Autobiographical Piece †My Working Life Essay

I got my first paid job when I was about twelve. I delivered a free paper with a friend, I would do about 400 papers for about seven pounds each, and it had to be done between Thursday and Saturday. Me and Cameron got really close during this as we would talk the whole time about things and become better friends then before. Although the pay wasn’t brilliant for a twelve year old it was really good, most of it went on pokemon cards and stickers, I remember selling my pokemon cards and made a big profit, selling eight cards for ninety pounds with my friends. I did my round with Cameron for about a few months before I got my own round, and did it for about six pounds for just fewer than two hundred papers. I always remember working really hard to get the papers done, occasionally I would do them on Sunday’s which was out of the boundaries but the supervisor never checked so it didn’t matter, I was earning a lot of money which just went on Nintendo games at this point as I had just started my teens. As the months went buy I started to get a bit bored with the round, walkman’s and CD players were getting a bit boring now and couldn’t make the round fun, so I took another round and shared them with Goran, another friend, I became closer to him as we did the round and we then became really good friends. Goran and myself worked hard to deliver all the papers and would spend a few hours a week doing them, for a good few months, then I started to get even more bored with delivering the damn papers that no one read, he left the round, so I kept both, and started putting about half the round under people’s recycle bins. It was actually really clever, I would put the papers in bins where there were other papers the owners had put down to cover them, they would get recycled saving people money and I would be gone just long enough for my mum to think I had actually delivered the round. After a few weeks the ‘dumping’ escalated to a level where I would not deliver any papers sit outside for three quarters of an hour or so (about an hour less then it would take me) reading a book or listening to music. I would try and ‘do’ the round while my mum was out so that I wouldn’t have to bother hanging around outside I could just go straight back home after leaving them in an alley somewhere. I was earning fourteen pounds for about five minutes work, which I thought was the bees knees and so did my friends. I did this for at least six months, until there was knock on the door, when I opened it the paper round supervisor was there staring angrily his car filled with thousands of dirty papers behind him, he said give me the trolley and the bag, you dumped papers, silently I did so, he asked to see my Mum, she was upstairs, but I said she was out, so he turned and left. I was gutted, a bit guilty but a bit pissed off my brilliant money making scheme was over. I decided to be unemployed for a while I was about fourteen and had been working for nearly about two years, so I took a few months off, but then I took up a morning paper round which earned me fifteen pounds, I had to do it every morning about 8am, I got progressively later and later as the round irritated me further, I moved to a larger round which earned me twenty pounds, which was more papers and took longer, after a few months it really started to hurt my back and the early mornings were getting me down, I had stashed away a bit of money so left the round. I did my work experience in early summer of 2002 at the Slough/Windsor Marriott, it took me about an hour to get t here, and I got lost on the first day so was about an hour late, luckily the people there were quite relaxed and didn’t mind, for the first three days I worked in conference and banqueting, which basically involved setting up and cleaning conference rooms, and serving coffee and tea to people in the main conference room. This wasn’t exactly riveting, but for the first time I was actually working with people and the people were so nice that it was impossible not to have fun and enjoy myself. For the other days I worked at the leisure centre reception. I would deal with minor customer problems, clean the exercise machines, the bar in the pool, check toilets are not too dirty, close lockers, fill soap and shampoo pots and the like. I would sign members in and out and take phone calls. They taught me these skills, and were helpful. Like in conference and banqueting, the people at the Leisure Centre were really nice and relaxed and would joke around a lot and made the day fun and not seem much of a chore. Working at The Marriott gave me a really good experience of working, and they did give me a leaving present when I did leave, albeit I was thrown into the pool as my present, it was all good fun. After I left the Marriott I resumed a morning paper round, this time from a different closer shop with a nicer owner who was a bit more lenient, I did this round for a few months, until the shop closed down but another took shop took the round so I left for them and got a slight raise to twenty two pounds. I quit the round in early summer, and took a job in a travel agent delivering leaflets for 3 pounds an hour, I soon quit and got a job in a butchers. It was not difficult to get my job at the butchers, I saw a sign advertising in the window, I went in, said is the job still available, and got it, with the only questions asked being can you work Thursday, Friday, Saturday and can you start this Thursday, oh and what’s your name, I barely remembered to ask the wage, which was thirty five pounds a week for around nine hours, which wasn’t too bad I thought. I don’t really remember the first month or so of my work except it was quite hard work and I used to not come in at least one day a week, and they made jokes out of it, and made lots of jokes about everything which made a nice working atmosphere. I remember my excuses running out for why I was taking days off, but after a month or two I really started to enjoy working there. I sort of clicked with two of the butchers sense of humour and we had a really good laugh, they would give me more responsibility although I wasn’t allowed to cut meat I would prepare kebabs, burgers, cooked foods, and make shop look tidy as well as wash up and do general cleaning. The shop sold all sorts and was a delicatessen as well as butchers, and I would get a large discount there and the produce was of very high quality, which pleased my Mum obviously. I started to enjoy working at the butchers, I would work four or five days a week, earning around one hundred pounds regularly, I would meet with the owner of the chain and go to the bank to pick up money for the tills, and got to know some of the customers. The butchers and me would have great fun joking around and insulting the other butcher who no one liked. I had many barbecues with my friends with the stuff I got from there, but after six months I moved house and the butchers was just too far away especially with the beginning of college, and so I left as I started college. I go back and visit the butchers occasionally and they still give me discount and lots of free things, and we still laugh and have a good time. We got discount from our local fruit and veg shop too because the fruit and veg people did at the butchers. I would advise you to go to work at some time in your young life, try and get a job with people and make sure the people are nice and are quite lenient with the hours and you should have a great time.

A Day in the Life: Career Options in Library and Information Science

Pricilla Shontz has been known for her understanding of the major issues of library developments during the current systems of referencing and research that are involved in making library procedures more organized. Her idealisms of library management has actually increased the knowledge of librarians in assisting the development of book and literature arrangements that naturally suits the needs of the students and researchers at present. Her implicative suggestions in the matter actually increases the competency of the library systems in making an impact on the increased need of researchers today for referencing approach in libraries. The book of Shontz actually intends to show the matter of concern that is supposed to be understood at present with regards modern library systems including that of involving information technology within the arrangement of references readings in libraries. Obviously, this reading increases the capability of the library professionals in getting along with the modern flow of technology and referencing systems. This reading then introduces the new systems of understanding with regards library arrangements and organization that would be most suitable for the modern students and researchers of the modern society. As noted by the author herself, she described the life of the librarians today much more different than that of the lives of the librarians before (19). Likely, she wants to show how much technology changed not only their job but also their lives as major custodians of the different mediums of references and study that would be most helpful to the current generation as they face further challenges in the said field of social life. A librarian is naturally expected to spend at least 60 percent of her or his whole day inside the library trying to accurately arrange reading materials and other mediums for research that are to be used for further progress of the society. With the implication of the modern technology, however, the said 60 percent of a day-time of a librarian could now be divided into different tasks that they could complete for a whole day for the betterment not only of the references but of the whole library establishments as well. (Career Profiles, Internet) The book consisted of chapters that introduced different essays from different authors who are likely able to present the principles of library professions that Shontz herself appreciate and aim to apply. The summary of the said essays particularly want to integrate the old system of library organization with the modern systems of computing. Today, the use of OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) is already appreciated among libraries around the world (Career Profiles, Internet). This particular innovative design for cataloging has naturally increased the accuracy of referencing in the libraries (Shontz, 19).   The referencing system likely increased the matters of accuracy among furthering studies in the different sections of understanding such as medicine and psychology as well as mathematical studies that increases the understanding of the different theories connected with furthering technology (Shontz, 21). Suddenly being electronic in the system has caused considerable insecurities to old librarians in the field, although practicing the said profession through following the said innovations in technology makes all the sense in the changes being adapted within the system (Shontz, 24). Likely, the matter of development increases the capability of library professionals in handling the needs of their clients [mainly the students and the researchers as well] in a more effective matter.   As noted from the reading, the modern process of Information Technology could be utilized to increase the competencies of the librarians in handling the needs of their clients in a more efficient time. This is primarily because of the fact that e-technology makes a more organized library that would help well in referencing and literary organizing systems. Moreover, the possible integration of the old and new systems of library handling actually gives a higher level of competency in the said system thus making the process more effective for the sake of social progress as well. It could be observed that most people are now concerned with technological systems. In terms of library professional approach, it could be noted that the application of information technology also increases the competency of the said profession. The presentation of the author with regards this truth actually makes the matter more understandable and clear for others to comprehend with and thus make use of the information for actual application within the said profession. Overall, the discussion held by the writer of this book is considerably excellent in presenting the cons and pros of the said system of library approach. Reference: Priscilla K. Shontz. (2007). A Day in the Life: Career Options in Library and Information Science. Libraries Unlimited . Career Profiles. The Princeton Review. A Day in the Life. http://www.princetonreview.com/cte/profiles/dayInLife.asp?careerID=87. February 25, 2008. librarian.net: putting the rarin back in librarian since 1999. A Day in the Life. http://www.librarian.net/stax/1511/a-day-in-the-life/. (February 25, 2008).            

Social Entrepreneurism Module WA1 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Social Entrepreneurism Module WA1 - Coursework Example Model 2 enterprises- These are nonprofitorganizations that realize their funding from the surrounding environment and the business community. They operate to ensure a sustainable social value at the same time minimizing costs. Model 3 enterprises- these are social organizations that depend entirely on private business funds. They operate as a business with their returns going to the investors (Dees, Emerson & Economy, 2002). Value evaluation – these are the assessment activities carried out the business enterprises to come up with facts that help in decision making in the organization or assist the evaluators in generating periodic reports. Value evaluation involves assessment of issues such as the number of clients served over a certain period, the impact of the organization to the society and the environment and the level of customer satisfaction. Strategic service vision- These are the goals and targets set by the organization’s management to be achieved after a set duration of time e.g. by the end of the financial period. Strategic service vision helps the management come up with the organizations objectives, missions and vision Operating services strategy- these are the strategic plans and procedures laid by an organization on their daily operations. Different organizations have different service strategies depending on the products or services they provide. Operating service strategies are important in helping the organization realize its goals, missions and objectives. Examples of operating service strategies may include maintaining their customers by getting their contacts and following up on their progress or ensuring a clean, tidy environment and maintaining proper hygienic standards to portray a good image of the organization. The activities of value evaluation provide the facts and information required in decision making by the management.

Management Training and Resulting Conflict Management Effectiveness in Dissertation

Management Training and Resulting Conflict Management Effectiveness in Hospitals - Dissertation Example One of such environment is hospital therefore conflict management in healthcare settings is a must. This study explores the effectiveness of conflict management in healthcare settings and presents conflict resolution maps for healthcare practitioners to ensure conflict management practices matches healthcare organisations standards. The study specifically discusses conflict resolution in the light of conflict situations unique to healthcare settings and uses secondary data on conflict resolution training programs suggested and carried out at NHS to make recommendations for healthcare management. Table of Contents ABSTRACT 2 1. INTRODUCTION 5 1.1 Background and Context 6 1.2 Research Question and Objectives 7 1.3 Rationale of the Study 8 1.4 Structure of the Study 9 2.LITERATURE REVIEW 10 2.1 What is Conflict and Conflict Management? 10 2.2 Different Views on Conflict 11 2.3 Types of Conflict 13 2.3.1 Interpersonal Conflict 14 2.4 Conflict Management Process 15 2.5 Conflict Handling S trategies 16 2.6 Conflict Situations in Healthcare Settings 18 2.7 Research Studies on Conflict Management in Healthcare Settings 19 2.8 Research Gap and Conceptual Framework 21 3.RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 23 3.1 Role of the Researcher 23 3.2 Research Design 23 3.3 Data Collection and Analysis 24 3.4 Research Validity and Triangulation 25 3.5 Summary 26 4.FINDINGS 27 4.1 The Patient-Staff Conflict 28 4.2 The Doctor-Doctor Conflict 30 4.3 Conflict among Nurses 30 4.4 The Doctor-Nurse Conflict 31 4.5 Summary 32 5.DISCUSSION 34 6.CONCLUSION 37 6.1 Recommendations 38 References 40 1. INTRODUCTION Conflict is an inevitable part of social life and communication, flexibility and willingness to change are a few ways to handle conflict effectively (Guffey & Almonte, 2009). However, not everyone is good at conflict management and hence without one knowing these strategies it becomes difficult to handle conflict effectively. In organisational context, chances of conflict increases where pressure is high and duties are complex. One of such environment is hospital. Healthcare personnel work under immense pressure and they are performing several responsibilities simultaneously; in addition to this, their duties are linked to a person’s life which even complicates the situation and increases the pressure. Besides tough working conditions there are many other reasons of conflict within organisations. These reasons include differences in goals and values of employee and employer, power differentials, lack of understanding of organisational structure and functions, scarcity of resources, or refutation of one’s self-image. To ensure an organisation remains stable and consistent, conflicts should be handled effectively whenever they arise. Nonetheless, everyone is not good at conflict management and this fact makes it necessary to ensure personnel in organisations know well how to handle conflict and maintain harmony in the workplace. Conflict management has become a maj or subfield of management and organisational behaviour. Conflict among groups in organisations is now an important area for researchers. Though the research shows that there are positive effects of conflict on group identity and development (Jones, 1993; De Dreu, 1997) however negative and destructive conflict can lead to disaster. Due to the negative consequences conflicts can bring to an organisation, it is important to ensure that employees understand conflict management strategies. Including hospitals, the ability to manage internal conflict

Analogy, Marginality and Action. Peter Singers Famine, Affluence, and Essay

Analogy, Marginality and Action. Peter Singers Famine, Affluence, and Morality Analysis - Essay Example In the fifth paragraph, Singer emphasized that helping starving people is a moral obligation by people, but granted that it does not sacrifice anything that is â€Å"comparably† important. For instance, if by donating a hundred dollars in a foundation that feeds starving children and families in Africa would cost the life of your child who also needs the money for her operation, then one will be spared of guilt by keeping the money for his child’s operation instead. In other words, if a person acknowledges he or she can feed a single family in Africa by donating his money allotted for a fancy smart phone, then his action is morally justifiable and is fulfillment of duty. Another important assumption in Singer’s essay follows that proximity and distance are also factors in extending our moral duties to our fellow humans despite the fact that other people around us are not feeling obliged to do so. He emphasized that numbers cannot be used as a plausible excuse for not helping other people who are badly in need because we acknowledge that by donating without considering other people’s interest can actually save a single life or two. Singer’s central premise in his essay is summed up as extending our help to people in dire need, despite our proximity and distance, without sacrificing something that is equally significant. His point was that our morality may somehow explain that it is our moral obligation as human beings living in the same earth to extend our help by not being selfish and materialistic, and not only a show of charitable work because as what he said, people who give to charities are praised, while those who do not are not condemned. In other words, helping starving children, for instance, can well be shown as voluntary and not obligatory. People who choose to buy clothes rather than donating to the children of Africa cannot justify their action because they act in that manner so as to look pleasant and not to prote ct themselves. The Analogy The last sentence of the fifth paragraph tells us an analogy about a drowning child in a pond and a person happens to witness the child drowning. Singer’s analogy fits perfectly with his main assumption that we ought to help other people in need, despite the inability of other people to see her situation, and without sacrificing something that is comparably significant. Simply saying, in that situation, our clothes do not bear more significance compared to a life that is at risk. In other words, we prevent what is bad (the possible death of the child in the pond) and promote what is good (saving the life of the child). ‘Level of Marginality’ In giving away something to the needy, Singer puts a specific, yet abstract limit as to the amount we are obliged to. He used the phrase â€Å"until we reach the level of marginality.† It is like a common version found in the Christian bible that a way to heaven is by abandoning all of oneâ⠂¬â„¢s properties and wealth and giving them after to the poor. Singer requires â€Å"reducing ourselves to the level of marginal utility† (par. 27). In the moderate version of his premise, he does not imply that people ought to live in a level of marginal utility such that their families are likely to suffer in the end, as well. What he

Art me&mrs andrews the artist is Gainsborough Research Paper

Art me&mrs andrews the artist is Gainsborough - Research Paper Example Next to the man is a dog. The couple is posing next to a wheat farm. The skies are gray and the picture is dark. The man and woman appear to be composed. A flock of sheep can be seen in the far background. Careful inspection of the woman reveals that this painting may be incomplete. It looks as if there is a space where she was supposed to be holding a baby (ITP 276: Mr and Mrs Andrews by Thomas Gainsborough, 14 August 2005). The dark clouds and bright foreground of the painting indicate that the painting was done when it was about to rain. The rifle and dog could possibly mean that the man hunts for sport. The dog seems to be tugging at the man’s clothes. The couple is wearing fine clothes, an indication that they could be wealthy. The painting makes me feel calm, because the countryside imagery is fresh and inviting. If I were in the picture, I would have felt relaxed and free. Looking at it, I can hear the bleating of sheep. Gainsborough chose this setting probably because he was a painter of sceneries and nature. The location also enables him to capture the distant features of the countryside. The artist was probably most impressed by the sheep in the background, because he seems to have painted the subjects in such a way as to leave ample space for the sheep to be

No Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

No - Essay Example Another way that the employers reduce the cost of health insurance for their employees is by reducing spouse and dependent coverage costs. This way, the employees have to dig deeper into their pockets to cover the family members. Through this ways, employers save a lot of money that they would otherwise have used to cover their employees. The Obama Care if carefully analyzed takes the health insurance cover from the employer based to government based model. Because of the taxation system on employer based insurance package, fewer people will take up the employer based insurance cover. All employees have to be covered under the Act (Niles 377). This means that even those with a low income can access an insurance cover. On the other hand, it means that the employees with higher earnings have to pay more. If I did not have an insurance cover, the Obama Care would be a good option because I now have the chance of accessing an affordable and quality health cover. Labor unions have in America have been instrumental in dealing with fair practices in the employment sector for its members. Despite having come a long way, the labor unions have had their fair share of challenges. There is a general attitude against unionization by the younger generation which makes the unions to lose grip. One of major challenges that the unions are facing is the decline in membership levels. This has seen the rise in part-time employment, less job security, and a rise in the number of the working poor. Another challenge is that the right of workers to gain membership in labor unions for collective bargaining purposes is under attack. The reason for this is the weak labor laws that do not encourage unionization of employees. In response to these challenges the labor movement reaches out to the people of color, women, the young people as well as immigrant workers to strengthen the movement (JIL 4).

Presidential versus Congressional Decision Making Essay

Presidential versus Congressional Decision Making - Essay Example The two divisions share in the course and each one of them plays a significant although dissimilar function. Presidential versus congressional decision making The issue of who formulates foreign policy does not contain a more accurate answer for a number of reasons. Foremost, United States foreign policy is not formed in a vacuity as some type of indissoluble whole with a solitary imposing design. Relatively, formulating foreign policy is a lengthened course concerning many actors and including dozens of personal policies towards diverse nations, constituencies, and operative problems. Subsequently, the composite course of establishing foreign policy makes it hard to come to a decision of who ought to be accredited with instigating or adjusting any meticulous foreign policy. The two divisions frequently interrelate and persuade each other. Beneath this state of affairs, it is complicated to trace a proposal back to its derivation, establish when an idea actually manipulates policy, a nd come to a decision when an adjustment generates a novel policy. ... One research categorized the epoch 1789-1829 as one of Presidential proposal (Mowbry, 2003), 1829-1898 as one of congressional dominance and 1899 in the course of the abrupt post World War II phase as one of mounting Presidential supremacy. A different research classified three epochs of congressional supremacy, 1837-1861, 1869-1897, and 1918-1936, with an additional one commencing toward the conclusion of the 1973 War in Vietnam. Following are fundamental ways the President or executive division can initiate or originally outline foreign policy. In these state of affairs, Congress is placed in the position of either acting in response optimistically to the President's proposal or requesting to amend or turn around the influence of his rank. Reacts to Foreign Occurrences. Government Proposal for Legislation. Concession of Intercontinental Accords. Statements of Policy. Implementation of Policy. Sovereign Action. Decisions and Statements of Policy. Directives of Legislation. The most significant characteristic of the president’s function is decision-making, and this power by all sort of things. It is fundamental to comprehend the ambiance in which the president formulates decisions. They ought to make decisions in strict restraints. There are frequently previous pledges formed by the government that necessitates it to use up money, guard allies, preserve overhauls, or guard rights (De Castro, 2000). The president is also stressed by the institutional capacities of the executive division, which is also a result of precedent decisions. Presidential Decision Making illustrates two organizational problems the President encounters. The interrelatedness of the matters

Does Globalisation Americanisation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Does Globalisation Americanisation - Essay Example Another feature of globalisation is grobalisation by which â€Å"the imperialistic ambitions of nations, corporations, organisations† (Ritzer & Ryan 2004: 41) promote the imposition of themselves in various geographic areas for increased power, influence and profits. Two subprocesses of grobalisation are Americanisation and McDonaldisation. Americanisation can be defined as the further spread and establishment of American ideas, customs, social patterns, language, industry, and capital around the world. The concept of Americanisation â€Å"envisions a growth in American influence in all realms throughout the world† (Ritzer & Ryan 2004: 47). McDonaldization is the spread of the fast-food restaurant concept not only within the United States, but in increasing numbers of other societies throughout the world (Ritzer 2010). Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to determine whether globalisation is synonymous with Americanisation. The Emergence and Evolution of Amer icanisation and Globalisation Americanisation is the larger conceptual framework that includes various interconnected phenomena, among which globalisation is one of the most important. The cultural impact of globalisation on Americanisation as a key 20th century transformation has great consequences. Mennell (2009) believes that globalisation and Americanisation should be examined together in long term perspective. The United States drove globalisation from 1945 to 2000; during this time globalisation was synonymous with Americanisation and Westernization, although terms such as â€Å"hybridity† and â€Å"flexible acculturation† which pertain to immigrants in the United States, prevailed only after 2001 (Nederveen Pieterse 2009). Globalisation is radically transforming all nations and the lives of billions of people all over the world. Globalisation theory characteristically accorded a great deal of significance to developments in the west, and its western bias also me ant that â€Å"the rest of the world had little choice but to become like it† (Ritzer & Ryan 2004: 41). After the Second World War, American companies with a highly efficient industrial management system expanded to locations across the globe. This globalisation of American companies had an effect on the internationalisation of German firms between 1945 to the early 1970s, and the resultant outcomes on German corporate management and competitive strategies throws light on how global corporate players evolved. The Americans tried to recapture the markets that they lost during the war, and attempted to enter new geographic markets. To withstand the American challenge, German companies resorted to new management strategies such as the adoption of American know-how, leading to a process of catching up and globalised corporate growth in German companies (Hilger 2008). Conversi (2010) argues that the consequences of cultural Americanisation is one of the least studied areas of the phenomenon of globalisation, although it is the most critical feature. The global expansion of Americanisation can be denoted accurately through distinctive stages of expansion, followed by periods of comparative and momentary recession; this in turn is followed by increased expansion. Hence, Americanisation is the broader conceptual framework that consists of various interconnected phenomena, out of which the most important is globalisation. This has established

Analyse and critically assess Baumol's model of innovationbased of Essay

Analyse and critically assess Baumol's model of innovationbased of growth - Essay Example For this reason he states that competition and the free market economy has played a major role in encouraging innovation by enterprises in the economy which has resulted into economic growth. According to Baumol (2002) capitalism is unique in its innovation characteristic and that the product of the capitalist society is economic growth. he notes that past economies such as medieval China were characterized by innovative and invention ideas but due to the economic system and characteristics innovation did not result in economic growth, the difference between these economies is that the modern economy is characterized by free competition and also that innovation is used as a competition tool in the market. Firms in the modern world have two competitive weapons and they include prices and innovation, innovation in the modern world is the prime weapon and has become mandatory in the modern firms. The firm that do not undertake innovation face closure in the modern world, therefore they compete to outperform their competitor in innovative ideas in the market other than the use of price, this form of competition results into new and better products and processes that benefits consumers. Firms result in frequent innovation as a competitive strategy and this innovation results into further innovation, innovation therefore becomes a routinised process. ... He also notes that the Capitalist economy is driven by profit motives, these motives makes firms to perform tasks efficiently and effectively, and that the invisible hand controls firms in the market from deriving abnormal profits forcing a firms to provide better products in the market than its rivals. Baumol (2002) however states that economic growth does not solve other problems the society may face such as inequality and this is because economic growth only solves problems that depend on it. On large and small entrepreneurs he noted that small and independent innovators provide a significantly startling result, he notes that a recent study by the small business association the frequency of citation of small firm patents is more likely to be among the first top one percent, Some of the products by independent and small firm innovation include the airplane, pace maker and the helicopter. This trend is expected to exist in future and that independent inventors over the years open up large firms that perform routine innovation. Large firms on the other hand also contribute to innovation. Large firms specialize in product improvement, provision of user friendly products and finding new consumers for their products. These large firms are characterized by bureaucratic controls that ensure that innovation processes are incremental and predictable, for this reason these control restrict imaginative ideas which may result into disaster and that may also result to revolutionize into a new world. Conclusion: From the above analysis it is evident that Baumol analysis of economic growth advocates for the free market economy, the capitalist society promotes growth whereby it is

The impact of the Vietnam War on American culture Essay Example for Free

The impact of the Vietnam War on American culture Essay Consider the impact of the Vietnam War on American culture. In the decades prior to the 1980s, two issues beset American culture: civil rights and the Vietnam War. Both were televised directly into living rooms on all three channels. On college campuses throughout the world, but especially on American campuses, antiwar protests were routine. Hippies often were thought to conduct themselves on the premises of antiwar, free sex, and lots of drugs. The music that emerged from this era is still famously current and listened to today. It was an era of convertibles, gas guzzlers, freedom, and endless summers. Then that generation grew into adults––your parents and grandparents. Writing with sensitivity to the nuances of the era, what happened to the dream? Whether you elect to compose on one of the suggestions outlined here, on some modification of a question, or on some independently arrived at idea (in concert with your professor), you will need to plan for the following milestones. Milestones Back to Top Please refer to the Guidelines above for specific details. Annotations (150 points) A good annotated bibliography provides the publication details, describes the key points of the source, uncovers controversies introduced by the source, and evaluates the merits of the source. Each of your three (minimal) to five (maximal) annotations should be approximately 200–250 words. This is due Week 4. Outline and Proposal (100 points) Following the annotations, you will be ready to plan your paper. An outline (one and one half pages) and a proposal (two to three pages) of your intended project are due. Quality proposals and outlines will not merely describe or find information but will have a strong and original point of view. The highest points are conferred for originality, the locating and detailing of controversies, and for nuanced papers that sensitively explore topics with deft subtlety. This is due Week 2. Discussions (350 points) Each week, discussions will focus on text readings and explore the nuts and bolts of some of the major historical events, artwork, literature, political thinking, and culture of specific historical periods. Your discussions  require that you NOT ever merely cut and paste someone elses ideas with an attribute––such discussions have absolutely no value and will not be recognized. If you wish to include external source information substantively, you may do so. The rule is for each line you quote or paraphrase, you must give two lines of your own analysis. You must state why this inclusion is relevant, what we are supposed to think as a result of reading it, what controversy it raises, and why you think its important that we know about the source information. Additionally, when you quote something, you must offset it with quotation marks so that it is clear to your reader when you are quoting and when you are analyzing originally. The same holds true of paraphrasing––please offset the paraphrase in such a way that is clear that it is a derived idea, and then offer your analysis. Whether you quote or paraphrase, you must provide both a parenthetical in-text citation, as well as the full reference at the bottom. In other words, the only way to be original when you are reporting information is to think about it, form an opinion about it, evaluate it, critique it, and then write it clearly. You are expected to craft six high-quality posts on three separate days each week. This is due Weeks 1–7. Final Paper (200 points) See details under the Guidelines above. This is due Week 7. Final Exam (200 points) To write a successful exam, you must keep up with the readings and demonstrate knowledge acquisition and critical thinking in the discussions. The exam consists of multiple choice and essay questions. The essays must be original, thoughtful, and where outside sources are used, impeccably cited (both in text AND in a final full reference). Essays should be no more than 30% cited material; they should be at least 70% original thinking. This is due in Week 8.

Development of Modernity from Enlightenment

Development of Modernity from Enlightenment Dare-to-know is the motto that Kant gave to the Enlightenment. In this essay I am going to demonstrate how this motto relates to modernity. My starting point will be the definition of the Middle-Ages and description of events that characterized it, because it is where evolution to modernity initiated. Immediately after the Middle Ages follows the Renaissance, which I will also be explicating, and it is also followed by Enlightenment or the Modern Age. These three time periods are also inter-linked by historical events that marked them. They have a cause-and-effect relationship, meaning the existence of one is the effect of the existence of another. The Enlightenment was wholly based on reason, and its effect was the historical landmarks such as the French Revolution and the American Revolution. These landmarks, particularly the French Revolution, ensured the society’s exit from medieval tutelage and made a radical transition to the Modern-Age. Based on the Weber’s ideal type bureaucracy, I will also be demonstrating how they have influenced the modern institutions and how they operate, particularly the state, which is the biggest idea or effect of Enlightenment. Freedom also emerged after the establishment of the state, and strive to separate religion from the state, or secularism, was undertaken. Therefore, this rationalization led to the various forms of the modern state being devised. The â€Å"Middle Ages† is the phrase used to describe western countries after the fall of the Roman Empire and the dawn of the Renaissance in the 14th century. It is often called the medieval period. During this period the person’s identity was determined by God. (Dreyfus Kelly, 2011). Everything was determined and created by God. Therefore people never dared to question the phenomena or what made sense to them. Everything was taken for granted. Even kings and queens ruled by divine right in the Great Chain of Being. By divine right it meant they were chosen by God to rule and lead the society. The Great Chain of Being is a divine order or what can be called a social structure in the modern society. It consisted of God at the top, then kings above noblemen and other people in general, and the animals would be ranked below all the people. In the wake of the fall of the Roman Empire, there was a need for an alternative form of rule, the structure, or the government that would unite all the people of Europe. This duty was assumed by the Catholic Church which became a very powerful rule of the Middle-Ages. It also became a source of power for medieval kings and queens as a result of their alliance with it. The church also afforded protection to these monarchs. Rural life was based on feudalism. In this form of existence, the king would give land, or fiefs to noblemen. The peasants, or serfs would work on the land in exchange for protection and to live on the land. However, technological innovations in agriculture resulted in significant evolution in feudalism. Heavy plough and three-field crop rotation efficiently increased production, as well as the supply of food. As a result, less human resource was needed to work on farms. Ultimately, more people flocked to towns and cities. It was by virtue of these cities’ dynamism that gave rise to the Renaissance period in the fourteenth to the sixteenth centuries. The word Renaissance is French and means rebirth. It is the period in which the society started moving away from the medieval values and norms, from God as the determinant of everything, and thus significantly reducing the power and rule of the church, the Catholic Church. Most importantly it was the time that was marked by a massive change in economy and intellect, particularly in art, literature, science and philosophy. New ideas were created and disseminated across all spheres of life. Artistic work became more accurate and had a viewpoint, literature focused more on the characteristics and behaviors of the people, and printing eased access to information and education by society. In science great improvements were made in various fields, particularly in astronomy and physics. This is evident in Galileo’s successful invention of the telesc ope. Philosophy changed the way people thought about themselves and the universe. It focused on humanism. Humanism is broadly understood as involving a positive approach to human existence and an appreciation of human endeavor. The broad influence of Renaissance humanism in turn filtered back to philosophical and political thought, where various ideas of human reason became the main focus of theoretical speculation. John Locke and Jean-Jacques Rousseau, had an optimistic notion of human nature, believing that rationality was a key feature in the way in which human beings organized themselves, with or without state intervention. Locke promoted the idea that unjustly treated subjects had a â€Å"right to rebel† if their reason was being insulted. (Bevir, 2010). These philosophical changes culminated in another change in human thought. This was the dawn of the Modern Age which came to be famously known as The Enlightenment. The Enlightenment is largely defined and popularly known as the age of reason, mainly for its commitment to the use of reason for the promotion of happiness via the amelioration and improvement of the practical conditions of human life (Bevir, 2010). The German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, was also keen to stress the importance of rational critique to the Enlightenment, calling on his readers to dispense with â€Å"immaturity† and take up the challenge daring to know for oneself. (Bevier, 2010). He defined the Enlightenment as the man’s exit from his self-incurred minority (Wood, 2001). He described minority as being unable to use intelligence without guidance, and it is self-incurred if it caused by lack of determination and courage to use intelligence without guidance. Therefore, he called Sapere Aude, meaning having the courage to use one’s intelligence, the motto of the Enlightenment (Wood, 2001). This was an attitude towards modernity because it was founded o n the principle rationalism. Rationalism is the belief that the world has a rational structure, and that this can be disclosed through the exercise of human reason and critical enquiry. As a philosophical theory, rationalism is the belief that knowledge flows from reason rather than experience, and thus contrasts with empiricism. As a general principle, however, rationalism places a heavy emphasis on the capacity of human beings to understand and explain their world, and to find solutions to problems. It is associated with an emphasis on principle and reason-governed behavior, as opposed to reliance on custom or tradition, or non-rational drives and impulses. (Heywood, 1992). It was the successful revolution in science of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries that gave birth to the Enlightenment. Science undermined the ancient geocentric conception of the cosmos, and the constraining presuppositions that guided philosophical inquiry. It is the period that was marked by dramatic revolutions in science, philosophy, society and politics. The Enlightenment thought also culminated in the historical French and American Revolution, in which the traditional ancient hierarchical political and social orders (the French monarchy, the privileges of the French nobility, the political power and authority of the Catholic Church) were violently destroyed and replaced by a political and social order informed by the Enlightenment ideals of freedom and equality for all, founded, ostensibly, upon principles of human reason (Bristow, 2011). These revolutions served as a society’s transit from the medieval perspective to a modern world-view. In politics, the Enlighten ment make present again a course of action to encourage values characteristic of liberal modernity, which are freedom, progress, opulence, and humanitarianism. More specifically, political theorists have found in the Enlightenment the origins of several institutions that define our political landscape today, from liberal individualism and global capitalism to constitutional democracy, value pluralism, human rights recognition, and religious toleration (Bevir, 2010). The starting point in analyzing these modern institutions and political landscape is Weber’s bureaucracy. According to Marsh, et al., (1996) bureaucratic organizational structure seems to be fixed and permanent, and indispensable feature of the modern society. Most important is the nature of these bureaucracies. They are impersonal with clearly defined rules that also separate work and private life. Their form of reporting is hierarchical and break job into smaller task for increased quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and economies of scale. Candidates are also appointed based on their qualifications and experience. Therefore, Weber’s bureaucracy serves as a guideline in forming a modern organization, and played a crucial role in the development of the modern state. The biggest idea that grew out of the Enlightenment is that of the modern state. The proximate sources of the modern state were absolutism and the interstate it initiated (Held, 1992). It came as a response to absolutism. A state is that human community which (successfully) lays claim to the monopoly of legitimate physical violence within a certain territory, this territory being another of the defining features of the state (Weber, 1994). This means that all modern states are nation-states, political apparatuses, distinct from both ruler and ruled, with supreme jurisdiction over a demarcated territorial area, backed by a claim to a monopoly of coercive power, and enjoying a minimum level of support or loyalty from their citizens (Held, 1992). Therefore, the modern state is fixed within exact territorial borders, control the means of violence by the army and police, it is sovereign, and it is the only form of rule that regards its people as citizens. Governments come and go but the s tate remains. Therefore, the control of state machinery is contested and won by a political party in elections, which makes it democratic and legitimate because it reflect and/or represent the needs of its citizens. The state also uses a system of checks and balances to ensure that no one of its institutions, which are the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary, exerts or exercise too much power over another. Out of the idea of the modern state other concepts and/or ideas emerged, too. Liberalism emerged as the product of two intertwined developments in early modern Europe. The first was the creation of modern states with the concomitant emergence of semi-autonomous civil societies. The second and roughly contemporaneous development was the invention and spread of a set of values and priorities that broke with the religious traditions that had prevailed in feudal and clerical practice in medieval Europe (Bevir, 2010). Liberalism comes from the word liberty, meaning freedom. In politics, the term is recognized as a unique set of ideas or ideology. The central theme of liberal ideology is a commitment to the individual and the desire to construct a society in which people can satisfy their interests and achieve fulfillment (Heywood, 1992). Liberals believe that human beings are, first and foremost, individuals, endowed with reason (Heywood, 1992). This implies that each individual should enjoy the maximum possible freedom consistent with a like freedom for all (Heywo od, 1992). However, although individuals are entitled to equal legal and political rights, they should be rewarded in line with their talents and willingness to work (Heywood, 1992). Secularism is one of the sub-concepts of liberalism, meaning the next step after individual liberties have been achieved is to strive for the separation of religion from the state. The philosophes’ opposition to traditional religious authority stressed the need for secular knowledge free of religious orthodoxies (Hamilton, 1992). It is an ethic that is perceived as the most radical anti-clerical movement. The aim of the early modern political thought is to establish a secular political order capable of settling the wars of religion, stopping the persecution of religious minorities and heretics, and guaranteeing the natural rights and liberties of every man and citizen (Bevir, 2010). Liberalism also influenced the varying forms of the modern state. Constitutionalism or the constitutional state is the form of state in which political or state decision-making is procedurally or substantively limited. This limits can be either implicit or explicit. Here the practice of the state is restricted and constrained for the maximization of freedom of all citizens. In the liberal state private affairs are separated from public affairs by a concern. This is the form of state in which civil society is freed from unnecessary political intervention and the authority of the state is delimited. Representative democracy is a form of rule in which officers are elected by the citizens themselves to represent their interests within the rule of law. Decisions about social issues are not taken by the society itself, but by the elected officers, the representatives. Lastly, there is also a form of a modern state called a one-party state. Its definition is in its name, a state in which there is only one legitimate political party. Here voters have the o pportunity to affirm the party’s choice of candidate, or occasionally to choose from among different party candidates (although some may doubt whether this constitutes an opportunity for the exercise of choice at all) (Held, 1992). In conclusion, in the Middle-Ages everything was determined by God and existed in the Great Chain of Being. The fall of the Roman Empire ushered in the Renaissance. It was marked by great revolutions in science, philosophy, and astronomy, which then led to the Enlightenment or the Age of reason. This age of reason culminates in the overthrowing of the French monarchy and leads to the establishment the modern democratic state. It also makes Sapere Aude an attitude of modernity, because dare-to-know simply means have courage to find reason. That reason was found and it liberated the society from the shackles of the Middle-Ages. It is also because of that reason the modern state, its various forms and institutions were found. Rationalism thus freed mankind from the self-incurred minority. 1

The Low Cost Airline: Air Arabia

The Low Cost Airline: Air Arabia Air Arabia is one of the low cost airlines of UAE, based in Sharjah. It presently is operating in more than 45 destinations comprising of major cities in south-east Asia, Middle-East and few regions of central Asia and Africa. Air Arabia is also registered in AACO or Arab Air Carriers Organization In the recent years the threat due to its substitute competitors was almost nullified. They stood nowhere in front of Air Arabia but there had been a constant threat from the upcoming new competitors. Though the new competitors were not enough to challenge Air Arabia, there was still some kind of threat because the numbers of such competitors were increasing day by day. In UAE initially there were many air service providers, but in the recent times Air Arabia has proved to be the most effective one compared to its previous competitors. With the increasing oil prices the competitors of Air Arabia increased their prices, but Air Arabia kept its low budget fares in order to gain more and more public support at the cost of temporary loss or little marginal gain. The low cost carriers are so effective that they helped Air Arabia win Merit Award for CAPA Low Cost Airline of the Year 2006 and the World Airline Award for Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East in 2007. The biggest threat that Air Arabia has is from its competitors. The reason for the same is that once a company gets a remark of dissatisfying its customers by not doing as advertised, the competitors take advantage. Key strategies include: Entering in new segments and thus removing dependency on singe segment (low cost carrier). Arranging funds to buy more funds. Balancing between increasing inflation and controlling the prices of the tickets. Acquiring new and small airlines for faster expansion. Getting listed at new airports and starting operation in new places. Supporting governments Emiritization strategy to get more federal support. Talking about the implementation of strategies, for increasing its marketing dimension, the company has invested over DH one million in terms of Ads, both online and print media. This would result in a long term profit for the company, though its quite a heavy amount on the basis of companys current scenario. More includes: International flight connecting Abu Dhabi to more than 45 international destinations in USA, Indian subcontinent etc. Air Arabia carried over 4.6 million passengers, an augment of approximately 65.8% over in 2006. (Lowcostairlinesworld, 2009) Along with this, it also griped 175,000 tons of freight in 2007, which is an increase of over 75% than the year 2006. Introduction: Air Arabia is one of the low cost airlines of UAE, based in Sharjah. It presently is operating in more than 45 destinations comprising of major cities in south-east Asia, Middle-East and few regions of central Asia and Africa. Air Arabia is also registered in AACO or Arab Air Carriers Organization. It was the first low-fare organization in the Middle-East, started on 3rd February in the year 2003. It offers almost 40% less price than the other airlines. The main base of the airline is Sharjah. In 2007 it was the first to offer public 55% of its stock. It basically aims at attracting the people. After its foundation it kept on spreading in services. For the time in 2008 it had to back out from the Nepal region due to some uncertain political and economic issues. It has collaborated with many other airlines in many parts of the world. Vision: The ultimate goal of the company is to position itself at the top of all the Low-fare airlines in UAE and in Gulf. The key features of Vision of the company are as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Expanding its aircraft range à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To provide service on more number of routes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To enhance efficiency of operations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ And to increase its revenue maintaining a low and simple structure of low air-fare industry. Mission: The companys mission includes building and creating multi-functional team, increase revenue and offering a value for money services in the region. The ultimate mission is to bring a revolution in the fright industry by new and innovative corporate standards. Industry background: The airlines industry of UAE is vast if we look at the number of service providers. There are number of low cost airlines. National airlines of UAE other than air Arabia include Gulf Air, Emirates and Etihad. Gulf air was started long ago in 1950. It provides a number of facilities to its users. Firstly it has provided many onboard facilities to children below the age of 12. For the business related people it provides the BBC world news. It also provides separate dinning for the passengers. It is treated as a standard national flight for most of the purposes. Emirates airlines were introduced after Gulf Air in 1985. It is also considered as a national flight. It has won several awards for its services. This airline consists of many air planes both for public and private issues. Etihad is the most recent one and was introduced after air Arabia in the same year. It had also become quite popular but could not compete with Air Arabia on low cost. A Kam air fare is also considered as one of the low cost airlines in UAE. Among all the existing national airlines till date Air Arabia is considered to be the cheapest one. It is not considered to be a flight with the best facility on board but of course it offers a cheap fare t its customers. The facilities provided by these national airlines to their customers vary from each other. All these airlines greatly contribute to the national economy of UAE. Statement of problem: In this report, we will talk about the key strategies of Air Arabia, alternate strategies available, implementation, and SWOT, PEST and competitor analysis of Air Arabia. For this concern, an interview with a manager of the company is organized. The Manager stated that Air Arabia is doing substantially well in its domain which is presently concentrated to low cost airline segment. For long term perspective, the company is aiming to enter in more segments than this alone. There are number of strategic problems the company is facing. These are: Entering in new segments and thus removing dependency on singe segment (low cost carrier). Arranging funds to buy more funds. Balancing between increasing inflation and controlling the prices of the tickets. Acquiring new and small airlines for faster expansion. Getting listed at new airports and starting operation in new places. Supporting governments Emiritization strategy to get more federal support. Analysis: Environmental or Industrial Analysis: Air Arabia believes in providing a superior and cost efficient life support system by introducing advanced facilities and more availability to gain customer satisfaction. It aims to be a company that has value and importance based on kind of services it provides. The organization has certain morals when it comes to staffing and team work, maintaining customer relationship, honesty, truthfulness, and flexibility are that satisfy the grounds. The customers of the Air industry are in all forms. The aircrafts are used for the security of nations and so go to the government. Then importers and exporters of the market that import goods from as small as vegetables to cars. So in turn we also are using these services. They are used for the people to travel. The aircrafts are the majority form of transportation in the recent times. Porters five forces analysis The threat of substitute competitors: In the recent years the threat due to its substitute competitors was almost nullified. They stood nowhere in front of Air Arabia. The other substitutes kept on declining and the company Air Arabia kept on improving talking in terms of profit in the market. The other companies could not offer such a low fares as compared to Air Arabia whose fares were remarkable. The threat of the entry of new competitors There had been a constant threat from the upcoming new competitors. Every now and then many new companies were launched along with the existing ones. They all tried to match up to the level of Air Arabia but ultimately failed to continue on a long run. They met with huge loss and ultimately ended up in increasing the cost. All these competitors tried to copy Air Arabia based on service it provides, but they failed to regulate them on a regular basis based on public satisfaction and demand. The intensity of competitive rivalry Though Air Arabia continued to dominate the market in the recent years, it had not been an easy job. It always had to keep itself alert and changing. Though the new competitors were not enough to challenge Air Arabia, there was still some kind of threat because the numbers of such competitors were increasing day by day. Air Arabia had to keep a survey of the prevailing market conditions and take safe decisions to keep going. Marketing aspect of the company became crucial in maintaining the market position. The bargaining power of customers Considering the bargaining power in case of Air Arabia is a mere thing if we compare it with the facilities it provides and the lack of able competitors. People were not much into bargaining because Air Arabia had been the best available among all the others. However, in times of strong competition by some new rivals there had been some kind of bargaining by the customers, which was gracefully accepted for that period. The bargaining power of suppliers Suppliers in this case refer to the stock holders of the company. They also got a huge discount on available stocks. Also the amount of available public stocks was considerably increased. They also get a good amount of annual dividend. Also due to expansion of their business the stock holders made a huge profit. Competitor Analysis: In UAE initially there were many air service providers, but in the recent times Air Arabia has proved to be the most effective one compared to its previous competitors. With the increasing oil prices the competitors of Air Arabia increased their prices, but Air Arabia kept its low budget fares in order to gain more and more public support at the cost of temporary loss or little marginal gain. This was very crucial in giving Air Arabia a position quite different from others. Among all the existing national airlines till date Air Arabia is considered to be the cheapest one. It is not considered to be a flight with the best facility on board but of course it offers a cheap fare t its customers. The facilities provided by these national airlines to their customers vary from each other. All these airlines greatly contribute to the national economy of UAE. SWOT Analysis: Strengths Considering the case of Air Arabia, the low cost fare plays a crucial role in gaining the public interest. The low cost carriers are so effective that they helped Air Arabia win Merit Award for CAPA Low Cost Airline of the Year 2006 and the World Airline Award for Best Low-Cost Airline in the Middle East in 2007. With the increasing infrastructure, high regional GDP and a huge demand in various regions, air travels are contributing to the success of low cost carriers in UAE. The reason for Air Arabia being so popular among all the regions of the world is its award winning strategies. These awards add a great deal in their marketing strategy which helps to bag future success. Air Arabia has been able to advertise its business in the following ways: Travel agency commissions stopped Removal of interline, code-share relationships Usage of secondary or alternate city airports (Eyefortravel, 2008) As a number of people have begun to feel the same, it is certainly a positive aspect of advertising for Air Arabia. Weakness The greatest weakness that most of the airlines companies are facing nowadays is that they have not been able to live up to their expectations. On many occasions, Air Arabia has agreed on certain flying to certain destinations but it has not lived up to it. One such concern is that when the airline company promised to fly to some of the most restricted destinations in the world, it could not make it to Cairo as it most highly expected by the tourists and other regular passengers. So, as the advertisement said they did not book their expensive tickets through different airline companies but at the same time did not get the opportunity to travel at all. Some of the major accessories as expected by the passengers in Air Arabia in spite of its low cost are as follows: Amenity Kits Air Sickness Bags In-flight socks Eye shades Blankets Headsets Opportunities High GDP Growth Rates: Petroleum extraction and refining operations have been on an all time high in the UAE in the past few years. This has helped in the boost of the economy of UAE. Air Arabia can take advantage of this fact and can help make the use of its low cost carriers more prominent. Positive Demographics: The percentage of youth (under 30 years) in the UAE is 64%. This will provide a high in the future market as liberalization opens market even to air travel. It is one of the important factors for Air Arabia to select its targeting strategy. Strong Tourism: The energy and entrepreneurial spirit of the middle-east region is attracting tourism and business traffic in its own right. Advertisement can be done with all the tourism companies so as to make the tour highly affordable for the tourists. Threats The biggest threat that Air Arabia has is from its competitors. The reason for the same is that once a company gets a remark of dissatisfying its customers by not doing as advertised, the competitors take advantage. The other reason of threat for Air Arabia is that all the newly merging airline companies are in a spree to capture the market by making a strong reputation. Once they come up with price fares lesser than Air Arabia then even the best of advertising would fail. Companys performance: Air Arabia is one of the low cost airlines of UAE, based in Sharjah. It presently is operating in more than 45 destinations comprising of major cities in south-east Asia, Middle-East and few regions of central Asia and Africa. Air Arabia is also registered in AACO or Arab Air Carriers Organization. The companys mission includes building and creating multi-functional team, increase revenue and offering a value for money services in the region. It was the first low-fare organization in the Middle-East, started on 3rd February in the year 2003. It offers almost 40% less price than the other airlines. The main base of the airline is Sharjah. In 2007 it was the first to offer public 55% of its stock. It basically aims at attracting the people. After its foundation it kept on spreading in services. For the time in 2008 it had to back out from the Nepal region due to some uncertain political and economic issues. It has collaborated with many other airlines in many parts of the world. (Amein fo, 2009) Key Strategies: A key strategic issue includes: Entering in new segments and thus removing dependency on singe segment (low cost carrier). Arranging funds to buy more funds. Balancing between increasing inflation and controlling the prices of the tickets. Acquiring new and small airlines for faster expansion. Getting listed at new airports and starting operation in new places. Supporting governments Emiritization strategy to get more federal support. The company is trying to introduce low cost flights so that more and more people avail them. There are basically targeting on two areas. First of all they are reducing some unnecessary facilities on short time journeys. Removing these facilities based on such a low cost hardly affects public interest. Secondly, they are trying to reduce the fair on some routes and at the same time increasing the number of flights on these routes. This means gaining public interest and support based on low marginal profit. Other than offering incentives to its customers it also offers heavy dividend and discounts to stock holders. It was the first flight to provide so much of rebate to its customers and stock holders. It keeps on increasing the facilities offered in order to keep the interest maintained. (Ameinfo, 2009) Air Arabia has recently expanded its aircraft ranges. It has tried to expand the business in by introducing new routes in many parts of the region. There are more and number of aircrafts in the regions where there were less no of aircrafts. Now the flights are available more frequently in some routes based on amount of profit made in the existing routes. In order to increase the value of its stocks in the market, the company has released more no of stocks to the public with discounts. The strategies, the growth and the future plans offered by Air Arabia are sufficient to attract more and more stock holders which ultimately lead to expansion in terms to money, power and public support. It has also appeared on many other stock lists and transactions are also about to start. (Eyefortravel, 2008) The company had been very particular in deciding the cost of transport. It kept in mind the rising and the falling prices of oil and other equipments, directly or indirectly related to their business. In other words, they maintained a complete survey of the prevailing market. With the increase in the fuel prices many airlines companies increased their prices and vice versa. There are other strategies which were used for marketing at financial level. The company has gained a lot from them. The profit margin has increased by 40% in the recent years and there are still chances of further increase. These all strategies have proved fruitful both for the company and the company stock holders which are directly or indirectly related to the company. The company has been able to hold up to the expectations of its employees and its customers. Air Arabia greatly contributes in the UAE economy. Recently it got an approval to appear on Dubai financial list. The Air Arabia is going to appear on stock list of Dubai financial market and trading it will be started in few days. The way Air Arabia is using the budget and the way it is applying the strategies it is believed that in the time to come if there is a slow economy progress, Air Arabia alone can handle it. Strategic Alternatives: Some strategies of Air Arabia for future few years are as follows: Expanding its aircraft range: One important constraint in companys expansion plan is the limited number of cargo and passenger planes available to the company. The company will place periodic orders for new aircrafts to support its expansions plans. To provide service on more number of routes: The company would like to serve in European countries and other untouched destinations in North and South America. The expansion will give a vast increment in companys present market size. To enhance efficiency of operations: As a long term strategy, the company would like to implement TQM strategies in its operations. Increase its revenue maintaining high and quality structure of luxurious aircraft industry Another one is Emiritization and advancement of UAE people. The company has a number of plans in this direction with long term interest which are mentioned as follows: UAE National Cadet Pilots Training or UNCPT The company invites aspirants who what to become a pilot with a statement like We are giving wings to your dreams. Its pilot training program is one of the finest in the nation. The company states that as the public Airline of the United Arab Emirate, it has an immense vision. To see further Emiratis taking their correct position as pilots in lone of the fastest mounting airlines on the planet. UAE National Graduate Entry Management Plan The public airline of the UAE, Air Arabia, is investing in its outlook and would consequently like to spend in people by giving them the chance to be 1 of the privileged students chosen to join its UNGEM program. It states that by this program, graduates will develop sturdy leadership abilities and form a collection of professionals who are organized to meet quickly expanding and developing leadership wants in various branches within the company. (Eyefortravel, 2008) Enhancing the cargo carriers flights: As shown from the contribution of profit from the cargo and customer units, the cargo unit contributes around 65% of the companys turnover, which depict the clear dominance of cargo unit over the customer unit in terms of profit. The company would like to utilize this faith of people in Air Arabias cargo unit to gain additional market share. Thus as an expansion plan for cargo unit, the company is ordering more share of cargo planes as compared to that of passenger planes. Segmentation and targeting: The Company had divided the consumer market into various segments based on income and profession. The segment which appears to be the center of consideration for the company is those of high earning boniness people who need to travel consistently and comfortably. Positioning: Its actually consumers perception about the service. Royal Jet, from the beginning has tried to establish as a symbol for a cheap but reliable air traffic business partner. Implementation: Air Arabia greatly contributes in the UAE economy. Recently it got an approval to appear on Dubai financial list. The Air Arabia is going to appear on stock list of Dubai financial market and trading it will be started in few days. It has already started offering rebates on stocks to its customers. The national economy of UAE is going to be benefited by the kind of strategies being forwarded by Air Arabia. Not only are they going to have a huge business but also a huge investment in the stocks by the common people. The market is going to be greatly affected. Many new services are being started. The UAE government believes that Air Arabia can alone increase the UAE economy from going down. It has now met with 32% profit which is the highest ever in the recent years. For increasing its marketing dimension, the company has invested over DH one million in terms of Ads, both online and print media. This would result in a long term profit for the company, though its quite a heavy amount on the basis of companys current scenario. (Arabia, 2009) Use of technology: The Company has recently brought 7 new aircrafts with increased capacities and advance technology. As the company is still very new, almost all of the aircrafts are in good condition. Talking about other technological diffusion parameters, the company has recently brought a SAP system which is an expert system from Sap international. This expert system is Artificial Intelligence based and works on knowledge representation rather than data manipulation, thus is highly technical and advance. The operation unit exploits the SAP system to efficiently monitor the various aspects and inventory constituents. The company also has an online terminal to book tickets and offers various plans in flights according to customer requirements. International flight connecting Abu Dhabi to more than 45 international destinations in USA, Indian subcontinent etc. Air Arabia carried over 4.6 million passengers, an augment of approximately 65.8% over in 2006. Along with this, it also griped 175,000 tons of freight in 2007, which is an increase of over 75% than the year 2006. (Ameinfo, 2009) Air Arabia owns complete share is its two subsidiaries, Air Arabia Holidays, a travel group and vehicle rental company and Air Arabia Crystal Cargo, which provides freight handling services. Air Arabia had a 24 hour help line for its customers. Air Arabia also provides hospitality services by providing temporary accommodation in hotels. (Arabia, 2009) The Air Arabia owned a group of 37 traveler and cargo airplanes, as depicted by the data of January 2008 and it plan is to increase its aircraft group to 300 by the year 2020. Air Arabia is also planning to fly over 25 million customers per year by 2020 and to twofold the number of metropolitans served from 50 to make it near 100. Market segmentation: Presently the market is segmented on the basis of income and travelling frequency of the people. It results in generation of segments like high business class consumers, consumers travelling too often but expending less, tourism based consumers (not fixed) etc. Apart from these segments, a variety of new segments can be created like low-spending domestic class, mainly for tourism. As example of this segment can be Indias growing domestic aviation market which depends little spending but large sized segment. Talking about the competitors involvement in these segments, Etihad is a big player of cheap flights segments along with Easy jet. Some other like Palm operates in multiple segments. Some competitors are head to head rival of Air Arabia in Luxury market like Sky jets etc. Thus the competitors are widely spread in these segments. References: Ameinfo (2009), Air Arabia marketing team takes centre stage, retrieved on 1st November, from http://www.ameinfo.com/29672.html Eyefortravel (2008), Air Arabia plans expansion, retrieved on 1st November, from http://www.eyefortravel.com/news/middle-east/air-arabia-plans-expansionddle-east/air-arabia-plans-expansion Lowcostairlinesworld (2009), Innovation and opportunity for traditional and low cost carriers and investors, retrieved on 31st October from http://www.lowcostairlinesworld.com/sg/programme.stm Air Arabia (2009), Know us, retrieved on 1st November, from http://www.airarabia.com/crp_1/know-more

Free College Essays - The Motif of Magic in Rip van Winkle :: Rip Van Winkle Essays

The Motif of Magic in Rip van Winkle The story of Rip van Winkle is a popular folktale of the United States. Its general motif is the magical passing of many years in what seems only a few days. Japan’s popular version of this story is Urashima Taro. In addition to the common motif, the personality of the main characters, Rip van Winkle and Urashima Taro, and plot structures are similar as well. The main characters, Rip van Winkle and Urashima Taro, in both stories are very similar. Both are simple men. One example of this is how they spend their time. For example, Urashima Taro likes to spend his days fishing, but does not really care if he catches anything, and Rip van Winkle likes to go hunting in the mountains with his dog as an excuse to get away from his duties. However, both men have social responsibilities that do not fit well with this lazy lifestyle. For example, Rip van Winkle’s short-tempered wife constantly scolds him for his lack of ambition and initiative. Taro either has a mother or a wife who depends on him for the very few fish he bothers to bring home. Although we recognize that these men are irresponsible, we sympathize with their simple desires and we understand they are very kind as well. As examples, Rip is described as a friendly and caring father and Taro saves a turtle that is being cruelly teased by a group of boys. It is easy to imagine the m as basically the same man. The first episode in both stories emphasizes these aspects of their characters and habits. The next episode involves them having experiences with magical people far away from their own communities. In one case, Rip goes hunting in the mountains and meets fairies bowling and drinking. He enjoys their company and, after drinking some magical drink, falls asleep for many, many years. In the other case, the turtle takes Taro to the Ryugu Palace at the bottom of the sea. After joining the beautiful women in a variety of fun pastimes, he too discovers that he has been gone many, many years. The third episode of both stories involves the men returning to their communities. In both cases the men find their old homes strange an very unfamiliar. They experience loneliness, isolation, and old age. These similarities of structure and character help to make the stories almost the same. Free College Essays - The Motif of Magic in Rip van Winkle :: Rip Van Winkle Essays The Motif of Magic in Rip van Winkle The story of Rip van Winkle is a popular folktale of the United States. Its general motif is the magical passing of many years in what seems only a few days. Japan’s popular version of this story is Urashima Taro. In addition to the common motif, the personality of the main characters, Rip van Winkle and Urashima Taro, and plot structures are similar as well. The main characters, Rip van Winkle and Urashima Taro, in both stories are very similar. Both are simple men. One example of this is how they spend their time. For example, Urashima Taro likes to spend his days fishing, but does not really care if he catches anything, and Rip van Winkle likes to go hunting in the mountains with his dog as an excuse to get away from his duties. However, both men have social responsibilities that do not fit well with this lazy lifestyle. For example, Rip van Winkle’s short-tempered wife constantly scolds him for his lack of ambition and initiative. Taro either has a mother or a wife who depends on him for the very few fish he bothers to bring home. Although we recognize that these men are irresponsible, we sympathize with their simple desires and we understand they are very kind as well. As examples, Rip is described as a friendly and caring father and Taro saves a turtle that is being cruelly teased by a group of boys. It is easy to imagine the m as basically the same man. The first episode in both stories emphasizes these aspects of their characters and habits. The next episode involves them having experiences with magical people far away from their own communities. In one case, Rip goes hunting in the mountains and meets fairies bowling and drinking. He enjoys their company and, after drinking some magical drink, falls asleep for many, many years. In the other case, the turtle takes Taro to the Ryugu Palace at the bottom of the sea. After joining the beautiful women in a variety of fun pastimes, he too discovers that he has been gone many, many years. The third episode of both stories involves the men returning to their communities. In both cases the men find their old homes strange an very unfamiliar. They experience loneliness, isolation, and old age. These similarities of structure and character help to make the stories almost the same.

The Different Experience of Puerto Ricans Migration to the United States :: History Historical Puerto Rico Essays

The Different Experience of Puerto Ricans' Migration to the United States Some people are inclined to view the Puerto Rican experience as a historical repetition of earlier migrations to the United States. However, the migration experience of Puerto Ricans to the United States is more complex, as well as one of a kind. Similarities do exist between the migration of Puerto Ricans and that of other groups, however, no other ethnic group has shared the tribulations of the Puerto Rican population. Their experience is different from that of anyone else. When Puerto Ricans migrated to the United States they did it in two major waves. The first wave of emigration occurred in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century. The second wave occurred from the 1940s to the present. The workings of Bernando Vega and Jose Cruz deal with the different generations of Puerto Ricans that these two waves brought to the United States. While Vega discusses the early emigration of Puerto Ricans to New York City, Cruz discusses the later emigration of Puerto Ricans to Connecticut. Each author describes a different Puerto Rican experience in the United States. The experiences differed in most aspects; from the context in which each wave of emigration occurred to the type of politics that was practiced. After the Spanish American war of 1898, the United States took control of Puerto Rico. In the initial state of US ownership, the Puerto Rican population faced a major dilemma. The island belonged to but was not a part of the United States, and as a result Puerto Ricans held no citizenship. They simply lingered as citizens of nowhere. It was not until the Jones Act of 1917 that Puerto Ricans were granted statutory citizenship which was not equivalent to constitutional citizenship. Not granted full American citizenship by the United States, Puerto Ricans were, on the other hand, granted the right to be drafted into the armed forces during WWI, and also to be recruited as cheap labor for the defense industry during the time of war. Such inequality was not the only thing early Puerto Rican migrants experienced on the island. They also experienced severe economic set backs. Under the domination of the United States, Puerto Rico did not have control over their means of production. Instead, the United States possessed that power and transformed their island into a metropolitan economy. Workers were subjected to the changing demands of US capital expansion, and their migratory movements were shaped accordingly.

Gatsbys Dream and Daisys Conflicts in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fi

Gatsby's Dream and Daisy's Conflicts in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Jay Gatsby, the central character of F. Scott Fitzgerald?s The Great Gatsby symbolizes the American dream. The American dream offers faith in the possibility of a better life. Its attendant illusion is the belief that material wealth alone can bring that dream to fruition. Through Gatsby, Fitzgerald brings together both these ideas. Jay Gatsby thinks money is the answer to anything he encounters. He has the best of everything. The fanciest car, the largest house, and the finest clothes. Jay has everything except the object he most desires, Daisy. Gatsby believes he can win Daisy over with wealth, that he could achieve the ideal she stood for through his material possessions. One look at Gatsby?s past and it could be seen that he was destined to get ahead in life. Mr. Gatz told Nick, ?Jimmy was bound to get ahead. He always had some resolves like this or something. Do you notice what he?s got about improving his mind? He was always great for that. He told me I et like a hog once and I beat him for it? (182). Gatsby?s determination to gain a large bankroll is a huge part of the American dream. He believes that once he achieved his financial goal it would lead to a better life. In America, the car is one of the greatest status symbols. Gatsby?s gorgeous machine is one of the most majestic cars created. Nick?s comments on the vehicle describe its luster, ?...and there in its monstrous length with triumphant hatboxes and supper-boxes and tool-boxes...Sitting down behind many layers of glass in a sort of leather conservatory we started towards town? (68). The use of the symbolic automobile can be seen as a demonstration of how a... ...ul. When he met Daisy, his dream was to be on a level with Daisy, and to show her what he had and to buy her love with materialistic things. This did not go off without a hitch, for Daisy had married Tom, and with that came love for him. Although Daisy told Gatsby she loved him, there was still her affection for Tom. The way the conflicts created by Daisy help the theme are numerous. The most significant way is that she is the central corruption of Gatsby?s dream. The dream began as a simple bid for happiness, yet Gatsby was corrupted by money. He wanted money, and he believed that money would make him happy. When he became rich, his dream then became focused upon Daisy. Daisy was the only thing (or at least he thought) between him and happiness. Bibliography: Fitzgerald, Scott F. The Great Gatsby. Simon and Schuster, New York. 1925.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 26. Shiny

â€Å"I don't know how much we should tell Renee about this,† Charlie said, hesitating with one foot out the door. He stretched, and then his stomach growled. I nodded. â€Å"I know, i don't want to freak her out. Better to protect her. This stuff isn't for the fainthearted.† His lips twisted up to the side ruefully. â€Å"I would have tried to protect you, too, if I'd known how. But I guess you've never fit into the fainthearted category, have you?† I smiled back, pulling a blazing breath in through my teeth. Charlie patted his stomach absently. â€Å"I'll think of something. We've got time to discuss this, right?† â€Å"Right,† I promised him. It had been a long day in some ways, and so short in others. Charlie was late for dinner – Sue Clearwater was cooking for him and Billy. That was going to be an awkward evening, but at least he'd be eating real food; I was glad someone was trying to keep him from starving due to his lack of cooking ability. All day the tension had made the minutes pass slowly; Charlie had never relaxed the stiff set of his shoulders. But he'd been in no hurry to leave, either. He'd watched two whole games – thankfully so absorbed in his thoughts that he was totally oblivious to Emmett's suggestive jokes that got more pointed and less football-related with each aside – and the after-game commentaries, and then the news, not moving until Seth had reminded him of the time. â€Å"You gonna stand Billy and my mom up, Charlie? C'mon. Bella and Nessie'll be here tomorrow. Let's get some grub, eh?† It had been clear in Charlie's eyes that he hadn't trusted Seth's assessment, but he'd let Seth lead the way out. The doubt was still there as he paused now. The clouds were thinning, the rain gone. The sun might even make an appearance just in time to set. â€Å"Jake says you guys were going to take off on me,† he muttered to me now. â€Å"I didn't want to do that if there was any way at all around it. That's why we're still here.† â€Å"He said you could stay for a while, but only if I'm tough enough, and if I can keep my mouth shut.† â€Å"Yes†¦ but I can't promise that we'll never leave, Dad. It's pretty complicated___† â€Å"Need to know,† he reminded me. â€Å"Right.† â€Å"You'll visit, though, if you have to go?† â€Å"I promise, Dad. Now that you know/usf enough, I think this can work. I'll keep as close as you want.† He chewed on his lip for half a second, then leaned slowly toward me with his arms cautiously extended. I shifted Renesmee – napping now – to my left arm, locked my teeth, held my breath, and wrapped my right arm very lightly around his warm, soft waist. â€Å"Keep real close, Bells,† he mumbled. â€Å"Real close.† â€Å"Love you, Dad,† I whispered through my teeth. He shivered and pulled away. I dropped my arm. â€Å"Love you, too, kid. Whatever else has changed, that hasn't.† He touched one finger to Renesmee's pink cheek. â€Å"She sure looks a lot like you.† I kept my expression casual, though I felt anything but. â€Å"More like Edward, I think.† I hesitated, and then added, â€Å"She has your curls.† Charlie started, then snorted. â€Å"Huh. Guess she does. Huh. Grandpa.† He shook his head doubtfully. â€Å"Do I ever get to hold her?† I blinked in shock and then composed myself. After considering for a half second and judging Renesmee's appearance – she looked completely out – I decided that I might as well push my luck to the limit, since things were going so well today___ â€Å"Here,† I said, holding her out to him. He automatically made an awkward cradle with his arms, and I tucked Renesmee into it. His skin wasn't quite as hot as hers, but it made my throat tickle to feel the warmth flowing under the thin membrane. Where my white skin brushed him it left goose bumps. I wasn't sure if this was a reaction to my new temperature or totally psychological. Charlie grunted quietly as he felt her weight. â€Å"She's†¦ sturdy.† I frowned. She felt feather-light to me. Maybe my measure was off. â€Å"Sturdy is good,† Charlie said, seeing my expression. Then he muttered to himself, â€Å"She'll need to be tough, surrounded by all this craziness.† He bounced his arms gently, swaying a little from side to side. â€Å"Prettiest baby I ever saw, including you, kid. Sorry, but it's true.† â€Å"I know it is.† â€Å"Pretty baby,† he said again, but it was closer to a coo this time. I could see it in his face – I could watch it growing there. Charlie was just as helpless against her magic as the rest of us. Two seconds in his arms, and already she owned him. â€Å"Can I come back tomorrow?† â€Å"Sure, Dad. Of course. We'll be here.† â€Å"You'd better be,† he said sternly, but his face was soft, still gazing at Renesmee. â€Å"See you tomorrow, Nessie.† â€Å"Not you, too!† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Her name is Renesmee. Like Renee and Esme, put together. No variations.† I struggled to calm myself without the deep breath this time. â€Å"Do you want to hear her middle name?† â€Å"Sure.† â€Å"Carlie. With a C. Like Carlisle and Charlie put together.† Charlie's eye-creasing grin lit up his face, taking me off guard. â€Å"Thanks, Bells.† â€Å"Thank you, Dad. So much has changed so quickly. My head hasn't stopped spinning. If I didn't have you now, I don't know how I'd keep my grip on – on reality.† I'd been about to say my grip on who I was. That was probably more than he needed. Charlie's stomach growled. â€Å"Go eat, Dad. We will be here.† I remembered how it felt, that first uncomfortable immersion in fantasy – the sensation that everything would disappear in the light of the rising sun. Charlie nodded and then reluctantly returned Renesmee to me. He glanced past me into the house; his eyes were a little wild for a minute as he stared around the big bright room. Everyone was still there, besides Jacob, who I could hear raiding the refrigerator in the kitchen; Alice was lounging on the bottom step of the staircase with Jasper's head in her lap; Carlisle had his head bent over a fat book in his lap; Esme was humming to herself, sketching on a notepad, while Rosalie and Emmett laid out the foundation for a monumental house of cards under the stairs; Edward had drifted to his piano and was playing very softly to himself. There was no evidence that the day was coming to a close, that it might be time to eat or shift activities in preparation for evening. Something intangible had changed in the atmosphere. The Cullens weren't trying as hard as they usually did – the human charade had slipped ever so slightly, enough for Charlie to feel the difference. He shuddered, shook his head, and sighed. â€Å"See you tomorrow, Bella.† He frowned and then added, â€Å"I mean, it's not like you don't look†¦ good. I'll get used to it.† â€Å"Thanks, Dad.† Charlie nodded and walked thoughtfully toward his car. I watched him drive away; it wasn't until I heard his tires hit the freeway that I realized I'd done it. I'd actually made it through the whole day without hurting Charlie. All by myself. I must have a superpower! It seemed too good to be true. Could I really have both my new family and some of my old as well? And I'd thought that yesterday had been perfect. â€Å"Wow,† I whispered. I blinked and felt the third set of contact lenses disintegrate. The sound of the piano cut off, and Edward's arms were around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder. â€Å"You took the word right out of my mouth.† â€Å"Edward, i did it!† â€Å"You did. You were unbelievable. All that worrying over being a newborn, and then you skip it altogether.'7He laughed quietly. â€Å"I'm not even sure she's really a vampire, let alone a newborn,† Emmett called from under the stairs. â€Å"She's too tame.† All the embarrassing comments he'd made in front of my father sounded in my ears again, and it was probably a good thing I was holding Renesmee. Unable to help my reaction entirely, I snarled under my breath. â€Å"Oooo, scary,† Emmett laughed. I hissed, and Renesmee stirred in my arms. She blinked a few times, then looked around, her expression confused. She sniffed, then reached for my face. â€Å"Charlie will be back tomorrow,† I assured her. â€Å"Excellent,† Emmett said. Rosalie laughed with him this time. â€Å"Not brilliant, Emmett,† Edward said scornfully, holding out his hands to take Renesmee from me. He winked when I hesitated, and so, a little confused, I gave her to him. â€Å"What do you mean?† Emmett demanded. â€Å"It's a little dense, don't you think, to antagonize the strongest vampire in the house?† Emmett threw his head back and snorted. â€Å"Please!† â€Å"Bella,† Edward murmured to me while Emmett listened closely, â€Å"do you remember a few months ago, I asked you to do me a favor once you were immortal?† That rang a dim bell. I sifted through the blurry human conversations. After a moment, I remembered and I gasped, â€Å"Oh!† Alice trilled a long, pealing laugh. Jacob poked his head around the corner, his mouth stuffed with food. â€Å"What?† Emmett growled. â€Å"Really?† I asked Edward. â€Å"Trust me,† he said. I took a deep breath. â€Å"Emmett, how do you feel about a little bet?† He was on his feet at once. â€Å"Awesome. Bring it.† I bit my lip for a second. He was just so huge. â€Å"Unless you're too afraid†¦ ?† Emmett suggested. I squared my shoulders. â€Å"You. Me. Arm-wrestling. Dining room table. Now.† Emmett's grin stretched across his face. â€Å"Er, Bella,† Alice said quickly, â€Å"I think Esme is fairly fond of that table. It's an antique.† â€Å"Thanks,† Esme mouthed at her. â€Å"No problem,† Emmett said with a gleaming smile. â€Å"Right this way, Bella.† I followed him out the back, toward the garage; I could hear all the others trailing behind. There was a largish granite boulder standing up out of a tumble of rocks near the river, obviously Emmett's goal. Though the big rock was a little rounded and irregular, it would do the job. Emmett placed his elbow on the rock and waved me forward. I was nervous again as I watched the thick muscles in Emmett's arm roll, but I kept my face smooth. Edward had promised I would be stronger than anyone for a while. He seemed very confident about this, and I felt strong. That strong? I wondered, looking at Emmett's biceps. I wasn't even two days old, though, and that ought to count for something. Unless nothing was normal about me. Maybe I wasn't as strong as a normal newborn. Maybe that's why control was so easy for me. I tried to look unconcerned as I set my elbow against the stone. â€Å"Okay, Emmett. I win, and you cannot say one more word about my sex life to anyone, not even Rose. No allusions, no innuendos – no nothing.† His eyes narrowed. â€Å"Deal. I win, and it's going to get a lot worse.† He heard my breath stop and grinned evilly. There was no hint of bluff in his eyes. â€Å"You gonna back down so easy, little sister?† Emmett taunted. â€Å"Not much wild about you, is there? I bet that cottage doesn't have a scratch.† He laughed. â€Å"Did Edward tell you how many houses Rose and I smashed?† I gritted my teeth and grabbed his big hand. â€Å"One, two – â€Å" â€Å"Three,† he grunted, and shoved against my hand. Nothing happened. Oh, I could feel the force he was exerting. My new mind seemed pretty good at all kinds of calculations, and so I could tell that if he wasn't meeting any resistance, his hand would have pounded right through the rock without difficulty. The pressure increased, and I wondered randomly if a cement truck doing forty miles an hour down a sharp decline would have similar power. Fifty miles an hour? Sixty? Probably more. It wasn't enough to move me. His hand shoved against mine with crushing force, but it wasn't unpleasant. It felt kind of good in a weird way. I'd been so very careful since the last time I woke up, trying so hard not to break things. It was a strange relief to use my muscles. To let the strength flow rather than struggling to restrain it. Emmett grunted; his forehead creased and his whole body strained in one rigid line toward the obstacle of my unmoving hand. I let him sweat – figuratively – for a moment while I enjoyed the sensation of the crazy force running through my arm. A few seconds, though, and I was a little bored with it. I flexed; Emmett lost an inch. I laughed. Emmett snarled harshly through his teeth. â€Å"Just keep your mouth shut,† I reminded him, and then I smashed his hand into the boulder. A deafening crack echoed off the trees. The rock shuddered, and a piece – about an eighth of the mass – broke off at an invisible fault line and crashed to the ground. It fell on Emmett's foot, and I snickered. I could hear Jacob's and Edward's muffled laughter. Emmett kicked the rock fragment across the river. It sliced a young maple in half before thudding into the base of a big fir, which swayed and then fell into another tree. â€Å"Rematch. Tomorrow.† â€Å"It's not going to wear off that fast,† I told him. â€Å"Maybe you ought to give it a month.† Emmett growled, flashing his teeth. â€Å"Tomorrow.† â€Å"Hey, whatever makes you happy, big brother.† As he turned to stalk away, Emmett punched the granite, shattering off an avalanche of shards and powder. It was kind of neat, in a childish way. Fascinated by the undeniable proof that I was stronger than the strongest vampire I'd ever known, I placed my hand, fingers spread wide, against the rock. Then I dug my fingers slowly into the stone, crushing rather than digging; the consistency reminded me of hard cheese. I ended up with a handful of gravel. â€Å"Cool,† I mumbled. With a grin stretching my face, I whirled in a sudden circle and karate-chopped the rock with the side of my hand. The stone shrieked and groaned and – with a big poof of dust – split in two. I started giggling. I didn't pay much attention to the chuckles behind me while I punched and kicked the rest of the boulder into fragments. I was having too much fun, snickering away the whole time. It wasn't until I heard a new little giggle, a high-pitched peal of bells, that I turned away from my silly game. â€Å"Did she just laugh?† Everyone was staring at Renesmee with the same dumbstruck expression that must have been on my face. â€Å"Yes,† Edward said. â€Å"Who wasnt laughing?† Jake muttered, rolling his eyes. â€Å"Tell me you didn't let go a bit on your first run, dog,† Edward teased, no antagonism in his voice at all. â€Å"That's different,† Jacob said, and I watched in surprise as he mock-punched Edward's shoulder. â€Å"Bella's supposed to be a grown-up. Married and a mom and all that. Shouldn't there be more dignity?† Renesmee frowned, and touched Edward's face. â€Å"What does she want?† I asked. â€Å"Less dignity,† Edward said with a grin. â€Å"She was having almost as much fun watching you enjoy yourself as I was.† â€Å"Am I funny?† I asked Renesmee, darting back and reaching for her at the same time that she reached for me. I took her out of Edward's arms and offered her the shard of rock in my hand. â€Å"You want to try?† She smiled her glittering smile and took the stone in both hands. She squeezed, a little dent forming between her eyebrows as she concentrated. There was a tiny grinding sound, and a bit of dust. She frowned, and held the chunk up to me. Til get it,† I said, pinching the stone into sand. She clapped and laughed; the delicious sound of it made us all join in. The sun suddenly burst through the clouds, shooting long beams of ruby and gold across the ten of us, and I was immediately lost in the beauty of my skin in the light of the sunset. Dazed by it. Renesmee stroked the smooth diamond-bright facets, then laid her arm next to mine. Her skin had just a faint luminosity, subtle and mysterious. Nothing that would keep her inside on a sunny day like my glowing sparkle. She touched my face, thinking of the difference and feeling disgruntled. â€Å"You're the prettiest,† I assured her. Tm not sure I can agree to that,† Edward said, and when I turned to answer him, the sunlight on his face stunned me into silence. Jacob had his hand in front of his face, pretending to shield his eyes from the glare. â€Å"Freaky Bella,† he commented. â€Å"What an amazing creature she is,† Edward murmured, almost in agreement, as if Jacob's comment was meant as a compliment. He was both dazzling and dazzled. It was a strange feeling – not surprising, I supposed, since everything felt strange now – this being a natural at something. As a human, I'd never been best at anything. I was okay at dealing with Renee, but probably lots of people could have done better; Phil seemed to be holding his own. I was a good student, but never the top of the class. Obviously, I could be counted out of anything athletic. Not artistic or musical, no particular talents to brag of. Nobody ever gave away a trophy for reading books. After eighteen years of mediocrity, I was pretty used to being average. I realized now that I'd long ago given up any aspirations of shining at anything. I just did the best with what I had, never quite fitting into my world. So this was really different. I was amazing now – to them and to myself. It was like I had been born to be a vampire. The idea made me want to laugh, but it also made me want to sing. I had found my true place in the world, the place I fit, the place I shined.