Saturday, August 31, 2019

Who Is an Entrepreneur

Common/different aspects of the paper2 Conclusions6 References7 â€Å"Who is an entrepreneur? † Introduction â€Å"Who is an entrepreneur? † is a question that aroused many controversies and debates. Among many articles that talks about the entrepreneur and the process of entrepreneurship I will focus on three articles that tried to answer this question or demonstrated the uselessness of the question. Analyzing many different points of view will conduct to a better and deeper understanding of the phenomena.Therefore, this is not an exact science, like for instance mathematics or physics. It leads us more to interpretation, which means that, there will always be a need of debate. Short Summary In the article â€Å"Differentiating Entrepreneurs from Small Business Owners: A Conceptualization†, Carland et al. tries to answer the question by focusing on the characteristics of an entrepreneur and they go further with comparing him to a small business owner. They settl e a definition for each and then, they apply the main ideas to a larger scale and differentiate an entrepreneurial venture from a small business.Gartner criticize their point of view in his article â€Å"Who is an entrepreneur? Is the wrong question† and considers that it is improper to define â€Å"the entrepreneur† because it would mean that an entrepreneur fits a certain type of person, which is not true since the views are not homogenous. That is why Gartner considers a more suitable approach for the concept, to analyze the entrepreneur’s behavior. In the article â€Å"Who is an entrepreneur? Is a question worth asking†, Carland et al. tries to respond to Gartner’s critique and in the end, he argues that indeed entrepreneurship is a complex and dynamic concept.Common/different aspects of the paper In the article â€Å"Differentiating Entrepreneurs from Small Business Owners: A Conceptualization†, Carland et al. , in terms of entrepreneur and small business owner, focus on intentionality and characteristics. In their opinion, an entrepreneur’ purpose is profit and growth and he is characterized as an innovative person who will employ strategic management practices, while a small business owner’s purpose is furthering personal goals, and to whom the business is the primary source of income which will consume almost all of his time.In terms of differentiating Entrepreneurial Ventures form Small Business Ventures, they focus on the same ideas applied to a bigger scale. However, this attempt to define the concepts, and especially their arguments were hardly criticized by Gartner in his article â€Å"Who Is an Entrepreneur? Is the Wrong Question†. He brings into discussion the situation when â€Å"an individual personal goal is to establish a business for profit and growth†. He considers that Carland et al. are rung, first by focusing on intentionality, instead of creation, and second by focus ing on the person instead of the act of entrepreneurship.He argues that, by referring only to intentionality rather than to concrete things like articulated strategies or observed behaviors, they increased even more the ambiguity. In my opinion, Carland et al. ’s attempt to define a small business owner as an individual whose main characteristic is achieving its personal goals is a vague statement. To be more specific, I will take as an example a farmer, who lives in the country, has no job, owns 10 hectares of vineyards, and decides to start a business in wine industry. For him, this will be the primary source of income.To help me set his goals, I will analyze Maslow pyramid. According to Abraham Maslow we will start from the base. Our farmer’s first goal will be to sell as much wine as to be able to sustain his physiological needs, like buying food, water and so one. After satisfying his basic needs, he will want to assure the need of safety and therefore, he will ne ed to earn more money. So how can he do that? Growing his business and raising his earnings. This means that his goal will change into growth and profit while his business remains his principal source of income. And so one, we can continue to higher stages in the pyramid.Therefore, I consider that, the desire of achieving its personal goals cannot be a specific characteristic for a small business owner. I also believe that the two terms, â€Å"entrepreneur† and â€Å"small business owner†, are so close related that the transition between them can be made very easy and therefore I again disagree with Carland et al. because of their attempt to totally separate the concepts. For instance, if we take the farmer, on the the first stage of Maslow pyramid, according to Carland et al. , he fits the description of a small business owner, by having his business as his primary source of income and furthering his personal goals.But, what if we add that he discovers a secret recipe of wine, a new type of product, and he is able to put it into practice? This last feature belongs to an entrepreneur; therefore, the farmer will have both characteristics from a small business owner and an entrepreneur. So is he really a small business owner or he had become an entrepreneur? Gartner tries to show what differentiates an entrepreneur from non-entrepreneurs and it demonstrates that behavioral approaches are the ones we should concentrate on, for analyzing future researches in entrepreneurship, than trait approaches.He also recognizes that trait approaches and behavioral trait approaches are two related concepts that cannot be treated separately. Gartner explains that if we talk about behavioral and trait approaches, we analyze the entrepreneur’s characteristics through its activities undertaken to create an organization. For instance, Arthur Cole tries to take a behavioral viewpoint of an entrepreneur and then analyses his traits and specific characteristics (j udgment, perseverance, knowledge of the world and business).Jenks and Kilby disagree with studying the personality of an entrepreneur and they encourage researchers to study the behaviors and activities of an entrepreneur. However here, I consider that we can analyze equally, both the traits and the behavioral of an individual, because are strongly connected, and can be related in both ways, but the focus should be on the behavior. First, the behavior of an individual can be determined by its characteristics, as if for instance a person who most often takes hasty decisions he could be an impulsive person.And second, if we analyze an individual characteristics, we can suppose that he will behave in a certain way, like if he is very confident in its believes he could assume more risks than a person who does not trust its own ideas. Still we have to analyze each person as a simple, because everyone is unique and behaves in its own way. Gartner uses researches that focuses on the person of the entrepreneur, and tries to settle an entrepreneur’s qualities (traits), like: need for achievement, locus of control, risk taking, values, age, and others.Then he explains that these are worthless to differentiate entrepreneurs from others, because in the trait approach, an entrepreneur is considered a particular personality type with certain characteristics, but if we look at the studies, we can see that few entrepreneurs employ the same definition, so the views are not homogenous. In the article â€Å"Who is an entrepreneur? Is a question worth asking†, after analyzing a compilation of Gartner’s studies of entrepreneurship, Carl et al. demonstrated the fruitlessness of his trait research.They considered that he used inconsistent definitions, samples that are not homogeneous or comparable and most important, he created an inconsistent entrepreneurial profile, which is often not significantly different from the rest of the population. Van de Ven finds it also important to analyze the traits and characteristics of a leader. However, Carland et al. considered that there are not so many classification schemes involving complex human behavior and that is one reason why they have excluded it.According to Gartner, we cannot talk anymore about â€Å"entrepreneurs† in general without referring to characteristics of the sample. In their continuous attempt to separate the term of â€Å"entrepreneur† from â€Å"small business owner† Carland et al. uses also psychology literature and considers that one’s personality is defined by all aspects of life and is largely set during the formative years. However, Gartner still believes that it is impossible to settle certain traits for an entrepreneur because everyone is different from other.Gartner also disagrees with the last part of Carland et al. entrepreneurial definition, which ties the state of being an entrepreneur to innovative behavior, and he brings up the problem of identifying if only the first firms in each industry are the innovative ones and all other subsequent would be small business owners. I consider that an entrepreneur is an innovative person, so in this respect I disagree with Gartner’s opinion. In addition, this does not mean that only the first company in each industry is innovative, like Gartner believes.Even if two firms are competing on the same industry, the second firm appeared on the market, could have products with the same utility and some similar characteristics, but the product can also contain an extra new, special, different, and innovative characteristic. Like for instance when it appeared the beer with lemon, I consider that is was a result of innovative thinking, because although it has the main utility of a bear, to quench the thirst, and has similar characteristics, it can also be seen as a new and different product.In this respect, Bhide, in his article â€Å"The questions every entrepreneur must answe r†, considers that in the same industry, the option that suits for one entrepreneurial venture can be completely inappropriate for another. In addition, he gives as an example companies like Microsoft, Lotus, WordPerfect, and Intuit, which are competing in the same industry but had a very different evolution. In his research â€Å"What is entrepreneurship? , Davidsson analyzes entrepreneurship through competitive behaviors. He agrees with Gartner. He does not consider innovation as an example of entrepreneurship. On the one side, he manages to avoid more the risk of ambiguity by restricting the entrepreneurship concept to a market context which gives a more precise characterization to the process and on the other its permissive because it has no restriction to innovation, organizational context, risk taking and others.He sees entrepreneurship on a small level, which has important effects on a bigger scale, because it influences the whole market. In addition, it is brought int o discussion the problem of differentiating a product from its similar product that constitutes innovation. Moreover, but not lastly we confront with the dilemma if new methods of manufacturing, marketing, distributing the product could be also considered as innovation and here, Gartner brings into discussion, the debate on which are the truly innovative methods.In the end, Gartner tries to change a long held viewpoint of entrepreneurial process by identifying it as the creation of new organizations. After that, he debates if the entrepreneurship ends once the organization creation is over. In his opinion the entrepreneurship ends once with the creation stage of the organization. In these respect, Greiner (1972) and Steinmetz (1969) considers that any organization can survive on past its creation stage to all the possible stages like growth, maturity, and decline.Therefore, if we look at the process itself and analyze each stage, when the individual creates an organization he takes different roles like innovator, manager, small business owner and many others and each is characterized by specific behaviors. But the order of these stages aren’t always the same. I consider that when the creation of the organization is on its end stage, we cannot say that entrepreneurial process it’s necessarily over. In certain situations, some firms extend their business by discovering a new revolutionary product.To be more specific, if we take in consideration a company which produces milk, and it discovers a new product that haven’t existed before, let’s suppose it’s butter, than the company will have to develop only some extra operations to make the revolutionary product. Therefore, the milk company will support a creation of a new sub organization in this section (technology, marketing, sales, management, and so one). Moreover, here come into discussion the habitual entrepreneurs, who, after creating a business, they are still identifying n ew business opportunities and put it into practice when they are able to do that.An interesting polemics, we can find on the article of Ucbasaran et al. , â€Å"Does entrepreneurial experience influence opportunity identification? †. After using data and research methodology among individuals engaged in entrepreneurial acts, they conclude that, on the one side, there are some differences between inexperienced novice entrepreneurs and experienced habitual entrepreneurs, but on the other, they also have some similarities in their behavior.Both habitual and novice entrepreneurs are in continuous searching for knowledge and development. One difference between these two categories is that with their experience, habitual entrepreneurs, identify more business opportunities, and one explanation could be that they use different sources of information like financiers, employees, and consultants. In addition, their attitude to business opportunity identification is different. They consi der that one opportunity often leads to another but it can also emerge in connection with some problems.Experienced entrepreneurs are also convinced that it is crucial to obtain the necessary resources and capital to implement a good idea, and they underline the importance of spontaneity and alertness. In addition, experienced entrepreneurs often identify business opportunities with higher level of innovativeness. One explication could be their ability of choosing the best person for the right activity, based on their experience, which gives them more time to develop more business opportunities. Wright et al. brings into discussion the risk of habitual entrepreneurs to repeat same ideas but in different or changed environments.I believe that habitual entrepreneurs indeed find more easily business opportunities because of their experience in the changing of the market needs, and most important customer’s needs. They have a better understanding of the market mechanism and how v ital is the spontaneity. They also understand better the consequences of doing or not doing something. However, entrepreneurship cannot be treated as an independently concept so therefore it can be related to areas like for instance mathematics, statistics, economics and many others.We find an attempt to prove the importance of having a complex model, in Bygrave and Hofer’s research, â€Å"Theorizing about Entrepreneurship†, where they try to highlight that entrepreneurship is a dynamic concept, which can’t be analyzed very good, using simples models like regression. They consider that we need a model with much more variables, such as: discontinuities in entrepreneurial process, changes of state (changes of phase in organization, including start-ups), sensitivity to initial conditions and multiplicity to anterior variables.In my opinion, using mathematics or some other exact sciences offers us a less subjective approach but if the model is not complex enough, we can also miss some details that could lead us to a rung conclusion or interpretation. Conclusions After analyzing opinions from several authors of articles, who tried to understand the concept of entrepreneurship and â€Å"Who is an entrepreneur? †, we can conclude that there are many points of view in this respect and that’s why we cannot reach to a general valid and accepted definition of the concepts.Some tried to establish the differences between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs, others tried to differentiate even the entrepreneurs between them, focusing on experience, and some tried to measure the concept through statistics, all having the same aim, to understand deeper the concept. However, there will always be the need of debate because the concept itself is a subjective one. So it remains to our discretion what opinion do we agree with, or we may very well create our own concept of an entrepreneur and entrepreneurship.In my opinion, a better understanding o f the entrepreneur concept, needs a more suitable question, than â€Å"Who is an entrepreneur? †, like â€Å"What does an entrepreneur do? †. I believe that if we are able to establish his behavior, this will lead us to its characteristics, on the one side, and on the other, it could also give us a vision of his potential future behavior. After analyzing all points of view, I finally created my own concept of an entrepreneur.Therefore, first I believe that an entrepreneur should be able to create an organization, based on an original innovative idea, and sustain it. Second, he is concentrated on anticipating the need of the person on long term and finds the most efficient way of satisfying it. Third, he takes huge risks in order to fulfill its goal and he is able to adapt easy to changes. Moreover, most of all he identifies itself with the organization. Therefore, on an entrepreneur all these characteristics and behaviors complement each other.References Bhide, A. 1996 ) The question every entrepreneur must answer, Harvard Business Review, 74(6), 120-130 Bygrave, W. D. & Hofer, C. W. (1991), Theorizing about entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship Theory an Practice, 16(2), pp. 13-39 Carland, J. W. , Hoy, F. , Boulton, W. R. , & Carland, J. A. (1984). Differentiating entrepreneurs from small business owners: A conceptualization.Academy of Management Review, 9(2), 354-359 Carland, J. W. , Hoy, F. , & Carland, J. A. C. (1988): _’Who is an Entrepreneur? _Is a question worth asking’, American Journal of Small Business, 12(4): p. 3-39. Davidsson, P. (2004) What is entrepreneurship? Chapter in Researching entrepreneurship. Boston, Massachusetts: Springer. Gartner, W. (1989)

Friday, August 30, 2019

Similar Themes but Dissimilar Fate

Parallel incidents that can be found in â€Å"Pyramus and Thisbe† and Shakespeare’s â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† demonstrate Shakespeare’s adaptation of the tragic myth. The mere mention of the myth in Act 5, confirms the playwright’s attempt to imitate the theme of the story. However, in contrast to the other, â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream† being a comedy, offers a happy ending, where lovers are united and blessed by fate. The story of Pyramus and Thisbe occurs as a play within â€Å"A Midsummer Night’s Dream. † It is presented in Theseus’s wedding, supposedly to satirize the love between Lysander and Hermia. However, a twist occurs in the end, giving the play a happy ending, thus departing from the real context of the myth. Parallelism between the two can be recognized in the theme, characterization, and plot. Both use the theme of forbidden love and disobedience. The beginning of the play suggests a close thematic resemblance to the myth. Egeus, the father of Hermia, seeks Theseus’s judgment regarding his disobedient daughter. Hermia, the daughter, is arranged to marry Demetrius, but she loves another man named Lysander, who also occurs in the scene. The lovers are very much in love but Egeus refuses to have them marry because of a promise he has given Demetrius. From this, we can see parallelism in the theme of forbidden love and disobedience of children to their parents. However, the presence of Demetrius is an addition, because in the myth, there is no mention of a third party. As such, Demetrius’s character is one element that suggests Shakespeare’s intention of dissuading from the old lovers’ myth. Like Pyramus and Thisbe, Lysander and Hermia are blinded by their love. That night, they profess their love for one another. Like the lovers in the myth, they seem unable to live without each other. Therefore, they plan to elope to Lysander’s aunt’s house to get married in secrecy. In doing so, they need to trod a forest where they meet a different fate. Similarly, Pyramus and Thisbe, being forbidden to continue with their love, decide to elope the next night and see each other at a monument, where they meet a tragic ending. This event in the plot makes a good resemblance with that of the myth, where lovers decide to take full control of their fate. However, just like the old myth goes, the lovers are doomed not to have everything going according to their plans. In Act 3 of the play, we see Shakespeare’s intention to make a twisted ending with the decision Lysander makes. As Lysander and Hermia lose each other in the forest, we find another parallelism where Pyramus fails to see Thisbe in the designated place. According to the myth, Pyramus does not find Thisbe and thinks that she is slain by a lion. In thinking so, he kills himself, and when Thisbe sees him dying, she does the same. Taking resemblance to the myth, Lysander is supposed to meet his death in the forest. This should happen in the hands of Demetrius who decides to take revenge over him for losing Hermia. However, the death of Lysander that the audience expects does not happen. Instead of dying like Pyramus, Lysander confesses his change of heart to Demetrius, â€Å"Content with Hermia! No; I do repent The tedious minutes I with her have spent. Not Hermia but Helena I love: Who will not change a raven for a dove? (Act 3, Scene 2) He confesses that he has had a change of heart and does not love Hermia anymore. Instead, he loves Helena, the girl who loves Demetrius. Because of this twist, Lysander is saved from potential death. Similarities in characterization can be recognized in the two literary texts. In the myth, the characters are too overcome by love, as in the play. Specifically, we see Thisbe and Hermia with great similarity in their intentions. In her dialogue with Demetrius, Hermia shows characteristics of Thisbe of being passionate to her love and willing to die. She pleads to Demetrius, â€Å"For thou, I fear, hast given me cause to curse, If thou hast slain Lysander in his sleep, Being o'er shoes in blood, plunge in the deep, And kill me too. † (Act 3, Scene 3) This shows the discernment of Hermia to die instead of living without Lysander. Like Thisbe, Hermia feels there is no tomorrow if she will not be reunited with Lysander. More than the characterization, we see a similarity in the portrayal of women in the two plots. Both assign women martyr roles of being true to their lovers. Not only do we see Hermia deeply in love with Lysander, but Helena with Demetrius as well. As such we see that the centuries that passed between the myth foretold and the writing of the play did not effect the way women are perceived in the society. As both literary texts contain, they are pictured as martyrs who await their lovers, willing to give up their life for the sake of the other. The theme, characterization, and some parts of the plot demonstrate similarities between the two works. This only shows that the theme of forbidden love among youths is very recurrent in literature. Specifically, the theme of disobedience to one’s parents reveal imitation of the myth. In addition, the characterization which suggests the theme of loyalty despite death as seen in Hermia clearly resembles that of myth. The readiness to die just to escape suffering, and follow a lover till death are also elements taken from â€Å"Pyramus and Thisbe. † Overall, while the play shares similarities with the myth, Shakespeare’s disposition to end his play in a more romantic way provides the characters with a different fate.

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Armellini Italian Ice Cream and Coffee Chain Business Issues Essay - 9

Armellini Italian Ice Cream and Coffee Chain Business Issues - Essay Example There are several important strategic tools such as Porter’s five forces model, SWOT analysis etc. that are heavily used in the industry. Furthermore, there are various ways, developed in the past few decades, which could be used in developing business. Franchise rout of growing business is one the most widely used method of developing business. This paper is all about an ice cream and coffee chain company named Armellini Ice Cream and Coffee Chain and its strategic decision. The paper includes an in-depth analysis of the competitive forces that would have a significant influence on the process of strategic decision making. The paper also includes the implications for the management of quality for the company in adopting the franchise route of growth. Armellini Ice Cream and Coffee Chain was founded by an Italian lady named Maria Armellini during the period when the Second World War just ended. Initially, it was located in a coastal town that was near to Venice in Italy. In the first cafà © products like traditional Italian ice cream as well as espresso coffee along with cooked pies, light snacks, sandwiches, and beverages were sold. After the death of Maria, the company was taken over by Alessio, Maria’s eldest son. Under his leadership, the business grew as the chain of restaurant and cafà © outlets in all over Western Europe. In the entire process, Alessio was assisted by his siblings. Alessio used to give significant importance to various things like maintenance of the quality and cleanliness and proper record keeping. Alessio or any of the family members used to visit each of the cafà ©s at least once a month in order to see how things were going on. It was a business audit most of the time which was carried by Ales sio himself. He used to visit the outlets without any prior notice with the objective of seeing the real picture of the outlets. Furthermore, there was a monthly financial report regarding used food items, wages, labor hours etc.   

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Alcan case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Alcan - Case Study Example Moreover, the information integrators try to compete through product or service differentiation rather than cost minimization and business model optimization. Robert Ouelette, the newly appointed Corporate IT Vice President, identified that the Alcan had invested a total amount of $295 million in IT services annually. This huge amount points that the company specifically gives great emphasis on IT projects and IT innovation. Robert also says that there were three major SAP implementation projects representing a combined investment of $500 million in various sectors throughout the organization when he joined the Alcan. These facts indicate that the organization has not taken any initiative to trim down IT costs and thereby to compete on prices. However, the firm strives to obtain information necessary to improve operational efficiency. To illustrate, the company currently works on more than 1000 information systems. The company’s 80% of â€Å"total annual IT budget was spent o n outside services from consulting and outsourcing firms, as well as on equipment and software† (Dube, Bernier, and Roy). 2. The five decision areas of the Alcan are financial applications, architecture, information system solutions, infrastructure planning, and infrastructure shared services. From a thorough analysis, it seems that the organization mainly practices a decentralized IT governance model in these five key decision areas although it deploys multiple governance approaches. The case study clearly indicates that all the 14 resources of the groups responsible for the improvement and promotion of corporate applications were disparate with no centralized management control. Robert states that this group did not show any form of coordinated leadership for carrying out financial applications effectively and there were no well structured common architecture for those applications. In addition, the

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Persuasive paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Persuasive - Research Paper Example By criticizing tobacco politics and highlighting financial burden, health hazards, and its prevalence, paper tries to persuade the readers about the danger of secondhand smoke and necessity of adopting effective laws and policies to protect people from secondhand smoke. On 18 June, 2002, Lynn French, a non-smoking flight attendant who worked for TWA airlines from 1977 to 1998 when smoking was still permitted in commercial flights, was awarded astonishing compensation of 5.5 million US dollars by the Miami Jury in a historic verdict against some of the leading cigarette manufacturing companies such as, Philip Morris, Reynolds Tobacco Holdings, Brown & Williamson Tobacco unit, and British American Tobacco (A WSJ News Roundup, 2002). The case against tobacco companies was filed under the accusation that Lynn French’s nonstop work in smoky, enclosed cabins of airlines caused significant negative impact on her health, including sinus problem. Lynn suffered from serious sinus infection due to the constant exposure to secondhand smoke, requiring long-term medical treatments (A WSJ News Roundup, 2002). The Lynn’s case is just another example of numerous victims of secondhand smoke all over the world, however, majority of them are not as lucky as Lynn in getting the justice. Today, the number of active smokers is rapidly increasing in the world. Consequently, at the same time, a large number of non-smoking populations, including children, has been exposed to secondhand smoke. Various researches and scientific studies have regularly highlighted serious negative effects of secondhand smoke on the physical and psychological health, yet the issue of secondhand smoking is widely neglected. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize on the severe negative effects of secondhand smoking and necessity of implementing effective measures against it. Before revealing health hazards of

Monday, August 26, 2019

International Business Law Coursework Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Business Law Coursework - Essay Example In the current scenario, we are told that the agreed shipping documents were tendered, which would indicate a prima facie obligation of Sweet plc to make payment in respect of the August consignment. The contract between Sweet plc and the Seller is an international sale of goods contract and we are not told which law is applicable. Although the UK is not currently a signatory to the Vienna Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG), Poland is a signatory4 and as the seller is based in Poland, the parties may have adopted the CISG by agreement. However, this analysis will advise on the basis of English law being applicable, with comparisons with the CISG position where relevant. The fundamental feature of a CIF contract is that once a seller has shipped the goods, they have â€Å"performed† the contract by tendering conforming documents to the buyer5. Indeed, it was described in the case of Hindley v E India Produce Co. Limited6 as â€Å"a contract for sale of the goods performed by delivery of documents†7. As such, the CIF contract imposes duality of obligations on the seller to deliver the goods and deliver the documents. The documentary obligations require the seller to procure and submit to the buyer the exact documents stipulated in the contract8. Furthermore, in the case of The Julia9, Lord Porter asserted that in the absence of a provision in the contract to the contrary, the documents provided should include a bill of lading, an insurance policy and an invoice. Under English law, a CIF contract entitles buyers to reject a tender of shipping documents on grounds of the document being â€Å"defective† or alternatively, where they are tendered late10. With regard to the current scenario, the documents were not tendered late. With regard to the definition of â€Å"defective†, various scenarios have addressed this, including a non-genuine bill of lading11, a bill of lading failing to provide

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Third Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Third Journal - Essay Example beginning to end; rather it involves several core procedures that must be monitored and engaged with in order for an effective result to be effected. For instance, we learned that initiation, planning, monitoring and controlling and closing were all core processes that were involved in effective project management. Interestingly, we also learned that effective project management could not defined by the nuts and bolts of leadership or management; instead, the PowerPoint slides revealed the need to step away from the daily grind of ceaseless meeting notes, appointments, and email; as a function of stepping back and seeing the big picture of what is being worked on and how the best result could be achieved. Likewise, a similar learning contributor that took place during this section of the course is with regard to the benefit of learning project management in the hands on application of project management that was presented within the assignment. Ultimately, the students were able to e ffectively engage project management in terms of the way in which workflow should be defined and which tasks should be given priority first. Another essential elements of the understanding that was created was with respect to the fact that not only with the project manager need the input and agreement of stakeholders beneath him/her, he/she would also need the engagement, resources, and understanding of executive above him/her. With this in mind, the project manager is not being in determinant of any project. Instead, he/she is ultimately responsible for reporting the project and gaining further traction on it based upon the input of higher executives. Finally, the information that was presented within this particular unit was contingent upon â€Å"bringing it all together†. Within such an understanding, useful resources with respect to project management were delivered and the student was able to have a broad overview of the way in which different determinants that have been

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Legal Structures of British Government Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Structures of British Government - Essay Example The overall law making authority is really diverse in the UK with no single authority has the power to make the laws in the country. Once the bill is approved by the Parliament i.e. the House of Lords, it is then sent to the Queen for Royal Assent and once it is signed by Queen, it becomes law. As such the overall law making authority in the UK rests with the Parliament, however, the overall law making also requires the approval of Queen to make them into a law. The Role of Queen, however, is considered as nominal as the final law making authority is Parliament. The Prime Minister of the country is considered as the Head of Her Majesty’s Government and the PM, along with the cabinet is accountable to the Monarch, to the Parliament, to their political party and ultimately to the public. It is also important to note that the position of PM in the country is not established under constitutional law in the country but it is created under the long established conventions in the cou ntry. Under the convention, it is held that the Monarch must appoint a Prime Minister in the country who can gain the confidence of the Parliament. It is also critical to note that the position of Prime Minister was not actually created under the law but evolved over the period of centuries. Prime Minister has both the legislative as well as executive powers and role and in the House of Commons, he has the mandate to make laws with the overall goal of enacting the legislative agenda of the political party to which he or she belongs to.

Friday, August 23, 2019

Conference Diplomacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Conference Diplomacy - Essay Example In layman's term, diplomacy can be defined as the friendly way of kissing and making up whenever two countries have disputes in order to avoid the perils of war. The following paragraphs explains the nuances of conference diplomacy and its relations to negotiators' values or perceptions (Hughes,2002 : p.173) Conference diplomacy is a necessary action for international peace to prosper(Richardson, 1995: p. 205). War lives in the hearts of traditional paradigms. No one can forget the horrors of Hitler's German Army that had murdered many Jews in its concentration camp(Kaplan, 1998: p. 145). No one can also forget the long Great Britain war against the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte of France. Had Diplomacy been used, there would have been peace pervading the air in these European Countries. Many well known figures were recognized for their diplomacy to use peace actions in the pursuit of their individual and community goals while others specifically wage war to impose their beliefs and traditions. Some of these peace diplomats are the charismatic and personalities like Gautam Buddha, Jesus Christ and Mahatma Gandhi. All these three renounced the use of war or force and instead preached that diplomacy was the best way to win an argument or misunderstanding. Also, the North Korean - United States nuclear diplomatic talks prove that conference diplomacy may facilitate negotiation for it did not change negotiators' values or perceptions. North Korea used its nuclear reactor facilities in Yongbyon as one of its ace cards to force the United States to provide security assurances and political and economic ties to North Korea. But for three years, the U.S. did now WANT to engage itself in an on-going diplomatic give and take with North Korea. The U.S. wanted North Korea to comply with It first insisted I.A.E.A conditions as before talks could begin. During the U.S. -North Korea Talks, the U.S. did not want to state what it would give in return for North Korea's dismantling its nuclear weapons. Furthermore, when the U.S. and North Korea talks concluded with conditions imposed on the U.S. and North Korea, the U.S. did not comply with their diplomatic agreements. The U.S. stated that its compliance was dependent on other nations to fulfill them . Furthermore, North Korea's volatile and ever- changing government leadership was one of the causes of their failed diplomatic agreements. To help, Seoul, South Korea supplied the lubricant needed to keep the U.S. North Korea nuclear talks open(Sigal, 1998: p.168).Furthermore, many diplomacy- inclined persons think that with a world that cannot be changed, many reasonable persons adapt and accommodate these unavoidable changes(Watson, 1991: p. 40). These people decided to group together in diplomacy to make peace a reality. After many years of war against each other such as World War I and World War II. The first steering committee met to agree on a global action to prevent war, This is an international coalition to abolish armed conflict and genocide. They predicted that diplomacy among nations can result to gradual dismantling of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction. Their diplomacy centers on removing all capacity to attack another country(De-Magalhes, 1988, p. 101). In fact, global

The Impact of Just-in-Time Production Practices Essay - 5

The Impact of Just-in-Time Production Practices - Essay Example In the contemporary environment of highly competitive business, innovative managerial practices become critical for increasing profitability without major capital investment. The paper would, therefore, focus on how the improvements in product flow and product quality would impact on firms’ sales and profit. Productive flow broadly defines the streamlined process of manufacturing goods and services that have minimal defects. Thus quality products are important product outcomes of product flow within a manufacturing unit that greatly facilitate in meeting the demands of the customers. The streamlining of the various interactive processes becomes intrinsic to the quality control mechanisms that significantly help lower the overall cost of production. In the contemporary times of cutting-edge competition, Juran (2000) asserts ‘all quality improvement occurs on a project-by-project basis and in no other way’. This is the foundation of quality assurance techniques and application which the organizations follow in order to meet the challenges of the time and maintain or increase their profit and sales. Byrnes (2003) asserts that product flow management is a powerful ‘profit lever that can increase earnings while raising customer service levels’. Thus, the organizations continuously make effort to identify factors and issues that would help produce the desired outcome with efficiency and unmatched proficiency. The various processes that can reduce time span and efficiently deliver results are adopted to increase profits through quality products that corroborate with the changing customers’ requirements. Small and big organizations like General Motors, Samsung, Sony, Ford etc. have all redefined their strategic goals to meet the changing equation of global business that primarily focuses on customers’ preferences and their satisfaction.

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Third Reich Essay Example for Free

Third Reich Essay The Nazi rise to power brought an end to the Weimar Republic, a parliamentary democracy established in Germany after World War I. Following the appointment of Adolf Hitler as chancellor on January 30, 1933, the Nazi state (also referred to as the Third Reich) quickly became a regime in which Germans enjoyed no guaranteed basic rights. After a suspicious fire in the Reichstag (the German Parliament), on February 28, 1933, the government issued a decree which suspended constitutional civil rights and created a state of emergency in which official decrees could be enacted without parliamentary confirmation. In the first months of Hitlers chancellorship, the Nazis instituted a policy of coordinationthe alignment of individuals and institutions with Nazi goals. Culture, the economy, education, and law all came under Nazi control. The Nazi regime also attempted to coordinate the German churches and, although not entirely successful, won support from a majority of Catholic and Protestant clergymen. Extensive propaganda was used to spread the regimes goals and ideals. Upon the death of German president Paul von Hindenburg in August 1934, Hitler assumed the powers of the presidency. The army swore an oath of personal loyalty to him. Hitlers dictatorship rested on his position as Reich President (head of state), Reich Chancellor (head of government), and Fuehrer (head of the Nazi party). According to the Fuehrer principle, Hitler stood outside the legal state and determined matters of policy himself. Hitler had the final say in both domestic legislation and German foreign policy. Nazi foreign policy was guided by the racist belief that Germany was biologically destined to expand eastward by military force and that an enlarged, racially superior German population should establish permanent rule in eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. Here, women played a vital role. The Third Reichs aggressive population policy encouraged racially pure women to bear as many Aryan children as possible. Within this framework, racially inferior peoples, such as Jews and Gypsies, would be eliminated from the region. Nazi foreign policy aimed from the beginning to wage a war of annihilation against the Soviet Union, and the peacetime years of the Nazi regime were spent preparing the German people for war. In the context of this ideological war, the Nazis planned and implemented the Holocaust, the mass murder of the Jews, who were considered the primary racial enemy. Open criticism of the regime was suppressed by the Gestapo (secret state police) and the Security Service (SD) of the Nazi party, but Hitlers government was popular with most Germans. There was, however, some German opposition to the Nazi state, ranging from nonconformity to the attempt to kill Hitler on July 20, 1944. The Allies defeated Nazi Germany and forced a German surrender on May 8, 1945. Further Reading Burleigh, Michael. The Third Reich: A New History. New York: Hill and Wang, 2000.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Academic Patient Communication for Nursing Students

Academic Patient Communication for Nursing Students The Patient Care (Feel-Link) Project (PCP(FL)) is to help students to develop a patient-centered approach to the practice of medicine. To achieve this, I and a medical student, Nicole need to follow and interview a patient in an effort to discover the patient lived experience regarding issues of health and illness. In this essay, the first PCP(FL) visit, my thoughts and feelings will be described and evaluated based on evidence from the literature sources. Griffiths and Crookes (2006, p.186) suggest that multidisciplinary teams are needed in the health care system to provide holistic care to patients with optimal use of existing resources, and limited cost. This project is the first step in enhancing interdisciplinary co-operation and understanding between nursing and medical students. Both I and Nicole are required to fill in a problem-oriented patient record (POPR) after each visit. We have to co-operate with each other to recruit and interview one patient with the help of nurse specialist (diabetes), Ms. Shimen Au at the Ruttonjee and Tang Shiu Kin Hospitals. The patient that we had recruited called Mrs. Leung who is a 52-year-old housewife. She is currently married and lives with her husband. Her husband was unemployed and they had financial support offered from the government. She was suffered from diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and rheumatoid arthritis about ten years ago and first diagnosed to have bipolar affective disorder at age of 22. After we had explained the aims of this project to Mrs. Leung, she signed two identical consent forms, one copy to be kept by the patient whilst the other to be returned to the tutor. Then, Nicole asked some basic demographic data based on the personal particular form. Mrs. Leung answered one by one accordingly. The POPR also requires us to gather very specific information, such as the past medical history and family backgrounds. When I had asked Mrs. Leung whether she had any children, suddenly the atmosphere in the room became silence. Mrs. Leung was not saying anything for a few seconds, and then she stated she did not have any children. I felt surprised that a married woman at her age should have more than one child already. She explained that doctors had recommended her not to be pregnant in the past. So she was currently living with her husband only but she claimed that the relationship between she and her husband was poor. She had a conflict with her husband just before taking taxi to the hospital. She honestly knew that the reasons why her husband always grumbled about her because of her laziness to cook and buy the necessities. There were quarrels with her husband almost every day. She felt guilty about it. I thought this might be caused by her mental illness and chronic diseases. According to Friedman (2002, p.193), social isolation is a major problem that chronically ill patients experience. Social relationships are often disrupted and jeopardized because of the patientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s decreased energy, limitations in mobility, communication impairment, or time required for symptom control. Mrs. Leung usually slept for 13-14 hours per day but she graded the quality of sleep was poor. Even she rated her current level of health as very poor. She described her mobility in daily life had been affected by rheumatoid arthritis causing the swelling the knee joints and interphalangeal joints of hands. Therefore she never did any exercise. I was worried that she would become obese and thus increase the risks of falling and having cardiovascular diseases. I felt regret I had not encouraged Mrs. Leung to do some simple exercise regularly so as to keeping active and not staying in bed for all days. I needed to find some suitable exercise for her and advise her to do exercise in the next visit. Friedman (2002) points out à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“illness is especially likely to be subject to the influence of other people since it usually has important implications for a personà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s friends and associatesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (p.64); Mrs. Leung was concerned that her first love with a Japanese man at the tender age of 19. She was still thinking about him and she had tried to commit suicide in the past. When her husband heard about she was talking about that Japanese man, they would have quarrels for a long period of time. The negative emotions could really influence people around the patient. I was speechless at that time and I could only say to Mrs. Leung that her husband was care about her and tell her not to think about the past anymore. I thought I would perform better in the next visit as I had known some basic information of Mrs. Leung already. In conclusion, I think it is right that a nurse must be able to express opinions clearly and confidently. Good communication skills are essential for nurses, and are important in nearly all aspects of medicine. I feel that I will be more confident in dealing with patients and more effective in taking a patient medical history, for example. Developing greater confidence in how I communicate can lead to patients having greater trust in me as their nurse. Improving my skills in this area will also make me more effective in discussing cases with colleagues, and in participating in teams when necessary. This visit made me realized that I can talk confidently once I overcome my initial fears. It demonstrated to me that in order to make progress or create positive change you must first acknowledge that a problem exists. This is a lesson which may be useful in better understanding patient behaviour and attitudes. Often the first step to improving a situation, or dealing with a problem, is accepting that some change is necessary; and I might be more able to impart this information to patients having experienced this visit. Overall, this visit has had a positive impact on both my studies and on the development of skills needed in my future career. (Word count: 988words)

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Conflict In Horn Of Africa Causes And Solutions History Essay

Conflict In Horn Of Africa Causes And Solutions History Essay The conflict in horn of Africa has been going on for centuries. Many people lost their lives due to the unsolved territorial problems between Ethiopia and Somalia and between Ethiopia and Eretria. As we know those countries engaged in a fierce war with each other for quit long period of time which prompted a lot of suffering among the populations of those countries. One might be asking what the cause of this conflict is and why it is so difficult to solve the disputes in a peaceful means and manner. I shall discuss and answer such questions concerning these issues in the following chapters, and I shall write about the root causes of the conflict both historically and politically. In this assignment I will concentrate merely on two countries and they are Somalia and Ethiopia. .Reason for the selection of the topic The main reason which I chose this topic is to illuminate the issue of horn of Africa (Somalia and Ethiopia), in terms of political and social problems caused by a bitter and prolonged war which, the international media, rarely cover its root causes and eventually Ill suggest some ideas which might be important if it is to solve the problem between the countries for good. Problem: What is the reason that the countries in horn of Africa (Ethiopia and Somalia) engaged a fierce war with each other? 2.0. A short background of Somalia Somalia locates in horn of Africa and many Somali people are nomads who move from place to another to get a green pasture for their animals. Somalis are homogeneous people who share same language, culture and religion Somalia. As it is the case in many African countries, Somalia is colonized by British in North Somalia and Italia in south, better known as British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland and French Somaliland (modern Djibouti). The colonizers not only divided Somalia but also annexed western part of Somalia territory (known as Ogaden) to Ethiopia while they gave south western part of Somalia territory (known as NFD) to Kenya. This divide and rule approach caused tremendous war and conflict among the neighboring nations for many years. The war in 1960,s and 1970,s between the two countries attracted the attention of the world Britain withdrew from British Somaliland in 1960 to allow its protectorate to join with Italian Somaliland and form the new state of Somalia. In 1969, a coup headed by Mohamed SIAD Barre led an authoritarian socialist rule that managed to impose a degree of stability in the country for a couple of decades. One of the main successes achieved by Siad Barre in his term was the orthography or writing of Somali language for the first in Somalia history. After the regimes collapse early in 1991, Somalia descended into chaos and factional fighting, and turmoil. In May 1991, northern clans declared an independent Republic of Somaliland that now includes the administrative regions of Awdal, Waqooyi Galbeed, Togdheer, Sanaag, and Sool. Although not recognized by the international, this region has maintained a quit stability in comparison with the south of the country and continues efforts to get recognition by establishing a constitutional democracy, including holding municipal, parliamentary, and presidential elections. 2.1. Short background of Ethiopia Ethiopia is in east-central Africa, bordered on the west by the Sudan, the east by Somalia and Djibouti, the south by Kenya, and the northeast by Eritrea. The Blue Nile rises in the northwest and flows in a great semicircle before entering the Sudan. Its chief reservoir, Lake Tana, lies in the northwest. Fascist Italy invaded Ethiopia on Oct. 3, 1935, forcing Haile Selassie into exile in May 1936. Ethiopia was annexed to Eritrea, then an Italian colony, and to Italian Somaliland, forming Italian East Africa. In 1941, British troops routed the Italians, and Haile Selassie returned to Addis Ababa. In 1952, Eritrea was incorporated into Ethiopia. On Sept. 12, 1974, Haile Selassie was deposed, the constitution suspended, and Ethiopia proclaimed a Socialist state under a collective military dictatorship called the Provisional Military Administrative Council (PMAC), also known as the Derg. U.S. aid stopped, and Cuban and Soviet aid began. Lt. Col. Mengistu Haile Mariam became head of state in 1977. During this period Ethiopia fought against Eritreans secessionists as well as Somali army. A group called the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front seized the capital in 1991, and in May a separatist guerrilla organization, the Eritrean Peoples Liberation Front, took control of the province of Eritrea. The two groups agreed that Eritrea would have an internationally supervised referendum on independence. This election took place in April 1993 with almost unanimous support for Eritrean independence. Ethiopia accepted and recognized Eritrea as an independent state within a few days. The different nationalities in Ethiopia and how they can co-exist without a conflict was always the issue. The question of nationalities in Ethiopia has been the most contentious issue since Ethiopia took its current shape between the late 1880s and the early 1900s. The northern part of the present day Ethiopia, inhabited by the majority Abyssinians and the minority Kushitic Agews existed for over 2 Millennia in the name of the Abyssinian Kingdom with remarkable civilizations such as A xum, Lalibela and Gonder. However, Ethiopia as we know it today is the result of the internal expansion by King Minelik II of Shoa during the late 1880s until the early 1900s. The majority (70%) of the current Ethiopian population, which lives in the southern, western and eastern regions of the country became part of the present day Ethiopia only during this period of internal expansion. The majority Kushitic peoples such as Sidama, Oromo, Afar, Ogaden, etc and the Omotic peoples such as Wolayita, Gamo, Gofa, Dawuro, Konta, etc and the Nilotic peoples living in the border between Ethiopia and the Sudan all became part of the present day Ethiopia between the 1880s and early 1900s. Historical evidences suggest that the rivalry between the two colonial powers, Britain and France in the horn of Africa, during the Scramble (competition) for Africa, facilitated the rapid Abyssinian expansion towards the south, the east and the west during this period. The two colonial powers provided King Minelik II ample rifles and other war materials that other ethnic groups living in the interior lacked. Therefore the King was able to easily subdue these hitherto independent African Kushitic, Omotic and Nilotic states with in a relatively short period of time. Although these peoples were annexed over a century ago, due to lack of sustainable economic development and industrialization as well as limited urbanization, 85 % of them still live off subsistence agriculture in rural areas. The peoples of the South, the East and the West have therefore fully preserved their unique cultures, languages, histories and economic systems until today. Due to the failure of nation building arising primarily from failed economic development and successive dictatorial political systems, the country remained an amalgamation of nations and nationalities who constantly resented being part of a failed state. It is based on this reality that Ethiopians from the South, the East and the West often voice concerns about the issues of nations and nationalities in the past and current Ethiopian politics. This is often misunderstood by their Abyssinian compatriots who unwittingly or intentionally refuse to accept the diversity of the country. The new government (1991) declared the following declaration: Given the Ethiopias existing situation, the problem of nationalities can be resolved if each nationality is accorded full right to self-governance. This means that each nationality will have regional autonomy to decide on matters concerning its internal affairs. Within its environs, it has the right to determine the contents of its political, economic and social life, use its own language and elect its own leaders and administrators to head its internal organs (Leenco Latta 1999:201) Many Ethiopians argue that over mentioned declaration has never been implemented as it is and the current government continues to massacre all its opponents and civilians. 2.2. Historic enmity between Somalia and Ethiopia The historic enmity between the two countries dates back when Imam Ahmed Ibn Ibrahim better known as Ahmed Gurey/gragn who was ethnic Somali general who conquered Abyssinia (Ethiopia) in 16th century. By the summer at 1532 the Imams well armed troops had overrun almost all Ethiopia,s eastern and southern provinces, among them Dawaro, Bali, Hadeya, Ganz, waj, Fatager and Ifat. (Richard Pankhurst 2001:87) The Ethiopians were forced to ask for help from the Portuguese, who landed at the port of Massawa on February 10, 1541 in the reign of the emperor Gelawdewos . This force was led by Christopher da Gama, and included 400 musketeers and a number of artisans and other non-combatants. In response, Ahmad received 900 well-armed men from the Ottomans in Yemen to assist him. While the Portuguese expedition were victorious in most of their engagements with Ahmads forces, da Gama allowed himself to be trapped by Ahmad somewhere north of the Tekezà © River, where he was killed along with all but 140 of his troops. The survivors and Galawedos were able to join forces, and drawing on the Portuguese supplies, they attacked Ahmad on February 21, 1543 in the Battle of Wayna Daga , where their 9,000 troops managed to defeat the 15,000 soldiers under Ahmad. Ahmad was killed by a Portuguese musketeer, who was mortally wounded in avenging da Gamas death. That episode was described in the book The Ethiopians News of the coming of the Portuguese, and of their powerful military equipment, spread rapidly through northern Ethiopia. Many soldiers who sided with the Imam now abandoned him, and flocked to Lebna Dengels widow empress Sebla Wangel. Dom Christovao and his companions were able to cross the greater part of Tegray, and joined up with the Empress, and with Bahr Nagash Yeshaq, the ruler of the coastal province, without encountering any opposition. They then proceeded westwards to Dambeya, north of Lake Tana, where the confronted the Imam, who in April 1542 for first time in his career encountered an enemy well equipped with cannons. Wounded in battle he was obliged to retreat, but managed to send an urgent appeal to zebid, and promised, in return for renewed Turkish aid, to become a vassal of the Ottoman emperor, Suleiman II. The Turks responded by immediately providing him with ten fields-guns and 700 well-armed soldiers. Thus greatly strengthened he succeeded in defeating the Portugu ese in August, when Dom Christovao was captured and beheaded. (Richard Pankhurst 2001:92) In Ethiopia the damage which [Ahmad] Gragn did has never been forgotten, wrote Paul B. Henze. Every Christian highlander still hears tales of Gragn in his childhood. Haile Selassie referred to him in his memoirs 2.3. Ogaden history The Ogaden is contentious territory between Ethiopia and Somalia and it is inhabited by ethnic Somalis. The occupied/annexed Somali territory inside Ethiopia lies between Oromia (Ethiopian region inhibited by Ethnic Oromo) to the West, Afar land to the Northwest, the Republic of Djibouti to the north, and Kenya to the south and The Somali Republic to the east. Somali agro-pastorals people with a single language, culture, and socio-economic structure inhabit the Ogaden territory. As a fact in many other African countries, the European imperial powers demarcated borders between Somalia and Ethiopia and the border between Somalia and Kenya without taking the political and social divisions into consideration. Imperial partition scattered the Somali people, for example, among five sovereign states. Fellow Somalis were now to be found in British Somaliland, Italian Somaliland, French Somaliland, Ethiopia and Kenya. (Alex Thomson, 2000: 13) The Ogaden Somali people were free and independent until colonial powers from overseas came to Africa and started arming the Abyssinian chiefs in the north of present day Ethiopia. The Abyssinians using the arms and expertise provided by the colonialists captured Harar in 1884 and started raiding Ogaden Somali villages in that area, killing civilians. The Ogaden Somalis resisted vehemently the encroachment of the Abyssinian expansionists and succeeded in halting their advance. Even though the Abyssinian military campaign to conquer the rest of the Somali territory failed, the colonial powers recognized its claim over the Ogaden Somaliland and signed treaties with them. In 1935, Italy invaded Abyssinia (Todays Ethiopia) and captured it along with the Ogaden and the territories of other nations in the area. Then the British defeated Italy in the Horn of Africa in 1941, and it administered the Ogaden for eight years until it transferred the first part of the Ogaden (Jigjiga area) to Ethiopia (the Abyssinians) for the first time. The next parts were transferred in 1954 and 1956. Thus, Ethiopia gained the control over the Ogaden without the knowledge or consent of the Ogaden Somalis. From that time onward, successive Ethiopian regimes mercilessly suppressed the Ogaden people and whenever the liberation movements seriously weakened and threatened Ethiopian colonialism, a foreign power directly intervened to re-establish its colonial rule over the Ogaden. Ethiopia since the beginning of this century and up to now has been characterized by one nation using the powers of state to subjugate and exploit all the other nations within that artificial system. For almost one century, the Abyssinians are abusing the concept of sovereignty and statehood to deprive the rights of other people living under the rule of the artificial state of Ethiopia. The historical reality of the process that resulted in its creation also continued to influence the Ethiopian governments interaction with and perception by these peoples. Ethiopian Governments, past and present, are perceived as alien by these people.(Leenco Lata, 1999: 41) It is historically clear that those suppressed nations inside Ethiopia among them Somalis (Ogaden) have always been struggling to be independent from Ethiopia one day. Ethiopia is a state founded on colonial doctrine and bases its rule on the use of force and emergency measures for oppressing the majority of the people and exploiting them. Ethiopia claims that African borders inherited from colonialism should be left intact and it inherited the Ogaden territory from the colonial powers. At the same time, Ethiopia is boasting to be the only African state that was never colonized. This means that Ethiopia has been a participating partner with the colonial powers that divided Africa among themselves but has never relinquished its colonial possessions. To maintain such a colonial state, the rulers had to build a massive military machine and embark on forcefully maintaining one of the most vicious authoritarian rules in the third world. The resultant resistance from the people and the inevitable taxing of material and moral resources of the oppressing elite became Ethiopia Achilles hill and brought about the downfall of its successive regimes. The relentless resistance of the colonized nations and the consequential resource drainage brought down both the rules of Haille Sellassie and the military Junta of Mengistu. The war between Somalia and Ethiopia over Ogaden region in 1964 on the one hand publicized the conflict and brought that cause to the regional and international arenas (Mohamed Abdi, 2007:60) 2.4. Ogaden war 1977 1980 In 1960 northern Somalia got independence from Britain and joined with southern Somalia to form the new state of Somalia. Successive Somali governments objected to the demarcation of the 1,000-mile border with Ethiopia, which was drawn by colonial powers. In 1964, the two countries fought a war over the Ogaden region of eastern Ethiopia, which is home to mainly ethnic Somalis. In 1977 a big war again erupted between Ethiopia and Somalia over Ogaden Territory. By the beginning of the war, the Somali National Army (SNA) was only 35,000-men strong and was vastly outnumbered by the Ethiopian army. However, throughout the 1970s, Somalia was receiving large amounts of Soviet military aid. The SNA had three times the tank force of Ethiopia, as well as a larger air force. By the summer 0f 1977 the Somali victory on the ground was unquestionable, but at the same time the Ethiopian were making headway on the diplomatic front (Mohamed Abdi, 2007:89) 2.5. Soviet and Egyptian role In addition to previous Russian fund and arms support to Somalia, Egypt sent millions of dollars in arms to Somalia, established military training and sent experts to Somalia due to Egypts longstanding policy of securing the Nile River flow by destabilizing Ethiopia. Even as Somalia gained military strength, Ethiopia grew weaker. In September 1974, Emperor Haile Selassie had been overthrown by the Derg.The Derg military dictatorship that came to power in Ethiopia following the ousting of Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. (The military council), marking a period of turmoil. The Derg quickly fell into internal conflict to determine who would have primacy. Meanwhile, various anti-Derg as well as separatist movements began throughout the country. The regional balance of power now favored Somalia. One of the separatist groups seeking to take advantage of the chaos was the pro-Somalia Western Somali Liberation Front Western Somali Liberation Front (WSLf). The Western Somali Liberation Front was a separatist rebel group fighting in eastern Ethiopia to create an independent state. It played a major role in the Ogaden War of 1977-78 assisting the invading Somali Army. (WSLF) operating in the Somali-inhabited Ogaden area, which by late 1975 had struck numerous government outposts. From 1976 to 1977, Somalia supplied arms and other aid to the WSLF. 2.6. Ethiopia and soviet relationship Mengistu Haile Mariam was the most prominent officer of the Derg, the military junta that governed Ethiopia from 1974 to 1987, and the President of the Peoples Democratic Republic of Ethiopia from 1987 to 1991 as head of state on 11 February, 1977. However, the country remained in chaos as the military attempted to suppress its civilian opponents. Despite the violence, the Soviet Union, which had been closely observing developments, came to believe that Ethiopia was developing into a genuine Marxist-Leninist state and that it was in Soviet interests to aid the new regime. They thus secretly approached Mengistu with offers of aid that he accepted. Ethiopia closed the U.S. military mission and the communications center in April 1977. In June 1977, Mengistu accused Somalia of infiltrating SNA soldiers into the Somali area to fight alongside the WSLF. Despite considerable evidence to the contrary, Barre insisted that no such thing was occurring, but that SNA volunteers were being allowed to help the WSLF. Somalia decided to make a decisive move and invaded the Ogaden in 13 July 1977. Jijiga is a city in eastern Ethiopia and the capital of the Somali Region of that country and locates in the Jijiga Zone approximately 80 km east of Harar and 60 km west of the border with the Republic of Somalia; this city has been inflicted heavy casualties on assaulting forces. The Ethiopian Air Force is the air arm of the Military of Ethiopia and is tasked with protecting the air space, providing support to the ground forces as well as assisting during national emergencies. Air superiority is the dominance in the air power of one sides air forces over the other sides during a military campaign. It is defined in the NATO Glossary as That degree of dominance in the air battle of one force over another that permits the conduct of operations by the former and its related land, sea, and air forces at a given time The USSR, finding itself supplying both sides of a war, attempted to mediate a ceasefire. When their efforts failed, the Soviets abandoned Somalia. All aid to Siad Barres regime was halted, while arms shipments to Ethiopia were increased. Plus Soviet advisors flooded into the country along with around 15,000 from Cuba. The greatest single victory of the SNA-WSLF was a second assault on Jijiga in mid-September, in which the demoralized Ethiopian troops withdrew from the town. The local defenders were no match for the assaulting Somalis and the Ethiopian military was forced to withdraw past the strategic strongpoint of the Marda Pass, halfway between Jijiga and Harar. By September Ethiopia was forced to admit that it controlled only about 10% of the Ogaden and that the Ethiopian defenders had been pushed back into the non-Somali areas of Harerge, Bale, and Sidamo Province However, the Somalis were unable to press their advantage because of the high level of attrition among its tank battalions, constant Ethiopian air attacks on their supply lines, and the onset of the rainy season, which made the dirt roads unusable. During that time, the Ethiopian government managed to raise a giant militia force in its 100,000s and integrated it into the regular fighting force. Also, since the Ethiopian army was a client of U.S weapons, hasty acclimatization to the new Warsaw-pact bloc weaponry took place. From October 1977 until January 1978, the SNA-WSLF forces attempted to capture Harar, where 40,000 Ethiopians backed by Soviet-supplied artillery. Artillery is a military Combat Arms which employs any apparatus, machine, an assortment of tools or instruments, a system or systems used as weapons for the discharge of large projectiles in combat as a major contribution of fire power within the overall military capability of an armed force And Armored fighting vehicle The Ethiopians had regrouped with 1500 Soviet advisors and 11,000 Cuban soldiers. Though it reached the city outskirts by November, the Somali force was too exhausted to take the city and was eventually forced to retreat outside and await an Ethiopian counterattack. The expected Ethiopian-Cuban attack occurred in early February. However, it was accompanied by a second attack that the Somalis were not expecting. A column of Ethiopian and Cuban troops crossed northeast into the highlands between Jijiga and the border with Somalia, bypassing the SNA-WSLF force defending the Marda Pass. The attackers were thus able to assault from two directions in a pincer action, allowing the re-capturing of Jijiga in only two days while killing 3,000 defenders. The Somali defense collapsed and every major Ethiopian town was recaptured in the following weeks. Recognizing that his position was untenable, Siad Barre ordered the SNA to retreat back into Somalia on 9 March 1978. The last significant Somali unit left Ethiopia on 15 March 1978, marking the end of the war. 3.0. Somali state collapse and shift of balance of power in horn of Africa Already in 1980s many rebels supported by Ethiopian government were aiming to oust the former president of Somalia Mohamed said Barre. By the end of the 1980s, armed opposition to Barres government, fully operational in the northern regions, had spread to the central and southern regions. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis fled their homes, claiming refugee status in neighboring Ethiopia, Djibouti and Kenya. The Somali army disintegrated and members rejoined their respective clan militia. Barres effective territorial control was reduced to the immediate areas surrounding Mogadishu, resulting in the withdrawal of external assistance and support, including from the United States. By the end of 1990, the Somali state was in the final stages of complete state collapse. In the first week of December 1990, Barre declared a state of emergency as USC forces advanced toward Mogadishu. In January 1991, armed opposition factions removed Barre out of power, resulting in the complete collapse of th e central government. State collapse in Somalia had become a fact of life in the region. Ethiopia and Somalia both saw the end of dictatorial rule in 1991. But whereas Ethiopia had picked itself up and reconfigured its political landscape, Somalias clan based political dynamics had consistently worked against the re-establishment of a central government. Somalia was fragmented, but by the late 1990s some of its fragments, Notably Somaliland and Punt land in the northwest and northeast of the country respectively, had established their own administrations that fulfilled most of the functions of government As one can imagine the losses and repercussions of the civil war was almost irretrievable. The human cost was terrible. Thousands of civilians were killed and wounded, and at least half a million fled their homes seeking across the border in Ethiopia and in the republic of Djibouti. Thousands of refugees eventually found refuge in Canada, Britain, Scandinavia, Italy and the USA (Ioan Lewis, 2008:71). 3.1. The rise of warlords and the rise of ICU and Ethiopian intervention with economical support from USA With the collapse of the state in January 1991, Somalia became the first country in modern history to become stateless. Consequently, lawlessness became rampant in the country and criminal militias and gangs terrorized the population. A little over a year after the Somali state collapsed, violent confrontations developed between two competing factions in Mogadishu which finally led to one of them using food as a weapon against vulnerable population in southwestern region of the country in Baidoa. Farmers in the region were unable to cultivate their fields due to the fear caused by gangs and with warlords blocking food shipments to the region thousands of people began to slowly waste away. By the time the news media took note of the problem an awful famine was in full swing and tens of thousands of people were deliberately condemned to death through starvation. The United Nations which had a small contingent of peace-keepers was unable to clear bandits off the roads in order to delive r food aid to those who need it. Life conditions became so bad that the first President Bush was moved to act and ordered thousands of American troops to enter Somalia in order to open the roads so emergency food aid can urgently get through to the people. The troops were able to accomplish this task with relative ease and as a result tens of thousands of lives were saved. By contrast, rebuilding Somalias government from scratch was more difficult, even under the best of circumstances, but the US/UN force had ill-defined mandate and got bad advice regarding the causes of Somalias disintegration. American/UN agenda of rebuilding the government was incoherent and led to a failure in which 18 American soldiers were killed by the militias of one of the warlords of Mogadishu. By then a new American President, Clinton, was so shaken by this singular event that he decided to evacuate US forces from Somalia. Other nations who had contributed troops to the campaign and the UN followed and So malia was left to the warlords. The terror of Warlords became the order of the day since 1995 and several attempts to form a national government failed. A most promising effort in this regard was in the neighboring state of Djibouti where representatives of nearly all Somali civil society groups were invited in 1999 excluding warlords. The conference successfully led to the establishment of a Transitional National Government (TNG). However, the Ethiopian government which had supported many of the warlords, particularly Mr. Abdullahi Yusuf, and supplied them with weapons over the years was not happy about the prospect of a civic administration and worked against it from the start. The combination of Ethiopian sabotage and Somali leaders incompetence destroyed this precious chance. At one point the Ethiopian Foreign Minister told the TNGs Foreign Affair chief that Ethiopia will be able to support the Somali government on the condition that their ally, Mr. Yusuf, was appointed as prime minister. The Ethiopian minister was not pleased when he was told that the responsibility to appoint and confirm the PM rested with the president and parliament. In the meantime, Ethiopia used its diplomatic influence in Africa and elsewhere to call for yet another Somali reconciliation conference with the pretext of forming an inclusive government while it continued to supply the warlords with weapons. The proposal was accepted by the Intergovernmental Agency on development (IGAD) and there started another reconciliation process in which the mediators (Kenya and Ethiopia) openly favored and supported the warlords. After two years of negotiations the conference was brought to a conclusion without any reconciliation among Somalis. The Ethiopian government successfully attained its goals of wasting the remaining time of the TNGs tenure, enabled the warlords to appoint more than two-thirds of the members of parliament, and finally succeeded in having its clients selected as president and prime minister. American policy, during the long two years of negotiations in Kenya, was characterized by tacit support for warlords domination of the conference. In the main, the US representatives in Kenya watched the process from the sidelines and seemed they did not like the quality of the output in the form of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG). For nearly two years after the formation of the TFG the American government remained disinterested in the affairs of the TFG. Instead it financed the formation of so called anti-terror alliance which consisted of the very warlords who have killed the population for over a decade. Americas objective in supporting the warlords was to find and arrest three people accused of being involved in the attacks on US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998 and who were presumed to be hiding somewhere in southern Somalia. The warlords contract with the CIA also included capturing or killing those who were considered radical Islamists. Americas warlord projec t backfired as the majority of Mogadishus population sided with the Muslim leaders and rooted the warlords out. American policy makers panicked with the formation of the Union of Islamic Courts (UICs) and the liberation of Mogadishu and surrounding region from the tyranny of the warlords. Shortly after UICs took over Mogadishu senior American policy makers began to speak about the internationally legitimate government of Somalia and actively used Americas diplomatic and other resources to bestow respect on what it previously considered week operation. Meanwhile, Ethiopia activated its propaganda machine and accused the courts of trying to establish a fundamentalist regime which it claimed will endanger its security despite the fact that Somalia did not have an army. It immediately gave a protection force for its client Somali government holed in the regional center of Baidoa. As the Courts spread their reach into most parts of southern Somalia, Ethiopia increased its troop presence in Baidoa into several thousand heavily armed units. The US government encouraged this invasion and used its diplomatic muscle to shield Ethiopia from international criticism. The united American-Ethiopian propaganda machine completed the demonization of the courts as a fundamentalist organization in cahoots with Al Qaida. This joint effort led to US government sponsoring a resolution at the Security Council, 1725, which mandated the deployment of an African Union force in Somalia aimed at protecting the TFG and stabilizing the country. Other countries in the Security Council insisted and prevailed that those countries who share

Monday, August 19, 2019

Society’s Change in OConnors A Good Man is Hard to Find Essay

Society’s Change in O'Connor's A Good Man is Hard to Find   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In her short story â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† Flannery O’Connor seems to portray a feeling that society as she saw it was drastically changing for the worse. O’Connor obvious displeasure with society at the time the story was written is most likely her religious and conservative upbringing in the â€Å"old south.† O’Connor shows her point of view through an old woman named the grandmother. She uses the grandmother to depict Evidence of society’s demise is woven into the story, and presented through an interesting generational gap between the old and the new (the grandmother and her family). O’Connor use of irony throughout the story is a clear representation of the way in which she portrays the events yet to come.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The grandmother is by far the most outstanding of O’Connor characters. Although all the characters contribute to the theme of the story the grandmother contributes the most because through her O’Connor’s views and opinions about society are expressed. The grandmother, the protagonist, is developed as bossy, manipulative, and grouchy. Not only is she random and frivolous, but she also demonstrates hypocrisy. †Aren’t you ashamed?† she ask when June Star insults the owner of Red Sammy’s Barbeque, but experiences no personal shame when stating that â€Å"little niggers in the country don’t have things like we do.† (383) John Wesley and June Star have little if any respect for their parental grandmother....

Sunday, August 18, 2019

Comparing Millers Enemy of the People, Becketts Waiting for Godot and Vonneguts Slaughterhouse-F :: comparison compare contrast essays

Human Values and Technology in Miller's Enemy of the People, Beckett's Waiting for Godot and Vonnegut's Slaughterhouse-Five Human values can't be replaced by technology. Human values can just hope to evolve as quickly as technology is expanding. If one lags behind the other, it's human values. Technology can exist and function without human values. There is a rush for Isaac Newton but that doesn't negate the need for a good philosopher. Though both technology and human values can be used hand in hand and that is the ideal situation. Too much of anything is a bad thing. It's all about finding a balance. Enemy of the People is the perfect example of how human values sometimes don't evolve as quickly as technology. The town had the technology available to make sure the hot springs were up to par but not only did they not put that technology to use but they challenged the findings with no proof of their own. The town as a whole had no experience with this type of science before. Thus, they were instantly skeptical (they also benefited financially by not believing it). But what the town should have done was step back and look at all the facts (sick visitors (Miller 35) and the low intake (Miller 36)) and made an informed decision instead of just running from the unknown. "They happen to have ability and knowledge," (Miller 45) is what Dr. Stockman told Hovstad. He assumed that these people had the same trust and knowledge in technology that he had but he was wrong. People need a way to deal with the ever-growing new technology. It was scary for the town to believe that there wer e things happening on the bacterial level (one that they couldn't see). Did the town choose not to believe the blatant truth because it would hurt them, the skewed facts or out of fear of the unknown and the consequences. Ignorance is bliss, but civilization needs to be informed of what's going on and how it affects their lives. A person can't just take things "on faith" when dealing with science, they need proof and an explanation. It's easy to follow the mass in anything (especially public opinion) but one needs to ask themselves how informed is the general public?

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Apple: the Leader in Computer and Mobile Technologies Essay

Apple had been a very successful company since its foundation in 1976. It has been a leader in the computer and mobile technologies field since its first release of the Apple- I to the most recent revolutionary product, the iPad. Through its core competencies innovative design, advanced technology, ease of use, and premium pricing strategy; the company has always positioned itself as a quality leader. Despite their disadvantage in pricing, Apple has seen consistent success throughout its history, specifically since the release of its new mobile devices, as is evidenced by the 15-fold increase of its share price since 2003. Since its early years, Apple has had a drive for innovation and excellence, striving to release new hit products every six to twelve months. This strategy has been greatly successful for the company, as their new products are redefining the industry every year. These products can continue to be refined and perfected to appeal exactly to the company’s target market. However, Apple can still improve its positioning by targeting solely towards the home consumer and by staying ahead of its competitors in its product innovation. With the release of the iPod in 2001 and the subsequent introduction of the iTunes Music Store in 2003, Apple had created a dominant position for themselves in the sale of mp3s and mp3 players. The iPod, like all of Apple’s products, had a significantly higher price than the mp3 players of its largest competitors. However, the iPod’s sleek design, simple user interface, large memory, and most importantly, unique compatibility with iTunes, the world’s largest music library, all but guaranteed its success in the consumer marketplace. Profits from music sales remained low due to a high cost structure. Though as song sales numbers boomed with low profits, iPod sales rose alongside. Sales through the iTunes Store provided a loss leader for the much more profitable iPods. Though new products have become available in recent years, the iPod remains an extremely effective business segment as Apple made over $12 billion in 2009 on the iPod and other music products. [†¦] Another Apple innovation would come in 2007 with the release of the iPhone. The company spent years of research in secrecy â€Å"recreating the phone† and took the difficult to enter industry by storm. The iPhone was similar to many other modern smartphones with the exception of its 3.5 inch touchscreen technology. The iPhone appealed to the home consumer due to its intuitivism, matching Apple’s core competencies to the home consumer’s perceived value. AT&T, the sole provider of the iPhone to consumers, would not issue a subsidy on the phone which ran at an average of about $200 more than competitors’ versions of the smartphone. [†¦] [†¦] With more competitors poised to jump into the computer tablet industry, Apple needs to take a stand to differentiate their product from the competitors. I suggest that Apple does this by combining the three of their products into one, well-rounded, all-inclusive, entertainment hub that captures your original vision. The new premium iPad would offer phone capabilities with the assistance of a new hands free headset designed to be similar to the Bluetooth. This new wireless headset would allow the user to remotely control the phone and music aspects of their premium iPad. [†¦] [†¦] The ability for a consumer to walk into one of the many Apple Store locations and download and stream a movie of their choice on a same Apple TV would nearly sell the product itself, as has been the case for all of the products Apple features in its retail locations. However, these costs would be miniscule to the revenues Apple could earn from following this unstoppable trend while it is still budding. Using Porter’s 5-Forces, it is clear to see that this industry is ready to be attacked by Apple. [†¦] [†¦] Conclusions and recommendations After analyzing the company and looking at its strengths, weaknesses, core competencies and strategic positioning, I feel I have been able to identify some problems as well as some opportunities for Apple Inc. in the short and long term. My recommended action plan focuses on improving the already thriving markets of the iPhone and iPad, as well as maintaining their market share and differentiating them against the competition. Also, I have suggested that Apple Inc. should revisit a project they have experimented with in the past and try to capitalize on the next unstoppable trend in today’s society. [†¦]

Last Sacrifice Chapter Twenty-three

THE FEW SECONDS OF SILENCE that followed seemed to stretch out to eternity. Everyone was confused, each for totally different reasons. Jill's initial surprise had been laced with excitement, but as she stared around from face to face, her smile faded and faded until she looked as bewildered as the rest of us. â€Å"What's going on?' asked a new voice. Moments later, Emily Mastrano appeared beside her daughter. Emily glanced at me and Sydney with curiosity and then gasped when she saw the third member of our group. â€Å"Sonya!' Emily jerked Jill back, her face filled with panic. Emily wasn't guardian-fast, but I admired her responsiveness. â€Å"Emily †¦ ?' Sonya's voice was very small, on the verge of cracking. â€Å"It †¦ it's me †¦ really me †¦' Emily tried to tug the man inside as well but stopped when she got a good look at Sonya. Like anyone else, Emily had to acknowledge the obvious. Sonya had no Strigoi features. Plus, she was out in broad daylight. Emily faltered and opened her mouth to speak, but her lips couldn't quite manage it. She finally turned to me. â€Å"Rose †¦ what's going on?' I was surprised that she would regard me as an authority, both because we'd only met once and because I honestly wasn't sure what was going on either. It took me a few attempts to find my voice. â€Å"I think †¦ I think we should come inside †¦' Emily's gaze fell back on Sonya. Jill tried to push forward to see what all the drama was about, but Emily continued blocking the door, still not totally convinced it was safe. I couldn't blame her. At last, she gave a slow nod and stepped away to give us access. Sydney's eyes flicked toward the car, where Victor, Robert, and Dimitri were waiting. â€Å"What about them?' she asked me. I hesitated. I wanted Dimitri to be with me to drop the bombshell, but Emily might only be able to handle one thing at a time here. Moroi didn't have to run in royal circles to know who Victor Dashkov was or what he looked like. Our trip to Las Vegas had been proof of that. I shook my head at Sydney. â€Å"They can wait.' We settled into the family's living room and learned the guy who'd answered the door was Emily's husband, John Mastrano. Emily went through the motions of offering us beverages, like this was a perfectly ordinary visit, but the look on her face confirmed she was still in shock. She handed us glasses of water like a robot, her face so pale she might have been Strigoi. John rested his hand on Emily's once she sat down. He kept giving us wary looks, but for her, he was all affection and concern. â€Å"What's going on?' Emily's eyes were still dazed. â€Å"I †¦ don't know. My cousin is here †¦ but I don't understand how †¦' She looked back and forth at me, Sydney, and Sonya. â€Å"How is this possible?' Her voice shook. â€Å"It was Lissa, wasn't it?' exclaimed Jill, who undoubtedly knew this relative's sordid history. She was understandably shocked–and a little nervous–but excitement was beginning to stir. â€Å"I heard what happened with Dimitri. It's true, isn't it? Lissa can heal Strigoi. She saved him. She saved †¦' Jill turned toward Sonya, enthusiasm wavering a little. I wondered what kind of stories she'd heard about Sonya. â€Å"She saved you.' â€Å"Lissa didn't do it,' I said. â€Å"Another, uh, spirit user did.' Jill's face lit up. â€Å"Adrian?' I'd forgotten about her crush on him. â€Å"No †¦ someone else. It's not important,' I added hastily. â€Å"Sonya's †¦ well, she's Moroi again. Confused, though. Not quite herself.' Sonya had been drinking in the sight of her cousin but now turned to me with a wry, knowing smile. â€Å"I can speak for myself, Rose.' â€Å"Sorry,' I said. Emily turned to Sydney and frowned. They'd been introduced, but no more. â€Å"Why are you here?' Emily didn't have to say what she really meant. She wanted to know why a human was here. â€Å"Are you a feeder?' â€Å"No!' exclaimed Sydney, jumping up from her spot beside me on the loveseat. I had never seen her filled with such outrage and disgust. â€Å"Say that again, and I'll walk right out of here! I'm an Alchemist.' She was met with blank stares, and I pulled Sydney back down. â€Å"Easy, girl. I don't think they don't know what Alchemists are.' Secretly, I was glad. When I'd first discovered the Alchemists, I'd felt like I was the last person in the world to find out. It was nice to know others were out of the loop too. Keeping things simple for now, I explained to Emily, â€Å"Sydney's been helping us.' Tears brimmed in Emily's blue eyes as she turned back to her cousin. Emily Mastrano was one of the most stunning women I'd ever met. Even tears were beautiful on her. â€Å"It's really you, isn't it? They brought you back to me. Oh God.' Emily rose and walked over to hold her cousin in a deep embrace. â€Å"I've missed you so much. I can't believe this.' I almost felt like crying, too, but sternly reminded myself that we had come with a mission. I knew how startling this all was. We had just turned the Mastrano family's world upside down †¦ and I was about to complicate things even more. I hated to do it. I wished they could have the time they needed to adjust, to celebrate the miracle of having Sonya back. But the clock at Court–and on my life–was ticking. â€Å"We brought her †¦' I said at last. â€Å"But there's another reason we're here.' I don't know what tone my voice conveyed, but Emily stiffened and stepped back from Sonya, sitting down beside her husband. Somehow, in that moment, I think she knew why we were here. I could see in her eyes that she was afraid–as if she'd been dreading this type of visit for years, as if she'd imagined it a hundred times. I pushed forward. â€Å"We know †¦ we know about Eric Dragomir.' â€Å"No,' said Emily, her voice an odd mixture of harshness and desperateness. Her obstinate manner was remarkably similar to Sonya's initial refusal to aid us. â€Å"No. We are not doing this.' The instant I'd seen Jill, the instant I'd recognized those eyes, I'd known we had the right place. Emily's words–more importantly, her lack of a denial–confirmed it. â€Å"We have to,' I said. â€Å"This is serious.' Emily turned to Sonya. â€Å"You promised! You promised you wouldn't tell!' â€Å"I didn't,' said Sonya, but her face wore its earlier doubt. â€Å"She didn't,' I said firmly, hoping to reassure them both. â€Å"It's hard to explain †¦ but she kept her promise.' â€Å"No,' repeated Emily. â€Å"This isn't happening. We cannot talk about this.' â€Å"What †¦ what's going on?' demanded John. Anger kindled in his eyes. He didn't like seeing strangers upset his wife. I directed my words to Emily. â€Å"We have to talk about this. Please. We need your help. We need her help.' I gestured to Jill. â€Å"What do you mean?' asked Jill. That earlier eager spark was gone, cooled by her mother's reaction. â€Å"It's about your–‘ I came to a stop. I'd rushed into this, ready to find Lissa's sibling– her sister, we now knew–with little thought of the implications. I should have known this would be a secret from everyone–including the child in question. I hadn't considered what a shock this would be to her. And this wasn't just some random stranger. This was Jill. Jill. My friend. The girl who was like a little sister to all of us, the one we looked out for. What was I about to do to her? Looking at John, I realized things were worse still. Did Jill think he was her father? This family was about to be shaken to its core– and I was responsible. â€Å"Don't!' cried Emily, jumping up again. â€Å"Get out! All of you! I don't want you here!' â€Å"Mrs. Mastrano †¦' I began. â€Å"You can't pretend this isn't real. You have to face it.' â€Å"No!' she pointed to the door. â€Å"Get out! Get out, or I'll †¦ I'll call the police! Or the guardians! You †¦' Realization flashed over her now that the initial shock of seeing Sonya had faded. Victor wasn't the only criminal Moroi would be on guard for. â€Å"You're a fugitive! A murderer!' â€Å"She is not!' said Jill, leaning forward. â€Å"I told you, Mom. I told you before it was a mistake–‘ â€Å"Get out,' repeated Emily. â€Å"Sending us away won't change the truth,' I said, forcing myself to stay calm. â€Å"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?' John's face was flushed red, angry and defensive. â€Å"If I don't have an answer within thirty seconds, I'm calling the guardians and the police.' I looked over at Jill and couldn't speak. I didn't know how to say what I needed to, at least not tactfully. Sydney, however, didn't have that problem. â€Å"He's not your father,' she said bluntly, pointing at John. There was a slight pause in the room. Jill almost looked disappointed, like she'd hoped for more exciting news. â€Å"I know that. He's my stepdad. Or, well, my dad as far as I'm concerned.' Emily sank back on the couch, burying her face in her hands. She seemed to be crying, but I was pretty sure she could jump up at any moment and call the authorities. We had to get through this fast, no matter how painful. â€Å"Right. He's not your biological father,' I said, looking steadily at Jill. The eyes. How had I never noticed the eyes? ‘Eric Dragomir is.' Emily made a low keening sound. â€Å"No,' she begged. â€Å"Please don't do this.' John's anger morphed back to the confusion that seemed to be so in fashion in this room. â€Å"What?' â€Å"That †¦ no.' Jill slowly shook her head. â€Å"That's impossible. My father was just †¦ just some guy who ran out on us.' In some ways, that wasn't far from the truth, I supposed. â€Å"It was Eric Dragomir,' I said. â€Å"You're part of their family. Lissa's sister. You're †¦' I startled myself, realizing I had to look at Jill in a whole new way. â€Å"You're royalty.' Jill was always full of energy and optimism, operating in the world with a naive hope and charm. But now her face was grim and sober, making her look older than her fifteen years. â€Å"No. This is a joke. My dad was a lowlife. I'm not †¦ no. Rose, stop.' â€Å"Emily.' I flinched at the sound of Sonya's voice, surprised to hear her speak. I was more surprised at her expression. Authoritative. Serious. Determined. Sonya was younger than Emily by–what? Ten years, if I had to guess. But Sonya had fixed her cousin with a stare that made Emily look like a naughty child. â€Å"Emily, it's time to give this up. You have to tell her. For God's sake, you have to tell John. You can't keep this buried anymore.' Emily looked up and met Sonya's eyes. â€Å"I can't tell. You know what will happen †¦ I can't do that to her.' â€Å"None of us know what will happen,' said Sonya. â€Å"But things will get worse if you don't take control now.' After a long moment, Emily finally looked away, staring at the floor. The sad, sad look on her face broke my heart. And not just mine. â€Å"Mom?' asked Jill, voice trembling. â€Å"What's happening? This is all a big mix-up, right?' Emily sighed and looked up at her daughter. â€Å"No. You are Eric Dragomir's daughter. Rose is right.' John made a small, strangled sound but didn't interrupt his wife. She squeezed his hand again. â€Å"What I told you both over the years †¦ it was true. Mostly. We did just have a brief †¦ relationship. Not a cheap one, exactly. But brief.' She paused and glanced over at John this time, her expression softening. â€Å"I told you †¦' He nodded. â€Å"And I told you the past didn't matter to me. Never affected how I felt about you, about Jill. But I never imagined †¦' â€Å"Me neither,' she agreed. â€Å"I didn't even know who he was when we first met. It was back when I lived in Las Vegas and had my first job, dancing in a show at the Witching Hour.' I felt my eyes go wide. No one seemed to notice. The Witching Hour. My friends and I had been to that casino while hunting for Robert, and a man there had made a joke about Lissa's father being interested in showgirls. I knew Emily worked in a Detroit ballet company now; it was why they lived in Michigan. Never would I have guessed that she'd started as a feather-and-sequin-clad dancer in a Las Vegas show. But why not? She would have had to start somewhere, and her tall, graceful frame would lend itself well to any type of dancing. â€Å"He was so sweet †¦ and so sad,' Emily continued. â€Å"His father had just died, and he'd come to sort of drown his sorrows. I understood how a death would devastate him, but now †¦ well, I really understand. It was another loss to his family. The numbers were dropping.' She frowned thoughtfully and then shrugged. â€Å"He was a good man, and I think he truly loved his wife. But he was in a dark, low place. I don't think he was using me. He cared about me, though I doubt what happened between us would have in other circumstances. Anyway, I was fine with the way things ended and was content to move on with my life †¦ until Jill came along. I contacted Eric because I thought he should know–though I made it clear I didn't expect anything from him. And at that point, knowing who he was, I didn't want anything. If I'd let him, I think he would have acknowledged you, had a role in your life.' Emily's eyes were on Jill now. â€Å"But I've seen what that world is like. Court life is politics and lies and backstabbing. In the end, the only thing I'd accept from him was money. I still didn't want that. I didn't want to feel like I was blackmailing him–but I did want to make sure your future was secure.' I spoke without thinking. â€Å"You don't really live like you're using that money.' I regretted the words as soon as they were out. Their home was perfectly nice, hardly the depths of poverty. But it also didn't match the funds I'd seen moved around in those bank accounts. â€Å"I'm not,' said Emily. â€Å"It's on hand for emergencies, of course, but mostly I set it all aside for Jill, for her future. To do whatever she wants.' â€Å"What do you mean?' asked Jill, aghast. â€Å"What kind of money are you talking about?' â€Å"You're an heiress,' I said. â€Å"And royalty.' â€Å"I'm not any of those things,' she said. She was frantic now, looking around at all of us. She reminded me of a deer, ready to bolt. â€Å"There's a mistake. You've all made some mistake.' Emily stood up and walked over to Jill's chair, kneeling on the floor before it. Emily clasped her daughter's hand. â€Å"It is all true. And I'm sorry you have to find out like this. But it doesn't change anything. Our lives aren't going to change. We'll go on just like we have before.' A range of emotions raced over Jill's features–especially fear and confusion–but she leaned down and buried her face against her mother's shoulder in acceptance. â€Å"Okay.' It was a touching moment, and again, I almost felt like crying. I'd had my own share of family drama and parental issues. Like before, I wanted the Mastranos to have this moment–but they couldn't. â€Å"You can't,' I told them. â€Å"You can't go on like before. Jill †¦ Jill has to go to Court.' Emily jerked away from Jill and stared at me. Only a second ago, Emily had been full of grief and distress. Now, I saw intense anger and ferocity. Her blue eyes were stormy, fixing me with a sharp glare. â€Å"No. She is not going there. She is never going there.' Jill had already visited Court before, but both Emily and I knew that I wasn't referring to some casual sightseeing trip. Jill had to go with her true identity. Well– maybe true wasn't the right word. Illicit royalty wasn't part of her nature, at least not yet. She was who she'd always been, but her name had changed. That change had to be acknowledged, and the Moroi Court would be shaken. â€Å"She has to,' I urged. â€Å"The Court's getting corrupted, and the Dragomir family has to play its part to help fix things. Lissa has no power alone, not without a family quorum. All the other royals †¦ they're trampling her. They're going to push laws that won't help any of us.' Emily still knelt by the chair, as though shielding Jill from my words. â€Å"And that's exactly why Jill can't go. It's why I wouldn't let Eric acknowledge her. I don't want Jill involved. That place is poison. Tatiana's murder is proof.' Emily paused and gave me a sharp look, reminding me that I was the chief suspect. Apparently we weren't past that yet. â€Å"All those royals †¦ they're vicious. I don't want Jill turning into one of them. I won't let her turn into one of them.' â€Å"Not all royals are like that,' I argued. â€Å"Lissa's not. She's trying to change the system.' Emily gave me a bitter smile. â€Å"And how do you think the others feel about her reform? I'm sure there are royals who are happy to see her silenced–royals who wouldn't like to see her family reemerge. I told you: Eric was a good man. Sometimes I don't think it's a coincidence their family has died out.' I gaped. â€Å"That's ridiculous.' But I suddenly wasn't so sure. â€Å"Is it?' Emily's eyes were on me, as though guessing my doubts. â€Å"What do you think they'd do if another Dragomir came forward? The people who oppose Vasilisa? What do you think they'd do if only one person stood between them and her family's power?' Her implications were shocking †¦ yet, I knew they weren't impossible. Glancing over at Jill, I felt an empty, sinking feeling in my stomach. What would I be subjecting her to? Sweet, innocent Jill. Jill wanted adventure out of life and could still barely talk to guys without blushing. Her desire to learn to fight was half-youthful impulse and half-instinct to defend her people. Stepping into the royal world could technically help her people too–though not in a way she'd ever expected. And it would mean getting involved with the dark and sinister nature that sometimes filled the Court. Emily seemed to read my silence as agreement. A mix of triumph and relief crossed her face, all of which vanished when Jill suddenly spoke up. â€Å"I'll do it.' We all turned to stare. Thus far, I'd been regarding her with pity, thinking of her as a victim. Now, I was startled at how brave and resolved she looked. Her expression was still underscored with a little fear and shock, but there was a steel in her I'd never seen before. â€Å"What?' exclaimed Emily. â€Å"I'll do it,' said Jill, voice steadier. â€Å"I'll help Lissa and †¦ and the Dragomirs. I'll go with Rose back to Court.' I decided mentioning the myriad difficulties of me getting anywhere near Court wasn't important just then. Honestly, I had reached a point where I was playing all of this by ear, though it was a relief to see Emily's fury shifted away from me. â€Å"You will not! I'm not letting you near there.' â€Å"You can't make this choice for me!' cried Jill. â€Å"I'm not a child.' â€Å"And you're certainly not an adult,' retorted Emily. The two began arguing back and forth, and soon John jumped in to support his wife. In the midst of the family bickering, Sydney leaned toward me and murmured, â€Å"I bet you never thought the hardest part of finding your â€Å"savior' would be getting her mom to let her stay out past curfew.' The unfortunate part about her joke was that it was kind of true. We needed Jill, and I certainly hadn't envisioned this complication. What if Emily refused? Clearly, keeping Jill's heritage a secret was something she'd been pretty adamant about for a while– say, like, fifteen years. I had a feeling Jill wouldn't be beyond running away to Court if it came down to that. And I wouldn't be beyond helping her. Once more, Sonya jumped into the conversation unexpectedly. â€Å"Emily, didn't you hear me? This is all going to happen eventually, with or without your consent. If you don't let Jill go now, she'll go next week. Or next year. Or in five years. The point is, it will happen.' Emily sank back against the chair, face crumpling. â€Å"No. I don't want this.' Sonya's pretty face turned bitter. â€Å"Life, unfortunately, doesn't seem to care what we want. Act now while you can actually stop it from being a disaster.' â€Å"Please, Mom,' begged Jill. Her jade Dragomir eyes regarded Emily with affection. I knew Jill might indeed disobey and run off–but she didn't want to, not if she didn't have to. Emily stared into the distance, long-lashed eyes vacant and defeated. And although she was standing in the way of my plans, I knew she did it out of legitimate love and concern–traits that had probably drawn Eric to her. â€Å"Okay,' said Emily at last. She sighed. â€Å"Jill can go–but I'm going too. You aren't facing that place without me.' â€Å"Or me,' said John. He still seemed bewildered but was determined to support his wife and stepdaughter. Jill regarded them both with gratitude, reminding me again that I'd just turned a functional family dysfunctional. Emily and John coming with us hadn't been part of my plans, but I couldn't blame them and didn't see what harm they'd cause. We'd need Emily anyway to tell everyone about Eric. â€Å"Thank you,' I said. â€Å"Thank you so much.' John eyed me. â€Å"We still haven't dealt with the fact that there's a fugitive in our home.' â€Å"Rose didn't do it!' That fierceness was still in Jill. â€Å"It was a setup.' â€Å"It was.' I hesitated to speak my next words. â€Å"Probably by the people opposing Lissa.' Emily paled, but I felt the need for honesty, even if it reaffirmed her fears. She took a steadying breath. â€Å"I believe you. Believe that you didn't do it. I don't know why †¦ but I do.' She almost smiled. â€Å"No, I do know why. It's because of what I said before, about those vipers at Court. They're the ones who do this kind of thing. Not you.' â€Å"Are you sure?' asked John uneasily. â€Å"This mess with Jill is bad enough without us housing a criminal.' â€Å"I'm certain,' said Emily. â€Å"Sonya and Jill trust Rose, and so I do. You're all welcome to stay here tonight since we can hardly head out to Court right now.' I opened my mouth to say we most certainly could leave right now, but Sydney elbowed me sharply. â€Å"Thank you, Mrs. Mastrano,' she said, summoning up that Alchemist diplomacy. â€Å"That would be great.' I repressed a scowl. Time was still pressing on me, but I knew the Mastranos were entitled to make some preparations. It was probably better to travel in the daytime too. A rough check of my mental map made me think we could do the whole drive back to Court in one day. I nodded in agreement with Sydney, resigning myself to a sleepover at the Mastrano house. â€Å"Thanks. We appreciate it.' Suddenly, something occurred to me, summoning back John's words. This mess with Jill is bad enough without us housing a criminal. I gave Emily as convincing and reassuring a smile as I could muster. â€Å"We, um, also have some friends with us waiting out in the car †¦'