Keeping Pets

The disadvantages of keeping prairie dogs as pets far outweigh the advantages. But the cuteness factor of these unique creatures keep the pet trade moving along with more and more people wanting prairie dogs as pets. Before you take on one of these animals into your care, you should weigh all of the factors of ownership so there will be no surprises once the prairie dog is in your home. Advantages Without a doubt, the cuteness and uniqueness factors of the prairie dog are what interest people the most.Not very many people have prairie dogs so some individuals might get the thrill of having the only prairie dog or dogs in the neighborhood. Their sweet faces and rounded bodies are adorable which attract many to wanting to own one of these animals. Their compact size also means they don't take up a lot of space unlike larger animals such as dogs. Besides their constant need for companionship, care for the prairie dog is minimal. They require a clean cage, food and water, and toys for pl ay and exercise. They can be litter box trained and can be fed a high-quality rabbit pellet along with other vegetation.Disadvantages Some prairie dogs do adapt to captivity but not very often. They can become friendly and sociable with humans but when they don't bond with their owner, they can become stressed and bite. Because these are social creatures, they require a lot of attention from their owner. When left alone, prairie dogs can become depressed leading to behavioral problems. When prairie dogs are handled properly when young, they can socialize and become unique pets. However, many of these animals have been taken from their wild habitat and do not adjust to captivity.This causes many behavior issues such as depression and biting. Because prairie dogs chew, they can escape many types of cages and when loose in the house, they can cause quite a bit of damage. Prairie dogs can also carry diseases. An outbreak of monkeypox was noted in pet prairie dogs in 2003. Plague can als o be transmitted to humans through prairie dogs. The chance of this occurring is low however; cases of human plague have been reported to the CDC as a result of contact with prairie dogs. Finding a veterinarian that is knowledgeable with these animals can be difficult.If an owner is faced with a sick prairie dog, they may not have anyone who can diagnose the problem until it is too late. One of the biggest disadvantages of owning prairie dogs is the legality issue. Following the reported cases of monkeypox in 2003, laws were specifically made to ban the capture of wild prairie dogs and restrict the travel of existing captive prairie dogs. The new laws have made it illegal to move prairie dogs from one state to another or even within a state. Some states have made it illegal to own these animals. If you are planning on relocating, you have to receive special permission to do so.The law does allow owners to transport prairie dogs only in the case of seeking veterinary care or movement to a shelter to be euthanized. Overall, prairie dogs are not the best choices for pets. They should not be owned by someone who does not have the time to devote to their care and more importantly, they should not be purchased for children. The numbers of prairie dogs in the wild have steadily been declining in recent years. Many believe that should the promotion of prairie dogs as pets continue, their future could end up like the black-footed ferret – an animal which has reached near extinction in the wild.

Personnel to Human Resource Management Essay

Personnel management refers to a set of functions or activities including recruitment, training, pay and industrial relations performed effectively but often in isolation from each other or with overall organisation objectives. In 1991, Hilmer noted that the Australian tradition of many sub-specialities or functions (industrial relations, compensation, training and pay) was out of date. The early 1990s was an are of great speculation on the future of the functions in managing people. The concept Human Resource Management (HRM) began to influence the practice of integrating functions with each other and organisation objectives. Coppleston (1991) explained â€Å"the HR function within any enterprise must first of all serve the organisation†¦ an investment area rather than a cost to the organisation.† Reinforced by other writers, human resources should be viewed as ‘human capital’, and that HR managers should strive to use them as investment creating an environm ent where the appropriate strategy is likely to emerge. (Williams, 1991) Alternate perspectives of HRM emphasise either the effective management of employees through greater accountability and control, the greater involvement in decision making processes, or both of these. (Nankervis, Compton & McCarthy, 1993) In countries such as Australia, the personnel management function arrived more slowly than its USA counterparts and came from a number of avenues. The orientation of personnel management was not entirely managerial. In the UK, its origins were traced to ‘welfare officers’ where it became evident that there was an inherent conflict between their activities and those of line managers. There were not seen to have a philosophy compatible with the view of senior managers. The welfare officer orientation placed personnel management as a buffer between the business and the employees. In terms of organisational politics this was not a viable position for those wishing to further their careers, increase their status, earn high salaries or influence organisation performance. Industrial relations further compounded the distinction through their intermediary role between unions and line management. (Price, 2005) However, during the 1970s, many Australian organisations found themselv es in turbulent business and economic climates with major competition from the USA, Europe and Asian markets. Concurrently, the Institute for Personnel Management (IPMA) and training institutions such as TAFE and universities were becoming more sophisticated in their approaches incorporating more  recent approaches such as ‘Excellence† and ‘Total Quality Management’. During this period the IPMA held national and international conferences, initiated relationships with the Asia-Pacific region, developed an accreditation process and the now titled Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources. (Nankervis et al, 1993)By the 1980s, personnel had become a well-defined but low status area of management. Traditional personnel managers were accused of having a narrow, functional outlook. Storey (1989) comment that personnel management â€Å"†¦has long been dogged by problems of credibility, marginality, ambiguity and a ‘trash-can’ labelling which has relegated it to a relatively disconnected set of duties – many of them tainted with a low status ‘welfare’ connotation.† In practice, the background and training of many personnel managers left them speaking a different language from other managers and unable to comprehend wider business issues such as business strategy, market competition, labour economics and the role of other organisational functions. (Price, 2005) This set the scene to integrate personnel management with wider trends in management thinking. In 1999 (cited in Gollan 2005), Hunt suggested, ‘the key link to the success of the function lies in the struggle to acquire more influence, something that is being carried out in a climate of downsizing and outsourcing. Even the change of name from personnel to HR is indicative that the way people view and perform this role is changing – with the new name communicating a desire to break with the past and to throw off an image that was limp and limiting†¦ The future of the HR function may be far from certain †¦ [however] †¦ In situations of uncertainty, it is the confident who win through †¦ I know of no organisation whose senior managers believe their company will operate, in the future, without any human beings. Whether ensuring the supply of those human beings resides in a function called HR or not is rather irrelevant. Such themes included ‘human capital theory’ and human resource accounting, however, HRM gained further ground and prominence once introduced to the Harvard Business School MBA course in 1981. The four main approaches founded during the 1980s were: The strategic matching theories from the Michigan and  New York Schools; Multiple Stakeholders theory from the Harvard School; Political and Change Process Theory from the Warwick School and a Behavioural Transformation Theory from the Schuler School. (Price, 2005) Each theory expressed models that stress people as human resources which are a resource different to any other the organisation may have and therefore require to be managed differently. This could be conceived as rather confusing, however Townley (1994) argued that much of the confusion over the role of human resource managers is due to two factors: 1. The conflict between the welfare tradition of personnel management and the strategic orientation of more modern HRM and; 2. A gender divide between female or soft personnel management at lower management and administrative levels and male, hard nosed human resource managers within upper management. Benchmarking and best practice have become widely used terms in the past decade. HRM benchmarking is a process which provides knowledge of the key HR levers which are important to business outcomes; comparison with other businesses with better performance and ways of using that information to improve HR processes. This allows HR processes and outcomes to be quantified so that objectives can be set meaningfully and realistically. This was a revolutionary approach for many HR professionals who were used to subjective job descriptions and values with a focus on process rather than outcome which did not gain much credibility with other business units who were used to objective and quantifiable measures of performance. (Nankervis et al, 1993; Price, 2005) Vilinas and Harper (2005) explored the impact of performance management on staff, the organisation and the business. Performance management was found to be useful in improving role clarity, identifying and standardising performance objectives,, increasing performance feedback and assisting in the development of more useful and meaningful performance measures. The authors found that how performance management was viewed depended on the performance of the team. That is, if the team were performing well, it was viewed positively, if the team were not performing well, it was viewed negatively. Furthermore, Vilinas and Harper (2005), found difficulty in evaluating the impact of performance management systems in organisations. There fore it is difficult to determine the impact this human resource strategy on organisation performance in a  quantitative sense. Royal and O’Donnell (2005), argue that qualitative human capital analysis would assist in predicting organisation sustainability and future financial performance by providing substantial evidence indicating the link between particular HR practices and organisation performance. These practices included learning and development, flexible work policies and performance management. The focus on long term relationships between the organisation and staff was the impact on organisation performance rather than an economic exchange. Exploring the impacts of downsizing on organisation performance, Farrell and Mavondo (2005) reported on the contradictory evidence in the literature about this relationship and surveyed manufacturing companies in order to test the impact. The findings concluded that when redesign of organisations drive downsizing the impact on the business is positive, but it is negative when the organisation redesign is driven by downsizing. This indicated that good HR practice linking with the organisation strategic plan is more likely to provide a positive business outcome. According to McGrath-Champ and Baird (2005), HRM practices and the role of HR and employee relations practitioners have been undergoing major changes since the 1980s. Particular changes include the shift to enterprise bargaining. The authors used data from numerous surveys aimed at exploring the changing role of HR practitioners and the implications on the skills required in order to fulfil the changed role. This, in turn, impacts on the capability of the HR area in its ability to support and influence organisational performance. Given that small business is a significant employer in Australia, Bartram (2005) found they are not as likely to use participative management techniques, invest in training in the area of employee relations or develop organisation strategy. However, without the use of HRM practices, small business can be effected detrimentally particularly in a global economic climate. The evidence suggests that organisation performance will usually benefit from the integration of human resource management and product and market strategies, improved understanding of the needs of employees at the workplace, and better use of their skill and ingenuity. Strategies designed to achieve a more comprehensive use of employees’ human potential, desire to learn, flexibility and personal responsibility would appear capable of delivering higher levels of performance (Gollan & Davis, 1998). This is at the heart of the argument for more attention to HRM. Other things being equal, it will assist improve profitability through changing employee attitudes, overcoming resistance to change. (Gollan & Davis, 1998) Moreover, there will be experience of mutual advantage. Management can benefit from improved performance and reduced levels of turnover and absenteeism and being an employer of choice in the current labour tight market. As a result employees may enjoy more job security, development opportunities, autonomy and incentives to take ownership and responsibility for quality outcomes. (West & Patterson, 1998) While HRM approaches are worthwhile in terms of improving organisation performance, it can be difficult to measure the link between the improvement and the HR practice. The length of time can be fraught with problems when considering the impact of HRM on organisation performance. A short term consultation with staff could pay off years ahead in performance. The most difficult obstacle is in the change of organisation culture for both managers and employees in terms of leadership skills, strategy and resources for development. Based on research statistics of over 30 000 HR professionals, Brockbank (2005), stated ‘the HR field is outstanding at doing what it says it will do, in terms of delivering the basic HR infrastructure activity †¦is an intersection of HR competencies and agendas that have to do with managing the culture, contributing to strategic decision making, managing change and creating process of information flows that continually integrate the organisation†¦ HR professionals are mediocre at this set of activities†¦ the logic of HR’s role in bringing critical information about the external business world into the firm, disseminating it and using that information on  a broad scale within the organisation as the basis for integration, unity and ultimately organisational responsiveness.’ Brockbank (2005) further identified that HR’s market driven connectivity rates at 17 per cent of strategic contribution’s impact on organisation performance. The direct impact of HR on business performance has increased about 300 per cent since 1992. This is factored around the shift from focusing on traditional personnel functions and moving towards strategic input into the organisation’s development coupled with technological change and a global economy. In other words, this indicates that in order to make an impact, HR needs to understand the business their organisation is in including the customers, shareholders and stakeholders. To surmise, the evidence suggests there is a great deal of participation taking place in Australia, (Morehead, Steele, Alexander, Stephen & Duffin, 1997) however, findings from the research highlight the quality of many HRM practices need to be appropriate measured and reported in order to continue to develop the link between HR practices and organisation performance. From the research synthesised in this paper, it is evident that some human resource practices can contribute to high levels of organisational performance. Explored from a range of perspectives, the problems in demonstrating this relationship are highlighted. The number of dimensions to the problems making study comparisons difficult include: definitions used as a basis for the research; the ability to draw a relationship between human resource practices and organisational performance; methodological issues and; differences and variable measurement. There is further interest in identifying and demonstrating the impact HRM has on organisation performance none more highlighted than through the importance of people in the knowledge economy and organisation sustainability in a global market. References: Bartram, Timothy 2005, ‘Small firms, big ideas: The adoption of human resource management in Australian small firms’, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol 43Brockbank, Wayne 2005, ‘Turning Inside Out’, HR Monthly, April. Coppleston Peter 1991, ‘Present issues and future trends’, HR Monthly, April p8-9Farrell, Mark A., & Mavondo, Felix 2005, ‘The effect of downsizing-redesign strategies on business performance: Evidence from Australia’, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol 43Gollan, Paul 2005, High involvement management and human resource sustainability: The challenges and opportunities, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol 43Gollan, P. & Davis, E. 1998, High involvement management and organisational change: Beyond rhetoric. Macquarie Graduate School of ManagementHilmer F 1991, ‘Hilmer discusses the future for Australians at work’, HR Monthly, August p9. McGrath-Champ, Susan & Baird, Marian 2005, ‘The mercurial nature of Australian HRM under enterprise bargaining’, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol 43Morehead, A., Steele, M., Alexander, M., Stephen, K. & Duffin, L. 1997, Change at Work: The 1995 Australian Workplace Industrial Relations Survey. Melbourne: LongmanNankervis, Alan R., Compton, Robert L. & McCarthy, Terence E. 1993, Strategic Human Resource Management, Thomson Nelson Australia. Price Alan 2005, Human Resource Management in a Business Context, 2nd ednRoyal, Carol & O’Donnell, Loretta 2005, ‘Embedding human capital analysis in the investment process: A human resources challenge’, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol 43Storey, J. 1989, Human Resource Management: A Critical Text. Thomson Learning, 2nd ednTownley B. 1994, Reframing Human Resource Management: Power, Ethics and the Subject of Work, Sage. West, M. & Patterson, M 1998. People Power: The link between job satisfaction and productivity. Centrepiece, Autumn, p2-5Williams Ross 1991, ‘Transformation or chaos? HR in the 1990s’, HR Monthly, November, p10. Vilinas, Tricia & Harper, Sarah (2005), ‘Determining the impact of an organisations performance management system’, Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, vol 43

Fredrick Expression of Allegiance to the Declaration of Independence Essay

Fredrick Expression of Allegiance to the Declaration of Independence - Essay Example He had been invited to speak concerning what the Fourth of July signifies for America's black community, and although the initial part of the speech congratulates what the founding fathers accomplished for America, in general, the speech slowly graduates into a condemnation of the American society and the slavery. This is because he related to slavery for he was once a slave before he escaped. His uncertainty towards the American public and the independence depicts his allegiance to the idea, although he thinks it bleak for the black community. Douglass begins his speech by addressing the president and the fellow citizens in attendance. It is noteworthy that Douglass counts himself a citizen, at par with the rest of the spectators in the audience. All through this oration, including his life, Douglass exponents equal justice and rights, as well as nationality, for blacks. He begins his speech by modestly excusing for being panicky in front of the audience and makes an acknowledgment that the journey to freedom was a long one considering his trifle along the way. He addresses the listeners for the gathering, which was the Fourth of July, nevertheless prompts them on the idea of the nation young, and is capable to transform in the coming years. By this, he implies the country is still on the road to the establishment of a great country. He actually believes the independence was gained, however not for the black population that is still in dire need of freedom. Douglass conceives the independence was a good advance by the founding fathers; nevertheless, they still have to extend the freedom clause in actions and treatment of the black population.

Truth and Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Truth and Knowledge - Essay Example The thinking process involves reasoning, analyzing, arguing, testing, and making decisions. (Halpern, 2003, p. 37) Arguments are constructed from known facts or evidence, which are presented as the premises, and conclusions are drawn from the given premises. (Salmon, 2004, p. 45) For example, the statement â€Å"All crows are black† is a statement of fact that becomes a premise. Similarly the statement, â€Å"This bird is a crow† is another fact that becomes the second premise. From these premises, it can be said that â€Å"This bird is black†, which is a conclusion. There are two approaches for drawing conclusions –deductive and inductive. Deductive arguments proceed from the universal to the particular cases. If all the premises are true, the conclusion in a deductive argument has to be true. We can say that the conclusion is already implicitly contained in the premises in the case of a deductive argument. A deductive argument is either valid or not valid; there is no intermediate state. Inductive arguments proceed from particular instances to draw conclusions about the universal truth applicable to all elements of a particular class. Inductive arguments expand what is contained in the premises, and draws conclusions that are probably true but not necessarily always so. Thus there is a degree of validity associated with inductive arguments. (Salmon, 2004, p. 49) Some arguments contain unstated premises. These are facts or assumptions that are necessary for the argument to be valid but are not expressly stated. Premises may be unstated because they are perceived as universally known. For example, a joint library between San Jose University and Silicon Valley may be concluded as demonstrating the university’s commitment to promote innovation. This conclusion might be based on the unstated premise that Silicon Valley is innovative, even though this might not be stated expressly. (McGraw-Hill, 2000) However, it is always better

Learning plan 1500 work(assignmnet 2) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Learning plan 1500 work(assignmnet 2) - Essay Example It encompasses the preoperative phase, preanaesthetic checkup, psychological support, explanation of the procedure, nausea and vomiting prophylaxis, preparation of the patient, pain relief, postoperative monitoring, and postoperative care. Thus this should also involve nursing care in the preoperative phase and late postoperative phase (Riley and Peters, 2000). A patient who intends to receive surgical care, in most cases surgery is the last resort. Where alternatives are available, these patients usually go through nonoperative measures, until a stage reaches when the surgeon advises surgery. Surgery although very sophisticated in the present era of technological advancement, is a mutilative procedure, and consequently, most patients have apprehension about the procedure. The patients who present are usually patients with general surgical conditions, such as, appendectomy, cholecystectomy, hiatal hernia, inguinal hernia, intestinal diseases, thyroidectomy, so on and so forth. Before the surgery, the surgeons undertake investigations for fitness of anesthesia, and they explain in detail about the procedure. A preanesthetic checkup is done. On the day of surgery, the patients are advised to remain in empty stomach, and they are given certain preoperative medications (Willman and Johnsson, 1994). Research has suggested that nursing can play important roles in both pre and perioperative care. Preoperative apprehension and anxiety have been attributed to be playing important roles in incidence of perioperative nausea and vomiting, which can be very distressing and may even continue into the immediate postoperative phase leading to aggravation of postoperative pain and discomfort (Malen, 1986). Nurses through their empathic communication skill cam assess this situation, and they can explain the situation with greater detail with an attempt to answer all the

Major works of Western classic music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Major works of Western classic music - Essay Example Piano played an important role in this nationalistic era of music composers and Charles Ives is an important person who inspired other composers in filling the nationalistic music with folk, march tunes as well as Piano rhythms. The composers of Nineteenth Century composed to nationalistic songs, thus giving rise to nationalistic tones to be famous. Significant among them is Charles Ives, born on 20th October 1874, who has composed music using experimental techniques and ideas. He has been considered as the first true great American Composer, as he composed for American hymns as well as songs and dance tunes. In addition to that he used polyrhythms and poly tonality in his composing that make use of dissonant harmonies and tone clusters. Though his works became famous in 1930 after he ceased to compose music, he received Pulitzer Prize in 1947 for his Symphony No. 3. The use of brass band, march tune, out of tune piano and all of them occurring at same time resulted in a path for a n ew breed of twentieth Century. Many young composers in 19th Century had nationalistic ideas regarding composing in contrast to their seniors who concentrated on romantic music. The composing of tunes by pioneers like Charles Ives had the sense of nationalism in them. The radicalism in the music of Europe influenced the composers in United States of America and resulted in a nationalistic era of music composing. Though the musical training of Ives is not much systematic, he learnt from his father, experiments and has become an eclectic musician. (Broyles, Michael (Author), 2004). The important fact in the career of Ives is that his tunes caught fame when he ceased composing by finding his fortune in insurance business. The reason might be that he did not have systematic training in music and might have lacked confidence in marketing his own music. That can be assumed from his own words "As a boy I was partially ashamed of my love of music an entirely wrong attitude". He convinced himself later that most of boys in America too felt the same and considered music as emasculated art and that might have forced him to quit music career after composing some tunes and symphonies (Hubbs, Nadine (Author), 2004). The nationalistic tones in his tunes and symphonies is due to his idealistic and democratic views and his quest to represent the unified American voice with the forms and traditions of European Classical Music. The musical sense and his interest in music came from his musician father, who settled in Danburry as a musician after the Civil War. As Charles Ives grew in aftermath of Civil War patriotic feelings that are popular in those days made him attract towards them and he mixed those feelings with his musical caliber to produce a pioneering tunes and symphonies. The nationalistic tone in his tunes came from his radical view of creating tone clusters. As a child he used Piano as a drum and his father sent him to drum classes. As he grew up his radicalism reflected in creation of tone clusters thus reflecting the quest of people for democracy and patriotism. Tone clusters are suitable tunes to represent the patriotic and nationalistic songs. His radical way of representing democracy

Describe Plato's philosophical analysis of the nature of knowledge, Essay

Describe Plato's philosophical analysis of the nature of knowledge, and explain what conclusions Plato drew for the methodolog - Essay Example Of importance to note is that, universals are made up of a system where particular laws are made under an ultimate law. Moreover, the virtues involved emanate from a general principle, over and above, the mathematical theorems of one fundamental truth. It is worth noting that the basic categories in, which universal are brought together revolves around beauty, truth, goodness (Cooper 2). Apparently, goodness is the greatness of the three. Understanding the nature of knowledge must entails the idea types which it belongs to, the eternal laws where it could be said to be a passing instance, as well as, the context in which it possibly fits in. For instance, the study of the earth entails perceiving its place with regards to the solar system, with the inclusion of it being a stage in the heavenly bodies, over and above, clarifying that its motion takes place in accordance to the gravity law (Cooper 3). Plato has his argument placed in the fact that knowledge cannot be achieved by use of experience but by reasoning, use of sense where they are meant to push the reasoning towards the consciousness of what it already has although at the extreme opposite, it could mislead the conscious. Apparently, experience has never been used to produce knowledge because the principles used in knowledge are universal and are very crucial in this doctrine as compared to experience that displays specific and casual ideas. In essence, experience must be preceded by something already in mind that could be used to interpret the necessary impressions of concerned human beings. Theory of Knowledge through Astronomy Consequently, Plato emphasis that human knowledge is inborn especially when he depicts an instance of a slave boy who was not educated and upon being asked question by some philosophers, he was able to think critically and hence attempted and displayed arithmetic and geometry knowledge. Through this instance, Plato argues that teaching only evokes what is already underlying. Si mply, a theory of knowledge is used to provide a clear conception of education (Meynell 13). In light of this, Plato uses dialectical reasoning particularly in astronomy where he is said to have attempted to use the elimination method giving the general analysis of astronomy. In fact, he emphasis on studying astronomy through mean of problems, over and above, eliminating the motion that is related to the stars in the sky. In the early days, Plato demonstrated a persuasive mode when he argues through writing on the use of embroidery in the sky as a model in studying other things that are associated to the nature of knowledge (Meynell 16). In reference to Timaeus, Plato is demonstrated in the modern world as a philosopher who expounded critically on the nature of knowledge. Apparently, he is quite impressed by the universal’s order and beauty especially through his mandate of explaining the universe in terms of purpose, and benefits (Meynell 19). Views of Aristotle about the na ture of change represent a departure from Plato It is apparent that there are distinct concepts of change evidenced by the transition of Plato philosophical concepts to Aristotle concepts. Nevertheless, this is arguably as a result of the ignorance of Aristotle complete system. Basically, Aristotle’

The Impact Prison Has on Families and Children Essay

The Impact Prison Has on Families and Children - Essay Example However, studies have revealed that problems ensue when parents have committed violations and infractions that led to their imprisonment (Robertson, 2007; King, 2002; Cunningham, 2001). As emphasized, parental imprisonment have been validated to provide negative effects on the lives of the children and those of the family members. The current essay hereby aims to determine and expound on the impact prison has on families and children by initially enumerating the effects of parental imprisonment on children in terms of their behavioral manifestations, in terms of financial situations and in the parent-child relationships or bonds. Effect on Children’s Behavior When parents are incarcerated, the reactions of children could be varied depending on demographic factors: their age, the social status of the family, the income level, peers, and the availability and access to forms of support. As disclosed by Robertson (2007), â€Å"often children of prisoners are discriminated against and stigmatised as a result of parental imprisonment and have suffered from trauma, fear, shame, guilt and low self-esteem. Relationships with other family members frequently suffer.Some children become withdrawn, are affected by increased health problems and regressive behaviour such as bed-wetting, suffer worsening performance and attendance rates at school or display increased aggression, antisocial or criminal tendencies† (Robertson, 2007, p. 9). These findings were corroborated in the study conducted by King (2002) who revealed that among the changes eminent from children’s behavior when their parent/s were imprisoned include: either becoming withdrawn and quiet or being hyperactive; acting up with the remainign caregiver; depression; and shyness exhibited to imprisoned parent/s (p. 56). Likewise, physical and mental health changes were also reported by Roberston (2007) to wit: â€Å"noted problems have included: changes in sleep patterns or eating behaviour; sta rting or increasing their use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco; stress; depression; and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder such as flashbacks about the crimes or arrests† (p. 9). Effect on Financial Situations Evidently, for very young children, the primary effect of parental imprisonment is the curtailment of regular and appropriate financial support. If the parent who was incarcerated was the breadwinner, the sole parent left to attend to the financial needs of the family will bear the burden for financial support. On the other hand, for parent/s who have had previous experiences of drug abuse prior to the incarceration were noted to have led to some improvement in the financial situation of the family (King, 2002, p. 54). Also, as emphasized by Cunningham (2001), â€Å"incarceration may necessitate relocation for the rest of the family, and hence disruption of schooling and loss of support networks. Moving house may result from economic hardship arising from the loss of the breadwinner, or a desire to escape media or family attention† (p. 36). Effect on Parent-Child Relationships Due to the restrictions posed in the prison setting, prisoners with children were reported to have difficulties maintaining their relationships with their children. As a consequence, there are perceived diminishing of parent-child established bonds and the loss of parental authority (King, 2002). Likewise, as it was apparently noted that children with parents

Secretary of State for Defence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Secretary of State for Defence - Essay Example But the following are particularly his responsibilities: operations; personnel; policy (together with nuclear questions and European defence, oversight of main acquisition questions as well as defence industrial problems; media and communications; finance and effectiveness)1 (Lachman, Camm, & Resetar, 2001, p.27). Thus, the responsibility for soldier's deaths lies not only on Ms Molly Malone, in any case she shares it with the subordinate ministers (despite even the secretary's advice). Then if resigning, Ms Molly Malone should remind Opposition that she's not the only one responsible for the situation and, by the way, it is Opposition who has to control ministers' actions and to underline any kind of disadvantages before the action takes place and not after it. But it's necessary to understand that this report is not going to defend indefensible behaviour. In our country, we have standards to keep up, and they will be kept up for sure. I'd like to speak about balance and fairness towards our soldiers. Our purpose is, of course, to explain. ... The soldiering has met some important and unparalleled changes recently. I know for sure that the changes have made soldiers' life more difficult. Moreover, I'm sure we all need to understand it urgently. I'd like to show what these changes are. First, our context is understanding about what our armed forces do. You remember I think that the last conscript appeared the British armed forces forty-five years ago. But even since then our public have an instantly looser grasp of what it is to be a soldier in the new security environment we have today (Marcum, Weinstein, Hosek, & Thie, 2001, p. 89). Just 45 years ago people had a personal experience in the armed forces (almost all men had at least a direct experience of soldier life through national service). Today our Armed Forces possess the power and respect to assist in overcoming this lack of first hand experience. You know they are held in high regard and they have the chance to show to civilians the differences and advances to people's lives that the soldiers has performed. And this is the situation in which we all have a part, in assisting to overcome the gap which divides military and civilian people. It would be enough to say here that it creates the context which makes it more complex to realize the changes which are taking place in the military struggles and how they impacts our soldiers (Asch, 2001, p. 17). One of these changes is in the enemy we have. Our enemies in the 1st and 2nd World Wars wore the other uniform, but we were able usually to understand their aims and conduct. Our enemy then fought and had structure the way we did. But today's most dangerous, global enemy, (the enemy we face in our situation with soldier's deaths) the terrorist, does not. Thus, UK soldiers have risked

Kenneth Burke Essay Example for Free

Kenneth Burke Essay Kenneth Duva Burke (May 5, 1897 – November 19, 1993) was an American literary theorist and philosopher. Burkes primary interests were in rhetoric and aesthetics. Burke became a highly distinguished writer after getting out of college, and starting off serving as an editor and critic instead, while he developed his relationships with other successful writers. He would later return to the university to lecture and teach. He was born on May 5 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and graduated from Peabody High School, where his friend Malcolm Cowley was also a student. Burke attended Ohio State University for only a semester, then studied at Columbia University in 1916-1917 before dropping out to be a writer. In Greenwich Village he kept company with avant-garde writers such as Hart Crane, Malcolm Cowley, Gorham Munson, and later Allen Tate. Raised Roman Catholic, Burke later became an avowed agnostic. In 1919, he married Lily Mary Batterham, with whom he had three daughters: the late feminist, Marxist anthropologist Eleanor Leacock (1922–1987); musician (Jeanne) Elspeth Chapin Hart (b. 1920); and writer and poet France Burke (b. 1925). He would later marry her sister Elizabeth Batterham in 1933 and have two sons, Michael and Anthony. Burke served as the editor of the modernist literary magazine The Dial in 1923, and as its music critic from 1927-1929. Kenneth himself was an avid player of the saxophone and flute. He received the Dial Award in 1928 for distinguished service to American literature. He was the music critic of The Nation from 1934–1936, and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1935. His work on criticism was a driving force for placing him back into the university spotlight. As a result, he was able to teach and lecture at various colleges, including Bennington College, while continuing his literary work. Many of Kenneth Burkes personal papers and correspondence are housed at Pennsylvania State Universitys Special Collections Library. In later life, his New Jersey farm was a popular summer retreat for his extended family, as reported by his grandson Harry Chapin, a contemporary popular song artist. He died of heart failure at his home in Andover, New Jersey. Burke, like many twentieth century theorists and critics, was heavily influenced by the ideas of Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, and Friedrich Nietzsche. He was a lifelong interpreter of Shakespeare, and was also significantly influenced by Thorstein Veblen. He resisted being pigeonholed as a follower of any philosophical or political school of thought, and had a notable and very public break with the Marxists who dominated the literary criticism set in the 1930s. Burke corresponded with a number of literary critics, thinkers, and writers over the years, including William Carlos Williams, Malcolm Cowley, Robert Penn Warren, Allen Tate, Ralph Ellison,Katherine Anne Porter, Jean Toomer, Hart Crane, and Marianne Moore. Later thinkers who have acknowledged Burkes influence include Harold Bloom, Stanley Cavell, Susan Sontag (his student at the University of Chicago), Erving Goffman, Geoffrey Hartman, Edward Said, Rene Girard, Fredric Jameson, Michael Calvin McGee, Dell Hymes and Clifford Geertz. Burke was one of the first prominent American critics to appreciate and articulate the importance of Thomas Mann and Andre Gide; Burke produced the first English translation of Death in Venice, which first appeared in The Dial in 1924. It is now considered to be much more faithful and explicit than H. T. Lowe-Porters more famous 1930 translation. Burkes political engagement is evident, for example, A Grammar of Motives takes as its epigraph, ad bellum purificandum — toward the purification of (the human spirit from) war. American literary critic Harold Bloom singled out Burkes Counterstatement and A Rhetoric of Motives for inclusion in his Western Canon. The political and social power of symbols was central to Burkes scholarship throughout his career. He felt that through understanding what is involved when we say what people are doing and why they are doing it, we could gain insight into the cognitive basis for our perception of the world. For Burke, the way in which we decide to narrate gives importance to specific qualities over others. He believed that this could tell us a great deal about how we see the world. Burke called the social and political rhetorical analysis dramatism and believed that such an approach to language analysis and language usage could help us understand the basis of conflict, the virtues and dangers of cooperation, and the opportunities of identification and consubstantiality. Burke defined the rhetorical function of language as a symbolic means of inducing cooperation in beings that by nature respond to symbols. His definition of humanity states that man is the symbol using, making, and mis-using animal, inventor of the negative, separated from his natural condition by instruments of his own making, goaded by the spirit of hierarchy, and rotten with perfection. For Burke, some of the most significant problems in human behavior resulted from instances of symbols using human beings rather than human beings using symbols. Burke proposed that when we attribute motives to others, we tend to rely on ratios between five elements: act, scene, agent, agency, and purpose. This has become known as the dramatistic pentad. The pentad is grounded in his dramatistic method, which considers human communication as a form of action. Dramatism invites one to consider the matter of motives in a perspective that, being developed from the analysis of drama, treats language and thought primarily as modes of action (Grammar of Motives xxii). Burke pursued literary criticism not as a formalistic enterprise but rather as an enterprise with significant sociological impact; he saw literature as equipment for living, offering folk wisdom and common sense to people and thus guiding the way they lived their lives. Another key concept for Burke is the terministic screen — a set of symbols that becomes a kind of screen or grid of intelligibility through which the world makes sense to us. Here Burke offers rhetorical theorists and critics a way of understanding the relationship between language and ideology. Language, Burke thought, doesnt simply reflect reality; it also helps select reality as well as deflect reality. In Language as Symbolic Action (1966), he writes, Even if any given terminology is a reflection of reality, by its very nature as a terminology it must be a selection of reality; and to this extent must function also as a deflection of reality. In his book Language as Symbolic Action (1966), Burke defined humankind as a symbol using animal (p. 3). This definition of man, he argued, means that reality has actually been built up for us through nothing but our symbol system (p. 5). Without our encyclopedias, atlases, and other assorted reference guides, we would know little about the world that lies beyond our immediate sensory experience. What we call reality, Burke stated, is actually a clutter of symbols about the past combined with whatever things we know mainly through maps, magazines, newspapers, and the like about the present . . . construct of our symbol systems (p. 5). College students wandering from class to class, from English literature to sociology to biology to calculus, encounter a new reality each time they enter a classroom; the courses listed in a universitys catalogue are in effect but so many different terminologies (p. 5). It stands to reason then that people who consider themselves to be Christian, and who internalize that religions symbol system, inhabit a reality that is different from the one of practicin g Buddhists, or Jews, or Muslims.

Laura Ashley: Deliberate and Emergent Strategies

Laura Ashley: Deliberate and Emergent Strategies Laura Ashley home furnishing and fashion is a popular store all over the world. This company has come a long way since Laura herself and Bernard Ashley had started their company by producing headscarves, tablemats and napkins for their kitchen tables in the 1950s. Twenty years later in the 1970s Laura and her husband made an investment, they started the company they first produced a dress for social occasion, this was their breakthrough and the sales increased and by then there were many stores open on different parts of the world. The company continued to expand worldwide and flourished throughout the 1980s. However it was one fatal day that Laura Ashley had fallen downstairs on her 60th birthday and died, this upset to the company only got worse after the incident and problems started to occur. Due to the fashion industry changing so rapidly and the fashion provided by Laura was soon replaced by casualness in comparison to the formality fashion the company offered. The company was left behind as it didnt adapt to the changes and didnt size up to the upcoming competition. Laura Ashley deteriorating performances lead to reaching out for help by getting a different CEO in place to help set the company on the right track. The company had up to 5 different CEOs from the dates of 1991-1999 and each one had their own strategies and views on how to run the company. Laura Ashley overall is an unlikely business success story and has gone through a lot and is now currently back to its roots of Kitchen tables covers but also taps in the current fashion industry and not as formal as before. 1. Map Laura Ashleys stakeholders using a power/interest matrix Stakeholders are those individuals or groups that have a part in the company (Hill Jones, 1995, pg 45). Mapping stakeholders is a strategic business tool that identifies and assesses the different effects of individual or group of stakeholders on a company. The power and interest matrix identifies which stakeholders play a vital part in the company and examines the power they have and their likelihood to use that power. ( G. Johnson K. Scholes, Exploring Corporate Strategy, Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2002.) By examining the key stakeholder of Laura Ashley we will be able to identify who we should mainly concentrate on. The stakeholders matrix consists of four sections and is divided up accordingly to group A, group B, group C and group D. Group A is (Minimal Efforts) this group needs to be monitored but you do not need to actually provide these people with a lot of information. Group B on the other hand needs to be kept informed. Here you will need to keep the people sufficiently informed and you must ensure that you communicate with them in order to ensure that no problems or other issues may arise. These people are often very helpful to the company with regards to having some details about what you are doing. Group C you must ensure you keep them satisfied. In this situation the company needs to ensure that the people are kept satisfied, the actual difference here in comparison to the first group is that these people are not as interested in using their power. Group D are your key players and these are the people that you must fully engage with and you must ensure that you make the greatest efforts in satisfying them. Your position on the grid below shows you the actions that you must make when it comes to them (Rachel Thompson) Firstly the managers in Laura Ashleys are Laura Ashley herself and her husband Barnard Ashley. Together they are responsible for the overall running operations on the business and they compile different strategies in order for the company to be successful and then ensure that the strategies are implemented. Therefore Laura and her husband have very high levels of interest in the business as they have invested their own money in the company. Laura and her husband Barnard also have a high level of power as they decided on the effort levels of employees therefore they will both be classified as Key Players. The four board directors appointed by MUI also fall under Group A as they have a high level of power on the operations of the business and a high level of interest on the success of the business. The Shareholders of Laura Ashleys have both got high levels of interest and a high level of power therefore also putting them in Group D which is the Key players. According to the case Laura Ashleys shareholders, Malayan United Industries, showed their power by appointing four board members. Dr Khoo Kay Pen is the chair person of MUI and the reason why they have this power is because they had 40% of the chain. The fact they were so involved shows that they had a high level of interest in the success of the business. They showed this by opening new product lines and creating a sense of direction for the firm to further expand. Therefore this particular shareholder need to be kept informed and involved. Although Laura Ashley has other shareholders they dont necessarily have the high level of power that MUI does but they do still have a high level of interested in the business therefore putting them under group B, keeping informed. The reason why they might not have the same level of power to the other shareholder is because they do not have as much shares in the company therefore limiting them to have power to make or implement changes in the company. The Employees of Laura Ashleys are not really in title to high level of power but they do have a high level of interest in the company success. This is because they are concerned with the security of their job and they want to be kept informed on the future of the business and whether or not they will have an income and a job the next day. Therefore the employees of Laura Ashley fit under Group B, Keep Informed. The Distributors and suppliers of Laura Ashley are considered to have a high level of power but low interest levels making them fall under Group C, Keep Satisfied. The distributors and suppliers have high level of power because Laura Ashley is dependent on them making them more in control as they are the once supplying the company with the goods and without them Laura Ashley wouldnt have her quality products. The Distributors and suppliers do not have interest in the business itself just as long as they get paid on time. Customers of Laura Ashley are more concerned with the services they receive and the quality of the products that they purchase. Therefore the customers have a low level of interest in the business running. On the other hand the customers do have a high level of power in terms of deciding if they will be buying your product or not and without your customers Laura Ashley would not have business therefore the customers must be kept satisfied. The customers fall under group C and need to be provided with good services to keep them coming back. The Government plays a vital role in the business operations of Laura Ashley. They implement and increase or decrease tax. Therefore they have power over all businesses when it comes to influencing prices and how the company obeys certain policies that they draw up. The Government has a low level of interest the business itself as long as they pay tax and run their business according to the policies. Therefore the government fits in Group C, keep satisfied. Peel Hunt, the investment bank, would fall under Group A as they would be interest in the companys financial position and they have the power to close the business if the business is making a loss or is not operating according to how they planned. David Cook would be part of Group B as he is the financial director for Laura Ashley and has a high level of interest as an employee and he ensures that the company is financially sound. David Cook does not have a high level of power that influences the business. The Competitors that are competing against Laura Ashley have a high level of power in the sense of offering better services or prices that might impact how Laura Ashley might operate. The competitors might have power over the suppliers and distributors and therefore can be seen as a threat. Therefore it is important for Laura Ashley to be better than the competitors. The competitors also have a high level of interest on the business as they want to be better than Laura Ashley. The Media also plays a part in the power/interest matrix. Tamasin Doe, the director of a fashion magazine would fall under Group B, keep informed. The magazine would be helping the company in promoting their collection. Therefore they need to be kept informed on what is happening within the company and the collection. The magazine has a high level of interest in the business but low level of power or the operations of the business. 2. How would you characterize Laura Ashleys Core Values? Core Values is essential for an organization as it sets guiding principles for the company. Your companys core values should not be confused with cultural practices or operating practices and it should not be comprised of the companys financial gains or short term expediency (Johnson, Schole Whittington, pg 163). Values are seen as a life directing guideline that helps underline the behavior expected. (Trice Beyer 1984) Laura Ashleys core values revolve around their brand, diversification, employees and their customers satisfaction. Laura Ashley value for diversity allowed a much broader employee commitment and it will attract more employees. By getting the employees committed will help guide their decisions and behaviours. This will be shown and discussed accordingly in the paragraphs below. The Core Value of Laura Ashley was founded in the 1950s when Laura and her husband started making basic material accessories in their apartment. Hard work and dedication was the reason why they are so successful today. With dedication and a vision Laura and her husband had the right attitude and passion to become successful business owners. Their value of staying true to who they were and offering the same quality products over the years is also another indication of how dedicated and passionate they were about what they were offering a quality brand to their customers. The attitude that Laura had helped direct her behavior in the sense of how she put everything she could to ensure that the products were of good quality and with this good work ethics Laura was able to guide her organization strategy to be successful. When Laura Ashley died her company carried on but with the same values that she had created and this helped the organization stay close to the roots of Laura Ashley and the vision on where she wanted the business to be. Laura Ashleys kept up to date with the latest trends and made their line inspirational an unique. Therefore they created the value around their brand and ensured that it kept up with the latest trends and fashion apple to the customers. The idea of attaching Laura Ashleys name to the brand was to help customers identify the real quality provided as she uses her own name. This shows that they were positive in their products quality. Laura Ashley was able to personalize and self express with her products which is what added value to the customers. After all the company has gone through such as expansion and numerous of different managers, Laura Ashleys core values remained. The brand heritage was based meaning that it was accessible and it had good designs that were realistically priced. The fact that the brand was so well established it left the customers to have a sense of trust in the quality products that is provided. Laura Ashley lives up to their promises which shows integrity. Laura Ashley identified and develop a clearer, concise and a shared meaning of values and direction because of all the changes they have gone through the employees had to adapt to each new chief executives ways and this could have caused some confusion if the value was not understood. Values help guide the employees in their decision making and this can help with the services to the customers and result in customers satisfaction. (Trice Beyer 1984) These core values identifies exactly what Laura Ashley is all about. They concentrate on the quality brands and ensure that they achieve customer satisfaction. Core Values have helped the company survive and it has helped them stay true to the roots that Laura Ashley herself created. Therefore the core values are very important within a business and it helped identify the business. 3. Recommend a new Mission statement/or Vision Statement for Laura Ashley. A mission Statement defines the purpose of an organization and their primary objectives. A mission statement is developed to define the key measures to a business success. (Angela Schnaubelt Aug 1, 2007) Your mission statement will help an organization have a precise direction about what you plan on doing and where you are going in the future. (Angela Schnaubelt Aug 1, 2007) A Vision Statement is your ticket to success and is like an image in words of your companys future, like a mission statement it also defines the purpose of the organisation but in terms of the organisations values. (Susan Ward, About.com Guide) The statement provides inspiration for both the companys daily operations and strategic decision making. In other words without a clear vision statement it would be impossible to have effective business planning. (Susan Ward, About.com Guide) A Vision Statement provides the company and the employees a sense of direction and a plan on how to get there in order to accomplish the business goals. (Susan Ward, About.com Guide) Laura Ashleys new mission statement will ensure that everyone will feel drawn to and feel more a part of the business and respect the values. I would recommend that the mission statement should be edited as follows: Laura Ashleys wants to establish relationships with those who share a love of the lifestyle that Laura Ashley herself did. Laura Ashleys act to protect those relationships formed and wants to ensure that the relationships are prosperous and long-term. With highly respectable and knowledgeable employees, Laura Ashley can provide the customers with good sales services and help customers find their individuality. The vision of Laura Ashley had changed numerous of times due to the fact that when a new chief executive came they saw different ways to make Laura Ashley a success and each one had their own mind set on how they were going to achieve that. Therefore I would recommend that Laura Ashleys vision statement should be fixed no matter who the chief executive is as this will ensure that the employees dont get confused with what they must accomplish. Today Laura Ashley is in a strong position with 450 stores around the world and is well situated for further expansion. (Lillian Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Laura Ashley in 2005). I would recommend that Laura Ashleys vision statement should be as follows: We want Laura Ashleys to be a place We want Laura Ashleys to be a place where the customers can come and feel welcome and have a good time shopping and finding their individuality. From the moment our customers walk in our store they will be greeted by a warm atmosphere, subtle music and friendly staff. I envisions that Laura Ashley been a leading individual store that provides customers with variety of products and fashion that ensures individuality for each customer. By changing both the mission statement and vision statement for Laura Ashley will be a new adventure for them. The fact that Laura Ashley went back to its roots it would only be wise to change them both and ensure that the employees understand where the company is going and what they should to help it get there. 4. To what extent was Laura Ashleys strategy development emergent or deliberate? A deliberate strategy is more of a desired strategy that is deliberately formulated or planned by the managers. Its associated with the use of tools, techniques and frameworks for strategic analysis and evaluation. (G. Johnson, K. Scholes, R. Whittington) Deliberate strategy involves a 6 step process namely: 1 Environmental Analysis, 2 Goal Setting, 3 Strategy Formulation, 4 Strategy Implementation, 5 Evaluation/Control, 6 Feedback. (G. Johnson, K. Scholes, R. Whittington) An Emergent strategy on the other hand comes about through everyday routines, activities and processes in organisations leading to decisions that become a long-term direction of an organisation. (G. Johnson, K. Scholes, R. Whittington) An emergent strategy is a pattern of action that develops over time in an organization in the absence of a specific mission and goals, or despite a mission and goals. (D. J. Power,ÂÂ  Alexander P. and Daniel J.,ÂÂ  Planning ) Within 14 years Laura Ashleys had up to 11 different CEOs and each one had a different strategy that they implemented. Due to the companys plans and brand investment strategy that was implemented across the fashion and home furnishing department. Laura Ashleys brand became well known and standards were set for good quality product and this deliberate strategy evolved in customer loyalty. On the other hand Laura Ashleys strategy was also an emergent strategy. It was stated that they went into the market by been a home furnishing but the break though came about when Laura Ashley produced a dress for social occasion. At the time Laura Ashley made and emergent strategy to start tapping into the fashion industry. This emergent strategy made the success of the company. Laura Ashleys strategy was deliberate. Laura Ashley ensured that her strategy was to get her brand well known and recognized by the customers and potential customers. By using this strategy Laura Ashley knew she could concentrate on differentiating her products from her competitors as she wanted to put value to her brand. Laura Ashley did this to gain customer loyalty therefore she made the brand the central part of Lauras strategy. Laura Ashley herself planned a strategy that would ensure her brand would be a success. Laura and her husband did environment analysis to see if there was indeed a market. Though the years of operation things drastically changed. After the death of Laura the strategy was still in place but was forced to be emergent at times due to the changes in the environment. When Ann Iverson was selected to be chief executive she made a emergent strategy to expand Laura Ashleys overseas and she tried to appeal to the younger customers in the UK. This strategy that Iverson implemented at the end of the day becomes trouble because there were not enough products to fill each of these huge stores. This could have been a result of not carefully planning. Therefore another emergent strategy had to be put in place. The emergent strategy was to let Ann Iverson go and to put a rescue team in place. This emergent strategy left Laura Ashley having a lifeline, their major shareholder Malayan United Industries (MUI). MUI purchased 40 per cent of Laura Ashley. MUI then came up with a deliberate strategy to appoint four new boards of directors and this resulted in giving Laura Ashley some stability that they needed. MUI implemented many emergent strategies to get Laura Ashleys pack on track, they even closed down some stores that were unprofitable and closed those stores thats rented was too high. This strategy was to ensure that the expenses of Laura Ashley didnt exceed the money coming in. The overall strategy was to modernize the brand but at the same time to remain true to Laura Ashleys brand values, this strategy is emergent as well for the simple fact that it wasnt necessary to go through a long process that is time consuming. Laura Ashleys did not have the time to waste and needed to act fast due to the changes in the environment and due to the changes within the company itself. The one part of Laura Ashley that was deliberate was when they relocated the poorer performing stores from the prime areas to the larger off-pitch stores. This was deliberate as they intended to save money and costs. They had to do environmental analysis to identify the stores that were not doing so well and when they identified these stores they had to set goals in order to ensure that they dont lose any more money. By setting a goal that want to move the unprofitable stores they were deliberately planning to ensure the Laura Ashley succeeds. The next step they took was setting the strategy to actually take the unprofitable stores and move them to larger stores that were off the prime areas, this strategy was implemented for the simple fact of not having a store that is not doing well in you important areas as it could have damaged the brand image. In total this case study of Laura Ashley had deliberate and emergent strategies implemented. Due to the fact that Laura Ashley was a fragile company it was important that they did implement more of the emergent strategies as they had so many CEOs and people running the company that did change business runnings, some good and some bad. With emergent strategies it allowed them to take the opportunities they saw quickly and turn them into a success. CONCLUSION: Laura Ashleys is a business that included product development in order to satisfy the needs or the target customers though focusing on the signature brand offered. Laura Ashleys main strategy evolved around the product brand. The brand strategy provided the company with a solid base as to know that the products must always be high quality as it is the face of the business. Laura Ashleys is a rare success story and is surely an inspiration to many other companies that have grown to international status. The company has succeed for the reason that it was always looking for ways to improve their services and to improve their operations in order to increase customer services and to expand the business globally. The home furnishing offered by Laura Ashley played a major part in building the brand to be recognised, this was because they put extra value to their customers and provided them with quality goods. The company has come a long way since Laura and her husband Bernard started printing fabric on their kitchen table in London. Due to their investment in what they considered would be successfully turned out to be true, as sales increased and the company kept on growing as well. Laura Ashley had a clear brand strategy and when Laura herself was managing things she had a clear vision of wanting to be able to provide quality products to her customers and build long term relationships with them in order to ensure that they will come back. Lauras vision was to be able to also share a common interest with her customers and ensure customer satisfaction by providing excellent services. Harvard Referencing: G. Johnson K. Scholes, Exploring Corporate Strategy, Financial Times/Prentice Hall, 2002 page 30, 134, 156, 401-402, 407-408 D. J. Power, Alexander P. and Daniel J., Planning Skills .COMsm Susan Ward, About.com Guide Lillian Tan, Chief Executive Officer of Laura Ashley in 2005 Angela Schnaubelt 1 AUGUST 2007 Trice, H Beyer, J 1984, Studding Organizational Cultures through Rites and Ceremonies, Academy of Management review 9, no 4:655 C. Hill G. Jones, 1995, Strategic Management: an integrated approach, third edition, pg 45

A Cure for Asthma :: Health Research Term Papers

A Cure for Asthma While the reality of a cure for asthma is a long ways off, the idea keeps many asthmatics hopeful and healthy. A cure is far down the road, but possible and very real. Asthmatics should realize both of these statements are true and keep their feet planted firmly on the ground while dreaming of the possibilities. The media plays a large role in how people view the possibility of a cure. Sometimes, news articles portray the positive side of a cure, showing how new developments and advancements are bringing us closer and closer to a cure. Other times, news articles portray the negative side of a cure, stating how far off a cure is and showing how insignificant new developments are. This can be a problem to those who are easily influenced by what they read. A news story written completely from the positive view will give readers false hope, but a story written completely form the negative view will leave readers with a hopeless outlook for the future. A happy medium is needed her e, and to make that happen, asthmatics should keep each other positive (but not too positive), stay informed, and get involved. Asthma and the Media The Negative Approach â€Å"A new report, finds strong causal evidence linking common indoor substances to the development or worsening of asthma symptoms.† ~UniSci, Daily University Science News The quote above illustrates how the media can emphasize the negative aspects of the disease. Instead of being hopeful and upbeat, the article describes to the reader the â€Å"development or worsening of asthma symptoms.† Granted, the quote is not related to the possibility of a cure, but it could hinder the moral of asthmatics. Pointing out the current problems and setbacks negates the positive things said about the disease. Steps in the opposite direction on the road to a cure can be just as damaging if not more so than the fact that a cure is so far away. By depicting asthma in a negative way, the media help one extreme of the problem. If people have no hope for a cure, their outlook on life cannot be as good as it could be. All people should live their lives and be happy, but the media could hinder this with negative views. The Positive Approach â€Å"The development of new products and treatments will provide a real advantage to people who currently suffer from asthma and allergies.

In this experiment we are going to be studying the affects of Osmosis :: GCSE Biology Osmosis Coursework

In this experiment we are going to be studying the affects of Osmosis in Potatoes. Osmosis is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration through a semi-permeable membrane to a region of low water concentration. A semi-permeable membrane is a very a very thin layer of material, cell membranes are semi-permeable. These will allow some things to pass through, but will prevent other things from passing through. For example, cell membranes will allow small molecules such as Oxygen, water, Carbon Dioxide, Ammonia, Glucose, amino acids, etc. to pass through. But they will not allow larger molecules such as Sucrose, Starch, and protein, etc. to pass through. A region of high concentration of water is either a very dilute solution of, for example, sucrose, or Pure Water. In each case there is a lot of water: there is a high concentration of water. A region of low concentration of water is a concentrated solution of something, for example, sucrose. In this case there is much less water. When one puts an animal or plant cell into a liquid which contains water three things can happen. If the medium which surrounds the cell has a higher water concentration than the cell, the cell will gain water by osmosis. Water molecules are free to pass across the cell membrane in both directions, but more water will enter the cell, than leave it. The Result of this is that water enters the cell and the cell is likely to swell up. If the medium has exactly the same water concentration as the cell, there is no overall movement. The cell will stay the same size. Water will cross the cell membrane in both directions, but the amount entering it will be the same amount leaving it, so there is no overall movement of water. The cell will stay the same size. If the medium has a lower concentration of water than the cell, the cell will lose water by osmosis. The water will cross the cell membrane in both directions, but now more water leaves the cell than entering it. The Result of this will mean the cell will shrink. Variables In this experiment I am going to cut 12 potato sections, I am going to try keeping these roughly the same size and weight. They will be around 4cm long, and all will have an average weight of 2.74g. The liquid that the potato sections will be put into will have different concentrations, but they will all have a volume of 30 cm. I am going to have 6 different test tubes which will have the same volumes but different concentrations. In this experiment we are going to be studying the affects of Osmosis :: GCSE Biology Osmosis Coursework In this experiment we are going to be studying the affects of Osmosis in Potatoes. Osmosis is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration through a semi-permeable membrane to a region of low water concentration. A semi-permeable membrane is a very a very thin layer of material, cell membranes are semi-permeable. These will allow some things to pass through, but will prevent other things from passing through. For example, cell membranes will allow small molecules such as Oxygen, water, Carbon Dioxide, Ammonia, Glucose, amino acids, etc. to pass through. But they will not allow larger molecules such as Sucrose, Starch, and protein, etc. to pass through. A region of high concentration of water is either a very dilute solution of, for example, sucrose, or Pure Water. In each case there is a lot of water: there is a high concentration of water. A region of low concentration of water is a concentrated solution of something, for example, sucrose. In this case there is much less water. When one puts an animal or plant cell into a liquid which contains water three things can happen. If the medium which surrounds the cell has a higher water concentration than the cell, the cell will gain water by osmosis. Water molecules are free to pass across the cell membrane in both directions, but more water will enter the cell, than leave it. The Result of this is that water enters the cell and the cell is likely to swell up. If the medium has exactly the same water concentration as the cell, there is no overall movement. The cell will stay the same size. Water will cross the cell membrane in both directions, but the amount entering it will be the same amount leaving it, so there is no overall movement of water. The cell will stay the same size. If the medium has a lower concentration of water than the cell, the cell will lose water by osmosis. The water will cross the cell membrane in both directions, but now more water leaves the cell than entering it. The Result of this will mean the cell will shrink. Variables In this experiment I am going to cut 12 potato sections, I am going to try keeping these roughly the same size and weight. They will be around 4cm long, and all will have an average weight of 2.74g. The liquid that the potato sections will be put into will have different concentrations, but they will all have a volume of 30 cm. I am going to have 6 different test tubes which will have the same volumes but different concentrations.

Words and Morphemes :: essays research papers

Words and Morphemes The Morpheme In order to describe the form of the linguistic expressions (phrases, sentences, texts) in a language, we must describe how those complex expressions are built from smaller parts, until ultimately we which the atoms of linguistic form. The term morpheme is used to refer to an atom of linguistic form. Most languages have a word like the English word 'word', that appears at first to refer to precisely the sorts of minimal linguistic objects we have in mind. But there are two reasons to reject 'word' as the label for the minimal unit of linguistic form: The term 'word' is ambiguous, referring to at least three different sorts of object. In many languages, linguistic expressions we would want to identify as words are in fact structurally complex. We consider the second of these points here; the first is taken up below. The following are all words of English: cat cats cat+s catty cat+y help helped help+ed unhelpful un+help+ful bake bakery bak+ery baker bak+er dedicate dedication dedicat+ion rededicate re+dedicate rededicationings re+dedicat+ion+ing+s establish establishment establish+ment antidisestablishmentarianism anti+dis+establish+ment+ari+an+ism The words in the centre column can be broken down into parts, as indicated in the right-hand column. It is not obvious that those in the left-hand column can be factored in the same way. A monomorphemic word like 'help' is structurally complex in one sense; it can be decomposed into distinct phonological elements (sounds, if you will), each associated with some configuration of the speech organs. The same is true of 'helped' of course, but that is not what leads up to segment 'helped' into two morphemes: help+ed (/help+t/). The intuition that leads us to divide 'helped' into two parts is that each part is associated with a meaning. Thus, the usual definition of morpheme is something like the following: A morpheme is the minimal unit of linguistic expression that is associated with a meaning. The term 'duality of patterning' was current in the 1960's to refer to this design feature of human language; that phonological objects without meaning combine to form meaningful atoms, which themselves combine to form complex linguistic expressions. Types of Morphemes The standard typology of morphemes classifies them according to their: freedom of occurrence free bound morphological function root stem affix mode of attachment prefix suffix infix circumfix reduplication Free and Bound Morphemes Free morphemes are those that can occur alone, as monomorphemic words; bound morphemes always occur in combination with some other morpheme: It is often the case, in a morphologically-complex word, that none of the component morphemes are free, as in:

Importance of Ignatius of Loyola Essay

In the year 1491, the future founder of the Jesuits was born in northern Spain. He would soon be known as Saint Ignatius of Loyola. By the time that he was fifteen he was already interested in to religion. When he got older he became a soldier. He would end up crushing his leg in battle by a cannon ball in the battle of Pamplona. Ignatius would soon go to college to be a teacher. And he achieved that goal. He would soon invent the Jesuits who were priests that would teach and go on missionaries. Ignatius’s goals were to become a strong church and to bring people back to Catholicism. He would soon accomplish it. Ignatius in order to become a strong again, you must have education to do that. That is when his spiritual exercises came into affect. He would teach the priests and the priests would teach the students. He would also create a constitution, so that everyone would stay good. And in 1556 he would be laid to rest. Ignatius of Loyola was important because, he founded the Jesuits, that would soon put their focus on education and missionary work. Ignatius founded the Society of Jesus in 1540; these members would soon be known as the Jesuits. The Jesuits were a group of priests that believed education was key to being successful. Ignatius was so high on education that every Jesuit had to be trained to be a scholar and clerics in case someday they would take over the Catholic Church (Simon 105). Ignatius wanted the Jesuits so well educated that he started his own school for the Seminarians since there were no Universities with high enough academic standards (Simon 105). Seminarians are professors that teach students. Ignatius of Loyola taught the Seminarians through his spiritual writings. So Ignatius decided that he would build a college that would meet his standards in grammar and human relations that is when he founded the Roman College in February 1551. He also had as many as 300 students sign up for the college the following year, and in 1552 Loyola also established the German College (Dalmases 355). Loyola does this so that he can show that the Jesuits are a good order of monks. He is trying to get more people to come and join the Jesuits. Ignatius made the Jesuits go to school for ten years before they could go and teach. They also had to go to mass once a day and were required to listen to seminars that were spoken in Latin. Loyola did this so that when they went out to be professors they were equipped with the right knowledge and they would know what they were doing. Ignatius did such a good job of teaching his students that people heard about them around the world. The Jesuits were so well known, that universities and schools recruited them. They ended up taking over the teaching in many universities teaching (Simon 105). The Jesuits liked to teach so much that by the 1600’s they had over eighty percent of the Jesuits being teachers. Therefore, Ignatius is an important man because of his works in education and his beliefs that knowledge is an important aspect in the Catholic Church. Another reason that Ignatius of Loyola is important is through his missionaries. Missionaries are people who are sent out to preach about what they believe in and try to get people to switch to their religion. In order to become a Jesuit you had to be willing to do what you told by your superiors. All the missionaries had to go to class to learn about what they  are to preach about (Broderick 904). â€Å"Part of Ignatius’ inspiration was his vision of the Society as carrying out the mission of Christ to defend and extend his kingdom throughout the world† (Meissner 211). Loyola had the missionaries go to many foreign areas such as Africa, Asia, India and many other countries. On of the best-known missionaries was Francis Xavier who traveled all around the East. Loyola knew so well what he was doing that by 1749 he had 3,276 people out being missionaries teaching about the Jesuits. That is one-seventh of the Jesuits. The Jesuits had such good missionary work that that they spread throughout five continents (Broderick 904). Ignatius and the Jesuits had one of the best orders, he not only sent missionaries around the world but he started orders that stayed in the countries and preached about the Jesuits and converted them over to the Catholic Church. Thus Ignatius of Loyola wanted to create a dominant order that would bring Catholicism back to order. The second point that makes Ignatius of Loyola important are his Spiritual writings, he did this by writing the Spiritual Exercises and Constitution. Loyola started writing the Spiritual Exercises after the battle of Pamplona. He started writing the book in 1521 and ended the book twenty-seven years later in 1548 (Lewis 578). Once the book was finished was printed out and used by all the Jesuits. â€Å"The first week in concentrated on with the sinful condition of man and the three other are taken up with the consideration of the life of Christ: His hidden life and public life, His Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension† (Lewis580). They would be told how to use the Spiritual Exercises. The way that they taught the Exercises were that they needed to give the students a summary explanation on what they were learning about. This would help the students to remember the material easier. Therefore, Ignatius made the Spiritual Exercises so that the Jesuits could learn and improve the knowledge of the Christ. The last reason that makes Ignatius of Loyola important was the Constitution. Ignatius created the Constitution after he founded the Jesuits in 1540. The Constitution is made up of a series of laws that consist of obedience, loyalty and respecting the Pope. When Ignatius set up the Constitution he knew that there would be changes in society and that the laws couldn’t stay  the same. So in 1558 the General Constitution made the law that you can adjust or modify the law, as long as there is no disagreement with Papal law (Ignatius 276). The Constitution ended up traveling allover the world with the missionaries and would set the standard for the Catholic Church. Consequently, Loyola wrote the Constitution so that if you became part of the Catholic Church that you would have to the follow the rules that were set. He also wrote them because if you wanted to be a Jesuit you needed to act in an orderly fashion. Ignatius founded the Jesuits and they would soon put their focus on the education and missionaries. Ignatius also was important through his spiritual writings; he did this by writing the Spiritual Exercises and Constitution. This is why Ignatius of Loyola was important because, he not only founded the Jesuits in 1540 but he emphasized on education. He was so interested in education that he started universities. The Jesuits were a major contribution in education around the world. Ignatius of Loyola thought that they needed to spread Catholicism, which is when he sent Jesuits on Missionaries. He would finally get job done by creating orders of monks around the world. He also has contributed the writings of the Spiritual Exercises and the Constitution. The Jesuits for knowledge and discipline look upon these two books. Works Cited Lewis, J. â€Å"Spiritual Exercises.† New Catholic Encyclopedia. 1967. De Dalmases, C â€Å"Saint Ignatius of Loyola.† New Catholic Encyclopedia. 1967. Meissner, W.W. Ignatius of Loyola. New Haven: Yale University Press 1992. Simon, Edith. The Reformation. New York: Time-Life Books, 1996 Ignatius. Ignatius of Loyola. Trans. George E. Ganass. New York: Paulist Press, 1991.

Comparison and Criticism

Countee Cullen is one of the most famous African-American poets who has won more literary prizes and recognitions than any black American has ever won before. He came into prominence quite early in his life. Becoming quite famous already in the high school he has been recognized as an outstanding poet before he was 25 when he published such poems as â€Å"I Have a Rendezvous with Life† and â€Å"The Ballad of the Brown Girl† (Johnson). So, â€Å"The Medea† and â€Å"The Lost Zoo† which I am going to compare and criticize in this paper are during his late period (in the age of 37 and 31 respectively).I am going to argue that both poems are still valuable today because of their didactic nature. By writing them Cullen attempted to express and somehow summarize his ideas of that what is good and what is bad, as well as about morals and proper behavior. They are all written for children, even if those children believe themselves to be adults. Since 1934 Cullen taught English and French at the Frederick Douglas Junior High School. He has been offered a position of a lecturer at the Fisk University in Nashville which he declined. Thus he has chosen a career of a teacher, not a lecturer and scientist.His interest to work with children and writing for children later clearly revealed when he wrote â€Å"The Lost Zoo†, yet it can be traced already in the â€Å"Medea and other poems†. Why among numerous Greek tragedies has Cullen chosen to translate exactly â€Å"The Medea†, and why has the translation been accompanied by a set of Cullen’s own verses? The answers can be found after reading this poetry collection and comparing its themes and motifs to the ones of Euripides. The original myth of Medea, as it has been told by Euripides, is a story of an aggrieved woman who has been driven to a disastrous path by her passion and despair.Cullen provided a modern translation of Euripides story (Corti 202) and the other poem s included to the collection can be viewed as Cullen’s commentary to the problem. Medea’s fate is reflected in â€Å"The Magnets† in which Cullen writes of â€Å"The straight, the swift, the debonair† who â€Å"are targets on the thoroughfare†. This passage can be viewed as a personal reflection, yet in the light of â€Å"Scottsboro, Too, Is Worth Its Song†, another Cullen’s poem, it can be interpreted in a broader social context, as a vision of an entire nation driven to the wrong pass.Cullen begins the poem by imagining poets who will sing and their cries â€Å"Their cries go thundering Like blood and tears†. The period when Cullen wrote this poem was marked by a deep spiritual crisis following the Great Depression, so Cullen observes that in the world â€Å"Is all disgrace And epic wrong† and wonders why the poets have not eventually risen their voices against this wrong. This poems is to put a rhetoric question but n ot to give an answer. Cullen attempts to make his readers themselves concerned with the moral descent, to awaken their own minds and conscience.Otherwise they are likely to repeat Medea’s mistake. This was Cullen’s teaching method: he has not expressly developed own philosophy and preferred to teach through parallels and comparison (Nelson 91). It can be observed that Cullen’s teaching and moralization is not only for children, but for adults as well, perhaps more for adults than children. His â€Å"The Lost Zoo† published in 1940 is for the â€Å"young but not too young†. Although this writing may seem childish, in it Cullen once again (after â€Å"Black Christ†) rises to the Biblical heights in his poetry (Nelson 90).In â€Å"The Lost Zoo† Cullen tells tales of animals that for some reasons could not get onto Noah’s Arc thusly teaching his readers certain life lessons (Silvey 3). Squilililigee’s story is a warning both against teasing and against excessive susceptibility, while the story of a Snake-That-Walked-Upon-His-Tale is a warning against arrogance and false vanity (See: Cullen, Pinknee 1991). In fact, neither of the lost animals was fated and each of them could be saved in case they themselves behaved in a proper way. The conduct of the lost animals ruins them because they attempt to be that what they are not. This is a typical mistake of all times.Cullen is a man of his time, yet his verses are of universal everlasting value. They are topical in our days same as in the days of Cullen. When Cullen wrote both â€Å"Medea† and â€Å"The Lost Zoo† he played a role of a teacher rather than a poet and he was able to teach not only children but adults as well. Human passions never change, and so Cullen’s poems will never lose their importance, just like â€Å"Medea† by Euripide and the Biblical story of an Arc have not lost theirs. Each generation understands and inte rprets them in their own manner just as Cullen interpreted the Bible and Medea. Works Cited: 1. Cullen Countee. The Medea and Some Poems.New York: Harper & Bros. , 1935; 2. Cullen, Countee; Pinknee, Brian J. The Lost Zoo. Silver Burdett Pr. , 1991; 3. Corti, Lillian. The Myth of Medea and the Murder of Children. Greenwood Press, 1998; 4. Nelson, Emmanuel Sampath. African American authors, 1745-1945. Greenwood Publishing Group, 2000; 5. Silvey, Anita. The essential guide to children's books and their creators, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2002; 6. Johnson, Clifton H. About Countee Cullen's Life and Career. 27 May 2009 http://www. english. illinois. edu/MAPS/poets/a_f/cullen/life. htm 7. Countee Cullen 27 May 2009 http://www. harvardsquarelibrary. org/poets/cullen. php

The Host Chapter 25: Compelled

Another week passed, maybe two-there seemed little point in keeping track of time here, where it was so irrelevant-and things only got stranger for me. I worked with the humans every day, but not always with Jeb. Some days Ian was with me, some days Doc, and some days only Jamie. I weeded fields, kneaded bread, and scrubbed counters. I carried water, boiled onion soup, washed clothes in the far end of the black pool, and burned my hands making that acidic soap. Everyone did their part, and since I had no right to be here, I tried to work twice as hard as the others. I could not earn a place, I knew that, but I tried to make my presence as light a burden as possible. I got to know a little about the humans around me, mostly just by listening to them. I learned their names, at least. The caramel-skinned woman was named Lily, and she was from Philadelphia. She had a dry sense of humor and got along well with everyone because she never got ruffled. The young man with the bristly black hair, Wes, stared at her a lot, but she never seemed to notice that. He was only nineteen, and he'd escaped from Eureka, Montana. The sleepy-eyed mother was named Lucina, and her two boys were Isaiah and Freedom-Freedom had been born right here in the caves, delivered by Doc. I didn't see much of these three; it seemed that the mother kept her children as separate from me as was possible in this limited space. The balding, red-cheeked man was Trudy's husband; his name was Geoffrey. They were often with another older man, Heath, who had been Geoffrey's best friend since early childhood; the three had escaped the invasion together. The pallid man with the white hair was Walter. He was sick, but Doc didn't know what was wrong with him-there was no way to find out, not without labs and tests, and even if Doc could diagnose the problem, he had no medicine to treat it. As the symptoms progressed, Doc was starting to think it was a form of cancer. This pained me-to watch someone actually dying from something so easily fixed. Walter tired easily but was always cheerful. The white-blond woman-her eyes contrastingly dark-who'd brought water to the others that first day in the field was Heidi. Travis, John, Stanley, Reid, Carol, Violetta, Ruth Ann†¦ I knew all the names, at least. There were thirty-five humans in the colony, with six of them gone on the raid, Jared included. Twenty-nine humans in the caves now, and one mostly unwelcome alien. I also learned more about my neighbors. Ian and Kyle shared the cave on my hallway with the two real doors propped over the entrance. Ian had begun bunking with Wes in another corridor in protest of my presence here, but he'd moved back after just two nights. The other nearby caves had also gone vacant for a while. Jeb told me the occupants were afraid of me, which made me laugh. Were twenty-nine rattlesnakes afraid of a lone field mouse? Now Paige was back, next door, in the cave she shared with her partner, Andy, whose absence she mourned. Lily was with Heidi in the first cave, with the flowered sheets; Heath was in the second, with the duct-taped cardboard; and Trudy and Geoffrey were in the third, with a striped quilt. Reid and Violetta were one cave farther down the hall than mine, their privacy protected by a stained and threadbare oriental carpet. The fourth cave in this corridor belonged to Doc and Sharon, and the fifth to Maggie, but none of these three had returned. Doc and Sharon were partnered, and Maggie, in her rare moments of sarcastic humor, teased Sharon that it had taken the end of humanity for Sharon to find the perfect man: every mother wanted a doctor for her daughter. Sharon was not the girl I'd seen in Melanie's memories. Was it the years of living alone with the dour Maggie that had changed her into a more brightly colored version of her mother? Though her relationship with Doc was newer to this world than I was, she showed none of the softening effects of new love. I knew the duration of that relationship from Jamie-Sharon and Maggie rarely forgot when I was in a room with them, and their conversation was guarded. They were still the strongest opposition, the only people here whose ignoring me continued to feel aggressively hostile. I'd asked Jamie how Sharon and Maggie had gotten here. Had they found Jeb on their own, beaten Jared and Jamie here? He seemed to understand the real question: had Melanie's last effort to find them been entirely a waste? Jamie told me no. When Jared had showed him Melanie's last note, explained that she was gone-it took him a moment to be able to speak again after that word, and I could see in his face what this moment had done to them both-they'd gone to look for Sharon themselves. Maggie had held Jared at the point of an antique sword while he tried to explain; it had been a close thing. It had not taken long with Maggie and Jared working together for them to decipher Jeb's riddle. The four of them had gotten to the caves before I'd moved from Chicago to San Diego. When Jamie and I spoke of Melanie, it was not as difficult as it should have been. She was always a part of these conversations-soothing his pain, smoothing my awkwardness-though she had little to say. She rarely spoke to me anymore, and when she did it was muted; now and then I wasn't sure if I really heard her or just my own idea of what she might think. But she made an effort for Jamie. When I heard her, it was always with him. When she didn't speak, we both felt her there. â€Å"Why is Melanie so quiet now?† Jamie asked me late one night. For once, he wasn't grilling me about Spiders and Fire-Tasters. We were both tired-it had been a long day pulling carrots. The small of my back was in knots. â€Å"It's hard for her to talk. It takes so much more effort than it takes you and me. She doesn't have anything she wants to say that badly.† â€Å"What does she do all the time?† â€Å"She listens, I think. I guess I don't know.† â€Å"Can you hear her now?† â€Å"No.† I yawned, and he was quiet. I thought he was asleep. I drifted in that direction, too. â€Å"Do you think she'll go away? Really gone?† Jamie suddenly whispered. His voice caught on the last word. I was not a liar, and I don't think I could have lied to Jamie if I were. I tried not to think about the implications of my feelings for him. Because what did it mean if the greatest love I'd ever felt in my nine lives, the first true sense of family, of maternal instinct, was for an alien life-form? I shoved the thought away. â€Å"I don't know,† I told him. And then, because it was true, I added, â€Å"I hope not.† â€Å"Do you like her like you like me? Did you used to hate her, like she hated you?† â€Å"It's different than how I like you. And I never really hated her, not even in the beginning. I was very afraid of her, and I was angry that because of her I couldn't be like everyone else. But I've always, always admired strength, and Melanie is the strongest person I've ever known.† Jamie laughed. â€Å"You were afraid of her?† â€Å"You don't think your sister can be scary? Remember the time you went too far up the canyon, and when you came home late she threw a raging hissy fit,' according to Jared?† He chuckled at the memory. I was pleased, having distracted him from his painful question. I was eager to keep the peace with all my new companions in any way I could. I thought I was willing to do anything, no matter how backbreaking or smelly, but it turned out I was wrong. â€Å"So I was thinking,† Jeb said to me one day, maybe two weeks after everyone had â€Å"calmed down.† I was beginning to hate those words from Jeb. â€Å"Do you remember what I was saying about you maybe teaching a little here?† My answer was curt. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Well, how 'bout it?† I didn't have to think it through. â€Å"No.† My refusal sent an unexpected pang of guilt through me. I'd never refused a Calling before. It felt like a selfish thing to do. Obviously, though, this was not the same. The souls would have never asked me to do something so suicidal. He frowned at me, scrunching his caterpillar eyebrows together. â€Å"Why not?† â€Å"How do you think Sharon would like that?† I asked him in an even voice. It was just one example, but perhaps the most forceful. He nodded, still frowning, acknowledging my point. â€Å"It's for the greater good,† he grumbled. I snorted. â€Å"The greater good? Wouldn't that be shooting me?† â€Å"Wanda, that's shortsighted,† he said, arguing with me as if my answer had been a serious attempt at persuasion. â€Å"What we have here is a very unusual opportunity for learning. It would be wasteful to squander that.† â€Å"I really don't think anyone wants to learn from me. I don't mind talking to you or Jamie -â€Å" â€Å"Doesn't matter what they want,† Jeb insisted. â€Å"It's what's good for them. Like chocolate versus broccoli. Ought to know more about the universe-not to mention the new tenants of our planet.† â€Å"How does it help them, Jeb? Do you think I know something that could destroy the souls? Turn the tide? Jeb, it's over.† â€Å"It's not over while we're still here,† he told me, grinning so I knew he was teasing me again. â€Å"I don't expect you to turn traitor and give us some super-weapon. I just think we should know more about the world we live in.† I flinched at the word traitor. â€Å"I couldn't give you a weapon if I wanted to, Jeb. We don't have some great weakness, an Achilles' heel. No archenemies out there in space who could come to your aid, no viruses that will wipe us out and leave you standing. Sorry.† â€Å"Don't sweat it.† He made a fist and tapped it playfully against my arm. â€Å"You might be surprised, though. I told you it gets boring in here. People might want your stories more than you think.† I knew Jeb would not leave it alone. Was Jeb capable of conceding defeat? I doubted it. At mealtimes I usually sat with Jeb and Jamie, if he was not in school or busy elsewhere. Ian always sat near, though not really with us. I could not fully accept the idea of his self-appointed role as my bodyguard. It seemed too good to be true and thus, by human philosophy, clearly false. A few days after I'd refused Jeb's request to teach the humans â€Å"for their own good,† Doc came to sit by me during the evening meal. Sharon remained where she was, in the corner farthest from my usual place. She was alone today, without her mother. She didn't turn to watch Doc walking toward me. Her vivid hair was wound into a high bun, so I could see that her neck was stiff, and her shoulders were hunched, tense and unhappy. It made me want to leave at once, before Doc could say whatever he meant to say to me, so that I could not be considered in collusion with him. But Jamie was with me, and he took my hand when he saw the familiar panicked look come into my eyes. He was developing an uncanny ability to sense when I was turning skittish. I sighed and stayed where I was. It should probably have bothered me more that I was such a slave to this child's wishes. â€Å"How are things?† Doc asked in a casual voice, sliding onto the counter next to me. Ian, a few feet down from us, turned his body so it looked like he was part of the group. I shrugged. â€Å"We boiled soup today,† Jamie announced. â€Å"My eyes are still stinging.† Doc held up a pair of bright red hands. â€Å"Soap.† Jamie laughed. â€Å"You win.† Doc gave a mocking bow from the waist, then turned to me. â€Å"Wanda, I had a question for you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He let the words trail off. I raised my eyebrows. â€Å"Well, I was wondering†¦ Of all the different planets you're familiar with, which species is physically the closest to humankind?† I blinked. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"Just good old-fashioned biological curiosity. I guess I've been thinking about your Healers†¦ Where do they get the knowledge to cure, rather than just treat symptoms, as you said?† Doc was speaking louder than necessary, his mild voice carrying farther than usual. Several people looked up-Trudy and Geoffrey, Lily, Walter†¦ I wrapped my arms tightly around myself, trying to take up less space. â€Å"Those are two different questions,† I murmured. Doc smiled and gestured with one hand for me to proceed. Jamie squeezed my hand. I sighed. â€Å"The Bears on the Mists Planet, probably.† â€Å"With the claw beasts?† Jamie whispered. I nodded. â€Å"How are they similar?† Doc prodded. I rolled my eyes, feeling Jeb's direction in this, but continued. â€Å"They're close to mammals in many ways. Fur, warm-blooded. Their blood isn't exactly the same as yours, but it does essentially the same job. They have similar emotions, the same need for societal interaction and creative outlets -â€Å" â€Å"Creative?† Doc leaned forward, fascinated-or feigning fascination. â€Å"How so?† I looked at Jamie. â€Å"You know. Why don't you tell Doc?† â€Å"I might get it wrong.† â€Å"You won't.† He looked at Doc, who nodded. â€Å"Well, see, they have these awesome hands.† Jamie was enthusiastic almost immediately. â€Å"Sort of double-jointed-they can curl both ways.† He flexed his own fingers, as if trying to bend them backward. â€Å"One side is soft, like my palm, but the other side is like razors! They cut the ice-ice sculpting. They make cities that are all crystal castles that never melt! It's beautiful, isn't it, Wanda?† He turned to me for backup. I nodded. â€Å"They see a different range of colors-the ice is full of rainbows. Their cities are a point of pride for them. They're always trying to make them more beautiful. I knew of one Bear who we called†¦ well, something like Glitter Weaver, but it sounds better in that language, because of the way the ice seemed to know what he wanted and shaped itself into his dreams. I met him once and saw his creations. That's one of my most beautiful memories.† â€Å"They dream?† Ian asked quietly. I smiled wryly. â€Å"Not as vividly as humans.† â€Å"How do your Healers get their knowledge about the physiology of a new species? They came to this planet prepared. I watched it start-watched the terminal patients walk out of the hospital whole†¦Ã¢â‚¬  A frown etched a V-shaped crease into Doc's narrow forehead. He hated the invaders, like everyone, but unlike the others, he also envied them. I didn't want to answer. Everyone was listening to us by this point, and this was no pretty fairytale about ice-sculpting Bears. This was the story of their defeat. Doc waited, frowning. â€Å"They†¦ they take samples,† I muttered. Ian grinned in understanding. â€Å"Alien abductions.† I ignored him. Doc pursed his lips. â€Å"Makes sense.† The silence in the room reminded me of my first time here. â€Å"Where did your kind begin?† Doc asked. â€Å"Do you remember? I mean, as a species, do you know how you evolved?† â€Å"The Origin,† I answered, nodding. â€Å"We still live there. It's where I was†¦ born.† â€Å"That's kind of special,† Jamie added. â€Å"It's rare to meet someone from the Origin, isn't it? Most souls try to stay there, right, Wanda?† He didn't wait for my response. I was beginning to regret answering his questions so thoroughly each night. â€Å"So when someone moves on, it makes them almost†¦ like a celebrity? Or like a member of a royal family.† I could feel my cheeks getting warm. â€Å"It's a cool place,† Jamie went on. â€Å"Lots of clouds, with a bunch of different-colored layers. It's the only planet where the souls can live outside of a host for very long. The hosts on the Origin planet are really pretty, too, with sort of wings and lots of tentacles and big silver eyes.† Doc was leaning forward with his face in his hands. â€Å"Do they remember how the host-parasite relationship was formed? How did the colonization begin?† Jamie looked at me, shrugging. â€Å"We were always that way,† I answered slowly, still unwilling. â€Å"As far back as we were intelligent enough to know ourselves, at least. We were discovered by another species-the Vultures, we call them here, though more for their personalities than for their looks. They were†¦ not kind. Then we discovered that we could bond with them just as we had with our original hosts. Once we controlled them, we made use of their technology. We took their planet first, and then followed them to the Dragon Planet and the Summer World-lovely places where the Vultures had also not been kind. We started colonizing; our hosts reproduced so much slower than we did, and their life spans were short. We began exploring farther into the universe†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I trailed off, conscious of the many eyes on my face. Only Sharon continued to look away. â€Å"You speak of it almost as if you were there,† Ian noted quietly. â€Å"How long ago did this happen?† â€Å"After dinosaurs lived here but before you did. I was not there, but I remember some of what my mother's mother's mother remembered of it.† â€Å"How old are you?† Ian asked, leaning toward me, his brilliant blue eyes penetrating. â€Å"I don't know in Earth years.† â€Å"An estimate?† he pressed. â€Å"Thousands of years, maybe.† I shrugged. â€Å"I lose track of the years spent in hibernation.† Ian leaned back, stunned. â€Å"Wow, that's old,† Jamie breathed. â€Å"But in a very real sense, I'm younger than you,† I murmured to him. â€Å"Not even a year old. I feel like a child all the time.† Jamie's lips pulled up slightly at the corners. He liked the idea of being more mature than I was. â€Å"What's the aging process for your kind?† Doc asked. â€Å"The natural life span?† â€Å"We don't have one,† I told him. â€Å"As long as we have a healthy host, we can live forever.† A low murmur-angry? frightened? disgusted? I couldn't tell-swirled around the edges of the cave. I saw that my answer had been unwise; I understood what these words would mean to them. â€Å"Beautiful.† The low, furious word came from Sharon's direction, but she hadn't turned. Jamie squeezed my hand, seeing again in my eyes the desire to bolt. This time I gently pulled my hand free. â€Å"I'm not hungry anymore,† I whispered, though my bread sat barely touched on the counter beside me. I hopped down and, hugging the wall, made my escape. Jamie followed right behind me. He caught up to me in the big garden plaza and handed me the remains of my bread. â€Å"It was real interesting, honest,† he told me. â€Å"I don't think anyone's too upset.† â€Å"Jeb put Doc up to this, didn't he?† â€Å"You tell good stories. Once everyone knows that, they'll want to hear them. Just like me and Jeb.† â€Å"What if I don't want to tell them?† Jamie frowned. â€Å"Well, I guess then†¦ you shouldn't. But it seems like you don't mind telling me stories.† â€Å"That's different. You like me.† I could have said, You don't want to kill me, but the implications would have upset him. â€Å"Once people get to know you, they'll all like you. Ian and Doc do.† â€Å"Ian and Doc do not like me, Jamie. They're just morbidly curious.† â€Å"Do so.† â€Å"Ugh,† I groaned. We were to our room by now. I shoved the screen aside and threw myself onto the mattress. Jamie sat down less forcefully beside me and looped his arms around his knees. â€Å"Don't be mad,† he pleaded. â€Å"Jeb means well.† I groaned again. â€Å"It won't be so bad.† â€Å"Doc's going to do this every time I go in the kitchen, isn't he?† Jamie nodded sheepishly. â€Å"Or Ian. Or Jeb.† â€Å"Or you.† â€Å"We all want to know.† I sighed and rolled onto my stomach. â€Å"Does Jeb have to get his way every single time?† Jamie thought for a moment, then nodded. â€Å"Pretty much, yeah.† I took a big bite of bread. When I was done chewing, I said, â€Å"I think I'll eat in here from now on.† â€Å"Ian's going to ask you questions tomorrow when you're weeding the spinach. Jeb's not making him-he wants to.† â€Å"Well, that's wonderful.† â€Å"You're pretty good with sarcasm. I thought the parasites-I mean the souls-didn't like negative humor. Just the happy stuff.† â€Å"They'd learn pretty quick in here, kid.† Jamie laughed and then took my hand. â€Å"You don't hate it here, do you? You're not miserable, are you?† His big chocolate-colored eyes were troubled. I pressed his hand to my face. â€Å"I'm fine,† I told him, and at that moment, it was entirely the truth.