Boeing 777 Finance Case Study Essay

Boeing is currently operating with the majority market share of the commercial sector of aircraft manufacturing. Frank Shrontz, our CEO, has recently stated his goal to increase the company’s return on equity from its current average of 12%. The following summary will delve into the most appealing project for the future of this firm: the 777 aircraft. The purpose of this new product is to maintain our competitive advantage in commercial airline production by completing a family of Boeing airplanes. The following net present value analysis will be used to determine the potential profitability of the 777 project. Our analysts concluded that a levered equity beta of 1.2939 was appropriate for the commercial division of Boeing. The levered equity beta was important to use due to its representation of the capital structure of Boeing and its value to the WACC calculation. This equity beta was calculated by removing the financial risk of four similar defense-oriented benchmark companies (over half of all revenues from their respective defense divisions). The Value Line betas of Lockheed, Northrop, Grumman, and McDonnell-Douglas were unlevered using the following formula U = (L) / (1+(1-t)(D/E)). The betas of these firms are important because by using the pure play approach, we can calculate an accurate equity beta for Boeing. Several adjustments must be made however, and those are discussed in the remainder of this paragraph. Once averaged, the Value Line betas equaled 0.4758. The next step required unlevering the total Boeing beta, which was found at 1.00. The formula used to unlever Boeing’s beta U = (1.00) / (1+(.66*.018)) = 0.9883. With the two betas we have calculated, Boeing’s unlevered commercial beta could be found. We found that the percentage of revenues derived from the defense division was 26%. The following formula provided the answer to Boeing’s commercial beta: U = (U-Boeing – (% defense)(U-Defense)) / (%commercial) = (0.9883 – (.26*.4758))/(.74) = 1.1683. After obtaining the unlevered commercial beta, our analysts then levered it by using the debt to equity ratio of 14%. The D/E ratio of 14% was chosen over the current 4% D/E ratio due to the additional financing needs in the future if the project were accepted. This yielded a levered equity commercial beta of 1.2939. The cost of equity of the project was then found using the equation: RE = rf + (market risk premium). Our team of analysts chose to use the long-term yield on treasury bonds in 1990 (8.82%) because it was similar to our investment horizon. The market risk premium is 5.4%. When these values are plugged into the previously stated SML equation, the cost of equity is (0.0882 + 1.2939*(.054)) = 15.81%. The return on equity for all-equity financing would be 15.13%. The only difference in the formula would be the use of the unlevered commercial beta 1.1683 instead of the levered commercial beta of 1.2939. This discrepancy between the two RE calculations makes sense because levering up increases the cost of equity. The weighted average cost of capital is then calculated with this equation: WACC = [RD * (1-t) * WD] + (RE * WE). The only new unknown is the cost of debt, which was 9.73%. The average yield to maturity of a AA-rated debt with 5 years to maturity is 9.73%–the cost of debt used in our analysts’ WACC calculation. Furthermore, a 34% tax rate and 14% weight of debt were used. WACC = [9.73% * 0.66 * 0.14] + (15.81% * 0.86) = 14.49% With all of the pieces of information our analysts gathered, the net present value (NPV) of all future cash flows could be found. Boeing has estimated the selling price of each 777 will be $130 million and includes adjustments for inflation over the time horizon of the project. After calculating the NPV over the 35-year project horizon, our analysts found it to be $1,736.34 million. Against our hurdle rate, the Boeing 777 project is very attractive. The key to this project being economically attractive is that the return outperforms inflation to provide real value to the firm. The sensitivity analysis provided reveals several gambles made by Boeing. They include the use of the highest estimated selling price per plane, units per year, rate of price increases, and market size among others. Even with all of the risks and estimations, Boeing should launch the 777 in October 1990 because the firm must not only stay competitive but keep their market share in the future. While the 777 project represents a huge risk with high levels of capital, it is a necessary risk since other firms are also completing their full product lines of airplanes. Also, the introduction of a derivative after 10 years and reduction in R&D costs could provide additional sales revenue and further affect the NPV of the project. While this project was certainly a gamble for Boeing in 1990, hindsight shows they made the right decision in creating the new 777. In October of 1990, right after the project was implemented, United Airlines placed a $28 billion order therefore â€Å"cementing the program Boeing was close to scrapping.† By March of 1994 they were already loaded down with 147 firm orders and 108 options with expectations of quickly increasing numbers. In June of 2008 it became evident that this aircraft had the differentiating ability to beat out its competitors. Headlines read â€Å"Boeing under intense pressure to increase production of top-selling fuel thrifty 777-300 ER†¦as airlines struggle with the soaring price of fuel.† In November of 2007 production of the 777 was sold out through 2012 and just 6 months later all remaining 2012 and 2013 slots were filled; the next available date for a new order was in 2014. Boeing officials stated they were â€Å"experiencing unprecedented demand† and were â€Å"producing at a rate of 7 [aircraft] monthly.† In November of 2011 the 777 became one of Boeing’s best-selling models, and on March 5, 2012 United Arab Emirates, the largest operator of the 777 with a fleet of 102, purchased Boeing’s 1000th 777, surpassing the numbers they forecast back in 1990.

Geographic coordinate system, Essay

Sextant- allowed users to determine their latitude to within a sea mile or two The gnomon or sun-shadow disk- operated like a sundial, enabling the user to determine his latitude by the length of the sun’s shadow cast on a disk floating level in water. The Arabian kamal- a rectangular plate that one moved closer or farther from one’s face until the distance between the North star and the horizon exactly corresponded to the plate’s upper and lower edges. The distance the plate lay away from the face—measured by a string tied to the center of the plate and held at the other end to the tip of the nose—determined the latitude. cross staff Tools used to measure longitude (Lesson 02.01) (use the first resource in this lesson to help you) Be able to list and describe the 2 main tools used to measure longitude in early navigation the chronometer- the sextant to figure longitude using the lunar-distance method Current Navigation Tools (Lesson 02.01) What tool do we currently use to determine location (latitude and longitude)? The Global Positioning System, Longitude and Latitude (Lesson 02.01) Know the ways that longitude and latitude run (N to S or E to W) and what they measure Longitude E to W – know how far east or west they were of the Prime Meridian Latidude N to S – how far north or south they were from the equator What are longitude and latitude measured in? they measure in degrees Challenger Expedition (Lesson 02.02)—Best resource link to use = â€Å"Account of the Voyage of the Challenger† Besides conducting sampling of the waters on its journey, what were the main findings from the Challenger voyage? found many new species, and provided collections for scores of biologists. What tool was used to do measure the depths of the ocean? The Challenger was equipped with 144 miles of sounding rope What are the 2 pieces of equipment used to collect bottom samples on the Challenger? At left is a shallow-water dredge, whereas a deep-sea trawl is shown at right. What was a newly invented piece of equipment used on the Challenger ship to get water samples called? Buchanan Water Sampler In which zone of the rocky shore would you most likely find only grasses and patches of lichens? splash zone What type of animal uses the rocky shore for their ‘feeding’ grounds? white-tailed deer in the winter What is the name of a plant-like species found in rocky shores? seaweed What is the special adaptation of these organisms found in the rocky shore ecosystem?—to do this, match up the following (Match the organism with its adaptation) Cky shore and tidal pools—what kinds of adaptations do they have that enable them to survive the pounding waves while staying in place, tidal changes (periods of time covered with water or periods of time with no water), sunlight exposure, evaporation of water that may leave concentrated salts behind, blending in to avoid predators What are the physical changes that occur in the rocky shore (3 main ones—think tides, salt content, and wave action)? Rock pools flat area of rock, back part forms a cliff where the front part is flat and in the water, formed by waves, wind, and rain Platform sloping shoreline where group of large rocks found on calm shorelines Boulder fields?depression left from a boulder grinding into a rock that hold water Crustaceans (Lessons 02.05 and 02.04) What 3 special adaptations do crustaceans have that allow them to survive in the rocky shore ecosystem? What characteristics do all crustaceans share (need to be specific) What is the best characteristic to help you identify a crustacean? What are the 3 main example types of crustaceans? Referenses: Baker, K. B., and S. Wing. â€Å"A new magnetic coordinate system for conjugate studies at high latitudes.† Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics 94.A7 (1989): 9139-9143. Dabek, Frank, et al. â€Å"Vivaldi: A decentralized network coordinate system.† ACM SIGCOMM Computer Communication Review. Vol. 34. No. 4. ACM, 2004. Gustafsson, G., N. E. Papitashvili, and V. O. Papitashvili. â€Å"A revised corrected geomagnetic coordinate system for Epochs 1985 and 1990.† Journal of atmospheric and terrestrial physics 54.11-12 (1992): 1609-1631. Priyantha, Nissanka B., et al. â€Å"Anchor-free distributed localization in sensor networks.† Proceedings of the 1st international conference on Embedded networked sensor systems. ACM, 2003. Goodchild, Michael F. â€Å"Citizens as sensors: the world of volunteered geography.† GeoJournal 69.4 (2007): 211-221.

How successful have the Irish Government and the European Central Bank Essay

How successful have the Irish Government and the European Central Bank been in running the Irish economy over the last two years - Essay Example Ever country’s economic policy has a number of generic objectives like attaining economic growth, healthy levels of employment and inflation, increasing price stability and equilibrium on the balance of payments. To this end governments use tools of macro-economic policy, like fiscal, monetary and exchange rate policies (Palmer, n.d). The Irish economy is member of the European Union and controlled by the European Central Bank (ECB) and thus does not have perfect autonomy when it comes to making its economic policy. The ECB has a vested interest in the Euro remaining integrated across Europe and thus the interest rates implemented across all the members of the European Union have a greater agenda than that country’s economy; to keep the Euro healthy. By setting monetary policy and exchange rate, the ECB makes sure that there is price stability. However, since policies are implemented under an umbrella, sometimes decisions of the ECB for the European Union’s greater good may prove to be detrimental for a particular economy which is precisely what happened with Ireland (Palmer, n.d). The Irish crisis hit full swing in 2008 when Lehman Brothers collapsed. Their financial sector was weak and out in the open and vulnerability was high. Ireland found it particularly hard to recover from its substantial overseas debt. Fearing a contagion, the government introduced a blanket liability guarantee; however this back fired severely, destroying Ireland’s credit image and creating political tension for Ireland. (Connor et al., 2010). However, after going through a really bad time, the Irish economy finally showed positive signs in 2010, it was expected that with recovery the economy would gain full strength. The unemployment figures also rose substantially around this time, but subsequently normalized. In the second half of 2010, the Irish government took a large loan from its fellow members of the EU which was aimed at increasing growth and improving the financial system. The new policy saw strong implementation, after the first two quarters a lot of improvement was seen. The policy objectives also aimed at improving employment in economy and improving Ireland’s competitiveness in the global market. Deflation in Ireland finally started lifting off in 2011, prices began rising as factors that had been depressing them were alleviated by the new policy implementation. A jobs initiative was also put forward around the same time with the aim of creating over 20,000 jobs. The economy of Ireland finally recovered in a plan which is divided in five stages. Stage one; export led growth, this is where net exports were increased so that competitiveness would increase. Net exports had increased over 9% by 2010. Stage two; investment, increasing FDI in Ireland helped create demand for it in the world market. Stage three, employment increment, expansion in this area occurs as a joint effect by first two stages. Stage four; improved spending, increase disposable income and consequently spending of households are increased. Stage five; make demand for d omestic goods stronger, this will cause increase in tax collections and economic growth will pick up. (Hickey, 2011). As part of the fixing up of Ireland through the new policy, the government also strengthened the capital base of its domestic banks. This was thought of to have strengthened that sector and eventually Ireland’s financial institutions and markets. (Langedijk, 2011). Summing up, we look at where Ireland stands in 2012 to see whether the policy objectives and vision of the Irish government with respect to its economy have been able to be successful over the last two years. According to this report published by the Department of finance

Project Management - Communication for Improvement Essay

Project Management - Communication for Improvement - Essay Example 22 2.2.3. HR and Finance Section of DoT: In Focus 22 2.3. The Survey Results 24 2.4. Synthesis 29 2.5. The Option 31 3. Research Analysis 32 3.1. Analysis of the Findings 32 3.2. Recommendations 37 3.3. Evaluation of Recommendations 38 4. The Presentation 40 4.1. Presentation 40 4.2. Results of the Findings 41 4.3. Impact of the Project 42 References 43 List of Figures and Tables Figure 1 p. 7 Figure 2 p.9 Figure 3 p. 16 Figure 4 p.34 Table 1 p. 24 Table 2 p. 36 Table 3 p.37 Name Professor Subject Date Project Management: Department of Transportation and Communication 1. Introduction Crucial in the timely delivery of government services to the people is the appropriate allocation and use of funds and resources by government agencies. It is a recognized fact that public resources are also limited, and as such, a sagacious use of public resources is critical to help citizens obtain the means in attaining the good life. From this perspective, it becomes clear why project management is i ncorporated as the government department and agencies. Since, project management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to project activities to meet project requirement (PMBOK Guide). It requires planning, organizing, controlling, and monitoring activities to comply with project requisites. As such, it is pivotal that in managing projects (1) identifying project requirements and establishing objectives to attain it (2) managing competing priorities and (3) satisfying identified stakeholders while working with the constraints of time, cost, and scope (PMBOK Guide). In effect, through project management, government projects are delivered more effectively and efficiently as selection, control, and evaluation are processes integrated in government projects, thus, creating measures protecting public funds and resources and securing the interests of the citizenry. Guided by the ethos of service to the people, economic growth, pursuit of quality of life, and environ mental sustainability, the Department of Transportation – Abu Dhabi (DoT) has embarked in establishing world class transportation system that is not only efficient and well integrated but, it also â€Å"serves the public interest by enhancing mobility and delivering safe, secure and environmentally responsible Aviation, Maritime, Public Transport and Highways sectors† (http://dot.abudhabi.ae). These vision and mission are founded on the principles of excellence, commitment, integrity, cooperation, transparency, and efficiency (http://dot.abudhabi.ae). In turning this vision-mission into reality, DoT has identified five objectives. These are (1) Reducing congestion and enhancing mobility within the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. (2) Enhancing transport safety and security in coordination with key stakeholders. (3) Providing high quality and reliable transport services to all areas within the Emirate. (4) Establishing an effective and efficient transport sector that responds to t he rapid growth of Abu Dhabi’s economy. (5) Building a collaborative and result-oriented organization to achieve the set goals (http://dot.abudhabi.ae). These objectives are aligned with the ideals of â€Å"world-class standards, emiratisation, privatization, cost-efficiency, accountability, transparency, and sustainability† (http://dot.abudhabi.ae). Considering the various scopes of DoT objectives, this study will center on the fifth objective, â€Å"

A critical analysis of Roald Dahl Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

A critical analysis of Roald Dahl - Essay Example However, a sense of the failures of family and the retribution that could be unleashed should magic be real can be found within the pages of his amazing work Charlie and the Chocolate Factory has inspired two films based on the book. These films are somewhat different in their treatment of the story, but the result has touched several generations of film buffs as well as given Dahl a wider audience for his delightful tales. Matilda, James and the Giant Peach, as well as The Fantastic Mr. Fox have all found their way onto film. The stories by Dahl are highly unique and original in such a way as to have a noticeable exceptionality in the way in which they are accepted. Peter Hollindale (2008), relates a story of a British comedy that begins with a man reading a story to two children The story becomes increasingly disturbing until he turns it over and checks the cover. With a sigh of relief, as if understanding, he says â€Å"Oh, it’s by Roald Dahl† (271). This was the power of his extraordinary point of view. Much is forgiven in the way of the dark tales because the writing is such that it makes sense by the end. This is not to say that there isn’t a great deal of criticism over his work. According to Steinberg and Kinchella (2004), the story of Matilda has an aspect of disrespect toward parents within the content that has been an area of concern for some parents in reading it to their children (185). Another aspect of Dahl’s work that creates criticism is in the way that there is a defined separation between children and their parents and that there is a defined right and wrong type of family that suggests that all families should be alike (Alston 2008: 64). This sense of separation is further exacerbated by a sense that adults tend to be less intelligent sometimes than their children, encouraging a point of view that children should trust themselves over the influence of a parental decision. Still, the

Health Administarion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Health Administarion - Essay Example les should be standardized and its performance management should have consistency in applying point values as a health institution (Council of Union Europeenne des Medecins Specialistes, 1996). Regular monitoring, appraisal and feed-back mechanism should be observed by the organization to ascertain that operations, policies and organizational values are applied consistently and without compromise. Error definitions should be define and must allow only the production of quality medical records based on standards. Healthcare facilities must have a quality and transformational system by measuring responsibilities of staff with verifiable factors and standards for quality rating (Council of UEMS, 1996). With proper performance management, the health facility will be able to maintain better customer care service too (Council of UEMS, 1996). Considering all these, the health facility must have effective health program to respond to issues pertaining to leading caused of mortality and morbidity. These leading issues must be addressed with effectiveness and proficiency on patient care. The organization must encourage adopting the culture of education and positive information discourse. Why? This is because it’s the paramount concern of any service institution to plan, actuate, check or appraise and act to review, revise, communicate and monitor. Plans of the institution should be those that can be easily attained and those that can be financially accorded. Such plans must also be consistent to policies and procedures. The same should be contextualized on problems, challenges, politics, social phenomena, and of market situation that has strong influence on healthcare management (Brunello, Fort, Schneeweis, & Winter-Ebmer, 2011). Internal and external feedback mechanism should be inclusive and consistent to documenta tion process, guidelines and error categories. It must involve reviews, communication of its successes and monitoring. This intricate process are undertaken

Importance of Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Importance of Life - Essay Example This paper will present personal thoughts about the two essays, establishing connections and oppositions, in the area of male-female communication at home. Inferences from the two stories â€Å"I want a wife† explains that wives take a very passive role at home. They offer support services to men after they leave home for work or education. The role of a wife when the husband is not at home will entail taking care of the children, supporting the dependants of the man, finance the man where necessary, as well as doing the daily chores. She is portrayed as one who should sacrifice for the man, by losing days of work, losing pay due to absenteeism as well as leaving her job after the husband gets employed. She is portrayed as the person to take care of the physical needs of the husband as well as those of the children while offering social support to the family (Tannen). A wife is presented as the one to offer support for the social life of the man, children – who she will babysit – as well as the guests of the home, who is required to serve. She is presented as the one to take care of the sexual needs of the man, whenever he feels the need, but she is presented as one that will not present her sexual needs. After all the devotion, she is supposed to accept her replacement, and at the same time absorb the burden of taking care of children after divorce (Brady). The story, â€Å"sex, lies and conversation; why is it so hard for men and women to talk to each other†...presents the woman as the talker of the family, but one who will not express herself in the pubic (Tannen). The case explains the ideal American family, where the man talks in public but not at home. The family outlook is supported by scientific findings that many marriage breakups – according to women – are caused by the lack of communication (Brady; Tannen). Women feel that men do not listen or pay attention to them, which could be explained on the basis of th e different communication cultures of men and women. Women – since their background as girls – relate in an expressive manner, while men relate in an authoritative, non-sentimental manner, which makes women feel like the men do not listen or communicate to them. Women make one another feel better, by demonstrating their shared problems, while men downplay the extent of the other’s problems, and will often not pay a lot of attention to the physical expressions of one another, like women. Through a research study on school children, it was demonstrated that women are expressive to one another – and the expressive aspect is what they expect from husbands – who are naturally passive in their communication and interactions. The problem rises from the need of intimacy among women, and the detachment of men from their feelings. The story ends in the call for an understanding of the cross-cultural nature of men and women, which will enhance their communica tion as well as the understanding of one another (Brady; Tannen). Discussion of the connections and the oppositions between the two stories â€Å"I want a wife† presents the wife as a highly passive member of the family, who will not question the instructions of the husband as well as her roles as a wife. â€Å"My wife must lose time at work and not lose the job† (Brady). The story â€Å"sex lies and conversation† is the opposite, as it portrays the wife as â€Å"

USGS Bird Population Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

USGS Bird Population - Essay Example Indeed, it found as far north as Alaska on the west coast as well as New England on the east coast and as far south as Mexico and the Bahamas. It is also found in eastern Canada, in Great Britain, and Ireland. Its ability to survive on a variety of diets, which include fish, amphibians and crustaceans, also indicate that the Double Crested Cormorant is a generalist. The Great Blue Heron is also a generalist/opportunistic species. This species is found not only in freshwater and saltwater habitats but also in mangrove swamps, flooded meadows, lake edges as well as along the shoreline. Indeed, it thrives in almost every part of North America, from Alaska and southern Canada in the North to Florida, Mexico and the Caribbean in the south. It is also found in South America, Greenland and England (Elliott, del Hoyo, Sargatal, & Imboden, 1992). Though the primary food of the Great Blue Heron is fish, it opportunistically feed on a variety of aquatic organisms such as shrimp, crabs, insects, rodents, amphibians, reptiles and other smaller birds. The Wood Stork is an example of a specialist given that it is found in limited habitat mainly tropical and subtropical climates of South America, Central America and the Caribbean. It is also found in subtropical climates of the United States such as in the States of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina where they live on cypress trees in marshes and swamps (Ehrlich, Dobkin, & Wheye, 1992). The Wood Stork, which is an endangered species (Ehrlich, Dobkin, & Wheye, 1992), preys on a limited variety of aquatic organisms that include fish, frogs and large insects. The America Robin is indeed a generalist that is found in almost all parts of North America, from Alaska and Canada in the North to Florida and Mexico in the south (The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 2011). Thus is can survive in different types of environments though its habitat is mainly woodland. It is also found in the Caribbean, Greenland, and in

Johnny Cupcakes Essay Example for Free

Johnny Cupcakes Essay Johnny Cupcakes is a multi-million dollar clothing brand. The brand was founded in 2001 by Johnny Earle. One of Johnnys acquired nicknames was Johnny cupcakes. He thought it would be funny to make a couple random shirts that said Johnny Cupcakes on them for the fun of it (Earle, 2012). After massive interest in these shirts, he decided to continue to make more and change up the designs. In 2001, Johnny stated, the band I was in, On Broken Wings, finally got signed to a record label and we began to tour full time (Earle, 2012). This opened up Johnny and his t-shirts to a larger crowd of customers in different parts of the country. This boosted the brands popularity and Johnny decided to quit the band and focus all of his time, effort, and attention on his t-shirts. Johnny ended up going to trade shows in Las Vegas and eventually ended up getting carried by shops in Japan, Europe, and Canada in addition to a few other US locations (Earle, 2012). Johnny had a turning point moment at that very same trade show later on that year. He realized people didnt like having the same things as others and that they enjoyed uniqueness. At this point Johnny made the decision to pull all his shirts from retail stores. Earle 2012 stated that he decided to make all of his t-shirts limited edition and exclusive, only selling them through his website and later on in his own retail stores. As the Johnny Cupcakes brand grew, Johnny opened up stores in Hull, MA; Boston, MA; Las Angeles, CA; and London, England. Johnny states that Above all, Ill continue to focus on enhancing my customers experiences through my stores, events, website, designs, and packaging. I will never ever sell my brand to investors for all the money in the world. I think youll find that things will only get more interesting from here (Earle, 2012). The Johnny Cupcakes brand to some can be described as streetwear. Hundreds, 2011 defines streetwear as a genre of contemporary apparel, united between sportswear and military looks, and is one that speaks to a spectrum of subcultures (skateboarding and hip-hop mostly). Some of Johnny Cupcakes major competitors are also streetwear brands such as Us Versus Them, Reason, Benny Gold, Situationormal, Flying Coffin, Clot, Diamond, Fuct, Alife, The Hundreds, A Bathing Ape, Supreme, and Rebel8 among others. These companies not only produce unique designs and clothing, they have a fan base, and what some might call a cult following. They represent more than just a t-shirt. They differentiate themselves by their designs, material, limited edition collections, and the customer experience. Johnny Cupcakes top products are his limited edition t-shirts, but the company also sells sweatshirts, hats and accessories. One of the things that make JC stand out is their packaging. The supplies the compan y needs and uses are not just clothing/accessory based, but just as important is their packaging. Johnny Cupcakes uses bakery style boxes with their cupcake and crossbones logo on it. The company also uses specially made tissue paper to wrap the bought goodies up in. The tissue paper is also marked with the JC logo. The are two major external factors that greatly influence Johnny Cupcakes as a company and those are the economy and trends. Since Johnny Cupcakes offers luxury items (those items that consumers dont need, but rather want), the economy can play a significant role in their profits. When times are tough, like in an economic recession, the majority of people watch their money more closely. These people may choose to only buy things out of necessity rather than splurge on things they want. Another big obstacle that JC has to stay on top of is the trends of their market. Clothing styles and designs come and go, therefore, Johnny Cupcakes needs to stay at the forefront of what their target market likes otherwise they could easily become extinct. One way JC battles these two external factors is making every shirt limited edition. The limited edition status gives the feel of exclusiveness. People not only crave exclusiveness, but will pay top dollar for it. Because theyre collectibles and not just apparel, customers are willing to pay $60 for a Johnny Cupcakes shirtand even stand in line for a new release like kids waiting for concert tickets (Spaeder 2007). This exclusiveness plays off of our cultures social classes. Most Americans want to be in a better social class. Exclusiveness is a trait that is common in the highest of classes. The limited edition shirts not only sets the standards for someones social status, but also keeps inventory at a low, making sure the products that are produced are sold. Having limited edition shirts erases much of the risks and fears of the changing trends of JCs market. Since there are only a handful of the shirts available, they are long gone before the design and style gets soggy. Also, this allows the company to be very flexible with the changing market. The two major internal factors that impact the organization are how they enhance the customer experience and their product packaging. These are two very important factors that help create the Johnny Cupcakes brand. They are part of the JC culture and without them, the brand wouldnt be what it is today. Part of the customer experience lies in JCs three retail store locations. Theyre set up just like bakeries, complete with glass display shelves, employees wearing aprons and the smell of vanilla frosting in the air (Spaeder 2001). During big releases or setting up weekend pop-up stores, Johnny himself will be there to greet and talk with everyone of the customers that walk through his store. This again is part of the experience and connection he wants his fans to feel when they think of the Johnny Cupcakes brand. Johnny thinks nice packaging sets an experience, a memory, or a safe-keeping that is sometimes just as important as the product itself. I’m a sucker for nice packaging (Earle, 2012). When conducting a SWOT analysis of Johnny Cupcakes, some of the companys strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats have already been discussed. JCs major strengths are the exclusiveness it personifies by selling limited edition shirts and the customer experience it provides. One of its major weaknesses is the fact that it only has three retail stores and an online store. If it were to grow (and being a multi-million dollar business it has the resources to do this) it could reach more of a customer base and increase not only its fan following, but its sales as well. A huge opportunity that Johnny Cupcakes has is the fact that it has done several successful collaborations with other companies including Nickelodeon and Hello Kitty, which expands its customer and fan base. As with all companies, a threat is competition. If JC can stay authentic to its audience then it will overcome the competition. As stated earlier, since JC is a luxury brand, the economy and trends are another threat. Listening to their market will definitely help subdue these threats. One of Johnny Cupcakes biggest resources and assets are its customers. Johnny Cupcakes has not only been able to acquire customers, but also fans and audiences (which is much more powerful). The reason the JC brand has been able to do this is because of the experience a customer gets when going into a store or a pop-up shop. When a customer sees their Johnny Cupcakes shirt they remember an experience they had when purchasing the shirt. I personally have two JC shirts (one was given as a gift so I dont have an experience to associate with that but my parents, who bought the shirt for me do). I do have a vivid recollection of an experience I had when purchasing my first Johnny Cupcakes t-shirt at a pop-up shop on Marthas Vineyard. There was a line of people waiting at a small bakery for it to open its doors. Everyone was unsure of what the t-shirts would look like because the designs had not yet been released. Not knowing what shirts will be sold definitely gives a little sense of excitement and surprise; and being excited about a brand goes a long way with customer loyalty. The waiting fans were given diner-like menus to see what shirts would be available. This definitely embodies the Johnny Cupcakes culture and experience. Once the doors were open to the bakery only a few people were allowed in at a time. This also gave the impression of exclusiveness. The limited edition shirts available were all Marthas Vineyard related. Not only is MV a huge tourist location, but being a resident of the island I had a sense of pride and being able to wear something relating to the island meant something to me, as I am sure it did to others, whether they were residents or tourists gaining a unique souvenir. After purchasing the shirt and leaving the bakery, I was greeting outside by Johnny Earle himself who not only took a picture with me, but also signed my shirt. My parents had a similar experience, telling me what a meaningful conversation they had with Johnny. Every time I pull out my JC t-shirt, I remember my unique experience of t-shirt buying. Johnny Cupcakes is a differentiation strategy user that sells an experience, along with his products. The way the business is run creates fans. JC leverages the companys resources, the customer experience, to create fans and a following of the brand. There are a handful of such loyal fans that fly out to all his releases to be able to experience them and not miss out on any product or show. JC, on a smaller scale, reminds me of the cult following of The Grateful Dead. Deadheads knew each show was unique and didnt want to miss out on any one of them. There are many Johnny Cupcakers who feel the same way. On March 24 of 2011, Johnny Cupcakes went international and opened up a store in London. Johnny had previously tested the waters in London by way of pop-up stores. His store in London was a huge hit, and he plans on a huge one-year celebration. Johnny opened up his store in London the same way he started is brand and opened up his other stores in the USA, with no investors, partnerships, or alliances. He started off small and threw his profits right back into his brand. One of the things Johnny Cupcakes prides itself on is not having to use investors or other companies to grow their brand. Part of this is what makes the brand who and what they are today. By staying authentic and listening to their market, Johnny Cupcakes will be continue to be successful in the years to come. With more years of success under his belt, Johnny may want to further exp and his brand in the global market. References Earle, J. (2012). Story. Retrieved from: http://www.johnnycupcakes.com Hundreds, B (2011). The 50 Greatest Streetwear Brands. Retrieved from: http://http://www.complex.com/style/2011/06/the-50-greatest-streetwear-brands Spaeder, K. (2007). By Popular Demand. Retrieved From: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/177912

Essay on Effectiveness of Authors Presentation Essay Example for Free

Essay on Effectiveness of Authors Presentation Essay A history teacher wants to teach history. How would he/she do this? There are many different ways to present history to a wide variety of audience members. People understand and interpret information all on a different level because of the way an author would present it, whether it be through an article or picture. There are many formats as to which there could be information presented articles, videos, poems, and artwork. Three things that are essential to answering the question above: the genre of the information, knowing the audience, and containing the subject knowledge. The presentation must contain the above components to affect ones understanding of history in the most effective way. Despite all this, one must remember that no one format shows history from every perspective. Therefore, each person will understand history in a different manner, according to the format of the presentation. First and foremost, the information, also known as the subject knowledge, itself is a key concept to an authors presentation, and therefore, ones understanding of history. Without the correct subject knowledge, the presentation would be of no use since it would not be targeting the goal of understanding history. The author should also make sure the information is relevant to the topic, which in this case is history, or else the audience will lose interest and get bored with the presentation. The information should also be expressed throughout the entire presentation to make the most meaningful impact on the audience. One of the Common Core standards for critical thinking is to provide the most appropriate and relevant information/data and that the subject knowledge be interpreted comprehensively. If it’s a school requirement, shouldn’t it be performed during presentations as well? The presentation should also appeal to the authors audience for maximum effect and approval. The audience can be a certain target (such as senior citizens) or a generalization for all age groups. The author would need to keep in mind what he/she is trying to achieve and how he/she could attract the target audience. It is extremely important in this case, to have information relevant to that age group. For example, would a teacher talk about genocide in Sudan to first graders? Information is available through different mediums and in this case, it would be genres. All information is given through literary text, non-fiction text, videos, and artwork. Literary text, usually a poem or short story, allows the author to pursue a more emotional relationship with the audience. It would therefore, be able to affect the more emotional aspect of any event in history. One such example is the poem, The Fall of Fort Sumter. It described the Confederate point of view and the feelings they harbored against the North. The fleet turned slowly southward; we saw the last ship go, We had saved old Carolina from the insults of the foe, is a part of the stanza in the poem and expressed Confederate feelings towards the Union. Through this medium, the audience would be able to connect on a deeper level to the context. Non-fiction texts allow for a quick, brief summary all the way to a deep, well thought-out analysis on a historical event. These texts are usually the most informative and straight-forward in a presentation. They also are able to provide a more realistic tone to the writing. An example is â€Å"The Battle of Fort Sumter†. It had an analysis on the entire battle from a neutral point of view. Sometimes, authors will take sides and state their opinion on a particular subject. Videos provide visual and auditory aids for the audience, it combines the elements of non-fiction text and artwork at the same time. Videos can enhance the learning experience of those who like combined formats. One such example is the â€Å"Fort Sumter Animated Map† from the Civil War Trust Fund website. It showed an animated battle simulation of Fort Sumter and the Union garrison stationed there. Artwork enables visual learners to use their eyes to communicate the feeling stored inside paintings and other works of art. Akin to literary text, it connects more emotionally and allows the audience to visualize and imagine the scene or place in history. An example is the Currier and Ives painting of Fort Sumter. It showed exploding mortars and Confederate batteries firing upon the glorious Fort Sumter in the middle of the Charleston Harbor. The criteria for a presentation should include the correct subject knowledge, appropriate target audience, and different genres of the event in history. Each medium if presentation present and offers insight on different perspectives. For example, take the issue of the American dream. Some say its only a legacy of the past from the Founding Fathers era while others say that it is stronger than ever. If one were only to read an informational text full of opinion that the American dream is gone, one could only see from one perspective or point of view. He/she would only understand one side of the issue. If however, he/she read another informational article supporting the American dream, then one could see both verdicts on an issue and understand them. To answer the essay question, everyone can have a different perspective on the same issue, depending on the genres in an authors presentation.

Technical Writing in Computer Hardware Electronics

Technical Writing in Computer Hardware Electronics What is Technical Writing? Technical writing is a style of formal writing used in various fields as diverse as computer hardware and software, chemistry, aerospace industry, robotics, finance, consumer electronics and biotechnology. In short it is conveying specific information about a technical subject to a specific audience for a specific purpose. Presentation of information is indeed very important as it helps the reader in solving a particular problem or in understanding a particular technology or product. The words and graphics of technical writing are meant to be practical i.e., they should be able aid in communicating in simple terms; a body of factual information that will help the audience understand a subject or carry out a task. DDLC DDLC stands for document development life cycle; it is a linear collection of several phases that are used by a technical writer to create a clear, concise, informative and well structured technical document. Conceptual knowledge of DDLC is crucial in creating good technical documents and thereby in achieving success in the field of technical writing. Various phases of DDLC are: Requirement Specification The Requirement specification phase is all about content collection and content representation. It involves determining Audience who is going to benefit from this document or who is going to use the document? Time The time frame and various deadlines to be followed through the entire project Quantity/Number of pages The size or number of pages in the document. Tools The tools to be used for creating the document. Document type whether the doc is a user manual or help guide etc. Templates The templates and style guides to be used in preparing the document Reference Documents The reference documents client might provide to aid in the creation of the document. A lot of times the, thewriter must usually interview the user as well as a subject matter expert (SME) to get detailed information and to find out what is needed or required. In the case of writing software documents the writer is supposed to interview or talk to the programmers and whereas to write about hardware, the writer talks to an engineer, technician or manager. The method of conducting the interview may vary from just talking with the person and taking down notes to tape recording the conversation. It is a good practice to have a list of questions on hand during the interviews with the SMEs or other technicians. Other sources include the internet, reference documents etc. The tools that are to be used in making the document are decided on the basis of the document type. For example, RoboHelp is used for creating online user guides and MS-Word is used in creating user manuals. Audience Analysis The complexity of a document is decided by the audience it caters to. Audience analysis phase involves determining the audience level. This can be done by either talking to the developers of the particular product or technology or through the SME. Also we can learn more about the audience level by talking to those the product is intended for. Formally, audience can be categorized into three levels based on how much they already know about the product or the technology. Novice A novice user is completely new to the technology or product the document is about and usually has very little or no knowledge about it. Documents intended for these kinds of audience need to contain everything about the technology starting from the very basics. Mediocre A mediocre user has a general knowledge about what the product is all about but need to Technical / Experts An expert or technical user has an in depth knowledge of the product , technology or software and is usually looking for only particular information. Product Analysis Product analysis phase involves deciding which of the two approaches presented below is more appropriate in writing about the technology / software. Menu driven Thematic approach Document Flow The purpose of this phase is creating an outline for the required document i.e., creating the skeletal framework of the document. A skeletal framework usually includes Preface or introduction, Table of Contents and figures, Chapter information and sequence, bibliography, index etc. All the elements of the document are ordered serially to prepare the Table of Contents (TOC) . The output of this phase is to produce a clear view of how the document will be structured. Gathering Information Now that the technical writer has a skeletal framework, he needs to gather the information required to fill in the blanks. For this purpose he needs to again communicate with the developers, SMEs and also find some of his own resources through the internet or the reference documents he is provided with. First Draft This phase involves preparing the first draft of the required document following the pre approved document plan and time schedule. Review The purpose of this phase is to review (self, peer, technical, and final) the completed document against the requirements specification document, style guide and template determined during the requirements specification page. Peer review Peer reviewing is subjecting the authors work to the scrutiny of other employees who are experts in the same field. Peer reviews usually need a community of experts in the same field given field, who are qualified and can perform an impartial review. Even though there are a lot of speculations about peer reviewing, it actually encourages authors to meet the accepted standards of their discipline and also prevents the dissemination of irrelevant findings, unacceptable interpretations, personal views and unwarranted claims. Technical review Technical reviewing aids in creating a technically superior version of the work product that is reviewed, which is done either by correction of defects or by recommendation or introduction of alternative approaches. Technical reviews are also a form of peer reviews but in which a team of qualified personnel examines the appropriateness of the document for its intended use and also identifies deviations from the mandatory specifications and standards. Technical reviews sometimes provide recommendations and examination of various alternatives. Editorial review Editorial reviewing aims at improving the readability of a manuscript. The reviewer parses through the manuscript to find whether it can be further simplified or clarified. The reviewer either makes changes or makes marginal notes and a written report and then returns the manuscript to the writer for further revision. Second draft The second and the final draft of the technical paper is out only after a final review. Once the document is free of any grammatical or technical related errors and follows all the guidelines, it is ready for publication.

Structure analysis of Idlenot Dairy :: essays research papers

Structure Analysis of Idlenot Dairy I. Introduction Idlenot Dairy was located in Springfield VT. The company that had been in business for about 5 years. The Dairy received unprocessed milk from the local farmers and produced a variety of products. These included different types of milk, yogurt and cream. The plant also bottled an assortment of juices and water. II. Departmentalization The Functional Structure would best describe the form of Departmentalization used by Idlenot. Various departments employed people with particular training. The IT trained personnel worked in the Data Processing Department. People with Financial backgrounds were located in the Accounting Department. The exception to this was in the Shipping and Warehouse operations. The employees that were responsible for moving stock from one location to another did not require specialized training. III. Methods of Coordination A. Wharehouse Managers at the Dairy used different methods of coordination for specific activities. The Warehouse Manager used coordination through standardization. Procedures that were used for the stocking of items in the coolers became routine. The Team Leader would assign Stock Men to a machine. The machines produced and packaged the products and sent them down the track in milk crates stacked six high. An employee would pull them from the track and place them in the appropriate cooler. He continued this as long as the machine he monitored produced a product. To perform the same steps day after day did not require a significant amount of thought. B. Shipping The Shipping Manager’s activities required a different approach. He used coordination through formal hierarchy. The Shipping Manager assigned the Team Leader tasks that required more supervision and resources. He gave an order to the Team Leader who divided it among his Pullers. The Pullers would enter the tunnel, assemble the order from the various coolers and send it down the track to the awaiting loaders. The Loaders would remove their assigned color-coded stacks and put them in the appropriate trucks for delivery. This process did not require special training but it did require more direction from the Supervisors than the warehouse functions. IV. Elements of the Organization Idlenot Dairy was a small organization. Its span of control was limited. In the shipping and warehousing divisions the managers and team leaders had no more than six employees under their supervision at any one time. The other departments had slightly higher ratios. Most of the supervisors directed the employees, they did not oversee them. The decision-making at Idlenot rested with the President, Vice President and Department Managers.

Essays --

OPlaisime After World War II there was a strong anti-communist movement in America for decades prior to the 1950s. Nuclear weapons also sent a shot of distrust and fear between America and Russia. Information about nuclear weapons was very limited to the public. There are some facts, details, and reasons on why did this war happen, effects of the Cold War, and how society reacted to the War. It began in the 1945-1948 timeframe and ended in 1989, having been a dispute over the division of Europe. By another account, the Cold War began in 1917 with the Bolshevik Revolution, and ended in 1991 with the collapse of the Soviet Union, having been a conflict between Bolshevism and Democracy. The Cold war got its name because both sides were afraid of fighting each other in such a â€Å"hot war†, nuclear weapons might destroy everything. So, instead they fought each other indirectly. They played havoc with conflicts in different parts of the world. They used words as weapons. They threatened and denounced each other, or the two countries tried to make each other look foolish. There facts and reasons on why the Cold War happened. The Cold War had two sides. Those two sides were capitalism and communism. Capitalism is that business is owned by private people or firms. It was a free economy that allowed any profit he or she makes is reward for hard work. It also allows that any person should be free to start a business and employ people. Communism is another form of economy. Everything is run by the state and should be run by the government on behalf of the people. No private person is allowed to profit from the work from other citizens. Communism is a controlled economy. All profits don’t go into the pocket of one owner; the pr... ...pons. They both had a large supply of ballistic missiles. The NATO and Warsaw Pact were formed. This war inevitably led to destructive conflicts like the Vietnam War and Korean War. The Soviet Union had collapsed due to its economic weakness. The Berlin was destroyed and the two German nations were unified. The Baltic States and some former Soviet Republics had gained independence. America became the sole superpower of the world. Communism was no more. Communism collapsed worldwide. The Cold War sketched the foreign policies for both the countries through the second half of the twentieth century as both countries fought for accomplices to uphold and widen their own realms of power around the world, but it did not escalate to an apocalyptic World War II. The decade- long standoff between American capitalists and Soviet communists ceased without causing any violence.

My Favourite Book Essay

My favourite book is â€Å"The Old Man and the Sea† by Ernest Hemingway. This story is one of the well-known works of the writer. The author depicts the characters of the old man and the boy and their relations very vividly and skillfully. Santiago, the old man, was one of the writer’s beloved characters. The old man was a born fisherman, but he was not a butcher and fished only for a living. He was very lonely. He had a devoted friend – the boy, Manolin. The boy loved the old man for his kind heart, his devotion to the sea. Manolin was like a son to Santiago. He took care of the old man’s food and his belongings. The old man was glad to pass his experience to the boy. He looked forward to going to the sea together with the boy. All Santiago’s life had been in preparation for the battle with big fish. He knew that he had been born for this and it was time to prove it. A strong man at last had met a strong fish. The battle was a difficult one and full of danger. Though the sharks had eaten the fish and nothing had left but the backbone, the old man had morally won the battle. Santiago’s words â€Å"man can be destroyed but not defeated† are the main idea of this story. â€Å"The Old Man and the Sea† is a masterpiece for its imaginative language and the description of nature.

Indian Railway

Marketing Project On INDIAN RAILWAYS Submitted by: Dhruti Badami 11BSPHH010XXX Nikhil Goyal 11BSPHH01XXX ContentsPage Introduction Marketing Mix SWOT Analysis Market Segmentation Market Targeting Market Positioning The Way Forward INTRODUCTION Indian Railways is the nationalized railway company of India which owns and operates most of the country's rail transport. It is the world’s second largest  employer behind Chinese army; has one of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world, an extensive network, which is spread over 60000 Route Kilometre, of which approximately 30 per cent is electrified. The Indian Railways have played an integrating role in the social and economic development of the country  , transporting over 18 million passengers and more than 2 million tonnes of freight daily, it is the world's largest commercial or utility employer, with more than 1. 4 million employees. Besides its stated function of transporting men and goods across the length and breadth of the country, it also enhances the country’s economy. As the country is emerging as one of the rapidly growing economies in the world, the need for a well- organized transport infrastructure would become more vital. Although there have been other modes of transport available in the country, INDIAN RAILWAYS is still able to maintain its competitive position due to many advantages like geographical diversity, world’s largest networks, and above all its economical fares in delivering the services. Marketing Mix Product Railways offer three major types of services: 1) Freight Service 2) Passenger Service 3) Parcel Service Freight Service IR carries a huge variety of goods ranging from mineral ores, fertilizers and petrochemicals, agricultural produce, iron & steel, multimodal traffic and others. Ports and major urban areas have their own dedicated freight lines and yards. Many important freight stops have dedicated platforms and independent lines. Indian Railways makes 70% of its revenues and most of its profits from the freight sector, and uses these profits to cross-subsidise the loss-making passenger sector. . Within the freight segment, bulk traffic accounts for nearly 95 per cent, of which more than 44 per cent is contributed by coal. Indian Railways also transports vehicles over long distances. Trucks that carry goods to a particular location are hauled back by trains saving the trucking company on unnecessary fuel expenses. Refrigerated vans are also available in many areas. The â€Å"Green Van† is a special type used to transport fresh food and vegetables. Recently Indian Railways introduced the special ‘Container Rajdhani' or CONRAJ, for high priority freight. The highest speed notched up for a freight train is 120 kilometres per hour (75  mph) for a 5,500  metric tonne load. Under the Eleventh  Five Year Plan  of India (2007–2012), Ministry of Railways is constructing a new Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) covering about 2762 route km long. Passenger Service * Duronto Express These are the non-stop point to point rail services (except for operational stops) introduced for the first time in 2009. These trains connect the metros and major state capitals of India and are faster than Rajdhani Express. The Duronto services consists of classes of accommodation namely first AC, two-tier AC, three-tier AC, AC 3 Tier Economy, Sleeper Class, General Class. * Rajdhani Express These are all air-conditioned trains linking major cities to New Delhi. The Rajdhanis have high priority and are one of the fastest trains in India, travelling at about 140 km/h (87 mph). There are only a few stops on a Rajdhani route. * Shatabdi and Jan Shatabdi Express The Shatabdi trains are AC intercity seater-type trains for travel during day. Jan-Shatabdi trains consists of both AC and non-AC classes. * Garib Rath Fully air conditioned trains, designed for those who cannot afford to travel in the expensive Shatabti and Rajdhani Express. Garib Rath means â€Å"Chariot of the Poor†. The maximum speed is 130 km/h. * Superfast Mail/Express These are trains that have an average speed greater than 55 km/h (34 mph). Tickets for these trains have an additional super-fast surcharge. Mail/Express These are the most common kind of trains in India. They have more stops than their super-fast counterparts, but they stop only at relatively important intermediate stations. * Rajya Rani Express These are a series of express trains operated by Indian Railways to connect state capitals with other cities important for tourism, pilgrimage or business. * Passenger and Fast Pas senger These are slow trains that stop at most stations along the route and are the cheapest trains. The trains generally have unreserved seating accommodation but some night trains have sleeper and 3A compartments. Suburban trains These trains operate in urban areas, usually stop at all stations and have unreserved seating accommodation. * Special Tourist Trains Palace on Wheels, Deccan Odyssey, Heritage On Wheels, Golden Chariot, Darjeeling Toy Train Price Freight Traffic A number of steps have been taken in the recent years to augment the railway loading as well as the earning of the Railways. As a result of those steps, the Freight earning of the Railways increased from Rs. 36,287 crore in 2005-06 to Rs. 41,717 crore in 2006-07 (increase of 16 per cent) and the loading increased from 667. 0 MT in 2005-06 to 728. 41 MT in 2006-07 (increase of 9. 2 per cent). Continuing the process further, the Railways have taken many initiatives to increase the railways freight earnings such as discount up to 30 per cent has been permitted on traffic loaded in the notified Traditional Empty Flow Directions during both busy and lean seasons, along with special long term; lump sum rates and other concessions. Passenger Traffic Pricing process is very complex due to the presence of various types of trains, quotas, classes, and concessions. The Pricing strategy is based on keeping in mind the need the entire population of the country and is mainly based on the type of class as described below: * 1AThe First class AC: This is the most expensive class, where the fares are on par with airlines. Bedding is included with the fare in IR. This air conditioned coach is present only on popular routes between metropolitan cities and can carry 18 passengers. The coaches are carpeted, have sleeping accommodation and have privacy features like personal coupes. * 2AAC-Two tier: Air conditioned coaches with sleeping berths, ample leg room, curtains and individual reading lamps. Berths are usually arranged in two tiers in bays of six, four across the width of the coach then the gangway then two berths long ways, with curtains provided to give some privacy from those walking up and down. Bedding is included with the fare. A broad gauge coach can carry 48 passengers. * FCFirst class: Same as 1AC, without the air conditioning. This class is not very common. * 3AAC three tier: Air conditioned coaches with sleeping berths. Berths are usually arranged as in 2AC but with three tiers across the width and two long ways as before giving eight bays of eight. They are slightly less well appointed, usually no reading lights or curtained off gangways. Bedding is included with fare. It carries 64 passengers in broad gauge. * 3EAC three tier (Economy): Air conditioned coaches with sleeping berths, present in Garib Rath Trains. Berths are usually arranged as in 3AC but with three tiers across the width and three long ways. They are slightly less well appointed, usually no reading lights or curtained off gangways. Bedding is not included with fare. * CCAC chair car: An air-conditioned seater coach with a total of five seats in a row used for day travel between cities. ECExecutive class chair car: An air-conditioned seater coach with a total of four seats in a row used for day travel between cities. * SLSleeper class: The sleeper class is the most common coach, and usually ten or more coaches could be attached. These are regular sleeping coaches with three berths vertically stacked. In broad gauge, it carries 72 passengers per coach. Railways ha ve modified certain Sleeper Coaches on popular trains to accommodate 81 passengers in place of regular 72 passengers. This was done in order to facilitate benefits like clear the Passenger rush and simultaneously earn more revenue. But this has got lukewarm response with criticism from the travellers and railways have decided to remove them. * 2SSeater class: Same as AC Chair car, but with bench style seats and without the air-conditioning. * URUnreserved: The cheapest accommodation, the seats usually made up of pressed wood, but the cushioned seats have been rapidly replaced. Although entry into the compartment is guaranteed, a sitting seat is not guaranteed. Tickets issued are valid on any train on the same route if boarded within 24 hours of buying the ticket. These coaches are usually very crowded. Also higher prices are charged for Tatkal scheme and lower for senior citizens and children below 12 years of age. As a part of ongoing marketing strategy, a number of steps have been taken by Indian Railways such as reduction in fares, proliferation of ticketing facility, introduction of Passengers Incentive Schemes like Upgradation, Scheme for Frequent Travellers (SOFT), etc. Place Tickets can be booked through a variety of ways: * Book in Person at Stations * Computerized Reservation Centre * Online booking * SMS Travel Agents Promotion Since the Indian Railways is a monopoly, they do not spend much on promotional activities. Their major promotions include advertising in print media, usually newspapers and hoardings. They sponsor certain national events such as the recently held Commonwealth Games in Delhi and beam TV commercials during that period. Bibliography http://www. sustainable-sourcing. com/2009/06/29/nhs-procurements-10-carbon-chal lenge/ www. wikipedia. org http://indiabudg et. nic. in/es2001-02/chapt2002/chap98. pdf http ://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Indian Railways

Animal Farm Essay

This is shown perfectly in Animal Farm. In the beginning animals went against Mr. Jones due to the way they were being treated. The animals felt that the farmers received all the goods for the work they did. So they created a government named Animalism, based on the Old Major’s vision. In Animalism, there are no owners, no rich, but no poor, workers got a better life, and all animals are equal. The animals established the Seven Commandments, which were laws created by the pigs to protect animals. The goals of the government were also set up. The goals said that everyone was equal, there would be more food and sleep for all, there was to be respect for all animals, and they would build a windmill to make life better for all. All this didn’t exist by the end of the book. The animals were getting less sleep, less food, and less respect. The windmill became a source of money for the leaders, not for all the animals. The seven commandments were gradually changed to suit the just the pigs until there was only one commandment left. This commandment said that some animals are more equal than others. This was the exact opposite of what they originally intended to achieve. Animalism no longer existed. The pigs began by to act more like humans, whilst at the same time changing the meaning or literally changing the laws. At the start they managed to change the meaning of all animals are equal, by asserting themselves as the â€Å"brain-workers† and taking the milk and apples. Over the years they start trading with animals, drinking alcohol, sleeping in beds, making animals enemies and killing animals. Napoleon also becomes an egomaniac and has a food taster, has dogs to guard him at all times, gun is fired on his birthday, etc. this just goes on to show how he is becoming more like a human. Later on the remaining pigs also took up whips, walked on hind legs, started to wear clothes and played cards. The pigs have now taken up the role of a dictator and rule through force via the dogs, propaganda via Squealer and using the sheep’s new slogan – â€Å"four legs good, two legs better†, which destroys the whole meaning of the of the rebellion. Napoleon only cares about his wellbeing and getting as much power as possible. This is evident when he starts doing business with the humans just to get more money and when he sells Boxer to the horse slaughter for money for alcohol. The final commandment stands as a great example of how those in power manipulate language as an instrument of control. . At the beginning of the novel, the idea of â€Å"more equal† would not only have seemed contrary to the democratic socialist spirit of Animal Farm, it would have seemed logically impossible. But after years of violence, hunger, dishonesty, and fear, the spirit of Animal Farm seems lost to a distant past. Could anyone give some constructive criticism on this essay please?

Last Sacrifice Chapter Twenty

â€Å"YOU SHOULD SLEEP.' Sydney's soft voice nearly made me leap out of my skin, proving that even while in Lissa's mind, I could still stay alert. I tuned back to Sonya's dark living room. Aside from Sydney, everything was quiet and at peace. â€Å"You look like the walking dead,' she continued. â€Å"And I don't say that lightly.' â€Å"I've got to stay on watch,' I said. â€Å"I'll watch. You sleep.' â€Å"You're not trained like me,' I pointed out. â€Å"You might miss something.' â€Å"Even I wouldn't miss Strigoi beating down the door,' she replied. â€Å"Look, I know you guys are tough. You don't have to convince me. But I have a feeling things are going to get harder, and I don't want you passing out at some crucial moment. If you sleep now, you can relieve Dimitri later.' Only the mention of Dimitri made me give in. We would need to relieve each other eventually. So, reluctantly, I crawled into Sydney's bed on the floor, giving her all sorts of instructions that I think she rolled her eyes at. I fell asleep almost instantly and then woke up just as quickly when I heard the sound of a door closing. I immediately sat upright, expecting to see Strigoi busting down the door. Instead, I found sunlight creeping in through the windows and Sydney watching me with amusement. In the living room, Robert was sitting up on the couch, rubbing his eyes. Victor was gone. I turned to Sydney in alarm. â€Å"He's in the bathroom,' she said, anticipating my question. That was the sound I'd heard. I exhaled in relief and stood up, surprised at how even a few hours of sleep had energized me. If I only had food, I'd be ready for anything. Sonya didn't have any, of course, but I settled for a glass of water in the kitchen. As I stood there drinking, I noticed that the Dashkov brothers had made themselves at home: coats hanging on hooks, car keys on the counter. I quietly grabbed hold of the keys and called for Sydney. She came in, and I slipped her the keys, trying not to let them rattle. â€Å"Do you still know about cars?' I murmured. In one exquisite look, she told me that was a ridiculous and insulting question. â€Å"Okay. Can you go do a grocery run? We're going to need food. And maybe on your way out, you can, um, make sure their car has engine trouble or something? Anything that keeps it here. But not something obvious, like slashed tires.' She put the keys in her pocket. â€Å"Easy. Got any food requests?' I thought about it. â€Å"Something with sugar. And coffee for Dimitri.' â€Å"Coffee's a given,' she said. Victor stepped into the kitchen, his typically unconcerned expression making me think he hadn't heard me instructing Sydney to sabotage his car. â€Å"Sydney's getting groceries,' I said, hoping to distract him before he might notice the missing keys. â€Å"Need anything?' â€Å"A feeder would be nice, but barring that, Robert has an especial liking for Cheerios. The apple cinnamon kind.' He smiled at Sydney. â€Å"I never thought I'd see the day an Alchemist would be an errand girl. It's charming.' Sydney opened her mouth, no doubt to make some biting comment, and I quickly shook my head. â€Å"Just go,' I said. She went, and Victor soon returned to Robert's side. Convinced the brothers wouldn't be going anywhere in full daylight without a car, I decided it was time to check on Dimitri. To my surprise, Sonya was awake. She sat cross-legged on the bed with him, and the two spoke in hushed tones. Her hair was disheveled from both sleep and fighting, but otherwise, she showed no cuts or bruises from the battle. Dimitri had been the same after his transformation, escaping terrible burns. The power of a Strigoi restoration healed all injuries. Between my skinned legs and pseudo-concussion, I kind of wished someone had transformed me from a Strigoi. Sonya turned from Dimitri as I entered. A sequence of emotions passed across her face. Fear. Astonishment. Recognition. â€Å"Rose?' There was hesitancy in the word, like she wondered if I was a hallucination. I forced a smile. â€Å"It's good to see you again.' I chose not to add, â€Å"Now that you're not trying to suck the life out of me.' She averted her eyes down to her hands, studying her fingers like they were magical and wonderful. Of course, after being a monster, maybe having her â€Å"old hands' back really was wondrous. The day after his change, Dimitri hadn't seemed quite so fragile, but he'd certainly been in shock. That was also when he'd grown depressed. Was she? Or did she want to turn again, as Victor had suggested? I didn't know what to say. It was all so strange and awkward. â€Å"Sydney went for groceries,' I told Dimitri lamely. â€Å"She also stayed up so that I could sleep last night.' â€Å"I know,' he said with a small smile. â€Å"I got up once to check on you.' I felt myself flushing, somehow embarrassed that I'd been caught in weakness. â€Å"You can rest too,' I told him. â€Å"Get some breakfast, and then I'll keep an eye on everything. I have it on good authority that Victor's going to have car trouble. Also that Robert really likes Cheerios, so if you want some, you're out of luck. He doesn't seem like the sharing type.' Dimitri's smile grew. Sonya suddenly lifted her head. â€Å"There's another spirit user here,' she said, voice frantic. â€Å"I can feel it. I remember him.' She looked between Dimitri and me. â€Å"It's not safe. We're not safe. You shouldn't have us around.' â€Å"Everything's fine,' said Dimitri, voice so, so gentle. That tone was rare for him, but I'd heard it before. He'd used it on me in some of my most desperate moments. â€Å"Don't worry.' Sonya shook her head. â€Å"No. You don't understand. We †¦ we're capable of terrible things. To ourselves, to others. It's why I changed, to stop the madness. And it did, except †¦ it was worse. In its way. The things I did †¦' There it was, the same remorse Dimitri had felt. Half-afraid he'd start telling her there was no redemption for her either, I said, â€Å"It wasn't you. You were controlled by something else.' She buried her face in her hands. â€Å"But I chose it. Me. I made it happen.' â€Å"That was spirit,' I said. â€Å"It's hard to fight. Like you said, it can make you do terrible things. You weren't thinking clearly. Lissa battles with the same thing all the time.' â€Å"Vasilisa?' Sonya lifted her eyes and stared off into space. I think she was digging through memories. In fact, despite her ramblings now, I didn't believe she was quite as unstable as she'd been just before becoming Strigoi. We'd heard healings could lessen spirit's madness, and I think Robert's transformation had lightened some of the darkness within her for now. â€Å"Yes, of course. Vasilisa has it too.' She turned to me in a panic. â€Å"Did you help her? Did you get her out of there?' â€Å"I did,' I said, trying to emulate Dimitri's gentleness. Lissa and I fled St. Vladimir's for a while, partly because of warnings from Sonya. â€Å"We left and then came back and, uh, were able to stop what was hunting her.' I didn't think it was a good idea for Sonya to know that the thing–or rather, person–hunting Lissa was now sitting out in the living room. I took a step forward. â€Å"And you can help Lissa too. We need to know if–‘ â€Å"No,' said Dimitri. No gentleness now in the warning look he gave me. â€Å"Not yet.' â€Å"But–‘ â€Å"Not yet.' I shot him a glare in return but said no more. I was all for giving Sonya her recuperation time, but we didn't have forever. The clock was ticking, and we had to find out what Sonya knew. I felt like Dimitri would have been able to give us this information immediately after he'd been changed back. Of course, he hadn't been unstable beforehand, so he'd kind of had an edge. Still. We couldn't play house in Kentucky forever. â€Å"Can I see my flowers?' asked Sonya. â€Å"Can I go outside and see my flowers?' Dimitri and I exchanged glances. â€Å"Of course,' he said. We all moved toward the door, and that's when I had to ask. â€Å"Why did you grow flowers when you were †¦ like you were?' She paused. â€Å"I've always grown flowers.' â€Å"I know. I remember. They were gorgeous. The ones here are gorgeous too. Is that why †¦ I mean, did you just want a pretty garden, even as a Strigoi?' The question was unexpected and seemed to throw her off. I was about to give up on an answer when she finally said, â€Å"No. I never thought about pretty. They were †¦ I don't know. Something to do. I'd always grown flowers. I had to see if I still could. It was like †¦ a test of my skills, I guess.' I met Dimitri's eyes again. So. Beauty hadn't been part of her world. It was just like I'd told him. Strigoi were notoriously arrogant, and it seemed the flowers had simply been a show of prowess. Growing them had also been a familiar habit for her, and I recalled how Dimitri had read Western novels while Strigoi. Being Strigoi might cost someone their sense of goodness and morality, but old behaviors and hobbies remained. We took her out to the living room, interrupting a conversation between Victor and Robert. Sonya and Robert both froze, sizing each other up. Victor gave us one of his knowing smiles. â€Å"Up and around. Have we found out what we need yet?' Dimitri shot him a look similar to what I'd received when asking about interrogation. â€Å"Not yet.' Sonya dragged her gaze from Robert and moved quickly toward the patio door, pausing when she saw our shoddy patch job. â€Å"You broke my door,' she said. â€Å"Collateral damage,' I said. In my periphery, I think Dimitri rolled his eyes. Needing no guidance from us, Sonya opened the door and stepped outside. With a gasp, she came to a halt and stared upward. The sky was a perfect, cloudless blue, and the sun had crossed the horizon now, illuminating everything in gold. I went outside too, feeling the warmth of that light on my skin. Some of the night's coldness lingered, but we were in store for a hot day. Everyone else came out too, but Sonya was oblivious. She lifted her hands upward, as though maybe she could grab hold of the sun and wrap it in her arms. â€Å"It's so beautiful.' She finally looked away and met my eyes. â€Å"Isn't it? Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?' â€Å"Beautiful,' I reiterated. For some reason, I felt both happy and sad. She walked around her yard, examining every plant and flower. She touched the petals and inhaled their fragrance. â€Å"So different †¦' she kept saying to herself. â€Å"So different in the sun †¦' Several especially caught her attention. â€Å"These don't open at night! Do you see it? Do you see the colors? Can you smell that?' The questions didn't seem to be for anyone in particular. We watched, all of us kind of hypnotized. At last, she settled into the patio chair, happily gazing around, lost in sensory overload–in that beauty that had been denied to her as a Strigoi. When it became obvious she wasn't leaving for a while, I turned to Dimitri and repeated Sydney's advice about him taking a turn at sleeping while we waited for Sonya to recover. To my surprise, he actually agreed. â€Å"That's smart. Once Sonya's able to talk, we'll need to move.' He smiled. â€Å"Sydney's turning into a battle mastermind.' â€Å"Hey, she's not in charge here,' I teased. â€Å"She's just a soldier.' â€Å"Right.' He lightly brushed his fingers against my cheek. â€Å"Sorry, Captain.' â€Å"General,' I corrected, catching my breath at that brief touch. He gave Sonya a kind goodbye before disappearing into the house. She nodded, but I don't know if she really heard. Victor and Robert brought out two wooden kitchen chairs and set them in the shade. I chose a spot on the ground. Nobody spoke. It wasn't the weirdest thing I'd ever experienced, but it was certainly strange. Sydney returned later with the groceries, and I briefly abandoned the group to check in with her. Victor's keys were lying back on the counter, which I took as a good sign. Sydney unloaded an assortment of food and handed me a box of a dozen donuts. â€Å"Hope that's enough for you,' she remarked. I made a face at her presumption but took the donuts anyway. â€Å"Come on outside when you're done,' I told her. â€Å"It's like the barbecue of the damned. Except †¦ there's no grill.' She looked puzzled, but when she joined us later, she seemed to get what I'd been saying. Robert brought out a bowl of Cheerios, but neither Sydney nor Victor ate. I gave Sonya a donut, the first thing that took her attention from her yard. She held it in her hands, turning it over and over. â€Å"I don't know if I can. I don't know if I can eat it.' â€Å"Of course you can.' I recalled how Dimitri had regarded food uncertainly too. â€Å"It's chocolate-glazed. Good stuff.' She took a tentative, rabbit-sized bite. She chewed it a billion times and finally swallowed. She closed her eyes briefly and sighed. â€Å"Such sweetness.' Slowly, she continued taking more tiny bites. It took forever for her to get halfway through the donut, and at that point, she finally stopped. I'd polished off three donuts by then, and my impatience to accomplish something was growing. Part of it was still the irritability from spirit, and part of it was just my continual restlessness to help Lissa. â€Å"Sonya,' I said pleasantly, fully aware of how pissed off Dimitri was going to be at me defying his instructions. â€Å"We wanted to talk to you about something.' â€Å"Mm-hmm,' she said, gazing at bees hovering around some honeysuckle. â€Å"Is there a relative of yours †¦ someone who, uh, had a baby a while ago †¦ ?' â€Å"Sure,' she said. One of the bees flew from the honeysuckle to a rose, and she never looked away. â€Å"Lots.' â€Å"Articulate, Rosemarie,' remarked Victor. â€Å"Very articulate.' I bit my lip, knowing an outburst would upset Sonya. And probably Robert too. â€Å"This would be a secret baby,' I told her. â€Å"And you were the beneficiary on a bank account that took care of the baby †¦ an account paid for by Eric Dragomir.' Sonya's head whipped toward me, and there was no dreamy absentmindedness in her blue eyes now. A few seconds passed before she spoke. Her voice was cold and hard–not a Strigoi voice, but definitely a back off voice. â€Å"No. I don't know anything about that.' â€Å"She's lying,' said Robert. â€Å"I didn't need any powers to figure that out,' scoffed Sydney. I ignored both of them. â€Å"Sonya, we know you know, and it's really important we find this baby †¦ er, child. Person.' We'd made guesses on the age but weren't 100 percent sure. â€Å"You said you were worried about Lissa earlier. This will help her. She needs to know. She needs to know she has another family member.' Sonya turned her attention back to the bees, but I knew she was no longer watching them. â€Å"I don't know anything.' There was a trembling in her voice, and something told me that maybe I shouldn't push this after all. I couldn't tell if she was afraid or on the verge of rage. â€Å"Then why were you on the account?' This came from Victor. â€Å"I don't know anything,' she repeated. Her voice could have made icicles form on the ornamental trees. â€Å"Nothing.' â€Å"Stop lying,' snapped Victor. â€Å"You know something, and you're going to tell us.' â€Å"Hey!' I exclaimed. â€Å"Be quiet. You don't have interrogation rights here.' â€Å"You didn't seem to be doing a very good job.' â€Å"Just shut up, okay?' I looked back at Sonya, replacing my glare with a smile. â€Å"Please,' I begged. â€Å"Lissa's in trouble. This will help her. I thought you said before that you wanted to help her?' â€Å"I promised †¦' said Sonya. Her voice was so low, I could barely hear it. â€Å"Promised what?' I asked. Patience, patience. I had to remain calm. I couldn't risk a breakdown. She squeezed her eyes shut and raked her hands through her hair violently, almost like a child about to have a tantrum. â€Å"Promised not to tell. Promised not to tell anyone †¦' I had the urge to run over and shake her. Patience, patience, I repeated to myself. Don't upset her. â€Å"We wouldn't ask you to break your promise if it wasn't important. Maybe †¦ maybe you can get in touch with this person †¦' Who had she promised? Eric's mistress? â€Å"And see if it's okay to tell us?' â€Å"Oh for God's sake,' said Victor irritably. â€Å"This is ridiculous and getting us nowhere.' He glanced at his brother. â€Å"Robert?' Robert hadn't done much so far today, but at Victor's command, Robert leaned forward. â€Å"Sonya?' Still obviously distraught, she turned to look at him †¦ and her face went still. â€Å"Tell us what we need to know,' said Robert. His voice wasn't kind so much as smooth and lulling, with a faintly sinister touch. â€Å"Tell us who and where this child is. Tell us who the mother is.' This time, I did jump to my feet. Robert was using compulsion on her to get the answers. Sonya's eyes stayed locked on him, but her body began to shake. Her lips parted, though no sound came out. A tangle of thoughts swirled in my mind. Compulsion would get us what we needed to know, but something told me, it wasn't right– Sonya stopped me from any more pondering. She shot up almost as quickly as I had. She was still staring at Robert, but no longer in that transfixed, hypnotized way. She'd broken the compulsion, and now †¦ now she was pissed. The features that had been scared and fragile earlier were filled with fury. I had no magical senses, but after being with Lissa, I knew raging spirit when I saw it. Sonya was a bomb, about to explode. â€Å"How dare you †¦' she hissed. â€Å"How dare you try to compel me?' Plants and vines near Robert suddenly sprang to life, growing to impossible heights. They reached out, tangled themselves around his chair's legs, and pulled. The chair toppled over, Robert along with it. Victor moved to help his brother, but Robert was already taking matters into his own hands. Recovering remarkably fast, he narrowed his eyes at Sonya, and she went flying backward, slamming against the wooden fence. Air users could do that trick sometimes, but this wasn't air blowing her back. This was spirit's telekinetic abilities. He apparently possessed them outside of dreams too. Lovely. I'd seen spirit users battle it out before, when Avery Lazar and Lissa had gone one on one. That hadn't been pretty, particularly since more than this exterior psychic phenomena had occurred. Avery had actually dug into Lissa's mind–and mine. I didn't know Robert or Sonya's full skill set, but this couldn't end well. â€Å"Dimitri!' I yelled, springing toward Sonya. I didn't exactly know what I was going to do, but tackling her seemed like a sound plan. From what I'd observed, a lot of spirit involved eye contact with the target. And sure enough, when I managed to wrestle her to the ground, she struggled half- heartedly but mostly fought to keep her gaze on Robert. He screamed in sudden alarm, looking down at his own body in terror. Sonya was planting visions into his head. His expression hardened. He had to know it was an illusion, and a few moments later, he looked up, having broken her spell like she'd broken his earlier compulsion. Dimitri came tearing out the door at that point, just as Robert used his mind to fling one of the chairs toward Sonya. Of course, I was on top of her, so the chair hit me in the back. Dimitri picked up pretty quickly what was going on and ran toward Robert, attempting the same tactic as me. Victor, possibly thinking his brother was in physical danger, tried to pry Dimitri away, which was futile. More vines began to reach toward Robert, and I realized constraining Sonya wasn't all that useful. â€Å"Get him inside!' I yelled to Dimitri. â€Å"Get him away from her!' Dimitri had already guessed that and began dragging Robert toward the door. Even with Victor interfering, Dimitri's strength was enough to get Robert out of there and back into the house. As soon as her target was gone, all the energy seemed to fade out of Sonya. She made no more efforts to fight me and collapsed to the ground. I was relieved, having feared she'd turn on me once Robert was gone. Tentatively, still on guard, I helped Sonya sit up. She leaned against me, weak as a rag doll, and cried into my shoulder. Another breakdown. After that, it was a matter of damage control. In order to keep the spirit users apart, Dimitri had taken Robert to the bedroom and left Victor with him. Robert seemed as worn out as Sonya, and Dimitri deemed the brothers safe enough to leave alone. Sonya collapsed on the couch, and after both Dimitri and I had tried to calm her down, we stepped away while Sydney held the Moroi woman's hand. I briefly recapped what had happened. Dimitri's face grew more and more incredulous as I did. â€Å"I told you it wasn't time!' he exclaimed. â€Å"What were you thinking? She's too weak!' â€Å"You call that weak? And hey, I was doing fine! It wasn't until Victor and Robert got involved that things went to hell.' Dimitri took a step toward me, anger radiating off him. â€Å"They should never have gotten involved. This is you, acting irrational again, jumping in foolishly with no thought of the consequences.' Outrage shot through me in return. â€Å"Hey, I was trying to make progress here. If being rational is sitting around and doing therapy, then I'm happy to jump over the edge. I'm not afraid to get in the game.' â€Å"You have no idea what you're saying,' he growled. We were standing closer now, hardly any space left between us as we engaged in our battle of wills. â€Å"This may have set us back.' â€Å"This set us forward. We found out she knows about Eric Dragomir. The problem is she promised not to tell anyone about this baby.' â€Å"Yes, I promised,' piped up Sonya. Dimitri and I turned as one, realizing our argument was fully visible and audible to Sonya and Sydney. â€Å"I promised.' Her voice was very small and weak, pleading with us. Sydney squeezed her hand. â€Å"We know. It's okay. It's okay to keep promises. I understand.' Sonya looked at her gratefully. â€Å"Thank you. Thank you.' â€Å"But,' said Sydney carefully, â€Å"I heard that you care about Lissa Dragomir.' â€Å"I can't,' interrupted Sonya, turning fearful again. â€Å"I know, I know. But what if there was a way to help her without breaking your promise?' Sonya stared at Sydney. Dimitri glanced at me questioningly. I shrugged and then stared at Sydney too. If someone had asked who could stage the best intervention with a crazy woman who'd formerly been an undead monster, Sydney Sage would have been my last guess. Sonya frowned, all attention on Sydney. â€Å"W-what do you mean?' â€Å"Well †¦ what did you promise exactly? Not to tell anyone that Eric Dragomir had a mistress and baby?' Sonya nodded. â€Å"And not to tell who they were?' Sonya nodded again. Sydney gave Sonya the warmest, friendliest smile I'd ever seen on the Alchemist. â€Å"Did you promise not to tell anyone where they are?' Sonya nodded, and Sydney's smile faltered a little. Then, her eyes lit up. â€Å"Did you promise not to lead anyone to where they are?' Sonya hesitated, no doubt turning every word over in her mind. Slowly, she shook her head. â€Å"No.' â€Å"So †¦ you could lead us to them. But not tell us where they actually are. You wouldn't be breaking the promise that way.' It was the most convoluted, ridiculous piece of logic I'd heard in a while. It was something I would have come up with. â€Å"Maybe †¦' said Sonya, still uncertain. â€Å"You wouldn't break the promise,' Sydney repeated. â€Å"And it would really, really help Lissa.' I stepped forward. â€Å"It would help Mikhail too.' Sonya's mouth dropped open at the mention of her former lover. â€Å"Mikhail? You know him?' â€Å"He's my friend. He's Lissa's friend too.' I almost said that if we found the missing Dragomir, we could then take Sonya to Mikhail. Recalling Dimitri's feelings of unworthiness, I decided to avoid that tactic just now. I didn't know how Sonya would react to a reunion with her beloved. â€Å"And he wants to help Lissa. But he can't. None of us can. We don't have enough information.' â€Å"Mikhail †¦' Sonya looked down at her hands again, small tears running down her cheeks. â€Å"You won't break your promise.' Sydney was so compelling she could have been a spirit user. â€Å"Just lead us. It's what Mikhail and Lissa would want. It's the right thing to do.' I don't know which argument convinced Sonya the most. It could have been the part about Mikhail. Or it could have been the idea of doing â€Å"the right thing.' Maybe, like Dimitri, Sonya wanted redemption for her Strigoi crimes and saw this as a chance. Looking up, she swallowed and met my eyes. â€Å"I'll lead you there,' she whispered. â€Å"We're going on another road trip,' Sydney declared. â€Å"Get ready.' Dimitri and I were still standing right next to each other, the anger between us beginning to diffuse. Sydney looked proud and continued trying her best to soothe Sonya. Dimitri looked down at me with a small smile that shifted slightly when he seemed to become aware of just how close we were. I couldn't say for sure, though. His face gave little away. As for me, I was very aware of our proximity and felt intoxicated by his body and scent. Damn. Why did fighting with him always increase my attraction to him? His smile returned as he tilted his head toward Sydney. â€Å"You were wrong. She really is the new general in town.' I smiled back, hoping he wasn't aware of my body's reaction to us standing so close. â€Å"Maybe. But, it's okay. You can still be colonel.' He arched an eyebrow. â€Å"Oh? Did you demote yourself? Colonel's right below general. What's that make you?' I reached into my pocket and triumphantly flashed the CR-V keys I'd swiped when we'd come back inside. â€Å"The driver,' I said.

Athenian Democracy and Meritocracy

Athenian Democracy and Meritocracy To what extent did the Athenian democracy live up to its ideology of being a meritocracy, and to what extent was power still in the hands of the wealthy? Athenian democracy was an evolving process in the 5 th century B.C. The concentration of power in the political establishment would change considerably from when the first seeds were planted until the voting citizenship was expanded and new leaders emerged towards the end of the century. Democracy was not instituted in the name of human rights but for pragmatic purposes and it is necessary that we look at it in this light when considering whether Athens was a meritocracy and whether the wealthy still held considerable power in Democratic Athens. It is certainly true that Athenian Democracy, like all systems, on paper differed considerably to how it was implemented. In this essay I will argue that Athenian Democracy was largely successful in implementing a state democracy in which, to a large extent, there were no obvious discrepan cies over who was favoured in matters of society and the state. I will show that the Athenian constitution largely kept the city as a meritocracy, making its citizens equal before the state in matters of legality and political power. However, I will also consider the limitations of Athenian Democracy and to what extent certain functions may have limited its success. I will argue that the power of the wealthy was in most respects limited by the structure of the state but was held back to some extent by the inevitable advantages that come from wealth. I will mainly be arguing that whatever limitations there were, they were not enough to have a damaging effect on democracy as a whole. The Athenian Democracy allowed that only adult males of Athenian ancestry were part of the democratic system, which overall made up around 10-20% of the demos. Slaves, freed slaves, children, women and metics (foreigners in Athens) were excluded. It is obvious from this that to label Athens as a meritoc racy in the modern sense is absurd. In this essay, I will consider Athens as a meritocracy in terms of the rights and opportunities of those who are citizens, not from those who aren’t and will therefore consider to what extent Athenian Democracy worked the way it was supposed to. The wealthy did not hold power to the extent that it harmed the democratic process. The wealthy certainly did have many advantages compared to the poor, but this is not necessarily any comment upon Athenian democracy simply an inevitability that those with wealth will be able to achieve more than those without. The wealthy had power but not to an extent that was greatly damaging to the state. When defining wealth, I will consider Aristotle’s definition as including money, land, real estate, furniture, livestock and a high quality and quantity of slaves (Rhet. 1361a12-16). There was most definitely a significant wealth inequality amongst Athens’s citizens whereby the leisure class (thos e who didn’t need to work as a result of family fortunes, nobility etc.) made up roughly 5-10% of the populace. This class barrier was certainly realised by the lower classes who often showed their resentment at the wealthy. However despite this inequality, they did not see this as particularly affecting when it came down to the political and legal powers of the people, as this inequality was grudgingly accepted. Wealth discrepancies were not seen as unjust as potential legal or political barriers that may have affected the citizens. (see Ober ch.5)