Brand Promotion of Nestle Essay

Nestle has a wide market for infant food in India. Nestle India enjoys a monopolistic position in baby foods Nestle has about 80% of market share in the baby cereal segment alone – which is a promising segment in future. Some of the Infant foods of nestle includes: Lactogen, Cerelac, Good Start, NAN, Nido etc. And all the infant foods except Nido come in different and innovative tastes according to the stages and growth of the children. Sauces and Ketchups: Nestle India introduced versatile types of sauces and ketchups according to the taste buds of Indian consumers under the brand name â€Å"Maggi†. There are numerous varieties of sauces which range from usual Tomato sauces, tangy ones, sour ones, continental ones, to the recent tamarind sauce which is yet to be introduced in some of the localities in India. Breakfast cereals: Nestle International has already taken up the breakfast segments of the International consumers. There is no doubt that Nestle India would also take up the Indian markets in its hands by the wide range of breakfast cereals. Some of the cereals include Nesquik which is targeted towards the kids, Cheerios towards Adults and Cookie Crisp for all age groups. Milk and dairy products: Milk: The largest segment of nestle is Milk and Dairy products. Nestle India focused and involved closely in this sector for the last 3 decades, also in the process of developing strong relationship with more than 85,000 farmers country wide. As a result Nestle has the best quality milk in India. Dairy products: Nestle is known for its dairy products especially, â€Å"Milkmaid† which has an unbeatable taste and other dairy products of nestle includes fresh and natural curd, light curd, and fruit flavored curd Famous chocolates of nestle includes Nestle Milk Chocolate, Nestle Milky bar, Nestle Munch, Nestle Kitkat, Nestle Bar One, and Polo. All these chocolates come in different flavors. Instant Food and Cooking Aids: Noodles: Nestle India’s Instant noodles â€Å"Maggi† is preferred by 80% of the consumers around the nation and the brand Maggi provides lots of attractive and tasty noodle variety targeting the kids and the adults especially office going people. Maggi is the largest and the most loved brand of Nestle India presently Maggi comes in 9 different and innovative flavors. Cooking Aids: An Indian Masala powder for cooking for enhancing the taste of the food we cook. â€Å"Maggi Bhuna Masala† is the magical powder which increases the taste of Indian food. Bottled water: Nestle has launched its packaged drinking water â€Å"Pure Life† which is an upcoming water brand o nestle sure to hit the markets of India. Nestle India – Market Leader: Nestle India is the market leader of Infant food, Instant coffee, and Milk Maid, the greatest market leader in Instant noodles â€Å"Maggi’. Case Studies of Nestle India: Social Impact of Nestle Global: Water saving initiatives held in India: Nestle India conducted a water saving campaign in Moga, Punjab where the brand has the largest milk districts. The campaign was about the water scarce and how scarce in water affects the production of milk. Happy Day in New Papua Guinea: Joining hands with the ministry of health in New Papua Guinea, Nestle conducted a Personal hygiene program initiating the nutritive values and health ailments faced due to the nutrition deficiency. Awareness campaign in North Africa – Nido: Nestle in North Africa conducted an awareness program regarding their launch of Nido in the markets of North Africa. Focusing on feeding mothers and infants. Nestle also conducts various awareness programs in different regions instructing the importance of water and the benefits of the purity and innovation of Nestle’s Water. Products of Nestle in India: (Pictorial Representation) Infant Formula: Sauces and Ketchups:

Ethical Issues in Managing Employee Behavior

Ethical issues for dealing with individual employees is difficult because managers on the front line are responsible for various accounts such as hiring and firing disciplining and performance evaluation also during all these procedures managers are responsible for employee supervision because managers are role models for their employees in their department it is critical the managers are able to ethically resolve problems within the organization but unfortunately it is not always the case. Employee behavioral problems that occur in the workplace can have a dramatic effect on the overall atmosphere.It is the manager’s responsibility to correct these problems in a morally right way. Doing so disrespectfully or unethically can result in even more problems and a decrease in productivity within the organization. The concept of ethics is a key practice that many organizations need to obey by. Managers and supervisors must develop strong ethical standards that are to be taken into c onsideration when employees are disrupting the workplace. What are ethics and business ethics? Ethics is defined as a code of morals practiced by a person or group of people.Ethics in business the study of what divides the right and wrong or the good or bad behavior in the workplace environment. An Organization has a group of people that work together to achieve a common purpose. The moral challenges that these men and women face each day along with a whole range of problems that could occur, are why ethics plays such an important role in business. Most large businesses have a written code of ethics, sometimes called a code of conduct to set the standards that employees are to follow.Many ethical decisions are based on morality, society’s accepted standards of behavior. Unfortunately it is not always clear cut what decisions are ethical and which are not, In many cases the law is used to determine the direction of our behavior, however the law is not always the best tool to u se because some things may be legal but not right. Ethics are what you stand for, not just about what is legal. Unethical Practices by employees can arise in three ways; The first are individual factors, because people bring to their jobs, tier own ideas of what is morally right and wrong.The second is organizational factors the scary thing about unethical behavior at work is that it is not necessarily driven by personal interests, sometimes ethical lapses occur because employees feel pressured to do what they think is best to help their company. Third is Management influence, the manager sets the tone and by his or her actions sends signals about what is appropriate behavior for example if the boss is seen taking a longer lunch break, you may not follow the directed time and take a longer lunch breakThere are three main reasons on why employees act unethically and it is becoming a rapidly increasing problem in organizations some of the more problematic and reoccurring issues are, E mployee theft, showing up late, disclosure of confidential information, on the job drug and alcohol abuse, false documents, employee discrimination and bullying, misuse of company funds, improper hygiene and a rapidly growing concern is using email and social media and cell phones for personal on work hours the only way to effectively make sure these issues are diminished or improved is for the manager to handle the situation ethically, but it is not a perfect world and people even managers can bend the rules.One of the first problems are automatic dismissal when it is not needed. Manager must have proof the employee has had been performing unethically, instead of setting up a meeting with written documentation and a third party to hear the conversation . Managers also know that if it is their word against the employees that there are good chances ofthem not even being questioned. Similar personality traits lead to managers that are power hungry and are too assertive when engaging w ith the employee, almost to the point where it is bullying. Even tho assertiveness is good and generates results it must not be aggressive. Managers who take pleasure in fear will use this tactic rather than understanding the issue.Managers who are considered bullies, have little interest in change and is the company likes the results that manager is providing they may have even less interest on how they are behaving. Managers will also bully to avoid accepting responsibility for their behavior and why it may have assisted in the employees unethical decision making and to divert attention away from their inadequacy . The same can be said for harassment the â€Å"fear† approach to fix things. Instead of dealing with the situation head on, they constantly call or think that checking over your shoulder will resolve employee behavior, and it may produce results but does that make it right, no. With the ever growing use of cellphones in the workplace managers may take advantage of the fact they can contact you at any given time.What can happen in a lot of cases is the harassing manager will scold any employee suffering from stress and see it as a weak and excuse for their poor performance for example constantly saying â€Å"get back to work† and always being on ones back. On the other side of the spectrum of dealing with employee behavior that is not accepted is managers can be passive, some managers have a difficult time disciplining employees for a number of reasons. They may feel insecure or akward about approaching employees.Some managers rather keep an employee who is producing results and and not behaving, then have to report them or even fire them and train another weather it is that they do not want their management skills questioned, or the cost and time and energy it takes to train. In some occasions managers believe the problem will resolve itself  or they may not have the assertive personality to discipline other adults. Ignoring conflic ts may also be because some especially new managers can find themselves at loss the first time a conflict arises and it doesn’t just sort itself out and have difficulty finding the right language and the right techniques to use at the time. Also managers who have tried to solve a problem and failed could Lose hope and a willingness to commit to problem solving are common responses when a manager feels that his efforts are all for nothing. If previous attempts at resolution haven’t gone well, they may feel others may have lost trust in their abilities. â€Å"I don’t know where to start.†Taking the time to assess a situation and make a plan burns up energy and attention. It’s smart to sit back and consider your next steps instead of jumping into a conflict willy-nilly, but inaction doesn’t get you any closer to resolution. Develop a plan with clear goals in mind, and get whatever help you need to put it into action. A common issue is the †Å"I have real work to do† approach. Addressing personnel issues is an important part of being an effective manager but in some organizations managers feel it is better dealt with by human resources, the same could be said it there is an accounting issue that the document is sent straight to the Accounting department.Although human resources managers are for recruiting, hiring and problem solving it is as equally important for the manager to be involved, you cannot manage properly if you are not fully aware or separate from what is going on in the organization, another issue is that managers will put blame on HR when the problem is not solved. Managers make mistakes while evaluating employees and their performance because of biases and judgment errors of various kinds spoil the process. When there is a behavioral issue managers will automatically assume that is not committed by â€Å"all-star† employees and spend so much time on the average joe in the organization the pr oblem is never solved or may even worsen , new issues and jealousies may arise if the employees feel pin pointed on. This would be an example of horn and halo effect.Personal Biases are very serious he way a supervisor feels about each of the individuals working under him – whether he likes or dislikes them – as a tremendous effect on how the employees are handled personal Bias can stem from various sources as a result of information obtained from colleagues, considerations of faith and thinking, social and family background and so on. They could be based on: Race and ethniticy which refers to broad division of people based on their biological characteristics such as colour of skin, colour of hair and their facial features. These differences developed among humans in prehistoric times due to different groups of people developing in different parts of the world isolated from each other. Ethniticy, Ethnicity refers to the common characteristics of a group of people that distinguish them from most other people of the same society. Ethnicity is based on commonality of ancestry, culture, language, nationality, or religion, or a combination of these things.Gender and sexuality – gender bias is unequal treatment in employment opportunity (such as promotion, pay, benefits and privileges and resolution tactics, and expectations due to attitudes based on the sex of an employee or group of employees. As times develop sexual orientation is becoming more accepted but there are still judgements and labels placed. Managers may lie to employees who are not meeting up to standards Or, give out false deadlines. Nothing drastic, perhaps a day or two earlier than normal, just as long as they still has a reasonable amount of time to complete the task, but also enough time to handle anything that may pop up unexpectedly.Many employees will often say that rewards or bonuses were promised and never given, this happens a lot in major organizations when higher posi tions know that employees need this job and take advantage of that fact they are very confident that if these promises are not met the employee will not complain or quit. When issues arises managers may unevenly distribute the workload to employees that they know will get the task done and give the â€Å"slacker† less responsibility without notice or increase in pay. This quick fix is unfair and will only be a temporary fix. In most cases the employee with the increased workload will find themselves pressed for time and other responsibilities will be put on the back burner and could be completed incorrectly or rushed. That same employee may develop stress which can lead to absences, spoiled work environment, less production in work, stress leaves or at the last case the employee may quit.To ensure proper decision making, it is important to follow these basic steps ; step 1: Evaluate all the facts in the situation closely, it is very easy to distort information to benefit ones elf, getting outside input can help you see things that may have been overlooked . It is also very important to see the situation based on your values and the values of the people involved. Step 2: To make a fair prediction based on the facts gathered the reasoning for this is increasing your chances for better results. Step 3: Identify your feelings (or your inner conscience) to make sure you are rationalizing the situation properly Step 4: Ask yourself if you can live with the decision you are about to make ask questions like; – Would I be willing to tell others what I had done?– Would I feel worse or better about myself? – Would I feel proud about my decision making and would expect others to do the same under similar circumstances? – And would you want everyone to act the way you did Step 5: Would you be able to have evidence to justify your decision if questioned

The Gifted

Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love. † Mother Teresa A day of extending the service of love was once again showed by the grantees to the children of orgy. Barras, Stop. NIH. It was a day full of happiness that the grantees, though they didn't have expensive things to share, and fancy gifts to give, didn't fail the children experience the feeling of being loved through sharing with them the Joy and laughter that no amount of money could ever buy.It was a day of fun when the renters conducted several activities in cooperation with the Christ the King College- College of Teacher Education Graduating Class of 2013. The KC-CITE together with the grantees of Cassis Development Foundation had an outreach program exclusively for the students of Barras Elementary and Secondary Schools. The grantees were able to show their spirit of generosity not Just by sharing largesse to the learners of Bray. Barras but also by giving them knowledge and under standing of things that are still alien to them, giving them awareness of the scholarships offered at Christ the KingCollege, most specifically the Cassis Development Foundation, and of course sharing with them a barrel of laughs. Just looking into the eyes of those children, their eagerness and enthusiasm of pursuing their studies and the realization by themselves that cried how unfortunate they were not to do so because of financial instability made the hearts of the grantees moved†¦ And this was the highlight of their visit on that place. Subsequently, the only thing that emanated to the grantees was to open the gates for them by sharing with the learners the idea that both sides share the same sentiments specially before.The grantees disclosed with them their past stories before they became grantees, the grantees wanted the learners to understand that in every problem there will always be a solution, that there is always a chance for the unfortunate, and a hope to those who believe. The UDF grantees gave inspiration to the learners to not lose hope but fight instead to whatever circumstances they may be facing for life is sometimes cruel but it can yield the sweetest thing if one learns how to look into its positive side. The outreach program did not Just wake up the hearts and minds of the people in orgy.Barras but it also rough them enlightenment unto which path to go through and it was really an honor that the Cassis grantees were also a part of that realization in their lives. Through the grantees' initiative of uncovering their life stories for the sake of giving the students the encouragement and motivation to continue to the course of their lives through educating themselves, truly they presented their being of a teacher with Franciscan values with them. The grantees believe that they can make a difference through commencing with simple things, thus, according to Napoleon Hill, whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.

Strategic Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Communication - Essay Example However, the periodic reports target the management team as the main audience so that it can make informed decisions. The presentation of the periodic reports highlights four critical elements, namely a statement of significance, a statement of integrity, monitoring, and conclusions. Other types of reports are situational reports presented by different individuals within the organization concerning the progress of projects or after attending conferences. The presentation of situational reports depends on the purpose of the report. This is to mean that progress reports are different from conference reports. In other occasions, the organization mandates the preparation of investigative reports hen a problem or a situation deserving attention emerges. Usually, investigative reports begin by introducing the problem and then provide details of all the facts and findings surrounding the problem, and finally a summary. Other types of reports that I am familiar with include the compliance reports, prepared by the organization to demonstrate its adherence to the government regulations. The presentation of compliance reports includes detailed background information as well as a preview of all the sections included. After the preview, the report comprises of the content couples with data and figures and finally a summary, which highlights the objective of the report. My organization also prepares analytical reports such as research reports, recommendation reports, feasibility reports, and yardstick reports. Analytical reports have an introduction, which introduces the objective of the report and the findings follow. The finding section presents all the advantages and the disadvantages of each alternative. After the findings, a recommendation section follows, and finally the conclusion. In my opinion, an employee like Scott, who wants her company to consider funding the project mentioned, should present a proposal in writing. In the

The Commission proposes, the Council decides, the Court interprets Essay

The Commission proposes, the Council decides, the Court interprets - Essay Example Emphasis will be on the functions of the Commission, EU Council, EU Parliament, etc. and the legislative procedures. The relevance will be the application of law in practice in the Member States and it is an important topic to be discussed as it directly refers to the topic. This section will discuss the beginning of the Merger Regulation Policy and how it came about which will continue to explain the law that influence mergers and also different aspects of soft law practiced in respective states and its inclusion into the statutory status. The extent of the application, which influenced in the making of statutory law in respect of soft law practiced in EU Member States is focussed on. Numerous instances have been cited in this regard. Finer aspects of the soft law and how it is applied to different communities and also to different groups in a community is discussed. How can one define law The definition may differ from person to person, but we can all agree that it is one or more of the following: A set of rules that governs or binds a community, law is a means of resolution of disputes or conflicts, or a/the way of punishing offenders. A more general definition can be: Law regulates the behaviour of members of the society. So in simple terms, how does the law work The answer could be in three steps: Legislature, Executive and Judiciary. Within a sovereign state the law is above all, and the function of the state is within that law. However, when it comes to a 'community' of different states coming together under one flag because of a common vision and mutual understanding for the purpose of furthering better understanding and friendship, developing and strengthening economic ties among the nations requires a separate mechanism or a governing system to ensure the smooth operation of such a 'union'. Clashes of opinions are inevitable in an effor t of this magnitude. The more common would be to uphold their ethnic regulatory norms in members states. In order to safeguard the supreme public power within a sovereign state, each nation must give consent and contribute to create a new rule of law for the smooth functioning of a common 'state'. Thus, how the EU has come about. As there are always loopholes and gaps in law, there is the need to amend existing laws and introduce new laws. So how does the EU work and what is its decision making process The European Union involves a number of institutions when making decisions, namely the European Commission, European Parliament and the European Union Council. 1 The statement "The Commission proposes, the Council" defines in short the process or steps that involves when taking decisions. It is the EC that 'proposes' new legislation, however it is the Parliament and the

MANAGEMENT DECISION-MAKING case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

MANAGEMENT DECISION-MAKING - Case Study Example Moreover, there are many suppliers to supply the needs of the industry. The industry is boosted by scenic views and rugged coastline of the Bahamas that attracts tourists. The country also offers attractive terms and an enabling environment to boost tourism terms in the country. The company relies mostly on experienced divers for business. However, the company is designing packages for families to increase their customer base. The point implies that the number of clients who visit its resorts determines the company revenues. The business depend on foreign tourism. The situation implies that the international environment affects the industry. Factors such as economic recession and conflicts derail international travel thereby hindering tourism in the country. The profitability of the company is on an upward trend. The profit margin ratio shows an increase from a ratio of 0.06 in 2005 to 0.07 in 2007. However, a sudden shock in 2006 causes a sharp fall in profits. Students should be able to comment on how each of the 5 factors below, which are typically directly or indirectly, an issue in the case are factors within the context of the case and are effecting the performance of the

Evaluation of Routing Protocols Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Evaluation of Routing Protocols - Essay Example Evaluation of Routing Protocols There are many routing protocols available as they define ‘what a router will do and decided for a specific data packet’. There are two types of routing fundamentals on which these protocols are based, named as Static Routing and Dynamic Routing. The following sections contains advantages and disadvantages of each routing protocol specified along with its administrative distance, metrics, periodic updates, triggered updates, partial updates, VSLM / CIDR subnet masking and algorithms. As per network dictionary it is defined as â€Å"Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is a standard for exchange of routing information among gateways and hosts. This protocol is most useful as an â€Å"interior gateway protocol†. It is also knows as Interior Gateway Protocol (IGP). Frame Relay protocol is implemented for WAN networks associated with LAN internetworking. It functions on physical layer and data link layer of the OSI model, to endow with robust and efficient mechanism for transmitting data. The transmission encompasses multiple routers and switches. Moreover, this protocol is identical to X.25 protocol that activates stations located at the end to share dynamically the network and bandwidth available. Two techniques are associated with Frame relay: As it is based on packet switching, the two techniques are Variable length Packet technique and statistical multiplexing. However, frame relay

The wall between Palastain and isreal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The wall between Palastain and isreal - Essay Example It is a source of malevolence, violence and untold misery to many. The Israelis call it the â€Å"Security Fence† while the Palestinians call it the â€Å"Apartheid Wall†. This paper discusses why the Wall brought about damaging effects to the Palestinians living in and around Jerusalem. To begin with, the Wall discussed here refers to the barrier that was constructed by the Israeli Government in June, 2002. Christison (Para 3) states that the Wall was constructed in order to serve as a protection barrier for the Israelis, with the chief objective of preventing the uncontrolled entry of the Palestinians into Israel. One reason for this was the rampant activities of suicide bombers, in what the Israelis termed as terrorism. It separated Israel from the West Bank region, and would me built along the Green Line – an internationally recognized boundary that was set up after the war in 1948 to 1949. While the Israelis were justified to build a barrier of protection, they hardly considered the vast harmful effects that such a Wall would bring about, especially to the Palestinians. Exploring the reasons as to why the Wall resulted in misery for the Palestinians, the first would be the political philosophy of the Israeli Government, commonly known as Zionism. Zionism advocates for the separation of the Israelis from the Palestinians, including those who live in Jerusalem. It is firmly believed that this would eventually cleanse the population. One of the key features of Zionism is the confiscation of land. This implies that the Wall would be constructed in such a manner as to curve out more land for the Israelis, a factor that would eventually help them take over control of majority of the land in question. The effect of such an action is that it has left many Palestinians without land that originally belonged to them. Secondly, the Wall covers a route that partly runs through the West

National Police Force Service Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

National Police Force Service - Essay Example They carry out different activities from prevention and investigation of crimes happening in the different localities mentioned above to enforcing laws, maintaining peace and order and provision of support of operation to the rest of the law enforcement agencies which need it. These police units also operate not only within their nation’s borders but abroad as well and link up with other law enforcement agencies. The war on drugs has been on the increase for quite a while now and despite all the efforts put by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), they have not yet been able to stop the drugs from entering he US borders and infiltrating the market all over the nation. Drug trafficking has become a menace in the country and dire measures need to be enforced if it is to be curbed once and for all. The same case is similar for terrorism cases. Since the 9/11 bombing in New York, all law enforcement agencies have been on the look-out for terrorists and terrorism activities. What is however evident is that the terrorists live within the neighborhood like normal citizens or are assisted by individuals who are inhabitants of the US. The only way to stop them is to identify them from their home and operational locations and this is possible through intense surveillance as well as regular patrols in neighborhoods. All this demands too much time and man power which these agencies from the Department of Homeland Security to the FBI and even CIA cannot offer.

FinalTake-Home Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

FinalTake-Home Exam - Essay Example This urban phenomenon is actually the effect of the larger American policies of relating the nation’s economic structure with the global economy. In the decades following the 1970s, huge corporate owners and multimillionaires have encouraged the fall of â€Å"Fordist-Keynesian model of accumulation† and have witnessed the growth of â€Å"neoliberal-globalization† model (Arena, 2012, p.xx). In order to cope with increasing globalization, the ultra rich class has used the tactics of stripping the urban areas of poverty and low-income classes. The idea was to shift the base of production to low wage areas in the south of the U.S. In these areas, business activities are not dictated by labor unions and also there are close ties between state and local governments. Thus, the brunt of gentrification has been endured by the worker class since wages have declined sharply. On the other hand, the benefits fell on the affluent population of American cities. Gentrification h as essentially hindered the growth of production center as the focus was on expanding the service sector. During the second half of the twentieth century, the industrial areas of American cities were transformed into centers of urban amenities like hotels, restaurants, malls and so on. Thus, wealth began to get accumulated in the hands of the ultra rich making them even richer at the expense of poorer urban community. The author has explored the political struggles in New Orleans that occurred as a result of privatization of public housing. From 1960s onwards the U.S. federal government played a vital role for providing housing provisions at affordable rents, and for this the government promoted strategies that encourage financial sponsorship of the private owners of rental housing sectors. Contrary to the properties that are publicly owned, houses that are constructed solely for the purpose of providing housing at affordable rents were construction by support from federal programs like Low Income Housing Tax Credit launched in 1986, and home funds from National Affordable Housing Act of 1990 (Arena, 2012, p.4). Such subsidization of private housing has been supported by the political opponents since it was an appropriate process for delivery low rent housing provisions. It has been claimed that historically U.S. government has failed to provide quality public services at low price because of inefficient bureaucracies. Failure of the government encouraged private sectors to enter public service sector in order to provide quality services at affordable prices. This also enhanced the financial interest of the private sectors. The two housing projects, St. Thomas and Iberville were identified as lucrative areas by political and economic elites, especially the areas inhabited by the African American community. The area surrounding St. Thomas which was predominated by the Blacks was particularly regarded as a hindrance to tourism. The idea was to evict this communi ty in order to transform the cities’ factories, warehouses and low income housing to promote tourism. Struggle ensued when the responsibility of removing the Blacks fell on the black political elite. In the year 1986, two black candidates participated in the mayoral race. William Jefferson who was an Angle- African American became the mayor that year. The losing candidate, Sidney Barthelemy befriended the low

Edith Whartons Souls Belated Essay Example for Free

Edith Whartons Souls Belated Essay Point of view always influences the way readers perceive events. In literature, the point of view the author chooses not only affects the way readers perceive and interpret events, but it also determines, to some extent, what the readers can actually see. That is, point of view guides the way readers interpret events and draw conclusions by limiting or illuminating the amount and nature of the information from which conclusions can be drawn. In Souls Belated, Edith Wharton uses point of view to illuminate the thoughts of each character individually, while concealing the thoughts of the other, and eventually to highlight the vastly different mindsets of both characters involved. Wharton first does this by revealing Lydias thoughts to the readers while hiding Gannetts. At the exposition, the story is told in third person, from Lydias point of view. This technique allows readers to see directly into Lydias mind. To know what Gannet is thinking, however, they must accept Lydias version of his thoughts: He was thinking of it now, just as she was; they had been thinking about it in unison ever since they had entered the train (673). Since readers have no direct insight into Gannetts brain, they have no way to know what he is really thinking, but neither do they have, as yet, any substantial reason to doubt Lydias interpretation of events. The third-person-limited point of view is particularly effective because it allows readers to view Lydias thoughts, opinions, and interpretations as facts. If Wharton had chosen to tell the story in first person, from Lydias point of view, the narrative would be clearly subjective. Readers would be aware of the limitations of a first person narrator. Consequently, they would have plenty of incentive to question the accuracy of Lydias perception. On the other hand, if the narrator were omniscient, it would describe Gannetts thoughts as well as Lydias and thereby remove all questions in this matter. The actual third person narrator seems removed enough from the action to appear to be an impartial observer; this inclines readers to accept the narrators statements as facts. That the point of view is limited, however, also leaves in question whether Lydias view of Gannett is correct, whether readers should accept it at face value; this is what  creates the subtle suspense of the story. Wharton builds on this suspense by suggesting that Lydia does know Gannett well enough to know his mind, or, at least, that Lydia thinks she knows Gannett well enough to know: now that he and she were alone she knew exactly what was passing through his mind; she could almost hear him asking himself what he should say to her (673). This not only further inclines readers to accept Lydias interpretation of Gannetts thoughts and emotions, but it also encourages them to be sympathetic to her. Lydia knows what Gannett is thinking, and she dreads it. Since readers know Lydias mind but not Gannetts, they cannot help but see the situation through her eyes. In order to see properly through Lydias eyes, in order to know why she dreads Gannett inevitably speaking to her, readers need to have some sense of her personality. The point of view helps accomplish this as well; it allows readers to extract information about Lydias personality from her reactions to her own memories. For example, when Lydia remembers her ex-husband and her reasons for leaving him, [she] had preferred to think that Tillotson had himself embodied all her reasons for leaving him. Yet she had not left him till she met Gannett (673). From this, readers know that Lydia, at the beginning at least, is not self-secure enough to have left her husband to be on her own. She could not turn from him without having someone else to turn to. However, this discovery had not been agreeable to her self-esteem (673), indicating that not only is Lydia aware of her own insecurity but also that it is something which bothers her. Lydia wants to think of herself as an independent woman but so far has not been as wholly independent as she would like to be. Once readers understand this part of Lydias personality, they are better prepared to understand why Lydia struggles against dependency. Specifically, she struggles against marrying Gannett because she views it as a particularly tempting form of dependency. Lydia fears that by marrying Gannett, she will lose whatever sense of self she has developed since leaving her husband; similarly, she worries that Gannett will lose his sense of self in marrying her. To look upon him as the instrument of her  liberation; to resist herself in the least tendency to a wifely taking possession of his future; had seemed to Lydia the one way of maintaining the dignity of their relation (675). At the same time, however, she realizes that this view of their relationship is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain: she was aware of a growing inability to keep her thoughts fixed on the essential point the point of parting with Gannett (675). Through what the narrator says and does not say about their relationship, readers can infer that Lydia is growing dependent on Gannett but is still trying to fight against it. The insight Wharton gives readers into Lydias personality contrasts sharply with how little they know of Gannett. Because of the narrators limited point of view, readers know only as much about Gannett as Lydia knows. Readers know what Gannett says and what he does, as well as what Lydia presumes he thinks, but they have no way to observe Gannetts thoughts for themselves. Even at one point where the narrative seems to shift to a more omniscient point of view, the narrator can only say, He looked at her hopelessly. Nothing is more perplexing to man than the mental process of a woman who reasons her emotions (678). The narrative still does not describe exactly what Gannett is thinking; it only describes Gannetts action, then makes a general statement which may or may not apply to Gannett specifically. Readers have no way of knowing whether Gannett actually thinks this statement or not; for all they know, it could be what Lydia is thinking, what she presumes about Gannetts state of mind. Not only does this point of view technique make the readers want to know what Gannett is thinking, but it also binds them emotionally to Lydia. They want to know what Gannett is thinking as badly as she does. After building up sufficient desire, Wharton finally satisfies the readers curiosity by shifting the point of view to allow them access to Gannetts thoughts. This shift also corresponds with an important twist in the plot; it comes at the beginning of their last conversation in the hotel room, just before Lydia suggests to Gannett that the only was to resolve their relationship is for her to leave him. Gannett threw away his cigarette; the sound of her voice made him want to see her face (685). Limited though it  is, this is the first time readers can witness Gannetts thoughts directly. Throughout the conversation, the shift intensifies. She sank again on the sofa, hiding her face in her hands. Gannett stood above her perplexedly; he felt as though she were being swept away by some implacable current while he stood helpless on its bank (688). Now, the roles are reversed: readers can know Gannetts emotional state from what the narrator tells them, but they must divine Lydias from he r words and actions. That this point of view shift comes before Lydias suggestion to leave Gannett is important because it brings with it a tone shift. When the readers can see Gannetts desires and emotions, they begin to feel sympathy for him. Now they can see the events through his eyes, too. Conversely, when the narrative distances itself from Lydias thoughts, it distances the readers from Lydia as well. While this distance does not necessarily cancel out any sympathy the readers have for Lydia, their sympathy for her does not overpower their sympathy for Gannett. Indeed, it is because of this newfound sympathy that Lydias, My leaving you, (689) does not seem to the readers like a desirable outcome. Since they now sympathize with both characters, they do not like anything that would cause either one of them pain. An act that would cause both characters pain would be doubly bad. Wharton continues this sympathy for Gannett by telling the last section of the story, where Lydia actually tries to leave him, from his point of view. Wharton also uses this point of view to answer many of Lydias, and therefore the readers, questions. For instance, the readers now get to see how Gannett views marriage, particularly marriage to Lydia. Even had his love lessened, he was now bound to her by a hundred ties of pity and self-reproach; and she, poor child! must turn back to hum as Latude returned to his cell (690). Gannett feels responsible for Lydia as well as bound to her; he possibly even feels somewhat fatherly toward her, as if she was a child who he had an obligation to look after. These are all attitudes opposed to Lydias pride and desire for independence. As Gannett watches Lydia walk away from the hotel, his thoughts continue: If any thought emerged from the tumult of his sensations, it was that he must let her go if she wished it. He had spoken last night of his rights: what were they? At the last issue, he and she were two separate beings, not made one by the miracle of common forbearances, duties, abnegations, but bound together in a noyade of passion that left them resisting yet clinging as they went down. (690) From this statement, readers know Gannetts true attitude toward marriage, that it is a spiritual joining that would give him some sort of right to Lydia. Not only is Gannetts opinion of marriage contrary to Lydias opinion of it, but it also conflicts with what Lydia believes Gannetts opinion to be. Their isolated points of view heighten the contrast between Gannetts and Lydias feelings toward marriage. This separation reminds the readers that although they can see into both Lydias and Gannetts minds, there is no way for either character to know what the other is thinking. Each character is completely cut off from the other; the only way they have to intuit thoughts is for them to interpret the words and actions of the other, just as readers must do, in turn, for each character. The isolation that lets the readers see this limitation is the same isolation that hides, ironically, the limitation from both characters. Lydia, for example, felt she knew exactly what was passing through his mind (673), even though it is her uncertainty that makes what Gannett is thinking so nervewracking for her. In the same way, Gannett later feels that Lydia is walking into a world where no one would understand her no one would pity her and he, who did both, was powerless to come to her aid (690). If Gannett truly understood and pitied Lydia, he would have understood that she is too independent to want is pity. But perhaps the most telling point of view shift comes at the end of the story, where Wharton retreats into an omniscient, objectively descriptive narrator. As Gannett watches Lydia leave the boat and come back to the hotel, back to him, [he] sat down beside a table; a Bradshaw lay at his elbow, and mechanically, without knowing what he did, he began looking out  the trains to Paris (691). The distance of the point of view echoes Gannetts distance from his own emotions. He acts mechanically, not knowing what he is doing because he does not know what he is feeling. Indeed, the distance of the narrative reflects the net numbness of the conflicting emotions that Lydia and Gannett are both feeling. Each must resign himself to marrying the one he loves.

Post-WWII History Essay Example for Free

Post-WWII History Essay After World War II, the United States focused on putting an end to Communism. The economic climate of the immediate postwar years was conducive to the rise of the political left. The detrimental effects of depression and global war generated popular demands for widespread social, political and economic reforms. Furthermore, wartime controls made ordinary citizens believe that economic planning was the best way to restore economic growth and equity (Painter, 1999). The United States, however, underwent a shift to the right. Republican domination of both houses of Congress after the 1946 midterm elections led to the strengthening of conservative opposition to the New Deal. Despite this accomplishment, the Republicans were unable to contain the main achievements of the New Deal – unionization of heavy industry, Social Security, agricultural subsidies and civil rights militancy. Throughout Europe and in parts of the Third World, meanwhile, chaotic social, political and economic conditions resulted in the emergence of Communist parties and other leftist groups (Painter, 1999). The aforementioned developments prompted Washington to assume that a new foe was in its midst – Communism. McCarthyism: The Great American Red Scare The period from the late 1940s to the mid-1950s was characterized with the rise of Communism in China and several nations in Eastern Europe. As a result, the US became fearful that it was losing the power struggle against the Soviet Union – a battle that was later known as the Cold War. This apprehension was exacerbated by suspicions that traitors within the American government were aiding the spread of Communism (Fitzgerald 2006). Such paranoia on the part of the US eventually resulted in the era of McCarthyism, a chapter in American history that was synonymous with state-sponsored Communist witch-hunts and anticommunist hysteria among the populace. Red Alert On the night of February 9, 1950, a senator from Wisconsin named Joseph McCarthy gave a Lincoln Day speech to the Republican Women’s Club of Wheeling, West Virginia. His speech on that particular evening, however, had absolutely nothing to do with Abraham Lincoln’s birthday. McCarthy’s address instead focused on the hostile relations between the US and the Soviet Union. He warned the audience that the Soviet Union intended to spread Communism throughout the US by sending spies to infiltrate the US government (Fitzgerald 2006). To prove this claim of his, McCarthy held up a piece of paper and reportedly stated: I have here in my hand a list of 205 (men) that were known to the secretary of state as being members of the Communist Party and who, nevertheless, are still working and shaping the policy of the State Department. (p. 10) This was a very grave allegation. The State Department is the government institution responsible for the establishment of foreign policy. The presence of Communists in such an important organization would therefore cripple the US in its fight against Communism worldwide. They would most likely work as spies, providing the Soviet Union with sensitive information about atomic weapons and US military and political strategy (Fitzgerald 2006).

Starbucks Success Business

Starbucks Success Business Starbucks first established in the year of 1971. There have three partners who are English teacher Jerry Baldwin, history teacher Zev Siege, and writer Gordon Bowker had expanded their first store named as Starbucks Coffee, Tea and Pike Place which locate in Seattles Pike Place Market. They were analyzing that each invest $1350 and they had borrowed $5000 from bank to hold the company of Starbucks. (Starbucks Corporation Company Background 1999) According to (Yahoo! Answers History Starbucks 2007), Alfred Peet had encourage them to open the store of Starbucks, so Alfred Peet was the first merchandise of green coffee that selling to them, so Starbucks is started to sell the high-quality coffee beans and equipment. However, they were suggesting changing their transaction object into growers of the coffee bean when they found out who the growers are. After few ten years, Starbucks could be a successful coffeehouse company with essential operation business in products and services, manag ement style, and marketing target. In 1982, Howard Schultz joins Starbucks. He was impressed by the popularity and culture of espresso bars in Milan, and therefore saw the establishment potential in Seattle. It was a success. In 1990s, Starbucks expands beyond Seattle, first to the rest of the United States, then the entire world. In 1996 Starbucks opened its first overseas store in Tokyo, Japan. Starbucks had to be well-known brand in the world with more than 13,000 stores in 39 countries. After becoming one of the first companies to offer stock options to its part-time employees, Starbucks becomes a publicly traded company. With the background of Starbucks Corporation, It was named as a name of character in a novel ‘Moby-Dick. Starbucks had owning 7,521 self-operated store and 5,647 licensed stores in 39 countries around the world. Beside that, when customer having their order at Starbucks, they are able to enjoying their order with an entertainment. Through the Starbucks Entertainment division and Hear Music brand, the company has ventured beyond the refreshments into books, music, and film and other. Refer to (HP, about Starbucks Coffee Company 2007), Starbucks Coffeehouse Company had business as leading retailer, roaster and brand of specialty coffee that they have expand more than 6000 retail locations in countries such as North and South American, Europe and so on. Starbucks has always provided the products which are the best coffee and fitness coffee experience offering to customer. Besides the quality of products, they also provide services as awesome environment, entertainment and social. What specially produce by Starbucks? There have drinks and foods serves out by Starbucks which are hot drinks such as drip brewed coffee, espresso-, hot chocolate and so on where the non-espresso-based drinks include tea, and ice-blended drinks. Starbucks also are offering foods to customer that includes pastries, sandwiches and salads. Besides drinks and foods, Starbucks has sales product to consumer such as coffee mugs and other paraphernalia that related to coffee beans. Comfortable environment offer to customer when they having their order in Starbucks with an entertainment. Types of entertainment are including music, books, films and other. (Wikipedia, Starbucks 2007) Specialty products of Starbucks are one successful key in business. According to . (Starbucks Corporation Product Line 1999)Starbucks stores serve a variety of very expensive and sweet drinks to customer. May be much of people have thinking that Starbucks products are quite expensive to purchase and only for rich family, but Starbucks have determined in their business plan, because they emphasize that the products they are produce are ever in quality and best. They are brewed coffees that will change in weekly to maintain their quality standard. Starbucks has expanding their various products due to season. Talent brewed by Starbucks such as cappuccinos has made with ‘dry, ‘wet, ‘extra hot, ‘soy, and ‘organic. Nowadays, ‘Frappuccino is high demand products offer by customer which that is combination with ‘frappe and ‘cappuccino, that have few types of Frappuccino such as Frappuccino blended beverage, Frappuccino Light blended beverage, F rappuccino Juice Blended with real fruit juice and ‘Power Frappuccino with nutrition as protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins. Other drinks like Tea have included â€Å"Chai Tea Latte†, a combination of black tea, exotic spices, honey, and milk; ‘Double shot as espresso drinks. In other way, foods of Starbucks cannot belittle, they are offering fresh breakfast as sandwiches, pastries, salads and other foods item like ice-cream, juices, and bottled water. As explain in easy ways, Starbucks is almost selling all the drinks are related to coffee beans. Besides products of Starbucks, services are also the element of successful businesses. One service of Starbucks is analyzed as ‘The Third Place. Meaning of ‘The Third Place is other place beside home and work. In the cafà © of Starbucks, they have provided outfitted with stuffed chairs and tables with hard backed chairs. These could upper-class of environment to comfort the customer. In the service, Starbucks has provide free electricity for customer and also wireless internet connection, so any customer who dont have internet service at home, Starbucks could allowed them come through surf net their laptop and have online. Starbucks is a common place for businessman to having their business and transaction with client, because of awesome environment and best quality of coffee. Starbucks has always provided fresh air and aroma in environmental. According to (Wikipedia, Starbucks 2007), Starbucks Company has noted a policy as ‘non-smoking in almost in all of their st ores, but this policy has never establish in countries such as Germany, Vienna and Mexico City. In such countries, Starbucks has smoking room for them normally on upstairs of outlet. The reason of smoking banned is because of the coffee aroma will be affect by smoke and no more adulterated. ‘The third Place is generally state by Starbucks to provide the personal entertainment where can fulfill the customer in their tea-time and they can have enjoyable with the music and magazine provided. There were many entertainments that provided in Starbucks store. Starbucks Entertainment was mostly selects the best in music, books and film to offer Starbucks customers the opportunity to discover quality entertainment in a fun and convenient way as part of their daily coffee routines. According to (Starbucks Company Profile 2007), Partnership of Starbucks has made an entertainment that may impact the entertainment industry with the music, labels and filmmakers. In provide additional entertainment to customer, Starbucks Entertainment has teamed with other corporation to create a iTunes store online, this could offering to customer in buying, download and preview the Starbucks entertainment such as music title and specially created play lists in a convenient online music buying experience. Starbucks has a successful image with their greater management style, but they will also incoming managerial problem. Starbucks has tried their best to increase market share of the non-coffee drinker. As people know, Starbucks is one of the most successful and admired companies in the world. Starbucks has grown from a single coffee shop in Seattle 33 years ago to 5,945 outlets in United States and 2,392 more in 28 countries. SWOT analysis is an analysis of the organizations strength, weakness, opportunity and threat that might lead to a restructure and successful solution to its internal and external problems. (SWOT Analysis Starbucks 2000) In the strength analysis, as people know, Starbucks Corporation is well-known coffeehouse in the world; of course Starbucks is making profitable business every year. According to (SWOT Analysis Starbucks Strength 2000), Starbucks has made a profit in excess of $600 million from sales of $5000 million in year 2004. Beside that, Reputation of Starbucks has built up because of the quality of products and services and also their market is going to everywhere has human lives in the world with almost 9000 cafes in 40 countries. In additional, Starbucks mention that they have a strong ethical value to a role of environmental leadership in their business that could effect to customer enjoyable and comfortable. Last strength for Starbucks is a respected employer that values its workforce, because of in the year 2005 Starbucks was one of the Fortune Top 100 Companies to Work For. Even though Starbucks has a lot of strength, but it still have such of weaknesses need to aware in business. Referr ing to (SWOT Analysis Starbucks Weaknesses 2000), To attract new customer, Starbucks has always produce creativity new specialty product but they emphasize that their innovation of new products may be stumble over time, so they need to develop another new product when previous products is outdated. Next weaknesses will be analyze is Starbucks has much dependant on the main competitive advantage, if other competitor has similar advantage to customer, Starbucks may getting risk in their business operation. Other weakness is the retail of coffee could slow the process of send into other sectors. Starbucks has over concern their business in the home market at United State of American with over three quarter of their stores; they should spread out more of their market to other countries. Furthermore, in opportunities analysis, Starbucks are always appreciating their opportunity coming, because they believe it will advantage to them. According to (SWOT Analysis Starbucks Opportunities 2000), Starbucks Company has created a service that customers can create their own music CD by using CD-Burning. This service has expanding in 2004 in one of their store ‘Santa Monica cafà © with Hewlett Packard. Besides, Starbucks has an opportunity that expands their new markets for coffee to India and the Pacific Rim nations for the beginning step. The company has retail their new products and services in their store which are Fair Trade and so on. Starbucks has taking their good opportunity to co-branding with other manufacturers and brand franchising to manufacturers to transmission drinks and foods; products and services. Furthermore, there has some threat that Starbucks would be taking. According to (SWOT Analysis Starbucks Threat 2000) Starbucks are suggesting to rises the cost of the coffee and other products. Besides that, Starbucks has never know what will be occur in the future, whether demand on coffee will be upward or other substitute beverage would be replace to coffee. Who can know the future? At last, Starbucks are successful on their business with conception in Pike Place Market since 1971, but its could also create much of competitors and copy cat refer to their talent of operation, may be the businesses would compete by other company in future. Besides planning strategy, human resources management is also the reason of Starbucks to be successful company. The value of Starbucks employees have acknowledge by the company. According to (Starbucks Company Profile 2007), Starbucks has more than 145000 employees which work about part-time or full-time in their entire cafà © and store. Average of Starbucks employees are 26 years old. Starbucks Company is providing the benefit package that includes healthcare benefits and stock option grants through Bean Stock to the employees. The chairman of Starbucks Schultz state that ‘They have the most knowledgeable workforce in their industry. Schultz emphasize that number of store they were opened is not main point, but they are concerned to growth and development of the employees. Furthermore, Schultz believed that their people are a core of successful reason. Employees have to know the basic knowledge as communication skill, ideas, commitment and connection that provide to customer. They would send employees to participate the training and development program. Every new employee will have at least 24 hours training time in first two to four weeks. There have six types of training included classes on history guide of Starbucks, drinks and foods preparation, knowledge in coffee, customer services provide to customer, retail skills of products, and a workshop called ‘Brewing the Perfect Cup. Each of training has to consume for 4 hour. (Starbucks Corporation Employee Training 1999) On-the-job training to employees of Starbucks has include employees has to maintain and self-improve from the job; listen and acknowledge; and can ask for help from their peer or coworker.Beside that, staffing of Starbucks, can only be two to four partners includes Assistant Manager or store manager in one stores. Any employee who completed the Coffee Master course can be high standing and known as ‘Coffee Master in other words is manager of Starbucks. Certification could be t aking from several tests. That is depending on how professional of employees in tasting, growing, roasting and purchasing of the products and services. Coffee Master has worn black aprons whereas normal employees are wearing standard green aprons. (Wikipedia, Starbucks 2007) Last element of successful key is the target marketing of Starbucks. To be maximizing their market, Starbucks has establish geographic expansion strategy in 1992 and 1993 that they has focus in a targeted area, this is because that has more convenience connection between stores and build up an infrastructure that is link together with the branches store. Starbucks would like to selected a large city to serve as a hub; teams of professionals were located in hub cities to support the goal of opening more and more again stores in the target region. Once the stores plant in entire hub areas, additional stores were slowly to spreading to other area as opened smaller surrounding the hub region area to widely area. (Starbucks Corporation The Store Expansion Strategy 1999) Starbucks has doing market research such as survey; questionnaire and observation by using ‘Customer Relationship Management to ensure the expectation of customer. As the information they have concern are about dimension of segmentation will be demographics include age and household status of customer to having their products. They are selected married couples age 25 54 with children to be their primary target market. According to the research, they found that these households spend more than other households on non-alcoholic beverages away from home. They are trying to consume the product to child with the coffee-free Frappuccino. Starbucks has also implement a strategy with some event to encourage parents buying a Frappuccino to their child as free game of soccer victory and even a trip to family on holiday. They expect that this could influence to child purchasing decision and always in the childs mind remain until when they are mature. (Starbucks: â€Å"The Non-Coffee Tre at† Segmentation n.d) In other of marketing planning of Starbucks is goes international. Starbucks can be well-known and making profitable business is depend on their market in other 39 countries. Nowadays, Starbucks has located many branch stores to international. According to (Starbucks Company Profile 2007) Time series of the Starbucks opened are following: The first branches that Starbucks opened in overseas were in 1996 which store in Tokyo, Japan and after store in Singapore. Year 1997: Philippines; Year 1998: U.K., Taiwan, Thailand, New Zealand and Malaysia; Year 1999: Beijing, Kuwait, South Korea and Lebanon; Year 2000: United Arab Emirates, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Australia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain; Year 2001: Switzerland and Austria; Year 2002: Oman, Germany, Spain Mexico, Puerto Rico, Macau and Shenzhen, Greece and Indonesia; Year 2003: Turkey, Peru, Chile and Cyprus; Year 2004: France; Year 2005: Jordan, Bahamas and Ireland; Year 2006: Brazil and Egypt; Year 2007: Romania. Structure of Starbucks is also their market strategy that could attract the customer because of specialty building. According to (Starbucks Corporation Real Estate, Store Design, Store Planning, and Construction 1999), Starbucks had began to create their own structure of building starting from year 1991, they are build up an own in-house team of architects and designers to modified their building. They analyze that every stores has convey right image and characteristics. In different places, they would design different structure of building to coordinate to environment. Stores had to be custom-designed because Starbucks didnt buy real estate and build its own freestanding structures; rather, each space was leased in an existing structure and thus each store differed in size and shape. Most stores were located in office buildings, downtown and suburban retail centers, airport terminals, university campus areas, or busy neighborhood shopping areas convenient to pedestrian foot traffic. According to (Starbucks Company Profile 2007), Starbucks has many competitors, where the two largest competitors are Dunkin Donuts and Krispy Kreme, direct competitors such as fast food stores McDonalds and Burger King etc. and some small coffee shop. From the case, Starbucks is tried to push forward some and upgrade to different element compare to competitors. To ensure further market growth and be competitive, Starbucks is developing new products for non-coffee drinkers; they are producing the latest Frappuccino such as Java Chip Frappuccino, Double Chocolate Chip Frappuccino, Strawberries Crà ¨me Frappuccino, and Cafà © Vanilla Frappuccino. Starbucks is taking a good competitive advantage to customer comparing to their competitors. They have several important points to maximize their customer by using brand experience, brand quality, guarantee health on product, and convenient access. In conclusion, people are recognizing Starbucks Coffeehouse Corporation is one of very successful businesses in the world. As reason of successful, Starbucks has mention that their businesses arent just for drinks and foods, but their main business purpose is to undertaking in an emotional experience of their operation. Beside that, they are guarantee the quality of their products and services and enjoyable environmental that could create a loyal customer. They also perceive the health of coffees to the customer and never affect to their healthy. Somewhere there has people to living; Starbucks would locate a store to those places. In many locations Starbucks offers drive-thru windows, which are more convenient then its competitors. Reference Answer 2007, Why has starbucks gotten so famous and how? where waz the first starbucks made?, Retrieved: 11 http://au.answers.yahoo.com/answers2/frontend.php/question?qid=1006052707796 A5 Consulting group n.d., Starbucks: â€Å"The Non-Coffee Treat†, Retrieved: 25 August 2007 from http://carmean.net/papers/Starbucks%20Marketing.doc Isidro, I 2006, Learning from Starbucks: 10 Lessons for Small Businesses, Retrieved: 22 August 2007 from http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol144/starbucks.htm Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P 2007, About Starbucks coffee Company, Retrieved: 13 November 2007 from http://www.hp.com/hpinfo/newsroom/press/2003/030415b.html Marketing Teacher Ltd 2000, SWOT Analysis Starbucks, Retrieved: 20 August 2007 from http://marketingteacher.com/SWOT/starbucks_swot.htm Starbucks Coffee 2007, Company Profile, Retrieved: 13 November 2007 from http://www.starbucks.com/aboutus/Company_Profile.pdf The McGraw-Hill Companies 1999, Starbucks Corporation, Retrieved: 23 August 2007 from http://www.mhhe.com/business/management/thompson/11e/case/starbucks.html Wikimedia Foundation, Inc 2007, Starbucks, Retrieved: 14 November 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starbucks

Wealth and Happiness in Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen Essay

In the novel Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen, the Dashwood family is left with much less money after their father dies. When their cousin takes them in, they move to a new home and start their new life. In this time period money and social rank were the most important things. For most marriage has nothing to do with love, it is about gaining property, money or rank. This is why Elinor and Marianne’s, two of the Dashwood sisters, answers to the question: â€Å"what have wealth or grandeur to do with happiness?† (122) are so important. Elinor, the eldest Dashwood sister has all the characteristics of sense and responds, â€Å"grandeur has but little . . . but wealth has much to do with it† (122). She is implying that to be happy in life one must have money. Marianne seems to be the opposite of Elinor and embodies sensibility; she disagrees and claims that money â€Å"gives no real satisfaction† (122). This theme is seen throughout the novels wi th many characters specifically with the characters of the two Dashwood sisters, Edward, Mr. Willoughby and Colonel Brandon. These ideas influence the characters’ decisions and have many consequences. Elinor is said to be the character that has the most sense. She sharply contrasts her mother and her other sisters who are much more open with their feelings. Elinor is said to follow all the rules of society. Her beliefs and attitude are what makes it so surprising that she decides to marry a man such as Edward. Edward’s fortune depends entirely on his mother and he must stay in her good grace to inherit any money. At first Elinor’s belief that money has much to do with happiness makes sense. She has feelings for Edward who is the eldest son and therefore should inherit all the money. Ho... ...oose wealth she shows that the consequences are not always expected. Wealth and happiness was the common debate for most people at the time, and usually wealth would conquer happiness. Women, and even men, always wanted to â€Å"marry up† and climb the social ladder. Austen seems to convey the idea that one should marry someone for love but does put importance on money. Although most of her main characters marry for love she makes sure they have an income. Even the characters who claim that happiness is most important, such as Marianne, have a subconscious desire for men of wealth; and sensible characters such as Elinor hesitate at the idea of a marriage that would be made impossible by a lack of fortune. In the end love and happiness triumph over wealth and grandeur as Willoughby and Lucy lose the people they love and Marianne, Edward and Elinor live contently.

Lady Macbeth The Real Power Behind the Throne :: essays papers

Lady Macbeth The Real Power Behind the Throne Power is a theme used by Shakespeare throughout the play Macbeth. The plot involves Macbeth trying to gain more power. Lady Macbeth tries to convince Macbeth to kill Duncan so that he will become king in his place. Macbeth also is persuaded to kill anyone who threatens his chances of being king, including Banquo. Power is used by certain characters in the play to influence others. One such character is Lady Macbeth. In the beginning of the play, she is a strong-willed character. She takes on the role of a dominant male. She has great influence over her husband, who appears to be weaker than she is. It is her influence that convinces Macbeth to murder Duncan. Lady Macbeth is the dominant partner at the beginning of the play, she persuades Macbeth to achieve his goal, and she plans the murder of Duncan. Lady Macbeth takes the role of the dominant partner in the beginning of the play, by acting as the real power behind the throne. For example, it is easily recognized that Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are opposite in many ways (Scott 236). He is weak, indecisive, and takes on the traditional female role of the marriage; she is strong, decisive, and takes on the traditional male role. One place in the play where Macbeth’s character is shown is Act I, Scene 5, Lines 15-17. She says, â€Å"Glamis thou art, and Cawdor, and shalt be / What thou art promis’d : yet do I fear thy nature / Is too full o’ the milk of human kindness.† This is just after Lady Macbeth receives the letter from Macbeth. It is also important to notice that when Macbeth’s first thoughts of killing Duncan appear, he is scared. After he commits the murder, Macbeth says, â€Å"To know my deed, ‘twere best not know myself † ( 2. 2. 72 ). Knowing that he has committed such a vil e act makes him uncomfortable. It will be difficult to act innocent and deal with his guilt. Lady Macbeth thinks that being gentle is a weakness. When she says Macbeth is â€Å"too full o’ the milk of human kindness,† she means that he is too gentle and weak to murder Duncan (Scott 37). For example, in Act II, Scene 2, Lines 57-74, Macbeth has trouble dealing with the guilt of committing such a crime. He immediately wishes Duncan were alive again.

personaliy theories :: essays research papers

1925 - present Theory Behaviorism, with its emphasis on experimental methods, focuses on variables we can observe, measure, and manipulate, and avoids whatever is subjective, internal, and unavailable -- i.e. mental. In the experimental method, the standard procedure is to manipulate one variable, and then measure its effects on another. All this boils down to a theory of personality that says that one’s environment causes one’s behavior. Bandura found this a bit too simplistic for the phenomena he was observing -- aggression in adolescents -- and so decided to add a little something to the formula: He suggested that environment causes behavior, true; but behavior causes environment as well. He labeled this concept reciprocal determinism: The world and a person’s behavior cause each other. Observational learning, or modeling Of the hundreds of studies Bandura was responsible for, one group stands out above the others -- the bobo doll studies. He made of film of one of his students, a young woman, essentially beating up a bobo doll. In case you don’t know, a bobo doll is an inflatable, egg-shape balloon creature with a weight in the bottom that makes it bob back up when you knock him down. Nowadays, it might have Darth Vader painted on it, but back then it was simply â€Å"Bobo† the clown. All these variations allowed Bandura to establish that there were certain steps involved in the modeling process: 1. Attention. If you are going to learn anything, you have to be paying attention. Likewise, anything that puts a damper on attention is going to decrease learning, including observational learning. If, for example, you are sleepy, groggy, drugged, sick, nervous, or â€Å"hyper,† you will learn less well. Likewise, if you are being distracted by competing stimuli. Some of the things that influence attention involve characteristics of the model. If the model is colorful and dramatic, for example, we pay more attention. If the model is attractive, or prestigious, or appears to be particularly competent, you will pay more attention. And if the model seems more like yourself, you pay more attention. These kinds of variables directed Bandura towards an examination of television and its effects on kids! 2. Retention. Second, you must be able to retain -- remember -- what you have paid attention to. This is where imagery and language come in: we store what we have seen the model doing in the form of mental images or verbal descriptions. personaliy theories :: essays research papers 1925 - present Theory Behaviorism, with its emphasis on experimental methods, focuses on variables we can observe, measure, and manipulate, and avoids whatever is subjective, internal, and unavailable -- i.e. mental. In the experimental method, the standard procedure is to manipulate one variable, and then measure its effects on another. All this boils down to a theory of personality that says that one’s environment causes one’s behavior. Bandura found this a bit too simplistic for the phenomena he was observing -- aggression in adolescents -- and so decided to add a little something to the formula: He suggested that environment causes behavior, true; but behavior causes environment as well. He labeled this concept reciprocal determinism: The world and a person’s behavior cause each other. Observational learning, or modeling Of the hundreds of studies Bandura was responsible for, one group stands out above the others -- the bobo doll studies. He made of film of one of his students, a young woman, essentially beating up a bobo doll. In case you don’t know, a bobo doll is an inflatable, egg-shape balloon creature with a weight in the bottom that makes it bob back up when you knock him down. Nowadays, it might have Darth Vader painted on it, but back then it was simply â€Å"Bobo† the clown. All these variations allowed Bandura to establish that there were certain steps involved in the modeling process: 1. Attention. If you are going to learn anything, you have to be paying attention. Likewise, anything that puts a damper on attention is going to decrease learning, including observational learning. If, for example, you are sleepy, groggy, drugged, sick, nervous, or â€Å"hyper,† you will learn less well. Likewise, if you are being distracted by competing stimuli. Some of the things that influence attention involve characteristics of the model. If the model is colorful and dramatic, for example, we pay more attention. If the model is attractive, or prestigious, or appears to be particularly competent, you will pay more attention. And if the model seems more like yourself, you pay more attention. These kinds of variables directed Bandura towards an examination of television and its effects on kids! 2. Retention. Second, you must be able to retain -- remember -- what you have paid attention to. This is where imagery and language come in: we store what we have seen the model doing in the form of mental images or verbal descriptions.

President Barack Obama’s Communication Style Essay

During President Barack Obama’s climb to the White House, he and his campaign have utilized an effective and thought provoking communications strategy to provide a transparent and honest message to the American public. Through his powers of oration, his formidable writing abilities, his comfort on the stage of debate, and through the revamping of the White House website, President Obama has changed the way politicians relate and interact with the populace. This brief essay will outline the major tactics that have proved successful in his rise to power with an aim on his interpretive dominance and popularity throughout a fierce campaign and a mountainous uphill battle to win the public’s support in the midst of two wars and a global economic crisis. As a standout student at the University of Illinois and at Harvard Law School, the young Barack Obama cultivated a direct and honest approach to his communication style. His early days as an Illinois Senator proved that he could build a grassroots support system that did not have to rely on media campaigns for strength, but would grow and strengthen personal relationships through straightforward and honest discourse. In a 2008 US News & World Report article, Kenneth T. Walsh writes of Obama’s communicational outlook, â€Å"Beyond the hype and the spin, Obama has operated as a conventional politician who has demonstrated some very unusual traits—extraordinary communication skills, the ability to grow as a leader, and the good sense and savvy to recognize a zeitgeist, the nation’s powerful desire for change, when he sees one† (Walsh). In this spirit, Mr. Walsh is painting a portrait of the politician as an opportunist and clear-minded individual that is not afraid of speaking his opinion on important matters. This has been a key to his success as a believable and inspirational communicator and has paved the way for him to provide momentous messages that fueled his campaign and his career in politics. On President Obama and Vice President Biden’s homepage on the internet they have a banner quote by Obama that reads, â€Å"I’m asking you to believe. Not just about my ability to bring about real change in Washington†¦I’m asking you to believe in yours† (Organizing). The call for change and hope that were the hallmarks of Obama’s communication zeitgeist echoed throughout the voting polls, the town hall meetings, the local taverns and on the streets. This message proved so successful because it was not a one-way message. Obama’s campaign ideology does not stand outside of participation, in fact, in stands on participation. This quote that headlines the interfacing between the public and the White House demonstrates the necessity for people to believe not just in the power of words, but in the power of believing in politics, politicians, and ourselves. This discourse of interaction and participation has been a proven tactic in successful politics throughout history but President Obama did not rely on the traditional methods. He has demonstrated fluency in technological mediums such as his famed Blackberry cell phone, his YouTube video messages, the revamping of the White House website, his grassroots campaign financing that was largely based on small donations by a multitude of supporters through his website. That being said, his positive and optimistic personality has carried him a long way in successfully communicating his ideals and his platform in face-to-face conversations. As an example, his Presidential Acceptance Speech in Chicago has been viewed over 4,760,000 times on YouTube, his Inauguration Speech in Washington has been viewed over 3,770,000 times in addition to the two million people that turned out to witness it live (Obama). President Obama’s communication strategy has implemented a variety of mediums and platforms that politicians in the past either neglected or did not have access to. For example, President Bush and Presidential Nominee John McCain are notorious for their refusals to use E-mail whereas President Obama had to fight to keep his internet and Instant Messaging Blackberry. Furthermore, all of his books have become New York Times Bestsellers. Mr. Walsh, later in the article speaks of President Obama’s mass appeal and popularity that is thanks to his gifts as a successful and believable communicator, â€Å"Obama’s Chicago background has enabled him to appeal to many divergent groups, from poor African-Americans to white businessmen, working-class folks, middle-class professionals, wheeler-dealers, mainstream reporters, teachers, suburban parents, professors, and college students (Walsh). His reach is both focused and widespread and in this way President Obama has created long-lasting and personal relationships with his constituency that transcends the formulaic and generic mass media approaches. Through his unbridled ambition and his thirst for honest discourse, President Obama has changed the way politicians will communicate with the public. He has changed it in the spirit of optimism and transparency without having to rely on attack ads, even though he has not been above harsh criticism of his opponents and the Bush Administration. He has not been afraid to speak his opinion, even when that has proved to be unpopular, as in the case of defending the controversial Reverend Jeremiah Wright, or when he said he would open forms of dialogue with Pakistan and Iran, or when he made the speech attacking the latent and blatant forms of racism. His popularity has been a direct result of his honesty and his gifts for communicating and as he was elected he continued this approach, even though some people wanted him to deliver a soaring speech at his Inauguration. This keen sense of setting and circumstance allowed President Obama to deliver not the speech of fantasy, but a sobering and directly honest speech about the current state of affairs we now find ourselves in, â€Å"That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age (Transcript). In this spirit, he has not abandoned optimism and the hope for positive change, but he is acknowledging the uphill battle and the fierce struggles that we are going to face. Although he could have delivered a speech that overlooked these struggles in the name of developing a popular national fervor of (false) support, instead he decided to continue his tradition of straightforward honesty, albeit in an eloquent and reassuring tone. This has led some critics to attack President Obama and his administration as our country is trying to climb ourselves out of a record national debt and widespread uncertainty as to the future of our country. The massive bailouts of the automotive industry and the large investment firms and banks have led critics to wildly label Obama as a Socialist and as a reactionary when in fact, as evidenced by the White House website, the Obama mission is to restore good faith and honest business practices to the industries that have helped to build up the United States in the first place. That being said, he has harsh words for executives that are receiving massive amounts of bailout money for their failed institutions while at the same time writing enormous bonus checks to themselves, as in the current example of AIG. In an attempt to restore justice and balance to both business and politics, President Obama has done something that no other President has – he has reached across the political isle and assigned three cabinet posts to Republicans. His spirit of unification cannot be denied and yet some critics still label him as a staunch Democratic Party ideologue and stalwart, when in fact he has made huge efforts to bridge the gap. As Mr. Walsh points out in his article this tendency goes back all the way to his community organizing in Chicago and to his days as a young Illinois Senator, â€Å"Overall, he built a respectable record, working with both Democrats and Republicans to win approval for a series of bills†¦He showed his potential when the Senate overwhelmingly passed a controversial law he sponsored on campaign finance reform in May 1998, prohibiting legislators from raising campaign funds†¦ (Walsh). His bipartisanship has proven to be beyond mere rhetoric in spite of the allegations that are distributed throughout the media. Overall, President Obama has changed the game of politics. He has instituted a communication style built on honesty and transparency while at the same time utilizing all the tools at his disposal in order to fulfill the missions that he promised to the American public. His communication strategy will be the model upon which future successful campaigns will be built. Works Cited Obama Speeches. (2009). YouTube. com. Retrieved 20 March 2009, from http://www. youtube. com/results? search_type=&search_query=obama+speeches Organizing for America. (2009). Retrieved 20 March 2009, from http://www. barackobama. com/index. php Transcript – Barack Obama’s Inaugural Address. (2009). The New York Times. Retrieved 20 March 2009, from http://www. nytimes. com/2009/01/20/us/politics/20text-obama. html Walsh, Kenneth T. (2009). Obama’s Years in Chicago Politics Shaped His Presidential Candidacy. U. S. News & World Report. Retrieved 20 March 2009, from http://www. usnews. com/articles/news/campaign-2008/2008/04/11/

Oprah is a name that needs no introduction Essay

Oprah is so well-known that she doesn’t even need a last name! Her early years in her career were influenced strongly by viewing Barbara Walters on The Today Show. She was a senior in high school when she entered a contest. Upon entering the contest she had to choose a career goal. Her choice was broadcast journalism because the other contestants chose to be a nurse and teacher. This choice turned out to be a very wise choice. She won the contest! This win landed her a job as a newscaster while still attending Tennessee State University. Although the stress of a job and college were taxing, Oprah loved the business and knew this was an actual viable option for her. This led Oprah to a job at Baltimore’s largest television station. She was at first on, then off, the evening news. She was then placed on an early morning interview show where she felt the click -This Is It! This is my future! Her obstacles were many. She was a woman, she was African-American, she was poor but she wasn’t a quitter. She knew to succeed meant to keep on her path and to not lose sight of her goal. She knew this by the time she was three or four years old. She knew that she would accomplish something spectacular. And indeed she has; she began hosting a television show in 1984 in Chicago which soon became syndicated. She knew that to remain successful and in a leadership position that she needed to purchase her show, in which she did. This led to many other ventures in her life such as the cable channel Oxygen and her magazine, O. She is so successful that she was acknowledged as the wealthiest African American woman in entertainment. Life Magazine also listed her in â€Å"The Most 100 Influential People of the 20th Century† in 1998. See more: how to write an introduction Oprah has become so influential because she is living proof that adversity can be overcome. Abuse can be overcome. Poverty and racism can be overcome. She is an icon to all of those that struggle. Her openness about her battle with her weight is just another avenue for people to connect with and be influenced by her. She’s open about her past, people relate to that. Influence is power, especially if you show the shoes that you have traveled in. She is an advocate for African Americans, women, children, poverty, and racism. She touches nearly everyone in some facet of their life. Oprah’s leadership style is ‘Lead By Example. We have watched her air her abuse stories on air as well as her weight problems. This humanizes her as well as openly shows that any weakness can become a strength if one perseveres. She never leads by letting others pave the way. She paves the way! She opens doors for education of minorities in impoverished countries that most of the world has chosen to forget. She also leads through compassion and conviction. What impresses me most about Oprah is she never allowed herself to â€Å"stay down. † She had always managed to overcome all of her personal and professional obstacles to achieve personal and professional success. She values her personal growth and success more, and there again, it shows that she is only human like the rest of us. Even if she were to become poor today, she would still keep trying to learn the life lessons that have made her strong and truly convicted in her belief system. Conversely, what I found unimpressive is her over-playing the race card at times. If she promotes a movie that is predominately African American, she is overly friendly and has even been noted to share some â€Å"private† moment on air that the rest of America may not understand. The favoritism toward these fellow African-Americans can sometimes be nauseating.

Night World : The Chosen Chapter 5

Rashel froze. Her sword remained in the air, poised over the vampire's heart. â€Å"Well, what are you waiting for?† the vampire said. â€Å"Go on and do it.† Rashel didn't know what she was waiting for. The vampire was in a position to block her sword with his wooden handcuffs, but he didn't do any such thing. She could tell by his body language that he wasn't going to, either. Instead he just lay there, looking up at her with eyes that were as dark and empty as the depths of space. His hair was tousled on his forehead and his mouth was a bleak line. He didn't seem afraid. He just went on staring with those fathomless eyes. All right, Rashel thought. Do it. Even the leech is telling you to. Do it fast-now. But instead she found herself pivoting and stepping slowly away from him. â€Å"Sorry,† she said out loud. â€Å"I don't take orders from parasites.† She kept her sword at the ready in case he made any sudden moves. But all he did was glance down at the wooden handcuffs, wiggle his wrists in them, and then lie back. â€Å"I see,† he said with a strange smile. â€Å"So it's torture this time, right? Well, that should be amusing for you.† Stake him, dummy, came the little voice in Rashel's head. Don't talk to him. It's dangerous to get in a conversation with his kind. But she couldn't refocus herself. In a minute, she told the voice. First I have to get my own control back. She knelt in her ready-for-action crouch and picked up the flashlight, turning it full on his face. He blinked and looked away, squinting. There. Now she could see him, but he couldn't see her. Vampire eyes were hypersensitive to light. And even if he did manage to get a glimpse of her, she was wearing her scarf. She had all the advantages, and it made her feel more in command of the situation. â€Å"Why would you think we want to torture you?† she said. He smiled at the ceiling, not trying to look at her. â€Å"Because I'm still alive.† He raised the handcuffs. â€Å"And aren't these traditional? A few vampires from the south shore have turned up mutilated with stocks like these on. It seemed to have been done for fun.† Smile. Vicky's work, Rashel thought. She wished he would stop smiling. It was such a disturbing smile, beautiful and a little mad. â€Å"Unless,† the vampire was going on, â€Å"it's information you want.† Rashel snorted. â€Å"Would I be likely to get information from you if I did want it?† â€Å"Well.† Smile. â€Å"Not likely.† â€Å"I didn't think so,† Rashel said dryly. He laughed out loud. Oh, God, Rashel thought. Stake him. She didn't know what was wrong with her. Okay, he was charming-in a weird way. But she'd known other charming vampires-smooth, practiced flatterers who tried to sweet-talk or cajole their way out of being staked. Some had tried to seduce her. Almost all had tried mind control. It was only because Rashel had the will to resist telepathy that she was alive today. But this vampire wasn't doing any of the ordinary things-and when he laughed, it made Rashers heart thump oddly. His whole face changed when he laughed. A sort of light shone in it. Girl, you are in trouble. Kill him quick. â€Å"Look,† she said, and she was surprised to find her voice a little shaky. â€Å"This isn't personal. And you probably don't care, but I'm not the one who was going to torture you. This is business, and it's what I have to do.† She took a deep breath and reached for the sword by her knee. He turned his face to the light. He wasn't smiling now and there was no amusement in his voice when he said, â€Å"I understand. You've got†¦ honor.† Looking back at the ceiling, he added, â€Å"And you're right, this is the way it always has to end when our two races meet. It's kill or be killed. The law of nature.† He was speaking to her as one warrior to another. Suddenly Rashel felt something she'd never felt for a vampire before. Respect. A strange wish that they weren't on opposite sides in this war. A regret that they could never be anything but deadly enemies. He's somebody I could talk to, she thought. An odd loneliness had taken hold of her. She hadn't realized she cared about having anyone to talk to. She found herself saying awkwardly, â€Å"Is there anybody you want notified-afterward? I mean, do you have any family? I could make sure the news gets around, so they'd know what had happened to you.† She didn't expect him to actually give her any names. That would be crazy. In this game knowledge was power, with each side trying to find out who the players on the other side were. If you could identify someone as a vampire-or a vampire hunter-you knew who to kill. It was Batman and Catwoman all over. The important thing was to preserve your secret identity. But this vampire, who was obviously a lunatic, said thoughtfully, â€Å"Well, you could send a note to my adopted father. He's Hunter Redfern. Sorry I can't give you an address, but he should be somewhere down east.† Another smile. â€Å"I forgot to tell you my name. It's Quinn.† Rashel felt as if she'd been hit with an oak club. Quinn. One of the most dangerous vampires in all the Night World. Maybe the most dangerous of the made vampires, the ones who'd started out human. She knew him by reputation-every vampire hunter did. He was supposed to be a deadly fighter and a brilliant strategist; clever, resourceful†¦ and cold as ice. He despised humans, held them in utter contempt. He wanted the Night World to wipe them out, except for a few to be used for food. I was wrong, Rashel thought dazedly. I should have let Vicky torture him. I'm sure he deserves it, if any of them do. God only knows what he's done in his time. Quinn had turned his head toward her again, looking straight into the flashlight even though it must be hurting his eyes. â€Å"So you see, you'd better kill me fast,† he said in a voice soft as snow falling. â€Å"Because that's certainly what I'm going to do to you if I get loose.† Rashel gave a strained laugh. â€Å"Am I supposed to be scared?† â€Å"Only if you have the brains to know who I am.† Now he sounded tired and scornful. â€Å"Which obviously you don't.† â€Å"Well, let me see. I seem to remember something about the Redferns†¦. Aren't they the family who controls the vampire part of the Night World Council? The most important family of all the lamia, the born vampires. Descended directly from Maya, the legendary first vampire. And Hunter Redfern is their leader, the upholder of Night World law, the one who colonized America with vampires back in the sixteen hundreds. Tell me if I'm getting any of this wrong.† He gave her a cold glance. â€Å"You see, we have our sources. And I seem to remember them mentioning your name, too. You were made a vampire by Hunter†¦ and since his own children were all daughters, you're also his heir.† Quinn laughed sourly. â€Å"Yes, well, that's an on-again, off-again thing. You might say I have a love-hate relationship with the Redferns. We spend most of the time wishing each other at the bottom of the Atlantic.† â€Å"Teh, vampire family infighting,† Rashel said. â€Å"Why is it always so hard to get along with your folks?† Despite her light words, she had to focus to keep control of her breathing. It wasn't fear. She truly wasn't scared of him. It was something like confusion. Clearly, she should be killing him at this moment instead of chatting with him. She couldn't understand why she wasn't doing it. The only excuse she had was that it seemed to make him even more confused and angry than it did her. â€Å"I don't think you've heard enough about me,† he said, showing his teeth. â€Å"I'm your worst nightmare, human. I even shock other vampires. Like old Hunter†¦ he has certain ideas about propriety. How you kill, and who. If he knew some of the things I do, he'd fall down dead himself.† Good old Hunter, Rashel thought. The stiff moral patriarch of the Redfern clan, still caught up in the seventeenth century. He might be a vampire, but he was definitely a New Englander. â€Å"Maybe I should find a way to tell him,† she said whimsically. Quinn gave her another cold look, this time tempered with respect. â€Å"If I thought you could find him, I'd worry.† Rashel was suddenly struck by something. â€Å"You know, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say your first name. I mean, I presume you have one.† He blinked. Then, as if he were surprised himself, he said, â€Å"John.† â€Å"John Quinn. John.† â€Å"I didn't invite you to call me it.† â€Å"All right, whatever.† She said it absently, deep in thought. John Quinn. Such a normal name, a Boston name. The name of a real person. It made her think of him as a person, instead of as Quinn the dreadful. â€Å"Look,† Rashel said, and then she asked him something she'd never asked a Night Person before. She said, â€Å"Did you want Hunter Redfern to make you a vampire?† There was a long pause. Then Quinn said expressionlessly, â€Å"As a matter of fact, I wanted to kill him for it.† â€Å"I see.† I'd want to do the same, Rashel thought. She didn't mean to ask any more questions, but she found herself saying, â€Å"Then why did he do it? I mean, why pick you?† Another pause. Just when she was sure he wouldn't answer, he said, â€Å"I was-I wanted to marry one of his daughters. Her name was Dove.† â€Å"You wanted to marry a vampire?† â€Å"I didn't know she was a vampire!† This time Quinn's voice was quick and impatient. â€Å"Hunter Redfern was accepted in Charlestown. Granted, a few people said his wife had been a witch, but in those days people said that if you smiled in church.† â€Å"So he just lived there and nobody knew,† Rashel said. â€Å"Most people accepted him.† A faint mocking smile curved Quinn's lips. â€Å"My own father accepted him, and he was the minister.† Despite herself, Rashel was fascinated. â€Å"And you had to be a vampire to marry her? Dove, I mean.† â€Å"I didn't get to marry her,† Quinn said tonelessly. He seemed as surprised as she was that he was telling her these things. But he went on, seeming to speak almost to himself. â€Å"Hunter wanted me to marry one of his other daughters. I said I'd rather marry a pig. Garnet-that's the oldest-was about as interesting as a stick of wood. And Lily, the middle one, was evil. I could see that in her eyes. I only wanted Dove.† â€Å"And you told him that?† â€Å"Of course. He agreed to it finally-and then he told me his family's secret. Well.† Quinn laughed bitterly. â€Å"He didn't tell me, actually. It was more of a demonstration. When I woke up, I was dead and a vampire. It was quite an experience.† Rashel opened her mouth and then shut it again, trying to imagine the horror of it. Finally she just said, â€Å"I bet.† They sat for a moment in silence. Rashel had never felt so†¦ close to a vampire. Instead of disgust and hatred, she felt pity. â€Å"But what happened to Dove?† Quinn seemed to tense all over. â€Å"She died,† he said nastily. It was clear that his confidences were over. â€Å"How?† â€Å"None of your business!† Rashel tilted her head and looked at him soberly. â€Å"How, John Quinn? You know, there are some things you really ought to tell other people. It might help.† â€Å"I don't need a damn psychoanalyst,† he spat. He was furious now, and there was a dark light in his eyes that ought to have frightened Rashel. He looked as wild as she felt sometimes, when she didn't care who she hurt. She wasn't frightened. She was strangely calm, the kind of calm she felt when her breathing exercises made her feel one with the earth and absolutely sure of her path. â€Å"Look, Quinn-â€Å" â€Å"I really think you'd better kill me now,† he said tightly. â€Å"Unless you're too stupid or too scared. This wood won't hold forever, you know. And when I get out, I'm going to use that sword on you.† Startled, Rashel looked down at Vicky's handcuffs. They were bent. Not the oak, of course-it was the metal hinges that were coming apart. Soon he'd have enough room to slip them off. He was very strong, even for a vampire. And then, with the same odd calm, she realized what she was going to do. â€Å"Yes, that's a good idea,† she said. â€Å"Keep bending them. I can say that's how you got out.† â€Å"What are you talking about?† Rashel got up and searched for a steel knife to cut the cords on his feet. â€Å"I'm letting you go, John Quinn,† she said. He paused in his wrenching of the handcuffs. â€Å"You're insane,† he said, as if he'd just discovered this. â€Å"You may be right.† Rashel found the knife and slit through the bast cords. He gave the handcuffs a twist. â€Å"If,† he said deliberately, â€Å"you think that because I was a human once, I have any pity on them, you are very, very wrong. I hate humans more than I hate the Redferns.† â€Å"Why?† He bared his teeth. â€Å"No, thank you. I don't have to explain anything to you. Just take my word for it.† She believed him. He looked as angry and as dangerous as an animal in a trap. â€Å"All right,† she said, stepping back and putting her hand on the hilt of her bokken. â€Å"Take your best shot. But remember, I beat you once. I was the one who knocked you out.† He blinked. Then he shook his head in disbelief. â€Å"You little idiot,† he said. â€Å"I wasn't paying attention. I thought you were another of those jerks falling over their own feet. And I wasn't even fighting them seriously.† He sat up in one fluid motion that showed the strength he had, and the control of his own body. â€Å"You don't have a chance,† he said softly, turning those dark eyes on her. Now that he wasn't looking into the flashlight, his pupils were huge. â€Å"You're dead already.† Rashel had a sinking feeling that was telling her the same thing. â€Å"I'm faster than any human,† the soft voice went on. â€Å"I'm stronger than any human. I can see better in the dark. And I'm much, much nastier.† Panic exploded inside Rashel. All at once, she believed him absolutely. She couldn't seem to get her breath, and a void had opened in her stomach. She lost any vestige of her previous calm. He's right-you were an idiot, she told herself wildly. You had every chance to stop him and you blew it. And why? Because you were sorry for him? Sorry for a deranged monster who's going to tear you limb from limb now? Anyone as stupid as that deserves what they get. She felt as if she were falling, unable to get hold of anything†¦. And then suddenly she did seem to catch something. Something that she clung to desperately, trying to resist the fear that wanted to suck her into darkness. You couldn't have done anything else. It was the little voice in her mind, being helpful for once. And, strangely, Rashel knew it was true. She couldn't have killed him when he was tied up and helpless, not without becoming a monster herself. And after hearing his story, she couldn't have ignored the pity she felt. I'm probably going to die now, she thought. And I'm still scared. But I'd do it over again. It was right. She hung on to that as she let the last seconds tick away, the last window of opportunity to stake him while the cuffs still held. She knew they were ticking away, and she knew Quinn knew. â€Å"What a shame to rip your throat out,† he said. Rashel held her ground. Quinn gave the handcuffs a final wrench, and the metal hinges squealed. Then the stocks clattered onto the concrete and he stood up, free. Rashel couldn't see his face anymore; it was above the reach of the flashlight. â€Å"Well,† he said evenly. Rashel whispered, â€Å"Well.† They stood facing each other. Rashel was waiting for the tiny involuntary body movements that would give away which direction he was going to lunge. But he was more still than any enemy she'd ever seen. He kept his tension inside, ready to explode only when he directed it. His control seemed to be complete. He's got zanshin, she thought. â€Å"You're very good,† she said softly. â€Å"Thanks. So are you.† â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"But it isn't going to matter in the end.† Rashel started to say, â€Å"We'll see†-and he lunged. She had an instant's warning. A barely perceptible movement of his leg told her he was going to spring to his right, her left. Her body reacted without her direction, moving smoothly†¦ and she didn't realize until she was doing it that she wasn't using the sword. She had stepped forward, inside his attack, and deflected it with a mirror palm block, striking the inner side of his arm with her left arm. Hitting the nerves to try and numb the limb. But not cutting him. She realized with a dizzy sense of horror that she didn't want to use the sword on him. â€Å"You are going to die, idiot,† he told her, and for an instant she wasn't sure if it was him saying it or the voice in her head. She tried to push him away. All she could think was that she needed time, time to get her survival reflexes back. She shoved at him–and then her bare hand brushed his, and something happened that was completely beyond her experience.