Benefits of partnership of a community group

In the recent years we have witnessed a contract known as ‘Community Benefit Agreement’ that was signed in the USA between community groups and company owners which requires the business owners to provide certain services to the local community or the vicinity while on the other hand the community supports the businesses or will not in any way oppose them (Cnaan & Milofsky, 2007). A study reveals that when the community is more involved in the negotiation procedure, they will be able to tackle the problems to present a debate for all parts of an affected community.At the spirit of the community benefits schemes is partnership building. According to the agreement, there are various benefits a community will derive from a business operating in the vicinity. They include; good working conditions, local hiring schemes, affordable housing allowances, better remuneration packages, on job training programs, space will be set aside for other small organizations, community centre s, child care schools, enhance erection of parks and sporting amenities and giving financial support to community group programs.Benefits that a community group may accrue from a company/business through partnership Taking a case in Sydney we find that a recreation field committee of Rankin School of the Narrows in IONA being one of the beneficiaries from the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency through a strategy that was introduced known as Local Economic Benefits (LEB). Sydney Tar Ponds Agency is an agency that deals with stabilizing, solidifying and containing the contaminated materials to clean up the environment and the cleaned up space to be used for recreational purposes.Sydney Tar Ponds Agency, through the LEB program, supports promotes mission contestants and contractors to promote local community activities. LEB involves various operations such as local employment, improvement of local proficiency sets, promoting local community projects and drawing new citizens to join local communit ies. An important section that will be checked out is developing an outdoor rink, a young and adults green activity area which will allow those who have no space to plant at home to have a garden, for the young ones it will provide education on plants and how they grow.As fundraising efforts were underway for the various phases, the committee explored many ways of generating much-needed financial support. Members in the Sydney Tar Ponds Agency have testified that the strategy had helped them develop the outdoor rink that is helping them to give back to the community. This helps the community to grow in positive, healthy directions (Gale Group, 1988). Through the establishment of the outdoor rink for Rankin School of the Narrows in IONA, there will be a lot of motivation in the part of the learners as they will be able to learn extra curriculum activities such as small garden farming.It will also give individuals work to do thus avoiding idleness which could promote immorality amongs t the youths. This will develop the youngsters’ skills and talents that could be of great help to them in future. These small gardens will also add to the country’s aesthetic value thus preserving the splendour of a nation. Conclusion In order to form a triumphant community benefit agreement, it is vital to classify and retain a coalition, facilitate and expertise on a shared agenda, Collins & Porras, 2002).It is therefore important that the government empowers the community on its rights so as to improve the bargaining power of the community. We find that there are organizations which merely do anything for the community because there are no efforts to demand their contribution to the community. On the other hand the community groups should support the operations of the organization to form that mutual relationship that will promote the introduction of other benefits (Demetrios E. Tonias & Jim J.Zhao, 2007). Works Cited Gale Group. International directory of company h istories. (California: St James Press. 1988) Collins James Charles & Porras I. Jerry. Built to last: successful habits of visionary companies. (New York; Harper Business Essentials. 2002). Cnaan A. Ram & Milofsky Carl. Handbook of Community Movements and Local Organizations. (Philadelphia: Springer. 2007 pp 26, 27). Tonias E. Demetrios & Zhao J. Jim. Bridge Engineering. (New York: McGraw-Hill Professional. 2007, p 41).

Aldi Hr

Introduction ALDI is a global food retailer. Since opening its first store in 1913, Aldi has established itself as a reputable retailer operating in international markets including Germany, Australia and the U. S. Aldi has over 7,000 stores worldwide. What distinguishes Aldi from its competitors is its competitive pricing strategy without reducing the quality of its products. In fact, in some cases Aldi’s products are 30% cheaper than those offered by its competitors. Aldi can do this because the business operates so efficiently. The Times Case Studies, 2011) ALDI and HR Aldi has a very flat organisational structure. In the UK it is split into 5 regions (there are 62 internationally); each region operates individually, only sharing the purchasing function. Each region has 5 departments, and there are only 3 levels between the Store Assistants and the Managing Director of the Region. Organisational Structure Noticeably, there is no IT, Marketing or HR function in the structure. IT and Marketing are both outsourced to third parties.IT are called on as and when needed by whichever department needs them at the time, whether it be till maintenance, or maintaining the logistics software package. Marketing is outsourced to a company in Atherstone, and their link in the organisation is the Trading function. HR is stripped back within ALDI, and is headed by 2 HR Managers in the Store Operations Function. All area managers within ALDI are trained in HR, and deal with all personnel issues, from Recruitment, to performance management and Training and Development.The HR managers in Head Office purely focus on making sure the Area Managers are up to date with new legislation and policies. ALDI adopt a grandfather technique, where, store managers have little to do with HR. It is their job to focus on the store, and deal with staff rotas and minor issues. This way, store employees report to their line manager for operational issues, and the Area Manager for HR issues. T he only HR issue not practised by Area Managers is Payroll, which falls into the Finance Function.ALDI is extremely focused on productivity and efficiency, and because of this, the Neston Region in the UK is trialling using a HR Agency (Kinetic), to manage a major amount of its HR function. The agency takes care of Recruitment, Induction, Payroll, Development, Performance Management, and acts as a HR Manager for the agency staff within ALDI. ALDI intend to get to a point where 70% of store staff is through an agency, with exception to Store Managers, Assistant Managers, Deputies and Full Time Staff. This saves money as it takes a lot of responsibility off Area Managers, leaving them with more time to focus on operations.According to Righeimer (Date Unknown, p. 4), most organizations view the department of Human Resources (HR) as an administrative function and ignore the need and opportunity to align it with its strategic plans. Aligning HR and strategic plans is an important endeavo ur for every organisation. Studies strongly support the alignment between strategies, HR, and performance and thus show the potential role HR can play in implementing strategy and developing an organisation’s competitive advantage. How HR activities support the organisations strategyRecruitment and Selection, Performance Management, and Training and Development are three HR activities that support the organisations strategy. (Hameed, 2011) Recruitment and Selection According to ALDI’s strategy (2012), â€Å"We want every ALDI employee to have a rewarding career, with opportunities to grow and develop, whether they work in our stores, distribution centres or management teams. We expect our people to be committed, hard-working and take ownership of their responsibilities. In return, we provide salaries that are considerably above the rest of the industry. The recruitment and selection activity supports this by ensuring the right people are hired first time. It is vital to find committed, hardworking people, who have a pride in their work and take responsibility for their success and mistakes. Productivity, quality and service are three of ALDI’s focuses, so HR’s ability to attract and select people with the right knowledge, skills and attitude is vital. As it is down for the most part to the Area Manager to fulfil this HR role, it is vital they have the skills to recognise the right sort of employee who would fit in the business.The major disadvantage of using the agencies, as currently being trialled, is that the agencies do not work in the stores, and are an outsider to the culture and work ethic of ALDI. For that reason, the Area Managers should have complete control, as they know what sort of person they need, how to motivate them, and exactly what is expected with ALDI’s culture. Performance Management â€Å"We have developed a range of high quality, structured training programmes to enable our employees to fulfil their roles successfully.ALDI Managers have a responsibility to develop and motivate employees, rewarding excellent performance and continuous improvement. † (ALDI, 2012) A HR activity that is also performed in part by Area Managers is performance management. As Area Managers spend a lot of time in stores, they can see the productivity of staff, who is excelling and who needs a little motivation. The store manager reports performance to them also, so they get a complete picture. The agencies receive reports from the Store Managers, only if something is not working out.The agencies manage the performance of their employees, but do not really focus on opportunities or continuous improvement, as they do not have the power in store to do so. Likewise, store managers and Area Managers do not focus on the agencies employees, as technically they are not their own. If this was fully down to the Area Managers again, and Store Managers were given a greater role, staff could be managed better. Stand out performers could be recognised better, and future progression would be a benefit.Also, employees would be more engaged and productive with a clear structure and with everyone being part of the same â€Å"team†, no â€Å"us† and â€Å"them† as such. Training â€Å"We want to attract the best talent and ours are among the highest advertised starting salaries for graduates in the UK and Ireland. Over 85% of our Directors are recruited from within the company, demonstrating the importance we place on training and development and rewarding performance. † (ALDI, 2012) The Training and Development aspect of HR is focused highly on, within ALDI. There is constant training available and succession plans in place for most stores.Deputies are trained to do the Assistant Managers job in case of Sickness, Pregnancy or Resignation of the latter, and likewise with the Assistant Managers, they are trained to do the Store Managers Role. Store Assistants are enc ouraged to progress to Deputies based on performance. Training and Development is also evident throughout Head Office. Area Managers are only recruited through Graduate Schemes, and Directors are successful Area Managers. 85% of the Directors were Area Managers, whereas the other 15% are either from international ALDI head offices, or â€Å"born into it†, i. e. the Albrieght family.The obvious disadvantage with the Agency is that they have no say or decision in regards to Training. As its employees are employed by them and not ALDI, they do not have access to the same training and development. How HR Professionals support line managers and their Staff With a 2006 ASTD study finding that 70% of training failure happens after the formal training finishes and a recent CIPD study finding that only 12% of employees feel that line managers take learning and development very seriously, it’s a little surprising that more is not being done to gain line manager support in the de velopment process. Peterson, 2006) The role of the line managers has changed over the last twenty years.There is a widespread drive to give line managers more responsibility for the management of their staff and to reduce the extent to which human resource departments control or restrict line management autonomy in this area (Brewster & Larson, 2000). HR professionals no longer have sole responsibility for the management of people, but share this responsibility with line managers. There is evidence that HR responsibilities are increasingly decentralized nd devolved to line managers (Cunningham & Hyman, 1995). In ALDI, Cunningham and Hyman’s point (1995) that responsibility is shared is correct, if not more centred toward the line manager rather than a 50/50 split. This is probably due to the amount of time passed since their original comment. It is interesting that what they originally said nearly 20 years ago still applies, giving the impression that the HR function has been under fire for quite some time, yet is still here in a pretty similar form in most companies.The line manager in terms of ALDI would be the Area Manager and the HR Professionals for the Area Manager. With the Agency staff, their line manager for HR would be their external agency manager. HR professionals in ALDI support the line managers by providing updated regulations, policies and visions down, to be implemented further down. The obvious benefit of Line Managers taking a front line role in HR, is that they know the staff better. HR Professionals in Head Office do not work with the store employees and do not know about performance or what motivates each individual.The CIPD states that where employees feel positive about their relationship with their front line managers, moreover, they are more likely to have higher levels of job satisfaction, commitment and loyalty – which are in turn associated with higher levels of performance or discretionary behaviour. (CIPD, 2 012) As the HR professionals have empowered the Line managers as such, it improves employee engagement. Talent can be spotted, managed and trained, and with the right people in the right jobs, the team’s works better together and is more productive.Consistency is an issue that can arise when different Line Managers have different attitudes and ways of working. This is when support from HR is vital as they can provide guidelines and policies that ensure the message across the company is consistent. With the agency, it does mean that the message HR is sending out, is not necessarily what the agency is doing / preaching. This is another shortfall in the HR process when it comes to agency working. If Area Managers had complete control and there was no agency, then the message would be consistent across the board.Conclusion and Recommendations It is evident that HR takes a simple yet complex form in ALDI. Although it is missing from the organisational structure, it is practiced in part by at least 46 Area Managers. There is a big emphasis on Training and Development throughout the company, and HR activities are being used for succession planning and finding the next generation of ALDI AM’s and Directors. The use of the agency seems to be slightly detrimental to ALDI’s message, and outsourcing the HR like it is, will cause confusion, and splits in the teams.They need to revert to AM as the main HR leader within the Area and only use agencies at times such as Christmas for relief workers etc. As AM know better than any agency, the staff recruited and selected will more than likely be more productive and fit the company better. Also, there may be an issue with succession planning if their aim of outsourcing most staff jobs out is achieved. It would seem that they would hire the people themselves, after trialling them with the agency, so why not just hire directly anyway.The overall finding however, is that HR must remain in the company, and be man aged as it once was. Eliminating the HR function more so than now, will cause major problems, and those problems are starting to arise now. If HR wasn’t managed at Head Office, then inconsistent practices would be followed out, creating discomfort within the stores and the ALDI mantra of Team working would be lost.Works Cited ALDI, 2012. CSR – Our People. [Online] Available at: http://www. aldi. co. uk/uk/html/company/15435_25201. tm [Accessed 06 11 2012]. Brewster, C. & Larson, H. , 2000. Human Resource Management in Europe. London: Blackwells. CIPD, 2012. Role of Line Managers In HR. [Online] Available at: http://www. cipd. co. uk/hr-resources/factsheets/role-line-managers-hr. aspx [Accessed 06 11 2012]. Cunningham, I. & Hyman, J. , 1995. Transforming the HRM vision into Reality: The Role of Line Managers. Employee Relations, 17(8), pp. 5-20. Hameed, T. , 2011. Organisation Strategy and Human Reosurce. [Online] Available at: http://www. rutilities. com/2011/0 9/organization-strategy-and-human-resource/ [Accessed 06 11 2012]. Peterson, E. , 2006. Employee Relations. 2nd ed. Chicago: Hardwell Press. Righeimer, J. P. , Date Unknown. Aligning Human Resources and Strategic Plans, London: Maverick Electric. The Times Case Studies, 2011. Aldi – Competitive Advantage through Efficiency. [Online] Available at: http://businesscasestudies. co. uk/aldi/competitive-advantage-through-efficiency/introduction. html#ixzz2CEnCsFmq [Accessed 06 11 2012].

How the Climate Changes the Environment Essay

The American Heritage Dictionary defines the environment as â€Å"The combination of external physical conditions that affect and influence the growth, development, and survival of organisms† (â€Å"Environment† 2004). The world climate affects every living organism. The climate is part of the environment. Since climatic change will affect other physical conditions, changes in the climate will affect the rest of the environment. Climate is defined by the Random House on line dictionary as â€Å"The composite or generally prevailing weather conditions of a region, as temperature, air pressure, humidity, precipitation, sunshine, cloudiness, and winds, throughout the year, averaged over a series of years. † (â€Å"Climate† 2007). In the scientific community, climate is defined as the mean weather pattern over a large time frame, such as 30 years (Helmuth, Mieszkowska, Moore, Hawkins 2006). The climate affects what organisms can survive and flourish in a given locale. For example, birds migrate south for the winter so that their environment includes a warmer climate. They migrate back during the summer so that they can enjoy a more moderate climate during those months. If this natural climate cycle changes, there may be no impetus for migration. The climate that we observe is driven by solar energy. The green house effect is a natural occurring process. Heat from the Sun is trapped by greenhouse gases in the lower atmosphere. Some of this heat is re-radiated down to the surface, warming the Earth. Without the greenhouse effect, the mean temperature on the surface would be about zero degrees F. Instead, with the greenhouse effect, it is 57 degrees F (NOAA 2001). Obviously, our environment would be vastly different if the mean temperature was zero degrees F. HOW THE CLIMATE CHANGES THE ENVIRONMENT Page 2 of 5 The climate is changing. Global surface temperatures have increased by about . 6 degrees centigrade since the late 1800’s; with half the increase occurring in the last 25 years (NOAA 2001). With this increase comes a decrease of about . 3% of the artic sea ice (NOAA 2001). This is consistent with the temperature increase that has been observed. Over the next 100 years, the estimate for the mean global temperature increase varies from 2. 3 to 10. 1 degrees F. At the extreme, this would equate to a mean temperature of 67 degrees F, or an increase of 17% (Karl 2001). Computer models show that the Earth is becoming wetter and warmer. Over the next 100 years, rainfall will increase in the tropics and mid latitudes. If rainfall increases enough, then the salinity of the oceans will be reduced (Burroughs 1999). This could affect the Great Ocean Conveyor, the circulation process that brings warm water and energy from the tropical regions into the Northern Atlantic. Modeling shows that the Conveyor is very sensitive to rain water runoff from the continents. Small variations in the input of fresh water into the system may change the currents, and thus significantly alter the climate in the Americas and Europe (Burroughs 1999). The amount of impact that humans have on the climate has also been debated. For the first time, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a United Nations network, stated that global warming was â€Å"unequivocal† and caused largely by the burning of coal (Associated Press 2007). Natural agents alone cannot explain the climatic warming trend. Computer modeling has shown that a significant amount of the warming is human caused (Karl 2001). Since the temperatures are forecast to continue to increase, the amount of climatic change will also increase. HOW THE CLIMATE CHANGES THE ENVIRONMENT Page 3 of 5 The changing climate will affect the environment. Human habitation in coastal zones will be greatly affected. The forecasted temperature increase of 10 degrees F mean temperature would equate to a sea level rise, at the extreme, of about 35 inches by the year 2100 due to melting of the polar ice and runoff from the melt of glaciers (Karl 2001). A more extreme calculation puts 100 million people a year being flooded by rising sea levels by 2080 (Borenstein 2007). If the rise in temperature reaches 14 degrees F, the West Antartic ice sheet could collapse, with the resulting rise in sea level of 47 inches per century from that alone. The resulting flood would encompass a large part of Florida, including Miami, and the Atlantic seaboard. Internationally, large population centers such as Ho Chi Min City would be flooded (Burroughs 1999). Indeed, some research has shown that some fragile habitats could be even more drastically and rapidly affected. It has been shown that the environmental stresses caused to intertidal organisms by climate changes affects them faster then terrestrial organisms (Helmuth, et. al. 2006). In fact, the change in climate can lead to extermination of some intertidal organisms. If these are prey, then the environment will change for the predators, resulting in reduced populations or migration (Helmuth, et. al. 2006). The change in climate will also affect food production. In developed countries, the effect will be to a much lesser degree, at least for the foreseeable future. More food will be produced as the temperatures continue to rise. Soybean and rice yields are expected to rise in Latin America. Northern latitudes will see a longer growing season, resulting in higher output (Borenstein 2007). By 2050, the effects of the climate change on food production will be negligible (Burroughs 1999). HOW THE CLIMATE CHANGES THE ENVIRONMENT Page 4 of 5 In developing countries the effects will be much more pronounced. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has stated that the severest impact of global warming food shortages would be in the sub-Saharan countries of Africa (Pullella 2005). Lower latitudes will have reduced food production. The rapid crop development along with rising heat and the need for more water will result in lower yields (Burroughs 1999). By the year 2080, 600 million people may go hungry because of the climate change (Borenstein 2007). Those populations that can would attempt to migrate to more fertile land. This will place an economic and political strain on the nations that are losing population and those who would accept these environmental refugees. Large scale movements of populations would place a burden on the food supplies on neighboring countries, possibly affecting the food production. A true risk of local overpopulation would exist, changing the environment for all who reside there. Water shortages are also a threat in the developing nations. In less than 20 years, hundreds of millions of Africans and tens of millions of Latin Americans will be short of water. By 2080, the water shortages may effect up to 3. 2 billion people (Borenstein 2007). The sea level rise will also affect the quality of water. Saline intrusion, contamination of water supplies, and the need for an increased water supply for agriculture to offset the temperature change all will have a negative impact (Burroughs 1999). The climate change will also affect the health and welfare of both human and other organism’s populations. With the change in the environment there will come a change in distribution of insect carried diseases (Burroughs 1999). There has already been a resurgence of malaria world-wide over the past 20 years. By 2100, due to the change of climate, malaria is expected to affect 50-80 million more people a year. The distribution of malaria will extend into HOW THE CLIMATE CHANGES THE ENVIRONMENT Page 5 of 5 Eurasia, Northeastern Canada, all of Australia, and even into the southern coast of Alaska and the coastal regions of the northwestern United States and Canada (Burroughs 1999). Higher temperatures not only increase the insects range and numbers, but also how often they bite and how infectious they are (Burroughs 1999). Other insect borne diseases will extend their range. Dengue, also carried by mosquitoes, will extend into non-endemic areas. Rodents will also extend their ranges and bring insects that carry diseases like the Plague and Hantavirus with them. The warmer temperatures will reduce the rodent’s mortality, further increasing the spread of disease (Burroughs 1999). Lyme disease will also have an increased range of occurrence as the ticks responsible are able to survive in a larger habitat (Burroughs 1999). Other diseases will also flourish. As the amount of water is reduced in developing countries, diseases such as cholera and diphtheria will become more prevalent. Increased exposure to ultraviolet light will cause an increase in the occurrence of skin cancer, ocular disease, and weakened immune systems (Burroughs 1999). The changing climate will indeed change the environment on a global scale. All aspects of the environment, from insect range to food production, sea level to water supply, will be affected in some way. These changes will be far more pronounced in developing nations then developed ones. The ability to adapt to these changes will also be affected by the economic status of the nations involved. References Associated Press. (2007, February 28). Scientists Urge Global Action On Clean Energy. New York Times, p. A8. Borenstein, S. (2007). Warming Report to Warn of Coming Drought. Retrieved March 11, 2007, from Yahoo! News. Website: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070311/ap_on_sc/climate_report

International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Relations - Essay Example As much as the United States opted to become a member country of the United Nations and party to the ratification of internal laws and agreements, it was mandatory for it to obtain permission from the UN to invade Iraq in 2003. This is mainly due to the voluntary decision of US leaders to become a member of the UN and thus, subject to all agreements enacted at the UN level. It is mandatory for all member-countries to abide by the rules and regulations of the UN most especially when these were made with the consent of its members, and US is obviously one of them. There were several instances that the US have practiced their obligation before the members of the UN Security Council and one of these instances were when US Secretary Colin Powell presented the George Bush’s view on February 5 before the council [1]. This meant that the US respected their role and the role of the UN with regards to the international conflict. Powell argued that Resolution 1441 of the Security Council aimed at disarming Iraq of its weapons of mass destruction. Powell insisted that Iraq was already found guilty of material breach whatever hat may mean. But it would soon be established but no sooner than in 2002 that the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) found no trace of evidence about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq [2]. ... In addition, Article 51 arose from the need for imminent self-defense when Council deliberation can no longer be an applicable due to the urgency of an action. The US appeared exaggerating at that time to argue that Article 51 was applicable for Iraq to be invaded by force by the US. 2. What are the implications of the Iraq war for nation-state sovereignty? There are various negative implications [6] of the Iraq war for nation-state sovereignty but with contrasting meanings for nations depending on the level of military might. The Iraq war meant that the United States remain a superpower to reckon with. Its administration decides when, where, who, and why attack an individual, or a nation-state. This was a dangerous period of democracy and international relations as US through its president George Bush defied the mandate of the international body when it comes to actions beyond the US borders and territory. It flouted its force and might among the organization of nations, and togethe r with the United Kingdom which supported the US, they showed that their intents backed by might and a blinded military are above any kind of international law and understanding. It acted like the Nazi Germany for occupying other nations. The international laws that they tried to use as an excuse to invade Iraq were lame and a breach of UN membership. They have brazenly shown that for economic reasons that will benefit their oil magnates – British’ Shell and 14 other contractors [7]. For the part of Iraq and other nations that future US leaders will have their hot eyes on like Iran and North Korea, and the rest of other nation states in the world who cannot stand the force of a superpower, the implication

Case Studies Assignment Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Studies Assignment - Case Study Example Nazareth Hospital offers services that are average as compared to the required standards while Clinix goes the full mile to ensure that they offer the best. Clinix has immense fixed assets meaning that their departments have up to date equipment while Nazareth relies on the old equipments, but still manage to deliver their services with lesser efficiency. The investments that Clinix has made have attracted immense revenues for the hospital in a period less than three years because the institution undertook its upgrade process during that time. On the other hand, Nazareth offers its services at an affordable cost to those that seek its services hence making the institution to attract a certain percentage of the market. Despite their services not being in line with the advanced technologies, their delivery is still efficient hence attracting those that do not have much to spare when accessing treatment. In contrast, Clinix has invested in hospital staffs that have technology applicatio n skills that are in line with the advancement in the medical field. Questions 1. What can Nazareth hospital do in order to enhance service delivery without attracting immense operational costs? 2. How can Clinix incorporate the market population that cannot afford its services to its delivery structure? 3. In what ways can both Clinix and Nazareth hospitals harmonize their operations in order to remain relevant to their targeted market? Topic 2 Developing and monitoring the budget This is a case study for two principle hospitals namely London Care and Angels of Mercy, which operate within a relatively similar geographical scope. Both of these hospitals are the largest referral hospitals because of their ability and capacity to attend to many patients at the same time. However, the difference that the two hospitals have is in terms of the non-treatment care that the two hospitals give to their clients. In essence, London Care is a public clinic while Angels of Mercy is a clinic whos e ownership is private meaning that the two have different levels of funding. This trickles down to the budgetary allocation for the two organizations, where one is renewable while the other is subject to procedure. London Care cannot afford to treat patients with the standards they would want because their budgetary allocation does not allow patients to be comfortable while receiving treatment. In contrast, the budgetary allocation for Angels of Mercy allows for the treatment of clients with comfort as an after service in order to attract them in the future. However, this does not mean that London Care does not execute its nursing duties within ethical practice it is only that their concern is not on the way that one would expect to be treated while still at the hospital. Questions i. Should London Care lobby for more funding from the British government or should it charge more in order for their service delivery to be effective? ii. What ways can Angels of Mercy use in order to re tain its reputation in the medical market? iii. Should the budgetary allocation be subject to review over time or should these hospitals make the best of what they have? Topic 3: Human Resource Management In this case study, the comparison will be between Fabian and Ethan, who are both human resource managers at TechSoftwares and Apex Computer companies respectively. Ethan has vast knowledge in computer applications and networking solutions as compared to Fabian

The Volcker Rule and its Consequences for the Financial and Banking Essay

The Volcker Rule and its Consequences for the Financial and Banking System - Essay Example Federal Reserve has publicly announced that the banking system of US does not need to accept and operate according to the rule before the month of July of 2014 but the banks will have to conduct the process of â€Å"good faith planning efforts† to get ready to accept the rule in the future and during the temporary phase. As banks and the financial system is still not aware of the bans that will be levied, there will be a cloud of uncertainty that these systems will experience for two years (Ciro 2012). These systems are experiencing ambiguity in understanding what does the Federal Reserve means by good faith planning efforts. The ambiguities are making condition worse thus decision makers should make the scenario clear and present the effects of the rule on US and other nations. The cloudy situation was made clear when a draft of the regulation was prepared and this draft consisted of details regarding the services offered by financial system and the way these services are use d by the common public. The situation is still quite unclear for financial institutions as even the draft wasn’t clear enough to identify the effects that the rule will have on financial sector. The European Union and other countries have even showed concerns as they expect that the rule will decrease the liquidity in world financial markets, thus it is quite clear that the rule will impact the financial systems negatively. Body The delay in implementing and clearing the effect of the rule may not help the banks and make situation worse as banks do not have the correct idea of when the rule will be implemented and banks will have to accept the rule legally regardless of whether they understand its effect or not. Legally it is stated that those banks that have operated in good faith effort during the temporary implementation phase will experience less problems in complying with the actual rule. The policy makers should make the scenario clearer instead of making the financial system of US and overseas operate according to their own guess work. The delay is making the financial system take decisions under ambiguous situation which is already hurting the system. Volcker Permitted Bank Activities According to the rule there are certain permitted activities that can be performed by the banks, these activities comprise of banks acting as market maker, underwriter, hedger, deals of government securities and other activities that are stated under the act as permitted activities. These activities have been permitted to ensure that banks continue to provide liquidity to the markets and help companies in raising capital. But these activities have been restricted to ensure that banks do not cross the line and the funds with the bank do not become unsafe. If the permitted activities cannot be conducted in a safe environment and without risky conditions, then the federal system has the right to barge banks from conducting such activities or increase charges and fines on these activities so these activities become unfavourable to the banks. The activities that have been stated as acceptable in the rule are done on the basis that the bank conducts these activities for the customer and only to meet the short term demands of the customers. Rule Effect The Volcker Rule has received its name from the Paul Volcker who was the Federal Reserve Chairman during the period of the financial crises of 2008. The

Public Policy - Resources assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public Policy - Resources - Assignment Example mated population of 25 million, the state must deliberate on water usage and storage to quench a population that is estimated to reach 46 million by 2060 (Artz 8A). The magnitude of water problem in Texas was manifested by the 2011 drought. Most of the cities in Texas could not afford to keep the homes taps flowing without a huge expense, for example, in Spicewood Beach, the water ran out completely and the town had to bring in water using trucks. Consequently, the city of Wichita Falls has resorted to conservation by banning unnecessary usage of water. The shortage has also affected agricultural activities such as irrigation in order to divert water to domestic use. According to water experts, the water problem in Texas can have varied solutions. First, the state can adopt an expansive water conservation agenda in which any unnecessary usage of water is prohibited. The ordinances need to be set in order to deter people from wasting water at the expense of other citizens. Watering of private lawns, refilling of swimming pools and regular car washing should be banned in the state. Conservation of water is an expensive sacrifice that has to be made by the civilians. Although it is inconveniencing, it is the cheapest way of ensuring availability of water for basic needs (Texas Water Development Board). Second, the state can embark on water storage. Several states in the United States have the projects where water is stored in underground aquifers (ASR). The water in the aquifers can be then used in times of scarcity. The idea of constructing water aquifers is ideal since it reduces water loss through evaporation. An example of how aquifer storage and recovery is beneficial is depicted by the importance of the Twin Oaks aquifer that has the ability to supply 20% of water needs in the city of San Antonio. Broadening the sources of water is another concept that can be used in Texas. The state government can embark on alternative measures such as recycling

Understaffed Nursing Problems in Hospitals Research Proposal

Understaffed Nursing Problems in Hospitals - Research Proposal Example It is noticeable that the nursing shortage has become a global issue that has put patients care at higher risk and residents are complaining of poor care. It has been found that some nursing homes are highly understaffed that have endangered the lives of patients (Ellis & Hartley, 2004). Thousands of nurses are needed in nursing homes to address the health issues of patients who need assistance to recover from chronic diseases. But, they are losing hope and facing more health complexities due to the shortage of nursing staff. Some evidence-based major complexities that emerge from lack of nurses' assistance include hypertension, catheterized patients, urinary infections, poor feeding resulting in malnutrition, dehydration and most prominently decrease in the participation rate of patients in healthy activities (Siela, 2009). Nursing staff is responsible for taking care of patients during medicines intake or meal time and their absence lead patients to more complex health conditions. †¢ Problem and Problem Statement: Present literature over closely related issues shows that no study has contributed to highlight the factors, which are responsible for causing understaffed nursing problems in hospitals. †¢ The significance of the Problem: Lack of identification of responsible factors is a crucial issue and its solution can lead to resolving problems of the understaffed nursing sector. This problem has significant importance as it will help practitioners and researchers recognize the areas, which need proper attention and modification to provide standard healthcare services to the patients. Additionally, a research-based study covering an important issue related to understaffed nursing department might also contribute to open the gate and beneficial opportunities for those individuals, who seek to build up the career in the field of nursing.  A study conducted by Buerhaus, Donelan & Ulrich in 2005 aimed to find out the rate and impact of registered nurse s in the hospitals.

Assignmet paper Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Assignmet paper - Coursework Example Marketers have continued to innovate new ways to reach out to the customers with brand information, as such, there has been an increase in the forms of advertisement (Panda, 2008). Advertisement can thus be grouped in to two major categories; indoor and outdoor. Indoor advertisement is a form of advertisement that targets people when they are at the comfort of their homes. This form of advertisement includes the use of television, radio, online advertisement and mobile advertisement. Outdoor advertisement focuses on showcasing products to customers when they are outside their homes. They include billboards, roadside shelters and booths, transit advertisement, banners and posters. They mainly target clients who are travelling or moving from one place to another. I order to be effective with advertising, the trade organizations needs to keep in mind the five main players of advertising. The advertiser is an important player in advertisement. They are responsible for financing the whole advertisement process and they benefit from it with increase in sales. The advertising agency is the busy that is tasked by the advertiser to convey the message using and agreed advertising channel. The media is the advertising channel chosen to carry the message. The vendor is the body that links together the media, advertiser and the agency. Mostly the vendor is engaged in consultancy. The last player is the target audience. The advertiser engages in advertisements so as to benefit from sales directed toward the target audience. Understanding the behavior of the target audience and aligning the advertisement to their needs makes the advertisements to be more effective (Schlee, 2013). Many organizations find it to be beneficial to advertise since the return on investment is always high as a result of increased revenue and profits. When a company advertises its products, it uses a substantial amount of money that is recovered through increased sales (Murthy

B2B Exchanges and Supply Chain Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

B2B Exchanges and Supply Chain - Assignment Example Supply webs (or vortals) serve industry sectors by integrating the supply chain systems of various buyers and sellers creating virtual trading communities (Turban et al, 2006). An example of how B2B exchanges might operate is shown in fFigure 4. E-marketplace operators hoped to create a true value-added experience for their customers (marketplace participants) and to reach the aspired scale (Schneider, 2000). [I do not understand what the previous phrase means] Currently, B2B exchange platforms can support whole trading networks from the planningprocurement of the raw materials upthrough to to the sellingsale to the final customer, supporting new structures and relationships in the supply chain (Hayes, 2005). [You should use an example of these structures/relationships to make your meaning more clear] Thus, the value proposition of B2B exchanges can move away from price minimization towards cost optimization through improved efficiencies and tightened coordination between buyers and sellers. According to Lejmi (2005) researchdefines, supply chain management (SCM) involves as the coordination of both online and traditional delivery channels. This includes the settlement phase of each transaction on e-marketplaces, which must be taken into consideration when planning demand and supply in a given network. On the other hand, e-marketplaces can be used as supplementary channels to the efforts to get rid ofto ameliorate inefficiencies in the supply chain in order to remove excess inventory. B2B exchanges, which are centralized systems, can build the basis for SCM. Moreover they allow solving two of the major problems faced by SCM systems: discontinuities in the information flow and the lack of trust among the different partners (Knolmayer et al, 1999). Figure 5 describes different types of B2B exchanges offering different advantages for the participating companies and can support specific SCM functionalities in different ways. The private exchange1 could be the most useful type for introducing the supply chain optimization between member companies. This type of e-marketplaces enables a companyan organization with dominant position in the supply chain to strengthen the collaboration and synchronization with its trading partners. The mostA knownwell known example among of a private exchanges would beis Dell's eHub accessible from Valuechain.dell.com from Dell. Figure 5: B2B exchanges support for SCM functionality Source: Lejmi, 2005 B2B applications are offered online so they can serve as supply chain enablers that offer distinct competitive advantages. Hoffman et al (2002) argues that various B2B types have different effect on supply chain relationships. B2B prA ivateprivate B2B e-marketplace provideprovidess a companyan organization with high supply chain power and high capabilities for online interactions. This is basically how much bargaining and control power a companyan organization has. On the other hand, joining a public e-marketplace, provides a businessan organization with high buying and selling capabilities, but will result in low supply chain power. Companies that choose an intermediary to do their buying and selling

Compulsory education Essay Example for Free

Compulsory education Essay Everyone has their own opinions on beliefs about school. Many say school is the only way for children to go, and many are against it. John Holt wrote an inspiring story called School Is Bad for Children that has an outlook on all aspects of school and why its not for children. He elaborates on all points to argue the fact that children shouldnt have to make life harder by going to school. Holt indicates certain points, but ones that stick out are the compulsory attendance policy and how it affects the child. Also, why we shouldnt have grades and exams and lastly, teachers and their poor pedagogy. The compulsory school attendance protected the childrens right to school under the parents permission; unless the parents decide to exploit their labor. Holt states that the compulsory attendance policy commands children to go to school. If children are forced to go to school than there is a better chance they wont like going. But, if the child had the option to go to school whenever they want, there us a better chance of them going; this being because school is where children meet new friends and communicate with others. And children need communication to get through life, like any other average person. Pedagogy is the art of the education and how a teacher conducts their class. Holt believes that poor pedagogy is another reason why school is bad for children. The art and styling of a teacher determines what the child will get and take out of the class. Many students are visual learners and some are auditory. Also, students are categorized between passive learners and active learners. Passive learners do what they need to, to pass the class and dont take in any of the information that is being distributed to them. But, active learners enjoy their time in class and engage in the lesson of the day. Teachers need to take it upon themselves to make the class interesting and vibrant for all students. They always said two heads are better than one. Holt feels as if children work better in groups and collaborative work. It makes everything in their school experience and life a little easier. Letting them work together and help each other out, they can help each other fix their mistakes. He explains how children are often the best teachers of other children. Letting children judge their own work gives them a sense of how much they can handle. According to Holt, if a child is corrected too many times, he will shut down and not speak at all. Correcting a student over and over again begins to make them feel like being wrong, uncertain and confused is a crime. He feels that a child should learn on his or her own but with the help of other children his age. If the child is stuck and just can’t get the answer right and needs help then that is when we lend a helping hand. Helping a child too much can also lead to them depending on someone to give them the answer. They won’t know the right answer and they’ll wait for the teacher or the expert to give them right answer. Holt has given up ideas on why the right way isn’t always the right thing to do. He wants to correct the school curriculum. He shows that education back in the day is different than education now. Although students need education, we’re going about it all wrong. Children need to learn physically and mentally and not always with the help of an expert. Children need to work together to become more advance and progress.

Role of family in health and disease Essay Example for Free

Role of family in health and disease Essay The good health of an individual primarily increases the longevity of an individual’s life. The sphere of health has increased far beyond the concept of health system of the previous generation, including exercise and well-being. In this context, autonomy means the right of the patient to choose the treatment that he believes is best for him. The intimate knowledge of the family regarding the individual aids the decision making process. When the individual is in poor health, his actions are limited thereby necessitating support from family and friends. Stress When there is a common problem creating stress, the whole family is stuck in a vicious cycle of negativity aggravating health related issues. When there is an increasing demand in the ability to cope, stress becomes a threat to the physical and emotional well-being of the others as well. Stress is a psychological and physiological response to events that cause personal imbalance in life. Prolonged exposure to stress increases the risk to health as stress is cumulative. Anything that forces one to adjust is a stressor. These include a divorce, a child leaving home, a planned pregnancy, a move to a new town, a career change, graduating process, diagnosis of a malignant disease. These events are rare occurrences in a lifetime. Therefore, analyzing further, we conclude that major stressors are the daily hassles and demands made on an individual.[i]   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Family and relationships are the most common stressors, though environmental conditions can be strenuous. Arguments, financial conditions, marital disagreements, rebellious teens, or caring for a chronically ill family member or a child with special needs can increase stress levels of all the family members. Some of these situations have an impact on society. Therefore, poverty, financial pressures, racial and sexual discrimination or harassment, unemployment, isolation, and a lack of social support take a toll on the quality of life and become stressful to deal with. Stress Warning Signs and Symptoms[ii] Cognitive Symptoms Emotional Symptoms Memory problems Indecisiveness Inability to concentrate Poor judgment Anxious or racing thoughts Constant worrying Loss of objectivity Fearful anticipation Moodiness Agitation Restlessness Irritability, impatience Inability to relax Sense of loneliness and isolation Depression or general unhappiness Physical Symptoms Behavioral Symptoms Headaches or backaches Muscle tension and stiffness Diarrhea or constipation Nausea, dizziness Insomnia Chest pain, rapid heartbeat Weight gain or loss Skin breakouts (hives, eczema) Eating more or less Sleeping too much or too little Procrastination, neglecting responsibilities Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting,) Overdoing activities (e.g. exercising, shopping) Overreacting to unexpected problems    FAMILY STRESS Family stress is the imbalance between the demands of the family and its ability to cope. The way in which the family perceives the stressor explains the values and previous experiences of the family in meeting the crisis. The family is aided by resources like the external support provided by friends, colleagues and the community. The central mechanism through which the stress is eliminated or managed is â€Å"Coping†. The following elements that we consider are the individual family member, the family system, the community to which the family belongs. Problem Statement: Let us cite an example to prove that stress caused due to families will increase the health risk of all members. The concept of a broken family which is a major factor attributing to chronic stress will be examined in detail.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The root cause of poverty and income disparity is undeniably dependant on the presence or absence of the marriage. A married person remains influenced by factors that  Ã‚  Ã‚   inoculate that person against divorce. These include sharing a religious faith, getting married over the age of 25 and completing education. All of these factors lead to greater economic prosperity and remain a basis for good health. Broken families experience lower levels of educational achievement and therefore earn less. They pass on the prospect of meager incomes and family instability to the next generation. Broken families arise from divorce, cohabitation, out of Wedlock childbirth. Divorce The Monthly Vital Statistics report from the National centre for health statistics has stated that the growth in the number of children born into broken families in America has risen to 58 for every 100 born in 1992 from 12 for every 100 born in 1950.[iii] It directly reduces the prosperity of the family. It determines the length of the poverty spell and is the greatest threat to women from the lower income families. It reduces the likelihood of asset formation. â€Å"For a nuclear family, the family income averaged at $43,600, and when these same children lived with single parents, their family income is reduced to an average income of $25,300.[iv] It increases a mother’s financial responsibility. Divorce and additional work hours affect her network of support for parenting. These chronic stresses lead to physical and mental illness, addictions, even leading to suicide in some cases. There is a reduction in the educational accomplishments of the affected children.   Therefore, their probable prosperity level remains unachieved. There is a rise in the chance of a teenage pregnancy. The family and social stress weakens their psychological and physical health, and predisposes them to rapid initiation of sexual relationships and higher levels of marital instability. It raises the probability in boys never to marry.[v]. For the father, factors like increased financial responsibility, greater chances of cohabiting, decreasing parental influence, and addictions, decrease their performance at work. The relationship and work related stresses could trigger major health problems. Cohabitation These couples express uncertainty about their marriage together and are probable to divorce at a rate higher mainly due to their inability to commit. The present generation exhibit that sex, living arrangements and parenting depend less on marriage. 40% of the cohabiting couples have children, and 12% have had a biological child during cohabitation.[vi] 80 % of children who have lived with cohabiting parents will spend some of their childhood in a single-parent home.[vii] Cohabiting marks future weakness in the income gained by a nuclear family, tending to aggravate the social and economic stresses caused to the children. There is a growing acceptance of illicit relationships and premarital sex amongst children of the adolescence stage. This leads to increase in teenage pregnancy. The stress caused by the family coupled with stresses created by the society make it difficult for the children to cope with. They increase anxiety and temper related issues and mental stress. They tend to experience behavioral problems. Living together creates an imbalance in the emotional and financial security of an individual. These chronic stresses affect the health of the individual. Out-of-Wedlock   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This situation derails progress towards achieving a stable family structure and good health. Most teenage mothers remain single parents[viii]. Their children spend more time in poverty and appalling living conditions in comparison to children from any other family structure. They manifest behavioral problems like anxiety, depression, require psychiatric care, and have tendencies to commit suicide. They are likely to exhibit antisocial behavior. Their risk factors multiply with a downward spiral in health.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The probability of low-birth weight and low neo-natal health index scores is the highest in births arising out-of-wedlock. The mother’s exhibit increased maternal depression levels. Children from broken families are likely to abuse themselves and therefore harm their well-being. The immune system of these children functions at a rapid rate under chronic stress, thereby rendering them to infectious diseases. WAYS TO PREVENT FAMILY STRESS In stressful circumstances, nutritious meals, exercises, building self-resilience, relaxation techniques and sleep, thinking optimistically, use of social support networks, professional psychotherapy, and sharing the stress maintain health. â€Å"The Holmes- Rahe Life Stress Inventory† is a scale that rates social adjustment and the susceptibility to a breakdown caused by stress.[ix]. Ways to prevent stress are:[x] Learn key concepts about personalities, families, communication, make wise child conception or adoption choices Apply this knowledge in daily life. One can increase nurturance levels in family by effective problem solving, clarity in thinking, listing communication strengths, and removing blocks for unconscious toxic habits Understand personal and family policies on feeling and expressing grief or anger, upgrade appropriate personal values and attitudes, keep the family members informed and evolve pro-grief policies Understand if there are others in the family who are grieving their losses. Then, it is equally important to share and discuss healthy grieving and to use a qualified therapist to heal the wounds. Conclusion Genetic variations and experiences of a lifetime increase sensitivity to stress. Chronic stress damages cardiovascular system and immune system suppression. It compromises the ability to fight disease and affects mental health. Medical conditions that are caused by stress include Chronic pain, migraines, ulcers, high blood pressure, anxiety, depression Heart disease, diabetes, asthma, pms, obesity Infertility, autoimmune diseases, irritable bowel syndrome, skin problems Children from broken families are prone to anxiety and depression related health problems and emotional disorders. There is a decrease in economic prosperity and educational achievements The negative impact caused by stress can be reduced by increasing commitment within family members, use of social support networks and self-improvement. Children from stable families achieve higher levels in education, prosper well, make committed and strong relationships, further, and establish a high nurtured environment for their children unlike children from broken families. [i] Mc Cubbin IH, Patterson MJ.The Family Stress Process The double ABCX model of adjustment and adaption. Marriage and Family review.1983.6(1-2):37-7. [ii] Jaffe E, Smith M, Larson H, Segal J. Understanding stress [online] 2007 [cited 2008 June 25]. Available from:URL: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.html [iii] The federal statistics system is unable to provide accurate data on the number of children from broken families as the National Center for Health Statistics and the Bureau of the Census does not collect the complete data on divorce now.1992. [iv] Corcoran   E M, Chaudry A. The Dynamics of Childhood Poverty .In : Future of Children.1997. Vol. 7, No. 2 ,pp. 40-54, quoting from G. J. Duncan et al., unpublished research paper, Survey Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 1994.Lone-Parent Families in the United States, In: Dynamics, Economic Status, and Developmental Consequences. [v] Bumpass LL, Martin CT, Sweet AJ. The Impact of Family Background and Early Marital Factors on Marital Disruption,In:   Journal of Family Issues.1991. Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 22-42. [vi] Bumpass et al., The Role of Cohabitation in Declining Rates of Marriage, In: Journal of Family Issues.1991.Vol 12, No.1, pp.22-42. [vii] Bumpass et al., The Impact of Family Background. [viii] Hotz VJ, McElroy SW, Sanders SG. The Impacts of Teenage Childbearing on the Mothers and the Consequences of those Impacts for Government, In: Maynard RA, editors, Urban Institute Press, Washington DC. Economic costs and social costs of teenage pregnancy, In: Kids having kids. 1997. pp-55-94. [ix] The Holmes-Rahe Life Stress Inventory [Document on the internet]. [cited: 2008 Jun 25]. Available from: http://www.bhicares.org/pdf/manual/indepthassessment/homesrahestressinventory.pdf [x] Gerlach KP, Three ways to prevent family stress and divorce, In: High Nurturance Family Relationships. 2008. [Cited,2008 Jun 25]. Available from: http://sfhelp.org/prevent/intro.htm

International Cartel Of The Airline Industry Economics Essay

International Cartel Of The Airline Industry Economics Essay In laymans term cartel is an agreement between rival businesses or firms on not to compete with each other. They are kept classified and discussions take place informally. The most common aspect of cartelisation is price fixing. The other aspects are limiting productivity, hoarding, bid rigging, output levels etc. In economics terminology, cartel usually happens in an Oligopolistic environment especially in Collusive Oligopoly. Oligopoly refers to an industry environment where few firms dominate and recognise the rivalry and interdependence of each other. For every action taken by a firm there will be counter strategies by the other. Cartels generally operate in Collusive Oligopoly. In non collusive oligopoly a firm when devising strategies will use random or planned guesswork and calculations to handle reactions from rivals and consumers whereas in collusive oligopoly it is centrally commanded by a group of firms. OPEC is one of the best known examples of all cartels. They determine the costs for aircraft turbine fuel and other aircraft fuel essentials which are then transferred to the airline industry which then affects the end user. Cartels act as single firms to maximise profits. Paradox is the most common one word description by economists for the aviation industry. Ever since the advent of aviation it has always seen continuous and rapid growth in demand for services. Any business or industry will do their best to make hay when sun shines, however the airlines has always been marginally profitable. The low cost carriers, on the other hand, with a shaky start in the beginning seemed economically profitable as compared to the regular service providers. No- frills strategy is to deliver the core product. The core product for airlines would be to transport passengers from A to B. No major focus is laid on delicious food, seats that would normally come with a full serviced flight. The European airline industry is more popular with low cost brand names like Easyjet and Ryanair. The discussion further, is about a cartel that has been in operation in the no-frills European airline sector for the past 5 years. The objective is to discuss the factors that will end collusion amongst the members and to evaluate strategies that will keep the cartel from breaking apart. People of the same trade seldom meet together, even for merriment and diversion, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public, or in some contrivance to raise prices or would be consistent with liberty and justice. Adam Smith, The Wealth of Nations, 1776 Cartel operations are always known to be short lived. The ever present incentive to cheat amongst the members of a cartel has always lead to withdrawal for firms, and eventually disbanding the cartel. Individual firms or oligopolist, in collusion will always have desire to cut down price or sell more than what the cartel has agreed. No frills airline have short haul flights and always had one class of service unless a flight more than two hours long may have two or more class of service. On a single class of service, cartel members may decide to have a standard price with minor disparities depending on whether the flight is at off peak or peak hours of service. At seasonal periods the unexpected huge rush may favour a particular airline that has better scheduling. This may incite or tempt the other competitors to join in the foray breaking all the informal agreements. This would be done by assessing past experience of company or could possibly be the counter measure for surprises thrown by cartel members. This would also lead to price discrimination for the consumer since a particular route frequented by several no-frills carriers are being charged exorbitantly high and vary from one service provider to another. And those airlines predicting misfortune that they have to fly empty seats may drop the prices all together ensuring marginal revenue resulting in further price conflict among cartel members. In an oligopolistic environment, few no-frills airlines that are not dominant will be a price taker because of small fleet size and low passenger load factor it will not have any major contributions to a particular routing. Reasons could vary from off peak routing to poor scheduling of flights. Even if it did make any kinds of additional revenue it will only equate to marginal revenue. This could lead for a smaller airline to pull out from the cartel. Game theory is sort of an umbrella or unified field theory for the rational side of social science, where social is interpreted broadly, to include human as well as non-human players. (Aumann 1987) The objective of game theory is to give everybody in the cartel equilibrium. It provides strategies for airlines from the host of options available to make the right choice for the optimum outcome. However, it can be highly unpredictable if an airline adopts a completely different strategy. This would jeopardise the entire decision making for the businesses and hence the cartel. In a cartel, at least one or two airlines will have better standing in terms of fleet size, support functions like baggage, ramp handlers etc and other such necessities to run an airline business. Big carriers like Ryanair will be able to get ground support services at cheaper prices since they provide larger contracts. In the event of a recession, established firms will try adopting one policy option or its dominant strategy that will be best suited for them against the interest of the cartel. They are able to do this because of the strong support units from vendors which allow them stay afloat with marginal revenue. Equilibrium for cartel firms will only emerge when all airline companies are happy with their present strategies based on what their rivals have adopted. For Airline industry profits have always been seasonal. This makes the predicting the markets continuously unstable. Cartels fear the potential entrance of new firms eating into the market share. There is a huge demand in the airlines industry which invites new players in the market. To avoid any further competition established firms or airlines would increase their fares to the highest price. This strategy, they believe, can charge their passengers without inducing new firms in to the competition. However, smaller players in the cartel are also at the receiving end of such a strategy. Other factors that also lead to the disintegration of cartel are low demand, competition outside the cartel, diversification into a full service or charter service, government or legislative restrictions etc. Government restrictions appear when low cost carriers may involve operations in more than one country. Weather is also one of the factors that may contribute for firm to break away from a cartel. The recent ash cloud crisis in the European aerospace resulted in $ 1.8 billion loss in revenue by the European carriers. This would mean a big impact for small carriers in the no-frills sector. The best interest for all players in a cartel is to remain in collusion. When they come together they will be able to maximise their profits in aviation industry. Cartels are able to last long provided they are effective enough. Collusion will be effective when there are few players in the market. Fewer airlines mean they can co-ordinate very well and reduce the level of uncertainty. The rivals in cartel will not have to worry about any surprises strategies by rest. They will be able to monitor each other very well since they share same airports. The ground staff is outsourced and most airlines will have the same vendor. The flight operations, scheduling will all be on the lines of the agreement. Collusion with fewer members will help them agree on price, market share, sales promotion and expenditure. Fewer firms also mean larger market share and high individual pay-offs. However if the cartel players are unable to restrict entry of new players the market share for individual players are reduced and cheating is back on everyone ones mind. Airlines industry does not always have a stable demand year round. The cartel industry needs to strategies operations in consultation with all cartel members on flight operations during poor demand. This would help all airline members to reorganise and replan, not just with better flight scheduling but also concentrating on other aspects like aircraft maintenance, crew trainings, product improvisation etc. The objective for firms to form a cartel is to limit competition and increase profits. Airlines would need to set a monopolistic agenda by restricting output and increasing price. They may set fewer flights in a particular sector and raise fares. This would help all cartel members maximise profits. Cartel members should operate the industry in equilibrium. Equilibrium must help the airliners increase fares among the profitable routes and at the same time allocating less profiting sector among all players fairly. It should also provide a methodology or mechanism to distribute the less profitable routes amongst all players. No-frills airlines may introduce an incentive structure that may reward based on monitoring each airline for their operations based on the agreed rules. They may also penalise to prevent any kind of cheating. Repeated interaction by the no-frills players for future collusive benefits may also deter cheating. Every cartel will have a major player. Major players in no-frills airline business like Ryanair are able to command a price because of the dominant position in the no-frills sector. This makes Ryanair the price leader in the sector. Collusion may take place informally by smaller players recognising the fares setters in the industry and will act as followers. This may help smaller airlines maximise their profits since they can be assured the fare hike is in line with the industry standards and justified. Cartels may also collude together and raise ticket fares simultaneously. Such a phenomenon is common in the fuel industry and also difficult to distinguish. At times a smaller airline may also be known to have good knowledge on pricing trends in the industry they will also be followed by other cartel members. It is known as barometric price leadership. Organisational mechanisms or structures can also be introduced in a cartel. The structure would be like those of any organisation. The mechanism should incorporate external fluctuations like environment, government restrictions, fuel prices etc. For no-frills sector costs need to be kept very low. Environment and fuel hikes leave major impact on revenue. The mechanisms could involve negotiations on cost of fuel which could be provided at subsidised rates to every airliner. No-frills airlines need to make significant investment in the development of organisational mechanisms and organisational skills so that it makes cheating a secondary issue and is deemed inappropriate future action by the members. Research says that some cartels last on an average of 5 years. However, variance in the duration is high for several other cartels. The no-frills airline cartels need to address problems of co-ordination, cheating and entry. Cartels that are able to introduce organisational mechanisms among the members are able to progress as successfully.

The Start of Islam Essay -- Islam Muslim Religion

The Start of Islam   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Out of the many interesting religions of the Far East Islam has quite a uniqueness to it. The name, Islam stems from the word â€Å"salam,† that means peace. The word â€Å"Muslim,† which means a follower of Islam, refers to a person who submits him or her self to the will of God. Many religious experts believe that the prophet Muhammad founded Islam in the year 622 CE. Muhammad was believed to have lived from 570-632 CE. This particular religion started when the angel Jibreel read the first revelation to Muhammad. We know already that the followers of Islam are called Muslims. The Muslims believe in the â€Å"one true God,† which they call Allah.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Muhammad was born in the year 570 CE. When he was growing up, he was sent into the desert in order for a roster family to raise him. The young Muhammad was orphaned when he was 6 years old but brought up by his uncle. While Muhammad was young, he worked mostly as a shepherd. Later on in his youth, he was given the job of being a camel driver on the trade routes between Syria and Arabia. Throughout his travel, he meat many people of different religious beliefs. Muhammad was able to observe members of Christianity, Pagan, and Judaism religions. After Muhammad married, there was more time for meditation for him. Supposedly, at or around the age of forty, the angel Gabriel (Jibreel) visited him while he was in Mecca. From then on he believed that he had been ordained a prophet by Gabriel, and that his concern was co...

Slaughterhouse-Five :: Literary Analysis, Kurt Vonnegut

Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut was an anti-war book about the bombing of Dresden. The main theme of the book seemed to be fate, or that nobody has free will. Throughout the book, Billy, is randomly traveling in time. Whenever he has the opportunity to make a choice that would seem like the right, or intelligent thing to do, he does not, as he does not have the free will to make that choice. This also leads to Billy not caring about many things, knowing they will happen no matter what anybody does. As explained on the planet of Tralfamadore, Billy can not make any choices. The Tralfamadorians tell him that he lacks free will, saying "Only on Earth is there talk of free will" (109). One of the Tralfamadorians also said they were "trapped in another blob of amber" (108), referring to the fact that neither he or Billy can change anything in life, and that everything has been, is, and will be the same. The Tralfamadorians also know how the end of the universe will come. They will be testing their rocket fuel, and it will fail and destroy the entire universe. When Billy hears this, he asks "isn't there some way you can prevent it?" (149). The Tralfamadorians tell him that they cannot change it, as the pilot has always done it, and always will do it. This is likely when Billy finally loses all belief in the idea of free will. A main example of fate would be when Billy is on an airplane. In Slaughterhouse-Five, it states that "Billy, knowing the plane was going to crash pretty soon, closed his eyes, traveled in time back to 1944" (198). Soon after, "the plane smacked into the top of Sugarbush Mountain in Vermont. Everyone was killed but Billy and the copilot" (199). Instead of doing anything about it, Billy just waits for the plane to crash. If Billy had free will, he would have tried to warn the others on the plane, or not gotten onto it at all. Another good example of the lack of free will would be when Billy is about to die. Normally, someone would care about their death, but Billy does not. He locks up a tape in a safe-deposit box, saying "I, Billy Pilgrim, will die, have died, and always will die on February thirteenth" (180). Before he dies, he is giving a speech, and he knows that he will be assassinated.

The Wanderer: Life in a Transient World Essay -- Poem Poetry Wanderer

The Wanderer: Life in a Transient World Upon their invasion of England, the Anglo-Saxons carried with them a tradition of oral poetry. The surviving verse, which was frequently transcribed and preserved in monasteries makes up the body of work now referred to as Old English Poetry. "The Wanderer," an anonymous poem of the eighth or ninth century, reflects historical Anglo-Saxon life as well as the influence of Christianity during the period. Because both Christian and Anglo-Saxon heroic elements exist in "The Wanderer," there is cause for analysis of the structural and textual unity of the poem. Initially, it might appear that these elements are introduced to contrast one another in an attempt to show inconsistency by contrasting secular and religious passages in order to show incoherence between the two as guiding principles. But further textual analysis shows that these inconsistencies do not exist. The purpose of positioning the two side by side is to illustrate a contrast in theme between the passing of this world and the changelessness and security of the heavenly kingdom. The text of "The Wanderer" is structured to encompass two separate time periods, which implicitly reveals the contrasting themes. The first part of the work describes the experiences of a lonely warrior who has lost his lord and kin to battle. But the author is reflecting upon these experiences as they occurred in the past. The position that the Wanderer had taken up is summarized early in the poem in the third person: "So spoke the earth-walker, remembering hardships, fierce war-slaughters-the fall of dear kinsman" (69). This reference to an exile wanderer summarizes his own situation, which he develops in the following passages. Structurally, t... ...70). Further, he acknowledges that these things are meant to pass as all things do as he approaches the ultimate reality of the earthly world, "all this earthly habitation shall be emptied" (70). No comfort is to be found in a world were all things will come to an end as one progresses through a fleeting life. The purpose of displaying earthly reality as transient is to contrast it with the theme of a heavenly kingdom. As the poem ends, the Wanderer notes that there is, "comfort from the Father in heaven, where all stability resides" (70). The heart of Anglo-Saxon life will pass for all as it did for the Wanderer. Comfort is not to be found in that transient world, but in the world beyond, through security in the heavenly kingdom. Works Cited "The Wanderer." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams. 6th _ed. New York: Norton, 1993. 68-70.

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 10

The first sight of her broke through his animal state and gave him enough mind to stand up like a man. She reminded him of Hellewise. She had that same look of tender courage, that same ageless wisdom in her eyes. Any woman could be pretty by virtue of regular features. But Hana was beautiful because her soul showed in her face. Seeing her made him ashamed. Seeing her defend him, intercede on his behalf as she was so obviously doing, made him angry. He resisted when she sneaked him out of the cave and tried to send him back into the world. Didn't she understand? It was best for him to die. As long as he was loose, no child, no woman, no man was safe. Even as he stood there in the moonlight with her, he was trembling with need. The bloodlust was trying to unbalance his mind, and it was all he could do not to grab her and bite into her soft throat. When she offered him her throat, he almost cried. It wasn't a sacrifice to turn her down and walk away. It was the only right thing to do, the only thing he could do. And then the hunters came. His mind was unbalanced by the torture. It was that simple. Not that it was an excuse, there was no excuse for what followed. But during the endless time while Hana's clan burned and stabbed and beat him, he lost all contact with the person he thought of as himself. He became an animal, as mindless as the mob that was trying to kill him. As an animal, he wanted two things: to survive and to strike out at the people who were hurting him. And there was a way to do both. Throats. White throats, spurting dark blood. The image came to him slowly in his haze of pain. He didn't have to lie here and take this. He was wounded, but there was still a granite core of strength inside him. He could fight back, and his enemies would give him life. The next time a spear jabbed at him, he grabbed it and pulled. It belonged to the broad-shouldered hunter, the one who'd led the others to him. Thierry grabbed the man as he stumbled forward, wrestling him to the ground. And then, before anyone in the crowd had time to react, he darted for the hunter's throat, for the big vein that pulsed just under the skin. It was all over in a minute. He was drinking deep, deep, and gaining strength with every swallow. The dam of the Three Rivers was staring at him in paralyzed shock. It felt good. He tossed the dead man aside and reached for another. When several hunters came at him at once, he knocked them apart and killed them, one, two, three. He was a very efficient killer. The blood made him supernaturally strong and fast, and the bloodlust gave him motivation. He was like a wolf set loose in a herd of antelope-except that for a long time nobody in the clan had the sense to run. They kept coming at him, trying to stop him, and he kept killing. It was a slaughter. He killed them all. He was drunk with blood and he gloried in it, in the animal simplicity of it, the power it gave him. Killing was glory. Killing to eat, killing for revenge. Destroying the people who hurt him. He didn't ever want to stop. He was drinking the last drops from the veins of a young girl when he looked down and saw it was Hana. Her clear gray eyes were wide open, but the light in them was beginning to go dark. He'd killed her. In one blinding instant he wasn't an animal anymore. He was a person. And he was looking down at the one person who had tried to help him, who had offered him her blood to keep him alive. He raised his eyes and saw the devastation he'd left in the cave. It wasn't just this girl. He'd murdered ‘most of her tribe. That was when he knew the truth. He was damned. Worse than Maya. He'd committed a crime so monstrous that he could never be forgiven, never be redeemed. He had joined evil in the end, just as Maya had promised he would. No punishment could be too great for him-but then, no punishment would make the slightest difference anyway, not to these people or to the dying girl in his arms. For just an instant some part of him pushed away at the feelings of guilt and horror. All right, you're evil, it said. You might as well go ahead and be evil. Enjoy it. Have no regrets. It's your nature, now. Give in. Then the girl in his arms stirred. She was still conscious, although barely. Her eyes were still open. She was looking up at him†¦. In that moment, Thierry felt a shock that was different from anything he'd ever felt before. In those large gray eyes, in the pupils which were hugely dilated as if to catch every last ray of light before death, he saw†¦ himself. Himself and the girl, walking together, hand in hand through the ages. Joined. Shifting scenes behind them, different places, different times. But always the two of them, tied with an invisible bond. He recognized her. It was almost as if all those different ages had already happened, as if he were only remembering them. But he knew they were in the future. He was looking down the corridor of time, seeing what should have been. She was his soulmate. She was the one who was supposed to have walked with him through different lives, being born and loving and dying and being born again. They'd been born for each other, to help each other grow and blossom and discover and evolve. They should have had many lives together. And none of it was going to happen. He was an immortal creature-how could he die and be born again? And she was dying because of him. He'd destroyed it all, everything. He'd killed his destiny. In the enormity of it, he sat silent and stunned. He couldn't say, â€Å"I'm sorry.† He couldn't say, â€Å"What have I done?† There was nothing that he could say that wasn't so trivial as to be demeaning to her. He simply sat and shook, looking down into her eyes. He had an endless feeling of falling. And then Hana spoke. I forgive you. It was just a whisper, but he heard it in his mind, not with his ears. And he understood it, even though her language was different from his. Thierry reeled with the discovery that he could talk to her. Oh, Goddess, the chance at least to tell her how he would try to atone for this by spilling out his own blood.. . You can't forgive me. He could see that she understood his own hushed answer. He knew he didn't deserve forgiveness. But part of him wanted her to realize that he had never meant this to happen. I wasn't always like this. I used to be a person- We don't have time for that, she told him. Her spirit seemed to be reaching toward him, drawing him into her, facing him in a still and separate place where only the two of them existed. He knew then that she had seen the same thing he had, the same corridor of time. She was gentle, but so sad. I don't want you to die. But I want you to promise me one thing. Anything. I want you to promise me you ‘II never kill again. It was easy to promise. He didn't plan to live†¦ no, she didn't want him to die. But he couldn't live without her and he certainly couldn't live after what he'd done. He'd worry about it later, about how to deal with the long gray stretch of future waiting for him. For now, he said, I'll never kill again. She gave him just the faintest of smiles. And then she died. The gray eyes went fixed and dark. Unseeing. Her skin was ghostly white and her body was absolutely still. She seemed smaller all at once as her spirit left her. Thierry cradled her, moaning like a wounded animal. He was crying. Shaking so hard he almost couldn't keep hold of her. Helpless, pierced by love that felt like a spear, he reached out to gently push her hair off her face. His thumb stroked her cheek- and left a trail of blood. He stared at it in horror. The mark was like a blaze of red against her pale skin. Even his love was deadly. His caress had branded her. The few survivors of Hana's clan were on the move, surrounding Thierry, panting and gasping with their spears ready. They sensed that he was vulnerable now. And he wouldn't have lifted a hand to stop them†¦ except that he had made a promise to Hana. She wanted him alive to keep it. So he left her there. He picked up her still, cooling body and carried it toward the nearest hunter. The man stared at him in fear and disbelief, but he finally dropped his spear to take the dead girl. And then Thierry walked out of the cave and into the merciless sunlight. He headed for his home. Maya caught up with him somewhere on the steppes, appearing out of the tall, ripping grass. â€Å"I told you how you'd end up. Now forget that washed-out blonde and start enjoying life with me.† Thierry didn't even look at her. The only thing he could imagine doing with Maya was killing her†¦ and he couldn't do that. â€Å"Don't walk away from me!† Maya wasn't laughing now. She was furious. Her voice followed him as he kept going. â€Å"I chose you, Theorn! You're mine. You can't walk away from me!† Thierry kept going, neither slower nor faster, letting her voice blend into the humming of the insects on the grassland. But her mental voice followed him. I'll never let you get away. You'll always be mine, now and forever. Thierry traveled fast, and in only a few days, he reached home and the person he'd come to see. Hellewise looked up from her drying herbs and gasped. â€Å"I'm not going to hurt you,† he said. â€Å"I need your help.† What he wanted from her was a spell to sleep. He wanted to sleep until Hana was born again. â€Å"It could be a long time,† Hellewise said when he told her the whole story. â€Å"It sounds as if her soul has been damaged. It could be hundreds of years- even thousands.† Thierry didn't care. â€Å"And you might die,† Hellewise said, looking at him steadily with her deep, soft brown eyes. â€Å"And with what you've become-I don't think creatures like you are reborn. You would just†¦ die.† Thierry simply nodded. He was only afraid of two things: that Maya would find him while he was asleep, and that he wouldn't know when to wake up. â€Å"I can arrange the second,† Hellewise said quietly. â€Å"You're linked anyway; your souls are one. When she's born again, voices from the Other Side will whisper to you.† Thierry himself figured out how to solve the first problem. He dug himself a grave. It was the only place where he could count on being safe and undisturbed. Hellewise gave him an infusion of roots and bark and Thierry went to sleep. He slept a long time. He slept straight through the epic battle when Hellewise drove Maya and her son Red Fern out of the tribe and away from the witches. He slept through the origins of the Night World and thousands of years of human change. When he finally woke up, the world was a different place, with civilizations and cities. And he knew that somewhere Hana had been born in one of them. He began to look. He was a wanderer, a lost soul with no home and no people. But not a killer. He learned to take blood without killing, to find willing donors instead of hunting terrified prey. He looked in every village he passed, learning about the new world surrounding him, surviving on very little, searching every face he saw. Lots of communities would have been glad to adopt him, this tall young man with dusty clothes and far-seeing eyes. But he only stayed long enough to make sure that Hana wasn't there. When he did find her it was in Egypt, the Kingdom of the Two Lands. She was sixteen. Her name was Ha-nahkt. And Thierry would have recognized her anywhere, because she was still tall, still fair-haired and gray-eyed and beautiful. Except for one thing. Across her left cheek, where his fingers had smeared her own blood the night that he had killed her, was a red mark like a bruise. Like a stain on her perfect skin. It was a sort of psychic brand, a physical reminder of what had happened in her last life. A permanent wound. And it was his fault. Thierry was overcome with grief and shame. He saw that the other girl, Ket, the friend who had been with Hana in the last life, was with her again now. She had friends. Maybe it was best to leave her alone in this life, not even try to speak to her. But he had forgotten about Maya. Vampires don't die. Life is strange sometimes. It was just as Thierry was thinking this that a figure walked into the lobby. Still half in his daydream of the past, he was expecting it to be Circe, so for a moment he was simply confused. Then his heart rate picked up and every muscle in his body tensed violently. † It was Maya. He hadn't seen her for over a hundred years. The last time had been in Quebec, when Hannah had been named Annette. And Maya had just killed her. Thierry stood up. She was as beautiful as ever. But to Thierry it was like the rainbow on oil scum. He hated her more than he had ever imagined he could hate anyone. â€Å"So you found me,† he said quietly. â€Å"I knew you'd show up eventually.† Maya smiled brilliantly. â€Å"I found her first.† Thierry went still. â€Å"That amulet was a very good one. I had to wait around to catch her alone so she could invite me inside.† Thierry's heart lurched. He felt a physical wrench, as if something in him were actually trying to get out, trying desperately to get to Hannah-now. How could he have been so stupid? She was too innocent; of course she would invite someone into her house. And she thought of Maya as a friend. The ring should have offered at least a measure of protection from mind control-but only if Hannah had kept it on. Thierry realized now that she probably hadn't. His voice a bare whisper, he said, â€Å"What did you do to her?† â€Å"Oh, not much. Mostly it was just conversation. I mentioned that you were likely to get rough with her if things didn't go your way.† Maya tilted her head, eyes on his face, looking for a reaction. Thierry didn't give it to her. He just stood, watching her silently. She hadn't changed in thousands of years. She never changed, never grew, never got tired. And she never gave up. He didn't think she was capable of it. Sometimes he thought he should just tie himself to her at the waist and find a bottomless pit to jump into. Rid the world of its two oldest vampires and all the problems Maya caused. But there was his promise to Hannah. â€Å"It doesn't matter what you say to her,† he said stonily. â€Å"You don't understand, Maya. This time is different. She remembers and-â€Å" â€Å"And she hates you. I know. Poor baby.† Maya made a mock-sympathetic face. Her eyes sparkled peacock blue. Thierry gritted his teeth. â€Å"And I've come to a decision,† he went on evenly. â€Å"The cycle has to be broken. And there is a way to do it.† â€Å"I know,† Maya said before he could finish. â€Å"You can give her up. Give in to me† â€Å"Yes.† This time he cut her off. And the look of astonishment that flared in her eyes was worth it. â€Å"At least, yes to the first part,† he finished. â€Å"I'm giving her up.† â€Å"You're not. You can't.† â€Å"She's happy in this life. And she-doesn't want me.† There. It had been hard to say, but he'd gotten it out. â€Å"She remembers everything-I don't know why, but she does. Maybe because she's so dose to her original form. Maybe somehow the memories are closer to the surface. Or maybe it's the hypnosis. But in any case, she doesn't want me anymore.† Maya was watching him, fascinated, her eyes the violet of deep twilight, her lips parted. Suddenly, she looked beyond him and smiled secretly. â€Å"She remembers everything? You really think so?† Thierry nodded. â€Å"All I've ever brought her is misery and pain. I guess she realizes that.† He took a breath, then caught Maya's eyes again. â€Å"So I'm end-tag the cycle†¦ now.† â€Å"You're going to walk away.† â€Å"And so are you. She's no threat to you anymore. If you want something from me, the only person to deal with is me. You can try any time you like in Vegas.† He gazed at her levelly. Maya threw back her head and let out ripples of musical laughter. â€Å"Oh, why didn't you tell me before? You could have saved me some trouble†¦ but on the other hand, her blood was very sweet. I wouldn't have missed-â€Å" She broke off, then, because Thierry slammed her against the oak-paneled wall of the lobby. In one instant, his control had disappeared. He was so angry that he couldn't speak out loud. What did you do to her? What did you do? He shouted the words telepathically as his hands closed around Maya's throat. Maya just smiled at him. She was the oldest vampire, and the most powerful. In every vampire who came after her, her blood had been diluted, half as strong, a quarter as strong, an eighth. But she was the original and the purest. She wasn't afraid of anyone. Mel I didn't do anything, she said, answering him the same way. I'm afraid you were the one who attacked her. She seemed very unhappy about it; she even stabbed you with a pencil. Maya lifted a hand and Thierry saw a neat dark hole puncturing it, faintly ringed with blood. The power of illusion, he thought. Maya could appear as anyone and anything she wanted. She had talents that usually only belonged to werewolves and shapeshifters. And of course she was a witch. She really has extraordinary spirit, Maya went on. But she's all right-you didn't exchange as much blood as you ‘d planned. The pencil, you see. People were gathering behind Thierry, murmuring anxiously. They were about to interfere and ask him to please let go of the girl he was strangling. He ignored them. Listen to me, he told Maya, staring into her mocking golden eyes. Listen, because I'm never going to say this again. If you touch Hannah again-ever-in any life-I will kill you. â€Å"I'll kill you,† he whispered out loud, to emphasize it. â€Å"Believe me, Maya, I'll do it.† Then he let her go. He had to get to Hannah. Even a small exchange of blood with a vampire could be dangerous, and Maya's blood was the most potent on earth. Worse, he'd already taken some of Hannah's blood last night. She could be critically weak now †¦ or starting to change. He wouldn't think about that. You won't, you know. Maya's telepathic voice followed him as he made for the door. You won't kill me. Not Thierry the compassionate, Thierry the good vampire, Thierry the saint of Circle Daybreak. You're not capable of it. You can't kill. Thierry stopped on the threshold and turned around. He stared directly into Maya's eyes. â€Å"Try me.† Then he was outside, moving quickly through the night. Even so, Maya got the last word. And, of course, there's your promise†¦.