Blood Promise Chapter Four

At any other time in my life, I would have loved exploring Moscow. Sydney had planned our trip so that when our train arrived there, we'd have a few hours before we had to board the next one to Siberia. This gave us some time to wander around and grab dinner, though she wanted to make sure we were safely inside the station before it grew too dark out. Despite my badass claims or my molnija marks, she didn't want to take any chances. It made no difference to me how we spent our downtime. So long as I was getting closer to Dimitri, that was all that mattered. So Sydney and I walked aimlessly, taking in the sights and saying very little. I had never been to Moscow. It was a beautiful city, thriving and full of people and commerce. I could have spent days there just shopping and trying out the restaurants. Places I'd heard about all my life-the Kremlin, Red Square, the Bolshoi Theatre-were all at my fingertips. Despite how cool it all was, I actually tried to tune out the city's sights and sounds after a while because it reminded me of†¦ well, Dimitri. He used to talk to me about Russia all the time and had sworn up and down that I'd love it here. â€Å"To you, it'd be like a fairy tale,† he'd told me once. It was during a before-school practice late last autumn, just before the first snowfall. The air had been misty, and dew coated everything. â€Å"Sorry, comrade,† I'd replied, reaching back to tie my hair into a ponytail. Dimitri had always loved my hair down, but in combat practice? Long hair was a total liability. â€Å"Borg and out-of-date music aren't part of any happy ending I've ever imagined.† He'd given me one of his rare, easy grins then, the kind that just slightly crinkled up the corners of his eyes. â€Å"Borscht, not borg. And I've seen your appetite. If you were hungry enough, you'd eat it.† â€Å"So starvation's necessary for this fairy tale to work out?† There was nothing I loved more than teasing Dimitri. Well, aside from maybe kissing him. â€Å"I'm talking about the land. The buildings. Go to one of the big cities-it's like nothing you've ever seen. Everyone in the U.S. tends to build the same-always in big, chunky blocks. They do what's fast and easy. But in Russia, there are buildings that are like pieces of art. They are art-even a lot of the ordinary, everyday buildings. And places like the WinterPalace and TroitskyChurch in Saint Petersburg? Those will take your breath away.† His face had been aglow with the memory of sites he'd seen, that joy making his already handsome features divine. I think he could have named landmarks all day. My heart had burned within me, just from watching him. And then, just like I always did when I worried I might turn sappy or sentimental, I'd made a joke to shift the attention away and hide my emotions. It had switched him back into business mode, and we'd gotten to work. Now, walking the city streets with Sydney, I wished I could take back that joke and listen to Dimitri talk more about his homeland. I would have given anything to have Dimitri with me here, the way he used to be. He'd been right about the buildings. Sure, most were blocky copies of anything you'd find in the U.S. or anywhere else in the world, but some were exquisite-painted with bright colors, adorned with their strange yet beautiful onion-shaped domes. At times, it really did seem like something from another world. And all the while, I kept thinking that it should have been Dimitri here by my side, pointing things out and explaining them to me. We should have been having a romantic getaway. Dimitri and I could have eaten at exotic restaurants and then gone dancing at night. I could have worn one of the designer dresses I'd had to leave behind in the Saint Petersburg hotel. That's how it was supposed to be. It wasn't supposed to be me with a glowering human. â€Å"Unreal, huh? Like something from a story.† Sydney's voice startled me, and I realized we'd come to a stop in front of our train station. There were a number of them in Moscow. Her echoing of my conversation with Dimitri sent chills down my spine-largely because she was right. The station didn't have the onion domes but still looked like something straight out of a storybook, like a cross between Cinderella's castle and a gingerbread house. It had a big arched roof and towers on either end. Its white walls were interspersed with patches of brown brick and green mosaic, almost making it look striped. In the U.S., some might have called it gaudy. To me, it was beautiful. I felt tears start to spring to my eyes as I wondered what Dimitri would have said about this building. He probably would have loved it just as he loved everything else here. Realizing that Sydney was waiting for a response, I swallowed back my grief and played flippant teenager. â€Å"Maybe something from a story about a train station.† She arched an eyebrow, surprised at my indifference, but she didn't question it. Who could say? Maybe if I kept up the sarcasm, she'd eventually get annoyed and ditch me. Somehow, I doubted I'd be that lucky. I was pretty sure her fear of her superiors trumped any other feelings she might have in regard to me. We had first-class train accommodations, which turned out to be a lot smaller than I expected. There was a combination bed/sitting bench on each side, a window, and a TV high on the wall. I supposed that would help pass the time, but I often had trouble following Russian television-not just because of the language but also because some of the shows were downright bizarre. Still, Sydney and I would each have our own space, even if the room was cozier than we would have liked. The colors reminded me a lot of the same fanciful patterns I'd seen throughout the cities. Even the hall outside our cabin was brightly colored, with plush carpet in red and yellow designs and a teal and yellow runner going down the middle. Inside our room, the benches were covered in cushions with rich orange velvet, and the curtains matched in shades of gold and peach, made of thick heavy fabric embossed with a silky pattern. Between all that and the ornate table in the middle of the cabin, it was almost like traveling in a mini-palace. It was dark out by the time the train left the station. For whatever reason, the Trans-Siberian always left Moscow at night. It wasn't that late yet, but Sydney said she wanted to sleep, and I didn't want to make her more irate than she already was. So we turned off all the lights, save for a tiny reading lamp by my bed. I'd bought a magazine at the train station, and even if I couldn't understand the language, the pictures of makeup and clothes transcended all cultural barriers. I flipped through the pages as quietly as I could, admiring summer tops and dresses and wondering when -if ever-I'd be able to start worrying about that kind of thing again. I wasn't tired when I lay down, but sleep took me nonetheless. I was dreaming about water-skiing when suddenly, the waves and sun around me dissolved into a room lined with shelves and shelves of books. Tables with state-of-the-art computers lined the rooms, and there was a calmness that permeated the place. I was in the library at St. Vladimir's Academy. I groaned. â€Å"Oh, come on. Not today.† â€Å"Why not today? Why not every day?† I turned and found myself looking into the handsome face of Adrian Ivashkov. Adrian was a Moroi, the queen's great-nephew, and someone I'd left behind in my old life when I took off on this suicide mission. He had beautiful emerald-green eyes that made most girls swoon, particularly since they were paired with stylishly messy brown hair. He was also kind of in love with me and the reason I had so much money on this trip. I'd sweet talked him out of it. â€Å"True,† I admitted. â€Å"I suppose I should be grateful you only show up about once a week.† He grinned and sat down backward in one of the slatted wooden chairs. He was tall, like most Moroi, with a leanly muscled build. Moroi guys never got too bulky. â€Å"Absence makes the heart grow fonder, Rose. Don't want you to take me for granted.† â€Å"We're in no danger of that; don't worry.† â€Å"I don't suppose you're going to tell me where you are?† â€Å"Nope.† Aside from Lissa, Adrian was the only other known living spirit user, and among his talents was the ability to show up in my dreams-often uninvited-and talk to me. I took it as a blessing that his powers never actually let him know where I was. â€Å"You kill me, Rose,† he said melodramatically. â€Å"Every day is agony without you. Empty. Alone. I pine for you, wondering if you're even still alive.† He spoke in an exaggerated, silly sort of way that was characteristic of him. Adrian rarely took things seriously and always had a flippant edge. Spirit also had a tendency to make people unstable, and while he fought it, he wasn't unaffected. Underneath that melodrama, though, I sensed a kernel of truth. No matter how shallow an appearance he gave off, he really did care about me. I crossed my arms. â€Å"Well, I'm still alive, clearly. So I guess you can let me go back to sleep.† â€Å"How many times have I told you? You are asleep.† â€Å"And yet I inexplicably feel exhausted talking to you.† This made him laugh. â€Å"Oh, I do so miss you.† That smile faded. â€Å"She misses you too.† I stiffened. She. He didn't even need to say her name. There was no question as to whom he was talking about. Lissa. Even saying her name in my mind caused me pain, particularly after seeing her last night. Choosing between Lissa and Dimitri had been the hardest decision of my life, and time passing hadn't made it any easier. I might have chosen him, but being away from her was like having an arm cut off, particularly because the bond ensured we were never truly apart. Adrian gave me a canny look, like he could guess my thoughts. â€Å"Do you go see her?† â€Å"No,† I said, refusing to acknowledge that I'd just seen her last night. Let him think I was truly free of all that. â€Å"That's not my life anymore.† â€Å"Right. Your life is all about dangerous vigilante missions.† â€Å"You wouldn't understand anything that isn't drinking, smoking, or womanizing.† He shook his head. â€Å"You're the only one I want, Rose.† Unfortunately, I believed him. It would have been easier for both of us if he could find someone else. â€Å"Well, you can keep feeling that way, but you're going to have to keep waiting.† â€Å"Much longer?† He asked me this all the time, and every time, I emphasized how long it would be and how he was wasting his time. Thinking of Sydney's possible lead, I hesitated tonight. â€Å"I don't know.† Hope blossomed on Adrian's face. â€Å"That's the most optimistic thing you've told me so far.† â€Å"Don't read too much into it. ? ®I don't know' could be one day or one year. Or never.† His mischievous grin returned, and even I had to admit it was cute. â€Å"I'm going to hope it's one day.† Thinking of Sydney brought a question to my mind. â€Å"Hey, have you ever heard of the Alchemists?† â€Å"Sure,† he said. Typical. â€Å"Of course you have.† â€Å"Why? Did you run into them?† â€Å"Kind of.† â€Å"What'd you do?† â€Å"Why do you think I did anything?† He laughed. â€Å"Alchemists only show up when trouble happens, and you bring trouble wherever you go. Be careful, though. They're religious nuts.† â€Å"That's kind of extreme,† I said. Sydney's faith didn't seem to be anything bad. â€Å"Just don't let them convert you.† He winked. â€Å"I like you being the sinner you are.† I started to tell him that Sydney probably thought I was beyond all salvation, but he ended the dream, sending me back to sleep. Except, instead of returning to my own dreams, I woke up. Around me, the train hummed comfortingly as we sped through the Russian countryside. My reading lamp was still on, its light too bright for my sleepy eyes. I reached over to turn it off and noticed then that Sydney's bed was empty. Probably in the bathroom, I thought. Yet, I felt uneasy. She and her group of Alchemists were still mysteries, and I suddenly worried that she might have some sinister plan going on. Was she off meeting with some covert operative? I decided to find her. Admittedly, I had no idea where she could be on a train of this size, but logic had never really deterred me before. No reason they should now. Thankfully, after slipping on my shoes and stepping out in the hall adjacent to our cabin, I discovered I didn't have to look very far. The corridor was lined with windows, all draped in those rich curtains, and Sydney stood with her back to me, gazing outside, a blanket wrapped around her. Her hair was messy from sleep and looked less gold in the poor lighting. â€Å"Hey†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I began hesitantly. â€Å"Are you okay?† She turned slightly toward me. One hand held the blanket; the other played with the cross around her neck. I remembered Adrian's comments about religion. â€Å"I can't sleep,† she said bluntly. â€Å"Is it†¦ is it because of me?† Her only answer was to turn back to the window. â€Å"Look,† I said, feeling helpless. â€Å"If there's anything I can do†¦ I mean, aside from going back and canceling this trip†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'll handle it,† she said. â€Å"This is just, well, it's really strange for me. I deal with you guys all the time, but I don't actually deal with you, you know?† â€Å"We could probably get you a room of your own, if that would help. We can find an attendant, and I've got the money.† She shook her head. â€Å"It's just a couple of days, if that.† I didn't know what else to say. Having Sydney along was inconvenient in the grand scheme of my plans, but I didn't want her to suffer. Watching her play with the cross, I tried to think of something comforting to tell her. Bonding over our views of God might have been a way to get closer, but somehow, I didn't think telling her how I had daily battles with God and doubted His existence lately would really help me out with the whole evil creature-of-the-night reputation. â€Å"Okay,† I said at last. â€Å"Let me know if you change your mind.† I returned to my bed and fell asleep surprisingly fast, despite worrying that Sydney would be standing in the hall all night. Yet, when I woke in the morning, she was curled up on her bed, fast asleep. Apparently, her exhaustion had been so strong that even fear of me had driven her to rest. I got up quietly and changed out of the T-shirt and sweatpants I'd gone to bed in. I was hungry for breakfast and figured Sydney might sleep longer if I wasn't around. The restaurant was in the next car over and looked like something out of an old movie. Elegant burgundy linens draped the tables, and brass and dark wood, along with bits of bright-colored stained glass art, gave the whole place an antique feel. It looked more like a restaurant I'd find on the streets of Saint Petersburg than a train dining car. I ordered something that reminded me vaguely of french toast, except that it had cheese on it. It came with sausage, which thus far seemed to be the same everywhere I went. I was just about finished when Sydney wandered in. When I'd met her that first night, I'd assumed her dress pants and blouse had been for the sake of the Nightingale. I was discovering, however, that that was her normal style. She struck me as one of those people who didn't own jeans or T-shirts. She'd been mussed while standing in the hall last night, but now she was in neat black slacks and a dark green sweater. I was in jeans and a long-sleeved gray thermal shirt and felt kind of sloppy beside her. Her hair was brushed and styled but had a slightly messy look that I suspected never went away, no matter how hard she tried. At least I had my sleek ponytail going for me today. She slid across from me and ordered an omelet when the server came by, again speaking in Russian. â€Å"How do you know that?† I asked. â€Å"What, Russian?† She shrugged. â€Å"I had to learn it growing up. And a few other languages.† â€Å"Wow.† I had taken intros to a couple of languages too and performed miserably in all of them. I hadn't thought much of it at the time, but now, because of this trip and because of Dimitri, I really wished I'd learned Russian. I supposed it wasn't too late, and I had picked up a few phrases in my time here, but still†¦ it was a daunting task. â€Å"You must have to learn a lot of stuff for this job,† I mused, pondering what it must mean to be part of a secret group that crossed international lines and interacted with all sorts of governments. Something else crossed my mind. â€Å"And what about that stuff you used on the Strigoi? That disintegrated the body?† She smiled. Almost. â€Å"Well, I told you the Alchemists started off as a group of people trying to make potions, right? That's a chemical we developed to get rid of Strigoi bodies fast.† â€Å"Could you use it to actually kill one?† I asked. Dousing a Strigoi in some dissolving liquid would be a lot easier than the usual ways: decapitation, staking, or burning. â€Å"Afraid not. Only works on corpses.† â€Å"Bummer,† I said. I wondered if she had other potions up her sleeve but figured I should ration my amount of Sydney questions for the day. â€Å"What are we going to do when we get to Omsh?† â€Å"Omsk,† she corrected. â€Å"We'll get a car and drive the rest of the way.† â€Å"Have you been there? To this village?† She nodded. â€Å"Once.† â€Å"What's it like?† I asked, surprised to hear a wistful note in my own voice. Aside from my quest to find Dimitri, there was a piece of me that just wanted to cling to everything I could of him. I wanted to know everything about him that I hadn't known before. If the school had given me his possessions, I would have slept with them each night. His room had been cleared out pretty quickly, though. Now I could only gather what pieces of him I could, as though hoarding these bits of information would keep him with me somehow. â€Å"It's like any other dhampir town, I guess.† â€Å"I've never been to one.† The server set Sydney's omelet down, and she paused with her fork in the air. â€Å"Really? I thought all of you†¦ well, I don't know.† I shook my head. â€Å"I've been at the Academy my whole life. More or less.† My two-year stint among humans wasn't really relevant. Sydney chewed thoughtfully. I was willing to wager she wouldn't finish the omelet. From what I'd seen that first night and while waiting for trains yesterday, she hardly seemed to eat anything. It was like she subsisted on air alone. Maybe it was another Alchemist thing. Most likely it was just a Sydney thing. â€Å"The town is half-human and half-dhampir, but the dhampirs blend in. They have a whole underground society that the humans are completely oblivious to.† I'd always figured there was a whole subculture going on, but I'd had no idea how it would fit into the rest of the town. â€Å"And?† I asked. â€Å"What's that subculture like?† She set her fork down. â€Å"Let's just say you'd better brace yourself.†

Cleopatra Assignment

Cleopatra Assignment What does it tell us about Plutarch’s view of the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra? Plutarch views the relationship between Antony and Cleopatra as one where Cleopatra uses manipulation, temptation and obsession to control Antony. She is viewed as a fatal influence on Antony and he seemed powerless to resist her charms. In the eyes of Rome, Antony was changing from a veteran statesman and warrior to that of an effiminate love sick juvenile on the road to destruction.At the very beginning of the passage Life of Antony, Plutarch states Cleopatra is ‘ever contributing some fresh delight and charm to Antony’s hours of seriousness and mirth’ but there is no hint of love or romance which was viewed as showing a sign of weakness. The Romans did not value romantic love and this infatuation was another indication to Plutarch of Antony’s self indulgence and complete lack of self-control.Plutarch then adds she ‘kept him in co nstant tutelage and released him neither night or day’ playing dice, drinking and hunting with him showing an obsessiveness and a leading role in this relationship and never letting Antony out of her sight. His infatuation for Cleopatra was seen as a failing and Cleopatra treated Antony with disdain and mockery, all was on her terms and Antony seemed powerless to resist her charms.Antony goes to great lengths to impress Cleopatra, for example he cheats when fishing by ordering â€Å"his fishermen to dive down and secretly fasten to his hook some fish and Cleopatra goes along with this and humours him by pretending to â€Å"admire her lover’s skill†. Cleopatra then confides in her friends about Antony’s ‘skill’ and invites them to be spectator’s the following day. This attempt at impressing Cleopatra in his fishing ability backfires, as she is one step ahead.As soon as Antony has thrown in his line â€Å"she ordered one of her own att endants to get the start of him by swimming onto his hook and fastening on it a salted Pontic Herring†. When Antony pulled in his catch revealing the kipper, which is not an impressive catch, this was met with great laughter by Cleopatra’s spectators and made Antony to look like a fool. It must be noted that this is a viewpoint from Plutarch from a series of character studies and not designed as a piece of conventional narrative history.

Dell Corporation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dell Corporation - Essay Example However the company needs to take action fast. The main business is generated from PC sales. Most of Dell’s revenue stream is generated from sales of personal computers. The global economic downturn is having the greatest effect on PC sales as companies are reducing their spending on personal computers. Their spending may be going up in other product categories, but investments in PC are being reduced industry-wide. Because Dell’s main business is in PC sales, it is a strategic imperative for the company to craft a new strategic direction. The company does have diverse product offerings but the most important part of its resource base is dedicated to manufacturing personal computers such as desktops and laptops. Dell’s main competitors are HP, Acer and Apple. Dell faces rising competitive threat from these companies because they have invested in a wide variety of products and services. For example, Apple is generating profitability at the same level despite the e conomic downturn. This is because Apple maintains diverse product offerings based upon continuous innovation. HP is diversifying into service business. Because the western market is saturated, Dell has to focus on the fast growing markets of China and India. However in China Dell faces a major competitive threat from Lenovo. Therefore Dell Inc. ... Therefore the company has a skill in retaining large corporate accounts which will enable the company to face the competitive rivalry from HP. Dell also has core competencies in transferring knowledge across divisions in order to facilitate the highest level of quality in all the product categories. The company has shown great success in product diversification. These capabilities and resources form the core competencies of Dell Inc. The company’s strength is in the market leadership position that it holds in the industry with a loyal customer base of large commercial and institutional investors. The company has also been successful in diversifying into additional product categories. The company’s weakness may be its over-reliance upon PC sales which are being affected by the economic downturn. The opportunity is provided by the large corporate accounts which will enable the company to invest in additional product and service categories to strengthen the revenue base. T he threat is the rising level of competitive rivalry in the industry. Although Dell might reduce the competitive threat to some extent by expanding to growing markets these markets also have their share of competitors, two examples being Acer and Lenovo. Dell is customizing its products by providing value-added services in the enterprise market. This market has been growing steadily because corporate customers are looking for ways to cut IT costs. Therefore, by customizing its products for the enterprise market, Dell will be able to make up for the loss of revenue from decreasing PC sales. However the disadvantage is the possibility of over-diversification. In that case the company might lose money in areas which are not its

Evidence-based Practice for the Prevention of Ventilator -Associated Essay

Evidence-based Practice for the Prevention of Ventilator -Associated Pneumonia using Ventilator Bundle in Long Term Care - Essay Example The overall goal of this paper is to describe how is to prevent ventilator associated-pneumonia using ventilator bundle in the long term care. The focus area is the ventilator unit of Four Seasons Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center that comprises 35 beds. The center has its location at Rockaway Parkway, Brooklyn, New York. This involves a premiere facility that offers unparalleled medical care to the residents. They offer a wide range of services, i.e. short-term rehabilitation, long-term care, adult day health care, and the post hospital treatment, in which case they provide for an original blend of professional and exceptionally skilled nursing care that they deliver with compassion and devotion. They serve the needs and lifestyles of the community. Project Objectives At the end of my practicum project, I will be able to: 1. Determine what practices are used by long term care to prevent ventilator –associated pneumonia (VAP) 2. Develop a learning module for nurses on ventilator bundle for the prevention of ventilator –associated pneumonia (VAP). 3. Review and update the existing ventilator bundle protocol for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia in long term care. 4. Develop a sustainable prevention program for the prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in long term care.... The prevalence shows 22.8% for these kinds of clients. The danger to acquiring the actual pneumonia is found to go higher by10 fold in those who are under mechanical ventilation. Morbidity and mortality, hospital length of stay, and costs have all been attributed to VAP (Augustyn, 2007). The early onset VAP is in the first 3-4 days during mechanical ventilation while the late onset occurs for a period more than that. Early onset VAP is commonly caused by antibiotic-sensitive community acquired organisms like streptococcus pneumonia, haemophilus influenza, and styphylococcus aureus. Late onset of VAP is commonly caused by antibiotic resistant nosocomnial organisms like pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, acinebacter species, and enterobacter types. (Collard, et al.). This type of nonsocomial pneumonia, VAP, is a condition that requires a sensitive approach to the safety of critically ill clients. The American Association of Critical Care Nurses (AACN) has designed some measures critical to handling these conditions. They are designed according to specific formats of best practices for those getting mechanical ventilation. These steps are considered feasible, safe, and cost effective for preventing VAP which include; 1.) Elevation of the head of the bed (HOB) to 30 to 45 degrees unless medically contraindicated. 2.) Continuous removal of subglottic secretions. 3.) Change of ventilator circuit no more often than every 48 hours 4.) Washing of hands before and after contact with each patient. 5.) Consistent oral care. 6.) DVT and stress prophylaxis (De los Reyes, et al. 2007). Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in a seriously ill patient considerably increases the risk of

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

English - Essay Example The government has been steadfast in fighting the various forms of crimes. Although, there have been some notable achievements in this campaign, it is clear that a lot have to be done to bring the vice to the lowest levels. Apparently, a number of issues are allegedly caused by the increased crime rates. These problems includes increased public burden, increased expenses and cost to the society, the need to involve so many parties to resolve the vice, and the need to enact and modify existing laws to accommodate new form of crimes. Records show that crime has been around for a long time now. It is also evident that criminal activities have caused lot of pain and problems to the society. A Lot of resources are used every year to fight this battle. However, there is need to double the efforts since the crimes rates are generally considered quite high. This has caused concern to many people since such levels of violence being experienced are a threat to the stability of the society. The major crimes that are causing chaos include terrorism, theft, violence, rape, fraud, trading illegal drugs among many others (Osofsky, 2005). These criminal activities have left tremendous suffering to the community. Many people end up in jail when they are caught committing felony, while others have been killed in these unfortunate circumstances (Osofsky, 2005). The major concern is that the victims are mostly the innocent people in the community. Lots of money have been lost, stolen or destroyed when these criminal activities take place. This lead to negative effect to the economy of the country while at the same time destroying peoples’ financial status and their source of income. Government spends quite an amount on both human and material recourses to fight the vice, which would otherwise be channeled into other productive areas such as improving infrastructure and other beneficial sectors. Inadequate measures by the responsible parties have perpetrated the criminal act ivities in the society. Police officers, lawyers, and human rights organizations all have a key role in ensuring that there is an acceptable level of peace in the community. They have a responsibility in ensuring that every individual in the community is safe. However, they have in many cases they have failed to honor their duties by performing below the expected standards. In some instances, there have been claims where police officers have failed to respond on time to a distress call from crime victims only to appear when the damage already done. Some criminal investigations have been unsatisfactorily been carried out while others remain pending and closed cases (Allen, 2000). The Human Rights Organizations have also been found insufficient in carrying out their duties. They are allegedly biased in offering their services to the victims. The poor people in the community are not fully represented in the organizations. Judicial system on the other hand has been accused of being corr upt. These individuals are â€Å"bought† to rule cases in favor of the guilty parties (Regoli, 2009). The policies and legislations that are meant to regulate crime rates have been found to be highly ineffective. More often than not, criminals manage to evade justice by taking advantage of loopholes in the judicial system that is brought about by the existence of ineffective legislations. Most of these legislations were enacted a long time ago. Today’s crimes have changed becoming more sophisticated in the process (Allen, 2000).

Government & Business - the service user as the stake holder Essay

Government & Business - the service user as the stake holder - Essay Example mited to the following: roads, provision of electricity and water, health services, education through the provision of school and other social amenities. The concepts of the consumer, client, user, citizen and the general public have been used to refer to the service users. The literature examines the users of public services, how these users are positioned or perceived. Besides, it looks at how the service users are involved in the delivery of services (Barnes et al., 2008, p.401). As such it looks at them as significant stakeholder in the government and the business sector. The paper reviews the literature and presents its strength with regards to the manner in which it covers the literature. Other areas that require significant analysis and consideration are also pointed towards the end of the discussion. It has been noted that the literature misses certain significant point. The conclusion is then presented clearly on the basis of the literature analysis. It objectively brings ou t the researchers views with regards to the service users as stakeholders in the government and business sector agencies (Leadbetter, 2004, p.81). Service users as has been described can be clients, consumers, customers, citizens and the general public who constantly interact with the government and business and make effective use of the services that these two provide. In essence, it is the service users that justify the existence of a business or a government. It is very prudent to state the fact that businesses exist because of the service users and service users do not exist because of the business (Barnes et al., 2008, p.387). In the same vein, the government exists to provide services to its citizens who are essentially the service users. It is on the basis of this recognition that businesses strive to delight their customers, treat them passionately and acknowledge them as a very critical success factor. As such, the service users are the people who use the services such as

Geopolitics of Trade and Development Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Geopolitics of Trade and Development - Assignment Example ch media reports analyses geopolitical situations, this study will analyze the Ukraine and Russian crises over Crimea through a comparison of the Canadian news item (The star.com) and an international news item (CNN). Through a realist approach, this paper will thus analyze different manners with which the two media sources reported the situation. A CNN news report on 18 March 2014 by Matt Smith and Alla Eshchenko reporting the situation in Crimea was entitled â€Å"Ukraine cries ‘robbery’ as Russia annexes Crimea.† In a more influencing manner, the paper reported the culmination of events that led to the annexation of Crimea by Russia. By quoting from figures, CNN reported that the voter percentage of 97% for the Crimean residents voted for the nation to join the Russian Federation. Through the opening paragraphs of the article, the paper gives the reader a notion that the action by the Federation of Russia to annex Crimea is a legal situation going by the unfolding of events and the willingness of the Crimean citizens to join the Russian Federation. Nevertheless, CNN gives the readers of the article a perspective of its thought on the reason Ukraine has a right to cry foul over the ‘robbery’ of their territory. The paper offers a stand that appears to be in support of the United States’ policy on the Crimean crisis by citing to the reader the amount of influence the Russian Federation and military had in the voting by the Crimea to join the Russian Federation. The paper thus gives a more holistic approach to the situation by pointing to the reader the plight of the minority in Crimea who are unwilling to join the Russian Federation but lives in Crimean (Matt Smith & Alla Eshchenko, 2014). While narrowing on the situation in Crimea following the annexation of the region by the Russian Federation, the star.com news on 18th March 2014 under the title â€Å"Putin signs treaty annexing Crimea† majors on the economic and military implication of the

Hospitality Retail Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hospitality Retail Management - Assignment Example hat there is a vast number of players involved, each with his or her own role to play, blending in the ultimate picture with the host’s averment of caring for and entertaining guests. It becomes necessary, therefore, to go down a level or two and appraise the role of a retail manager, who, as we shall see later, is very much in the forefront of the situational management arena. Thereafter, an elite restaurant will be assessed with respect to its history and current status. The aim of this Case Study is to evaluate the roles and responsibilities of retail managers in the Food and Beverages category at both ends of the cost scale and appraise a renowned restaurant in relation to its historical and current perspective in a retail environment, the public sector. Having introduced the hospitality industry and stipulated the aim, this Paper will look at the industry in greater detail, compare the role and responsibilities of retail managers in the Food and Beverages category of a high end hotel, the Park Plaza Victoria London and the low cost ‘The hospitality industry is divided into two categories, the commercial and the non-commercial categories (online: bhtafe.edu.au). The commercial category includes establishments that operate for profit, whereas the non-commercial category comprises establishments that operate on a not for profit basis. With the advent of government privatisation policies, commercial caterers are now replacing many of the non-commercial food operators. Thus, there is less of a distinction between non-profit organisations and profit making enterprises nowadays. Examples of the commercial category include: As stated, the hospitality industry offers a variety of services within several distinct sectors. ‘The quality of service on offer to guests depends on the price being charged. For example, in the food and beverage area, eating in a three- star rated restaurant will be far more expensive than eating in a one star-rated restaurant. This

Accounting Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Accounting Report - Essay Example diversity, because of the fact that it is one of the few sectors which have remained resilient during financial downturns and because it plays a vital role in the communities for the provision of employment opportunities and as a result acts as a driving force necessary for social cohesion. Three companies are selected for the analyses which are J D Sport Fashion Plc., Sports Direct International Plc. and Next Plc. These companies are selected because they are three renowned players in this specific segment. J D Sports Fashion Plc. is a leading retail company based in England in the segment of sport retail. Next Plc. is a British clothing, home products and footwear retail company. It is the largest retailer of clothes in the United Kingdom as measured by sales. The company has more than 700 stores across the UK and 200 across other geographical locations in Asia. The stocks of the company are listed in the London Stock Exchange. Sports Direct International Plc. is also a giant sports retail company in the United Kingdom. It is a multinational retailer with over 500 stores across the globe. All the three companies also have their respective electronic commerce stores. The general information of the three companies is summarized in Table 1. This research is aimed at answering the question as to what is the situation of the external and internal retail industry of the United Kingdom. The research question is to be answered by considering three main retail companies operating in the country which are J D Sport Fashion PLC, Sports Direct International PLC and Next Plc. The aim of the research is to provide an analysis of the retail industry through the consideration of the various influential factors that are affecting the industry. This is done by using different management and analysis tools like the Porters five forces model, PEST analysis, Critical Success Factor (CSF) evaluation and financial analysis including financial and non financial ration

The Internal Chaos Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

The Internal Chaos - Research Paper Example The workings of the military and the government are to protect the nation from outside attack, secure the places for a life with freedom, and give the ignorance on who are on the right and wrong sides in wars. The real safety will not be achieved fully through sending military volunteers abroad and making treaties with other governments. The real peace and war avoidance lies in the hands of the individuals without relying to the governmental efforts.1 Objective of the Study For the purpose of the study, the focus would be on the American Civil War and the Ku Klux Klan as the history recorded evidences regarding both the event and the group itself. Several discriminations existed as conflicts arose during the Civil War and thorough understanding on the history of both the war and the group would be compared as they coexisted and affected the lives of people in America. Background Information Throughout the history of United States of America, the American Civil War was considered the most expensive war recorded on history of the nation. The battles separated the nation into half and the country received 600,000 deaths and 1,000,000 casualties. The winners were just the few who survived the series of armed fights. The survival of the fittest was inevitable in the Civil War. The devastating effects did not only happen in USA but also felt in the neighboring countries. The war happened as efforts were made to abolish slavery.2 The war started during the time of Abraham Lincoln on April 12, 1861 as the military and the Confederates had an encounter battle in South Carolina. In response to the first encounter battle, Lincoln made a volunteer army to free people... This essay discusses the American Civil War as the most expensive war recorded on history of the nation. The battles separated the nation into half and the country received 600,000 deaths and 1,000,000 casualties. The winners were just the few who survived the series of armed fights. The survival of the fittest was inevitable in the Civil War. The devastating effects did not only happen in USA but also felt in the neighboring countries. The war happened as efforts were made to abolish slavery. The war started during the time of Abraham Lincoln on April 12, 1861 as the military and the Confederates had an encounter battle in South Carolina. In response to the first encounter battle, Lincoln made a volunteer army to free people from slavery. Both the government and the Confederated created their own armies as the war progressed. During the battle in Maryland, the Confederates were defeated at the so-called Battle of Antietam dated September 1862. After such war, the Emancipation Procla mation was released that officially designated slavery as the main war objective. The causes of the civil war were the following: sectionalism, slavery, rights of States, slave power, nationalism, and battle of Fort Sumter and election of Lincoln. The North and South of USA had differences in social structure, culture and economies that caused the civil war to sprout. The differences happened as the North focused on progressive and modernized farms as the South continued to rely on slavery. The removal of slavery caused a great deal of fear in the South as slave revolts. In that case, the government made movements in stopping the spread of slavery.

Faculty Attendance System Using Automatic Image Processing Essay Example for Free

Faculty Attendance System Using Automatic Image Processing Essay As technology grows fast, certain advancements are being developed nowadays and life is getting even better to live with. It makes every task as easy as possible and nothing seems too tiring if human tasks are aided with technology. It can be applied in any aspects of life. Computer technology would be the first on the list that provides great potential for improving effectiveness and efficiency of the information system. The use of computer has not become a major tool to simplify job and task. There is no doubt that computer technology has had a great impact on society and also brought many technical developments with it. It has brought many changes to the way we live as individual as well as members of societies and organizations. It has had major effects and changes on the economy, health, education, industry, agriculture and many other fields. The ability of computers in gathering, processing, presenting and sending large amount of information has had major changes in the way large organizations as well individuals organize their lives. Computers are at work, in schools and many other places. The human face plays an important role in our social interaction, conveying people’s identity. Using human face as a key to security, the biometrics face recognition technology has received significant attention in the past several years due to its potential for a wide variety of applications in both law enforcement and non-law enforcement. As compared with other biometrics systems using fingerprint/palm print and iris, face recognition has distinct advantages because of its non-contact process. Face images can be captured from a distance without touching the person being identified, and the identification does not require interacting with the person. In recent years, face recognition has attracted much attention and its research has rapidly expanded by not only engineers but also neuroscientists, since it has many potential applications in computer vision communication and automatic access control system. Especially, face detection is an important part of face recognition as the first step of automatic face recognition. However, face detection is not straightforward because it has lots of variations of image appearance, such as pose variation (front, non-front), cclusion, image orientation, illuminating condition and facial expression. With the continuous development and progress of science and technology, facial biometric recognition technology has become more sophisticated and perfect. As the worlds most cutting-edge biometric technology and image processing technology, facial biometric recognition technology will play a unique and irreplaceable role in todays public security prevent, arrest fugitives, network security, financial security and many other areas. It is a milestone of development and progress of human society science and technology. It will be widely used in public security, aviation, ports, customs, banks, large enterprises, large-scale conferences, high-end clubs, important streets, docks and other places of security. It will bring revolutionary changes for safety defend and prevention of the current complicated domestic security situation. Face recognition serves the crime deterrent purpose because face images that have been recorded and archived can later help identify a person. Many citizens express concern that their privacy is being compromised by the use of surveillance technologies by corporations and the state. Some fear that it could lead to a total surveillance society, with the government and other authorities having the ability to know the whereabouts and activities of all citizens around the clock. This knowledge has, is and could continue to be deployed to prevent the lawful exercise of rights of citizens to criticize those in office, specific government policies or corporate practices. Many centralized power structures with such surveillance capabilities have abused their privileged access to maintain control of the political and economic apparatus and curtail populist reforms. Facial recognition can be used not just to identify an individual, but also to unearth other personal data associated with an individual – such as other photos featuring the individual, blog posts, social networking profiles, Internet behavior, travel patterns, etc. – all through facial features alone. Moreover, individuals have limited ability to avoid or thwart facial recognition tracking unless they hide their faces. This fundamentally changes the dynamic of day-to-day privacy by enabling any marketer, government agency, or random stranger to secretly collect the identities and associated personal information of any individual captured by the facial recognition system. Purpose and Description Nowadays, industry is experiencing many technological advancement and changes in methods of learning. With the rise of globalization, it is becoming essential to find an easier and more effective system to help an organization or company. In spite of this matter, there are still business establishments and schools that use the old-fashioned way. In a certain way, one thing that is still in manual process is the recording of attendance. Face detection is a computer technology that determines the locations and sizes of human faces in arbitrary (digital) images. It detects facial features and ignores anything else, such as buildings, trees and bodies. Dealing with this matter, the proponents thought of an easy way to do the checking of attendance. This study entitled is intended to develop an attendance monitoring system to be used inside the school vicinity of Batangas State University JPLPC Campus for better management of employees. We come up with a computerized attendance-monitoring system using image processing. It serves as a timed log-in/ log-out system that is set up as a computerized database. This system maintains a daily record of a facultys arrival and departure time from work. Aside from the records of time and date, our system features the name, position and the assigned number of each staff. So it also serves as an identification profile system. The system also protects the employees by providing the exact number of hours they worked, making it much more difficult for employers to cheat them out of their wages. This thesis features all important facts about our system as well as its importance.

Media Giant Rupert Murdoch And His Empire Media Essay

Media Giant Rupert Murdoch And His Empire Media Essay As the new millennium dawned, global television tracked the rise of the sun across the world (Thussu, 2006, p. 1). The twenty-first century brought with it the opportunity for millions of people to be able to communicate internationally in different time zones (Thussu, 2006). In such a global village that we live in, competition plays a magnetic role for attracting media giants to be present across borders spreading like wild fire. An apparition now haunts the world: The birth of a mercantile media structure is globally dominated by a diminutive numeral of influential media giants, mostly U.S.-based transnational media corporations (TNMCs). This structure continuously strives to strengthen the foundation of the global market and works towards advancing commercial values, while negatively portrays journalism and culture. It is a disaster for anything but the most superficial notion of democracya democracy where, to paraphrase John Jays maxim, those who own the world ought to govern it. (McChesney, 1997). The development of this mercantile system is very recent. Previously in history i.e. 1980s, the structure was tilted towards national boundaries. Communication and media industries were locally regulated and owned while importing limited music, books, TV shows, and films for decades. The decade of the 1980s saw the worlds economy become more fully privatized. Current trends in privatization and free market economies have led to an international consolidation of media companies. The trend towards consolidation has begun to emerge worldwide (Gershon, 1997, p. 5).The pressure implanted by the IMF, World Bank, and U.S. government in the 1980s to deregulate and privatize media and communication systems which overlapped with the new digital and satellite technologies led to the consequences towards the growth of transnational media giants (McChesney, 1997). The Major US media giants which dominate numerous universal media and international media-related markets are Time Warner, Disney, News Corporation, Viacom, and NBC Universal among a few others. They are spread widely nationally and across national borders. All are based in the United States, the central nation, with broad semi peripheral and some peripheral market activities (McPhail, 2006). This paper will concentrate on the media giant Rupert Murdoch and his empire News Corporation, one of the main benefactors of privatization of infrastructure of global communication. It will briefly describe the history of the existence of the company whilst focusing on an analysis of the international expansion strategy that Murdoch adapted during his journey to acquire the world of media. While analysing different strategies; as well as geographic expansion, there will be an effort to decipher the relation of the tools of extension to the powerful existence of different theories which have played a vital role in the establishment of media structures. Historical Background of News Corporation Changes in technology have pushed the flow of transnational traffic in media products. This development has mainly benefitted media conglomerates like News Corporation which lead media content and delivery mechanism by owning numerous networks and production facilities. This commercial dominance has raised many concerns about cultural homogenization. However, an obvious effort has been noted towards regionalisation and localisation of content to match local and cultural precedence of viewers given the heterogeneity of the universal market (Thussu, 2007) The President and founder of the News Corporation Ltd, Keith Rupert Murdoch, is a legendary example of a tycoon from his era who contributed immensely in the 19th century towards the tradition of the great press barons (Gershon, 1997). Murdoch, in one of his speeches said that For better or for worse, our company (The News Corporation Ltd.) is a reflection of my thinking, my character, my values. Rupert Murdochs universal vision of a new communications atmosphere is made up of both a corporate strategy and a social vision. The companys existence can be traced to the year 1923, in Australia, when News limited was set up in Adelaide with the intention of circulating a daily newspaper. Rupert Murdochs father Sir Keith Murdoch invested in minority interest in News limited in the year of 1949. The company was then officially established in South Australia in 1979 (Gershon, 1997). News Corporation is an entertainment based transnational media company which diversifies within eight different media sectors including Newspapers, Book Publishing, Magazines and Inserts, Filmed Entertainment, Television, Direct Broadcast Satellite Television, Cable Network Programming and other. Geographically the activities of News Corporation are spread out primarily in the United Sates, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Australia, Asia and the Pacific Basin (News Corporation Press Releases, 2010). News Corporation is engaged in the United Kingdom, United States, Australia, and Ireland in the publishing business of magazines, newspapers through its variety of subsidiaries. The Company publishes English language books worldwide via its wholly owned subsidiary HarperCollins Publishers. Furthermore their subsidiaries allow them to be also involved in the enlargement, invention and allotment of network and television programming as well as broadcasting television stations. It also owns shares in BSkyB and V, and Sky Italia which are involved in the direct broadcast satellite (DBS) business. The company currently owns the entire FOX franchise of broadcast networks; as well FOX film studios responsible for many blockbusters (News Corporation Annual Report, 2007) The birth of free flow of information after World War II contributed majorly towards the liberation of media markets. This theory lead to the existence of modernization theory, it also played a vital role in the decision of privatization. Murdoch has strategized to make competent use of liberation of cross-media ownership widely in the USA and the British media markets. He also strategically entered the private satellite operators into the arena of telecommunications and broadcasting. News Corporation risked a large sum on investment by leasing time on new satellite ventures such as Astra and Asia Sat (Thussu, 2000), Murdoch has been able to create a truly international media corporation, at the heart of which is satellite television. (Thussu, 2000, p. 107) All parent companies and subsidiaries are united through a common owner Rupert Murdoch. Murdoch demonstrates an expansion strategy through vertical integration, which has played a vital role in its most crucial times. The company was one of early migratory conglomerates of vertical integration, this move helped News Corporation to utilize the profits through its content operation via their existence in numerous distribution sectors of the media value chain. This move has certainly been a tactical way to achieve authority and probably produce a profitable position in various media markets (Flew and Gilmour, 2003). Murdoch chose to adapt a borrow and buy philosophy that enabled him to debt leverage his way to the very top. Each successful acquisition would generate profitable results however that required greater patience. Foundations of News Corporation in Australia After his fathers death on his return to Australia in 1954 Murdoch instantly started to struggle to increase the circulation of his Adelaide newspaper. Despite the negative attitude of other publishers and the constant underrating by his opposition he dedicated all his efforts to the print business with a passion, and learned the techniques of every aspect of newspaper production. He published exciting news stories in an effective writing style, soon making returns to Murdochs small holdings. He strategically took risks by acquiring smaller newspapers that were not doing well and then turned them around (Tuccille, 2003) Murdoch in a few years of success bought his first television station in July 1959, in Adelaide, calling it Southern TV. He was an innovative young man who throughout was in search for new communication technologies continuously making an effort to amalgamate them into his existing businesses. Later in a year he took over the Daily Mirror in Sydney and its associated Sunday paper for $4 million; the paper soon enough was known to be notorious for exciting and bizarre headlines and articles about sex and mayhem. He took immediate action to change this image and established TheAustralian in the mid of1964, as a national newspaper in Canberra. This paper was a twist from the norm; it discussed social issues and government policies and rapidly acquired the respect of journalists. (Encyclopedia of Business, 2010) Expansion to Britain Murdochs past in the U.K., from his days in Oxford, had left in him bitterness for the English upper class; they had made him feel like an outsider, as if they regarded Australians as inferior being and he planned to strike back at them. He had planned to expand to Britain at the first opportunity. As evident, Murdoch has no set strategy to operate his business; however he expanded internationally through making strategic alliances in Britain which later he transformed into acquisitions. This is evident as he become a principle investor in 1969 for News of the World (a newspaper previously owned by the Carr family) while facing direct competition by Robert Maxwell, who had an infamous reputation in the news circle. Murdoch gradually became the sole proprietor for News of the World by manipulating complete control of the corporation (Tuccille, 2003) In the same year he had an opportunity to take over a dying newspaper at its true cost called the Sun formerly known as the Daily Herald, a predominantly left-wing newspaper. The unions at that time felt that Murdoch would have been a better choice to keep the newspaper viable and trade union jobs unharmed, as opposed to Maxwell who had also shown interest in buying the newspaper. Murdoch revamped the newspaper into a tabloid which was greatly criticized by many of the British newspaper establishments. However Murdochs rebellious nature ignored the criticism and planned to assemble a team of reporters and promotion experts including many from Australia. By the 1970s the Sun had become Britains most popular publication with an increase in circulation to 1.7 million, which at present is replaced by 4 million. News Corporation has grown beyond its newspapers origin as it continues to be the largest newspaper producer in the world. In addition News Corporation owns many different British newspapers including the prestigious, The Times, New of the World, and The Sunday Times (Gershon, 1997). Murdoch uses cross-media ownership and synergies as another strategy, resulting in him being able to promote his ventures across, virtually, all media segments. There is an expectation by News Corporation for major synergies to be created between U.S. satellite operations and its global business. These synergies are part technology-related, for example by sharing security software or electronic programme guides, and part content related, as for the example the combined bidding for global sports rights. The power of cross-platform synergies is most evident in association to motion picture studios and television/cable platforms and networks. This is the vicinity where synergistic potential of power in relation to media supply chain are mainly noticeable (Gunther, 2003). Furthermore, Murdochs launch of Sky Digital in 1989, a four channel satellite television service, was afterwards merged with a competitor named British Satellite Broadcasting to form British Sky Broadcasting, in 1990. The merger instantly became a success with its multi-channel subscription service which was positioned to dominate interactive digital television (Forreste, 2010). BSkyB provides a wide portfolio of genres of television programming like entertainment, news, sports etc. in order to cater to a wide variety of target audience. Sky News and Sports have seen trends of consistent growth and viewership (McPhail, 2006). Moreover, BSkyB is now Europes most profitable broadcaster with 40% holding of U.K. news corporations; though at one point it led New Corporation towards bankruptcy due to a week global economy and lack of cash flow (Guardian, 2010) Murdochs media power supported Margret Thatcher with her struggle to liberalize regulation on cross media ownership. The victory of the British labour party in the 1997 election supported by the Sun lead to the Murdochization of the media, which transformed the media background in the U.K. and other countries. Since then, entertainment and infotainment have emphasised at the price of the public service function of the media (Thussu, 2006). Expansion to Europe Having established a base in the U.K., Murdoch expanded his business into Continental Europe by establishing partnerships in Germany and Italy. News Corporation penetrated the satellite television industry in 1983. It possessed many assets in Satellite Television PLC (SATV), which during the 1980s was set up to supply to Northern European audience. After two years alongside the scrutiny of the BBC, SATV, renamed Sky Channel and consisted approximately, of three million subscribers in 11 European countries. Murdoch was not encouraged in further increasing his acquisitions as he had already forged a union with, French television giant Canal Plus to create paid-television-services across Europe. Having only conquered 6% of Western Europe, few homes had cable television; the market for pay-TV was unreached (Fiero, 2002). Now News Corporations central business policy is to use soccer as a fuel to powered satellite dish sales across Europe. Murdoch is using sports programming to enter new markets; he has acquired premium sports rights for his network and is using an identical content approach that he pursued with BSkyB (News Corporation Annual Report, 2007). Expansion to the U.S.A. Murdochs journey to enter the U.S. market began in 1976 when he acquired the New York Post. Following this, in September 1985 Murdoch decided to become an American citizen in order to satisfy the legal requirements of the U.S. markets that only a U.S. citizen was permitted to own assets in the U.S. television industry. Later that year News Corporation entered the U.S. media market, by purchasing Metromedias seven television stations amounted at $2 billion. Murdoch not only took over these seven stations but also gained their market rank and their competitive position. This purchase resulted News Corporation to build the foundation of Fox television network. In 1986, News Corporation purchased 20th Century Fox for $1.55 billion (Fiero, 2002) From Murdochs early stages of business acquisitions recognized the significance of vertical integration as a strategy for launching a new business. In the two years Murdoch was guaranteed to create a stable source of programming and readymade distribution channels. The Fox Television Network was launched in April 1987 with 108 affiliates. Fox network opted for a highly differentiated strategy in comparison to the other U.S. networks. They plan to aim their programming towards a younger and urban audience. Fox introduced three distinguishing programming formats, reality based, counter culture and tabloid television (Albarran, Chan-Olmsted, O. Wirt, 2006) In the early years of development Murdoch faced heavy financial losses, however in a few years the network was able to reach 91% of United States through an amalgamation of VHF and low powered UHF stations. The network also transformed its programming from three nights a week to five nights. The financial recovery of these loses how Murdochs long term strategy in which he is prepared to suffer losses in the short run with the expectation of gaining long term returns in the future. Murdochs synergizing strategy helped him save Fox network in its initial years by cross investing from his other well to do companies (Gershon, 1997). Further to this Mr Murdoch and his management spend a good deal of time lobbying for support for proposed mergers and acquisitions and for favourable changes in the law such as those relating to media ownership and digital piracy in the USA. (Curwen, 1999) Other assets under News Corporation in the U.S. are the Weekly Standard, Hughes Electronics with a 34 % stake in the company and DIRECTV. Â  The vertically expansion acquisition of DirecTV is a fundamental piece representing Murdochs media empire, providing him with a lucrative distribution platform in the US, which can be used to offset the rising influence of large cable operators such as Comcast. There is a strong concern that News Corporation might not be able to advantage from its economies of scale and from efficient allocation of resources as of its vertical structure due to variations in strategies with DirecTV. Joint ventures with DirecTV are necessary for absolute vertical integration which allows News Corporation to adapt to an incomplete vertical structure. It may be added that Mr Murdochs position is so dominant that there is a niggling fear that he could yet put recent advances at risk, although he has recently made clear that the immediate strategy is to absorb and im prove DIRECTV rather than make further acquisitions. (Curwen, 1999). In 2005 News Corporation bought inter-mix media which holds myspace.com and many other famous social networking websites. In 2007 News Corporation attained Dow Jones, the publishers of the famous Wall Street Journal for $ 5.6 billion (News Corporation Annual Report, 2007) One of Murdochs moves has lead to a shift in the Australian market as he announced to move the head quarters from his native land to the U.S. This has created uproars and criticism by many, however the U.S. government subsided this protest by announcing that this move was in the best interest of the U.S. market (Shah, 2004). Expansion to the Asian Markets News Corporation further expanded to the Asian media market in the mid 1990s by investing in a joint venture with Phoenix TV and Star TV. Star TV then acquired Hutchvision Hong Kong Ltd; the very first satellite television licence in 1998. Very soon Star TV in China realised that Pan Asian broadcasting was not a practical strategy to adopt for Asian markets. Hence, it divided the media services into northern and southern i.e. China and India, respectively, as their main target. The flourishing Zee TV which is a joint venture of Star TV in India broadcasted in their native language Hindi further emphasised for Star TV to go local. Therefore Star TV continuously was on a quest to seek joint venture prospects in the district (Chalaby, 2005) News Corporation has used an array of strategies to consolidate its position in Asia, potentially the worlds biggest television market.(Thussu, 2000, p. 112). STAR TV network was set up to cater Asian audiences to global corporations and promoters. The enhancement of technology in satellites and dishes as well as the rapid expansion of liberalization and government deregulation certifies a concrete broadcasting future in Asia. STAR TV aims to stay in Asia on the very top of Satellite broadcasting. To capitalize on viewership Star TV is moving towards local language fare (McPhail, 2006) Star TV has assertively taken on the strategy of indigenisation in offering localized channels. This is truly an example of going glocal this strategy demonstrates how the global can include both the transnational and geo-culture by nominating the local to sustain the leading flow. Their localized channels include Star Chinese channel (for Taiwan), Star Japan, Star Plus and Star News for India, VIVIA cinema for the Philippines. ESPN Star Sports a joint venture of ESPN and Star to provide coverage of Pan Asian and international sports event is Asia. Murdochs Star Select are gradually localizing their content to cross into the gulf region. This Arabisation includes the use of subtitles for American programs and sensitising language as well as the depictions of sex and nudity (Thussu, 2006). In Asia News Corporation are faced with many burdens; political, economical, cultural and social. In order to eliminate these barriers to entry this works hand-in-hand with morality, democracy as well as with capitalism. This liberation of mechanisms for Asia is a result of communication, capitalism and democracy which create greater access, choice prosperity and social equality (Weber, 1995). Conclusion With News Corporation Murdoch has created an international empire of media, technology and sports franchise. His vast multimedia holdings have always been global in nature. With satellite system in Europe (BSkyB) Asia (Star TV) and North America (direct TV) Murdoch may be on his way to create a global media infrastructure (McPhail, 2006). There are three main strategies News Corporations business model is based on vertical control and horizontal networking, vicious quest of market expansion and the leveraging of community, and political elite opinion. In context of globalisation theory the company has been steadily occupied in structuring a foundation of geographically dispersed assets via mergers and acquisitions, direct foreign investment and strategic partnerships. This mechanism is interconnected, equally fundamental and established on the capability of Murdoch to build connection between media, political and economic system in the joint ventures of the corporations financial development (Arsenault and Castells, 2008) News Corporation consists of many various businesses within the umbrella of the company and therefore when examining the overall strategy of News Corporation, one needs to understand and scrutinize the various, individual, tactics that each sub-business applies in order to stay ahead of their competition in each respected industry. When examining Murdochs growth-tactics, in order to expand the News Corporation Empire, it would be adequate to state that he practices very aggressive strategies despite the industry divergences. In the print industry the company has adopted a cost-leadership strategy (van den Bosch, de Man, 1997), in order to monopolize the industry competition. When it comes to the television media, i.e. Fox, the company has spread in many directions, and their assets are vertically integrated to live up to the strategies of expansion in order to benefit from long-term returns. News Corporation has always been in quest to search power more than distribution, and the introduction of new digital technologies has created an opportunity to develop that type of power. The proceedings that help the continuous growth of News Corporation are the mature, non-digital distribution activities. Murdoch complies with a three-phase strategy in which profitable, high growth old businesses move the company ahead and please investors while mature parts of the company fund the growth areas of the future. (Turow, 2009). Diversification of News Corporation might create a possibility to enhance the position as more than one sector of the business is experiencing damaging changes. The major issue with that would be that Company would have to either adjust to an absolutely new business, or they would have to stick to what they know and hope they can keep ahead in the media market. Globally News Corporation thinks of itself more grandly than other media conglomerates. Like Disney another major media conglomerate, News Corporation necessitates for synergy among subsidiaries, global reach, and the use of new technologies. Unlike the other giants, News Corporation does not run on a business model of an official planning department. Criticism has been highlighted upon the way the company does not undertake acquisitions on the grounds of comprehending synergies with the core businesses, but mainly have the incentive of acquiring an asset on a lower price and selling it for a significant profit after it has been turned around. Due to which News Corporation lacks the connectivity to exploit synergies to its full capacity. The company is vastly spread out with very little connectivity. Murdochs strategic vision has always composed of expansion as the key factor. He has deserted his 1980s high-debt strategy, and has substituted it with more conservative management style. This allows him to be less dependent and exempts him from creating short-term shareholder value and rather focusing on long-term vision even if shareholders and financial markets would likely oppose such actions (Freedman, 1996). Murdochs strategies at times seemed risky and unsuitable and were against market norms but his commendable ability to handle the media industry, his fearless risk taking approach, joint with his exemplary familiarity of the media industries and his mystifying capability to sense the popular pulse, still lead to his extraordinary success (Thussu, 2000) Rupert Murdoch is a businessman. He has built News Corporations competitive advantage by continuing to maintain control of his joint ventures with other media giants and by leveraging his ability to influence audiences around the world in order to gain political favours. Authority in every system is attained on the foundation of safe entrant to the others. According to this point of view, Murdochs authority is not bound to a particular association with a political actor in a nation at any one point in time. What really matters is his control over multiple connecting points (Arsenault and Castells, 2008). Murdoch quoted The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore, It will be the fast beating the slow (Chappelle, 2007).

The Non Dredged Reclamation Method

The Non Dredged Reclamation Method With the rapid economic and population growth, various economic, social, housing and transport needs of the community are increasing, resulting in increasing demand for land supply. Due to the limited land supply, reclamation is commonly used to tackle the problem in Hong Kong. However, reclamation does not only contribute to the economic development but also the environmental degradation. In this essay, problems caused by reclamation and possible solutions will be discussed. As mentioned in Environmental Impact Assessment Report (2001), dredging, disposal of marine mud and bulk filling activities may give rise to many potential impacts on water quality. Firstly, solids may be suspended in the water column. Secondly, as mud waves and turbulent flow will be generated, by disturbance, organic and inorganic substances e.g. ammonia, heavy metals and sulphides may be released into the water column. Thirdly, during the compacting and settling process in site formation, contaminants and leachate may be given out from pore water and sediments respectively. As a result, the marine water quality will be deteriorated. 2.2 Marine ecosystem According to Chan (2000), dredging and disposal of waste involved in reclamation will bring adverse effects to the marine ecosystem. Firstly, removal of sediment may lead to the loss of habitat. Secondly, marine organisms may entrain during dredging. Thirdly, dissolved oxygen will be depleted and nutrients will be released into the water. In particular, if there is a significant rise in the nutrient level, algal productivity will increase which may result in à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“red tidesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . 2.3 Air quality The problem of air pollution will arise during the operation period of reclamation as a large amount of dust will be emitted where the à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“dustà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  here refers to general suspended particulates. Among various kinds of origins of air pollution, earthmoving (loading, unloading and bulldozing), haul road traffic on unpaved roads and wind erosion of the open site area lower the air quality the most (Chan, 2000). Solutions 3.1 The non-dredged reclamation method Traditionally, the soft marine mud in the seabed is replaced by sand fill to make a strong foundation for seawall construction. Dredging and disposing of marine mud are thus involved. As the dredging process in reclamation is the fundamental cause for the environmental impacts mentioned above, the non-dredged reclamation method is advocated for the future reclamation projects. Making reference to Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge Hong Kong Projects (2011), this reclamation method does not require dredging the soft marine mud in the seabed before backfilling. Instead, inert construction and demolition material is used to fill many large interlocked steel cells. The steel cells will then sink in the water and stay on the alluvium, forming the perimeter wall. (Items, 2011) As found in Items (2011), the non-dredge reclamation has many benefits over the conventional dredge seawall construction method. For instance, dredging and dumping of marine mud can be almost completely avoided. Also, only 30% of the original suspended particles will be released during reclamation and only half of the backfilling material will be needed. Thus the construction marine traffic can be decreased by about 50%. It can be concluded that the non-dredge reclamation method will bring less environmental impacts and therefore it is a better choice for reclamation. 3.2 Development of underground space Enhanced use of underground space is an effective and feasible alternative to increase land supply as Hong Kong is mountainous and abundant with strong volcanic and granitic rocks. This geographic characteristic favours the development of underground space in Hong Kong. Rock caverns can be developed for various land uses such as crematorium, substation, sewage treatment facilities etc (Hong Kong Underground Space Study Executive Summary, 2009). While both measures can relieve the problem of lack of available land, developing underground space has some advantages over reclamation. For example, some undesirable uses like refuse collection point can be built underground so that the impacts on the residents living nearby can be minimised. Moreover, developing underground space does not cause much pollution or take away natural resources, which means that the natural environment can be preserved. Conclusion Though reclamation can provide for the requirements of the economic development, the conventional reclamation method causes water pollution, air pollution and adversely affects the marine ecosystem, which is not an ideal act for the society. In order to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental conservation, the non-dredged reclamation method should be adopted for future reclamation projects as it is more environmentally friendly. In addition to reclamation, development of underground space should be considered which can act as an alternative to increase land supply and reserve our valuable harbour.

Public vs. Private Education Essay -- Compare Contrast School Educatin

Public vs. Private Education   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  I have examined and compared public versus private education. Also, this collection of information should help you understand differences between public and private schools. Aspects of equality and achievement in private and public education will be dissected and evaluated. Observations I have evaluated and examined both public and private education instittutional systems. Public Education Public schools are in crisis, and not because of any shortages of public funds (more money is spent on public education than ever before, but with declining results). Many people like to think the problem with our schools is precisely that they are public: "Government schools" are run like the rest of the government, poorly and inefficiently. Teachers are not primarily to blame, because they are also victims of bad conditions of schools and their profession. The solution is to get government out of the business of education and to run education in a more businesslike way. However, education is not a business like other businesses; it does not turn out a product whose value can be expressed adequately in terms of market price. Education does impart business or workplace skills, of course, but the value of reading and writing well cannot be captured fully by a future salary. The love of learning and growing as a student mentally is what shapes each individual's identity in public life. Before much progress can be made, Americans will have to be persuaded that public schools are a public failure -- that they are turning out not just poorly educated students but bad or indifferent citizens. However statistics show that Americans have confidence in public education. In 1997 Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools was the first in which an effort was made to determine whether the public wants to place its confidence in the public schools or to start looking for an alternative system. In that poll, the public clearly indicated its preference for the public schools.. The results clearly affirm the public's belief that our national commitment to educating all our children through the public schools should be maintained. 71% of Americans indicate that the focus in education should be on reforming the existing system. This compares to 27% opting for finding an alternative system such as p... ... school also generally increased with family income. Children from the lowest income families (less than $15,000) were more likely than those from families with incomes over $30,000 to attend a chosen public school. However, the net result of the various types of choice was that children from families with incomes over $50,000 were much less likely than children from families in lower income categories to attend an assigned public school over which they had not exercised any choice. Reference The Condition of Education 1997, 182, based on NCES, Schools and Staffing Survey, 1993?94, and the Teacher Follow-up Survey, 1994?95. 14/ NCES, Schools and Staffing in the United States, 1993?94, 107. 15/ V.E. Lee and J.B. Smith, "High School Size: Which Works Best, and for Whom?," paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York, 1996. 16/ F. Mosteller, R. Light, and J. Sachs, "Sustained Inquiry in Education: Lessons from Skill Grouping and Class Size," Harvard Educational Review 66 (4) (1996): 797?842. 17/ The Condition of Education 1997, 136, based on NCES, Schools and Staffing Survey, 1987?88, 1990?91, and 1993?94.

health care disparities :: essays research papers

An informal network of providers allows access to a limited number of free or low-cost drugs, mammography, treatment and other services. This network includes volunteer physicians on both sides of the border, the local federally funded community health center, the local Catholic hospital on the US side, the Shriner’s Hospital in Phoenix, hospitals in Tucson, the Mexican public social security hospital in Sonora, and the Santa Cruz County health department. The promotoras support the Santa Cruz County health department, doing home visits and translation on its behalf. When the county identifies diabetics, follow-up management is often handled by the promotoras. The promotoras have also been involved in a number of community issues. When the controversial replacement of a local well was proposed, promotoras and Institute-organized volunteers headed the county steering committee and organized door-to-door activities to advertise public meetings on the issue. Given their cross-border environment, the Institute has also fostered close working relationships with Mexican consular officials and municipal officials in Nogales, Sonora. The Institute has assisted Plan Retornowith donated supplies and health education. Plan Retorno helps deported individuals who have been dropped off in Nogales, Sonora far from their towns and villages of origin. The Way of the Heart model is different from what is more commonly seen in other promotora initiatives: It is a freestanding entity that has built a set of collaborative relationships with clinical providers and social agencies. Most other promotora projects appear to be sponsored by existing clinics and hospitals that use them to augment their outreach and patient management efforts. Staff Recruitment, Training and Retention Promotoras are recruited mainly through word of mouth, postings in community agencies and sometimes through newspaper ads. In the future, promotoras may be recruited from the teen promotora program that has developed out of the Institute’s peer counseling work. The program explicitly seeks promotoras who reflect the culture, economics and demographics of the Nogales community. Persistence and resilience in navigating systems are the most sought after attributes. health care disparities :: essays research papers An informal network of providers allows access to a limited number of free or low-cost drugs, mammography, treatment and other services. This network includes volunteer physicians on both sides of the border, the local federally funded community health center, the local Catholic hospital on the US side, the Shriner’s Hospital in Phoenix, hospitals in Tucson, the Mexican public social security hospital in Sonora, and the Santa Cruz County health department. The promotoras support the Santa Cruz County health department, doing home visits and translation on its behalf. When the county identifies diabetics, follow-up management is often handled by the promotoras. The promotoras have also been involved in a number of community issues. When the controversial replacement of a local well was proposed, promotoras and Institute-organized volunteers headed the county steering committee and organized door-to-door activities to advertise public meetings on the issue. Given their cross-border environment, the Institute has also fostered close working relationships with Mexican consular officials and municipal officials in Nogales, Sonora. The Institute has assisted Plan Retornowith donated supplies and health education. Plan Retorno helps deported individuals who have been dropped off in Nogales, Sonora far from their towns and villages of origin. The Way of the Heart model is different from what is more commonly seen in other promotora initiatives: It is a freestanding entity that has built a set of collaborative relationships with clinical providers and social agencies. Most other promotora projects appear to be sponsored by existing clinics and hospitals that use them to augment their outreach and patient management efforts. Staff Recruitment, Training and Retention Promotoras are recruited mainly through word of mouth, postings in community agencies and sometimes through newspaper ads. In the future, promotoras may be recruited from the teen promotora program that has developed out of the Institute’s peer counseling work. The program explicitly seeks promotoras who reflect the culture, economics and demographics of the Nogales community. Persistence and resilience in navigating systems are the most sought after attributes.

The Role Of Husband And Wife In The Middle Ages :: essays research papers

Many pamphlets and books were written during the reformation era which explained how to be a good wife or husband. At this time there was a widespread change in the way people viewed the roles of husbands and wives. Reformation thinkers believed that the role of the man in a marriage was to care for the needs of his family by providing for their shelter, food, and safety. The role of the woman in the marriage was to support the male, take care of the household, and raise the children. Neither the male or the female were considered to be higher than the other in the marriage. As Ozment states in When Fathers Ruled, the husband's duties were to ensure his families well-being and to rule over his family and servants with a firm hand.1 The bad husband was one that had no self control because without self control the husband could not provide for the family properly. A bad wife was one who did not know or respect her place in the family. Ozment writes that many reformer thinkers believed that the husband should have the rule in the household. This is because " a wife required proper deference... Because of her perceived physical and temperamental weakness, compared to men; magnanimity, pati ence, and forbearance befitted the superior nature and position of men."2 Reformation thinkers believed that husband and wife were on the most part equal with the male heading the household because of his stronger characteristics. The ideas of the reformation thinkers on the roles of husband and wife differ in some ways to the ideas of their roles today. In the eyes of some the man is still the head of the household. More so the husband is considered to be a figure head in today's family. The man is seen to have the power in a relationship but in reality the power of both husband and wife is for the most part equal. In some instances the woman is considered to have more say or power over the family. In present times more women are going out into the job fields and making as much as if not more money then their husbands. In this essence the roles of husband and wife have switched since that of the reformation era. Today what makes a bad husband is much the same as it was in the reformation era.

Our Fluid English Language Essay

It is generally known that as time goes on, most things tend to change, evolve and grow. This could be said about a long list of thing, including humans, music, fashion, technology and many more. But what isn’t commonly thought about is the evolution of language; more specifically the English Language. Being one of the most spoken and rapidly learned language worldwide, one might ponder the evolution of the it and how the English language came to be. Spoken today is called Modern English, but this language took hundreds of years to be developed into from its Greek, Latin, German, Russian and other European roots. To further understand the fluidity of the English language, a Catholic prayer that was once written in Anglo-Saxon or Old English is rewritten in Middle English and Early Modern English. Through these stepping stones of the English language, one could analyze the difference in letter symbols, punctuation, and pronunciation. At first glance, the Old English version seems to be in a completely different language. One would never believe that the English we speak today derived from Old English. But as one tries to decipher the words and the passage at hand, few words became certain to be derived from Old English. Although most are not Catholic and wouldn’t know this as a religious passage, the major clue was the capitalization of the first word: father. Although spelled â€Å"Faeder† in Old English, it was easy to assume that it was a prayer from prior knowledge about the Catholics reference to God as Father. Not only that, â€Å"Faeder† and â€Å"Father† have similar pronunciation and many of the same letters. Some words seem familiar through context clues such as â€Å"willa† and â€Å"will†, â€Å"becume† and â€Å"become†, and â€Å"forgyf† and â€Å"forgive†. However, there are words that are completely unfamiliar and are unused in Modern English such as â€Å"gedaeghwamlican†, â€Å"heofonum†, and â€Å"gyltendum†. This proves to show that has time goes on, words and symbols begin to change, words begin to be spoken in different sounds, and grammar starts to shift away from its original roots. From the Old English and the Middle English translations, grammar seems to change the most and is the most noticeable. Similar to how English is spoken today, the first line of the Middle English translated prayer starts off as  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Oure fadir,† which is very similar to the Modern English â€Å"Our Father.† But in the Old English version, the prayer starts as â€Å"Faeder ure.† In many languages like Spanish and Latin, verbs and possessors are generally put in front of the possessive, unlike Middle and Modern English. As seen in the Old English version, father comes before â€Å"ure† or our. This analyzation displays the roots of English and how the language evolves and eventually strays from its origin. Also seen clearly in the Middle English version of the Catholic prayer, words seem closer to the Modern English spoken today, although some symbols and spellings reveal its true age. More words become recognizable such as â€Å"kyngdom† to kingdom, and â€Å"heuene† to heaven. These words show how over time, words begin to shift and change, although it started as something else. A symbol that stays constant from Old English on to Middle English is a letter close to â€Å"p†. This symbol is pronounced a â€Å"th† sound. Although this symbol is replaced with the letter â€Å"t† and â€Å"h† in Modern English, the words such as â€Å"pi† and â€Å"pat† are equivalent to the Early Modern English words â€Å"thy† and â€Å"that†. This different usage of symbols but same sounds exemplifies the change in letter themselves, but not the sound it once came from. The Middle English truly shows the steps it took to get from Ol d English to Early Modern English. When we read the Early Modern English of this Catholic prayer, we can understand it clearly, though words that are used in the prayer are not used in our daily vocabulary and writing. Words such as thy, and art, which has a different meaning from Modern English, are not used and are rarely seen in modern writing explosions. Early Modern English has been changed and developed so dramatically that people don’t talk the way the prayer goes. The proof that shows how fluid English is by the usage of slang. Just as spelling, pronunciation and grammar of words and sentences changed from the three stepping stones of English evolution, modern English words are being condensed and meaning of words change. The evolution of the English language doesn’t stop with us. Although there are three stepping stones of the English language, in the future there is a  possibility that a New English will emerge. Just as it did over the course of hundreds of years, the English language will continue to evolve and change. Meanings will alter and spelling will change. A hundred years from now, Old English will seem to be a language in the past.

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 14

Instinct made me drive back to Queen Anne. I operated on autopilot, my mind blank. It was only when I'd parked and gotten out of the car that my senses slowly began to return to me. Still, I tried my best to stay numb, to not think about anything right away. My stomach was growling, so I decided to focus on basic needs. I walked over to a Thai restaurant between my apartment and the bookstore, seeking the comfort of a corner table and green curry. Once I was settled, there was no avoiding it. What had happened back there? Part of me could still feel Greg's hands on me, still feel the sickening sensation of being utterly and completely helpless. But the rest of me was slowly starting to analyze the stove exploding. I'd noticed the gas stove upon my initial inspection, but I'd noticed no smell until right before it caught on fire. With gas leaks, didn't a place usually fill up over time? This had been sudden. An out-of-the-blue surge of gas, and BAM! No warning, no anything. I supposed it could have been coincidence. Lucky timing. But in my world, coincidences didn't happen. They were usually guided by a stronger power. The question was: who or what was responsible? I had too much to worry about now without some unseen arsonist on the scene. â€Å"Why so pensive, Daughter of Lilith?† I looked up from my half-eaten food. â€Å"Carter!† I was pretty sure I'd never been so happy to see the angel in my life, except for maybe when he'd rescued me from Helena the crazy nephilim last fall. He wore the same clothes he'd had on in Vancouver. They appeared to stay in a perpetually consistent state of dishevelment-never getting worse, never getting better. He slid into the chair opposite me. â€Å"You gonna finish that?† he asked, pointing at my plate. I shook my head and slid the curry over to him. He immediately dug in, practically inhaling it. â€Å"What's going on?† he asked between mouthfuls of rice. â€Å"You know what's going on. Seattle's gone to hell. Literally.† â€Å"Yeah, I've noticed. How's it feel to be footloose and fancy free?† â€Å"It sucks. For some reason, my hair's always frizzy. I used to style it myself before this happened, and it never did that.† Carter grinned. â€Å"I doubt you were doing it all yourself. You may have still done all the labor, but some subconscious part of you was probably tweaking it just a little bit to keep it perfect.† I pulled a face. â€Å"Well, even if that's true, I've got a few bigger problems.† I gave him a brief recap of my adventures this morning and what had happened with Greg. Even speaking about it still sent a chill down my spine. I expected Carter to laugh and make some quip at my expense, but his face stayed serious. â€Å"You need to be careful,† he said gravely. â€Å"Everything's different now. It'll only be for a short time, true, but even if you can't die, you're still locked in a dangerous game.† â€Å"We have to find Jerome. Do you know where he's at?† Carter shook his head. â€Å"Nope. He disappeared off our radars too. I don't know anything more than you do.† â€Å"You probably know more about demon summoning than I do,† I pointed out. â€Å"Depends,† he said. â€Å"What do you know?† â€Å"Pretty much what I already told you. Dante didn't have much more to offer than who he thought could do it. And those other losers didn't give up anything at all-except attitude.† Carter flagged down a waitress and ordered a plate of panang curry and Thai iced coffee. Afterward, he tapped the table lightly with his finger, face drawn and thoughtful. â€Å"I can tell you how it's done,† he said at last. â€Å"But I can't do much more. This is your side's business, not ours. We're not supposed to interfere.† â€Å"Dispensing information isn't the same as interfering,† I said. He smiled. â€Å"Depends on your definitions. And your people are great at finding loopholes and technicalities.† â€Å"Yeah, but†¦Carter†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I sighed. â€Å"I don't really have anyone else.† Even if I'd had full succubus charisma going, I don't think it would have worked on him. But I still had some sort of Georgina charisma that he was susceptible to. He liked me and was concerned about my life, even if he had a funny way of showing it sometimes. The Thai iced coffee appeared, and he paused to take a drink. â€Å"Okay. Here's how it works. Basically, a demon gets summoned into an object, and with enough magic, the demon becomes bound to that and is trapped. You've heard stories about genies, right? Well, they're kind of variations on this principle. Humans who summon demons into objects can then occasionally release the demon and make them run errands.† â€Å"But this one's keeping Jerome locked up.† â€Å"Right. Which makes it harder. What makes it harder still is that if this human has any sense at all, they've got the object hidden in a place of power.† He took another sip and waited for me to process this. I knew what he was talking about. The earth was covered in places of power-sacred sites, ley lines, magic-infused spots. Anyone sifting through mythology would come across countless references to them and the roles they'd played in human history. There was just one problem with it. â€Å"There are dozens of those in Seattle,† I said slowly. Carter nodded. â€Å"Yup. And even if you find the right one, the power in that place is going to help mask the power coming from the bound demon. For you? Gonna be nearly impossible without your usual senses. You need another immortal to help, the stronger the better. Or possibly a human psychic.† I groaned. â€Å"But you can't help, and none of the demons will.† The panang curry arrived, and Carter devoured it with enthusiasm. â€Å"Putting that aside, let's suppose I find this object, whatever it is. Then what?† â€Å"Mmm, that's hard too,† he said. â€Å"A greater immortal could just break it open.† â€Å"But not me.† I was beginning to see how this worked, and it wasn't encouraging. â€Å"No, not even if you were in your normal state. The summoner probably put a lock on it-a seal. That'll keep a lesser immortal out. The seal's used in the binding, then it's broken into two pieces that are kept separated for safekeeping. The practitioner most certainly keeps one. If he or she had a demon's help, I'm guessing the demon has the other. Or else the practitioner would hide it.† â€Å"Do you think another demon was involved?† He swallowed. â€Å"Most definitely. If you can recover the pieces of the seal, though, then you could unlock the object and set Jerome free.† When I'd first seen Carter standing over my table, I'd been filled with hope, convinced this miserable situation was going to resolve soon and we'd get Jerome back. Now? I was more pessimistic than before. â€Å"So, let me get this straight. All I have to do is find this mystical object that Jerome's locked in, an object I have no way of even sensing. Once I have it, I then simply have to force the pieces of the lock away from the summoner and a demon .† â€Å"Yup,† said Carter, licking his fork. â€Å"That pretty much sums it up.† â€Å"Fuck.† â€Å"Yup.† â€Å"Well, the info's good, but I can't do anything. I have no leads on any part of this, nowhere to start.† His gray eyes twinkled. â€Å"The seal has to be made of quartz.† â€Å"Okay†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Hand-carved by human hands.† I raised an eyebrow, curious as to where this was going. â€Å"By someone familiar with magic and runes.† He looked at me expectantly. â€Å"So?† â€Å"How many people do you think that describes in the Seattle area?† He didn't wait for me to finish. â€Å"Not many.† Carter and his riddles. â€Å"You're saying I should find who made the seal, in the hopes they can tell me who commissioned it.† â€Å"Right. And they can also tell you what the seal's specifics are. It's almost always a disc about this big.† He used the fingers of one hand to make a circle about the size of a quarter. â€Å"But the color and designs will be different and provide clues as to what kind of place it's been hidden in.† â€Å"God, this is complicated.† â€Å"You're trying to find a demon that's been captured and bound as part of a larger political power play, Georgina,† Carter said. â€Å"What do you expect?† â€Å"Fair point,† I murmured. â€Å"I have one more question, though. It has nothing to do with the seal, though.† â€Å"Shoot.† â€Å"Why'd the stove at Greg's blow up?† â€Å"Because of a gas leak.† â€Å"One that came on out of nowhere?† He shrugged. â€Å"Compared to what we see every day? A lot stranger things happen.† I eyed him for a moment, wondering if I should press him with my real question. He'd said he couldn't directly interfere in this, but Carter had saved my life once before. His showing up here now was awfully coincidental†¦Was it possible he'd been following me all day? Had he helped expedite the stove's incineration to save me? One might argue that touching Greg would have been direct interference†¦but harming the stove wouldn't be, if you wanted to use demon-worthy technicalities. And, in a typically angelic way, Carter hadn't actually denied his involvement. I decided to let the matter go. If Carter was keeping his help a secret, there was a good reason. With a sigh, I glanced at the clock to my right. â€Å"Well, I'm still technically on leave, so I should probably take advantage of that and hunt down this seal maker.† â€Å"Good luck,† said Carter. â€Å"But joking aside, I meant what I said earlier. You've got to be careful. At the very least, don't do this stuff alone.† â€Å"You sure you can't break the rules and come with me, then?† I asked a bit wistfully. â€Å"Nope, but why do you need me when there are plenty of other candidates?† With a grin, he nodded at something beyond me. I glanced back and saw Seth standing at the take-out counter. I jerked my head back toward Carter. â€Å"Hey! How'd-â€Å" Carter was gone. Just then, the waitress set down the bill, which included Carter's meal. â€Å"Fucking angels,† I muttered, fumbling for my credit card. Turning back around, I studied Seth, feeling my stomach twist in that usual way. As though sensing me, he suddenly turned and made eye contact. Surprise registered on his face, and then he held up his hand in a hang on a second kind of way. A few agonizing minutes later, he walked over to my table holding a take-out bag. â€Å"Hey,† I said. â€Å"Hey.† â€Å"Is that lunch?† I was suddenly embarrassed by the fact that I had two plates in front of me. â€Å"Yeah, I'm actually heading home to work. The caf? ¦ at the store's too crowded and noisy.† â€Å"I thought you could work through anything.† He shook his head. â€Å"These days I'm more†¦distractible than usual.† His eyes studied me for a moment, and then he looked away. But in that moment, I'd felt a tingle run through my skin. Seth cleared his throat. â€Å"So†¦what about you?† He forced himself to look back at me. â€Å"You look†¦I don't know. Uneasy. Not as bad as yesterday but still troubled. More immortal intrigue?† A good portion of my present uneasiness was simply due to his proximity. â€Å"Yeah, afraid so.† â€Å"So, you haven't found Jerome yet, and you're still†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Now it was my turn to look away. â€Å"Yeah. I followed some leads on Jerome this morning, and it was kind of†¦um, well, it's not important. Let's just say it wasn't a pleasant experience, and I didn't find out anything anyway.† I glanced back in his direction, making sure I kept my eyes on his Blondie T-shirt and not his face. â€Å"I've got one more thing to check into, then I guess I can call it a day.† â€Å"Well, that's good, I guess.† He shifted uncomfortably, and that awkward tension that was so characteristic for us multiplied. I tried to think of something to say, but nothing came. â€Å"So†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began at last. â€Å"I know what you said before†¦but I still have to ask. Is there anything†¦anything I can do?† The retort was on my lips, to tell him I didn't need him, not anymore. But an image of Greg flashed into my mind, and I hated myself for the fear it invoked. I didn't want to be a damsel in distress. I didn't want to live in fear and need a man to watch over me. Greg's weight and element of surprise had shown that self-defense wouldn't always work. Sometimes it was hard to face danger alone. Carter's words repeated in my head: Why do you need me when there are plenty of other candidates? I blurted out my question before I had time to reconsider. â€Å"Would you go with me?† It was hard to say which of us was more surprised by this. â€Å"On†¦your errand?† he asked. I nodded. â€Å"Yeah. But I mean, if you've got stuff to do†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'll go,† he said quickly. He held up his take-out bag. â€Å"Can I eat in your car?† â€Å"You can eat right now,† I said. â€Å"Seeing as I don't know where we're going yet.† Leaving Seth to eat at the table, I stepped outside to make a couple of phone calls. The first was to Dante. He answered, fortunately, but had no clue about what I needed. â€Å"Someone who carves crystal?† he asked incredulously. â€Å"I don't do fluffy New Age stuff.† â€Å"Yeah. I found out more about demon summoning. Apparently there's some kind of seal involved that only a master artisan can make.† â€Å"I don't know anyone like that,† he said. â€Å"As much as it pains me to admit a lack of knowledge about anything.† â€Å"Well, I guess even you have limits.† â€Å"You are so in trouble for that the next time I see you, succubus.† After we hung up, I tried Erik. He too answered, and in his usual way, he never bothered to ask why I needed the information. â€Å"There is someone,† he mused. â€Å"I've acquired crystal jewelry from her before, carved into assorted sacred symbols-ankhs and crosses. I don't know if she works with the arcane or spellcraft, but she's the only one I know in the area who comes close.† I took down her name and address and went back inside. Seth had nearly finished his meal, rivaling Carter for speed. â€Å"Do we have a mission objective yet?† I nodded. â€Å"Yup. Out to the hinterlands, even.† Okay, Carnation wasn't exactly the hinterlands, but it was well outside the Seattle urban and even suburban sprawl. It was one of several small rural communities that clung to western Washington's edge before giving way to the wilderness of the Cascade Mountains and the desert on the other side. I made a Starbucks stop along the way so that I could acquire some caffeine. It seemed requisite to get through this. When Seth asked me to order him a mocha Frappuccino, I nearly crashed into the drive-thru window. â€Å"That's got caffeine in it,† I said. â€Å"I know. But they're really good. Maddie got me hooked on them.† We drove in utter silence for ten minutes after that. If not for Jerome's summoning, I would have said this was the most astonishing thing to happen to me in the last twenty-four hours. Seth was drinking caffeine. It was unheard of. He'd abstained from it for years, and despite my clear addiction and coaxing throughout our relationship, he'd never shown any interest of cracking. Yet, Maddie- Maddie! -had somehow gotten him to change? I don't know why I took such offense at that. Honestly, it was an inconsequential thing in the greater scheme of the universe. Still†¦I couldn't help feeling hurt. Well, maybe hurt wasn't the right word. Inadequate, perhaps. She'd gotten him to do something I couldn't. Why? Why her and not me? Was she more inspiring? Did he care about her more? â€Å"Is something wrong?† Seth finally asked. My silence and death grip on the steering wheel had probably tipped him off. â€Å"Nope,† I lied. â€Å"Just worried about all of this.† â€Å"You are not.† â€Å"I'm not worried about all this?† â€Å"Okay, you are. But that's not why you're upset right now. You're upset about this.† Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him wave the Frappuccino. After all this time, he still knew me. â€Å"That's stupid. Why would I care about that?† He sighed. â€Å"Because I know you. You're irritated that I did something I never said I'd do.† â€Å"Why should I care?† I replied stiffly. â€Å"I'm happy you're expanding your horizons.† The look he shot me told me he knew better. We reached the address Erik had given me without further argument, largely because we didn't talk. The house was an older rambler set on a huge yard that would have held an entire subdivision back in Seattle. Lawn ornaments-a deer and a gnome, to name a few-cluttered the grass, and wind chimes dangled on the porch. We knocked on the door, and several moments later, a woman in her late forties or early fifties answered. She had hair dyed an unnatural shade of red that put me in mind of Tawny's current hue. Her tight-fitting top pressed a lot of cleavage into her scoop neckline and was also not that far off from something Tawny might wear, albeit a little less tacky. The look the woman gave us wasn't unfriendly so much as curious. â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Hi,† I said. â€Å"Are you Mary Wilt-â€Å" † Oh my God! † she squealed. She had just done a double-take on Seth. â€Å"You're Seth Mortensen!† Seth stiffened and exchanged looks with me. â€Å"Well, yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her blue-shadowed eyes bugged as she practically drooled over him. â€Å"I can't believe it. I can't believe it! Seth Mortensen's on my porch! I recognize you from your website. I look at it every day. Every day . Oh my God. Oh my God ! I'm your biggest fan. Come in!† Seth looked like he wanted to bolt then and there, but I nudged him forward. This turn of events was a bit unexpected-and creepy-but could possibly work to our advantage. We stepped through the doorway. There was nothing particularly extraordinary about the inside of her house. The d? ¦cor was more modern than the outside suggested, all done in neutral shades. There was a bit of normal lived-in clutter and far more figurines than I found tasteful, but overall, it was a nice place. Some of the figurines were carved out of crystal, which I took as a good sign. â€Å"Come in, come in,† Mary gushed, beckoning toward the living room. â€Å"Sit, sit! Can I get you anything? Iced tea? Coffee? Tequila?† â€Å"Er, no. I'm fine,† said Seth, who was clearly becoming more and more uncomfortable with all of this. â€Å"Thank you.† He and I sat down on the couch, and Mary sat in an armchair across from us, leaning forward in a way that afforded an ample view of her breasts. â€Å"What can I do for you?† she asked. â€Å"Are you here to buy something? I'd do anything for you. Anything .† She grinned at Seth, making her â€Å"anything† intentions obvious. â€Å"You're so much cuter than I expected. Will you sign my books while you're here? I own all of them.† She gestured toward a set of shelves on the wall, and sure enough, Seth's books stood out prominently. I had been a longtime fan girl of Seth's before we started going out, and I wondered uneasily if I'd sounded this crazed and desperate way back when. She probably would have passed out if she'd known about the advanced copy Seth gave me. â€Å"Sure,† said Seth. â€Å"I'd, um, be happy to.† He elbowed me, no doubt in an effort to get me to state our business and save him. Still a little irritated from our car argument, I almost enjoyed watching him in her clutches. â€Å"We're actually not here to buy anything,† I told her. â€Å"We wanted to find out about a piece you might have recently made for someone.† Mary turned toward me, seeming to notice me for the first time. Her gleeful, ravenous expression dimmed and even turned a little suspicious. â€Å"Who are you again?† â€Å"Georgina. We're wondering if you recently made a piece for a client. A carved disc about this big with some sort of arcane symbol on it.† I approximated the size Carter had shown me. Her face grew more wary and pinched. â€Å"I can't say.† I frowned. â€Å"You don't remember?† She shook her head. â€Å"I keep records of all my pieces. But that's confidential. I can't give that kind of information away.† â€Å"This is really important,† I said. â€Å"We think†¦there may be a crime involved.† â€Å"Sorry, Giselle. I can't tell you about that. Not unless you're with the police or something.† â€Å"Georgina,† I corrected. Her adherence to client confidentiality was perfectly understandable-but well, I wasn't really concerned with what was morally correct right now. Giving Seth an elbow poke of my own, I hoped he'd jump in and use his author god power. It took him a few moments, but he did. â€Å"It would help us so much, Mary. We'd- I'd -really appreciate it.† He stumbled over the words a little, but from the way her face lit up, you'd think he'd just murmured the sexiest thing in her ear. â€Å"Oh, Seth,† she sighed. â€Å"I really would do anything for you†¦but, well, I do try to respect my clients' privacy. Surely a man like you understands that.† â€Å"Well, yeah, of course I-† I elbowed him again. He shot me a quick glare and then returned his gaze to her. â€Å"That is, I do understand, but like I said, this is really important.† Indecision warred on her face, and I kind of admired her principles. She actually looked uncrackable, and I had a feeling Seth wasn't going to be too much more assertive. Glancing beyond her, I noticed a hallway leading off to another part of the house. I keep records of all my pieces . â€Å"You're right,† I said abruptly. â€Å"We can't expect her to give out that kind of information. Right, Seth?† He turned to me again, giving me a curious glance. â€Å"Right?† It was more of a question than an agreement. Mary nearly melted in relief, her eyes all over Seth. â€Å"Oh, I knew you'd understand. I could tell right away that we think just alike. Kindred spirits and all that, you know? Just from the way you write I-â€Å" â€Å"Hey, Mary?† I interrupted. She looked over at me, again seeming astonished that I was still there. â€Å"Do you have a bathroom I could use?† â€Å"Bathroom?† she repeated, like it was a crazy concept. â€Å"It was a long drive,† I explained sweetly. â€Å"Besides, that'll give you and Seth a chance to get to know each other while he signs your books.† Her face brightened again, and she turned to Seth without another glance for me. â€Å"Oh, sure! That's a great idea, Georgia. It's down the hall.† I stood up. â€Å"Thanks.† Seth and I made brief eye contact. There was a look of both panic and wariness. He didn't want to be left alone. And he also knew I wouldn't give up the fight so easily. He suspected that I was up to something. He was right. I was about to go break into Mary's records.