rose,† he interrupted, â€Å"if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were stalling for time.† Yeah, even as a Strigoi, Dimitri knew how I thought and schemed. I realized if I was going to be convincing, I had to stop playing dumb and remember to be Rose Hathaway. I put on a look of outrage. â€Å"Of course I am! This is a big deal. I came here to kill you, and now you’re asking me to join you. You think this is easy for me to do?† â€Å"Do you think it’s been easy for me to wait this long?† he asked. â€Å"The only ones who get choices are Moroi who willingly kill, like the Ozeras. No one else gets a choice. I didn’t get a choice.† â€Å"And don’t you regret that?† â€Å"No, not now. Now that I’m who I was meant to be.† He frowned. â€Å"The only thing hurt is my pride-that Nathan forced me and that he acts as though I’m indebted to him. Which is why I’m being kind enough to give you the choice now, for the sake of your pride.† Kind, huh? I looked at him and felt my heart breaking all over again. It was like hearing the news of his death once more. I suddenly grew afraid I might cry. No. No tears. Dimitri always talked about prey and predators. I had to be the predator. â€Å"You’re sweating,† he said suddenly. â€Å"Why?† Damn, damn, damn. Of course I was sweating. I was contemplating staking the man I loved-or thought I’d loved. And along with sweat, I was sure I was giving off pheromones of my agitation. Strigoi could smell all of those things, too. â€Å"Because I’m scared,† I whispered. I propped myself up and stroked the edge of his face, trying to memorize all of his features. The eyes. The hair. The shape of his cheekbones. In my imagination, I overlaid the things I remembered. Dark eyes. Tanned skin. Sweet smile. â€Å"I†¦ I think I’m ready, but it’s†¦ I don’t know. It’s such a big thing.† â€Å"It’ll be the best decision of your life, Roza.† My breathing was growing rapid, and I prayed he’d think it was because of my fear of being turned. â€Å"Tell me again. One more time. Why do you want to awaken me so badly?† A slightly weary look crossed his face. â€Å"Because I want you. I’ve always wanted you.† And that’s when I knew. I finally realized the problem. He’d given that same answer over and over, and each time, something about it had bothered me. I’d never been able to pinpoint it, though. Now I could. He wanted me. Wanted me in the way people wanted possessions or collectibles. The Dimitri I’d known†¦ the one I’d fallen for and slept with†¦ that Dimitri would have said he wanted us to be together because he loved me. There was no love here. I smiled at him. Leaning down, I kissed him gently. He probably thought I was doing it for the reasons I always did, out of attraction and desire. In truth, it was a goodbye kiss. His mouth answered mine, his lips warm and eager. I held out the kiss a little longer, both to fight back the tears leaking out of my eyes and to lull him into an unsuspecting state. My hand closed around the chair leg, which I’d hidden in my hoodie pocket. I would never forget Dimitri, not for the rest of my life. And this time, I wouldn’t forget his lessons. With a speed he wasn’t ready for, I struck out and plunged the stake through his chest. My strength was there-sliding the stake past the ribs and straight into his heart. And as I did it, it was like piercing my own heart at the same time. Blood Promise Chapter TwentyFour I’d never seen it coming. Hell, no one had. Avery had made a good show of being an air user. Each Moroi had a very low level of control in each element. She’d just barely done enough with air to make it seem like that was her specialization. No one had questioned her further because honestly, who would have ever expected another spirit user around? And since she was out of school, she had no reason to be tested anymore or forced to demonstrate her ability. No one was there to call her on it. The more I thought about it, the more the little signs were there. The charming personality, the way she could talk people into anything. How many of her interactions were spirit controlled? And was it possible†¦ was it possible that Adrian’s attraction had been compulsion on her part? I had no reason to feel happy about that, but†¦ well, I did. More to the point, what did Avery want with Lissa? Avery compelling Adrian into liking her wasn’t too out there. He was good-looking and came from an important family. He was the queen’s great-nephew, and although family members of the current monarch could never inherit the throne immediately afterward, he’d have a good future, one that would always keep him in the highest circles of society. But Lissa? What was Avery’s game there? What did she have to gain? Lissa’s behavior all made sense now-the uncharacteristic partying, weird moods, jealousy, fights with Christian†¦ Avery was pushing Lissa over the edge, causing her to make horrible choices. Avery was using some sort of compulsion to spin Lissa out of control, alienating her and putting her life in danger. Why? What did Avery want? It didn’t matter. The why wasn’t important. The how was, as in how I was going to get out of here and back to my best friend. I looked down at myself, at the delicate silk dress I wore. Suddenly, I hated it. It was a sign of how I’d been, weak and useless. I hastily took it off and ransacked my closet. They’d taken away my jeans and T-shirt, but I’d at least been allowed to keep my hoodie. I put on the green sweater dress, seeing as it was the sturdiest thing I had, feeling moderately more capable. I slipped the hoodie on over it. It hardly made me feel like a badass warrior, but I did feel more competent. Sufficiently dressed for action, I returned to the living room and started that pacing that tended to help me think better-not that I had any reason to believe I was going to come up with new ideas. I’d been trying to for days and days with no luck. Nothing was going to change. â€Å"Damn it!† I yelled, feeling better with the outburst. Angry, I flounced into the desk chair, amazed that I hadn’t simply thrown it against the wall in my frustration. The chair wobbled, ever so slightly. Frowning, I stood up and looked at it. Everything else in this place was state-of-the-art. Odd that I’d have a faulty chair. I knelt down and examined it more closely. There, on one of the legs, was a crack near where the leg joined with the seat. I stared. All of the furniture here was industrial strength, with no obvious joints. I should know, seeing how long I’d beat this chair against the wall when I first arrived. I hadn’t even dented it. Where had this crack come from? Slamming it over and over had done nothing. But I hadn’t been the only one to hit it. That very first day, I’d fought with Dimitri and come after him with the chair. He’d taken it from me and thrown it against the wall. I’d never paid attention to it again, having given up on breaking it. When I’d later tried cracking the window, I’d used an end table because it was heavier. My strength hadn’t been able to damage the chair-but his had. I picked up the chair and immediately slammed it into that diamond-hard window, half-hoping I might kill two birds with one stone. Nope. Both remained intact. So I did it again. And again. I lost track of how many times I slammed that chair into the glass. My hands hurt, and I knew despite my recovery, I still wasn’t at full strength. It was infuriating. Finally, on what felt like my gazillionth try, I looked at the chair and saw the crack had grown bigger. The progress renewed my will and strength. I hit and hit, ignoring the pain as the wood bit into my hands. At long last, I heard a crack, and the leg broke off. I picked it up and stared in amazement. The break hadn’t been clean. It was splintered and sharp. Sharp enough to be a stake? I wasn’t sure. But I knew for a fact that wood was hard, and if I used enough force, I might be able to hit a Strigoi’s heart. It wouldn’t kill one, but the blow would stun. I didn’t know if it’d be enough to get me out of here, but it was all I had now. And it was a hell of a lot more than I’d had one hour ago. I sat back on the bed, recovering from my battle with the chair and tossing the makeshift stake back and forth. Okay. I had a weapon now. But what could I do with it? Dimitri’s face flashed in my mind’s eye. Damn it. There was no question about it. He was the obvious target, the one I’d have to deal with first. The door suddenly clicked open, and I looked up with alarm. Quickly, I shoved the chair into a dark corner as panic raced through me. No, no. I wasn’t ready. I hadn’t fully convinced myself to stake him. It was Inna. She carried a tray but didn’t wear her usual subservient expression. The brief look she gave me was filled with hate. I didn’t know what she had to be pissed off about. It wasn’t like I’d caused her any damage. Yet. I strode over like I was going to examine the tray. Lifting the lid, I saw a ham sandwich and french fries. It looked good-I hadn’t eaten in a while -but the adrenaline running through me had shoved any appetite I might have to the background. I glanced back up at her, smiling sweetly. She shot me daggers. Don’t hesitate, Dimitri had always said. I didn’t. I jumped at Inna, throwing her so hard against the floor that her head slammed back. She looked dazed, but quickly recovered and tried to fight back. I wasn’t drugged up this time-well, not much-and my years of training and natural strength finally showed themselves again. I pressed my body against her, keeping her firmly in place. Then, I produced the stake I’d had concealed and pressed those sharp points against her neck. It was like being back in the days of pinning Strigoi in alleys. She couldn’t see that my weapon was a chair leg, but the sharp points got her attention as I dug them into her throat. â€Å"The code,† I said. â€Å"What is the code?† Her only response was a string of obscenities in Russian. Okay, not a surprise, considering she probably didn’t understand me. I flipped through the meager Russian-English dictionary in my head. I’d been in the country long enough to pick up some vocabulary. Admittedly, it was equivalent to a two-year-old’s, but even they could communicate. â€Å"Numbers,† I said in Russian. â€Å"Door.† At least, that’s what I hoped I said. She said more impolite things to me, her expression defiant. It really was the Strigoi interrogation all over. My stake bit harder, drawing blood, and I forcibly restrained myself. I might question whether I had the strength to pierce a Strigoi heart with this, but severing a human’s vein? Cake. She faltered a little, apparently realizing the same thing. Again, I attempted my broken Russian. â€Å"Kill you. No Nathan. Never†¦Ã¢â‚¬  What was the word? The church service came back to me, and I hoped I had it right. â€Å"Never eternal life.† It got her attention. Nathan and eternal life. The things most important to her. She bit her lip, still angry, but her tirade had stopped. â€Å"Numbers. Door,† I repeated. I pushed the stake in harder, and she cried out in pain. At last she spoke, rattling off a series of digits. Russian numbers were something I had memorized pretty solidly, at least. They were essential for addresses and phone numbers. She cited seven numbers. â€Å"Again,† I said. I made her say it three times and hoped I had it. But there was more. I was pretty sure the outer door had a different code. â€Å"Numbers. Door. Two.† I felt like a caveman. Inna stared, not quite getting it. â€Å"Door. Two.† Understanding glinted in her eyes, and she looked mad. I think she’d hoped I wouldn’t realize the other door had its own code. More cutting with the stake made her scream seven more numbers. Again, I made her repeat them, realizing I had no way to know if she was telling me the truth at least until I tried the numbers. For that reason, I decided to keep her around. I felt guilty about what I did next, but these were desperate times. In guardian training, I’d been taught both to kill and to incapacitate. I did the latter this time, slamming her head back against the floor and rendering her unconscious. Her expression went slack, her eyelids drooping. Damn. I was reduced to hurting teenage humans. Standing up, I moved to the door and punched in the first set of numbers, hoping I had them right. To my complete and utter astonishment, I did. The electronic lock clicked, but before I could open the door, I just barely made out another click. Someone had unlocked the outer door. â€Å"Shit,† I muttered. I pulled away from the door immediately, picked up Inna’s unconscious body, and hurried to the bathroom. I set her in the tub as gently as possible and had just shut the bathroom door when I heard the main door open. I felt the telltale nausea that signaled a Strigoi was nearby. I knew one of the Strigoi could smell a human, and I hoped shutting her away would be enough to mute Inna’s scent. I emerged from the hall and found Dimitri in the living room. I grinned at him and ran into his arms. â€Å"You’re back,† I said happily. He held me briefly and then stepped back. â€Å"Yes.† He seemed slightly pleased at the greeting, but soon his face was all business. â€Å"Have you made your decision?† No hello. No how are you feeling? My heart sank. This wasn’t Dimitri. â€Å"I have more questions.† I went over to the bed and lay down in a casual way, just like we always did. He followed a few moments later and sat on the edge, looking down at me. â€Å"How long will it take?† I asked. â€Å"When you awaken me? Is it instantaneous?† Once more, I launched into an interrogation session. Honestly, I was running out of questions, and at this point, I didn’t really want to know the intricacies of becoming Strigoi. I was becoming more and more agitated with each passing moment. I had to act. I had to make use of my fleeting opportunity here. And yet†¦ before I could act, I had to reassure myself that this really wasn’t Dimitri. It was stupid. I should know by now. I could see the physical changes. I’d seen his coldness, the brutality. I’d seen him come fresh from a kill. This wasn’t the man I’d loved. And yet†¦ for that one fleeting moment earlier†¦ With a sigh, Dimitri stretched out beside me. â€Å"Rose,† he interrupted, â€Å"if I didn’t know better, I’d say you were stalling for time.† Yeah, even as a Strigoi, Dimitri knew how I thought and schemed. I realized if I was going to be convincing, I had to stop playing dumb and remember to be Rose Hathaway. I put on a look of outrage. â€Å"Of course I am! This is a big deal. I came here to kill you, and now you’re asking me to join you. You think this is easy for me to do?† â€Å"Do you think it’s been easy for me to wait this long?† he asked. â€Å"The only ones who get choices are Moroi who willingly kill, like the Ozeras. No one else gets a choice. I didn’t get a choice.† â€Å"And don’t you regret that?† â€Å"No, not now. Now that I’m who I was meant to be.† He frowned. â€Å"The only thing hurt is my pride-that Nathan forced me and that he acts as though I’m indebted to him. Which is why I’m being kind enough to give you the choice now, for the sake of your pride.† Kind, huh? I looked at him and felt my heart breaking all over again. It was like hearing the news of his death once more. I suddenly grew afraid I might cry. No. No tears. Dimitri always talked about prey and predators. I had to be the predator. â€Å"You’re sweating,† he said suddenly. â€Å"Why?† Damn, damn, damn. Of course I was sweating. I was contemplating staking the man I loved-or thought I’d loved. And along with sweat, I was sure I was giving off pheromones of my agitation. Strigoi could smell all of those things, too. â€Å"Because I’m scared,† I whispered. I propped myself up and stroked the edge of his face, trying to memorize all of his features. The eyes. The hair. The shape of his cheekbones. In my imagination, I overlaid the things I remembered. Dark eyes. Tanned skin. Sweet smile. â€Å"I†¦ I think I’m ready, but it’s†¦ I don’t know. It’s such a big thing.† â€Å"It’ll be the best decision of your life, Roza.† My breathing was growing rapid, and I prayed he’d think it was because of my fear of being turned. â€Å"Tell me again. One more time. Why do you want to awaken me so badly?† A slightly weary look crossed his face. â€Å"Because I want you. I’ve always wanted you.† And that’s when I knew. I finally realized the problem. He’d given that same answer over and over, and each time, something about it had bothered me. I’d never been able to pinpoint it, though. Now I could. He wanted me. Wanted me in the way people wanted possessions or collectibles. The Dimitri I’d known†¦ the one I’d fallen for and slept with†¦ that Dimitri would have said he wanted us to be together because he loved me. There was no love here. I smiled at him. Leaning down, I kissed him gently. He probably thought I was doing it for the reasons I always did, out of attraction and desire. In truth, it was a goodbye kiss. His mouth answered mine, his lips warm and eager. I held out the kiss a little longer, both to fight back the tears leaking out of my eyes and to lull him into an unsuspecting state. My hand closed around the chair leg, which I’d hidden in my hoodie pocket. I would never forget Dimitri, not for the rest of my life. And this time, I wouldn’t forget his lessons. With a speed he wasn’t ready for, I struck out and plunged the stake through his chest. My strength was there-sliding the stake past the ribs and straight into his heart. And as I did it, it was like piercing my own heart at the same time.