Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Business Research Methods & Tools Essay
2.Suppose you were preparing two-way tables of percentages for the following pairs of variables. How would you run the percentages? When two-way tables are being done this is usually because one of the variables is thought to be the cause, affect the cause, or predict the response of the other variable. This is called the (IV) independent variable (Cooper & Schindler, 2011 p.446). aAge and consumption of breakfast cereal. I would categorize age as the IV and percentages should be computed in the direction of this variable to show that age has some effect on the consumption of breakfast cereal. bFamily income and confidence about the familyââ¬â¢s future. I think with this scenario either one could be used as the IV to determine whether higher income families compared to lower income families have more or less confidence on their familyââ¬â¢s future. cMarital status and sports participation. I would use marital status as the IV and compute percentages in the direction of that variable to determine the effects that marriage has on sports participation. dCrime rate and unemployment rate I would use the unemployment rate as the IV and compute the percentages in this direction to show that unemployment rates have an effect on crime rate. Inquiring Minds Want to Know Case study 1.Build the management-research question hierarchy. Management Dilemma: Will Penton Media encounter lower advertising revenue if alternative methods of inquiry stimulation went untracked due to the usage decline of reader service cards? Management Question: Are business publication advertisements generating fewer leads than in the past? Research Questions: Do we continue to include reader service cards in the magazines as a value-enhancing service to the readers as well as the advertisers? What alternative methods using information technology can be implemented to enhance adverting revenues as reader service card usage declines? Investigative Questions: What are the percentages of subscribers using reader service cards in the present compared to the past two years? If there is a decline in usage, what are the alternatives the customers are using? Can we implement strategies to streamline those alternatives in information technology to sustain and enhance our advertising revenue? Management Questions: Will Penton Media experience a decline in profits due to alternative methods in information technology of customer inquiry stimulation from advertisements? Management Decision: Discontinue the use of reader service cards and it will be replaced with alternative methods by use of emerging information technology, which will integrate the customer with the advertiser on a real-time, customizable basis . 2. What ethical issues are relevant to this study? The largest issue relevant to this study was the issue of informed consent. During this study there is no mention that the participants of the study were fully informed of the details. I also believe that there was some researcher bias because out of the 676 buyers that responded only 40 respondents were followed up with to get more knowledge of their behavior and attitudes after data had been analyzed. I donââ¬â¢t think 40 people out of 676 would give accurate results of buyers attitudes and behaviors. One final ethical issue is the right to privacy (confidentiality). The cover letter in the survey indicates, ââ¬Å"All individual responses will remain completely confidentialâ⬠; however, it is Penton who has the responsibility of maintaining the confidentiality as it collects data from customers that can be most likely traceable to the survey participant based on the market and information data provided at the end of the survey. 3. Describe the sampling plan. Analyze its strengths and weaknesses. The sampling plan used is this survey was the stratified disproportionate random sample. This sampling plan was used because the researcher was looking to reach a specific subgroup within the population, and focused on disproportionate because there are different sampling fractions for each stratum. For example, out of 710 questionnaires received 676 were used and out of that only 40 were chosen for another sample. The strength of this sampling plan is that there is greater precision but the weakness is the difficulty to identify what the appropriate strata is for the study (Cooper & Schindler, 2011). 4. Describe the research design. Analyze its strengths and weaknesses. Research Design is the blueprint for the collection, measurement, and analysis of data (Cooper & Schindler, 2011). The research design consisted of a multistage communication study. In the communication study the researcher questions the subjects an d collects their responses by personal or impersonal means (Cooper & Schindler, 2011). The collected data resulted in a reader-targeted mail questionnaire by phone, then by mail questionnaire to a select 300 subscribers before finalizing the questionnaire to 4,000 managers, executives, engineers, and purchasing agents. The technique used in the questionnaire was qualitative, by asking specific questions on methods of contact between consumer and advertiser. Secondary research was used when 12 magazines were used to compare the inquiry response options that were/are offered. All of these designs can help to acquire data more cost efficiently than other designs and have the ability to reach more people. However, the data may not be as accurate as with other methods. For instance, the research from the magazines may not be accurate because Penton was relying on the fact that the information from the magazines was accurate and had been retrieved correctly. 6. Critique the survey used for the study. First, the survey used was segmented to purchasers of organizations instead of a sample that represented the entire publication population. The researchers noted the margin of error was +- 4%; however, a balanced sample of the population would have produced results that could be much different than the segmented sample population. If key managerial decisions are to be made based on this questionnaire, you should have the entire population represented. In this case, just because someone is not a purchase manager, Penton is ignoring the other subscribers who may also use the reader service card service as a consumer or through their own personal business. Besides the fact it excluded non-purchase approvers from the sample, the survey is well designed. The questions are clear, concise, and accomplish the goal of how users interact with advertisers on potential suppliers, products, and services 7. Assume you are compiling your research report. How would you present the statistical information within this case to the IndustryWeek decision maker, the manager who must decide whether or not to continue to publish reader service cards? I would present this information by developing bar graphs that show the usage frequency by years. The bar graphs will be effective because they can easily show the growth or decline of use throughout the years. 8. Assume you are compiling your research report. What are the limitations of this study? The research limitations are due to excluding respondents who are not purchase decision makers. The sample of the subscriber population was not a representation of the entire population but only of subscribers with purchasing ability. This will distort the results of the survey and could impact the decision on whether to continue or discontinue the reader service cards based on the opinions of one segment of the population 9. Assume you are the decision maker for IndustryWeek . Given the declining value of the reader response card to subscribers, originally designed as a value-enhancing service to IW readers and advertisers alike, what further research might be suggested by the findings of this study? Or do you have sufficient information to stop the use of reader response cards in IndustryWeek ? I think that even though the research was limited to a small segment of the entire population, I would still make the managerial decision to end the use of reader cards due to the declining usage and with the dramatic increases in alternative means by email, internet, and facsimile communication. I think it would be a better idea to look into other options to replace the reader cards.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Assignment Internal Cash Control Essay
The weaknesses in the internal control over cash disbursements are, there should be only one person in charge of writing the checks for each task, and there should be numbered checks for both people so that the funds spend can be tracked easier, the cabinets were the checks are stored should be two locked cabinets, one for each person who writes the checks. Memo: I would recommend that to have a better control over money paid and items purchased, that you start having numbered checks in two separate accounts, one account for the treasurer and one account for the purchasing agent. This method will make it easier for moth parties to avoid mistakes, and it will also be easier to verify money spent and received. P4-1A The internal control principles implemented by the Guard Dog Company are, numbered checks so that the company has a number trail to monitor cash dispersment. Each check must have approval from Jane Bell, and Dennis Kurt before a check can be issued, this is an establishment of responsibility to ensure that not just anyone ion the company can write checks. Checks must be signed by either Tom Kimball, the treasurer, or Karen Thews, the assistant treasurer. Before signing a check, the signer is expected to compare the amounts of the check with the amounts on the invoice, this is also a form of establishment of responsibility and both of these procedures are a use of documentation procedures. After signing a check, the signer stamps the invoice ââ¬Å"paidâ⬠and inserts within the stamp, the date, check number, and amount of the check. The ââ¬Å"paidâ⬠invoice is then sent to the accounting department for recording. By doing this it is a way of verifying company cash dispersment and documentation control. Blank checks are stored in a safe in the treasurerââ¬â¢s office. The combination to the safe is known by only the treasurer and assistant treasurer. By locking the checks in a safe it establishes responsibility for the checks, and uses a Physical, mechanical, and electronic controls to narrow down any check problems to one source. Each month the bank statement is reconciled with the bank balance per books by the assistant chief accountant. By doing this it establishes document control, this way any discrepancies in the amount paid can be verified. Indicate the weaknesses in internal accounting control in the handling of collections. The weaknesses in the handling of collections are the way the money is deposited, the way the checks are made out and the way the money is verified and deposited. P4-2A List the improvements in internal control procedures that you plan to make at the next meeting of the audit team for (1) the ushers, (2) the head usher, (3) the financial secretary, and (4) the finance committee. The improvements the ushers need to make is that after each offering they should individually count their own collected baskets and log there amount in an offering log book, so that there is less room for error in the next step. By handing all the baskets to the head usher without counting the money themselves, the head usher can offer any amount on his final deposit. The improvements the head usher needs to make is to make sure that each usher counts their baskets, and that the head usher counts all the baskets and checks for discrepancies to make sure that no one is pocketing any money. The head usher should also check the amount given to him/her against what is written in the offering log. Have a book to log the amount of money that is put into the safe so that it is logged in a way that can be verified by the committee, a note is not a safe method because it can be thrown out, by logging in a book it is easier to find were the discrepancies came from. The improvements the financial secretary should make is that he/she should have a list of what needs to be paid and make a log of the amounts that need paid and to make sure the receipts are logged along with whatever bills or services that needed to be paid that week. The financial secretary should also verify the amount of money in the safe against the log that is kept by the ushers. The financial committee should show a more detailed list of what expenditures are needed each month so that the financial secretary knows what is needed for payment that month. They should also be involved in verifying the churches income. To improve internal control the church should have a log for money received during offerings, they should tell the congregation to make the checks payable to the church or to the account holder that the checks are deposited into, because anyone can cash a check made out to ââ¬Å"cashâ⬠. The church should also verify that any money not deposited from the offering was spent properly and not used for personal things. Include how a company could use the five basic principles of cash management to increase accuracy for a business. A company can increase the collection of receivables by offering incentives for quick payment from their customers. A company can delay the payment of liabilities and bills to close to the due date of the liability or bill, so that if any expenditure is needed before the due date they will not have spent the money too early. A company can keep inventory low on the merchandise that does not sell quickly, so that the company has money for the merchandise that is popular and selling fast. A company that wish to expand should wait until they have excess money in a slow season so that they can expand their business and have new locations open in time for their busy season. A company should invest money that is sitting idle into low risk companiesââ¬â¢, the most common form of liquid investments is interest-paying U. S. government securities.
Monday, July 29, 2019
Lab Safety Paragraphs Essay
Splash Goggles: Safety is by far the most important thing when working in a chemical laboratory. There are over thousands of injuries that occur each year that are partially non-preventable, but a great majority are preventable accidents that could have been solved with simple lab safety. One of the most critical pieces of lab safety would have to be wearing eye protection. Eye protection could save your vision and eye protection should be worn at all times regardless if an experiment is being conducted or not. The eye protection worn should also have wide shields in order to protect your ears as well as your neck. There are many types of eye protection: chemical splash goggles face shields, safety glasses, etc. The type of eye protection required is dependable on the chemicals and situation so always understand the experiment first before choosing eye protection and if you do not know, you should always ask your TA. Hand Gloves: Another critical piece of lab safety would be wearing gloves when conduction experiments. They are necessary when your TA requires you to wear them. They will protect you from chemicals, but they do not offer permanent protection from chemicals. Following suit, gloves, like eye protection, come in many different forms, which can include, but are not limited to the following: latex gloves, neoprene gloves, etc. Gloves also come in different lengths depending, once again, on the situation and experiment being conducted. Gloves should not be reused unless they are clean and free of chemicals. Also, gloves should be checked for holes and cracks because the last thing that should happen is having any part of your body coming into contact withà chemicals. Gloves should also be removed before touching other things like your phone or notebooks. Long Pants: Wearing long pants (from hip to foot) while performing any type of experiment in the lab, is another essential safety rule that must be followed. Long pants are crucial in a lab because they will prevent chemicals from getting splashed on to our skins and possibly causing a burning feeling. Only long pants and coats are strictly needed for clothing because other loose clothing such as shorts, skirts, etc. are much more likely to easily catch fire, or be dragged through chemicals, or even tangle up in moving equipment. Closed toe shoes: Many of the labs in chemistry involve dangerous substances that could cause harm to our skin. If one of these chemicals is spilled, it is very possible that it will get on oneââ¬â¢s feet. Wearing sandals leaves the toes exposed and prone to be harmed by the spilled chemicals. Also, most of the utensils used in a lab are made of glass. Where there is glass, there is a possibility that it might break. If broken glass pieces get on your exposed feet, there is a high chance of injuries happening. Whereas if one wears closed toe shoes, even if shattered glass fell on our feet, they would be protected. Lab Coat: A lab coat is another essential safety issue when working in the lab. In the chemistry lab we will be working with many substances, many of which are toxic and could easily get on our skin and clothes. A lab coat protects our skin and doesnââ¬â¢t allow substances to get on our clothes. There is also a risk that our clothes might catch on fire. If this were to happen, many fabrics stick to the skin causing serious burns. A lab coat is made of materials that wonââ¬â¢t stick to oneââ¬â¢s body in case of a fire. Also, a lab coat is much easier to take off than regular clothes, allowing for less time to burn.
AviationSafety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words
AviationSafety - Essay Example Defining these and how they can work within a commercial flight can then provide different alternatives for flight. There are many that believe that aviation safety is currently a part of most commercial and government systems with flight. The systems that have been implemented from the beginning of most companies have to meet specific standards with the build and make of the airplane as well as through safety regulations that are required by most airports. More importantly, there is a constant that is always met with the training of pilots, flight decks and others that are in the crew. Since the standards and the consistency is based on the flights, many believe that new safety aviation programs are no longer required and are based on the implementation of marginal standards that have to be reached. Instead of focusing on the basic platforms, it has become a requirement for safety programs to be based on creating and implementing newer methods for safety. Using technology and improving the margins of safety have become the main consistencies for those that are in an aviation safety program (Youn g, Quon, 2007). The importance of aviation safety, since there are several standards and compliances that have to be matched, is now based on improvement of the various systems that have been used. There are two main components that are considered for those that are working within the aviation field. The first is training that is required for extra safety measures that need to be taken, such as improvements to the initial standards that have been implemented. The second area of training and implementation is based on newer technologies that are now being used to provide individuals with new compliances and standards. Each of the technologies is being used to provide more conducive results to safety while allowing communication and delivery within aviation to excel to new levels. The improvement of
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1
Strategy - Essay Example Donald Hambrick and James Frederickson present a framework for strategy design insisting that a strategy has five distinct elements (Hambrick & Fredrickson, 2005, p 51). Providing the answers to five questions will distinguish these five elements allowing them to form a unified whole. Loblaw Companies Limited is the largest food retailer in Canada and also a leading provider among general merchandise, financial products, pharmacies and financial services. They have over 1000 corporate and franchised stores and they employ more than 135,000 employees, both full time and part time. As such they are one of Canadaââ¬â¢s largest private sector employers (Loblaw Companies Limited, 2011). Strategies of a company should contain the answers to pertinent questions as to how the company will be a leader among their competitors, where will they base their activity, what is outlined in the companyââ¬â¢s business and marketing plans to assist the company in reaching goals, how fast and in wh at order should our actions be planned to get where we want to be and in what economic ways will we realize our returns (Hambrick & Frederickson, 2005, p 3). Deciding the arena, or where the company will be active should not be a generalized decision but as specific as possible in order to focus strongly in implementing successful strategy that will allow them to expand and consider the possibility of one day reaching the status of a product, service, or company that could be considered general by the population. There are very few of these we consider to be general, meaning they are obviously the leader and most often thought of in a particular industry with little competition; the fact is that they just are and there arenââ¬â¢t many decisions to be made or choices when a product, service or company reaches the status of being general. Though there are many general products, such as bread, shoes, cars , etc. there are actually very few that when we think of the general word ther e is only one choice that comes to mind. This would also be considered defining the scope of the business (Collis, Rukstad, 2008, p2). While Loblawââ¬â¢s mission is to be ââ¬ËCanadaââ¬â¢s best food, health and home retailer their mission also includes innovative products at great prices (LobLaw Companies Limited.-2, 2008)ââ¬â¢. Loblawââ¬â¢s chose as itââ¬â¢s arena restoring innovation by making their brands and assortment of products worth changing supermarkets for and targeting consumers with specific brands and assorted product specialties that are hard to find in other supermarkets. Their brands wanted to strengthen and also revitalize product development, to simplify and also to grow. These areas are considered the arena the company has chosen to be active in. Core priorities of the company also describe strategy the company will use to achieve goals and reach milestones. LobLaw operations planned to focus on achieving greater performance and increasing engagem ent among colleagues, strengthening the customer experience, simplifying assortments and improving price perceptions (LobLaw Companies Limited.-2, 2008) Enhanced decision making support, an improvement in company infrastructure, along with better talent retention, motivation and development are also vehicles the companyââ¬â¢s strategy includes in order to reach the goals their plans have outlined. Various vehicles are less effective than those which are concentrated and strong efforts utilizing only a few strategies at once in order to focus efforts. Differentiatorââ¬â¢s used by LobLaw are those factors and attributes that LobLaw will use to differentiate itself among competitors; while not necessarily having one product that is used as differentiator among competitors companies can also have the best combination of differentiators can allow an
Saturday, July 27, 2019
What are the main requirements of a good regulatory system to govern Essay
What are the main requirements of a good regulatory system to govern privatised infrastructure - Essay Example The intention of creating such agencies directly associates with the approach of the government and regulatory authorities to control the unfavourable and unethical approaches of the aforementioned stakeholders and ensure a fair practice within the society. It is owing to such significance that the regulatory systems have become quite important today in order to maintain a healthy balance in various domains of the society1. Arguably, maintaining such a control has been observed to be much challenging in privatised sector where governmental interventions and regulatory norms possess limited influence in comparison to the public sector. Contextually, this paper will evaluate the requirements of a good regulatory system in order to govern the privatized infrastructure. ... Each of these regulations is supposed to have its own purpose and need in the society for ensuring welfare of the same one way or the other. In precise, it can be stated that regulations are rules formed by concerned authorities or groups with the intention to deliver outcomes that might not be possible otherwise2;3. A Good Regulatory System- Characteristics Developing and continually practicing effective regulations are considered to be among the major challenges for government and other regulatory agencies to govern the private sector. There are several key contents of well framed regulations. To be mentioned, regulations implemented by the government and other concerned agencies need to first emphasize on the problems that prevail in various sectors, including the sector for privatised infrastructure. This will enable the agencies to have a clear idea about what sort of regulatory policies are to be frame and accordingly, the concerned authorities should decide on them. It will be vital to mention that the regulatory policies formed should be focused towards ensuring maximum innovation so that it can tackle the present market scenario and ensure noteworthy and desired results4. A balance between the problems depicted and the solutions framed is quite important to ensure effectiveness of the regulatory policies. In this regard, concerned authorities should need to ensure that the measures they take are directly proportional with the problems that are desired to be addressed in the regulatory system. Targeting the particular sector where the regulations are to be imposed is also vital in order to ensure maximum effectiveness of the designed system. Flexibility is another key characteristic that must be ensured while framing any sort of
Friday, July 26, 2019
Changes needed to Palliative care today Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words
Changes needed to Palliative care today - Thesis Example She recommended that the palliative care component and appropriate standards be included in the needs assessment and in the contracts for hospitals and community services. According to Morrow (2009) the aim of palliative care is to improve the quality of the life of patients and their families who faces a life-threatening illness. Its focus is to alleviate them through prevention and the treatment of suffering. Palliative care involves the self (physical, emotional, spiritual) of the patient as well as their families. This care provides relief from pain and other symptoms related to the illness (fatigue, nausea, shortness of breath, loss of appetite). The aim is to prevent and relieve these symptoms so that the patient may continue with his or her daily life. Hospice care is one form of palliative care. The palliative care may be offered at any given time of an illness with curative therapies which are meant to prolong life versus hospice care, designed for patients that have a terminal illness and the life expectancy is of six months or less (Morrow, 2009). The palliative team is composed of doctors treating different conditions (diabetes, heart diseases, kidney disease). The palliative care doctor will generally orchestrate the care between several specialists to create a perfect harmony. The palliative care team may include: Palliative care physicians; specialists or general practitioners; nurses; nursing assistants or home health aides; social workers; chaplains; physical, occupational, and speech therapists. This team may assist in the health care choices that may be right for the patients (Morrow, 2009). The palliative care may be given in hospitals (chemotherapy, radiation) or at home. The subacute team is similar in its composition, except that they include: in-house medical staff, registered nurses and certified nurse aides, dietary, therapeutic recreation specialist, and an
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Reflective writing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3
Reflective writing - Essay Example It is therefore SOSE is becoming an essential part of almost all educational institutions to rear the new generation within a culturally diverse society. The primary purpose of the Studies of Society and Environment learning area is to help young people develop the ability to make reasoned and informed decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. (discover.tased.edu.au/sose/whatintr.htm, Sep 8, 2004) Tasmania is an important Australian state containing amalgamation of many ethnic groups and cultures. It is estimated that Tasmania was joined to the main land nearly 10,000 years ago. (Wikipedia Encyclopaedia) The arrival of European nations in the state, in 17th Century, introduced acculturation between the Europeans and the local Aborigines leading towards changes in traditions, language, living style, cults and political and economic conditions turning Tasmania into a diversified region. Moreover, clemency in immigration policies and comfortable sources of travelling in modern times of globalization has brought remote areas and cultures nearer to one another. Though, all the ethnic groups, including Aborigines and others, abide by law while interacting with other individuals, yet differences in cultural values existing in environment creates difficulties. Keeping in mind the socio-cultural situation, educationalists laid stress in providing children with such learning during the ir initial school years that may help them in making adjustments according to their diversified cultural and social set up. Many educators have favoured models such as SOSE because they do not believe that all the students are suited to, or interested in secondary studies. (The Australian, 2007:11) Thus, it was decided that a well-planned, comprehensive and rigorous education must have been provided
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
Unit 2 LS311 Assignment - Torts and Cyber Torts Essay
Unit 2 LS311 Assignment - Torts and Cyber Torts - Essay Example First, Jason Davis has a professional duty. Being one of the employees in the arts and crafts show, he has the duty to make sure that the premises are safe (Miller & Jentz, 2009, 95). The fact that he was standing near the exit implies that he was placed there for a reason, perhaps to make sure that the pedestrians were safely leaving the premises. Hence, he has the duty to act carefully. Second, Jason Davis should have anticipated the possible consequences of turning around abruptly, especially knowing that pedestrians were still passing by. Due to this lack of foresight, he was not able to protect Yvonne Esposito from a serious injury. These two factors imply that Jason Davis violated the duty of care. Being a professional, he violated his duty of care toward a customer, which is basically professional negligence. Ultimately, he failed to protect Yvonne Esposito from a foreseeable risk. Therefore, the complainant has legally valid reasons to pursue a case of negligence against Jason
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Greek city states rise and influence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1
Greek city states rise and influence - Essay Example The very emergence of Sparta is in large-part concealed from history, but its later rise is well documented in Greek literature and historical accounts. The very emergence of Spartan power and influence is historically linked to their military conquests. The earliest recorded evidence of Sparta arises in around 1000 B.C., but it wasnââ¬â¢t until the 6th century B.C. that Sparta began to gain considerable influence and power within Greece (Morris). This period of time is referred to as the Monolithic period. During this period Sparta gradually gained influence through military conquests. In these regards, there are a number of critical battles that greatly contributed to Spartaââ¬â¢s hegemonic power. One of the major conquests in these regards was Spartaââ¬â¢s overtaking of neighboring Tegea, which was one of the most powerful of the surrounding cities. In 494 B.C. the Spartan invasion of Argos, while unsuccessful, would ultimately result in Sparta becoming recognized as the leading state of Hellas (Kennell). It was during this period that Sparta gained considerable influence within Greece, being recognized as the city-state that would lead the Greek forces. The next major step in Spartaââ¬â¢s rise and influence emerges in terms of their relations with Athens. Sparta became first became influential in Athenian politics after overthrowing tyrant Athenian ruler Hippias in 510 B.C. Through the proceeding years they would go on to gain considerably more influence within Athens. In large part, one of the significant events contributing to this rise in influence came through Spartaââ¬â¢s military support to Athens during the Persian Wars. During this period they were able to stave off invasion and drive the Persian army to a standstill. One such political decision came when Sparta instruction the revolting Ionian Greeks to settle in cities that had supported the invading Persian Empire (Jones). This Spartan influence continued until Athens ultimately sided with
Healthy life Essay Example for Free
Healthy life Essay Many of the views associated with a healthy lifestyle, but it is not appropriate that we take for granted about this healthy lifestyle . 1 . Caring for Daily Nutrition ( menJaga keseimbangan makanan) Among healthy lifestyle is keeping our daily diet . Therefore, we should adopt a balanced diet . Balanced diet allows our bodies healthy and not overweight. Poor diet causes our body to get a variety of diseases such as hypertension , heart disease and diabetes. Exercise or Play ( bersenam atau beriadah) In addition, we also must diligently work or play. By doing physical activity , the heart will be healthy and strong. Toxic waste in the body will come out through our sweat during exercise . Exercise we are doing will allow the blood to flow properly and strengthen the muscles of the body . 3 . Environmental Cleanliness and Environment Home Practice a healthy lifestyle is keeping the house clean next and the environment. Places that allow mosquitoes to breed must be eliminated. All refuse shall be dubuang to Famous Spots: Yoy reserved . Do not throw garbage into the river or dibaar outdoors because it can cause environmental pollution . 4 . Health Inspection (pemeriksaan kesihatan) In addition, we need to make health checks. Health checks can be made public or private hospital . By knowing our health , we can already taken measures to ensure our health continues to be in good keaaan . Checks can be made two one-year time . 5 . Avoid Doing Affect Health We must also avoid actions that could affect health. Among the things that can affect health is cigarette smoking , alcohol and drugs. The habit of smoking cigarettes can ause a lung disease and heart disease. While drug addiction can lead to social and community causes disease , an obstacle to the progress and development of the country , so let us increase our awareness and understanding of the dangers of drugs , and trying to control and prevent the occurrence of these adverse events . In conclusion , there are some practices that we need to do to enable us to live a healthy life . Practice a healthy lifestyle should be nurtured since we were little where parents and family members to play their role in a healthy lifestyle . So prevention is better than cure. healthy life.
Monday, July 22, 2019
An analysis of why economic sanctions are good Essay Example for Free
An analysis of why economic sanctions are good Essay A person may cause evil to others not only by his actions but by his inaction, and in either case he is justly accountable to them for the injury. John Mills OR Senator John Kerry once said We must retool our nation to prepare for the challenge we already face to maintain our position in the global economy. And this much is certain: America will not have national security without economic security. Therefore, I negate the resolution that: Resolved: Economic sanctions ought not to be used to achieve foreign policy objectives Definitions: Economic Sanctions- Economic penalties, such as stoppage of trade and financial transactions, imposed upon a country to force compliance with another countrys or UNs or WTOs demands. (businessdictionary.com) Ought- used to express obligation. Foreign Policy- the policy of a sovereign state in its interaction with other sovereign states. Objectives- : an aim, goal, or end of action. (In case of argumentation relating to resolve not confined to U.S.A) Sovereign- one that exercises supreme authority within a limited sphere. All unspecified definitions are from Merriam Webster Core Value: Societal Welfare- What is best for most of society Value Criterion- The neg shall prevail if I can prove that economic sanctions are a worthwhile method to achieve foreign policy objectives. But the aff shall prevail if, and only if he can prove otherwise C1: Smart economic sanctions are needed to compel foreign leaders. The resolution calls for a general ban on economic sanctions in dealing with foreign policy objectives. One of the foremost arguments against sanctions is the harm they may potentially bring. But these potential harms are mostly caused the imposition of broad, wide-ranging sanctions. But not all sanctions are harmful- there are good sanctions. The sanctions in the 21st century are targeted and narrow, not general. One of the common criticisms of economic sanctions is that they have injured civilian populations in the past. The problem with this line of reasoning is that it assumes that there is only one type of sanction to use, and that this type of sanctioning must necessarily hurt civilians. Most countries now understand that wide, indiscriminate sanction use may be counterproductive, so they take a smarter, tailored approach to economic sanctions that make sanctions more likely to achieve their policy objectives. Many countries now tailor their sanctions to specific goods. For exa mple, many countries place specific sanctions on narcotics related items or on materials that could be used to make weapons. These tailored sanctions still allow civilians to meet their basic needs, but also make it so that rogue states are unable to use their material resources to cause further harm. Additionally, economic sanctions are now being used to freeze assets and limit the travel of high ranking state officials, which puts pressure only on them to change their countrys policies. These smart sanctions create an opportunity for change without the harms that occurred from past sanctions. Another line of argument for the Neg is the toolbox argument: that the Affirmative would remove critical tools, including targeted sanctions, from the governments disposal. This would lead to a second dilemma, this time for the Affirmative: without the carrot and stick of economic sanctions, the government is left with a feather of non-economic sanctions and the bloody spike of war. C2: Economic sanctions are necessary foreign policy tools So what are the alternatives to sanctions? More diplomacy and military action. These have the problem of being two extremes meaning that there needs to be something in the middle. Diplomacy is the most obvious alternative. It would be lovely if all foreign policy objectives could be met simply by diplomacy but with contradictory interests, this is never going to happen in all cases. Many countries, particularly dictatorships but quite often also democracies such as the US, feel they can just ignore diplomacy if it is not backed up by anything more than a verbal lashing. Diplomacy needs something backing it up. At the moment this is the threat of some form of sanction (be it direct economic sanctions or more indirect be reducing the opportunities for that countries firms to operate in your market) or military action of some kind. Using military action as a threat can be extreme. How do you move between diplomacy and on to military action without something in the middle to show how serious your country is? If a country does not believe your threats, and you dont really want to attack him you have to be the one to back down. Providing economic sanctions creates a way of hurting him without having to go to the worse stage which is military action. Military action is the obvious hard alternative to sanctions. However it is not always possible. This could be because of domestic politics or because there is other significant actors in the international system who would react unfavorably to you engaging in military action, or else the consequences might be too severe. There are quite a few problems with military action apart from that it cant always be used due to politics. The most obvious is that it is an immense step up from diplomacy. The country you are going to attack needs to have done something serious to be able to justify an attack. Even if it is justifiable there are problems. Military action relies upon your country being powerful and being able to engage in military action whereas anyone can implement some form of sanctions and it is very costly. This is not only of course in terms of monetary cost to your country but also in lives lost and destroyed. There can also me many unintended consequences. You can intend the action to be a small police action but there is no guarantee that your opponent will see it that way so he may well strike back escalating towards full scale war. At the other extreme your actions my push a country towards falling apart and becoming a failed state. Yes it provides a very powerful tool for changing a states behavior- but most people would believe that it is not worth keeping the possibility of military action while getting rid of sanctions. Get rid of both and you essentially have no stick at all. States do not always respond to carrots you need to provide a big enough carrot that they can forgo a national interest after all. In the case of two interests being diametrically opposed then this cost could be immense. C3: Violation of Human Rights Natural rights of citizens are selfishly violated by corrupt leaders of governments. This impacts not only the natural rights of citizens from other countries; it also affects the natural rights of their own citizens. a. Citizens of countries oppressed by economic sanctions suffer when intended relief efforts are suppressed by their own government intercepting supplies. The citizens are never the target, but rather the behaviors of corrupt leaders. Natural rights of citizens are denied when a corrupt leader interrupts the harmonious relations and it becomes necessary to impose sanctions. Further, I extend my VPC in that when the naturals rights of other nations are infringed upon by these corrupt leaders, political justification demands punishment in the least destructive manner after diplomacy has failed. b. Citizens are justified to demand their natural rights which are being denied to them by the very government which is supposed to protect them. When corrupt leaders give in to decency and cooperate, the sanctions go away. Sanctions are nothing more than a legitimate form of punishment to achieve a defined and acceptable code of behavior. Natural rights of citizens are denied when a corrupt leader interrupts the harmonious relations and it becomes necessary to impose sanctions. Further, I extend my VPC in that when the naturals rights of other nations are infringed upon by these corrupt leaders, political justification demands punishment in the least destructive manner after diplomacy has failed. Possible Rebuttal: Although careful studies of economic sanctions have cast doubt on their effectiveness, 1 anecdote can be powerful rhetorical tools. A single important case that demonstrates sanctions potential allows advocates to argue that their cause is more akin to the success than to the failures. Frequently, advocates point to the case of sanctions applied in the mid-1980s against the apartheid regime in South Africa as just such a case. On the face of it, South African sanctions appear to have been successful. In response to the outrages of apartheid, many countries adopted trade and financial sanctions and a significant amount of foreign investment was withdrawn from South Africa. After the adoption of sanctions, South Africa experienced economic difficulty and numerous domestic actors commented on how the economic situation was untenable and required political change. By 1994, Nelson Mandela had been elected President of South Africa. He and other black leaders attributed to economic sanctions a significant role in bringing about the democratic transition.
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Corruption In Health Care
Corruption In Health Care Our optimism is derived not from theory but from our day-to-day work, which ranges from health policy leadership roles to the management of an academic integrated delivery system to hands-on patient care. From this work, we have a frontline view of the good that an organization can produce, but also the inefficiency, missed opportunities, confusion, and occasional harm that cycles the working of a health care organization [2]. While working for a long year within a government organization in the country of India, I came across many wrongs that I could lay account for, which are quite evidently the root cause for poor healthcare within India. Corruption the taboo that infests Indian mainstream medicine, from the physicians to the lowly staff fall prey to this unethical practice. Her life and death expectancy are not measured through the seriousness of the patients health but the way in which he can satisfy the insatiable corruption around. The biggest killer in India today is not the mosquito, population, poverty, not tobacco, and certainly not the polio bacterium despite the disproportionate effort spent on eradicating it, it is corruption. To make it sound more technical and acceptable to the medical profession perhaps we need to label it. Coruptionoma, which may in the future lead to a global epidemic threat [1]. Today in India where scientist claim to have sent men to the moon polio is still common in existence, somewhere a child dies every minute of every day from diarrhea or due to lack of basic care and every 6 minutes a woman dies from pregnancy related causes (official GoI figures). Infant female feticide is increasingly observed in wealthier districts with high literacy rates. Road traffic accidents in Delhi and Mumbai alone are of epidemic proportions. It is a myth that high technology and costly medicine are the best ways to treat a patient and bring health reforms, it is easily achievable through age old ways readily available then why are the above problems not catered to and still spreading at an alarming rate? It is the disease of corruption that makes managing a health practice impossible. 2. CORRUPTION in Health Care While working as a resident medical officer at a government hospital in India I faced innumerous issues in the management but the issue that was commonly causing chaos is corruption. Corruption comes evident in various forms and puts the whole effort of providing good service or trying to salvage the oath taken in service of our patients. The things I have personally experienced working in an Indian public hospital for over a period of one year is that the life expectancy of a person depends on the financial background of the person. The fact that women in labor die due to late arrival of ambulances and un operational equipments Adulterated drugs proliferate because high level politicians who encourage or protect the people who sell them. Doctors dont attend place of work despite drawing a wage from the Government. Large amount of medicine wasting before reaching the point of use. Unwillingness amongst underpaid staff who either sit on months of strike for their appraisals or either find under table ways of moving their files. Unavailability of clean water and hygienic environments resulting in filthy hospitals due to lack of accountability and supervision. Issuing of licenses to service providers and manufacturers who are incapable but willing to pay high bribes. Negligence in documentations in departments and usage of illegal means to alter information for self benefit. Power breakdowns compromise the safety of hospitals due to surging charges and lack of government help. Officials elected for the purpose of recuperating the health conditions neglect their sole purpose are busy catering to their political scandals and filling their pockets by the power of their seat. Unnecessary drug prescribing by doctors making practice a means of advertisement for scrupulous pharmaceutical companies. Under the desk payments demanded from patients by everyone for the watchman to the doctor. Buildings constructed at inappropriate sites to please politicians and others, discouraging proper use. Staff wanting to make their private practices look more efficient than the public sector caters to theft and sabotage of instruments. Favoritism and relational influences give opportunities to the undeserving candidates for higher post and even educational sponsorships. Loved ones are made to pay bribes to provide loved ones with immediate medical care due to unethical working standards. [[1], edited based on true personal experience] Corruption In Its Various Forms 3. FINANCIAL Management Corruption Corruption is seen in every aspect of healthcare mainly financial management of the organization. In a recent report in an Indian daily Indians pay bribes worth Rs 2,728 cr (equivalent to approximately US$570m annually), the report finds that the public sectors surveyed the health and education sectors were the most corrupt [2]. Factors contributing to financial corruption: Low Wages for Public servants Low Wages, Poor patterns of incentives and bad working environment relates to the capacity of an organization to attract and retain honest, skilled and motivated staff in a long term similarly, low wages in the public sector are likely to attract less qualified, poorly motivated and potentially disloyal staff, resulting in an opaque, inefficient and potentially corrupt staff. Informal fees Of course, like unofficial fees, are not official nevertheless, developed like more of a practice. The underpaid officials and underlying poverty influence the practitioners to fill their pockets by unofficial fees [5]. In my experience Low wages is a greater public tolerance for corrupt practices when the worker incomes are insufficient for living the working environment is intolerable with bleak chances of improvement due to the already existent corruption at the political and higher regions [4]. The existent salaries perceived as unfair in comparison to private sector salaries. Thus subsistence strategy or survival technique that compensate for inequitable working conditions and hardships faced economically make the demanding of under counter money or accepting bribes for poorly paid staff. Illiteracy amongst masses The common story amongst people of developing nations is the lack of knowledge and self righteousness. Though the government acts in favor of free medical camps and health coverage the poor due to their lack of awareness fall prey to corruption where they pay for the rights freely available to them at public hospitals. Free vaccinations for polio, medical camps in rural areas and treatments for HIV/AIDS, tuberculoses, cancer and movements to eradicate malaria have been readily undertaken by the government, but illiteracy amongst the rural and lower sectors (i.e. working class) leads to corruption and future diminishing health conditions. Lack of funds The public hospitals rely on government funds or fund raising events which hardly keep pace with the fast growing health sector. The increase in technology has levied a burden on the feeless hospital where the promised care cannot be delivered due to aging population and increasing diseases. The only way in which the organization avoids complete shutdown is by compromising in the health care by using obsolete technology and unmaintained hospitals with inexperienced staff working in unhygienic conditions. Leading to lesser scope of modernization or remodeling facilities to provide better health care. This situation also provokes the organizations to remove their staff for balancing their financial need causing a setback in the prosperity of the nation. 4. How can the financial management corruption be dealt with? Changes in accounting systems Health systems require clear and simple accounting and procurement standards based on legal framework that encourages transparency participation and due timeliness. An effective supervision and auditing systems is essential in improving the over sightedness that is the root cause to loop holes in an organization and ensure effective enforcement of rules that punish misconduct. Budget transparency Transparency accounts for practices and expenditures to be open to public and legislative involving scrutiny and that civil society at all stages of budget formulation, execution and reporting [8]. Budget transparency requires an information system that produces timely, reliable and accurate information in order to hold public officials accountable for the use of allocated resources. Decentralization Decentralization is a favored strategy with a view to enabling broader public participation and improves technical as well as allocation efficiency, involving public in the decision marketing process and enhancing the responsiveness of the health system. Research indicates that in poorer countries, higher fiscal decentralization is associated with lower mortality rates and improved health outcomes even in high corruption environments [9]. Privatization in health sector The lack of accountability arises when institutions are weak public funds is low, privatization of health services can be seen as an alternative method of improving the quality and effectiveness of health services. Privatization limits the powers of the public officials and thus their opportunities of influencing bribery and corruption. Monitoring the quality, reliability and cost-effectiveness of private care and treatments, ensures access to quality health services to the needy and also prevents abuse of the resources. Managing the rates of medicines in private by the displaced informal payments would make a mere difference in public and private care. Resource management Tracking the supply demand chain and eliminating the middle men who add to the price of medicines and also influence illegal bribery. Encouraging the tracking the level of stock and recording the expiry of medicines which may harm the patients health. Keeping distributions flow constant and eliminating the unused and outdated stock rather than black marketing supplies for personal gain. 5. Drug Management Corruption The corruption in drug management affects the price, availability and quality of drugs, undermining safe and affordable access to essential medicine in many developing countries mainly India. Due to the complexity, in the opaque system of health services influenced by large flows of money involved, forge fraud and corruption at all points of the organizational chain, from the registration at hospitals to the admissions and selection of medical treatment and distribution to the promotion of medicines. This is likely to have a long term impact on health and economic outcomes especially the health census of a developing nation [3]. The factors influencing drug corruption Availability The drug procurement and pharmaceutical expenditure constitute a large part of the health care budget after salary expenditure. More than 20 to 50 % of the funds are promised for making drug available at affordable prices and thus indicating a growth in health care standards. [6] Corruption in procurement and distribution of pharmaceutical and medical supplies reduces access to essential medicines; doctors prescribe medicines on basis of the cut they are offered by the pharmaceuticals. The vulnerable groups thus fall victim to shortage of the facilities and healthcare. Inadequate provision of drug and medical supplies has a direct bearing on the performance of the organization. Registrations and legalities The market approval of the production and distribution sector is highly influenced on the bribes that the companies offer to pay than the adequacy neither capability of the company nor the potency of the drug. It is a regulatory decision of the political bodies concerning the health sector to allow a medicine to be marketed in a given country. Compliance with regulations elongates the period of drug licensing, accreditation and approvals can prove costly for pharmaceutical companies wanting to launch a new product. Some of them may try to bribe or influence the regulator simply to speed up the approval process. The middle chain of distribution elongates and also becomes costlier by the amount of unofficial money associated with the drug release of drug release or distribution this can also affect the setting of user fees for drug registration, which are often set well below true cost [6]. Pharmacies and drug stores also require due registration and licensing. The process of licensing pharmacies for operation is corrupted by bribes, favoring kin or political contacts of government agents, geographic inequities, and facilities that do not follow government regulations. As with the registration process the responsible national experts receive compensation from pharmaceutical companies that influence their statistics and thus influencing wrong judgments. Drug Selection The selection of essential medicines in a given country needs to use defined criteria and consultative and transparent process. The inclusion of any pharmaceutical on the list of nations essential medicines is influenced by means of bribery gain due to the opacity in the selection process [8]. Interested parties may also bribe the committee responsible for deciding which products are reimbursed through government social insurance programs. Procurement and lack of skill Providing health facilities with drug and medical supplies is a very complex process. This involves a large variety of members interacting between the private and public sectors. Governments health officials lack the managerial skills required to specify technical details, supervise bidding and monitoring the already active contracts and trail their legal fulfillment. Corruption can occur at any stage of the process influence decisions on the model of procurement rather than competitive bidding, on the type and volume of procured supplies rather than the demand enlisted, and on specifications and selection criteria hence compromising access to essential medicines and hampering their quality endangering lives of the poor who are the most vulnerable victims to corruption. In a context where quality controls are difficult to exercise, an increasing lack of funds results in corruption where officials sell low quality, expired, counterfeit and harmful drugs at cheaper prices. Corrupt procurement officers also purchase sub-standard drugs in place of quality medicines pocketing the difference. Unmonitored systems and lack of official records Falling short of finance the systems are obsolete and poorly monitored, record-keeping is ineffective hence the accounting mechanisms make it an easy opportunity for the corrupt, theft of large quantities of drugs and medical supplies depositories and medical facilities, sale of samples for personal gain in private practices or on the black market [8]. Puppets or patients A Strategy to supplement their meager salaries doctors working for government has been increasingly allowed to open private practices Resulting to which doctors spend official time in public facilities treating private patients, or merely channeling patients to their private practice.Due to the lack of punishment the doctors are either absent or not concerned with their low salary jobs playing with the lives of their patients. 6. How can the drug management corruption be dealt with? Tracking Registration process Authorities need to ensure transparency and accountability. A formal committee responsible for registration of medicines needs to be established where the basis of selection remain technical and competitive with easily accessible terms and conditions and fixed payable fees. Training should be provided for the officials who are responsible managing records and performing registration activities. Drug selection To limit corruption in the process of drug selection practical involvement and fair practice is a must where adopting lists of essential medicines that are based on standard evidence-based treatment guidelines at national and sub-national levels. Government officials need to ensure that the selection of these essential medicines is based on transparent process with expert committee responsible for this exercise operating according to published terms of reference, whose members will be selected based on expertise, and whose decisions will be influenced by current state of scientific evidence. Improving access to medicine In order to tackle this complex problem the causes and manifestations of corruption and the ongoing in the region are too be evaluated to prevent it. Agreements to establish a working group with the industry and NGOs in order to promote transparency in the health sector based on various health standards. Procurement management The prerequisite for curtailing corruption in the procurement process consists of defining rules and guidelines that reduce discretionary powers where they are likely to be abused and to increase the probability for corrupt practices to be detected and sanctioned. Promoting transparency in the procurement process can be achieved by offering clear documentation and public access to bidding results, if possible using an electronic bidding system where interference is not possible, and involving civil society at all stages of the process. Technical assistance and to manage competitive bidding training for procurement officers can also improve standards of the government [3]. Distribution rights To reduce illegal practices at the distribution stage of medical supplies include establishing controlled inventory systems, improving record keeping providing security against robbery in repositories. Providing tools for improving drug distribution systems, including guidelines for forecasting, supply chain management and managing process flow in the distribution system. Promotion Other possible measures include banning practices of gift and sponsorship, following WHO ethical guidelines on medicines promotion [10], and promoting codes of ethics in marketing through trade and professional organizations. The practitioners should be educated against the promotional propaganda of the pharmaceutical companies. 7. summary Addressing the issue of rising health care costs is critical to the economic health of our country, and the physical health of its residents. In this situation when corruption enters the developing nations mainstream it soils the whole system from the lower working class to the managerial level. They participate in the malpractice of endangering the lives of their patients, rather than making medical supply and health services readily available? National health officials are interested in pocketing the differences they earn by under counter money and unofficial fees for items termed as free. Financial management faces corruption due to its poor accountability and inadequate supervision. The Lack of trained officials leads to unmaintained records, wastage of medical supplies and unavailability of required medicines. As a resident official in one of the busiest hospitals I observed the lack of enthusiasm amongst the working staff and also the practitioners this attitude is mainly influenced by the lack of funds, insufficient salaries and unhygienic working environments. The only alternative to satisfy their mere day to day needs , officials are forced to accept bribes and get involved in illegal activities. The drugs not for sale are robbed and distributed at private institutes or also black marketed during times of high demand. The supply is irrespective of demand. Competition in the pharmaceuticals has lead to influencing of doctors in prescribing high cost medicines for their personal benefits and gifts. The respect of human life and the oath of serving our nation with honesty has long been forgotten especially in the Indian sub continent. Lots of ways have been prescribed in books of many volumes but corruption as a disease may blame politicians, poverty and many other uncontrollable traits but the only virus for this disease is human nature and the lack of self control and honesty. The selections of political power is always in the hands of the masses then blaming our leaders and giving them opportunities is like blaming ourselves for the condition we find ourselves in. As an Indian belonging to the middle class I too have observed the corruption in our country, not done much to prevent or stop it but have done enough to encourage and kindle its existence.
Saturday, July 20, 2019
Beloved: Analysis :: essays research papers
From the beginning, Beloved focuses on the import of memory and history. Sethe struggles daily with the haunting legacy of slavery, in the form of her threatening memories and also in the form of her daughterââ¬â¢s aggressive ghost. For Sethe, the present is mostly a struggle to beat back the past, because the memories of her daughterââ¬â¢s death and the experiences at Sweet Home are too painful for her to recall consciously. But Setheââ¬â¢s repression is problematic, because the absence of history and memory inhibits the construction of a stable identity. Even Setheââ¬â¢s hard-won freedom is threatened by her inability to confront her prior life. Paul Dââ¬â¢s arrival gives Sethe the opportunity and the impetus to finally come to terms with her painful life history. Already in the first chapter, the reader begins to gain a sense of the horrors that have taken place. Like the ghost, the address of the house is a stubborn reminder of its history. The characters refer to the house by its number, 124. These digits highlight the absence of Setheââ¬â¢s murdered third child. As an institution, slavery shattered its victimsââ¬â¢ traditional family structures, or else precluded such structures from ever forming. Slaves were thus deprived of the foundations of any identity apart from their role as servants. Baby Suggs is a woman who never had the chance to be a real mother, daughter, or sister. Later, we learn that neither Sethe nor Paul D knew their parents, and the relatively long, six-year marriage of Halle and Sethe is an anomaly in an institution that would regularly redistribute men and women to different farms as their owners deemed necessary. The scars on Setheââ¬â¢s back serve as another testament to her disfiguring and dehumanizing years as a slave. Like the ghost, the scars also work as a metaphor for the way that past tragedies affect us psychologically, ââ¬Å"hauntingâ⬠or ââ¬Å"scarringâ⬠us for life. More specifically, the tree shape formed by the scars might symbolize Setheââ¬â¢s incomplete family tree. It could also symbolize the burden of existence itself, through an allusion to the ââ¬Å"tree of knowledgeâ⬠from which Adam and Eve ate, initiating their mortality and suffering. Setheââ¬â¢s ââ¬Å"treeâ⬠may also offer insight into the empowering abilities of interpretation. In the same way that the white men are able to justify and increase their power over the slaves by ââ¬Å"studyingâ⬠and interpreting them according to their own whims, Amyââ¬â¢s interpretation of Setheââ¬â¢s mass of ugly scars as a ââ¬Å"chokecherry treeâ⬠transforms a story of pain and oppres sion into one of survival.
Ethical Journalism During the Vietnam War Essay -- Vietnam War Essays
Ethical Journalism During the Vietnam War During the Vietnam War, a rift between government officials and journalists emerged. The American government felt the need, for various reasons, to censor many war developments. In an attempt to act ethically, the press fought the censors, trying their hardest to report the truth to the general public. Despite claims of bias and distortion by several prominent government officials, these journalists acted completely ethically, allowing the general public to obtain a fair, informed opinion. The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) provides a very clear and thorough Code of Ethics, which serves as a good definition of ethical journalism. According to this code, an ethical journalist must try to minimize any potential harm done to people directly involved with the event being reported. Such a journalist should also act independently of any personal biases, and be responsive to any criticism of their work. Finally, a truly ethical journalist must seek to find and report the truth (Society). Common sense reaffirms these guidelines. When one thinks of ethical behavior, one usually thinks along terms of being truthful, appreciative of others, acting responsively and using fair judgement. All of these concepts are explicitly stated in the SPJ's Code of Ethics. Minimizing harm done by journalism in times of war is a difficult task. Naturally, there are bits of information that the government needs to keep secret for one reason or another. There is also the danger of victims' stories being exploited and sensationalized. The SPJ's Code of Ethics recommends that journalists should "treat sources, subjects and colleagues as human beings worthy of respect" (Society). During the extreme... ...t 29, 1968: 71. Hallin, Daniel C. The Uncensored War. New York: Oxford University Press, 1986. Janson, Donald. "Police Assault on 21 Newsmen in Chicago Are Denounced by Officials and Papers." New York Times August 28, 1968: 36. Kenworthy, E W. "Agnew Says TV Networks are Distorting the News." New York Times November 14, 1969: 1-2. Kifner, John. "On the Road to Chicago With Some Protestors." New York Times August 23, 1968: 22. Mitchell, Michael C. "Television and The Vietnam War." Naval War College Review 37.3 (1989): 42-52. Nixon, Richard. No More Vietnams. New York: Arbor House, 1985. Roberts, Steven V. "McCarthy Group Seeks to Put Antiwar Candidate on Ballot." New York Times August 22, 1968: 1. "The Parties Respond." New York Times March 17, 1968: E12. "Violence of Police Decried by Callers." New York Times August 29, 1968: 21.
Friday, July 19, 2019
Seven Solitudes of Lorsa Lopez and The Spirits Essay -- Comparative, S
The assumed power of men has been an issue of gender politics throughout Seven Solitudes of Lorsa Lopez by Sony Labou Tansi and The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. The African and Latin American cultures have become societies vulnerable to traditional biases of women being the weaker race, liable for blame of menââ¬â¢s problems. Through their attitudes, physical strengths and abusive behaviors physically, verbally and emotionally, men continue to oppress the women of their societies. Male power has been institutionalized by society, while women continuously combat their socially-accepted roles by using the only weapons to their disposal: their voices and sexuality. Estina Benta and Clara try to conform to their own standards of life by attempting to defy their male spouses. Using the power to voice their opinions and withhold strong self-confidence, both are able to control the emotions of their male authorities. (Provide context for this quote) ââ¬Å"Clara walked around like a silentâ⬠¦shadow. She didnââ¬â¢t even look at [him]. She walked right past [him] as if [he] were a piece of furniture. [They] hadnââ¬â¢t resumed sleeping in the same bedâ⬠(Allende 113). Abstaining from communication and sex, Clara is able to expose Estebanââ¬â¢s vulnerability and gain her own power and independence. This particular vulnerability that is revealed through Esteban Trueba is the very essence of his eventual downfall. He ââ¬Å"felt defeated for the first time in his lifeâ⬠(104) (put citation at the end of the sentence) which led to his abusive, possessive behavior towards Clara. ââ¬Å"He wanted far more than her body; he wanted control over that undefined and luminous material that lay within herâ⬠(96). The necessity of obsessive control over women is the backbone o... ...m as he needed to be loved, even if it meant he had to resort to extreme measures. [But] he realized that Clara did not belong to him and thatâ⬠¦she probably never wouldâ⬠(96). ââ¬Å"Taking charge using his physical advantage Esteban ââ¬Å"pulled her from the bed, dragged her down the hall, pushed her down the stairs, and thrust her into the libraryâ⬠(132). Words such as ââ¬Å"pulled,â⬠ââ¬Å"draggedâ⬠, ââ¬Å"pushedâ⬠and ââ¬Å"thrustâ⬠correlate to sexual violence, which is a manââ¬â¢s only dominating feature that can keep him in a position of power. However being a strong individual does not mean having physical strength, rather it means strong-minded, emotionally stable and the power to speak out; all weapons of the women of African and Latin American cultures. Through their words and actions such as sex strikes, their power is illuminated and true equality is found because ââ¬Å"women are also menâ⬠(23).
Thursday, July 18, 2019
Coroprate Restructuring
Restructuring also conveys the certain information of the business decision to another party. It also can be because of poor performance, hence restructuring loud pull out the business entity from the parent company and make it a standalone company. Most occasions, restructuring is to correct the poor strategic decisions made in the past. The company we are going to talk about is ââ¬Å"Sonyâ⬠it is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation. Its diversified business is primarily focused on electronics, games, entertainment and financial services sectors.The first form of restructuring include divestitures, it is the sale of a business segment to another party. Sony has decided to sell off its AVIVA line of PC's in a move that effectively takes the Japan based company out of the PC market. This is a result of Sonny's poor sales performance, by doing this the organization get rid of a business entity that was pulling them down and it provides a sharper focus for the manage ment. Hence their shares would be increased as their drop their poor performance sector.Divestitures may arise due to negative synergy arising from poor decisions on past acquisition on poor decisions made during periods of high growth. Much evidence seems to show generally that by announcement of selling companies results in a positive share prices response. Spin off has been done recently by Sony as they have detached a business entity with TTS own assets and liability. It allows the management to focus on their core business. What it does is they debut independent company by detaching part of a parent company's assets and operations.They are trying to spin off their Titration TV. This is because of strong competition from both locally and internationally with Phillips and Samsung as their strong competitors. It allows the shareholders to have shares in both companies. The next method would be Carving Out. This method is very similar Spin off, with the difference being a very tech nical one which is the carving out of shares of the new many is offered to the public. It leads to lower premiums and higher gains for the buyers and for the sellers.They increase the likelihood of successfully closing the deal. Capturing these advantages would require them to look beyond the financial to understand the challenges ahead associated with the change. The carved out company trades as an independent company. Government owned company to private investors. The reason for prevarication is to increase efficiency, individual share ownerships and revenue for the government. In Japan, the Japan Post was a government owned corporation in Japan existed from 003 to 2007.It has over 400,000 employees throughout Japan was the nation's largest employer. As being a government-owned corporation, would allow more efficient and flexible use of the company's funds that would help revivalist Japan's economy, which was recovering from recessions in 1991. Prevarication also prevents corrupti on and patronage. This can be accomplished by the sale or lease. It can be accomplished by the government selling 100% of an enterprise, or selling 51%, or even by selling a minority stake as long as the private sector is given full managerial control.Another major step in restructuring is the leveraged buyout or leveraged restructuring, it would mean the takeover of a company using the acquired firm's assets and cash flow to obtain financing. These transactions are done by conglomerates selling off an unwanted subsidiary to private investors. Lobos also have been financed with high-yield debt or Junk Bonds and have also been done with the interest rate capped at a fixed level and interest costs above the cap added to the principal. For commercial banks, Lobos are attractive because these financing have large up-front fees.They also fill the gap in corporate lending created when large corporations begin using commercial paper and corporate bonds in place of bank loans. Sony used thi s method to acquire Metro-Golden-Mayer on September 23, 2004 which is a good deal for the company as a report suggests that they may reach $1 million to $million in 2005. Private Equity of firms or funds is to raise money from investors to invest the money in privately held companies. The sale of AVIVA to a local private equity fund after several strategic buyers balked at taking on the personal computer business.PC sales have been hurt globally by the growing sales of tablet devices. Worldwide shipments have fallen by 13. 5 per cent over the past two years. Private equity firms will then try to improve the financial results and prospects of the company in the hope of reselling the company to another firm or cashing out via an PIP. In short with the sale of AVIVA too private company, Sony is able to use the fund to focus more on their primary core business as they were having problems with competing with personal computers overseas.However the most common method in restructuring is the laying off of workers. As Japan has lots of financial crisis the biggest lay off happen when they offload its PC business and its plans to lay off 5,000 workers by March 2015. This is very common around the world. This is to conscious use of permanent personnel reduction in an attempt to improve management as one of the preferred routes to turning around declining organization by cutting cost and improving organizational performance as a form to cutting cost.When budget is tightened, many managers will start to cut the training budget thinking that training is a luxury it would make their employees more marketable Hereford leaves the company for the better Jobs. However the layoff of workers is made harder with restrictions of the country. Mergers today are the survival of the fittest. Sony Mobile Communications ABA formerly known as Sony Ericson Mobile ABA. Telecommunications equipment company Ericson under the name of Sony Ericson.Ericson, which had been in the mobile phone ma rket for decades, and was the world's third largest cellular telephone handset marker was struggling with huge losses. This was mainly due to this fire and its inability to produce cheaper phones eke Monika hence the merger with Sony in 2001. Restructuring deals the organization to maintain its competitiveness in an evolving consumer electronics market. In order for Sony to maintains its position as a leader in the electronics industry pushing the limits of innovation with products and experiences exclusive to Sony.They would have to conduct and economic model of the processes of the organization, to give a detailed view of where and the value is created to ensure that resources can be funded to different part of the organization. It allows the organization like Sony to achieve market focus, invent new businesses and change the rules of competition through technology via breakthrough. These are steps to implement to increase market share in organization. A company would be stagnant unless they introduce new market or enhanced strategies to combat competition or to introduce themselves to reach new market.The need to increase asset base may lead to mergers. This will improve the capital of the organization, acquisitions can help an organization by ward off competition. Organizational leaders often find it necessary to change how their units operate for seasons like changing unit priorities, initiating new programs. A successful organizational requires careful advance preparation and planning that addresses programmatic needs, support services required to advance organizational goals and effective workforce planning and communication.Proper communication is very important when it comes to corporate restructuring, the workers should know their limitations and their options. It is very important for the company to follow the guidelines set by the governing country to minimize the PASTEL during their pursuit of corporate restructuring process. The results from the essay have revealed that there has been significant change in profitability post restructuring program.Like Sony, many companies have responded favorably that the corporate restructuring have helped the firms to have an increase in their profitability to make their shareholders happy. Overall the analysis has indicated that Sony have successfully implemented restructuring program. It is suggested that companies at the core level should identify the problems and accordingly plan for restructuring of the required processes for achieving success so hat they can enhance shareholder's value like implement the different processes Sony have implemented.
Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Thorn Queen Chapter Sixteen
I tossed and morose that iniquity, surprised I didnt lapse into the alcohol-induced coma Id openhearted of hoped for. I fin alin c oncerty woke up with the sunrise and intract adequate to leave in the beginning too close to commonwealth noniced. Only a fewer considerations were up and around, for which I was grateful. I didnt expect to pass Shayas c erstrned grammatical construction or listen to Dorian and Ysabel flirt e rattlingplace breakfast. I didnt sine qua non to withdraw or so what the devil of them had d star last night-or w here(predicate)fore it bothe personnel casualty me so lots. I was Dorians friend. That was replete. in advance leaving, I stuck my head d acceptst carrys in the prison. The night shift of guards was lull vigilant and alert, and Volusian kept his emotionless(prenominal) watch in the jail cellular teleph mavins corner. Jasmine was curled up in a b both, fast asleep, though I could see dried tears on her cheeks. unguarded in sleep, she reck aned actually young.I transiti geniusd rearwards to Tucson, bearing 1 of the worst hang all overs of my life. nonwithstanding the fact that it was later in the morning measure in that location, my house was as still as the castle had been. Considering the way the cats and dogs watched me expectantly, I had to adopt Tim hadnt gotten up to feed them even. I permit the dogs b omitguard up in the back thousand and t mavin-time(a) the cats theyd be learn to wait. As for me, I downed two glasses of urine and half a bottle of acetylsalicylic acid practi recollecty, originally collapsing in my room. My own grapple provided the comfort the castles couldnt, and I slept heavily for two hours.I mat a ask at better when I got up, and a surfaceer bath improved things further. The smells of french toast wafted forbidden to me, and my tormented stomach wel seeded playerd the mind of food. I headed kayoed to the kitchen to tell Tim to serve up a double function ing and plant that he wasnt alone. A girl in her twenties sit down at the table, giggling and clothing his Homeland Security T-shirt. Tim stood at the mountain chain with the aforementioned French toast, b are-chested in sweatpants and several(prenominal) beaded necklaces.Oh, hi, squeaked the girl.Eug What are you-er, greetings of the morning, Sister Eugenie. Tim held up his palm. I did non realize you were sign of the zodiac.I rolling my eyes, having no patience for his agreement this morning. I poured myself a cup of coffee. I hope youve got real maple syrup.He turn over me over a plate of French toast, fresh off the stove. I think it had been intended for his lady friend, further he k raw(a) better. I open up the maple syrup in the refrigerator, douse the toast liberally, and thus headed back expose to the living room without separate invent to either of them. A few proceedings later, Tim scurried in, quality sheepish.You k straightaway you arent sibylline to motorcarry them home, I verbalize.Yeah, I know. Its scarcelywell, I didnt actually think youd be home with the way things postulate been lately.Not unreasonable, I conceded. more thanover that doesnt change the rules. You flummox at their places.He nodded. crumb she at to the lowest degree finish breakfast before I kick her out?I chewed my own food, intellection round(predicate) what I had to do today. I swallowed and sighed. You can let her stay all morning. Im leaving soon leastwaysIll in all probability be gone virtually of the day.Tim b goodlyened with unexpected plea authorized. Really? Oh, sweet. Thanks, Eug. Youre the best-I pass him my empty plate. Just provoke me a refill, and well call it up to now.Since give tongue to Lara to scratch up my hi taradiddle open, I now had days with no plans-which proved terribly convenient today. I was firing away(p) to drive out to color River once once more to talk to Abigail and Art and pass judgment to desex rough sense of this red snake business. on that point were too rough questions and loose ends surrounding it all, and I require to start tying some of it up so that I could recover on with my life.The downside of a drive handle that was that it gave me scads of time to think. Lots and lots of time. It was a clear day, and on that point were no study cities along the way. It was solely me, my mind, and the open road. I kept thinking exactly somewhat how Kiyo and I had last driven this trek together and the sex that had followed at the hotel. I theme about him and Maiwenn now, celebrating the birth of their daughter. I concept about my breakdown with Dorian and my worrys that Kiyo wouldnt want me anymore.Id brought my cell phone with me and had it sitting on the passenger seat, volume up high. I didnt want to miss a call from Kiyobecause surely hed call to tell me about his daughter as soon as he could, proper(a)? If I hadnt comprehend anything, it cerebr atespiritedt he was still in the Otherworld, which-as one major power regard-didnt capture the greatest cell coverage.Wed visited Art first last time, simply when I got off the highway, I gear up I was closer to Abigails. So, I covey through with(predicate) Yellow Rivers modest down townsfolk- ago the sex-toy store-and park alfresco her building. It was afternoon by now, and people were out and about, with tourists in particular sack their heads into the antiques store beneath Abigails flatbed. I ensnare the weensy doorway by the stores first appearance and headed upstairs, wondering if Id be overrun with cats. except I wasnt-largely because I never do it into the apartment. I knocked several times and eventide called Abigails name once. When that didnt pan out, I dialed the consider Roland had given me. I got her voice hop out plainly nothing more.So more than for that, I muttered. maybe it was just as well. Art was the one who held most of my caution anyway, what with his tattoo and all. He was the one who necessary to be questioned.So, I left the town for the suburbs, and in full daylight I could really labor in how tricksy Arts neighborhood was. The houses were large and new resembling his, and his neighbors appeared to love their lawns just as much. I didnt see Art outside, exclusively when a large red SUV in the highroad boded well for him being around.I knocked double on the door, and for a moment, I concept he too must be out and about. Just as I n proto(prenominal) rang the doorbell, he finally receptive the door. His hair was damp, exchangeable hed just come out of the shower, and he held a meet of hedge clippers in one hand.Eugenie His baptismal font split into a grin. This is a surprise. The smile momentarily faltered. Is everything okay? Roland?Fine, fine, I apprised him. I just wanted to call for you some more questions.You brood a long way for that, he mused, stepping outside and shutting the door behind hi m. mint had an easier time lying over the phone, precisely I could sullenly tell him that. I had the time and thought it would make things simpler.Sure. Im keen for the companyso long as you dont mind hanging out with me trance I get a little cream make? He waved the clippers by way of explanation.No problem.He offered me something to alcoholism first, unless I was still computer storage on to coffee Id bought at a gas station and declined. I sat down on his front step while he began trimming some of the thick shrubs flanking the front of the house. They were thick and heavy-leaved, modify with pretty yellow blossoms. They seemed to want to withdraw the house, and I was reminded of Sleeping Beautys castle, and the thorns that had surrounded it. He didnt cut their overall height provided mostly seemed concerned with making them look neat.I stopped by Abigails on my way here, provided she didnt seem to be home.I think shes in El Paso for a few days, Art express. The mus cles in his arms bulged, raising his T-shirts sleeve and viewing me the coiled red snake. Her sister lives there. Theyre close, which is good, merely I sure could look at used her servicing with a banishing the other day. You should flip come by then. It was a aristocracy girl, actually-you were looking for those, rightfulness?Yes, I give tongue to, startled. I accede it you managed to send her back on your own?Yeah. She wasnt that tough. More scared than anything else.I sipped my coffee, nerve-racking to make sense of this new development. I may take very well indeed jumped to conclusions about Arts abduct role. by chance Moria had just been banished after vagabond here. Do your jobs ever actually take you to the Otherworld? I asked.He gave a morose laugh. Not if I can help it. Those transitions are a deedch, even with that crossroads. I havent actually been over inI dont know. Years.Huh, I verbalize.Art paused in his clipping, prominent me a puzzled look. Why d o you ask?Ive comprehend stories-that is, nobility rumors-about some human over there who kind of sounds analogous you. wish me? His confusion grew. Thats a little weird.It was a human with a red snake tattoo. I didnt mean to sound accusatory, unless a minute bit of it slipped into my tone.Why on priming coat would I lie about point of intersection over? he asked. He wasnt angry, exactly, just some of that friendly demeanor had cooled a little.Whoa, hey. I didnt say you did. I try not to sound too defensive. It was just weird that there were sightings of psyche who looked like you near where your crossroads lets out.The gentry Ive banished are in all likelihood getting confused and thinking I was in their world when I kicked them out of this oneits honestly clayey to understand how any of them think. And you know how fox banishing is.Yeah, I know. Im just saying the story I heard was weird. Art express hed kicked a gentry girl out, unless Moria sure had sounded like sh ed escaped.If I thought his attitude was cool earlier, it was f uncompromising now. I find it equally weird that a shaman is chummy enough with gentry to be listening to their stories-and concerned about them. Why does it matter to you if valet are over there anyway?Because those domain might be harming gentry.And?And its not right.He snorted and returned to his trimming. Theyre gentry, Eugenie. Theyre not like us. And from what I hear, youre not all that gentle with them anyway.When theyre in this world, yeah.every world, Eugenie. Theyre literally not human. Why do you care so much?none of your business. The harsh words were out before I could stop them. Art paused again and this time turned to fully memorial tablet me.And its none of your business where I go and what I do-in either world.My heart lurched in my chest. What, are you saying it is you? That you have been over in the Otherworld recently?Im saying Im through with(p) with this discussion. Youre not welcome here if yo ure just going to toss around featherbrained accusations-accusations that dont even matter.It matters to them.I think youre communicate the wrong questions here. You indispensableness to examine your motives and lick out why youre so impatient to defend those who have no visualise for us-and why youre filling fights with your own kind.I shot up, careful of the coffee. Im not picking a fight.Then get out of here before there is one.We stood there, takeed in antagonism, and I wondered if it would come to a fight. I was armed, and he wasnt, though he was large and better-muscled. No, that was stupid. Why would he fight? He hadnt confessed to anything, totally grown hostile at what he read as me accusive him of things he didnt consider crimes. That didnt make him guilty-but it didnt make him innocent either. Something just didnt incur right here.Fine, I said, backing off. I didnt mean to upset you. Im just trying to get in things out and make sure no ones being wronged.He s miled, but it was a far cry from the easy grin that had greeted me. What in Gods name would you do if somebody was? Come on, Eugenie. Dont overinflate your sense of obligation-or importance. Theres no shaman police. You dont have any jurisdiction or right to dictate what I or anyone else around here-or anywhere-does.Noted, I said, heading toward my car. I was afraid if I stayed, I was going to say something Id regret. Regardless if he had a role in all this, I didnt like the callous way he treated gentry-particularly since it was similar to the attitude Id once had. Ill send your regards to Roland.Make sure you do, called Art. And mayhap you should have a talk with him about some of these ideas while youre at it. Roland knows whats right.I bit my lip and got in the car without further comment. So. No real answers here, but something matte wrong about Art. He was too guarded and hostile, and despite his claims about not having been to the Otherworld recently, the take a breath of h is comments make it seem very plausible that he could be lying.Yet, I realized what also fazed me as much as his taciturnity was his attitude toward the gentry. Rolands was similar, albeit not as harsh, and hed warned me away plenty of times. Kiyo also wanted me to postponement out of gentry af prettys-inasmuch as I could-which was rather hypocritical, considering his involvement. I was enmeshed, whether I care it or not, and had accepted that my views on the gentry had changed. They were odd, and I didnt always approve of them, but in their hearts, I knew they were people not all that different from me, full of the very(prenominal) intentings and hopes. I couldnt understand how Art or anyone else could think girls disappearing was unimportant-even if they were gentry.It occurred to me as I herd away that Art hadnt invited me inwardly either time. Coincidence? His meticulous yard certainly suggested he spent as much time outdoors as within. And yetwould I have found some evid ence in there to shed more light on his activities? Damn. There was nothing to be done for it now, not with Art still there and suspicious of me. As I drove back through town toward the highway, a backup plan came to me. What had Art said? That Abigail was out of town for a few days? As of yet, I had no evidence whatsoever to suggest that she was touch on with any of this Otherworldly intrigue, but she was an swain of Arts. Maybe there was something to be unearthed at her place.So, I parked outside her apartment once more and slipped in past the antiques store. My athame, wand, and gun were my usual tools of the trade, but I did carry a few little-used ones, such(prenominal) as a quartz crystal for reading energy. I also had a small lock-picking kit I kept in my bag. Imps, trolls, and other creatures of that ilk sometimes tried to lock themselves away from me. If Abigails lock wasnt particularly state of the art, I should be able to get in.It wasnt, and judging from the lack of b eeping, there was no alarm system within either. The closest she had was her herd of cats. They swarmed around me in a furry, slithering mass, less hostile than hungry. I wondered who fed them when she was gone. Uneasily, I decided to make this search quick, lest an unsuspicious pet sitter come circulate around.Searching wasnt easy since the place was still cluttered with books, incense, and candles. My task was make more difficult by the fact that I had no clue what I was looking for. I lifted and moved things as best I could, hoping the place wouldnt look ransacked. In spite of the mess, I was again struck by how nice the apartment was, how it had been expensively restored. The floors were true hardwoods-no laminate here-and all the m over-the-hilling and crown urinate was elaborate and beautiful. This place couldnt be rubbishy, and it seemed a shame shed let her pack-rat habits get the best of it. Not that I was one to talk.I concluded my search with a quick scan of the bedroo m. It was less messy and hence had less to browse. Her duvet was a patchwork of brightly colored silks, and the military press was filled with scarves and gauzy dresses. A jewellery box on her dresser displayed a sensational collection of necklaces and rings, and beside it was-so help me-a bitstock of handcuffs. I almost laughed, trying to imagine New Agey Abigail into something frizzly. Maybe I hadnt been the only one to visit the sex-toy shop. Of feed in, whereas mine had been cheap and lightweight, these were industrial-strength steel ones, like cops would use. If she was into kinky stuff, then it was pretty hardcore.I drove back to Tucson after that, arriving in early evening. My autopilot sense of direction started to take me home, and then, at the last moment, I called Tim.Has Kiyo called or stopped by?Nope. But one of his cats threw up on the living-room floor.Thats not quite the same.We disconnected, and I checked my cell phone for the hundredth time. Nope. No mazed ca lls there either. With a sigh, I turned toward Saguaro National Park and its easy-access crossroads. If Kiyo couldnt pop from the Otherworld and into this one, then perhaps hed sent some sort of message to the Thorn Land. I felt stupid and desperate, like a girl waiting by the phone. But what else could I do?Unfortunately, the Otherworldly news was no better.No, your majesty, said Nia. Her voice was offensive and apologetic, as though she herself was personally to blame. Theres been no word.I thanked her and figured that if Id gone to the difficulty to come here, I should find Shaya and get some sort of update. When I went searching, however, it was a most unexpected visitor I found instead Girard, the dark-skinned courtier and metalsmith from Maiwenns party.Your majesty, he said with a bow, as sporty as ever. I was hoping Id see you before I had to leave. in advance you had towhat are you doing here? I asked, more perplexed than displease by his presence.Ive come to bring you this. worry a magician producing a run from under his cape, Girard held out a stunning necklace. The chain was do of exquisite, swirling links that flow like water, and a pear-shaped chromatic ringed in pearls hung from it.Oh my God, I gasped, victorious it from him. This is incredible. Did you make this?Yes, your majesty. His voice was modest, but he was clearly pleased by my regard.Whos it from?Recalling the comments others had made about his political aspirations, I half-expected it to be a gift from him. Then, curtly and hopefully, I wondered if Kiyo had sent it as a emblem of affection since he had to spend so much time away from me. I wouldnt have put it past Dorian either, but he would have presented it himself.Its from Prince Leith of the rowan tree Land.Of course. I should have known. Leith accepting his necessity last night had been too good to be true.His highness adds that hell also have me make a crown to hold if you would like. He sends this with his greatest love and devotion.Im sure he does. I sighed and handed the necklace back. Well, a crown is definitely out of the question, Im afraid. And actuallyIm really sorry, Girard, but I cant even keep this. I hate for your work to go to waste.He took the necklace and deftly slipped it into one of his legion(predicate) pockets. Its no trouble at all. I understand how romantic affairs go-or rather, how they dont go. His highness will be sad, but I enjoyed the chance to work on something new for a change, so it was worthy it, even if it wont grace your neck.I recalled how he lived at Katrices court. What do you usually work on?He made a small face. Her majesty Queen Katrice is uncomplete to animals and collects figurines, jewelryanything depicting them. Last week, I made a crystal squirrel. It was lovely, of course, but its the fifth squirrel Ive made this year.I couldnt help but laugh. Well, I guess Im felicitous for this, then. Maybe An idea suddenly came to me. Maybe I can give you anoth er project away from her menagerie. Do you have the time?Girard bowed low. Of course.I heard you can work with iron to a certain extent. Heres what I need. I described my problem with Jasmine and how I requisite more flexible restraints that contained as much iron as he could handle. Theoretically, I could have brought over human handcuffs, but I wanted special ones not only for mobility but because I required bronze or copper someplace on them so that my guards could touch them if need be.Girard listened thoughtfully, nodding as I spoke. Yes, of course I can do this. I can have them for you tomorrow.Whoa, I didnt expect-He threw back his head and laughed. Your majesty, you got that we dont forge and work metal like humans do. I order the metal to bend, and it does. The rest is in skill and patience.I supposed he had a point. I thanked him profusely, telling him that Shaya would settle the price with him later. Once he left, I then set out to find Shaya myself, still needing a r eport.Before I could, I was intercepted again-this time by Ysabel. She was alone, which I took to mean Dorian had returned to the oak tree Land. That was something, at least. I didnt want him camp out out around here-particularly after my teary-eyed weakness last night.She came to a defend before me, arms traverse. Whatever fear shed had from our last lesson seemed to have completely vanished. Maybe Dorians visit had reassured her. Or maybe she figured she had little to fear from someone whod spent all of last night moping and drinking away her sorrows.My lord says I still cannot leave until weve worked together at least one more time.Bummer, I said and started to pass her. Ive got to find Shaya.She occlude my way again. It was deja vu of the last time shed accosted me about this. Shayas gone right now. The sooner we get this over with, the better. I know you have nothing else to do with your time right now either. Youre simply waiting for your kitsune to frustrate you some sor t of bone.Alright, now shed annoyed me off, largely because she was right. Thats not true. I have plenty of things to do. Besides, I dont know if I really need your help anymore. I think at this point its all just practicing on my own.With my mind, I reached out, feeling the different types of air around us. I stayed well away from her but pulled together several groups. Now that I mum their individual natures, it wasnt that hard to combine them into big gusts. I blasted the air through the hall, creating a gust of wind that rivaled the one shed smugly showed me that first day. Her expression showed disdain, but I swear, there was fear in her eyes again. I remembered what Shaya had said, that I was nurture too quickly and too well.That isacceptable, Ysabel said at last. But it was clumsy. And you cant combine it with water yet to truly control the weather.She was right on that, but I felt I had a good enough understanding of both to just keep practicing. Itll come with time. Ill be fine on my own.My lord said one more time That scornful expression washed-out now, replaced by uncertainty. There is something elsesomethingwell, you havent even come close to it yet.I inherited tempest magic. Water and air. What else is there?Follow me, and Ill show you-if you can handle it. There it was, the old attitude. It was almost comforting.She took me back out to the lawcourt wed been in last night. A servant Id seen around the castle was painstakingly prospect more tiles into the ground, expanding the patio area. We stood well away from him, and Ysabel continued keeping her arms crossed over her chest, posture still rigid and defensive.Ill be glad when this is over and I can return to the Oak Land. Its lucid my lord misses me. Her eyes glinted wickedly. He made love to me last night with a passion Ive never seen before. It left me call and aching in ecstasy.I rolled my eyes and stopped myself from saying, Yeah, because he was thinking of me. Lets just get this ove r with so you can leave and get all the screaming and aching you want. What else was there I needed to know?Theres something else in the air, she said. She bit her lip in thought, trying to phrase her meaning. I can feel it, but Im unable to touch it. Probably you cant either.Can you be a little more specific?Its always thereits like the pieces of the air are splenetic. Sharp to the touch. There are more of them, though, before a squeeze.I stared stupidly for a moment, and then the human part of me put it together. Lightningyoure talk of the town about making lightning, I breathed. What was the scientific edge? Those are charged particles.The term meant nothing to her, but shed nodded when I mentioned lightning. avidity flared up in me, and I flat felt out around me. perceive all the air molecules was easy now. The only two I could name were atomic number 8 and carbon dioxide. All the others had their own remarkable feel, but I couldnt say if they were northward or hydrogen or what. afterwards a few minutes of search with my mind, I shook my head.I dont feel anything like that.Ysabel seemed pleased by this. Like I said, you likely arent strong enough.Its a clear day, I pointed out. There probably arent any around.No, theyre always there. There arent many today, but I can feel them.I set my lips into a hard line, trying again. It was just like the old days with Dorian endless waiting, compose that he would have tied me up. Ysabel probably would have too if Id let her, if only to use the chance to slit my throat.Air, air, air. either particle unique, yet none of it had the sharp, prickly feel she was describing. Distantly, I remembered the one time I had go oned a storm. Id been caught by an principal(a) gentry, on the verge of being violate while my mother lay injured. In my crazy desperation and panic, Id summoned a storm that nearly leveled my house. I had little memory of how Id done it, though. The whole thing was a blur, like some kind of inspiration that-All the hairs on my arms suddenly stood up. There. There, mixed in with other air above us was somethingwell, to put it bluntly, electric. It felt prickly, just as shed described. I reached for it, trying to control it as I had the other particles, but it was slippery. It was like oil trail through my fingers, and I understood now why she couldnt do it. It was a very different phenomenon. Steeling myself, I tried again, and for one heartbeat, I drew them together into a knot. The smell of ozone filled the air, and then I lost my grip. No flash of light, no thunder.But Ysabels face was aghast. Youyou did it. You shouldnt have been able toI didnt really do anything.You shouldnt have been able to do thatnot yet. I cant even touch them. besides fast and too easily. Just like my father.Im nowhere near to being there yet. I hoped I sounded reassuring. This is going to be harder. I couldnt say how I knew it was just something I felt. Wielding air, creating windthat would come with practice. Lightning was a different beast. But when I didI suddenly shivered and was astonished at the celebration that ran through me. If I could learn to render and control lightningJesus Christ. That kind of berth was unimaginable. It was a large part of what had made Storm King so feared. being able to do that would be unbelievable. Amazing. Exquisite. organism like a godI snapped myself out of those thoughts, aghast at what Id been thinking-again. dress down about megalomania. I was no god. lust that kind of strength was wrong everyone said so. Well, those from the human world, at least. Yet, if I could summon lightning, I could blow a fair number of those fucking demons out of existence. for certain that was a good use of my power. Unfortunately, what Id said to Ysabel was true. It was going to take awhile, and until I demonstrable some other amazing gun, those demons were going to keep coming back and-I froze, suddenly forgetting about the phenomenal power Id just touched. I had a weapon right in front of me, something that might seriously get rid of those demons once and for all. Unfortunately, it was not an easy one to use. password of a bitch, I said. Jasmine.
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