Buffalo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Buffalo - Essay Example The city is experiencing massive in-migration, decline in entrepreneurial activities and changes that the youth bring to society. Buffalo is a scene of interaction between different ethnic groups, with the majority being African Americans. Crime and ethnic divisions are significant characteristics of the city. Bringing children up in such poor backgrounds affects their future and their performance in life. Buffalo has a large number of young people who lack the resources and necessary facilities to engage in entrepreneurial activities. There is neglect on the part of the society regarding entrepreneurial activities. However, the growing number of shops and rental houses in the town suggests that the town is undergoing gradual entrepreneurial development and in-migration respectively. The main challenge facing these entrepreneurial ventures is that most people run them on an ethnic basis. Budget crisis has contributed to the decline of Buffalo where the marginalized and the disadvantaged communities shoulder the heaviest burdens in the budget (Cope & Latcham 152). This couples up with the loss of manufacturing facilities and sources of raw materials. Decline in manufacturing jobs led to the population loss where young people moved out of the town in search of job opportunities. Nevertheless, the leadership of Buffalo is partly responsible for the economic decline and poverty. The leaders gave way for racism where the society divides itself along ethnic basis. This leads to disparities in job allocation, which makes some ethnic groupings poorer than others do. It is worth noting that the recent census in the United States revealed that there are many young children in Buffalo than it was the case in the past. However, this does not mean that the narratives that suggest aging population as a factor in Buffalo’s decline are wrong. A

Honda Strategy and Marketing Analysis

Honda Strategy and Marketing Analysis Volkswagen was the first company entering the Chinese automobile industry. Faced by a satisfied home market the company had to expand its business and therefore the growing economy of China was their next choice. The Volkswagen Beetle, the first car produced for the Chinese market, was a real success. After several years  competitors, mainly from the Japanese market like Honda, started to enter the Chinese market very aggressively and  due to that Volkswagen had to face the challenge to maintain its market leader position and therefore adopt the  corporate strategy. As a consequence Volkswagen China introduced its Olympic Program strategic plan in 2005. The program is calledOlympic since its aim is to reach the strategic goals set by the end of the Olympic year 2008. In the following we will analyze the strategic plans of Volkswagen and set them in context to the strategic behaviour of  the Japanese competitor Honda. 3.1 Marketing Volkswagen announced to focus more on differentiation. This is due to the existence of two joint ventures and the  planned positioning of the Skoda products. By offering a large product variety the group aims to serve as many different  target customer groups as possible. In opposition to previous product designs the new cars offered by Volkswagen will be adapted to Chinese taste in order  to increase the brands popularity. The former Volkswagen products were designed for the European market but since  Japanese car manufacturers fit better to the Asian taste the company had to react. The Volkswagen products in China  compete on quality but to maintain the companys leading position it is unremitting to produce cars that are both  fashionable and qualitative. 3.2 Sales Sales relationships are going to be restructured and there will be more interaction between the two joint ventures FAW  VW and VWS. These strategic interactions are another way to increase the companys customer orientation and thereby  the attractiveness of the brand. Dealerships will be tailored to the newly-defined customer groups segmentation of the  two joint ventures respectively. Vehicles of the Volkswagen brand will be distributed through two dealer network  channels. By this, Volkswagen aims at its strategic goal to maintain its leading position by serving different customer  groups. 3.3 Research and Development The company focuses more on in-house developments within the Volkswagen joint ventures in China to save costs. Ten  to twelve new models developed in China for the Chinese market should be launched by the end of 2008. 3.4 Sourcing and Supply Chain Historically the two joint ventures VW Shanghai FAW VW in Changchun sourced separately but within the last decade  sourcing became more challenging for the company: the cars are becoming more sophisticated and therefore the  components have to fulfil higher expectations, the technical expertise of the supplier is getting more important and it is  difficult for Volkswagen to find suppliers which meet their requirements, lack of availability of certain raw materials  (e.g. specific kinds of steel) cause sourcing difficulties. As a reaction Volkswagen is trying to introduce a common sourcing process for the global group and bundle the  purchasing volume in China to create economies of scale. Thereby the target is to find one supplier for each platform  part and carry these parts to China. 3.5 Manufacturing In order to decrease production costs the board decided to introduce so called product cost workshops within the  manufacturing departments to communicate cost targets and produce to costs. Also large parts of the manufacturing  process will be done in China and localization in China are planned to be increased to make use of the cheaper labour  wages in China. Besides all plans to reduce production costs Volkswagen tries not to compromise its high engineering  quality and manufacturing standards since this is a very important success factor for the company. 4. Honda strategy in China Honda advocates the spirit of three joys. Because of their belief in the value of each individual, Honda believes that each person working in, or coming in touch  with their company, directly or through their products, should share a sense of joy through that experience. This feeling  is expressed in what they call The Three Joys. Their goal is to provide Joy: for those who buy their products and produce their products. In that regard, their main concern is for people. First, there is The Joy of Buying for every customer who buys a Honda This Joy is a step beyond customer satisfaction. As they define it, there are four steps to successfully creating The Joy  of Buying.   We also pick up another 4 strategy of Guangzhou Honda in China. Firstly, large scales of purchasing; Honda uses their  economies of scale by working with their parts suppliers to order raw materials in large quantities. Secondly, suppliers localization, more than 160 component suppliers around Guangzhou Honda to manufacture some  supports component for automobiles. For example, the glass seat and engine. These parts are supplied not only for  Guangzhou Honda but also sometimes for exporting. Whats more, setting up manufacturing base for transmission in  Guangzhou really makes a record, because this is the first time for foreign-funded automobiles enterprises to set up  transmission manufacturing base in China. And this investment of Honda makes the supplier localization especially the  suppliers for core parts. Thirdly, optimizing logistics process. They use logistics management software from USA.The logistics department of  Guangzhou Honda was demanded to operate according to the pattern in Janpese Logistics Company. They emphasize  importing the service quality in logistics, decreasing logistics cost enlarge market share and competitiveness and import  new technology and methods in logistics from USA. Fourthly, making supply chain perfect. The Honda setting up a local transmission manufacturing base in Guangzhou  makes transmissions no longer popular in importing and components industrial chain in China will develop to perfect. the newly set-up base will provide transmissions to three Honda companies in China(Guangzhou Honda, Dongfeng  Honda and China Honda)In this pattern, the most crucial part of automobileengine production has been promoted a  lot. In the influence of transmission localization. The biggest supplier of clutch in Japan set up a factory in 5 years with the  total investment54million dollars in Nanhai District in Guangzhou and it manufacture clutch for Guangzhou Honda  directly. With the localization of supplier of transmission and clutch the supply chain of Guangzhou Honda has developed into  nearly perfect. Hondas strategy in supply chain can considerably decrease the cost which gives Guangzhou Honda more profits. Then we move on to the comparison of the marketing between Volkswagen and Honda. Firstly, for Honda they launch a  new car later in China compared with in Japan. For example, the Accord in 2008 was launched half a year later in China  than in Japan. But for Volkswagen, a new car will have a same launching agenda all over the world; it means same time  promoting same time marketing. Secondly, Honda adjusts the price to the situation of market nearly every season. Demand fluctuation, price fluctuation. The flexible price strategy is different from Volkswagens steady price strategy which perhaps gives consumers more  reliability. Thirdly, Honda fight for market share and Volkswagen emphasize brand reputation in long term, Honda target  consumers which means flexible strategy will be much easier for company to survive and succeed. While for  Volkswagen, more luxury and exclusive element allow Volkswagen to offer more credence for consumers in order to  gain reputation in long term. Case study : SIAC 6.4.1. General History of SVW and SGM Not only did Shanghai present an advantage as a potential market, but  Shanghais heavy industrial infrastructure also made major contributions to Shanghai  VW (SVW) and Shanghai GM (SGM). A larger number of parts factories, together  with the extant Shanghai car plants and the citys steel and other heavy industries,  cried out for the final ingredients necessary for rapid development: modern  technology and management skills. An automobile cluster began to develop in Shanghai in the 1980s, thanks to  strong government support at different levels. To upgrade the national automobile  industry following international standards and to avoid an influx of automobile  imports, the central government started negotiation with VW in 1978 for the  establishment of a joint auto production firm. During that entire year, the countrys  state-owned auto factories produced only 15,500 vehicles, and the industry was characterized by old-fashioned, low-quality cars that were produced with outdated  equipment in a labor-intensive process (Kiefer, 1998). Chinese official pressed the  idea of building autos for export and insisted on auto-parts localization. The German  counterpart, however, explained the necessity of auto-part import at the first stage and  proposed the idea of localization as China became more experienced in producing  quality part supplies. Within this cooperative atmosphere, the contrac t was signed in  1984. This joint venture was owned 50% by Volkswagen, 25% by SAIC, 15% by the  Bank of Chinas Shanghai Trust and Consultancy Corporation, and 10% by the China  National Automotive Industrial Corporation. The involvement of Chinese partners  revealed careful forethought: The Bank of China could provide or guarantee needed  loans, SAIC would have an interest in solving local problems, and CNAIC could be a  link to the central planner. (Harwit, 1995, p. 153). To reduce its dependence on VW and to stimulate technology transfer after  one decade of cooperation, SAIC decided to engage in the joint venture with GM in  the early 1990s. SAIC and GM signed a contract to jointly set up Shanghai GM  production facilities in Pudong in 1997. GM was anxious to win this joint venture  because it believed that SAIC was the best automobile company in China. Indeed,  SAIC was highly profitable due to many advantages. Notably, the Chinese  government had chosen SAIC to be the primary passenger car producer enabling it to  acquire the most relevant technological experiences, more so than any other domestic  company. However, the obvious disadvantage of working with SAIC was its existing  joint venture with VW which was one of GMs global competitors and which had  dominated the Chinese passenger car market since the mid-80s (see Table 19). Since  its establishment, SGM has grown into one of the largest car producers in China. 6.4.2. Auto Supplier Cluster in Shanghai Area The development of the automobile industry in the city was strongly supported  by municipal policies, including infrastructure development, labor market, and  industrial policies. In addition, to stimulate broad manufacturing competencies and to  integrate Chinese suppliers within the region, the central government enforced local-content regulations on those auto joint ventures to spur the development of a regional  production network with substantial local linkages. Meanwhile, there has been a strong tendency in the international automobile  industry to develop hierarchical supplier networks and shift the developing,  manufacturing, and assembly responsibilities of important modules to the first-tier  suppliers. Along with the globalization strategy of the automobile producers, large  first-tier suppliers were also required to follow their auto assembly partners and set up  production facilities in other nations (Sadler, 1998). As a consequence, VW  demanded that important first-tier suppliers establish production facilities in China,  preferably within the region. However, production volume (less than 20,000 units in 1990) at that time was too small for global suppliers to set up mass production  facilities in Shanghai. In the initial years after production was launched, SVW still imported most parts and components for the production of the VW Santana from overseas, a large part of which was from Germany. At that time, there were basically no firms in the  region that could have supplied the parts that were needed. However, the Chinese  government threatened to impose a production limit on SVW if the firm would not  increase its local content in production. To achieve the 70% local content regulation  but at the same time to ensure global quality standards, VW and the Chinese  government worked interactively in promoting joint venture partnerships in the auto  parts sector. 6.4.3. Joint Ventures Firm Strategy and Competition SAICs strategy is clear-to form multiple auto JVs with different global  firms and to benefit from competitions between those partners, in regard to  technology transfer, new model introduction, and supply market rationalization. SAICs experience with GM and VW proved this strategy, and GM seems to do a  better job in quality control, technology adaptation, and accurate appraisals of  domestic demand market than its competitor VW. While VW and GM are  increasingly going head to head in the marketplace as they expand their product lines,  SAIC may find itself competing with both when its own car goes on sale. At the same . time, VW and GM run the risk of being shunted aside as Chinas domestic auto  industry develops. In July 2004, national auto sales rose only 3.7% over the same period in 2003  (CAAM, 2005). The growth slowdown has had a significant impact on VW who was  losing market shares because of an aging product line and increased competition. In  2002, cars made by SVW had 27.6% of the China market; in 2003 they slipped to  19.6%, and for the first seven months of 2004, they fell further to 15.5% (Xu, 2005). VWs difficulties have created an opportunity for GM, which passed SVW  briefly in June 2004 to become the market leader. Over the past few years, Chinese  consumers have become more savvy shoppers through greater access to information  (The middle class., 2001), said Phil Murtaugh (CEO of GM China) at the 2001  China Business Summit, and they have higher expectations for the products and their  quality. (The middle class., 2001). He pointed to the dramatic increase of internet  usage and the greater number of Chinese auto publications. Chinas growing middle  class itself represents a sophisticated customer base for a broaden product mix and  thus fierce competition, Murtaugh said (The middle class., 2001). A careful  evaluation of changing domestic consumers and a close relationship with Chinese  engineers in its technical center keeps GM consistently in the leading position in  Chinese passenger car market. 6.4.4. Technology Transfer: Good and Bad  Scholars a dvocated that the existing supplier network and industrial  infrastructure were important reasons why GM also decided to set up production  facilities in Shanghai in 1997(Gallagher, 2005; Taylor III, 2004), while the later  success of GM, to a large extent, is attributed to its sincere investment in local  technology development and close cooperation with Chinese engineers. Nonetheless,  problems could rise from inter-JV technology transfer. GM was the first company that actually established a technical center with  additional investment in Shanghai, following the governments promotion of  technology transfer in the 1994 industrial policy. A separate $50 million US joint  venture was established between GM and SAIC named the Pan Asian Technical  Center (PATAC). PATACs main purpose is to provide engineering support to SGM  and other Chinese auto companies. PATAC has also established an in-house  emissions testing center and has employed around 400 Chinese engineers, which,  though not directly training Chinese engineers, gives China the opportunity to work  closely with advanced techniques and learn in the process. According to Porter (1990), only when a foreign company transfers RD  decisions can it add to the host nations competitiveness.  

Personal Strengths & Weaknesses :: Personal Narrative Character Analysis Essays

I gave this paper a lot of thought before I began to write. ?What qualities and traits do I posses that make me desirable as an employee, a teammate, and as a person First, you must be able to identify your own personal strengths and weaknesses in order to become a lifelong learner and an essential part of a ?team?. As technology is constantly growing you have to be willing to accept what makes you an asset or a liability in any given situation you may encounter in your life. The qualities and traits that I feel make me a valuable entity to my employers, co-workers, classmates and within my personal relationships are varied. I will go on to describe some of the attributes I think are most important in establishing and maintaining successful relationships whether personal or work related.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On a daily basis I am challenged with a multitude of situations that I must prioritize and resolve in order to move ahead. Through these experiences I have developed the ability to juggle these situations in a timely and satisfactory manner. Thus, making me a multitasked individual capable of handling a variety of rigorous tasks. Multitasking enables me to be more productive within a demanding atmosphere.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aside from being an expert juggler, the ability to work well with others is a crucial part of most social interactions, as we are forced to interact with individuals in our social and personal realm. Active listening and an open dialogue are the keys to good communication. This has helped me to fulfill my obligations as a team member.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dedication and hard work are additional components that have enabled me to gain ground in the workplace. For example, the refinery I work at is running 24, 7, for me this means having to sometimes work overtime or on the weekends. Taking on-line courses has made it easier for me to remain accessible and dependable as an employee. I haven?t learned how to fit in time with friends and family yet, but I hope by my 3 or 4 course this will be a breeze.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although I would like to think I was perfect, I have come into the reality that in order to move forth in life you must continually try to better yourself both professionally and personally. I feel that my most crippling weakness is my lack of education. Now days, you can?t practically get a job flipping burgers without an Associates Degree. Personal Strengths & Weaknesses :: Personal Narrative Character Analysis Essays I gave this paper a lot of thought before I began to write. ?What qualities and traits do I posses that make me desirable as an employee, a teammate, and as a person First, you must be able to identify your own personal strengths and weaknesses in order to become a lifelong learner and an essential part of a ?team?. As technology is constantly growing you have to be willing to accept what makes you an asset or a liability in any given situation you may encounter in your life. The qualities and traits that I feel make me a valuable entity to my employers, co-workers, classmates and within my personal relationships are varied. I will go on to describe some of the attributes I think are most important in establishing and maintaining successful relationships whether personal or work related.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On a daily basis I am challenged with a multitude of situations that I must prioritize and resolve in order to move ahead. Through these experiences I have developed the ability to juggle these situations in a timely and satisfactory manner. Thus, making me a multitasked individual capable of handling a variety of rigorous tasks. Multitasking enables me to be more productive within a demanding atmosphere.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Aside from being an expert juggler, the ability to work well with others is a crucial part of most social interactions, as we are forced to interact with individuals in our social and personal realm. Active listening and an open dialogue are the keys to good communication. This has helped me to fulfill my obligations as a team member.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dedication and hard work are additional components that have enabled me to gain ground in the workplace. For example, the refinery I work at is running 24, 7, for me this means having to sometimes work overtime or on the weekends. Taking on-line courses has made it easier for me to remain accessible and dependable as an employee. I haven?t learned how to fit in time with friends and family yet, but I hope by my 3 or 4 course this will be a breeze.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although I would like to think I was perfect, I have come into the reality that in order to move forth in life you must continually try to better yourself both professionally and personally. I feel that my most crippling weakness is my lack of education. Now days, you can?t practically get a job flipping burgers without an Associates Degree.

Shadow Kiss Chapter 28

Twenty-eight THE NEXT TWELVE HOURS were the longest in my life. Our group made it back to campus safely, though most of it was done at a run – which was hard with so many injured. The entire time I felt nauseous, presumably because Strigoi were near. If they were, they never caught up to us, and it's possible I was simply sick from everything that had happened in the caves. Once back behind the wards, the other novices and I were forgotten. We were safe, and the adults now had a lot of other things to concern themselves with. All of the captives had been rescued – all the ones that were alive. As I'd feared, the Strigoi had decided to munch on one before we got there. That meant we had rescued twelve. Six guardians – including Dimitri – had been lost. Those weren't bad numbers considering how many Strigoi we'd faced, but when you took the difference, it really meant we'd only saved six lives. Had the loss of all those guardians' lives been worth it? â€Å"You can't look at it that way,† Eddie told me as we walked toward the clinic. Everyone, prisoners and raiders, had been ordered to get checked out. â€Å"You didn't just save those lives. You guys killed almost thirty Strigoi, plus the ones on campus. Think about all the people they would have killed. You essentially saved all those people's lives too.† A rational part of me knew he was right. But what did rationality have to do with anything when Dimitri might be dead? It was petty and selfish, but in that moment, I wanted to trade all those lives for his. He wouldn't have wanted that, though. I knew him. And through the tiniest, smallest chance, it was possible he wasn't dead. Even though the bite had looked pretty serious, that Strigoi could have incapacitated him and then fled. He could be lying in the caves right now, dying and in need of medical care. It drove me crazy, thinking of him like that and us unable to help. There was no way we could go back, however. Not until daytime. Another party would go then to bring back our dead so that we could bury them. Until then, I had to wait. Dr. Olendzki gave me a quick check, decided I didn't have a concussion, and then sent me on my way to bandage my own scrapes. She had too many others to worry about right now who were in far worse condition. I knew the smart thing was to go to my dorm or to Lissa. I could have used the rest, and through the bond, I felt her calling to me. She was worried. She was afraid. I knew she'd find out the news soon, though. She didn't need me, and I didn't want to see her. I didn't want to see anyone. So rather than go to my dorm, I went to the chapel. I needed to do something until the caves could be checked out. Praying was as good an option as any. The chapel was usually empty in the middle of the day, but not this time. I shouldn't have been surprised. Considering the death and tragedy of the last twenty-four hours, it was only natural that people would seek comfort. Some sat alone, some sat in groups. They cried. They knelt. They prayed. Some simply stared off into space, clearly unable to believe what had happened. Father Andrew moved around the sanctuary, speaking to many of them. I found an empty pew in the very back corner and sat there. Drawing my knees up to me, I wrapped my arms around them and rested my head. On the walls, icons of saints and angels watched over all of us. Dimitri couldn't be dead. There was no way he could be. Surely, if he was, I would know. No one could take a life like that from the world. No one who had held me in bed like he had yesterday could really be gone. We had been too warm, too alive. Death couldn't follow something like that. Lissa's chotki was around my wrist, and I ran my fingers over the cross and the beads. I tried desperately to put my thoughts into the forms of prayers, but I didn't know how. If God was real, I figured He was powerful enough to know what I wanted without me actually saying the right words. Hours passed. People came and went. I got tired of sitting and eventually stretched myself across the length of the pew. From the gold-painted ceiling, more saints and angels stared down at me. So much divine help, I thought, but what good were they really doing? I didn't even realize I'd fallen asleep until Lissa woke me up. She looked like an angel herself, the pale hair hanging long and loose around her face. Her eyes were as gentle and compassionate as those of the saints. â€Å"Rose,† she said. â€Å"We've been looking all over for you. Have you been here the entire time?† I sat up, feeling tired and bleary-eyed. Considering I hadn't slept the night before and had then gone on a massive raid, my fatigue was understandable. â€Å"Pretty much,† I told her. She shook her head. â€Å"That was hours ago. You should go eat something.† â€Å"I'm not hungry.† Hours ago. I clutched her arm. â€Å"What time is it? Has the sun come up?† â€Å"No. It's still about, oh, five hours away.† Five hours. How could I wait that long? Lissa touched my face. I felt magic burn through our bond, and then the warm and cold tingling coursed through my own skin. Bruises and cuts disappeared. â€Å"You shouldn't do that,† I said. A faint smile crossed her lips. â€Å"I've been doing it all day. I've been helping Dr. Olendzki.† â€Å"I heard that, but wow. It just feels so strange. We've always kept it hidden, you know?† â€Å"It doesn't matter if everyone knows now,† she said with a shrug. â€Å"After everything that's happened, I had to help. So many people are hurt, and if it means my secret getting out†¦well, it had to happen sooner or later. Adrian's been helping too, though he can't do as much.† And then, it hit me. I straightened up. â€Å"Oh my God, Liss. You can save him. You can help Dimitri.† Deep sorrow filled her face and the bond. â€Å"Rose,† she said quietly. â€Å"They say Dimitri's dead.† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"He can't be. You don't understand. †¦ I think he was just injured. Probably badly. But if you're there when they bring him back, you can heal him.† Then, the craziest thought of all came to me. â€Å"And if†¦ if he did die †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The words hurt coming out. â€Å"You could bring him back! Just like with me. He'd be shadow-kissed too.† Her face grew even sadder. Sorrow – for me now – radiated out from her. â€Å"I can't do that. Bringing people back from the dead is a huge power drain†¦and besides, I don't think I could do it on someone who has been dead, um, that long. I think it has to be recent.† I could hear the crazy desperation in my own voice. â€Å"But you have to try.† â€Å"I can't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She swallowed. â€Å"You heard what I said to the queen. I meant it. I can't go around bringing every dead person back to life. That gets into the kind of abuse Victor wanted. It's why we kept this secret.† â€Å"You'd let him die? You wouldn't do this? You wouldn't do this for me?† I wasn't shouting, but my voice was definitely too loud for a church. Most everyone was gone now, and with the level of grief around here, I doubted anyone thought too much of an outburst. â€Å"I would do anything for you. You know that. And you won't do this for me?† I was on the verge of sobbing. Lissa studied me, a million thoughts swirling in her mind. She assessed my words, my face, my voice. And like that, she finally got it. She finally realized what I felt for Dimitri, that it was more than a teacher-student bond. I felt the knowledge light up in her mind. Countless connections suddenly came together for her: comments I'd made, ways that Dimitri and I acted around each other †¦ it all made sense to her now, things she'd been too blind to notice. Questions immediately sprang up too, but she didn't ask any of them or even mention what she'd realized. Instead, she just took my hand in hers and pulled me close. â€Å"I'm so sorry, Rose. I'm so, so sorry. I can't.† I let her drag me away after that, presumably to get food. But when I sat at the cafeteria table and stared at the tray in front of me, the thought of eating anything made me sicker than being around the Strigoi had. She gave up after that, realizing nothing was going to happen until I knew what had happened to Dimitri. We went up to her room, and I lay down on the bed. She sat near me, but I didn't want to talk, and I soon fell asleep again. The next time I woke up, it was my mother beside me. â€Å"Rose, we're going to check the caves. You can't go into them, but you can come to the school's borders with us if you want.† It was the best I could get. If it meant I could find out what had happened to Dimitri a moment sooner than if I stayed here, I'd do it. Lissa came with me, and we trailed behind the assembled guardian party. I was still hurt by her refusal to heal Dimitri, but a part of me secretly thought she wouldn't be able to hold back once she saw him. The guardians had assembled a large group to check the caves, just in case. We were pretty sure the Strigoi were gone, however. They'd lost their advantage and had to know that if we came back for the dead, it would be with renewed numbers. Any of them that had survived would be gone. The guardians crossed over the wards, and the rest of us who had followed along waited by the border. Hardly anyone spoke. It would probably be three hours before they came back, counting travel time. Trying to ignore the dark, leaden feeling inside of me, I sat on the ground and rested my head against Lissa's shoulder, wishing the minutes would fly by. A Moroi fire user created a bonfire, and we all warmed ourselves by it. The minutes didn't fly, but they did eventually pass. Someone shouted that the guardians were coming back. I leapt up and ran to look. What I saw drove me to a halt. Stretchers. Stretchers carrying the bodies of those who had been killed. Dead guardians, their faces pale and eyes unseeing. One of the watching Moroi went and threw up in a bush. Lissa started crying. One by one, the dead filed past us. I stared, feeling cold and empty, wondering if I'd see their ghosts the next time I went outside the wards. Finally, the whole group had gone by. Five bodies, but it had felt like five hundred. And there was one body I hadn't seen. One I'd been dreading. I ran up to my mother. She was helping carry a stretcher. She wouldn't look at me and undoubtedly knew what I'd come to ask. â€Å"Where's Dimitri?† I demanded. â€Å"Is he†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was too much to hope for, too much to ask. â€Å"Is he alive?† Oh God. What if my prayers had been answered? What if he was back there injured, waiting for them to send a doctor? My mother didn't answer right away. I barely recognized her voice when she did. â€Å"He wasn't there, Rose.† I stumbled over the uneven ground and had to hurry up to catch her again. â€Å"Wait, what's that mean? Maybe he's injured and left to get help†¦.† She still wouldn't look at me. â€Å"Molly wasn't there either.† Molly was the Moroi who had been snacked on. She was my age, tall and beautiful. I'd seen her body in the cave, drained of blood. She had definitely been dead. There was no way she'd been injured and staggered out. Molly and Dimitri. Both their bodies gone. â€Å"No,† I gasped out. â€Å"You don't think†¦Ã¢â‚¬  A tear leaked out of my mother's eye. I'd never seen anything like that from her. â€Å"I don't know what to think, Rose. If he survived, it's possible†¦it's possible they took him for later.† The thought of Dimitri as a â€Å"snack† was too horrible for words – but it wasn't as horrible as the alternative. We both knew it. â€Å"But they wouldn't have taken Molly for later. She'd been dead a while.† My mother nodded. â€Å"I'm sorry, Rose. We can't know for sure. It's likely they're both just dead, and the Strigoi dragged their bodies off.† She was lying. It was the first time in my entire life that my mother had ever told me a lie to protect me. She wasn't the comforting kind, wasn't the kind who would make up pretty stories in order to make someone feel better. She always told the harsh truth. Not this time. I stopped walking, and the group continued filing past me. Lissa caught up, worried and confused. â€Å"What's happening?† she asked. I didn't answer. Instead, I turned and ran backwards, back toward the wards. She ran after me, calling my name. No one else noticed us because honestly, who in the world was stupid enough to cross the wards after everything that had happened? I was, although in daylight, I had nothing to fear. I ran past the place Jesse's group had attacked her, stepping across the invisible lines that marked the boundaries of the Academy's grounds. Lissa hesitated a moment and then joined me. She was breathless from running after me. â€Å"Rose, what are you – â€Å" â€Å"Mason!† I cried. â€Å"Mason, I need you.† It took him a little while to materialize. This time, he not only seemed ultra-pale, he also appeared to be flickering, like a light about to go out. He stood there, watching me, and although his expression was the same as always, I had the weirdest feeling that he knew what I was going to ask. Lissa, beside me, kept glancing back and forth between me and the spot I was speaking to. â€Å"Mason, is Dimitri dead?† Mason shook his head. â€Å"Is he alive?† Mason shook his head. Neither alive nor dead. The world swam around me, sparkles of color dancing before my eyes. The lack of food had made me dizzy, and I was on the verge of fainting. I had to stay in control here. I had to ask the next question. Out of all the victims†¦out of all the victims they could have chosen, surely they wouldn't have picked him. The next words stuck in my throat, and I sank to my knees as I spoke them. â€Å"Is he †¦ is Dimitri a Strigoi?† Mason hesitated only a moment, like he was afraid to answer me, and then – he nodded. My heart shattered. My world shattered. You will lose what you value most†¦. It hadn't been me that Rhonda was talking about. It hadn't even been Dimitri's life. What you value most. It had been his soul.

Case Study Accountancy And Management Education Essay

Personality:This the most of import characteristic of any single. In simple we can state that personality is what which constitutes differentiation of individual & A ; individualism. We can besides specify personality in following ways as given under: *Something said or written which refers to the individual, behavior etc. , of some single, particularly something of a disparaging or violative nature, personal comments as indulgence in personalities. *That quality of jurisprudence which concerns the status, province, and capacity of individuals. *The composite of all the properties — behavioural, temperamental, emotional and mental and that characterize a alone person, â€Å" their different reactions reflected their really different personalities † . It the nature to assist others. These definitions present the best thought about personality.Personality Development OpportunitiesTo do the program ordered, foremost, self-awareness is really of import. I can merely specify my scheme and subject after I know what my strengths and developmental countries are. However, for me, I ‘m certain I know these really good. I have strengths on dutifulness, cautiousnesss and artistic involvements, but I need to better myself on the countries of cooperation, activity-level and imaginativeness. Knowing myself specially and Bettering my developmental countries while continue working on my strengths, I can better myself comprehensively.ASelf personality Exploration:Strengths ;The first strength of me is dutifulness. I ‘m a individual who has a strong sense of responsibility and duty. For me, I feel dutifulness is really of import for a individual either as single or a squad member because I believe â€Å" no hurting, no addition † . As a consequence, when I rece ive a work, I pay one hundred per centum attending to make it carefully and complete it on clip. I arrange my agenda ordered to do certain I do n't detain in something. As I making these, I have made myself go a dependable individual. Second, I ‘m friendliness. Like what the IPIP-NEO paper describes about friendliness, friendliness people make friends rapidly and easy to organize near relationship. They treat friends truly and openly, and they can allow their friends feel comfy with them. I do all of these things of course. It ‘s like I was born with optimistic. I like to do friends and stay with my friends. I may concern about their jobs and assist them every bit much as I can when they are needed. I do n't experience tiring when they complain something or speak their unhappiness to me. I think friend is a really of import group for me in my life. If I do n't hold friends any longer, I would non accomplish either my life or calling ends successfully. Third, I have abundant artistic involvements. I like both art and nature beauty with all my bosom. I like to detect people ‘s visual aspect and idiosyncrasy because I believe everyone has their alone beauty no affair indoors or outside. Absorbing the different beauties from different people no affair they are in the existent life or from their professions, I make my ain manner and make my peculiar aesthetic foresights. Besides, I like to go to different topographic points to see their peculiar natural and human landscapes. It makes me experience my life in this universe is colourful. These three strengths are showed evidently in my life. Because of them, I have gained a batch of worthy values and memories in my early life ; moreover, they make my ends further.Failings ;However, when I province my strengths, my failings which include low ability on cooperation, low activity-level and deficit of imaginativeness besides show evidently. First of my failings which is a serious job for me is low ability on the cooperation. Even though I ‘m an optimistic and friendly individual, I do n't wish to work with people initiatively. For some grounds, I do n't believe working with others is more effectual than working separately and I do n't wish to deny my ain demands to acquire along with others. I ever think in my manner and want people agree with me. It ‘s a small hard for me collaborating with others to carry through undertakings. Second, I ‘m low in activity-level. Although I ever say I like the busy life which I can affect in many activities and travel approximately energetically, I ca n't do it come true in my existent life. I about ne'er complete the prep at the first several yearss when the professor assigns it. Besides, I ever give myself an alibi to hold remainder or hold to make something unnecessarily. It ‘s like I become far off to the busy life but live in a relaxed and slow gait. Third, I ‘m short of imaginativeness. I ca n't understand why a individual with high artistic involvements is deficiency of imaginativeness ; nevertheless, I am such kind of individual. In fact, because of my slow gait of life, I leave myself in a place that merely to accommodate the existent life but non to alter it or to hold an ideal imaginativeness of it. Like, I would non conceive of that one twenty-four hours I will go a prince and married with the princess or I will go a ace theoretical account because I merely know it will ne'er come true.A By traveling through all my peculiar strengths and failings, I clearly know my existent place now. To carry through my ends and be successful, merely saying failings is non plenty, I besides need to do an effectual scheme to assist myself in accomplishing my ends. I need the cognition modesty, engagement on particular activities, academic preparation, personal preparation, work experience and on-the occupation preparation to assist me to better both my strengths and developmental countries.Personality Development Plan ;Short-Term Development Path Objectives ( 1-6 months ) ;In order to accomplish my life and calling ends, in the first 1-6 months, for cognition, I need to make good in my categories in following two quarters and read more books to distribute my ideas and cognition. I besides need to fall in more activities to better my cooperate accomplishment. Last but non least is that I need to seek my best to accommodate the life in UK. I non merely necessitate to better my English accomplishments but besides need to affect in UK pupils ‘ life so that I can both better my cooperate accomplishment and increase my activity-level.AMedium-Term Development Path Objectives ( 6-12 months ) ;After completing this short program, I need to hold an betterment in my preparation degree. Now I need to believe about how I can better my developmental countries specifically. Besides larning more cognition non merely from the books but besides from the society, I need to pay attending in every small facet of life. I need to believe more about others and make every small thing more active such as finish the prep every bit shortly as possible, make reappraisal and prevue everyday and exercising every twenty-four hours. I besides need to affect in some nines to better my cooperation ability and increase activity-level. Trying to happen a occupation on campus is besides a good manner for me to better my developmental countries. It will non merely assist me to collaborate better with others but besides can increase my imaginativeness from the emphasis work. By believing about the summer holiday is in this term, I schedule myself to hold a wood coal drawing and dancing preparations in following summer. In order to increase my imaginativeness, I need to derive more about the artistic cognition and feelings. I need to do myself unrecorded in my universe easy ; nevertheless, when I am pulling and dancing, I can easy to utilize fantasy to make a richer universe.Long-Term Development Path Goals ( 1-3 old ages ) ;In this last period, I will give myself a extremely betterment. From the cognition, merely to cognize the constructs studied in the text edition is far from adequate. To believe logically how finance and selling apply in the concern country and how can I turn the cognition to the actions with accomplishment and easiness are the chief intents for my betterment in this cherished period of life. I need to absorb other schoolmate ‘s advantages and professor ‘s experience in the concern country carefully from every category and group undertaking. After I gain adequate and well-set cognition, I need to happen an internship in an investing bank or an international corporation to use my cognition rely on the existent state of affairss. For this program, I combine the academic preparation and work experience to give myself a deep betterment non merely in cooperation but besides in activity-level. Besides, besides deriving academic preparation and work experience, I need to give myself a personal preparation in the art country. Because I want to work in a manner trade name, it ‘s perfectly that I need to hold cognition related to art and manner. Due to the concern school ca n't give me developing in this country ; I need to make it by myself. I will give myself a pulling preparation in every holiday in the coming old ages. In add-on, I will go to some manner nines on the cyberspace with people who study in the art big leagues. By speaking with them, I will cognize what academic cognition I need to hold needfully and seek to larn them by myself or by taking class preparation. By taking this program, I will better my cooperation accomplishment, activity-level and increase my imaginativeness and artistic involvements together while I ‘m larning the academic art accomplishments.Individual Personality Development Plan of Action ;Making a program is really of import for success ; nevertheless, in order to do the program more effectual, the program needs to be specific into actions. In my development program, I pick of import actions to do them specifically. The actions I pick are self-study, internship and engagement on particular undertaking. I need to carry through two sorts of internship which are working in an investing bank and working in an international corporation in the following three old ages. I will take to work in an investing bank foremost because I ‘m majoring in finance now. I need to use my cognition to the existent state of affairss to happen my failing and better myself. This action will be finished at the beginning of the junior twelvemonth. After I finish this internship, I ‘m certain I will larn a batch about the concern country and have a high betterment on my developmental countries. Then, in the senior twelvemonth, I will get down my following internship which is related more close to my concluding end. Because I have already done an internship, I know what I need to make and necessitate to better better than earlier. Therefore, this clip, when I work in an international corporation, I need seek to carry through my undertakings absolutely by handling myself as a formal member of the corporation. This internship will be finished at the terminal of my of my survey.Decision ;In decision, in order to accomplish every end in my life, making an single personal development program is really of import. It non merely can assist me to cognize my exi stent place specifically but besides can allow me believe and make every action logically and orderly. Bing a selling manager in an international manner corporation is non that easy. However, I ‘m certain I can accomplish my end by following my plan measure by measure. Because of my involvements, difficult work and continuity, I believe there is one twenty-four hours I will hold a large calling in the manner country.

Heres How to Make Non-Toxic Homemade Tattoo Ink

Here's How to Make Non-Toxic Homemade Tattoo Ink The earliest tattoo inks came from nature. You can use non-toxic natural ingredients to make your own homemade tattoo ink. One common tattoo ink recipe is simple and has been used in various forms for thousands of years. Its sometimes called wood ash ink,  carbon black tattoo ink, or a poke-and-stick tattoo. How to Make Tattoo Ink The earliest tattoo inks were prepared by mixing ashes from completely burned wood together with water. The wood ashes were nearly pure carbon, which yielded a black to brown tattoo. While carbon is the base for modern tattoo inks, its not a great idea to use water as the liquid to suspend the ink (the carrier). While a homemade tattoo ink may be prepared using sterile distilled water, poking the ink into the skin will force bacteria on the skin into the deeper layers. A non-toxic disinfectant, such as vodka, is a better choice. Vodka is a mixture of alcohol in water. Any other white alcohol, such as rubbing alcohol or tequila, will also work. Prepare the ink from: one cup carbon black ashes (completely burned wood)just enough vodka to create a slurry Prepare the ink by mixing the carbon black and vodka in a blender (15 minutes to an hour). If the mixture is too thin, add more carbon pigment. If the mixture is too thick, thin it with a little more vodka. It is best to prepare fresh homemade ink for each use, though the ink could be stored in a sealed container away from sunlight and blended again. Its a good idea to wear a mask and gloves when applying a tattoo to prevent the spread of infectious agents. The tattoo can be applied using a pin or quill that is dipped into the ink and poked into the skin. Notes About Wood and Paper Some people make this ink by burning wood in a heat-proof bowl. The advantage of using paper is that it produces fine carbon particles. The disadvantage is that some types of paper are treated with chemicals (e.g. heavy metals) that may remain in the ashes.If youre using wood, be aware youll get slightly different results depending on the species of wood you burn.If you know youll need multiple batches of ink to complete a tattoo, its a good idea to use the same source for the carbon each time and to keep track of how much ash and liquid youre using. Careful measurement will help ensure each batch has the same particle density, which translates into color intensity. Tattoo Ink Safety Notes While you can prepare your own ink and give yourself or a friend a tattoo, this is not a good idea for most people.  Professional inks are much more consistent in quality and safer to use, so they will give you better results with less chance of a reaction to the ink. Also, tattoo professionals are trained in aseptic techniques, so you will have much less chance of getting an infection or accidentally puncturing a blood vessel if you get your tattoo inked by a trained artist. Source Helmenstine, Anne. Why People Use Vodka for Science Experiments. Science Notes and Projects, August 30, 2015.

1968 Life Essays - Vietnam War, Counterculture Of The 1960s

1968 Life Essays - Vietnam War, Counterculture Of The 1960s 1968 Life Analysis of Life for 1968 The year 1968 was a time of war, civil rights movements, and riots. Many big events took place during 1968. Many lives were changed by these events. Out if the 1960s, 1968 stands out the most. In January of 1968 the United States thought that the Vietnam War was coming to a close, but President Johnson made a statement that changed the direction of Vietnam. President Johnson said the South Vietnamese could not win. This caused the South Vietnamese could not win. This caused the South Vietnamese to launch the Tet Offensive. This shocked the United States, and caused the war to linger on for several more years. The Tet Offensive spread from the cities of Mekong Delta, to Saigon, and north to the highlands. In February of 1968 major politicians spoke against the Vietnam War. New York senator Robert Kennedy, a Democrat, showed a blistering attack on the war by charging that there was not any prospect for victory. Another senator Jacob Javits, called military victory illusory he said, it is time to end the Americanization of the war. Vietnam caused many disagreements, and it broke up families due to men and women losing their lives to serve their country. During 1968 there were many questions about the presidency. On March 31, 1968 in a decision that stunned political friends and many others, President Johnson announced that he would not seek, nor would he accept the nomination of his party for president. Johnson said he was withdrawing in the name of national unity. This sparked many questions throughout the nation. People wondered who would become the next president of the United States. Their questions were answered very soon. In August of 1968, Richard Nixon, the old pro of the Republican Party, was nominated for president. On November 6, 1968 Richard M. Nixon was elected President of the United States. On April 5, 1968 the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The death of the 39 year-old civil rights leader sent shock waves throughout much of the city and the nation. His death enraged the nations black society, triggering riots in major cities. Some people said that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was a nonviolent man who drew violence to himself. Later on in 1968 the blacks were gaining more and more attention. Black females were beginning to get involved in politics. On November 5, 1968 for the first time in American history a black female by the name of Shirley Chisholm, defeated James Farmer in the 12th Congressional District in Brooklyn for a seat in the House of Representatives. This encouraged many black females to become interested in politics. It also gave them hope to become something greater. Nineteen sixty-eight was also a time for the Summer Olympics. The Olympics were held in Mexico. They survived student riots, the banning of black militant demonstrations, and other obstacles. The American athletes brought home forty-five gold medals, twenty-eight silver, and thirty-four bronze medals. The United States continued its domination of basketball, but this time against stiff odds. This showed the United States that America could overcome any type of adversity to win. During 1968 there were many advertisements just as there are today. There were advertisements for cars, cigarettes, and beer. Today there are advertisements for the same things. A Chevrolet Tri-level, which looked like a station wagon, was popular in 1968. Today, instead of driving a station wagon people drive SUVs or mini-vans. Another type of car that was widely advertised was the wide track 1968 Pontiac. The wide track car was made popular again in the nineties. There were many different types of cigarette advertisements. One type was the Bull Durham, which was a slow burning type of cigarette. Today this type of cigarette is no longer around. Another type that appeared often in advertisements was the Paul Mall brand. A type of beer that was popular in 1968 and is still popular today is Miller Beer. Nineteen sixty-eight was also when TV dinners became popular especially Swanson frozen dinners. Women were beginning to leave the home for the workforce and this caused the number of f rozen dinner companies to