Ancient democracy to present democracy Essay

The word democracy is derived from two Greek words, demos, which means people, and kratos, which means rule. Today the word has come to mean exactly that, ruled by the people. Many ancient political Greek philosophers would use the phrase â€Å"the governors are to be governed† which we can relate to today. Even though the Greek’s notion of democracy is dramatically different from our current democracy, it has been one of the most influential philosophies that have shaped the political thought of the United States. Ironically the term democracy is the most used term to describe the American government even though it has little meaning in our government today. The Athenian government was the first democracy known to the world. Athens had a government where all of the citizens took part in the decision making. Thus, everyone who qualified as a citizen could participate and did not have to be an elected representative. For one to be considered a citizen they first had to be born in Athens and had to be free. Next, once turned eighteen years of age he had to have at least two years of military training then serve in the navy or army. After he has served he could then vote. After the age of thirty he could be considered for council. The women of Athens were also considered to be citizen however they did not posses any political power. The Athenian democracy had three main branches which were the assembly, the council, and the jurymen. The assembly had the reasonability of making the policies for Athens. The assembly could be considered the legislative branch and it was made of eligible Athenian citizens. The council enforced administrative matters and the policies. They were also in control of the military and finances. The council was made of five hundred citizens and could be considered the executive branch. The jury men had the important yet tedious job of resolving disputes of the people. There were six thousand jurymen to manage this job in the courts. The Greeks of Athens had no single head of the government and no political parties. The United States has some similarities with Athenian democracy but very few. There are three branches, the legislative, executive, and the judicial which  are similar to the three branches of Athens’s government. The legislative branch is made of the Senate and the House of Representatives. They are in charge of making the laws of the states. The House of Representatives consists of a representative from each state. There is one representative from each district in the state. The district in each state depends on the population of the state. There are four hundred and thirty five members of the House. Each of them only serve for two years and then have to run for re-election. The Senate consists of one hundred members. Each state has two representatives in the Senate. The Senate has three times the amount of service time than the House. The Executive branch is the president and his cabinet. The president gets to appoint his cabinet which consists of several positions, the Secretary of State, Attorney General, National Security Advisor, and more. The judicial branch has nine justices as apposed to six thousand, one that serve as the Chief Justice. Once they are appointed by the president they serve for the rest of their lives. As you can see, the American democracy doesn’t quite fit the Greek’s definition of â€Å"democracy†. They have appointed officials that can dictate how the people live. The Greek democracy actually consisted of citizens that could participate in political issues without being elected or appointed.

India and Future of Asia Essay

Introduction- As the world increasingly acknowledges India’s rising power status, India is adapting its foreign policy to meet the international challenges of the 21st century and to increase its global influence and status. For many years, India took pride in its role as leader of the Non-Aligned Movement and viewed itself as the primary defender of the rights of the less developed countries. In the past few years, New Delhi has expanded its strategic vision, most noticeably in Asia, and has broadened the definition of its security interests. While India has focused special attention on cultivating ties to the United States since 2000, the overall thrust of its foreign policy has been to seek geopolitical partnerships in multiple directions to serve its national interests. It has pursued special relationships with the U.S., Russia, China, and key European countries. In June 2006, Indian Defense Minister Pranab Mukherjee (the current foreign minister) described India’s foreign policy: â€Å"Premised on the twin policies of no extra-territorial ambition and no export of ideology, India seeks the peaceful resolution of all disputes.† He went on to say that â€Å"[s]imultaneous improvement in ties with the U.S., EU, and Russia and Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, and China demonstrates that for the first time in its diplomatic history, India is forging significant strategic ties with both West and East Asia.† Broadening Indian engagement across the globe, especially in Asia, is in the U.S. interest and should be further encouraged. Washington’s and New Delhi’s strategic perceptions are increasingly converging, and there is tremendous opportunity to cooperate and coordinate in this dynamic region. Because India is a fellow democracy without hegemonic interests and with a propensity to seek peaceful resolution of conflicts, its increased economic and political involvement in Asia will help to further overall U.S. goals in the region. India’s involvement in Asia will help both to ensure that one country does not dominate the area and to encourage stability in a region that will take center st age in the 21st century. The period since India adopted the new economic paradigm and the LEP has witnessed substantial transformation of its global relations, including with the rest of Asia. This has primarily been due to the recognition of India’s increasing capacities to address its developmental challenges, and the potential of its soon to be USD 1000 billion economy to provide substantial commercial opportunities. India has grown at an annual rate of nearly 6 % per annum since 1980. Contrary to perceptions, India has been able to sustain high levels of growth without significantly increasing income inequality8. India has no parallel in managing relatively peaceful and democratic transfer of political and economic power among different social classes. It thus appears that India’s growth experience has been inclusive, though there is no room for complacency. Compared to East Asia, India’s growth strategy has relied relatively more on domestic markets, consumption rather than investments, decentralized entrepreneurial rather than state-led development9, and on financial and capital market intermediation in allocation of savings10 (Das, 2006; Huang, 2006, Morgan Stanley, 2006). India’s de-facto growth strategy is consistent with bottoms-up diagnostic approach to reforms advocated by Rodrik. However as India begins to pursue policies leading to higher savings and investments,11 and as the role of external sector increases12, differences in India’s growth characteristics on the one hand and those of East Asia may narrow13. India is also attempting to develop a robust diversified manufacturing base14 (Bradsher, 2006); and modernize its agricultural and plantation sectors. The emphasis is thus on creating a more balanced and resilient economy, and increasing India’s share in the world economy. India’s growth strategy and trajectory thus provide an avenue for global risk diversification for businesses and investors from around the world. India ranked 43rd on the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) moving up two places from last year. India scored well in indicators relating to innovation and sophistication of firm operations as well as in adoption of technologies from abroad. However weaknesses remain in the large budget deficit, (about 9 per cent of GDP), inadequate infrastructure investments, low level of efficiency in delivery of governance services, and a need for wider access to and improvements in quality of health and educational services. India in the changing scenario- So many things is changing in India. The launching of the manufacturing industry, the new importance given agriculture, the good, even excellent, level of scientific training, openings in the financial sector†¦ all generate optimism and international interest in a country with the possibility of achieving the highest growth rate in the coming 50 years. India enjoys this potential despite problems like monumental bureaucracy and lack of infrastructure. Meanwhile, democracies and a smoother path of development than China’s appear to be holding possible social agitation at bay. The novelty is not so much the policy of the new government of the Congress party: in power for just a year, it has hardly had the time to implement any real changes. The rampant India which emerged from the rule of defeated Nationalist party, Janata, has certainly not disappeared; thanks to use of English, this India focused on the services sector, primarily computers and also international de-localization of computerization and call centers. However, such a model is no longer viewed as an end goal to reach in the future. Even in India, euphoria and riches even excesses generated by the so-called new economy for a few to enjoy, have given way to a realization that the â€Å"old† economy is still relevant after all. International trends especially the lack of energy and increase in prices of petroleum and other raw materials have in fact revealed how the famous â€Å"light† development, based primarily on factory chimneys, is limited in its incomes evanescence saving on, and at the end of the day, it is immaterial. This new awareness has led to an overall change of direction. This means a new emphasis on: manufacturing industries, like textile industries; primary sources, like energy; exportation of certain raw materials, like iron minerals. And certainly not least in importance, agriculture has today become once again the focus of attention, that old Cinderella of the Indian economy, neglected and portrayed as the legacy of an archaic society, although a large proportion of the population still depends on it. Today, it has been recast as a strong point of some export industries like the textile sector, which can make the most of local availability of cotton to successfully counter the near-monopoly China enjoys in this market. In this overall change in direction, the government, for its part, is seeking to regain lost ground in comparison with Asian giants, China and Japan at least one year in guaranteeing energy sources for the industrial sector. In these very weeks, a diplomatic offensive is under way to ensure resources of petrolium and other raw materials wherever possible, not only in traditional and logical choices of Indian territory, but also in places both geographically and culturally distant, like Latin America. Re-orientation towards the manufacturing industry is certainly a consequence of changing trends at international level, but it also falls within the strategy of the Congress Party currently in power, which still enjoys a strong working-class base. Anyhow, the traditional style of industry, typical of a socialist and working class party, holds several winning cards. The new stimulus in the manufacturing industry is a key factor in determining the future of all societal structures. On the one hand, it provides more interesting and better paid jobs, on the other it calls for more qualified human resources, for training, ongoing commitment and improved tuition in economics, maths and computers. All this requires secondary and tertiary education systems which ensure proper scientific and technological teaching. So there is more than low salaries behind the meteoric growth spurt of India and China. The secret probably lies in the swift upgrading of training and tough selection, based on merit, of students. This is confirmed by the preference shown by American enterprises and research institutes for graduates from the Indian Institute of Technology. Indian excellence in mathematics has always been well known the numbers of the decimal system used for calculation are of Indian origin and more recently, Indians have now been shining at physics too. In view of all this, few would imagine that the expansion of manufacturing in India would be limited to the textile and computer industries alone. Already today, India is promoting itself, with high hopes of success, as a base for the de-localization of strategic industries like aerospace. In this sector, India can count on the importance of avionics, that is, of electronic control systems. India could exploit its dominance in the computer sector, as well as the low cost of a workforce which is highly qualified in science and engineering. Development opportunities are considerable even in the telecommunications sector, in the automobile industry especially in the spare parts sector, after foreign participation of up to 100% of investment was liberalized in 2002 and in pharmaceutical che mistry, as well as food industry. Indian economic growth is not due to external factors, a consequence of general Asia-wide expansion. Rather it is a gradual process over a long period, even if not everyone is involved. Dalits, that is pariahs, are still marginalized. The growth rate of India before this global slowdown was nearly 8%. With such growth rates, in 2022, the overall size of the Indian economy will surpass that of the UK, its former colonial master. According to research undertaken by Deutsche Bank, in 2020 India and China would have left Japan behind at fourth place, while the US would still take first place as the largest economy. Compared to China, India’s economic growth rate, although considerable, has not flourished so much in recent years, and it is inferior by around 20%. However, India and Malaysia will surpass China in terms of economic expansion rates within the next 15 years, most of all thanks to demographic expansion, to the increased size of the population’s working-age bracket. While the China’s average growth rate will be around 5.2% per year, that of India will be 5 .5% and that of Malaysia, 5.4%. So China will soon have to pay in economic terms for its one-child policy. According to Goldman Sachs, India’s economic growth will beat China’s from 2015 onwards. Dominic Wilson of Goldman Sachs said: â€Å"India has the potential to produce the highest growth rate in the next 50 years with an average of 5% per year over that entire period. The growth of China is predicted to fall below 5% around 2020.† However, India is meeting obstacles along the road towards growth. First because large sectors of the population, not only dalits but also peasants, are cut out And in the long term, development along two tracks of very different speeds is not sustainable: the risk is that profound and endemic social exclusion from new-found wellbeing will take root in unmanageable massive cities, a situation which would have clearly explosive potential. Another tough obstacle in the way of development is the imposing fiscal deficit of the public sector, both central and local. According to the International Monetary Fund, this deficit, at around 10% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) puts economic development at risk both because of insufficient fiscal collection as well as increased public debt, a carryover from previous decades. This constitutes a real risk because the financial system, and especially banks, are naturally obliged to favor investment in public debt stocks, which are considered, rightly or wrongly, to be more secure. This even if lessons could have been learnt from Argentina, although there were differences between that case and India’s. The end result is that savings are not pumped into productive activities and the capital market then lacks liquid cash. The state of the Indian stock exchange has so far been determined by decisions of big foreign institutional investors, the funds of specialized stocks investment in emergent countries. Certainly the 26 October decision of the Central Bank to keep the discount rate at 6%, the lowes t since 1973, is a positive one for industrial development. Also positive was the recent government decision to allow, in the near future, investment in shares of up to 5% of the value of the patrimony of private pension funds. However, these measures are insufficient to maintain sustainable development in the long-term. Besides, the current debts of India’s pension system constitute a hidden risk, although, as in Europe, they are about to be shared, not accumulated, meaning that future generations will be called upon to square the bills of those who work today. But, as in Europe, if demographic growth is stalled, the commitments, or better the lies, of the past will eventually impact on all society. Faced with estimates which foresee that future pension commitments will be increased by around 40% of the GDP, measures which the Indian government apparently intends to propose are too timid. Yet another obstacle standing in the path of Indian economic development is an endemic lack of infrastructure: roads and highways, bridges, airports and ports require important investment, but they are not completely compatible with the current state of public finances. Other urgent and hefty investments regard energy production and distribution plants. In these infrastructures, as well as for oil refineries, it would be possible to resort to private and foreign investment. However, complications caused by electricity tariffs established for political reasons have not permitted such a solution so far. The unresolved problem is guarantees of remuneration of capital , Enron, which went bankrupt some years ago. Such incidents are proof of the intricate web of powers and the widespread rivalry between local authorities and central government, which has a paralytical impact on global finance which deals in such transactions. Not least in this list of woes are health and education problems in rural areas. Contradicting aspects are inherent in India’s health system. On the one hand, it offers pockets of excellence in some private sectors, which have served to draw patients from all over the region to Indian clinics. In such structures, it is possible to conduct operations comparable to those in western countries and at a vastly inferior price. On the other hand, however, the total cost of health spending does not exceed 0.9% of the GDP, much less, even half what other countries at a similar stage of development would spend. It is this aspect which best illustrates the contradiction between optimism engendered by economic market growth and a group of significant social indicators. The bottom line is that although India’s development process is certainly more smooth than China’s its income redistribution curve is evolving in a more uniform manner and the middle classes are increasing in size and also in income per capita much remains to be done so that the marginalized are not excluded from the country’s growth. Two factors certainly confirm the initial optimism about India’s future and they guide estimates on its economic growth. One initial reason for optimism comes from the existence of valid internal financial markets, more because of their structures and regulations based on British standards than for their size. According to Richard Batty of Standard Life Investments, the balance of economic global power will change radically in the next 50 years and the stock market could provide an average annual yield of 10% in this period. The second reason for optimism is to be found in Indian political institutions, which although far from perfect, are nonetheless able to allow for changes in power. This offers a precious guarantee of stability which China, for example, cannot offer. Despite their limitations, especially at local level, Indian political institutions appear better able than their Chinese counterparts to better reconcile various sectors of the population. Triangle of India, China and Pakistan- Indian policy-makers have been facing a great challenge today to construct a peace-oriented but pragmatic long-term policy framework in an atmosphere where its neighbour Pakistan is hell bent for MAD (mutual assured destruction) persuasions and China is modernizing itself fast with DF-31 and DF-41 missile programmes along with MIRV (multiple independent re-entry vehicle) potentials. The shadow of the ghost of cold war days are still moving around and the principles of real politik are significantly being included in inter-national agenda. Recently held International Defence Exhibition And Seminar (IDEAS 2000 Pakistan) between 14th to 17th November at Karachi with its theme â€Å"Arms For Peace† and China as a significant participant could be perceived as catalytic to the rise of arms race in the South Asian region. On 17th November, Sonmiani Tactical Firing Range in Pakistan witnessed an unprecedented show of arms and ammunitions in its f ull range. Air Officer Commanding of the Southern Air Command Air Marshal Parvez Iqbal Mirza, while boasting the might of Pakistan defence, said to the attending guests that â€Å"all Pakistan-made weapons and ammunitions, which was of NATO standard, could not be displayed at the demonstration and only selective weapons would be shown off†. Few remarkable demonstrations at the exhibition were – Super Mashshak Trainer (produced at Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, Kaura), Karakoram-8 advanced jet trainer (co-produced by Pakistan and China), MirageIIIs, mobility display of Al-Khalid and Al-Zarrar main battle tank (a joint venture of Pakistan, China and Ukraine), T-59 IIM tanks, T-85-2APS, Anza MK-11 missiles, Ghauri and Shaheen missiles. Even the Pakistani sources confirm that never before Pakistan had put on display its full range of military might. And unlike any other initiative of Pakistan in the past, these military demonstrations were wedded to â€Å"show of strength† configured against India. Also, it was a psychological display of Pakistan’s claim for military self-confidence in the wake of mounting international pressure on Pakistan, especially from the U.S, to go slow on military hardware and to stop abetting the terrorist groups. In such upcoming adverse condition, Pakistan while on the one hand has been trying to reinforce its confidence amongst the Islamic states, on the other hand, apart from the clandestine supports from China, it has been pressing for new strategic and military partnerships. Ever since its coming into existence, the fundamental goal of Pakistan’s foreign and defence policies has been of â€Å"defiance† of international norms and values and to co-opt the tools that destabilise India’s territorial integrity and domestic tranquility. Defiance of international norms means violating the principles of non-interference in other country’s domestic affairs, or for that matter to launch attack on other’s territory. The nature of Pakistani involvement in Afghanistan during and after the cold war has always been a subject of international criticism and condemnation. Further, Pakistani statesmen and academia for the reasons only known to them are still justifying al l previous five misadventures of Pakistan against India. More so, Pakistan is being labeled as supporter to several terrorist outfits round the globe, and considered as a hot pursuant of weapons of mass destruction. Pakistan’s missile and nuclear development programmes are being increasingly encouraged by the Chinese politics towards the regional strategic triangle involving Pakistan, India and China. Subsequently, the regional adversaries not separately but jointly against India are raising the prospect of an arms race breaking out between India and China. Of course Pakistan has been acting and responding in a manner that definitely exceeds its strategic defence requirements. Hence, it is imperative to the Indian policy-makers to comprehensively understand, analyse and foresee the complexities and contours of Chinese international and regional behaviours. Evoking a sense of â€Å"mystery and fear† in international relations has long been a significant foreign policy characteristic of China. Historically, it is an aggressive and expansionist state. And in the post cold-war world, with regard to South Asian security environment China is likely to take moves on two basic premises – one related to the Sino-U.S relations, and the other directly linked to India. First, while advocating for multi-polar world order, China desires to become a potential alternative centre of power in any given international system. For this reason, despite glaring limitations in technological advancements in China, they inadvertently find the clash of interests with America at almost all the present and prospective conflict areas of the world. South Asia is definitely not any exception to it. The recent improvements in U.S-India ties and the increasing gulf between the U.S and Pakistan are being seen as direct threat to the Chinese predominance in this region. Subsequently the mutual distrust and misperceptions between China and the U.S.A, on the one hand, directly affect the Sino-U.S relations and, on the other hand, indirectly but substantially it would affect the South Asian regional security configurations. It may further provide scope for Pakistan to take more strides towards misadventures against India. Second, China desires to remain the sole â€Å"power† state in the Asian region. The rapid growth in Indian economy, especially its IT sector, together with the convincing progress in Indian defence advancements pose direct threat to the Chinese dominance in the region. Whether India is being referred directly or not in the Chinese world propositions, it is a fact today that India matters a lot to the Chinese strategic thinkers. Now, it is understandable by several means that Beijing could face considerable, if not devastating, reaction if anything done undesirable or against the vital interest of New Delhi. After all, future possibility of ‘engagement’ or ‘containment’ depends mainly in the development of India’s strategic build-ups. Chinese moves to contain the Indian strength are based on its policy of â€Å"encirclement of India†. Long back in 1983 U.S intelligence agencies had reported that China had transferred a complete nuclear weapon design of 25 KT nuclear bomb to Pakistan and had been helping to Pakistani centrifuge programme. Again in 1986, it was revealed that China sold Tritium (that is used to achieve fusion in a nuclear device) to Pakistan and Chinese scientists assisted Pakistan with the production of weapons-grade fissile material (Uranium) at A.Q.Khan laboratory, Kahuta. Further, in 1991, Wall Street Journal reported that Pakistan was buying nuclear-capable M-11 missiles from China. In addition, apart from the controversial Chinese sale of 5000 ring magnets, China has also been involved in transferring M-9 missiles to Pakistan. Thus, China has long been recklessly providing Pakistan with nuclear technology, conventional weaponry and missile systems to keep Pakistan’s ambitions high against Indian defence preparedness. Subsequently, by keeping the Pakistan-India hostility alive, China acts on the two-pronged foreign policy towards India. Further, towards its policy of â€Å"encirclement of India†, China has also established a radar base in Coco island (belonging to Myanmar) that is only a gunshot away from the Indian Andmand and Nicobar islands. More so, recently the Indian Coast Guards that raised apprehensions across the Indian line of defence interrupted a Chinese trawler fitted with modern electronic surveillance equipments off the Indian shores. In addition, it has been widely reported of Chinese move of deployment of nuclear forces in Tibet and other bordering provinces and the advancements towards Chinese DG-25 missiles are being specially planned as counter move to Indian development of Agni II and III missiles. It has also been reported that a further upgrade of Hong Niano-3 (HN-3) is now being developed with range increased to 2.500Km for ship, submarine and aircraft launch. India’s motivation towards its strategic defence build-up flies in the face of conventional wisdom with recently achieve d vigour of deterring the Chinese threat of â€Å"encirclement of India†. And the proclamation of the Indian Defence Minister George Fernandes just after the launch of Agni II that â€Å"with this launch, no one, from anywhere, will dare to threaten us from now†, wisely stages India at a considerable level across the spectrum of rivaling strengths in the South Asian region. Although Indian moves for weaponisation programmes are primarily driven by the combined hostile attitudes of its neighbours, this may further lead Pakistan to more destructive engagements against India. The present environment of this region is so complicated, that even after a decade since the end of cold war, the western and Indian scholars have been facing difficulty in coming out with any definitive future trend in the South Asian strategic arrangements. In such volatile circumstances, the Standing Committee on Defence in its Report projects the level of Indian defence readiness as â€Å"The Kargil conflict of 1999 has been referred as wake-up call†. It includes the long -term vision and planning for enhancing the defence capabilities. No doubt, the real and immediate need for India today is a solid back up of conventional hardware. Priorities are to be delimited for the speedy acquisition of defence equipment and technologies. Overestimation of indigenous potential in a given period of time may lead to further delays and might cost wastage of valuable resources. Areas of strengths and weaknesses are to be carefully drawn and closely monitored for effective conventional warfare in time of need. No doubt, it is proud to hold ‘minimum credible nuclear deterrence’, but at the same time ‘ignorance’ or ‘negligence’ on its ‘command and control’ mechanism part may prove fatal for the nation. Only an effective inter-linkage within C-3I (Command, Control, Communication and Intelligence) could really boost the inner strength in holding the â€Å"nuclear button†, and to maintain some level of ascertained minimum deterrence capability. As far as dealing with international environment is concerned, tough task ahead for India is to maintain and build better India-U.S relations and to re-strengthen the hands of cooperation with Russia. It is always preferable for India to go for constructive engagement with China along with other interested partners than to seek Pakistani engagement only due to domestic compulsions. Last but not least, at first, to have a healthy relationship with China, India needs to break the mental blockade of its past experience. After all, now onwards India is a declared nuclear weapon power state with an emerging strong economy.

Global and International Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Global and International - Essay Example Magon focused on the manufacture of winemaking, which served as a platform for agricultural activities of the Roman. The Romans acclaimed Magon’s treatise and regarded it as valuable. Consequently, the Romans transferred the treatise to Rome upon the obliteration of Carthage. The Romans translated the dissertation into the Latin language. The Byzantines, Vandals and Romans, proceeded with the production of wine in Tunisia. On the other hand, the Arab leaders repressed the production of wine after Tunisia was conquered in the 8th Century AD. The large-scale production of wine in Tunisia returned in 1881 after the French invasion. The French anticipated the benefits derived from Tunisia’s soil and climate that is naturally suitable for the production of wine. The French numerous huge vineyards for the production of wine created to French standards. However, the dynamics of production in Tunisia changed in 1956 after attaining independence. The citizens of Tunisia fully controlled the production of wine. The situation is similar presently. Numerous varied vineyards and domains currently exist in Tunisia. Nevertheless, Tunisia is yet to attain the full potential of wine production. Subsequently, the country exports minimal wine to outside countries. The drawback in realization of full potential of wine is reprehensible. The wine that Tunisia produces matches international standards. Therefore, Tunisia can compete favorably with other countries whose terrains produce exceptional wine. Tunisia offers quality and tasty wine for oenophiles inside the nation at low cost. By 2008, the area in Tunisia covered with vineyards was 31,000 hectares. Of the total land covered by vineyards, 108,000 acres is dedicated to grapes that are utilized in wine making. The major varieties of grapes found in the vineyards of Tunisia are identical to grapes in southern France. The similarity occurs because of the indulgence of France in Tunisia’s

Employee Involvement. Do employee involvement programs improve Essay

Employee Involvement. Do employee involvement programs improve organizational performance Discuss with reference to a minimum of four empirical studies - Essay Example Employee engagement provides them with opportunities to face off with challenging work tasks that require critical thinking to solve, thereby encouraging creativity in the workforce, which eventually becomes a great source of competitive advantage for the organization (Suhasini & Babu 2013, p.146). In that respect, a highly engaged workforce is able to acquire and develop exceptional talents, skills and experience in organizational tasks, thereby becoming extremely effective and reliable in accomplishing tasks while promoting the overall performance of the firm accordingly. The highly diversified talents possessed by an organization’s workforce are its greatest resource because they are its source of competitive advantage and without which the firm cannot function in the face of the highly complex and dynamic global business environment. The complex challenges facing organizations today require massive talent and skills, which can only be developed through creative thinking an d engagement at the workplace, but that cannot happen until the workforce is highly engaged in the intricate workplace environment. Effective talent management at the workplace through quality human resource management practices is a vital precursor to high organizational performance because it eventually inspires confidence and loyalty in the workforce, thereby earning their unending commitment to the firm (Abdulkadir, Isiaka, & Adedoyin, 2012 p.124). Precisely, employee engagement at the workplace makes them feel not only appreciated, but also acknowledged; thus, employee engagement raises their levels of self-esteem, as well as self-worth, and their motivation in organizational tasks inevitably rises eventually leading to high organizational performance eventually. A highly motivated workforce is every organization’s key strategic resource for winning competition and

Compare soccer in Brazil and football in America Essay

Compare soccer in Brazil and football in America - Essay Example Subsequently, rugby originating from England’s rugby school crossed the Atlantic to America, and developed into the sport of American football. The purpose of this paper is to compare different aspects of Brazilian soccer and American football. Comparison of Brazilian Soccer and American Football According to Bellos (2009), the world-famous game of Brazilian soccer is significant for the immese skills of its individual players, which surpass team tactics. Rather than physical challenges or long-distance passes, dribbles and flicks are preferred, and players’ techniques have all the elements of dance. Thus, Brazilian soccer is made up of a combination of athletes and artists. Not only the rest of the world, but Brazilians also define themselves by their Soccer. Bellos (2009) observes that the game symbolizes racial harmony, flamboyance, youth, innovation, and skill, and is also a microcosm of the country itself, including its contradictions. American football is an all-a ction team sport, states Gifford (2009). The development of the National Football League of professional players, did not affect the popularity of college football throughout the United States. The teams in major colleges have considerable fan following, and the game is played in very large stadiums, thereby providing financial support for the game. Both sports have eleven players on each side. The most apparent difference between soccer and American football is that in soccer the ball is kicked by the players who are not allowed to use their hands for playing; while only the goalkeeper is allowed to handle the ball (Goncalves, 1998). Jeromski (2010) supports this, stating that â€Å"in soccer the hands are strictly forbidden from touching the ball, while in American football they are an integral part of ball movement†. Thus, American football permits the throwing of the ball. A lot of practice is required for throwing the ball successfully. (Gifford, 2009, p.16) explains tha t â€Å"the thrower steps forward, turning his hips and shoulders to face the target. The ball is released with a flick of the wrist to help it spin and travel smoothly towards its target†. Further, soccer balls are round in shape; while American football uses oval-shaped balls. In soccer, a goal is scored by putting the ball into a net made up of two posts and a crossbar, and is worth one point (Woods & Owen, 2011). Similarly, in American football, a touch down is scored at the end zone, over a touch-line. Thus, when a receiver catches a ball from a quarterback, he avoids getting tackled, and runs into the end zone. This touchdown is worth 6 points, and is the score that the players aim for. According to Gifford (2009, p.8), â€Å"despite its name, a touchdown does not mean that the ball has to touch the ground. To score, a player must carry the ball into the end zone or catch it in the end zone†. Further, in a soccer game, the play is open, fluid and continuous; on t he other hand in a game of American football, â€Å"the teams move down the field in increments, one play at a time† (Jeromski, 2010). A soccer game extends for a total of over 90 minutes (Goncalves, 1998), and is divided into two halves. On the other hand, a game of American football lasts for a total of just 60 minutess, and consists of four 15-minute-long quarters. However, the full game may extend to three to four hours, if overtime is played between teams

Controlling at UPS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Controlling at UPS - Essay Example As the report declares UPS has a firmly entrenched management development process that begins the first day of hire for a manager. This managerial development process is UPS’ method to instill effective planning within its daily operations as well as its overall strategy in response to constant innovation in its industry. Again, it’s one derived from the founder’s philosophy of â€Å"constructive dissatisfaction† which stipulates that management should never be content because operations are working, but should continually search for ways to improve on the positive. This paper stresses that when management is ingrained with this type of corporate culture it learns to plan as a matter of practice. UPS could not effectively be the company it is if each individual manager at each level treated his or her own area of responsibility as a fiefdom since each department relies on the functions of so many others. To institute this structured management training and to instill in employees that sense of responsibility and trust in the training of others to perform in the same manner, UPS has traditionally instituted all training in a classroom environment. Because UPS daily moves 6% of the Nation’s GDP, operates the 11th largest airline in the world, has the largest private wireless network, and operates the largest DB2 database outside of government. UPS has begun to incorporate its training and indoctrination programs into its corporate technology infrastructure: â€Å"The information services side of UPS recently transitioned much of its learni ng to an e-learning format†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .

Facebook Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Facebook - Essay Example Ashley Watson lists Starbucks, Victoria’s Secret, Zara, McDonalds, H&M, Taco Bell, Subway, Lacoste, Hollister and Forever as the top ten most liked retailers advertising on Facebook and claims they are selling themselves on the site as they discovered it as an innovative way of letting themselves be known to consumers. The advertisers on Facebook generally let their products known on the networking site because of the number of people they can reach as friends of targeted consumers see what they are engaged with when they click on the like button below the pictures of advertisers (Stambor). In addition, Facebook advertising is cheaper on the part of the retailers while they are still able to reach more consumers with the help of their prospects’ free advertisements tot their friends. As mentioned earlier in the ads of Facebook, retailers are also able to interact with customers, telling them more about their products and answering questions which makes consumers appreciate or give suggestions to the retailers. Being the top among the ten retailers mentioned earlier, Starbucks gained its status with a well done Facebook page (Lee) where they communicate with their customers, updating them with new products, promotions and other pertinent information that engage their fans. One noted activity of the retailer is giving away free products when they print out invitations from their advertisement on the networking site which increased their production within the promotional period. Another retailer that took great advantage of the site’s advertisement page is the controversial Taco Bell (Lee, Singer) with the lawsuit claiming its Taco fillings do not meet the standard requirement of the USDA to be labeled as beef, the retailer used Facebook to pacify consumers. It is giving away ten million coupons to those who like them on Facebook which consequently entitles them for free Tacos and the more than five million followers of Taco Bell

ECE 330 Assignments 1 & 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ECE 330 Assignments 1 & 2 - Essay Example Recently, there have been cases of Ebola, a disease, outbreak in the world. There have been reported cases of Ebola in the United States of America. The case of Ebola is a good example of new information that has had to pass through my human memory system. The disease is quite dangerous and is spread by direct contact with infected persons. Storing of this new information and organizing it in my memory, is a process which is systematic. Ebola being a disease had to be stored next to other similar words which are diseases such as HIV and STI’S. My human memory system then broke down this information further by classifying Ebola as an infectious disease that is spread by direct contact with an infected person’s blood or fluids. This information was, thus, stored next to other infectious diseases, for example, HIV. The new information gained about Ebola was stored in my long term memory because I paid more attention to the information by reading it often. The human memory system is made up of three main elements or three memories. They are the sensory, working and long term memories. Information that is gathered is normally stored in any of the three memories (Schater et al, 2010). When Ebola broke out in Africa, it was just simple news to me since I don’t reside in Africa. This new information was first stored in my sensory memory. Information gathered by our senses is first stored in the sensory memory on a temporary basis. One is able to decide whether to pay more attention to the information and transfer it to our working memory for processing or dismiss the information. In this case, I dismissed the information since it was an outbreak that was affecting only one continent. This new information was not stored. The disease, however, appeared again on the news. It had spread to America. I was compiled to pay more attention. The new information was first stored in the sensory

Organic solar cells Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Organic solar cells - Essay Example Solar energy is a potential alternative to the production of energy with petroleum. The present solar-cell technology’s energy yield is often not the same and mass-production proves expensive. There is incomplete information of the solar energy production’s total effect on environment. A research team at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) carried out one of the first assessments of the life-cycle of organic solar cells in an attempt to develop a better understanding of the detriments and environmental benefits of solar power. The research was directed at the calculation of total use of energy and impact of material collection, production, fabrication, and use of organic solar cells on the environment by means of a detailed assessment of the technology. As a result of this research, it was found that the total amount of energy needed to make a product is more for the conventional inorganic devices in comparison to the organic solar cells. The assistant professor of chemical engineering, Brian Landi, who has served as a faculty advisor in this research project at RIT says, â€Å"This analysis provides a comprehensive assessment of how much energy it takes to manufacture an organic solar cell, which has a significant impact on both the cost and environmental impact of the technology† (Landi cited in Dube). Organic solar cells are considered to be low-cost as well as potentially benign power sources environmentally. The components of organic solar cells that play the role of absorbing light and taking the charge i.e. Ï€-Conjugated (semiconducting) polymers cannot be made in the laboratories in amenable ways to the manufacturing with low impact on the environment. Organic solar cells are lightweight and flexible. Their tendency to provide the cost effective solution processing generates a range of benefits for manufacturing over the technologies of the

Social media Essay Example for Free

Social media Essay The power of Web 2. 0 was a turning point for internet. It enabled formerly linear information traffic to become multifaceted and multidirectional. In the process, it also allowed information to be more substantial and concentrated. Thus, knowledge and intelligence became readily accessible to anyone and the readily available information is richer and more substantial to the users. However, there are several points of contention with Web 2. 0. The very definition of the word is a concern. Those who are willing and able to define it came up with a definition too long and complicated o be understood in its entirety. Those who perceived the definitions got lost in the way, while some easily gave up. Without the concise definition for the jargon it will remain difficult to comprehend what it embodies. Secondly, the entertainment industry may feel threatened by this new open media where everyone is instantly getting their ten seconds of fame. Web 2. 0 is taking away the difficult stage of getting screened to become a talent. In fact, it only opens the media more. It embraces performers, regardless if they have talent or if they are simply funny. Privacy is also put into question. Because Web 2.0 entails sharing of information, there is the great chance for information to be accessed despite security measures. Sources agreed that the privacy issues are not exclusive to social websites such as Multiply, Friendster, Facebook, and others of its kind. Even legitimate websites with educational and professional content can fall prey to intrusion. It is also alarming that not all users are very concerned, or careful. Yet given these disadvantages, it should be noted that Web 2. 0 has its advantages too. It enriched publicly available information, creating a massive information framework with data coming from different sources. It also expedited and added quality to editing this available information, because visitors are also users and are able to add or edit information and serve comments and suggestions instantly. Web 2. 0 revolutionized the web and its users and will undoubtedly continue doing so until it develops to something larger. To make this complicated term easier to understand, it is worth noting that Web 2. 0 has several characteristics. On top of all those, one stands through. Web 2. 0 is all about collective intelligence that happens spontaneously and continuously. It is seen in Wikipedia, Blogger, Multiply, and many other networking and enterprise websites. It is seen in Linux’s and Microsoft’s forums, and many other companies who have embraced the power of the consumers. The advantages outdid the disadvantages, and the benefits of the process proved it recommendable for the use of every netizen who needs and uses information. Recommendations To ensure that Web 2. 0 gives more of its benefits than the disadvantages, the users will have to play a crucial role in controlling it. First, the issue of complicatedness should no longer be a problem. The topic of definition is continually being discussed. The jargons used to define Web 2. 0 four or three years ago were now translated into layman-friendly terms. Thus, with a little research, one can get the concise meaning of the word and be able to understand it. The openness of the media should also be regarded as a positive development. Entertainment movers should take it as an opportunity to find hidden talent with less expense and effort. Looking at the situation, Web 2. 0 provides an avenue for creators to meet investors—talents to find promoters, writers to find publishers, and many more similar pairs. In turn, people who have become popular in their respective industries should not feel threatened. Instead, they can opt to provide help for aspirants, or simply serve as inspiration. On the other hand, online performers should note that what they post publicly on the internet becomes available worldwide. In fact, even if one chooses to post something for the consumption of a selected few audiences, there is still a way for intruders to get their hands on these information. Privacy practices should be observed properly and with strict attention. Awareness and monitoring are additional practices that will help alleviate security concerns in the use of social media. Lastly, it is recommended that social websites and Web 2. 0 media organizers maintain monitoring and proofreading of the content being posted in their websites. It should be noted that because Web 2. 0 is an open media, this opens people to the opportunity to put up inappropriate content. Regular checks on posted content and appropriate editing and tagging will help lessen these problems on inappropriate content, which can greatly affect the services of the website and the image of the company behind it. The Web 2. 0 may be a complicated thing, but it should be accepted that it is something that is readily happening today. It is the new internet, the greatest things that has happened to the web so far. While many businesses are still unsure about plunging into the Web 2. 0 trend for their enterprises, it has gone big on an individual level. Having a blog or being a member of a social networking site or contributing to a forum or an online encyclopedia is no longer surprising. In fact, it has become a way of life for most. This proves that Web 2. 0 is more than just hype. It is business, education, and life for its current users and those to come. References Advantages and disadvantages of social media and Web 2. 0. 2008. Retrieved May 8, 2008, from http://compassioninpolitics. wordpress. com/2008/02/01/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-social-media/ Anderson, P. 2007. What is Web 2. 0: Ideas, technologies, and implications for education. Retrieved May 8, 2008, from http://www. jisc. ac. uk/media/documents/techwatch/tsw0701b. pdf

Biological Positivism and Crime | Dissertation Proposal

Biological Positivism and Crime | Dissertation Proposal Introduction â€Å"Our society has decided that man is a creature born of free will. At the same time, our system recognises that attitudes may be influenced by environmental factors.† (Taylor, 1984: 9) Adults who engage in criminal conduct are seen as having values which are distorted by adverse environmental conditions. â€Å"Guilt then is premised upon the concept that everyone who commits an act does so out of an exercise of free will. A person is fully capable of not committing the act, should he or she so desire.† (Taylor, 1984: 10) This approach is referred to as the ‘classicist approach’. Classicists have achieved near-total victory in the recent years resulting in our criminal justice system being founded upon the concept that criminal behaviour is the complete result of environmental influences, that it is nurture that shapes conduct. This has caused our social institutions to attempt to correct deviant behaviour through modification to environmental influences through prison and rehabilitation programmes. The number of offences recorded by the police in the UK between June 2012 and June 2013 is 3.7 million (Office for National Statistics, 2013). It needs to be questioned whether this crime level is the result of a troubled society or the result of a breakdown in the criminal justice system? Recidivism is still occurring with more than one in four criminals reoffending within a year of release (Ministry of Justice, 2013). A possible reason for this could be that the whole premise on which we base our criminal justice is defective. If this classicist premise is wrong then it is no wonder that recidivism is continuing to happen and that as a society we are failing to eradicate crime. If the actual cause of crime is identified then there is the potential of eliminating crime, easing pain, and instilling common trust and security. Stephen Mobley had all the attributes of a natural born killer. At the age of 25, he walked into a pizza store and shot the manager in the neck after robbing the till. Nobody could blame his upbringing – he came from a white, middle-class American family and had not been abused as a child. In 1995 he was waiting on death row in Georgia to hear whether his appointment with the electric chair was confirmed. His lawyer tried to plea that his murder was not the evil result of free will but the tragic consequence of a genetic predisposition. His aunt, a witness for the defence, testified that various members of their family over the past four generations have been very violent, aggressive and criminal. She told the court how the Mobley family had had murder, rape, robbery, and suicide. His lawyer therefore argued that there is no legal defence to Mobley’s crime. Mobley’s family history is an obvious mitigating factor and his actions may not have been a product totally of free will (Connor, 1995). To date, there has been little agreement that a person’s biology has an influence on crime. Early biological theorists such as Lombroso have been widely discredited mainly on the basis of a flawed methodology however the recent and more contemporary biological explanations of crime have been shown to more credible. This dissertation will explore contemporary biological ideas on crime – the role of genetics. What if there are people that are genetically predisposed to commit crimes? Should they be held to account for their actions that may have been completely beyond their control? In light of the apparent failures of our current criminal justice system, it is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the real causes of crime. Can we afford to ignore the possibility that criminal behaviour could be due to genetics? There is also the issue of how society should deal with the offender whose crime was genetically influenced? Society has decided that no individual should be held accountable for acts performed when he or she is mentally incapacitated. We have the defence of insanity when people who have a ‘disease of the mind’ commit crimes. It needs to be considered whether genetic aberration should be considered in mitigation of, or as a defence to, a criminal charge. Some would say that to accept the notion that criminals are born rather than made would be opening a gateway to a moral minefield causing other factors including society, unemployment, and upbringing to be ignored (Connor, 1995). General Research Aim It is the purpose of this dissertation to assess the relevance of biological positivism in the modern society through way of literature analysis. I will briefly explore early biological theories such as those of Lombroso and his idea of a ‘criminal man’, moving on to discuss contemporary biological ideas the influence of a person’s genetics on criminal behaviour. The research will explore the effectiveness of punishment and how biological ideas may have influenced punishment by placing emphasis on the treatment of offenders. Finally, the ethical implications surrounding the treatment model will be considered. Aims and Objectives In order to successfully answer my research aim, a number of sub-questions must be considered: How does society view crime? This dissertation begins by explaining why further research into the topic is essential. The main body of this dissertation will be introduced with a discussion of how our society currently views crime – is it a product of a person’s biological influences, environmental influences, or a combination of the two? What is biological positivism? In order to assess the relevance of biological positivism in the modern society, I must first clarify what biological positivism actually is. I will explore early biological theories leading on to a discussion of contemporary biological ideas. Relevant case studies will be looked at to inspect the usefulness of these present day theories in explaining crime and criminal behaviour. How has biological positivism affected punishment? The dissertation will then move on to assess how these theories, previously discussed, have affected punishment. In order to do this I will first look to why we punish and what forms of punishment are currently used in the UK. Using reoffending statistics I will critically analyse the effectiveness of these current forms of punishment, leading on to a discussion about an alternative to punishment suggested by biological positivists: The role of treatment. Is the treatment model effective? The effectiveness of the treatment model will then be evaluated. Consequently, emphasis on treatment over punishment carries huge ethical implications. These ethical implications will be discussed with an in depth exploration on the incorporation of the European Convention of Human Rights into domestic law through the Human Rights Act 1998. Are there any proposals for change to the current criminal justice system which suggests a move towards the treatment of offenders? Finally, any proposals for change in the criminal justice system put forward by the Government will be discussed if they are of relevance to key points highlighted in this dissertation. Suggestions for future changes in the criminal justice system made by biological theorists will also be argued. Conclusion Despite the in-depth research there is still much debate on the true causes of crime. The central importance of identifying the causes of crime has been discussed through this dissertation. With both crime rates, and reoffending rates, being considerably high (Office for National Statistics, 2013 ; Ministry of Justice, 2013) it is vital that the causes of crime are identified, and individuals are therefore dealt with accordingly, in order for these figures to decrease. After researching into biological positivism, the use of biological theories in the current criminal justice system are identifiably lacking with more emphasis on environmental factors being seen as the causes of crime. A biosocial, multi-factor, approach has been formed over the recent years incorporating environmental, social, and biological factors (Hopkins Burke, 2009) nevertheless there seems to be an ignorance of biological factors. The aim of this dissertation was to identify the relevance of biological positivism in the modern society through an analysis of existing literature. The main focus of the research was to identify contemporary biological ideas, and then examine how they influenced punishment in the criminal justice system in England and Wales. Theses influences were then analysed in terms of effectiveness, with ethical issues later being questioned. Biological positivism is relevant in today’s society. The research does not suggest that biological factors are the sole cause of criminal behaviour for every individual offender, but that it can have an influence on an individual’s susceptibility to commit a crime (Hopkins Burke, 2009). Environmental and social factors also later contribute to shape the offender. Early biological theories stemmed from the work of Lombroso. Although his work is largely discredited, he laid the foundation on which much more plausible explanations could be formed. Research into contemporary biological explanations, including twins studies and hormones, has led to the conclusion that criminality in a minority of offenders is solely caused by biological factors (Hopkins Burke, 2009). Although these more contemporary biological ideas have been shown to be credible, this credibility does not seem to be reflected in the current criminal justice system. Biological positivists have favoured treatment over punishment as way of dealing with offenders (Cavadino and Dignan, 2007). This dissertation has recognised that emphasis is currently placed on punishment, and primarily, imprisonment. There have been many attempts over the years to adopt a treatment approach however, due to both financial and time-related restrictions, these attempts have been limited considerably. This limitation implies that sex offences are the only offences seen as a result of a biological defect in the offender. The rationale behind treatment being offered only to sex offenders however, is quite noticeably the result of some other reason: sex offenders are the most despised group of offenders, even among other offenders and therefore there is an increased pressure on the criminal justice system to ensure that these offenders do not re-offend. Specialised treatment techniques such as chemical castration have therefore been developed to deal with them (Miller, 1998). An implication of these findings, that a person’s biology does have an effect on their susceptibility to commit crime, is that biological defects should be taken into account for all offenders and in turn, treatment should be offered to every individual offender despite costs. Although prison is used most commonly to punish offenders, and is arguably cheaper than treatment, long term costs are substantial. This suggests that it is more beneficial for the criminal justice system to invest in something that works to rehabilitate the offender and prevent them from reoffending, than to incarcerate them preventing them from offending only on a short term basis. It is important that the cause of crime in each individual offender is identified and then dealt with accordingly. There have been numerous analyses of the treatment model in terms of ethical issues however authors of these analyses have either concluded that treatment violates all of the offenders fundamental rights, or none of them (Miller, 1998). The analysis of these ethical issues through this dissertation has led to the conclusion that the current forms of treatment, offered on a voluntary basis, are not in breach of offenders’ rights under the European Convention on Human Rights. There is an underlying issue of discrimination however, under article 14 ECHR, as it can be argued that treatment offered only to sex offenders is discriminating it is discriminating for sex offenders, and also discriminating for those offenders that are not offered treatment. By offering treatment to all offenders it will ensure that any biological influences to crime in offenders can be addressed, and then treated. It has been earlier identified that not all offenders have a biological predisposition, but for those offenders that do, it may rehabilitate the individual and prevent reoffending. In response to this, article 14 ECHR and the prohibition of discrimination may not be as much of a concern. To offer treatment to all offenders would be a step towards removing this cause of discrimination. Other ethical issues surrounding treatment, including informed and valid consent, and off-label drugs, have also been addressed in this dissertation, and have been seen to be justified. Recommendations It has been identified that research into twin studies, in particular monozygotic twins, is the most credible in terms of ascertaining the influence of genetics on criminal behaviour. It is therefore recommended that if it were possible to locate a representative sample of monozygotic twins who satisfied experimental conditions, being separated at birth and growing up in different environments, then the true extent of how much influence our genes have on criminal behaviour can be determined. The criminal justice system must recognise that other offences, not only sex offences, can be the result of a genetic defect and consequently treatment should be offered to all offenders. Treatment given should be appropriate for the offender, and offered on a voluntary basis in order to avoid potential ethical issues. To ensure consent is free, informed and valid, offenders should be assessed to ensure they have the mental capacity to give consent, and to ensure they are aware of all risks involved. Although long term effects are unknown, as long as the offender is aware of the uncertainty then informed consent is not an issue. Drugs should also be licensed for the purpose of treating offenders. More rigorous testing is needed using double-blind randomised trials along with full medical tests prior to, during and after treatment (Harrison, 2008). Genetic aberrations should be considered as a mitigating factor with consideration given to biological influences on the offender when sentencing.

Amazon.com and Business Essay -- Essays Papers

Mido Abstract: Amazon.com is an On-line retailer of, originally, books. The company was established as a micro enterprise in the US in 1994. Since then it has enjoyed rapid expansion in all aspects of its operations, including business turnover, and a spectacular rise in share value since public floatation in 1997. New on-line sites based in Germany and UK and a distribution centre in Amsterdam were established in 1998 to cater for European markets. On August 30, 2000 Amzon.com launched its third site outside the US, Amazon.fr in France. Amazon.com sells only on-line and is essentially an information broker. It holds a relatively small, though increasing, inventory and outsources most aspects of its operations (but not IT). The key to its operation is to offer value added and sophisticated customised services, a continuously expanding catalogue of products in terms of both quantity and range, and deep discounts. Alliances and partnerships with publishers, other on-line retailers and technology prov iders are therefore strategic. The ambition of the company today is to become a premier general on-line retailer by leveraging on its existing brand and business model. Amazon.com: Business Overview History When founder and CEO Jeff Bezos studied retailing opportunities on the Internet, he decided on books because there was a broad field of book publishers but too many titles to be carried by a single store. Everyone reads books but has different preferences about what s/he wants to read. Although Jeff Bezos had no previous experience in the book trade, he saw a business opportunity in selling books solely on the Web. He started the company out of his garage in a Seattle suburb, wrapping orders and then delivering them to the post office in the family car. The characteristics of the books retailing industry make it amenable to electronic commerce: a great variety of products and consumer tastes, and tastes which hanker after a lot of information about the products. Moreover, there is room for bringing down margins, i.e. offering customers deep discounts. Jeff Bezos picked the name Amazon because it is the biggest river on earth. He wanted his on-line bookstore to become "Earth's Biggest Bookstore", but without the need to stock vast quantities of books. Amazon.com would be lean, fit but hungry. A screenshot of Amazon.com's very first hom... ....uk, covers liability up to  £50. Privacy Policy Amazon.com's privacy statement details what information it collects from users when placing an order or signing onto a specific service. When Amazon recently (September 2000) changed its privacy policy, it decided to inform all its customers proactively by e-mail, rather than just updating the policy on site, as is common Web practice. IT infrastructure Substantially all of Amazon.com's computer and communications hardware is located at its physical site in Seattle, USA. Amazon.com uses an internally developed system for its Website and substantially all aspects of transaction processing, including:  · Order management  · Cash and credit card processing  · Purchasing  · Inventory management  · Shipping. Amazon.com uses Netscape Secure Commerce Server over SSL for order and customer accounts management. Customers' credit card information is stored in a separate machine connected to the Commerce Server via a proprietary one-way interface. It runs a RealAudio Server over TCP with media stream transmission via UDP for supplying sound clips. Shipping carriers DHL, Purolator, UPS and US Postal Service.

Poisonous Weeds Essay -- Plants Poison Nature Essays Papers

Poisonous Weeds From the book Common Poisonous Plants and Mushroom of North America by Nancy J. Turner and Adam F. Szczawinski comes a very interesting story. â€Å"In April 1980, a five-year-old child was fatally poisoned in Victoria, British Columbia from eating Poison Hemlock while at play with her sisters. Her babysitter was not even aware that she had eaten the plant. The little girl felt sick and would not eat. She laid down, and within an hour fell into a deep coma. It was only at this point that her sisters recalled that earlier she had eaten a plant. She was rushed to the hospital, but despite all efforts to save her life, she died six days later† (Szczawinski, Turner, xi). Poison Hemlock is just one of the thousands of plants that are poisonous to humans as well as animals. In addition, the plants Jimsonweed and Deadly Nightshade can also have extremely harmful effects on humans. All three of these poisonous plants can turn up anywhere from hiking trails to backyards to fie lds, so therefore it is important to be able to identify them and understand how deadly they potentially can be. In order to prevent what happened in the story at the beginning, let’s look more closely at Poison Hemlock (Conium Maculatum). When mature, this carrot-like plant can get up to six feet or greater in height with triangular, fern-like leaves (Szczawinski, Turner, 129). The plant possesses white flowers, which are grouped in numerous umbrella-like clusters. Small, grayish brown, and flat with five curvy ridges running lengthwise describe the fruit of Poison Hemlock. However, beware of ever crushing or even touching this plant because a strong mouse odor will be emitted. Originally from Europe, Poison Hemlock is now an obnoxiou... ...ipedia.org/wiki/Datura_stramonium http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadly_Nightshade http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_Hemlock Natural Resources Conservation Service-http://plants.usda.gov Research and Extension Center: Virtual Herbarium-http://uvalde.tamu.edu/herbarium/dain.htm National Capital Poison Center- http://www.poison.org/prevent/plants.asp Ophthalmic Kew Garden- http://www.mrcophth.com/plants/minipicturesofplantsforeyes.html Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University-Bozeman and MSU Extension Services Noxious Weed Specialist, respectively- http://www.montana.edu/wwwpb/pubs/mt200013.html Poison Hemlock Site- http://museum.gov.ns.ca/poison/hemlock.htm

The Lumberjack :: essays research papers

'Timber!'; and with a crash the mighty oak hit the ground. There was never a tree too big or a job too tough for Woody. He enjoyed his job as a lumberjack and with good reason. The pay was good, he had always liked the outdoors and he was good at what he did. In fact, some say he was the best. His friends in the city however said he was crazy for moving away. They said there are so many opportunities in the city, but Woody never wanted opportunities, he just wanted to be a lumberjack. So far this job was running smoothly. They were on schedule and there was an abundance of trees in British Columbia to keep them busy for the next while. It seemed so simple at first. Woody and his crew would cut down the trees and they would be shipped to a nearby river where they would be floated downstream to the new lumber mill. At least this was what was supposed to happen. After the first couple loads, there came reports that the logs weren't reaching their destination. Some of the men started talking about how they were logging on uncharted territory and this was a bad omen. Woody just laughed and said, 'Uncharted territory or not, we have a job to do and I'm not going to let some little thing like this ruin my reputation. I'll go see what the problem is.'; And so Woody packed a bag with supplies and sailed off down the river to find the missing logs. It wasn't long before the lush green landscape of trees he saw around him became a bare region of stumps and small brush. It was almost as if another logging crew had been here before him. He was amazed at the number of trees that had been cut down. It would have taken his entire crew at least a week and yet all of the stumps looked freshly cut. Woody had to find out what was happening. A bit further down the river he found his answer. There in front of him were all of the missing logs. They had became jammed at the base of the biggest beaver dam he had ever seen. He gazed up at it in awe of it's shear size. The river itself was quite wide and this dam covered it from shore to shore.

A Report On Virtual Induction Website Education Essay

In my brooding study I intend to discourse what I have learnt during and as a consequence of the completion of the web site undertaking. Furthermore, due to the demand for proper initiation supported virtually, I intend to look into and analyze extra and alternate ways of supplying synergistic initiation every bit good as better my cognition in undertaking direction. During the analysis phase of the undertaking, I brainstormed many thoughts for the web site. I came up with most of the undertaking thoughts, but my squad helped me with a few of them. I had a spot of problem coming up with these thoughts because I am non a really originative individual, and it took me yearss to brainstorm all of the thoughts. I think that was the lone barrier that I faced throughout the undertaking. I besides made a batch of determinations during the planning subdivision of my undertaking. I decided with the group the basic layout of the web site. I suggested it being as simple and accessible as possible – because doing a web site which is disorganized does n't do a difference – what matters is the web site to be enlightening and easy accessible. It might do the web site to look simple on outside but it will be enlightening from interior. The undertaking was come oning swimmingly. I took the necessary stairss to do certain that the undertaking progresses steadily as my group had the basic thought of what we want the web site to look like. I was cognizant that the thing that will devour most of the clip in planing the web site will be to set information on different pages of the web site. Although, this I think was the lone barrier while be aftering & A ; making the basic templet of the web site. Other than that, the basic planning and making of the website templet did non hold any barriers. But now as my squad had the thought of â€Å" what † in the web site, I felt more confident that we will be able to make good all throughout the undertaking. Equally far as the undertaking was come oning, I feel that I have been really effectual in coming up with these interesting thoughts that helped my squad and I believe that all the stairss I took were utile and necessary in the procedure. If I were to make the analysis of my undertaking once more, I ‘d come up with different undertaking thoughts that were more interesting to me. I would besides reach different stakeholders involved in the undertaking, so that I have more options. As a squad leader every bit good as the member of the undertaking squad, I suggested what will travel on each of the pages. I wanted the web site to be every bit simple as possible, while still retaining its professional expression. I suggested utilizing checks on each page to make â€Å" sub-pages † . This eliminates excess, unnecessary pages. For illustration – On the â€Å" Home † page, I will merely hold the most of import information published. This will assist to do the pupils aware about the university, information about ways to reach university and Induction checklist which specifically will be utile for pupils to do certain that things are done as per the demands in conformity with the regulations & A ; ordinances of the University. On the same page will be checks for different links to University web site which will once more be utile to direct the pupils suitably to the needed information. I personally believe that these pages will execute the undertaking of being merely informational. They wo n't hold any attractive characteristics, but I think these can be developed subsequently. At present, I was merely concentrating on doing the website functional plenty so that those who will utilize it must be satisfied. Bing the squad leader of the undertaking has provided me a great chance to develop the accomplishments and experience to larn about undertaking direction. Overall from the undertaking, I have learned to compose undertaking studies, to believe critically, to job resolution, to work in a squad, and besides better my interpersonal accomplishments, communicating accomplishments, particularly working in a squad and organizing within the squad throughout the undertaking. I have besides learned to utilize different package ‘s and plans that were required for the bulk of the work, these includes ; Dreamweaver, Photoshop, UML etc. This will greatly profit my productiveness in the coming faculties. What this brings to my theoretical cognition is that, I have gained existent experience. I ‘ve gained the apprehension of pull offing undertakings.Kolb ‘s Learning Cycle:I have tried to reflect my learning experience during the undertaking with Kolb ‘s learning rhythm:Explori ng:I have been receptive towards larning throughout the undertaking. My engagement in treatments helped me in understanding my inventive ability. Working with my squad members provided me a good apprehension of people & A ; I have been able to recognize jobs with my thoughts and an effectual solution of brainstorming my thoughts.AnalyzingDuring the undertaking there were state of affairss wherein I had to analyze jobs and supply solutions. Some jobs I faced during the undertaking were linked with the working manners of squad members. I had to do certain that each member had a clear thought of what were we traveling to present. I have observed that making an environment wherein collaborative working that guides you towards the purpose is a difficult undertaking to pull off but with aid of cognition that I gained from the alteration direction faculty, I was able to pull off the alteration within the squad.Decision devisingDecision devising has been a major portion of the undertaking w ork. during different subdivisions of the undertaking, I tried to follow consensus attack to be effectual but I dealt with troubles as every member of the group should hold with the determination. This attack of determination doing involved a great trade of clip, nevertheless the in agreement determination helped me to acquire the best possible determination as all the squad members worked together and supported it.ActingAI have been able to take to take the squad which helped me in bettering my competence as a squad leader. I kept puting the ends & A ; deadlines during the undertaking. I have been able to place and implement the stairss necessary to accomplish them. Working closely with Rupert & A ; Dave helped me in interpreting the set ends into practical vision. Shown below are some accomplishments that I gained during my undertaking in the pre-requisite format:TypeCodeCompetenceEvidencePersonal/Social C1Adopt the standard patterns of an school in footings of, hours of work, promptness, and school policies and processs ( including wellness, safety and security criterions ) . Proof-Conduct I have been punctual throughout the undertaking for treatments, meetings etc. Technical F1. Understand a specification ( informal, structured or formal ) . Understand the specification I have reviewed the squad ‘s specification for the web site.AAAAPersonal/Social D3 Demonstrate self-motivation and enthusiasm. Demonstrate I have been passing excess hours on planing the new system. Technical G3. Take duty, and expose some leading qualities, within a group or squad. Self development I have been able to take to take the squad which helped me in bettering my competence as a squad leader. Technical D1. Interview users to set up demands. Analytic Skills During the undertaking, I had treatments with different stakeholders ( Admissions office, International office, Accommodation office etc ) which helped me in analyzing the demands. Technical F6. Become proficient in a scheduling language/environment. Software I had a spot of experience working with HTML but during the undertaking I learned how to utilize Dreamweaver along with HTML while coding the web site. Personal/Social A F1. Think and move efficaciously and independently. General construct Contributed different thoughts Personal/Social I4. Develop a self-critical consciousness of ain accomplishments and advancement. Analytic Skills I have learnt to believe more critically in the undertaking. I did a batch of work and solved a batch of jobs. I learn to believe a caput, program and be prepared. The chief illustrations of critical thought applied include ; mentoring my squad, to research university websites, to form all stuffs for the group and a whole batch of other minor undertakings. Personal/Social G5. Offer aid and counsel to equals when appropriate. Coaching and mentoring Coaching equals through descriptions and account developed my accomplishments. Mentoring support to co-workers. Personal/SocialAJ3. Develop new accomplishments rapidly.ASelf developmentAHelped me to recognize personal development demands and take personal duty for uninterrupted acquisitionAPersonal/Social E2. Display tact, discretion or assertiveness to animate regard and assurance in a co-worker, a user or a team member. Communication accomplishments Ability to pass on efficaciously between squad members. Ability to efficaciously inquiry stakeholders. Ability to compose studies Technical P2. Ensure that appropriate, current package is available, loaded and working. A Analysis After uploading the web site, I checked all the links, pages separately to do certain that the web site is working decently.ATechnicalAH5. Undertake more than one undertaking or play more than one function at the same clip.APlaning and forming Ability to efficaciously be after and organize work load to run into deadlines Technical Q2. Design questionnaire/survey. Documentation I designed questionnaires for study every bit good as for initiation checklist. Personal/Social I2. Make appropriate determinations with confidence and accept duty for them. Self ordinance I have been clear in thought and stayed focused under force per unit area. Personal/Social G1. Demonstrate and keep co-operative and helpful relationships with all employees. Interpersonal The experience has exposed me to people with different background. I had one of the most hearty experiences with them. I ‘d ne'er thought I will run into some truly nice people and made a good figure of friends. Personal/Social G1. Demonstrate and keep co-operative and helpful relationships with all employees. Team working Skills I have been collaborative with others towards common ends and range understandings. For Example, I have shown equity and consideration to my squad members by taking duty ; demoing constructive support, etc Personal/Social F3. Contribute originative thoughts and proposals to better undertaking direction and the success of a undertaking. Creative Thinking The undertaking besides improved my originative thought by linking my ain and others ‘ thoughts and experiences together in imaginative ways to bring forth more thoughts, explore possibilities and inquire inquiries to widen my thought. Technical D1. Interview users to set up demands. Analyzing different facets During the undertaking, i tried to inquire inquiries that helped me to place some spreads in the bing procedures. For Example – with Joanne Ryan from the international office, I presented my thought to her in acknowledging some spreads and besides gave my personal suggestion. Technical G1. Develop and keep a undertaking program. Time Management With my undertaking, I now set my work deadline and me and the people in my group portion the work and fit clip. For illustration 1 piece of work should take 10 proceedingss but so a different piece of work can take 20 proceedingss, so if we work it out, it wo n't take as long because we portion the work at set times to acquire it done, that manner we do n't bury to make things. Personal/Social D3. Demonstrate self-motivation and enthusiasm. Assurance Before I did non used to hold full assurance of pull offing a squad, but now I have gained more assurance by taking the group. Personal/Social A5.Deal with jobs of appropriate proficient complexness. Cognition I have learned how to utilize pictures, images & A ; podcasts in the web site Personal/Social J4.React to an unannounced state of affairs with regard to team land regulations. Adaptation Made attempts for jobs to decide. Planned and carried out research to research issues, events or jobs from different positions. Personal/ Social D2. Search through bing records etc. to understand bing systems. Analytic Skills I analysed and evaluated information, judging its relevancy and value. Overall during the undertaking, my advancement was smooth in general, with some unsmooth parts. Most of the clip, I knew what I was making, and I was following my Plan of Action. The lone times my advancement became rough was when I changed parts of the website halfway through the create phase, because I decided that they were non good plenty. One major barrier that I dealt with throughout the class of my undertaking was the fact that I limited myself to the chief page where in I tried to supply pupils a gateway to services offered by the University. This was a barrier because I had to make up one's mind how to pull off and form all the different pieces of information I needed to set on the other pages. It took me a piece to calculate out what to set where, but finally, utilizing checks fixed the job. In the terminal, after so much difficult work, I along with my squad successfully developed a practical initiation theoretical account. The web site is complete and we tested it several times separately every bit good as together. I believe that the concluding merchandise largely matches the original end. Our end was to make a web site that should be both attractive and utile to the University and prospective pupils. Although I do n't yet cognize how utile my web site is for prospective but I believe that it will be utile to pupils in happening out about upcoming events, find appropriate links, look at pictures, podcasts, exposures, and many other things. In footings of the aesthetic qualities of the web site, I think that it looks truly good because the colour strategy that we choose is similar to the University web site which is really attractive to anyone who looks at the web site. In footings of practical qualities of my web site, I believe that I achieved precisely what I have been endeavoring for: edification without complication. Now, anyone who views the web site can happen information really easy, because they merely have to take from chief buttons. Although there is a batch of information on the web site, I think that it has been placed in an easy-to-use format. My efficiency during the undertaking likely left something to be desired. I believe that although I was on agenda most of the clip, I could hold decidedly been more efficient. One manner I could hold done this is to hold really mapped out which yearss I would work on which constituents, alternatively of merely delegating due day of the months. Most of the clip, I finished each constituent on the due day of the month, when I could hold finished earlier. In footings of engagement, I worked on different constituents of the web site. I besides modified parts of it when needed. I can likely state that I â€Å" actively † created the undertaking with my squad. I believe that the undertaking meets the original purpose, and it is a success.

Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 20

Maggie held Sylvia gently. Or at least, she knelt by her and tried to hold herasbest she could without disturbing the piece of broken spear that wasstill lodged in Sylvia's body. It was all over. Where Hunter Redfern and hismost trusted nobles had been, there was a large scorched crater in the earth. Maggie vaguely recalled seeing a few people running for the hillsGavin the slave trader had been among them. But Hunter hadn't been one of them. He had been at ground zero when the blue fire struck, and nowthere wasn't even a wisp of red hair to show thathe had existed. Except for Delos, there weren't any Night Peopleleft in the courtyard atall. The slaves were just barely peeking out againfrom their huts. â€Å"It's all right,† Jeanne was yelling. â€Å"Yeah, youheard me it's all right!Delos isn't dangerous. Notto us, anyway. Come on, you, get out of therewhat are you doing hiding behind that pig?† â€Å"She's good at this,† a grim voice murmured. Maggie looked up and saw a tall, gaunt figure,with a very small girl clasped to her side. â€Å"Laundress!† she said. â€Å"Oh, and PJ.-I'm so glad you're all right. But, Laundress, please†¦ .† The healing woman knelt. But even as she did, alook passed between her and Sylvia. Sylvia's facewas a strange, chalky color, with shadows thatlooked like bruises under her eyes. There was alittle blood at the corner of her mouth. â€Å"It's no good,† she said thickly. â€Å"She's right,† Laundress said bluntly. â€Å"There'snothing you can do to help this one, Deliverer, andnothing I can do, either.† â€Å"I'm not anybody's Deliverer,† Maggie said. Tearsprickled behind her eyes. â€Å"You could have fooled me,† Laundress said, andgot up again. â€Å"I see you sitting here, and I see allthe slaves over there, free. You came and it happened-the prophecies were fulfilled. If you didn'tdo it, it's a strange coincidence.† The look in her dark eyes, although as unsentimental as ever, made Maggie's cheeks burn suddenly. She looked back down at Sylvia. â€Å"But she's the one who saved us,† she said, hardlyaware that she was speaking out loud. â€Å"She deserves some kind of dignity†¦.† â€Å"She's not the only one who saved us,† a voicesaid quietly, and Maggie looked up gratefully atDelos. â€Å"No, you did, too.† â€Å"That's not what I meant,† he said, and kneltwhere Laundress had. One of his hands touched Maggie's shoulder lightly, but the other one wentto Sylvia's. â€Å"There's only one thing I can do to help you,† hesaid. â€Å"Do you want it?† â€Å"To become a vampire?† Sylvia's head movedslightly in a negative. â€Å"No. And since there's woodnext to my heart right now, I don't think it would work anyway.† Maggie gulped and looked at the spear, whichhad cracked in the confusion when the guards ran. â€Å"We could take it out – !† I wouldn't live through it. Give up for once, will you?† Sylvia's head moved slightly again in disgust. Maggie had to admire her, even dying, she still hadthe strength to be nasty. Witches were tough. â€Å"Listen,† Sylvia said, staring at her. â€Å"There'ssomething I want to tell you.† She drew a painfulbreath. â€Å"About your brother.† Maggie swallowed, braced to hear the terrible details â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"It really bugged me, you know? I would put on my nicest clothes, do my hair, we would go out †¦and then he'd talk about you.† Maggie blinked, utterly nonplussed. This wasn't at all what she had expected. â€Å"He would?† â€Å"About his sister.How brave she was. How smartshe was. How stubborn she was.† Maggie kept blinking. She'd heard Miles accuse her of lots of things, but never of being smart. Shefelt her eyelids prickle again and her throat swellpainfully. â€Å"He couldn't stand to hear a bad word about you,† Sylvia was saying. Her purple-shadowed eyes narrowed suddenly, the color of bittersweet nightshade. â€Å"And I hated you for that. But him †¦ I liked him.† Her voice was getting much weaker. Aradia knelton her other side and touched the shimmering silvery hair. â€Å"You don't have long,† she said quietly, as if giving a warning. Sylvia's eyes blinked once, as if to say she understood. Then she turned her eyes on Maggie. â€Å"I told Delos I killed him,† she whispered.†But †¦I lied.† Maggie felt her eyes fly open. Then all at onceher heart was beating so hard that it shook herentire body. â€Å"You didn'tkill him? He's alive?† â€Å"I wanted to punish him†¦ but I wanted himnear me, too†¦.† A wave of dizziness broke over Maggie. She bentover Sylvia, trying not to clutch at the slender shoulders. All she could see was Sylvia's pale face. â€Å"Please tell me what you did,† she whisperedwith passionate intensity. â€Å"Please tell me.† â€Å"I had him †¦ changed.† The musical voice wasonly a distant murmur now. â€Å"Made him a shapeshifter †¦ and added a spell. So he wouldn'tbe human again until I wanted †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"What kind of spell?† Aradia prompted quietly. Sylvia made a sound like the most faraway ofsighs. â€Å"Not anything that you need to deal with,Maiden†¦. Just take the leather band off his leg.He'll always be a shapeshifter †¦but he won't be lost to you†¦.† Suddenly her voice swelled up a little stronger,and Maggie realized that the bruised eyes werelooking at her with something like Sylvia's oldmalice. â€Å"You're so smart †¦ I'm sure you can figure outwhich animal †¦Ã¢â‚¬  After that a strange sound came out of herthroat, one that Maggie had never heard before.Somehow she knew without being told that itmeant Sylvia was dying-right then. The body in the green dress arched up once andwent still. Sylvia's head fell back. Her eyes, the color of tear-drenched violets, were open, staringup at the sky, but they seemed oddly flat. Aradia put a slender dark hand on the paleforehead. â€Å"Goddess of Life, receive this daughter of Hellewise,† she said in her soft, ageless voice. â€Å"Guideher to the other world.† She added, in a whisper,†She takes with her the blessing of all the witches.† Maggie looked up almost fearfully to see if theshining figure who had surrounded Aradia like anaura would come back. But all she saw was Aradia's beautiful face, with its smooth skin the color of coffee with cream and its compassionate blindgaze. Then Aradia gently moved her hand down to shutSylvia's eyes. Maggie clenched her teeth, but it was no use.She gasped once, and then somehow she was in the middle of sobbing violently, unable to stop it.But Delos's arms were around her, and she buriedher face in his neck, and that helped. When she gotcontrol of herself a few minutes later, she realizedthat in his arms she felt almost what she had inher dream, that inexpressible sense of peace and security. Of belonging, utterly. As long as her soulmate was alive, and they weretogether, she would be all right. Then she noticed that P.J. was pressed up againsther, too, and she let go of Delos to put one armaround the small shaking body. â€Å"You okay, kiddo?† she whispered. P.J. sniffed. â€Å"Yeah. I am, now. It's been prettyscary, but I'm glad it's over.† â€Å"And you know,† Jeanne said, looking down atSylvia with her hands on her hips, â€Å"that's how Iwant to go. Taking my own way out †¦ and totally pissing everybody off at the end.† Maggie glanced up, startled, and choked. Thenshe gurgled. Then she shook her head, and knewthat her crying spell was over. â€Å"I don't even know why I'm like this about her. She wasn't a nice person. I wanted to kill her myself.† â€Å"She was a person,† Delos said. Which, Maggie decided, was about the best summing-up anybody could provide. She realized that Jeanne and Laundress andDelos were looking at her intently, and that Aradia's face was turned her way. â€Å"Well?† Jeanne said. â€Å"Do you know? Which animal your brother is?† â€Å"Oh,†Maggie said. â€Å"I think so.† She looked at Delos. â€Å"Do you happen to knowwhat the name Gavin means? For a shapeshifter?Does it mean falcon?† His blacklashed golden eyes met hers. â€Å"Hawk orfalcon. Yes.† Warm pleasure filled Maggie. â€Å"Then I know,† she said simply. She stood up, and Delos came with her as if he belonged by her. â€Å"How can we find the falcon she had with her thatfirst day we met? When you were out with the hunting party?† â€Å"It should be in the mews,† Delos said. A fascinated crowd gathered behind them as theywent. Maggie recognized Old Mender, smiling and cackling, and Soaker, not looking frightened anymore, and Chamber-pot Emptier †¦ â€Å"We really need to get you guys some newnames,† she muttered. â€Å"Can you just pick one or something?† The big girl with the moon face and the gentleeyes smiled at her shyly. â€Å"I heard of a noble named Hortense once†¦ .† â€Å"That's good,† Maggie said, after just the slightestpause. â€Å"Yeah, that's great. I mean, comparatively.† They reached the mews, which was a dark littleroom near the stable, with perches all over thewalls. The falcons were upset and distracted, and the air was full of flapping wings. They all lookedalike to Maggie. â€Å"It would be a new bird,† Delos said. â€Å"I thinkmaybe that one. Is the falconer here?† While everyone milled around looking for him, Jeanne edged close to Maggie. â€Å"What I want to know is how you know. How didyou even know Gavin was a shapeshifter at all?† â€Å"I didn't-but it was sort of logical. After all, Bernwas one. They both seemed to have the same kind of senses. And Aradia said that Sylvia took care of Miles down at her apartment, and Bern and Gavinwere both there. So it seemed natural that maybeshe made one of them pass the curse along toMiles.† ‘But why did you figure Gavin was a falcon?† â€Å"I don't know,† Maggie said slowly. â€Å"I justwell,he looked a little bit like one. Sort of thin andgolden. But it was more things that happened-he got away from Delos and over to the hunting party too fast to have gone by ground. I didn't really think about it much then, but it must have stuckat the back of my mind.† Jeanne gave her a narrow sideways glance. â€Å"Stilldoesn't sound like enough.† â€Å"No-but mostly, it was that Milesjust had to bea falcon. It had to be something small-Sylviawould hardly be carrying a pigora tiger or a beararound with her up the mountain. And I saw herwith a falcon that first day. It was something she could keep near her, something that she could control. Something that was an-accessory. It just allmade sense.† Jeanne made a sound like hmph.†I still don'tthink you're a rocket scientist. I think you luckedout† Maggie turned as the crowd brought a little manwith a lean, shrewd face to her-Falconer. â€Å"Well,we don't know yet,† she murmured fervently. â€Å"ButI sure hope so.† The little man held up a bird. â€Å"This is the newone. Lady Sylvia said never to take the green bandoff his leg-but I've got a knife. Would you like todo it?† Maggie held her breath. She tried to keep herhand steady asshe carefully cut through the emerald green leather band, but her fingers trembled. The leather tie fell free-and for a moment hexheart stood still, because nothing happened. And then she saw it. The rippling changeasthebird's wings outstretched and thickened and thefeathers merged and swam†¦and then Falconerwas moving back, and a human form was takingshape†¦ . And then Miles was standing there, with his auburn hair shining red gold and his handsome,wicked smile He gave her the thumbs-up sign. â€Å"Hey, I knew you would rescue me. What arelittle sisters for?† he said-and then Maggie was inhis arms. It seemed a long time later that all the hugging and crying and explaining was done. The slavesthe ex-slaves, Maggie corrected herself-had begunto gather and organize themselves and make plans.Delos and Aradia had sent various messengers outof the valley. There were still things to be settled-months' andyears' worth of things. And Maggie knew that lifewould never be the same for her again. She would never be a normal schoolgirl. Her brother was a shapeshifter-well, at least itwas a form he could enjoy, she thought wryly. Hewas already talking to Jeanne about a new way ofgetting to the summits of mountains-with wings. Her soulmate was a Wild Power. Aradia had already told her what that meant. It meant that theywould have to be protected by the witches and Circle Daybreak until the time of darkness came andDelos was needed, so that the Night World didn'tkill them. And even if they survived until the final battle†¦it was going to be a tough one. Plus, she herself had changed forever. She feltshe owed something to the people of the valley,who were still calling her the Deliverer. She wouldhave to try to help them adjust to the Outside world. Her fate would be intertwined with theirsall her life. But just now, everybody wastalking about getting some food. â€Å"Come into the castle-all of you,† Delos saidsimply. He took Maggie's arm and started toward it. Justthen P.J. pointed to the sky, and there was an awed murmur from the crowd. â€Å"The sun!† It was true. Maggie looked up and was dazzled.In the smooth, pearly sky of the Dark Kingdom, in exactly the place where the blue fire had flashedfrom the earth, there was a little clearing in theclouds. The sun was shining through, chasing awaythe mist, turning the trees in the surrounding hillsemerald green. And glinting off the sleek black walls of the castlelikeamirror. A place of enchantment, Maggie thought, lookingaround in wonder. It really is beautiful here. Then she looked at the boy beside her. At hisdark hairjust now extremely tousled-and hissmooth fair skin, and his elegant bones. At themouth which was still a bit proud and willful, but was mostly vulnerable. And at those fearless, brilliant yellow eyes whichlooked back at her as if she were the most important thing in the universe. â€Å"I suppose that all prophecies come true by accident,† she said slowly and thoughtfully. â€Å"From just ordinary people trying and lucking out.† â€Å"There is nothingordinary about you,† Delossaid, and kissed her. Onefrom the land of kings long forgotten; One from the hearth which still holds the spark; One fromthe Day World where two eyes are watching; One fromthe twilight to be one with the dark.