Saying No in French

Saying No in French Saying no in French is easy. The only problem is choosing from the many synonyms for no in French. Choose with care, because the differences between expressions are nuanced. Learn how to say the equivalents of  no, not a chance, I dont think so, down with, and more. The Many Faces of Non in French non noThis is the basic, standard French word for no. Non, je naime pas skier.   No, I dont like to ski. ah non /  oh non  Ã‚  oh noAh non and oh non express disappointment, as in oh no! or darn it! Ah non ! Ça ne marche pas !   Oh no! It doesnt work! non †¦Ã‚  Ã‚  no to...Non is followed by a noun to mean (say) no to or down with, especially in protests and demonstrations: Non au CPE !   No to the First Job Contract! Other synonyms for non      absolument pas  Ã‚  absolutely not  Ã‚  Ã‚  au contraire   on the contrary  Ã‚  Ã‚  aucun (problà ¨me, argent, etc.)   no (problem, money, etc)  Ã‚  Ã‚  bien sà »r que non  Ã‚  of course not  Ã‚  Ã‚  certainement pas   certainly not  Ã‚  Ã‚  des clous ! (familiar) no way!  Ã‚  Ã‚  du tout   not at all Expressions With Non   Ã‚  Ã‚  je crois que non  Ã‚  I dont think so  Ã‚  Ã‚  je ne dis pas non   I wouldnt say no  Ã‚  Ã‚  mais non   of course not  Ã‚  Ã‚  moi non   not me, I dont  Ã‚  Ã‚  nest-ce pas ?   no? right? isnt it?  Ã‚  Ã‚  niet ! (familiar) no way!  Ã‚  Ã‚  non merci - no thank you  Ã‚  Ã‚  non et non !   absolutely not!  Ã‚  Ã‚  non plus   not (that) either  Ã‚  Ã‚  non que subjunctive   not that †¦Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  ... ou non ?   †¦ (are/will/do you verb) or not?  Ã‚  Ã‚  pas de (problà ¨me, temps, pain, etc)   no (problem, time, bread, etc.)  Ã‚  Ã‚  pas du tout   not at all  Ã‚  Ã‚  pas question ! (familiar) no way! not a chance!  Ã‚  Ã‚  pas tout fait   not exactly, not quite  Ã‚  Ã‚  que non !   absolutely not!

Andersonville Prison in the Civil War

Andersonville Prison in the Civil War The Andersonville prisoner of war camp, which operated from  February 27, 1864, until the end of the American Civil War  in 1865, was one of the most notorious in U.S. history. Underbuilt, overpopulated, and continuously short on supplies and clean water, it was a nightmare for the nearly 45,000 soldiers who entered its walls. Construction In late 1863, the Confederacy found that it needed to construct additional prisoner of war camps to house captured Union soldiers waiting to be exchanged. As leaders discussed where to place these new camps, former Georgia governor, Major General Howell Cobb stepped forward to suggest the interior of his home state. Citing southern Georgias distance from the front lines, relative immunity to Union cavalry raids, and easy access to railroads, Cobb was able to convince his superiors to build a camp in Sumter County. In November 1863, Captain W. Sidney Winder was dispatched to find a suitable location. Arriving at the tiny village of Andersonville, Winder found what he believed to be an ideal site. Located near the Southwestern Railroad, Andersonville possessed transit access and a good water source. With the location secured, Captain Richard B. Winder (a cousin to Captain W. Sidney Winder) was sent to Andersonville to design and oversee the construction of the prison. Planning a facility for 10,000 prisoners, Winder designed a 16.5-acre rectangular compound that had a stream flowing through the center. Naming the prison Camp Sumter in January 1864, Winder used local slaves to construct the compounds walls. Built of tight-fitting pine logs, the stockade wall presented a solid facade that did not allow the slightest view of the outside world. Access to the stockade was through two large gates set in the west wall. Inside, a light fence was built approximately 19-25 feet from the stockade. This dead line was meant to keep prisoners away from the walls and any caught crossing it was shot immediately. Due to its simple construction, the camp rose quickly and the first prisoners arrived on February 27, 1864.   A Nightmare Ensues While the population at the prison camp steadily grew, it began to balloon after the Fort Pillow  incident on  April 12, 1864, when Confederate forces under Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest massacred black Union soldiers at the Tennessee fort. In response, President Abraham Lincoln demanded that black prisoners of war be treated the same as their white comrades. Confederate President Jefferson Davis refused. As a result, Lincoln and Lt. General Ulysses S. Grant suspended all prisoner exchanges. With the halt of exchanges, POW populations on both sides began to grow rapidly. At Andersonville, the population reached 20,000 by early June, twice the camps intended capacity. With the prison badly overcrowded, its superintendent, Major Henry Wirz, authorized an expansion of the stockade. Using prisoner labor, a 610-ft. addition was built on the prisons north side. Built in two weeks, it was opened to the prisoners on July 1. In an effort to further alleviate the situation, Wirz paroled five men in July and sent them north with a petition signed by the majority of the prisoners asking for POW exchanges to resume.  This request was denied by the Union authorities. Despite this 10-acre expansion, Andersonville remained badly overcrowded with the population peaking at 33,000 in August. Throughout the summer, conditions in the camp continued to deteriorate as the men, exposed to the elements, suffered from malnutrition and diseases such as dysentery. With its water source polluted from the overcrowding, epidemics swept through the prison. The  monthly mortality rate was now around 3,000 prisoners, all of whom were buried in mass graves outside the stockade. Life within Andersonville was made worse by a group of prisoners known as the Raiders, who stole food and valuables from other prisoners. The Raiders were eventually rounded up by a second group known as the Regulators, who put the Raiders on trial and pronounced sentences for the guilty. Punishments ranged from being placed in the stocks to being forced to run the gauntlet. Six were condemned to death and hanged. Between June and October 1864, some relief was offered by Father Peter Whelan, who daily ministered to the prisoners and provided food and other supplies.   Final Days As Major General William T. Shermans troops marched on Atlanta, General John Winder, the head of Confederate POW camps, ordered Major Wirz to construct earthwork defenses around the camp. These turned out to be unnecessary. Following Shermans capture of Atlanta, the majority of the camps prisoners were transferred to a new facility at Millen, GA. In late 1864, with Sherman moving toward Savannah, some of the prisoners were transferred back to Andersonville, raising the prisons population to around 5,000. It remained at this level until the wars end in April 1865. Wirz Executed Andersonville has become synonymous with the trials and atrocities faced by POWs during the Civil War. Of the approximately 45,000 Union soldiers who entered Andersonville, 12,913 died within the prisons walls- 28 percent  of Andersonvilles population and 40 percent of all Union POW deaths during the war. The Union blamed Wirz. In May 1865, the major was arrested and taken to Washington, DC. Charged with a litany of crimes, including conspiring to impair the lives of Union prisoners of war and murder, he faced a military tribunal overseen by Major General Lew Wallace that August. Prosecuted by Norton P. Chipman, the case saw a procession of former prisoners give testimony about their experiences at Andersonville. Among those who testified on Wirzs behalf were Father Whelan and General Robert E. Lee. In early November, Wirz was found guilty of conspiracy as well as 11 of 13 counts of murder. In a controversial decision, Wirz was sentenced to death. Though pleas for clemency were made to President Andrew Johnson, these were denied and Wirz was hanged  on November 10, 1865, at the Old Capitol Prison in Washington, DC. He was one of two individuals tried, convicted, and executed for war crimes during the Civil War, the other being the Confederate guerrilla Champ Ferguson. The site of Andersonville was purchased by the Federal government in 1910 and is now the home of Andersonville National Historic Site.

Global Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Global Operations Management - Essay Example Currently the company employs 85 people at its Wagga Wagga location (Regional Development Division, n.d). This section deals with the environmental scanning of the company with regards to its expansion strategy. Thus before conducting the environmental scanning it is necessary to point out the country in which Precision would expand. Therefore the market chosen is Germany because of the following conditions. Political, social and economic stability provides a solid base for any company to start up a new plant in a new environment. Germany judiciary and its civil services allow companies to set up industries at an ease. The judiciary systems are highly professional. Agreements based on contracts are secured and intellectual properties are protected with high concern in Germany. Germany has one of the highest levels of education, economic productivity and technological development. The economic condition of Germany is stable and its economy has been regarded as the fifth largest in terms of purchasing power parity. It is one of the leading exporters of vehicles, machinery and chemicals and benefits from a high skilled labor force. In 2010 the GDP of Germany was 3.6% and was expected to grow by 2.6% in the current fiscal year (US Department of States, 2011). Germany hosts the largest OEM plants in Europe enabling the suppliers in diversification and access to nine different OEMs. With an excellent high skilled labor force, Germany has been able to achieve success in the automotive industry and thus creating more opportunities for suppliers to invest in the country. It has been a leader in technology ranging from machines, electronics to buildings. According to World Economic forum, Germany has been ranked number one in terms of infrastructure and logistics (Invest in Germany, n.d, p.4). To analyze the internal resources of an industry or a particular company

Biotechnology Aplications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Biotechnology Aplications - Essay Example Oral vaccines are the most likely solution used due to rising incidents of diseases in undeveloped countries; where by costs are extreme to extensive immunization. Hereditarily engineered food crops, oftenly fruits or vegetables, which are planned to transmit antigenic proteins arising from transferable pathogens which activates an immune response when injected. A good illustration is patient –specific vaccine for cancer treatment. Tobacco plants with RNA arising from duplicated malignant B-cells are used to make an anti-lymphoma immunization. The resulting protein is utilised in vaccinating the victim as well as boosting their immunity system apart from the cancer (Wozniak & McHugen, 2012). Antibiotics-Sometimes, plants are utilised in production of antibiotics for animal use as well as human use. Using plants to manufacture antibiotics for human beings is less costly due to large production from plants against unit of fermentation, easiness in purification, in addition to reduced danger of contamination as compared to using culture media together with mammalian cells (Wozniak & McHugen, 2012). Flowers-Aesthetic application for example uses transfer techniques as well as gene recognition to improve the smell, size, colour and other flower features. Likewise, other ornamental plants like trees and shrubs have been improved through biotech. Some enhancements such as these resemble those done to crops, for instance improving cold confrontation of a tropical plant to make it adapt to northern gardens (Gaisford & Hobbs, 2001). Production of biofuels-Agriculture as an industry generally plays a key role in the biofuels sector. Genetic engineering as well as enzyme optimization methods are used to come up with more quality feedstock for more effective change as well as advanced BTU outputs from the fuel products. Thus energy-dense and high-yielding crops can reduce relative costs related with transportation and harvesting, leading to fuel products of high

A look into history Essay Example for Free

A look into history Essay What would constitute a period in history called a â€Å"Golden Age†? Would the prosperity seen and felt by people make the description adequate? Would a greater sense of freedom in the regions of the world fit the description? How can we describe a â€Å"Golden Age†? In the years of the so-called â€Å"Golden Era†, from 1950-1973, the world saw an unprecedented rise in term of growth, with global averages reaching 4. 9 percent in the period of national Keynesianism (Monthly Review). This period, however, was not an isolated one (Institute of Industrial Relations). The period with the highest national growth rate, from 1935-1950, after an expansion in the previous economic period, 1918-1935, the distance between the two ends of the income distribution became smaller (IRI). Families of workers tried to adjust the loss of distance from the black community by downsizing in terms of number of additions to the family and the use of utilities (IRI). But in order for us to fully grasp the meaning why this period in time is called the Golden Age, we have to frame it beside two other growth periods, one before the age and the one just after it. It must be also noted if there were changes in the period that contributed to the growth of the succeeding growth periods. Before the Golden Age Families in the United States used to see how they have progressed through the years by taking a peek at their family albums, remembering the early years of their parents hard life (Bob Davis David Wessel). During the years of the Age, almost every tier of American life had been extended the benefit of a upbeat and climbing standard of living (Davis Wessel). But again, we must peek farther than the time before this period of unprecedented growth. In the past two centuries the world has seen an era of unhampered growth (Bart van Ark). In the years between 1820 and 1997, the gross domestic product around the world rose at around 2. 2 percent on the average (van Ark). This growth rate was around seven times the growth the world experienced from the preceding period, from 1500to 1820 (van Ark). But as time wore on, the disparity between the recipients of that high growth rate become more and more separated (van Ark). The worlds growth rate accelerated in 1870, and again at the beginning of the Golden Age, in 1950 (van Ark). Since the growth of the worlds economy grew in that time frame, it is not ti be understood that everyone benefited from that growth in equal shares (van Ark). Great Britain, one of the leading powers during the era, learned very well from the lessons of the founder of the capitalist system, Adam Smith (Robert L. Bartley). Smith blieved that raising the economic bar could only be done by practising free and open market principles, that traders and merchants interacting with the consumers will lead to a better share of the economic benefits (Bartley). Agnus Maddison, widely regarded as one of the premier authorities on long-term growth, gives us some insights into the growth engines at the time (Daniel Ben-Ami). In his studies, Maddison points to the year 1820 as one the more impotant inflection periods in the study of the worlds growth (Bartley). Global GDP per capita hadd increased from $420 dollars (1990 value) to about $545 by about the year 1820 (Bartley). The period of 1913-1950 would probably be the most interesting sections of the years before the Golden Age. This period embraces the events of two world wars, the Great Depression, the economic upswing in the 1920s (Bhanoji Rao), and one of the greatest political and bloody historical events in the modern era, the Bolshevik Revolution (Irma Adelman). Both World War one and two reversed the trends for the unrestrained movement of goods, money and migration of people (Rao). But in developing nations, the effects of these events were not felt as much, thus mirroring the differing aspects of the Wars and the Depression (Rao). In the aftermath of the war, large influential movements had espoused the needs for reform, and the captains in the capitalist end of the world were afraid of a return to the time of the Depression (Crotty). What should be seen however in this time before and after the Industrial Revolution was not the disparity in growth rates (Adelman). What was evident during this time was the degree that events bought leading to worldwide economic insecurity and to the global economic framework as a a whole (Adelman). The initiatives aimed at halting the transfer of the economic downturn led to the adoption of very strict global trading and payment methods (Adelman). As the initiatives took hold, tariffs and other quantity restrictions were soon implemented (Adelman). Tight constraints were implemented for the regulation on the movement of workers and capital (Adelman). The value of many currencies tended to be overvalued (Adelman). Rampant and widespread inflation led to the collapse of international payments (Adelman). This development led to the adoption of extreme government concern as to the stability of prices and foreign exchange as it relates to the level of unemployment (Adelman). Shifting to the Golden Era The march toward the golden age of the worlds growth had been marked by a shift from a market-driven and guided economy to one that was basically a government managed type (James Crotty). The era of the Golden age can be characterized by one of swift and widely distributed growth, having for its foundations an increase of control over quality of the markets dictated by the market and vented through the state (Crotty). Rather than a time of markets being centralized, it was a time rather of the markets being embedded in the society, the state rather than an enforcer taking on the role of a guide (Crotty). Agnus Maddison calculated that the worlds GDP rose to an average of 2. 9 percent, hitting 3. 9 percent in Europe and about 8 percent in the European continent (Bartley). The Second World War had spawned a time of demand that was pent -up during the time of the war, as capital and infrastructure was totally wiped out in Japan and on the Continent (Adelman). The command type of economy that was installed during the war, quickly gave way to the reinstitution of the usual framework of capitalism (Adelman). A great aid in the redevelopment of devastated Europe to get the continent up on its feet was the Marshall Plan (Adelman). With this Plan in place, the capital needs and infrastructure needed to jumpstart the economies of Europe were set in motion (Adelman). It was during this time, as stated earlier, that the world was experiencing a high degree of growth (Ben-Ami). In Japan, the Golden Age and the following decades after, the land of the rising sun was identified with the traits of efficiency and the highest levels of manufacturing standards (Terutomo Ozawa). This was exemplified by the low cost in the production of their automobiles nd electronic products (Ozawa). In Europe, the road to recovery was much simpler (Barry Eichengreen). Europe at the time underwent an almost complete transformation in the way they conducted their lives. In the middle of the century, Europes households had heat from burning coal, kept their food fresh with ice, and had no semblance even of basic plumbing. At present, they have gas-fired furnaces for heating, refrigerators to keep their food stuffs, and an endless number of electronic items that will make one dizzy. Incomes of an average European nearly went to three times their value by the turn of the century (Eichengreen). Also, working conditions and hours steadily improved, as time at work was reduced by at least a third, giving a boost to the leisure time of Europeans (Eichengreen). An upswing in the rates of the life expectancy in Europes residents was enhanced by new technological discoveries in health accompanied by a parallel advances in nutrition (Eichengreen). But all was not a pretty picture, as one would think. Levels of the ranks of the unemployed rose. Taxes levied on the people increased. The effects of the destruction of the environment, state repression and consumer spending limits were the order of the day under Eastern Europeans repressive regimes dominated that part of Europe for the next for decades following World War 2 (Eichengreen). But what made the road to recovery relatively easy for Europe? Europe, for its part, didnt have to plan anything new for its rebuilding; it just simply rebuilt. Europe just had to rebuild the damaged or destroyed infrastructure, reinvesting in its capital stock, and redeploying the men that were in the war effort to jobs in peacetime efforts (Eichengreen). This â€Å"catch-up† mentality had demonstrated itself in the utilization of technologies that were not yet in the pipeline, so to speak (Eichengreen). These were the technologies that were developed in the period between the wars, and were used by Europe to sustain its economic juggernaut (Eichengreen). But in the 1930s and 40s, Europe was thrown into an atmosphere of a depressed investment environment (Eichengreen). It was in this period that the United States gained a bit of a headway against their European counterparts. The Americans had outpaced Europe in terms of overall production and levels of productivity. By using the Americans technology, under license, adopting their business philosophies of American mass-production and personnel management, Europe could close the gap on the Americans. Hence was born the concept of â€Å"convergence†, fusing the levels of per capita income and levels of productivity to that of the United States (Eichengreen). But in the generation of wealth, particularly in the aspect of its distribution, not all of Europe could say that they were given an equal share of the pie, so to speak. For example, the northern parts of Europe were gaining faster than their southern counterparts. The same trend went for Western Europe, outpacing Eastern Europe. Eastern Europes woes came a failure of the central planning strategy that was common in the authoritarian governments that dominated that part of the continent. Though these are also important features of the Golden Age in Europe, nevertheless the period marked an era of expanded growth and change on the continent (Eichengreen). The economic machine of the Japanese economy, after the brilliant star of its economic achievements faded, had gone from one that was admired to one that was dealt with indifference, even one thrown pity (Ozawa). This was bought about by the virtues of the Japanese to put into secure positions some of the political interests rather than focusing on the real problems that had dogged the nations economy (Ozawa). In its early steps to climb out of the destruction wrought upon it in the 2nd World War, Japan had adopted its industry to a road of industrial improvement, moving from low value industrial output, gradually moving up to higher levels of value-added goods (Ozawa). But as the years passed, Japan began to remove the protection it afforded to its industries, essentially preparing them for competition (Ozawa). These industries that were left unsheltered were the ones that are the reason for the current state of the Japanese economys morass (Ozawa). Most of the world had been under the Bretton Woods Agreement (Adelman). This agreement was instrumental to the reintroduction to the regime of fixed rate payments, all payments to be based on the value of the dollar (Adelman). This regime was supported by a number of international organizations with the goal of giving some form of flexibility and in the management of foreign exchange inconsistencies (Adelman). After the Golden Era, the period of another growth slowdown was about to rear its head. After the Bubble burst After the Bretton Woods agreement had collapsed and countries and adopted more flexible foreign exchange rates, coupled with the skyrocketing of the price of oil, all these led to the indication that the Golden era was officially over (Rao). This was the era of the â€Å"stagflation† that hit the world in the mid-1970s (Ben-Ami). The Bretton agreement had become quite inadequate in meeting the liquidity requirements of most nations (Adelman). When the agreement eventually broke down, the system was replaced by a unstable, fluctuating means of foreign exchange (Adelman). The currencies of many countries went through a period of devaluation against the American currency (Adelman). But this was only the precursor of the coming storm. Oil prices had tripled their price in 1974, cereals doubled their prices by 1973, and gold prices doubled in the years of 1971-1973 (Adelman). Other problems were beginning to crop up for the world as the age ended. According to the International Labor Organization in its 1995 report on world unemployment, does not dispute the fact the upswing in the worlds economic standing, but it also emphasizes that the world, after the Golden Era, witnessed its GDP cut in half, and the levels of unemployment had reached levels never before seen or to be even though of during the era (Canadian Auto Workers Union). For this reason, economists divide the era into two parts (CAW). The first 25 years at the turn of the century has been called the â€Å"Golden Era†, the second part is called â€Å"The Age of Permanent Insecurity† (CAW). The effects of the downturn were quite visible. Growth rates had been sliced in half, good jobs were the exception rather than the norm, wages did not go up, surpluses were wiped out and social programs introduced at the end of the golden age, were dismantled at a slow but steady pace (CAW). Within a generation, the rate of growth fell to half its previous level, unemployment rates doubled, and decent jobs became the exception. Real wages stopped growing, budget surpluses turned into chronic deficits, and social programs which were proudly introduced near the end of the first period were dismantled in the second slowly at first, but then at an accelerating pace (CAW). The labor market in Canada and other industrialized nations also took a hit, as the unemployment rates hit 9 percent in the latter part of the turn of the century, as compared to the 4. 5 percent average registered in the first half (CAW). In the United States, the Federal budget registered a budget surplus from 1946 to 1970 (CAW). In the years following the Golden Era, the Federal government has never once posted a budget surplus (CAW). The Federal government, for every dollar that it allots for programs, it pays about 63 cents of its earnings to pay for the interest of its debt (CAW). The period after the War was one of significant unheralded growth, born out of the combination of several factors (CAW). Among them was the combination of the development of emerging technologies tapped during the War, the retooling of the war time workplace to be reused for peacetime work, reconstruction of the war torn areas of Europe and in Japan, the demand held in check for so long after the Great Depression and the restraints bought on by the war, and the new found competitive situation that it has found with Communist states (CAW). The War had asked from the citizens a great amount of sacrifice, these sacrifices led to the demand for the upgrading for the peoples living conditions, equity and concerns for their security concerns (CAW). These concessions were won over by the labor movement from very jittery corporations (CAW). But how does this relate to the downturn of the Golden Era? After The Golden Era, what happened? The concessions that the workers had gained from the corporations had produced a contradiction for them (CAW). In the case of Japan and Europe, after they had reconstructed from the destruction of the war and had strengthened their economies, was building a contradictory effect for the corporations (CAW). Once the economies were put back on line, the competition of the industrialized countries again began once again on the uptake (CAW). This upswing of the economies of capitalist industries put some amount of pressure on the companies profits (CAW). The companies in turn tried all efforts to put up a hedge around their profits (CAW), which companies then transferred these pressures from competition on the workers themselves (CAW). Since the workers felt secure and bold enough to challenge any initiative to be pressured in the workplace, the companies transformed these workers from mainly being employees to consumers, increasing their prices to keep their profit margins (CAW). The workers, feeling the pinch of the higher prices, asked the companies for the increases in their wages to match the increases that the companies imposed (CAW). This initiated the cycle of price escalation (CAW). The price increases had a negative impact on the global competitiveness of the corporations (CAW). As a result of such developments, inflationary pressures set in (CAW). The companies had to find ways to stay viable while contending with the workers, who were becoming hindrances to the company in terms of supervision over the workplace. As such, the companies had to choose, between the companies insatiable drive for profit and the needs of the society and the workers, the workers and society lost (CAW). Here is the start of the end of the Golden Era, where the share of the wealth began to be hoarded, rather than shared. Works Cited Adelamn, Irma. The genesis of the current global system. http://are. berkeley. edu/~adelman/KEYNOTE. html van Ark, Bart. Accumulation, productivity and technology: measurement and analysis of long term economic growth. http://wzus. ask. com/r? t=pd=uss=ac=al=diro=0sv=0a30050bip=3d1c9a 4aid=A85DDAB8DCDAC466AE1809C654D7BF3Fq=%60Golden+Era%60%2C +from+1950- 1973p=2qs=0ac=24g=38d1%feF2ARgR3en=teio=6ep=eo=b=algb c=br=tp=dec=10pt=http%3A%2F%2Fccso. eldoc. ub. rug. nl%2FFILES%2Froot %2F1999%2F199908%2F199908. pdfex=tsrc%3Dtxtxurl=u=http://ccso. eldoc. u b. rug. nl/FILES/root/1999/199908/199908. pdf Bartley, Robert L. The future of economic freedom. 2000 October 16. http://www. heritage. org/Research/TradeandForeignAid/wm383. cfm Ben-Ami, Daniel. Ferraris for all. 2007 January 27. http://www. danielbenami. com/2007_01_01_ferrarisforall_archive. html Canadian Auto Workers. From False solutions to growing protest: recapturing the agenda. http://www. caw. ca/whatwedo/bargaining/cbpac/96highlights/96cawconvention1. asp Crotty, James. Trading state-led for market led stagnation: from the golden age to global neoliberalism. http://www. people. umass. edu/crotty/dymski-isn-ford. pdf Davis, Bob Wessel, David. The Golden Age: the rise of the American middle class. http://www-rohan. sdsu. edu/~rbutler/prosperity2. htm Eichengreen, Barry. The European Economy since 1945. The New York Times 2007 March 25. http://www. nytimes. com/2007/03/25/books/chapters/0325-1st- eich. html? pagewanted=all Monthly Review. Notes from the Editors. Monthly Review 2007 Septem

Kant: Goodness :: essays research papers

Kant: Goodness The philosopher I used is Immanuel Kant. He was very practical in his thinking of goodness. A quote of his was "I ought, therefore I can". His view was good anything is under good will . He believed good will was the primary goodness, good in its purest form, and that it couldn't be corrupted. Good feelings and good intentions and actions can be interpreted in different ways; man can corrupt these things into evil...even though it still might be good in that man's eyes. What he's really trying to say is that good will is good in its objective form. Therefore, it defines goodness. A few examples of forms of goodness that could be corrupt are intelligence, courage, and resolution. These things can be very good, but can be used for evil as well. The short story I would like to allude to in order to connect these themes and ideas is "A Good Man is Hard to Find". The title even has "good" in it...and according to Kant, goodness in its purest form is good will. The question now would be, does the Misfit have good will? Is what he is doing good, objectively, and purely? He is purging and purifying the world. He is Christ like in many senses. He is purifying the world by purging it of its evil...relating to the Old Testament. God decided that the human race was too evil to survive, so he flooded it. God killed, as well as the Misfit. This isn't the same as Christ, though; it just adds to the religious element. Christ's mission was to try and rid the world of evil, and sacrificed for it. The Misfit sacrificed his freedom initially, was "reborn" again by escaping from jail, and become a Christ like figure again...he's now reborn, and his mission has an even stronger exclamation point on it, just like Christ's after he was resurrected. The literal differences are obvious; Christ never held anyone at gunpoint, let alone kill old ladies (no matter HOW hateful). But the allusions above illustrate that the Misfit was indeed a Christ-like figure with good intentions; good will . The Misfit was in a world of evil where he felt it was his mission, as well as his intention and his will, to be the savior of the good people. When it really comes to good will, I believe that the Misfit did have good will and that, in a world such as his, the South, he was not just playing God, but his will was forcing him to be God to judge the "infidels".

Succubus Shadows Chapter 19

â€Å"Real,† I gasped out. â€Å"That was†¦real. Seth didn't give in to temptation. Seth stayed with Maddie.† â€Å"Maybe,† said One. The instinct to claw his eyes out rose within me, strong and sudden. It was animal and rash – and impossible since I had no form here. It was an urge I'd had on more than one occasion with the Oneroi. â€Å"True. It was true.† This was like a child's game with them, over and over. Or maybe the true/false section on the SAT. Circles. Circles. My life was a circle. â€Å"And Jerome†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The end of the dream came to me where my boss had spirited Seth away. â€Å"He's coming for me. He took Seth. They're going to do that ritual. Erik's going to set it up.† â€Å"Yes. And he's going to fail.† â€Å"No, he won't,† I cried. Every ounce of me had become desperation: voice, mind, soul. â€Å"Jerome will come for me. He'll save me.† â€Å"No one is coming for you,† said Two. â€Å"They will try, but they will fail.† Again, they sent me back to my world, and as much as I yearned for familiar faces, the doubt and uncertainty the Oneroi kept bringing up filled me with a despairing kind of confusion. I was at Erik's. And apparently, so was everyone else. His store had a large back room used for storage that I'd only once caught a glimpse of. It reminded me of a garage, with unfinished cement floors and plain drywall on the sides. A small table held a bowl of burning incense that made the air hazy. The edges of the room were stacked with boxes and crates that appeared to have been shoved to create an empty space around the edge of the room. Also along the edges was the Seattle immortal club: Hugh, Cody, Peter, Carter, and even Mei. Roman was probably there too, hidden because of Mei. In the center of the room, Erik was drawing chalk patterns on the floor. Jerome stood nearby, and Seth hovered uneasily between them and my friends along the wall. I think he was having a hard time deciding who was safest. If not for Mei, he probably would have chosen my friends. Mei watched Erik and Jerome with disapproval, her nearly black eyes narrowed and brick-red lips pursed. At last, she uncrossed her arms and strode toward the center, her stiletto heels clicking loudly against the cement. Seth scurried out of her way, retreating to the safety of my friends. â€Å"This is ridiculous,† Mei said. â€Å"You're wasting everyone's time. Even with all of them† – she gestured to the wall gang – â€Å"it's not enough to bring her back. You need to report it and get another succubus.† â€Å"I report it, and there'll be another archdemon here too.† Jerome cut her a look. â€Å"I'm kind of surprised you haven't done that already.† Good point. As his underling, Mei obeyed him, but she was ambitious. If Jerome got in trouble for losing me, it could be to her advantage. â€Å"I don't need to,† she said flatly. â€Å"You'll be telling them yourself soon. Why do I have to be here? I have no connection to her.† â€Å"Because I told you to! Stop arguing.† Jerome glared at her, and the two demons locked gazes. At last, Mei gave a sharp nod, but it didn't seem like she gave in because of his authority. It was more like he'd communicated something, and she was acknowledging it. She returned to the side of the room, opposite my friends now. Erik had to lean and get on his knees for a lot of his chalk work, something that had to be agony on his back. With a sigh, he finally stood up and examined his design. It showed two large concentric circles, filled and surrounded with a number of arcane symbols. Some I knew; some I didn't. Jerome studied the pattern too, and for the first time ever, my boss looked†¦nervous. â€Å"Is it ready?† he demanded. Erik nodded, one hand absentmindedly rubbing his back. â€Å"Barring the spell itself, yes.† Jerome's eyes fell on Seth, who flinched. â€Å"You,† said the demon. â€Å"Come here.† Seth eyed the pattern almost as uneasily as Jerome had. â€Å"What will happen to me?† â€Å"It won't kill you, if that's what you're worried about. And you can leave the circle whenever you want. Now stop wasting time.† I didn't like hearing Jerome boss Seth around. It stirred up those coals of rage that had been burning within me lately. I even grew angry seeing Seth obey; I kind of wanted him to defy Jerome. A moment later, I tried to banish such thoughts. I needed to save my fury for the Oneroi, not this group. Surely Jerome wasn't lying. Carter, who'd remained quiet throughout all of this, would have called Jerome on it. I hoped. Seth walked over to Jerome's side, careful not to step on any of the chalk lines – like how superstitious people avoid cracks on sidewalks. Erik gave Seth a small smile. â€Å"He's right, Mr. Mortensen. This won't hurt you. Though it will be†¦strange.† Mei suddenly went rigid again. â€Å"Him? That's all you're using? Jerome, one person can't – â€Å" â€Å"Enough!† roared Jerome. â€Å"I'm tired of listening to everyone backtalk me. Can we get on with this?† Erik nodded and walked over to the table with the incense. There was also a small bowl of water and a long, roughly hewn piece of stone. Smoky quartz, I thought. Erik picked it up carefully, reverently. He pushed the tip of the wand into the smoldering incense, and then held it up so the smoke could swathe it. A couple seconds later, he dipped the wand's end into the water. When that was completed, he began carrying the wand to the circle. â€Å"Wait,† Carter suddenly said. He straightened up from where he'd been slouching against some boxes. â€Å"I'm going in too.† â€Å"You're all crazy,† muttered Mei. â€Å"She has a point,† said Jerome. â€Å"If you're in here – â€Å" â€Å"I know, I know,† said Carter, stepping over the lines to join Jerome. â€Å"And I also know what might come out.† The two of them looked at each other, more silent messages passing, and then neither spoke again. Erik returned to the circle's center, holding the wand up high. Both Carter and Jerome had moved as far from the humans as possible without crossing the inner circle. As Erik's arms reached heavenward, he suddenly didn't seem like a weak old man. True, his body was frail and growing gaunter every day, but as he stood there and began chanting, he became so much more than human. Dante was a better magician when it came down to it, but Erik wasn't without his own power, even if rarely used. If I'd been there in the flesh, I would have felt the magic he was summoning. Knowing it was there almost made me believe I could see it. He finished his chant, spoken in words I only knew a little of, and then walked around the circle. He touched it in four spots with the wand, all equidistant from each other. The instant his wand touched the fourth spot, every immortal in the room suddenly flinched and looked uncomfortable – even the greater ones. Seth mostly looked confused. As a disconnected observer, my view was like Seth's. I saw nothing happen either. But I realized then that if I'd been there, I would have felt what all the other immortals had as well. Erik had locked the circle, slamming invisible walls into place. All magical circles were different, but he'd told Seth that he could cross out – meaning this was a circle to keep only immortals in. It wasn't exactly like a summoning. Summonings required massive amounts of magic because they were enslaving an immortal against his or her will. This circle was a prison too, but it required less magic because the immortals had entered it by choice. Jerome and Carter had just knowingly allowed themselves to be entrapped. This was why he wanted Mei around. For an unscrupulous magic user – say, like Dante – this was a golden opportunity. Two imprisoned greater immortals? It had infinite possibilities for a magician. Whatever Erik was doing here, I didn't believe he'd abuse this situation. But Jerome, being a demon, didn't trust anyone. Jerome had wanted Mei on hand to do some smiting if Erik wouldn't release his prisoners. Of course, she would be powerless to do anything until Erik left the circle – which he'd have to do eventually. If they were all trying to rescue me, though, Erik couldn't have created this circle with the intent of trapping Jerome and Carter specifically. The angel's words came back to me: I also know what might come out. Erik stood in front of Seth, who was growing more nervous by the second. The strain in Erik's face showed the power he was keeping in check. He couldn't play kindly old man right now, but he did what he could. â€Å"Do you care about Miss Kincaid?† he asked Seth. â€Å"Do you want to save her?† â€Å"Yes,† answered Seth swiftly. â€Å"Then you must think about her. Focus every ounce of your being on her. Imagine her. Cry out for her. There must be no other thoughts in your head – only her.† Seth looked puzzled but nodded. Erik turned to Jerome and Carter. â€Å"And you must stop him from going in entirely. You can't enter yourselves, but you can keep him here. You have to, or you'll lose both of them.† Erik waited for no acknowledgment from the angel and demon. He held up his wand again and touched Seth on his forehead, both cheeks, and chin. Seth shivered. â€Å"Remember,† said Erik. â€Å"When the gate opens, think of her. Only her. Reach for her. And when you find her, do not let go.† â€Å"Gate?† asked Seth. â€Å"What – â€Å" But Erik was chanting again, and a wind emerged out of nowhere, ruffling the hair of those in the circles. His voice grew more and more powerful, and then – I was back with the Oneroi. â€Å"What happened?† I exclaimed. For the millionth time, I wished I could beat on the walls of my prison. I wanted to claw their eyes out again. I wanted to choke them. â€Å"Show me what happens!† â€Å"Failure,† said One. â€Å"They won't succeed,† added Two. â€Å"The demoness was correct. A dozen humans who loved you couldn't reach you, let alone – â€Å" He stopped speaking. His eyes met One's, and then both glanced around as though searching for something. I tried to see what they saw or heard, but there was nothing for me. Only blackness and silence. Then, I felt the stirring of another dream coming over me. The dark world started to go blurry, and both Oneroi jerked their heads toward me. â€Å"No!† exclaimed Two, extending his hand. Everything grew clear again. I didn't dream. I stayed where I was. Georgina. My name. For the first time in – well, I had no idea how many days – I heard something that wasn't the Oneroi. It was so faint, a whisper lost on the wind. My name. One of them, at least. I couldn't tell where it came from, but every part of me tried to focus on it, to figure out its origin. Georgina. â€Å"Yes?† I said aloud. â€Å"I'm here!† The world grew blurry again. I didn't hear my name, but it was like the siren song all over again. Music without sound, colors without description. â€Å"Stop this!† cried One. I had never heard the Oneroi raise their voices. They always spoke in those low, sly tones. But they were pretty upset now. â€Å"Fight it!† This was Two, speaking to One. â€Å"Join me! Don't let it – â€Å" I left them for another dream. Or, well, more like another place. No, it wasn't even a place. It was like I was floating in space, in a nebula. Perhaps a hurricane was a more accurate way to describe it because things were swirling around me and blowing past. Wisps of smoke. Bits of colors. Brilliant stars. Some touched me. Some went through me. And every time I made contact, I felt an emotion – an emotion that wasn't my own. Happiness. Terror. With that emotion came a brief flash of an image. A green field. An airplane. A monster. It was a snowstorm of stimuli. I was lost and adrift, almost more scared than in my prison with the Oneroi. At least that had had some substance, no matter how insignificant. But this†¦what was this? Every once in a while, it would start to dissolve to black, like I might be returning to the box†¦. Then, the darkness would fade, again leaving me helpless in this mad riot of sensation. Georgina. My name again. And with it, that pull. That pull of familiarity. Though I technically had no body here either, I searched for that voice and that pull, looking through the riotous color. Georgina. It was stronger. That sense of summoning. I burned with the need to get to it. It was part of me. It was home. And then, in all that chaos, one light shone brighter than all the others. It was white, pure and pristine amidst the kaleidoscope raining down upon me. I stared at it, reached for it in as much as I could. The world started to fracture to black once again, but it was the last time. I wouldn't return to the box. Not with this light before me. It's hard to say if it became brighter and brighter or if it just grew closer and closer, but suddenly it was before me. It was around me. I was it. Just like when I'd brushed against those other dreams, I had a flash of vision that snapped me briefly from the whirlwind. I was in Seth's arms. Or was I? As he held me, his face seemed to shift over and over to different forms. No, it was him. I would know him anywhere. He was so familiar, and now this close to me, I couldn't let go of him. He was home. Georgina. The voice came again, and it was his. Georgina, don't let go. No. I wasn't letting go. I was never letting go again†¦. That brief moment of human contact gave way to the starry field of dreams, but this time, I had an anchor. I was with the light. I was the light. I felt it pulling me, but I needed no urging. I would go wherever it took me. I released all control. I had the sensation of floating, of being stretched and reaching forward. Behind me, something tugged at me, but it wasn't strong enough. I was moving forward. Forward and forward and – The sound of screaming filled the room. My screaming. Screaming over the pain of being torn apart and reassembled. Pain from being stripped of all energy within me. I was weak. Raw. Nothing. What room was this? I saw faces. Faces near me, faces along the room's wall. They looked at me like they knew me. Did they? Did I know them? My legs buckled underneath me, weak like a colt's. One of the men standing near me reached out, but I scrambled backward, needing to escape. I couldn't let him touch me. Of that, I was certain. My mind had been shredded and ripped open. I didn't want to be touched in any other way. The floor was cold and smooth as I scurried over it, but I was stopped by a wall. At least, it felt like one. I saw nothing there, only a blue line upon the floor. The invisible wall was familiar and triggered fear. It reminded me of the box. I drew my knees up to me, trying to make myself small as I trembled. The men near me – four of them – were speaking in a language I didn't know. They were arguing. One kept trying to come to me, but another stopped him. That one was terrifying. His features were nothing extraordinary – tall, with dark brown eyes and hair – but there was something about him that made me cold all over. There was power in him, power all around him. I could feel it and see it. It reminded me of sulfur. His eyes fell on me as he spoke harshly to the others, and I cringed further. I felt certain I knew him, but he still scared me. Suddenly, another of the men exclaimed something and touched the dark-haired one's arm. This man was blond. I sensed power around him too, but it felt different. It was clean and crystalline. All four turned around, putting their backs to me as they stared at something. Nothing was there at first, then I began to see and feel it. A glowing purple orb appeared before them, becoming larger and larger. As it did, I saw it was more of a spiral, its arms whirling as it grew. The two men who didn't radiate power stepped back. If the unseen wall had let me, I too would have moved away. Out of the purple light, two black forms suddenly materialized and stepped forward. Two black figures who were somehow luminescent at the same time and had brilliant blue eyes. My own eyes widened. I might not know anything else that was going on around me, but I knew them. I knew them, and I was going to kill them. I'm not sure how I did it since there seemed to be no spark of life left within me, yet somehow, I mustered the strength to spring up and run toward them. My shrieked words were incoherent, but it didn't matter. Only their destruction did. I would rip them apart. I would make them suffer the way they'd – Strong arms grabbed me, stopping me as surely as the wall had. It was the blond man, and his grip was like iron. â€Å"Let me go!† I screamed. â€Å"Let me go! I'll kill them! I'll kill them both!† The dark-haired man glanced back toward us. â€Å"Do not let her go,† he said mildly, this time in a language I understood. I fought in vain against the arms but made no progress. The dark-haired man turned to the Oneroi. â€Å"This isn't your world,† he said. â€Å"We've come for what's ours,† said one of the Oneroi. â€Å"You took her.† â€Å"I took back what was mine,† the dark-haired man countered. â€Å"You stole her.† â€Å"We won her. She came to us of her own free will.† The dark-haired man snorted. Jerome, I suddenly remembered. His name was Jerome. â€Å"We have different definitions of ‘free will,'† he said. â€Å"We want her back,† protested the Oneroi. â€Å"You're taking nothing back,† countered Jerome, voice hard. â€Å"Go before I change my mind.† I'd gone slack while they spoke, but now my fury was renewed. I struggled again. â€Å"Let me kill them!† I screamed. â€Å"Jerome, it's my right! Let me destroy them!† Jerome turned back, maybe surprised I'd used his name. â€Å"I don't think you're in any shape to kill anything.† â€Å"It's my right,† I said. â€Å"After what they did – they'll suffer like I did. I will shred them. I'll rip their souls out!† â€Å"They don't have souls,† he said dryly. â€Å"But I like your enthusiasm.† He turned back to the Oneroi. â€Å"So, you stole my succubus and tortured her.† His voice carried that reptilian chill. It froze my blood. It made the air crackle with tension. The Oneroi shifted uncomfortably. They weren't unaffected. â€Å"Because of her, our mother was recaptured,† one of them said. But he didn't sound as confident or outraged as before. â€Å"We are entitled to revenge.† â€Å"You believe insult to another justifies revenge?† asked Jerome. Oh, that voice. That voice made the air grow still. â€Å"Yes,† said the Oneroi as one. â€Å"Me too,† replied Jerome. He didn't even move, but I felt the power flare out from him, like a torch thrown into dry tinder. It exploded – and so did the Oneroi. Well, it was more like they imploded. That power hit them, and then – they were no more. Just like that. â€Å"Oh, Jerome,† said the man holding me. â€Å"Do you know what you've done?† Jerome glanced back at us and shrugged. â€Å"I don't like people taking my things.† The swirling purple gate had never left, and now it began to grow brighter and rotate faster. â€Å"Shit,† said Jerome. â€Å"I was hoping no one would notice.† The man holding me sighed. He looked down at me, and silvery gray eyes pierced my soul. â€Å"Listen to me. Do not move. Do you understand? Stay right here.† When I didn't answer, he sighed again. â€Å"Do you know me?† Did I? Yes. The eyes. I knew the eyes. â€Å"Carter.† The word came out strangely on my tongue. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"You know me. Trust me. Do not move.† He let go of me, waited to see what I'd do, and then walked up to join Jerome when I stayed in place. Nothing could have made me move anyway, not when I saw what came through the gate. It was monstrous. Literally. Yellow-eyed and scaly, mottled purple and gray. It had what looked like a pig's snout, and seven horns ran over its head like points on a crown. It towered over Jerome and Carter as it emerged from the gate, but the two of them stood where they were, regarding it defiantly. â€Å"You destroyed my subjects,† the creature growled. Its voice came from deep within its throat and made the floor vibrate. â€Å"You broke the laws.† â€Å"Your subjects were in our realm,† said Jerome. He was perfectly calm. â€Å"They stole one of my people and abused her. They broke the rules.† â€Å"That doesn't give you the right to do what you did,† came the response. â€Å"They would have destroyed her if they were capable of it. Next time, keep a better watch on your employees so that they don't go causing trouble where they shouldn't.† The monster's nostrils flared. â€Å"I could destroy you for this.† â€Å"Try,† said Jerome. â€Å"Try taking on both of us.† Those yellow eyes flicked over to Carter. A few teeth showed in the creature's mouth. I think he was smiling. â€Å"An angel and a demon fighting together. It would almost be worth seeing.† Heavy silence fell as everyone sized each other up. I had no sense of the monster's strength. Physical size was not proportional to power. Jerome and Carter, however, were burning like small suns, ready to burst at any moment. At last, the monster shrugged. Or did his equivalent of it. â€Å"But it's been enough just to see you defend each other's honor. I will not destroy you†¦today. There will be no more assaults on my people. If there are, I won't be so forgiving.† â€Å"And if your people don't leave mine alone,† said Jerome smoothly, â€Å"I won't be as forgiving either.† The creature snarled, and for a moment, I thought he might very well change his mind. He didn't. Instead, he stepped backward toward the purple light. He merged into it, vanishing to our eyes, and then the gate itself disappeared as well. â€Å"He is such a fucking liar,† said Jerome. â€Å"‘Forgiving' indeed. He knew we'd blast his scaly ass out of here.† â€Å"Yeah, well, I hope we never find if that's true or not,† said Carter. â€Å"Fighting a Morphean demon would generate paperwork even on my side.† Jerome's lips twitched into a smile. â€Å"Now that would be worth seeing.† I looked between both of them, my fear from the near-confrontation fading. With the last of my energy, I lunged for Jerome, beating my fists against his chest. He caught them and stopped me as easily as Carter had. â€Å"You should have let me do it! You should have let me destroy them! It was my right!† â€Å"That's what you're pissed off about? Georgie, I'm not even sure how you're still standing.† â€Å"It was my right,† I repeated. â€Å"You don't know what they did.† â€Å"I can make some good guesses.† I stopped in my struggles, and at last, the full force of everything that had happened descended on me. My being's full depletion hit me. I sagged in his arms, and he caught me. The sights and people around me were still a little muddled, but lots of things were starting to come back. â€Å"You were supposed to keep me safe,† I said in a small voice. I felt my eyes grow wet. â€Å"You shouldn't have let that happen – let them take me. You're supposed to protect me.† Jerome looked truly surprised and didn't respond to me immediately. I was afraid he'd get angry, but instead, he said quietly, â€Å"Yes. I am. I did in the end, but – I was late.† â€Å"Great apology,† said Carter. Now Jerome's anger returned. â€Å"I have nothing to apologize for!† He turned back to me, and again, his voice was calm and patient. Almost gentle. I knew this was uncharacteristic for him. â€Å"I brought you back. You're safe now. They will never harm you again. Do you understand?† I nodded. â€Å"Good. Now it's time to finish this.† Jerome turned toward the humans. One of them was old, very old – with dark brown skin and graying hair. His eyes were compassionate. The other man was younger, with messy hair and brown eyes that turned honey-amber when the light caught them. He was staring at me like he knew me, which wasn't a surprise because I knew him too. I didn't know how, but I did. In fact, I was beginning to realize I knew everyone in this room. Other names were coming back to me. This one man's name eluded me, though, largely because several kept popping into my head. He studied me intently, like he was trying to figure something out, and I found myself falling into those golden brown eyes. Jerome said something to the gray-haired man in that other language. I still couldn't understand it, but there was something familiar about its sounds. The old man didn't answer or move right away, and palpable tension fell over the entire room. At last the old man took a wand he was holding and began touching points on the circle upon the floor, murmuring softly as he did. When he touched the circle a fourth time, it was as though a great pressure – one I hadn't even known was there – was released from the room. Jerome exchanged a few curt words with the man and then turned to me. â€Å"As I was saying, how you're conscious is beyond me – but considering all the other absurd things you do, I shouldn't be surprised.† He stepped toward me and pressed his fingers to my forehead. I gasped as a jolt of†¦something†¦raced through me. At first, it was shocking and prickly. Then, it transformed into something sweeter and more wonderful. The most wonderful thing on earth. It filled me up, energizing me, making me whole. Until this moment, how could I have thought I was alive? The world came into greater focus, the sights grew more familiar. I staggered, not from weakness this time, but from the pure bliss of life Jerome had gifted me with. He said something to me in that other language, and I frowned, not understanding. He spoke again in my own words. â€Å"Change back, Georgina. Time to go.† â€Å"Change to what?† â€Å"Whatever you want. Your current favorite, I'd imagine. Not this.† His hand gestured toward my body. I examined myself for the first time. I wasn't quite as tall as him, a few inches shorter, maybe. My legs and arms were long and lean, my skin tanned from the sun. A plain ivory dress covered me, and I could see the tips of black hair falling onto my chest. I frowned. This was me†¦and yet not me. â€Å"Change back, Georgina,† he repeated. â€Å"That's not my name,† I said. â€Å"Shake off what they've done,† he said, clearly impatient. â€Å"It's over. They've fogged your mind, but you can clear it. Change back, Georgina. Come back to this time.† His next words were in that other language, and I shook my head angrily. â€Å"I don't understand. I shouldn't be here. This is my body, but this isn't my time.† He gave another command that I still didn't comprehend, and I uttered the same response. Three times we went through this, and then on the fourth, his words came through to me, perfectly understandable. I knew what he was speaking. The English language exploded in my mind, and with it, much more. I held out my hands before me, staring long and hard as though seeing them for the first time. â€Å"This is my time,† I murmured in English. I looked down at my long legs. A strange sense of revulsion ran through me. â€Å"This is not my body.† Yet†¦it was. It was, and it wasn't. With no energy, it was what I had reverted to. â€Å"What's your name?† he demanded. Letha. My name is Letha. â€Å"Georgina,† I said. And with that, I summoned the power to make my body's shape change. Slim and short, with light brown hair, and golden green eyes. The off-white homespun shift became a blue cotton dress. A moment later, I changed it to jeans and a blue shirt. Jerome glanced at Carter. â€Å"See? No harm done.† Carter didn't acknowledge that. Instead, he asked, â€Å"So now what?† â€Å"Now?† Jerome's gaze fell on me again. â€Å"Now Georgina sleeps.† â€Å"What?† I cried. â€Å"No! Not after†¦no. I'm never sleeping again.† Jerome almost smiled before touching my forehead again. I slept.

K – 12

Opinion â€Å"On the Lighter Side† If the K-12 Education Plan becomes successful, then the Philippine education system can become more competitive among other countries countries around the world. Though there are still some problems that the government needs to solve before they can successfully implement the plan. The proposed program is good but it still won't work if the needed elements to make it work isn't present. Such elements includes the addressed problems mentioned above, especially the number of public school classrooms plus the adequate supply of classroom chairs, books, etc.If the government could allot a bigger budget to educational needs, then we could be one-step ahead towards the success of the K-12 program. Furthermore, parents (especially those who belongs in the poor sector) should be properly informed and motivated of the advantages of the K-12 Education Plan. This is very important since parents plays a major role in providing the child's school allowanc es, supplies, and fees for other school projects and activities. Add to that the support of parents towards their children in terms of guidance and teaching.Once this succeeds, it is best hoped that Filipino students would be more literate, skilled, and competitive to be able to find jobs more easily and contribute to the country's pride as well as the country's economy. As speculations continue of what the K-12 Education Plan will specifically be, it is still best to hear the full details of the proposal this upcoming October 2010.Read more: http://www. bukisa. com/articles/334773_editorial-k-12-education-in-the-philippines#ixzz15apkqL00

Does Content Marketing Help Retain Current Customers

Does Content Marketing Help Retain Current Customers Content marketing is celebrated as an excellent strategy to widen the sales funnel. Producing a variety of content geared toward a prospective customer keeps your brand top of mind, persuading them to move further in the sales process. Rand Fishkin explained it best  when he said that content marketing is at times a long and laborious process of constantly reminding your customers. So its easy to think once that sale is completed, so is the content. This is a huge mistake by marketers- its essentially ignoring and devaluing an individual once they become a customer. Instead there should be a content strategy in place that builds value, strengthens customer trust and increases potential for brand evangelism, upselling and cross-selling opportunities. #ContentMarketing still continues after the sale. It  constantly reminds your customers of you.The After the Close Dilemma After the sale, there is the vital step of keeping your commitments. At its core, it means keeping your customer happy. Did you guarantee your product or service could solve a specific need? Then it had better deliver. In addition to carrying out the agreement, there are natural emotions and hiccups along the way, including: Buyers remorse New influencers and decision makers Resentment or aggression Distrust Failure to build value Ian Lurie of Portent, Inc. describes the post-sale risks perfectly in the following graph: While his example was specific to marketing agencies, every customer goes through a post-sale evaluation of their purchase. Failure on your part to keep commitments and continue to drive home value opens the door for your competition to get the next sale. So what should you be doing to keep the customer? For many businesses, this may mean tailoring content for multiple departments in charge of project delivery, customer service and long-term customer relationship building. Here are recommendations for each of these three key areas, and some examples of companies doing it best. #1 Project Delivery For most business, going back to keeping your commitments falls on the project delivery team. Think of the software, medical or finance industries with a robust sales staff and defined sales process. Often a closed deal is passed to an account manager. And then, unfortunately, a client is often  underwhelmed because the focus is more on the initial sale rather than project delivery. Since most customers have an established and trusted relationship with the sales representative and not the project delivery team, content marketing can help with this sensitive transition between sales and project delivery, helping you  meet a customers expectations and keep them for the long-term. How do you do this? Building Trust With Customers The last thing you want is for your customers to not trust you after youve made the sale. Distrust stems from a variety of circumstances, such as confusion with your service delivery or perhaps a poor experience with your type of business in the past. Content helps lessen any growing  doubt by establishing credibility and initial trust with the prospect. For example, our agency provides our clients with a tip sheet to making web design projects run smoothly. While many of the tips may seem obvious, it positions us as a serious firm that is dedicated to delivering work on time and on budget. It helps customers trust us. Addressing Customer Inquiries How many times have you scrolled through a lengthy FAQ page and never found  an answer? An ideal customer is one that is proactive in educating themselves, so your content marketing should at least  help a customer do that. Free graphic design tool Canva is great at proactively addressing customer questions, taking their help beyond the basic FAQ page. Their DESIGN 101 newsletter guides beginner users on how to create new designs, ultimately drawing them back to the Canva site. While this is a free tool, educating users after their initial sign up keeps the hype alive and more signups coming in. Off the shelf answers like this not only immediately address customer inquiries but save time for the project delivery team. Do more than provide customers with an FAQ. Use email and blog content to help them learn.Does Your Customer Understand The Features? Some of your customers may be purchasing your service or product for the very first time. While the sales process sells the customer on features and expected outcomes, that doesn’t mean that  theyll immediately know how to handle what they just purchased. You will probably have to help them out quite a bit after the sale. For example, You Need A Budget. (YNAB) simplifies their budgeting platform through a library of tutorial videos on how to effectively use their service. Instead of crafting an FAQ and calling it a day, YNAB repurposes many of their customers’ top concerns and questions into video to continue use of the product. If the client does not use the product, they wont see much value in it. Ongoing content ensures continuous usage. Customers purchase based on features and what should happen. They will need help to MAKE it happen.Pointing Out New Needs Upselling is hard, but crucial for service-focused companies  that want to  maintain a viable business. Essentially, you have to be on the lookout to upsell.  A great way to do this is to re-convert existing customers by continuously responding to market demands and creating new product features. For example, when Twitter was rolling out their own advertising platform, Twitter for Business, they partnered with other social media gurus on webinars to educate current Twitter users on social media best practices. By covering new trends in social media, Twitter not only promoted their brand, they upsold Twitter ads. A current customer is still a potential customer. Are you ready to re-convert them to new features?#2 Customer Service In an ideal world, you gathered enough information  in the initial sales process that you’re prepared to react to any client objections, problems or questions. In reality, this isn’t usually  the case. While your established processes, tools, and people have a large impact on the success of customer service, content marketing can also play a role in reducing customer frustration and abandonment. In other words, your content can be that bridge that cross that gap. Addressing Customer Emergencies Customer emergencies are where customer service can either excel or crash and burn. The horror stories of unprofessional and unhelpful customer service departments are shared all over the web. To create a responsive customer service environment, it is important to make sure they have  useful content they can refer to and share with customers. This content might be in the form of informational one-sheets, downloadable help guides, videos or social media that can take some weight off their shoulders when an extraordinary issue arises. A common case study in poor customer service is the airline industry- and the gold standard is Virgin America. Before content marketing was a bonafide strategy, Virgin America’s safety video took a typical safety message  and revamped it for their customers. Delta is doing something similar with their safety videos, too.  I see flight attendants as an interesting mix between safety guards and customer service- this video marries the two in an entertaining way. Solving Common Product Issues Even if you believe your product or service delivery is 100% foolproof, any time  a customer has to handle any part of the execution, chances are theyll run into some issues. Based on how many customers you have, this can become overwhelming for customer service to manage. Similar to creating content internally, many companies are opting to put the content creation in their customers hands. Enabling customers with tools like community forums and knowledge bases is a great way to use content to build customer service (not to mention the SEO benefits). Moz is a perfect example of communities that use  the expertise of their clients to help  new ones. Continuing To Build Trust Remember the importance of building trust during project management? Customer service keeps that foundation secure. Customer mistrust can stem from many occurrences- product recalls, poor media coverage, buggy features, and unsatisfactory delivery–just to name a few. Social media is a perfect tool for a customer service team as long as proper training and processes are in place. Even if you prefer email to handle most of your customers questions, social media can keep you in front of  your followers in a personal way. Dan Norris of WPCurve is an excellent example of continuing to build trust with his potential network. While he lets his service delivery team handle all customer communication, his Twitter followers receive company updates and accomplishments to drive home trust in using WPCurve. Explaining Sensitive Issues Personal concerns and sensitive topics may play out in a business transaction. Its never fun having difficult conversations with a customer, but content can help ease anxieties and keep a project on task. The Vanguard Blog takes the formality and nerves out of personal issues like investment, retirement planning and tax planning through the expertise of Vanguard employees. By publishing blog posts based on common issues and conversations they have with their clients, theyre helping the greater community in handling complex and sensitive issues. #3 Customer Advocacy Within your client base, there are a small percentage of customers who truly love what you do and want to tell people about it. This is a marketers dream, as word of mouth still reigns supreme. Building a customer advocacy base takes a lot of time, but building content that enables your current supporters is a good starting point. Continuing Product Loyalty Once a sale is complete, that doesnt mean your customer is 100% guaranteed to re-purchase when the time comes. Whether it takes days, weeks, months or years for a re-purchase, content can keep your business top of mind when the timing is right. Copyblogger offers membership-only access to third party companies such as New Rainmaker and ongoing discounts to events and training. Their members also receive access to advanced articles, webinars and their community forum for paid members. Continuously providing value after a membership is purchased reminds the customer when theyre ready to renew how invaluable their service has been. Even if your business is not a membership-type business, you can still create a membership feel with exclusive content only available to current or past customers.

How To Increase Conversions And Brand Loyalty With Roger Dooley

How To Increase Conversions And Brand Loyalty With Roger Dooley What kind of experience does your brand create for customers? Is it simple and seamless enough to keep them coming back for more? Or, do they find their experience with your brand frustrating, cumbersome, and time-consuming?    Today, my guest is Roger Dooley, author of Friction, which describes things that prevent customers from having a great experience with companies and their brands. Each year, about $4.6 trillion of merchandise is left abandoned in eCommerce shopping carts. Also, internal friction (i.e., organizational drag) is responsible for $3 trillion in lost productivity. Most important element in behavior change process: Friction How to eliminate, minimize, or use friction to your advantage Reasons why people leave things in their shopping carts All routers are the same; awful experience for â€Å"normal† people Reviews and Rankings: In a market dominated by giants, address pain point that other companies aren’t to be successful Worst advice can be best practices Friction Goggles: People tend to accept things and don’t see where friction exists Actively Disengaged: Effort isn’t productive, serving a greater purpose Don’t shift the load; find ways to improve processes, and stop wasting time Software and tools help eliminate friction Acceptance of Fake Rules: This is the way things are done, or it has to be done Difference between friction and motivation; operate in opposition due to choices    Links: Roger Dooley Friction College Confidential Brainfluence The Persuasion Slide Amazon 1-Click Ordering Uber United Airlines Harvard Business Review: Reduce Organizational Drag Cisco Netgear TurboTax Tom Peters John Padgett BJ Fogg AMP132: Why Best Practices Are The Worst Advice With Jay Acunzo From Unthinkable Media What topics and guests should be on AMP? Let me know! If you liked today’s show, please subscribe on iTunes to The Actionable Content Marketing Podcast! The podcast is also available on SoundCloud, Stitcher, and Google Play. Quotes by Roger Dooley: â€Å"Extra effort or unnecessary effort changes behavior.† â€Å"If you look at the reasons why people abandon stuff in shopping carts, almost all of them are friction-related.† â€Å"In a market totally dominated by giantshe saw a pain point that they weren’t addressing. He addressed that pain point and ended up being very successful.† â€Å"Your customers are not dogs. If you make them work a little bit harder, they will go someplace else.†

Mini Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mini Project - Assignment Example The cost of debt refers to the effective rate in which a firm pays to use debt finance. The value is considered to be the proportion of interest on the entire debt value. However, this can be viewed in two approaches namely cost of debt before tax and cost of debt after tax. As such, cost of capital before tax will therefore refer to the effective rate an organization pays for it to use debt finance without incorporating tax while cost of debt after tax will refer to effective rate in which an organization will pay to use debt finance while considering tax. In relation to GE, the company pays 5.56% for its debt finance annually before tax. The value will translate to 5.35% cost of debt after tax. This implies that the proportion of interest on entire debt value before considering tax is 5.56% while the proportion of interest considering tax is 5.35%. Also, the measure of the cost of debt reflects the risk level of an organization when compared to others. Therefore, when a company rec ords a higher rate in its cost of debt than another, then it means investing in that company will be more risky. Therefore, a firm that has a cost of debt before tax greater than 5.56% and cost of debt after tax greater than 5.35% is more risky to invest in than GE. Cost of capital is another element that factors greatly in evaluating company performance. Cost of capital refers to the theoretical return an organization will pay for its equity finance as compensation for the risk they undertake in investing in that firm. Currently, GE has a cost of equity rate of 8.81%. The value is averaged by summing the risk free rate with measures of the reward for bearing systematic risk. Therefore, this implies that GE pays 8.81% annually over the long term as compensation to their equity finance providers. However, computing the rate using CAPM has some inherent flaws. The reason behind this view is that the approach uses S&P

IKEA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

IKEA - Assignment Example It came into existence in the year 1943 and within a very small time frame it attained a renowned brand image due to its modern architectural designs and eco-friendly nature. Due to which its revenue and operating income enhanced by â‚ ¬27.628 billion and â‚ ¬3.482 billion by the end of 2012 as compared to other rivals in the market. This marked the success of the organization of IKEA and so it expanded in many other parts of the world like Germany, Norway and Denmark (Inter IKEA Systems B.V, 2012). IKEA’S History IKEA is established in the year 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad, a young entrepreneur residing in Smaland of Southern Sweden. The name of the organization IKEA is derived from the initial letters of Ingvar Kamprad, i.e. I and K along with the first letters of his hometown, Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd. Ingvar Kamprad started his career in business by selling matches, pen, pencils, fishes, seeds and many others. However, slowly and gradually, he started offering high-level of concentration over IKEA and so presented varied types of advertisements in local newspapers to attract wide range of customers. Moreover, in order to make it a branded furniture retailing house, he presented varied types of attractive and stylish furniture’s such as beds, chairs, tables, home appliances and many others at a quite lowest price. This proved quite effective for the organization and helped Ingvar Kamprad to open his first store in Norway in the year 1963 and in Denmark in 1969 (Inter IKEA Systems B.V, 2013). After that, within a small time frame, IKEA expanded to other parts of Europe, Switzerland, Australia, Hong Kong, Canada, Germany, UK and many others. Therefore, by the end of 2009, IKEA group became successful to operate in more than 332 stores in 40 countries. Hence, IKEA took more than six decades to mark its position in the segment of trendy furniture’s among other retailers. IKEA Today Inspite of extreme economic downturn, IKEA maintained its popu larity and brand image in the market in a quite stable condition due to its objective to present qualitative products at a competitive price. Due to which, the leading leader of home furniture enhanced its total sales by ?2.15 billion and net income by ? 3.51 billion by the end of 31st August 2013. Along with this, the market share also increased from 7.3% in 2012 to 8.5% in 2013 in the market of UK. This became possible only due to its wide expansion into 332 stores in more than 40 countries in the entire globe (Inter IKEA Systems B.V, 2012). Other than this, the annual sales figure and sales per region is presented in the below graphs. Therefore, from the graph, it might be clearly depicted that the rate of sales of the furniture’s of IKEA is very high as compared to others. This enhanced the equity and profit margin to a significant extent among other retailers (Inter IKEA Systems B.V, 2013). 2. Macro-environment of IKEA In order to analyse the external environment of the market of UK, one of the most renowned technique is used. It is named as PESTEL analysis. Political Factors- the political scenario of UK is quite cacophonous due to the presence of inefficient bureaucracy and corruption. Other than this, the instable government policies and regulations also acted as a curse that hampered the growth of the organization of IKEA. Not only this, shaky coalition of the government of UK hampered the business scenario to a