I Heart DotA: Effects on Human Essay

Defense of the Ancients (DotA) is a multiplayer online battle arena mod for the video game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion,Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, based on the â€Å"Aeon of Strife† map for StarCraft. The objective of the scenario is for each team to destroy the opponents’ Ancients, heavily guarded structures at opposing corners of the map. Players use powerful units known as heroes, and are assisted by allied heroes and AI-controlled fighters. As in role-playing games, players level up their heroes and use gold to buy equipment during the mission. The scenario was developed with the â€Å"World Editor† of Reign of Chaos, and was updated upon the release of its expansion, The Frozen Throne. There have been many variations of the original concept; the most popular being DotA Allstars, which eventually was simplified to DotA with the release of version 6.68. This specific scenario has been maintained by several authors during development, th e latest of whom being the anonymous developer known as â€Å"IceFrog† developing the game since 2005. Since its original release, DotA has become a feature at several worldwide tournaments, including Blizzard Entertainment’s BlizzCon and the AsianWorld Cyber Games, as well as the Cyberathlete Amateur and CyberEvolution leagues; in a 2008 article of video game industry websiteGamasutra, the article’s author claimed that â€Å"DotA is likely the most popular and most-discussed free, non-supported game mod in the world†.Valve Corporation is currently developing a stand-alone sequel, Dota 2. In October 2009, IceFrog was hired by Valve Corporation, leading a team in a project that he described as â€Å"great news for DotA fans†. Valve officially announced the stand-alone sequel to the original mod, Dota 2, in October 2010. Dota 2 follows heavily in the gameplay style of DotA, with aesthetics and heroes working as direct ports to the original mod. In addition to the pre-conceived gameplay constants, Dota 2 also features Steam support and profile tracking, intended to emphasize and support the game’s matchmaking.† The marketing and trademark of Dota as a franchise by Valve gained concern and opposition from the DotA Allstars contributors working at Riot Games, as well as Blizzard Entertainment, both of which legally opposed the franchising of Dota by Valve. The legal dispute was conceded on May 11, 2012, with Valve gaining undisputed franchising rights for commercial use to the trademark, while non-commercial use remains open to the public. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: The popularity of Defense of the Ancients has increased over time. The scenario was featured by Computer Gaming World in a review of new maps and mods in Warcraft III. DotA Allstars became an important tournament scenario, starting with its prominence at the debut of Blizzard’s BlizzConconvention in 2005. DotA Allstars was also featured in the Malaysia and Singapore World Cyber Games starting in 2005, and the World Cyber Games Asian Championships beginning with the 2006 season. Defense of the Ancients was included in the game lineup for the internationally recognized Cyberathlete Amateur League and CyberEvolution leagues. Additionally, the scenario appeared in Electronic Sports World Cup (ESWC) 2008; Oliver Paradis, ESWC’s competition manager, noted that the high level of community support behind the scenario, as well as its worldwide appeal, were among the reasons it was chosen. The scenario is popular in many parts of the world; in the Philippines and Thailand, it is played as much as the game Counter-Strike. It is also popular in Sweden and other Northern European countries, where the Defense of the Ancients-inspired song â€Å"Vi sitter i Ventrilo och spelar DotA† by Swedish musician Basshunter reached the European 2006 charts at #116 and cracked the top ten Singles Charts in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. LAN tournaments are a major part of worldwide play, including tournaments in Sweden and Russia; however, due to a lack of LAN tournaments and championships in North America, several teams disbanded. Blizzard points to DotA as an example of what dedicated mapmakers can create using developer’s tools. Due to its popularity, we had made questions that need to be asked. Here are the following questions: 1. What is DotA? 2. Who invented DotA? 3. Why is DotA so addicted? 4. When will DotA be replaced? Will it ever be replaced? 5. Where did DotA originated from? SCOPE AND DELIMITATIONS: Our research is all about DotA and our scope and delimitations is just all about the effects of DotA on humans.   Playing this game also triggers the player to lose his/her temper and values. Why? It simply because of the different languages used during the game or what we called â€Å"Trash talks†. Trash talks such as foul languages can really lose their temper and values. As a result, the both sides will fight against each other. Gamble is also present in this game, the highest bet is 5,000 pesos and the lowest is 300 pesos. Again, money for them is not that important anymore. Many players says that â€Å"Dota is the best past time ever,† so it’s OK for them to waste their money. Due to playing, eating is irrelevant; the satisfaction they get from playing is the same as the satisfaction they get from eating. As a result, the body’s immune systems are getting weaker and now expose the different viruses and diseases. All in all, Dota really affects the life style of the youth who are in to this game, although it has one good benefit, but it corrupts the mind and the way the youth think. It also weakened the body system, money and moral values were not given importance because of this game. There are many students and even some young professional are addicted to Defense of the Ancients or DotA. This is a kind of computer games that can be played by many players and is one of the most popular games to young students. Many students get addicted to this game and they even stayed for long hours inside the computer shop just playing this kind of game. There are studies that getting addicted in playing computer games affects their studies and this is the cause why they are lying to their parents that they need extra money for their school project but the truth is they are just using the money to rent a computer where they can play DotA with their classmates. Sometimes in order to make the game exciting, they have a deal to pay those who won the game so it becomes already a form of gambling. When time spent on the computer, playing DotA games or cruising the internet reaches a point that it harms a child’s or adult’s family and social relationships, or disrupts school or work life, that person maybe caught in a cycle of addiction. Like other addictions, DotA game has replaced friends and family as the source of a person, emotional life. Increasingly, to feel good, the addicted person spends more time playing video games or searching the internet. RELATED LITERATURE: * Defense of the Ancients (DotA) is a multiplayer online battle arena mod for the video game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion,Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, based on the â€Å"Aeon of Strife† map for StarCraft. * A changelog is a log or record of changes made to a project, such as a website or software project, usually including such records as bug fixes, new features, etc. Some open source projects include a changelog as one of the top level files in their distribution. * Real-time strategy (RTS) is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns.[1] Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II. * A role-playing game (RPG and sometimes roleplaying game) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. * Chaos magic, sometimes spelled chaos magick, is a school of the modern magical tradition which emphasizes the pragmatic use of belief systemsand the creation of new and unorthodox methods. * Addiction is the continued use of a mood altering substance or behavior despite adverse dependency consequences, or a neurological impairment leading to such behaviors. * An experience point (often abbreviated to Exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in many role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character’s progression through the game. Experience points are generally awarded for the completion of quests, overcoming obstacles and opponents, and for successful role-playing. * In computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is an organised group of players that regularly play together in particular (or various) multiplayer games. Some people might say that a â€Å"clan† or â€Å"guild† becomes like a family, and that all opinions and decisions represent each single member in the â€Å"clan† or â€Å"guild†. * In software engineering, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed (e.g. different CPU, operating system, or third party library). PRESENTATION OF ANALYSIS: Defense of the Ancients (DotA) is a multiplayer online battle arena mod for the video game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and its expansion,Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, based on the â€Å"Aeon of Strife† map for StarCraft. The objective of the scenario is for each team to destroy the opponents’ Ancients, heavily guarded structures at opposing corners of the map. Players use powerful units known as heroes, and are assisted by allied heroes and AI-controlled fighters. As in role-playing games, players level up their heroes and use gold to buy equipment during the mission. â€Å"Eul†, Steve â€Å"Guinsoo Feak†, â€Å"Ice Frog† is the inventors of DotA. DotA is addictive because it looks simple but is not. Behind the cutesy heroes and busty heroines, there’s a complex level of management that you need to understand to win the game. Teamwork also factors in, and timing, and a general sense of the area around you. The large amount of choice in the heroes and items you can choose mean that the repetitive value of the game is increased, and that you won’t always be seeing the same things. We think that nothing will replace DotA. Everyone is addicted to it. As long as lots and lots of human plays DotA, it will never be replace.

Pain and Yoga Application Paper

Yoga Application Paper Kristen Sullivan Immaculata University Yoga Application Paper Originated in ancient India, Yoga typically means ‘union' between the mind, body and spirit. It involves the practice of physical postures and poses. As the name suggests, the ultimate aim of practicing Yoga is to create a balance between the body and the mind and to attain self-enlightenment. In order to accomplish it, Yoga makes use of different movements, breathing exercises, relaxation technique and meditation. Yoga is associated with a healthy and lively lifestyle with a balanced approach to life.It increases the lubrication of joints, ligaments and tendons of the body. Studies in the field of medicine suggest that Yoga is the only form of physical activity that provides complete exercise to the body, because it massages all the internal organs and glands. This in turn reduces the risk of many diseases. Yoga can create a positive permanent difference to the lifestyle of anybody practicing it on a regular basis (Weil, n. d. ). The whole system of Yoga is built on three main structures: exercise, breathing, and meditation.The exercises of Yoga are designed to put pressure on the glandular systems of the body, thereby increasing its efficiency and total health. The body is looked upon as the primary instrument that enables us to work and evolve in the world. Breathing techniques are based on the concept that breath is the source of life in the body, gently increasing breath control to improve the health and function of both body and mind. These two systems of exercise and breathing then prepare the body and mind for meditation, in turn finding an easy approach to a quiet mind that allows silence and healing from everyday stress.Regular daily practice of all three parts of this structure of Yoga produce a clear, bright mind and a strong, capable body (Weil, n. d. ). The tradition of Yoga has always been passed on individually from teacher to student through oral teaching and practical demonstration. The formal techniques that are now known as Yoga are, therefore, based on the collective experiences of many individuals over many thousands of years. The particular manner in which the techniques are taught and practiced today depends on the approach passed down in the line of teachers supporting the ndividual practitioner. As more has become known about the beneficial effects of Yoga, it has gained acceptance and respect as a valuable method for helping in the management of stress and improving health and well-being (Weil, n. d. ). A study in the journal Spine (Williams et al. , 2009) indicates the benefits of yoga as a treatment for back pain and confirms the importance of staying active when rehabilitating the spine and seeking pain relief, a point that may initially seem counterintuitive to patients but should not be lost.In the study, 90 back pain sufferers (aged 23 to 66) were split into two groups, with one group performing 90-minutes of Iyengar yoga twice a week for six months and the other maintaining their regular treatment over that time period (Williams et al. , 2009). At both the third and six months, the yoga participants noted significant improvements in both pain and functioning, and were also less likely to be depressed (Williams et al. , 2009).Pain levels were measured via questionnaires assessing the amount of pain medications being taken, difficulties performing certain tasks, and other metrics (Williams et al. , 2009). Previous studies have noted how extensive yoga programs have resulted in improvements in strength, flexibility and endurance for patients with back pain, and now this research seemingly adds more credence to the effectiveness of yoga and its emphasis on relaxation, flexibility and core strengthening as a treatment for these symptoms.While the principles of yoga may still be foreign to many people, patients should keep an open mind when exploring treatment options. While exercise may prompt init ial worries of exacerbating pain, such activities can often have wonderful therapeutic effects, not only physically but spiritually. Physical therapists, doctors of chiropractic, physiatrists and many other medical professionals may prescribe yoga programs, and are good sources to learn more about the benefits of physical activity – as opposed to immobility – for chronic back pain sufferers.A proposed plan to implement yoga as an alternative therapy and to evaluate its effectiveness could include gathering a sample group of people who are patients at a pain management practice for chronic back pain. Often these patients are on various pain medications and muscle relaxers to minimize their pain and discomfort. Of the sample group, half of the patients would be weaned off of their medications under the supervision of the doctor. This half of the sample group would then be started on a 12-week yoga program instructed by a rained yoga instructor while taking no medications . The other half of the group would continue on the current prescribed medications and given a basic stretching regimen to follow by a physical therapist. The participants will complete a questionnaire prior to beginning the study, as well as at 3 week intervals to assess their pain levels. At the end of the study the results of the questionnaires compared between the 2 groups will show if the yoga program has been effective or ineffective.This study will also show the comparison of pain levels between pain medications and the yoga program to provide information on the effectiveness of the medications. References Weil, R. (n. d. ). Yoga. Retrieved from www. medicinenet. com/yoga/article. htm Williams, K. , Abildso, C. , Steinberg, L. , Doyle, E. , Epstein, B. , Smith, D. , †¦ Cooper, L. (2009, September 1). Evaluation of the effectiveness and efficacy of Iyengar Yoga therapy on chronic low back pain. Spine, 34(19), 2066-2076. http://dx. doi. org/10. 1097/BRS. 0b013e3181b315cc

Managing Creativity for Marketing and Advertising Essay

Managing Creativity for Marketing and Advertising - Essay Example Beem (2010) reckons that if carefully prepared and properly executed, co-branding is one of the best strategies that can be used to penetrate markets, survive financial down times and even grow. Taking the strongest elements of one brand and combining these with the best complementary brands to create a new product can in fact lead to the potential worth of the new product being greater than that of the sum of the two products (synergy). Gap Clothing and Apple I-pod The two brands chosen for co-branding in this case are GAP - a popular brand from the apparel industry, and Apple - one of the most popular brands in the music/technology industry. To make the new product, GAP’s hoodies and Apple’s iPod will be combined to create clothing from GAP that encompasses Apple’s slogan and promotes the values that Apple stands for. The new product is to take advantage of the position of the two in their specific markets and further strengthen their image of being trendy and cool. Visual of the New Product: The Techno Hoodie The form of presentation of the co-branded product will be a techno hoodie. A hoodie is a sweatshirt characteristic of a hood and is regarded as the most important cultural product of the Western world in the 20th Century. McCartney (2008) contends that hoodies are the only commodity the current generation will be remembered with, and given the popularity of the hoodie; it is difficult to argue against this. It is urban apparel, often made of cotton or poly-blend and is usually in the form of a zipper-front or pullover (Kayne 2011). Hoodies are regarded as unique urban clothes, forming the fashion statements of many people. The new product will be a representative of a one-of–a-kind style and will bear screen-printed designs on its back as are popular with many people. The techno hoodie will come in two types: 1. A pullover hoodie, which will have one single, large pocket in the front 2. A zipped hoodie: which will have a zip per dividing the front and the pocket into two Instead of the usual material or poly-blend material strings, the drawstrings of the hoodies are going to be high-quality iPod headphones, a design that will be unique and trendy. The pockets will be designed to be holding the iPods among other things. The hoodies will be designed in different colors to match with the range of colors the iPod comes in. The designs on the hoodies will include the two logos; GAP and Apple written either as graffiti or just plain, alongside decorations regarded as cool including elements of anime and pop culture. Creation of a Brand Image Techno hoodies are the next-best-thing in the apparel market with a promise to be fashionable into the future. A combination of the high level of comfort, capacity to hold the iPod and an image of being cool and trendy and subscribing to pop culture results in a scenario in which techno hoodies are going to be massively popular into the future. â€Å"The market for this item should be huge as anyone who likes taking walks, working out, or most young adults will love these† (TEP 2011). Such reviews indicate that techno hoodies are not only a hit now but also what can be termed as â€Å"futuristic clothing†. Therefore the two brands will collaborate to make clothing that accommodates the vast music collection of the youth. GAP will provide the trendiest, top-notch

Influences of economics and marketing on relationships in the global Essay - 1

Influences of economics and marketing on relationships in the global food supply chain - Essay Example The economic policies of the government have opened the economy to foreign direct investment with favorable regulatory structures being laid down for the investors. The government also aimed at integrating the agricultural sector in the global food supply chain with an initiative to support domestic markets. At the same time it encourages the productivity in a buyer driven market. The economic policies developed by the governments provide opportunities for the business houses and supermarkets to increase the supply of food by taking the benefits of the incentives offered by the favorable economic policies. Appropriate marketing strategies were also adopted in order to fight the obstacles of the pressure groups and the roadblocks due to negative publicity. The transition of global food supply chain has occurred as an effect of the increased demand and the economic policies of the government and the marketing strategies of the business houses in order to tap the emerging demand (Lindgr een,  Hingley and  Vanhamme, 2009, p.38). These factors have led to the change of food habits and change in lifestyle of the consumers. Thus the relationships of the global food supply chain have been influenced by the economic role and marketing role of the government and the business houses respectively. Critical review of key literature The relationship of the food supply chain has become an important area of discussion. The underlying forces of economics and marketing have been playing a key role in influencing the relationships between the government, business houses and the consumers or the people. The agricultural sector is the core of food production in any country. The farmers harvest their land to cultivate the crops that are sold in the market. This cultivation of the crops and the marketing distribution channels supply the food required by the consumers. The process of demand and supply of food is now spread all over the world with the rapid functioning of retail sup ermarket chains that cater to customers all over the globe (Clapp, 2013, p.59). In the age of liberalization, the food supply chain has become a global phenomenon and it is not confined to the domestic market. The change in economic policies and economic reforms adopted by the economies towards an open market economy has allowed foreign direct investments in the global food supply chain industry. Thus the agricultural sector and the domestic markets have been exposed to foreign competition which has raised the benchmark of food quality. The consumers or the people have transformed the standards and quality of food demand at par with the standard of exports. Several factors like the rise in population, change in diet and food habits, increase in market competition, rise of prices in the local markets and improvement in food quality have raised the aggregate demand of global food supply chain. The human population is estimated to grow by 35% from 6.85 billion in 2010 to 9.15 billion i n 2050. The spiraling rate of increase in human population and the increase in average income level of the middle class and lower middle class society have led to the increase in global demand of food. In order to contain inflation as a result of the increased global demand of

Media and Reality Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Media and Reality - Research Paper Example According to Friedman (2002), we live in a technological phase since persons spend several hours on electronic screens conversing or inquiring on diverse topics. Evidently, television programs; for example, â€Å"All in the Family† can alter people’s perceptions of individuals from other races (Dill, 2009). Exposure to this episode can influence the person to generate an optimistic attitude to other races and compel them to initiate interactive relationships. Such a program can instigate a substantial urge to destroy racial bigotry; thus, becoming a force of societal changes (Dill, 2009). However, this program can differ from the realistic situations existent in the country. Racism can be extensive in numerous areas; however, the program acts on our perception since it shuns the reality. Indeed, reality is our discernment of the truth despite the obvious anomalies in the details that can be existent in the background. Television commercials are created in entertaining f orms to lure the audience. They usually encompass an appealing story displayed repeatedly in attractive designs hoping it will induce the audience to ponder on the commercial message. Perception and Reality Friedman (2002) affirms individuals are currently living in two dissimilar worlds that have contrasting realities. One entails the world that the media channels portray and a world that one experiences by engaging in real processes. There are instances where the conceptualization of these diverse worlds significantly varies; thus, shocking the people since it is differs from the expectations (Dill, 2009). As such, the Media controls how we react to gender roles, sexuality, politics and institutional matters (Friedman, 2002). For example, the American Media relays numerous reports on the security threat of other nations to its citizens. Thus, the media portrays violent content leading to a feeling of paranoia amidst the citizens. Consequently, the sensation of exterior threats and violence propagated by the media was instrumental in propelling the US invasion witnessed in diverse countries; for example, Iraq and Afghanistan. Moreover, the obsession of the media with potential repercus sions of external threats continues to influence airlines, immigration authorities and corporations, which have boosted their security protocols. Interestingly, the repetitive conveyance of the Muslim countries as threats continues to shape the perception of the US populace towards Muslims (Dill, 2009). As such, there were incidences of racial attacks towards American Muslims who fail to engage in the acts of distant relatives. Indeed, this is one of the adverse implications of media on societal perceptions. According to Dill (2009), such influential power of the media is escalating to controversial levels since it is instigating widespread changes in the mannerisms and circumstantial implications on individual lives. Technological advancements are consistently becoming a mechanism of

Race & Modernism in Jean Toomer's Cane Research Paper

Race & Modernism in Jean Toomer's Cane - Research Paper Example The research paper "Race & Modernism in Jean Toomer's Cane" investigates race & modernism in "Cane" of Jean Toomer. Tom suffers a gruesome death at the hands of the white people. Although the story is centered around racial issues, the concept of death provokes emotions within the reader, and the graphic description of the death Tom suffers increases the degree to which emotions are induced within the readers. Toomer uses a racial slur to enhance the scene when a crowd member shouts â€Å"two deaths for a goddamn nigger.† The imagery of the death is magnified by the gruesome nature in which it occurs, as Tom â€Å"could be seen within the flames. Only his head, erect, lean, like a blackened stone. Stench of burning flesh soaked the air. Tom's eyes popped.† Toomer’s graphic imagery evokes a reaction, repelling readers with the gory details of Tom’s murder. The text is embedded in American culture and history. Toomer’s story is set in the state of Geo rgia in an unnamed factory town. In â€Å"Blood-Burning Moon† this is not explicitly men-tioned, though hinted at through the name of one of the characters, Old David Georgia. However, since this text is part of a larger collection, it should be known to the reader who has read the preceding texts. The connotations with Georgia – e.g. Southern, rural – may not be known to every reader in the target culture. However, this is not a real problem since they are made explicit in the text. The author mentions that factory town is in the South.

Computer Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Computer Ethics - Essay Example On the other hand, when an individual holds a positive right, then, the right holds others responsible to act in respect of those rights towards the individual. It is held that positive rights never comes into existence, up until they are created through a contract, which obliges an individual to act in a certain way, as regards the other party involved in the contract (Westin, 1967). Under such creation of a positive right, an individual is duty bound to fulfill some given obligations, towards the other person, failure to which, he will have breached the contract. For example, a negative right occurs where an organization is hindered from selling the properties of another, in order to pay for a debt that the other organization owes the first one. On the other hand, an example of a positive right is the duty held by an organization to protect and care for the property of another organization, like under a case of receivership. There are two major approaches to the protection and privacy of personal information. Under a free market view, companies are allowed more freedom to do what they want with personal information, with an expectation that customer will chose to indulge with companies respecting their privacy (Mahan, 2001). Under the consumer protection view, it is required that the government advocates for strict standards that guide the protection of privacy of individual information (Sterba, 1998). Thus, there is no greater concern for errors issued by a credit bureau in free market view, as there is in consumer protection view. A case for anonymity on the internet is that it allows an individual to share thought that are controversial or thought inappropriate for the conservative society, without the fear of being known. Another case for anonymity is that it allows people to ask technical questions, which they would want to openly declare they do not know (Mahan, 2001). A case against anonymity is that it allows for the abuse and

Vitamin D Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Vitamin D - Essay Example se is of course individuals that live in far northern latitudes where temperature concern requires these individuals to remain thoroughly covered so that frostbite and/or exposure to inclement weather is not affected. A secondary group of individuals that is negatively impacted by the degree and extent to which they are able to gain healthful level of exposure to the sun, in order to encourage the body to create vitamin D naturally, are those individuals within societies that are relatively wealthy and spend the majority of their time indoors. However, there is a third contingent of individuals that must be considered with respect to low vitamin D levels and the impact this on out. These are with regards to women that live within conservative Muslim nations in and around the equator; specifically Saudi Arabia. Accordingly, the following analysis will focus specifically upon the difficulties in achieving sufficient levels of vitamin D for female stakeholders within Saudi Arabia, some of the means by which diet can be leveraged as a function of promoting vitamin D levels within the human body, the effects of vitamin D deficiency, and ways to raise awareness with regard to the impacts of low vitamin D levels. Firstly, with respect to low vitamin D levels that are represented within the female population of conservative Muslim societies, this is oftentimes the result of the fact that strict norms of morality prevent women from showing anything more than their hands or a brief space around the eyes. Whereas it is not the goal of this particular paper to discuss whether or not the niqab is ethical or moral, in a universal standpoint, it must be noted that these moral restrictions create a situation through which vitamin D creation from the sun is nearly impossible (Vanni et al., 2014). As women remain cloistered behind layers of dark fabric, the overall amount of time that they are able to spend outside, or in public in general, is restricted. Furthermore, the extreme

Comparison critique of 2 famous speeches Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Comparison critique of 2 famous speeches - Essay Example In Kennedy’s address, he used both ethos and pathos to convince the audience that under his leadership significant ties that allegedly bind the country to other foreign governments would continue through his offer and pledges of loyalty, hope, good deed, and a call for peace. They both exuded the air of confidence during the whole duration of the speech and assuming ample preparedness prior to the delivery. Though both were glancing at some previously prepared notes on the speech, it was clearly evident that they knew most of the contents of the speech and frequent glancing was enough to ensure that the delivery flowed perfectly and effectively. Their appearances were both sublime and very professional; donning formal suits with respective neckties and hair perfectly groomed. Likewise, both employed sustaining a particular tone that uses emphasis and clarity in pronunciation, diction and use of flawless grammar. Both speakers, during their course of delivery, were intermittent ly applauded by the audience, to signify conformity and approval to their points of assertions. Both Reagan and Kennedy knew the effective use of body language that employs glancing at the audience, looking at them through their eyes, briefly glancing on their notes, changing their facial focus to the right, the middle and the left portion of the audience, and using the appropriate tone and marks of emphasis, as needed. Likewise, in terms of audience orientation, it was evident in both speeches that the audience impact and appeal were both positive. Intermittent claps were heard, especially when the speakers noted some relevant arguments that were appropriately supported; or when figurative languages were used. The fact that these speakers were the ones who delivered the speeches resulted in an enhanced credibility and audience appeal. If the speech were delivered by somebody else, it could have significantly affected audience impact, depending on the person’s character, the manner of delivery, air of confidence, and manifested authority, among others. Concurrently, there were disparities between the delivery, style, and focus or thrusts of these two speeches. In Reagan’s speech, he did not begin the speech by acknowledging the presence of personalities who were present; unlike Kennedy’s speech which begun with acknowledging the following: â€Å"Vice President Johnson, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, President Eisenhower, Vice President Nixon, President Truman, reverend clergy, fellow citizens† (John F. Kennedy Inaugural Address par. 1). Reagan’s introduction was simply to acknowledge gratitude from the audience by repeatedly saying â€Å"Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you and good evening† (A TIME FOR CHOOSING (The Speech – October 27, 1964) par. 1). Likewise, the speed of Reagan’s speech was faster, as compared to the slower paced and significantly rehearsed pacing by Kennedy. The total number of words

Introduction to Emergency Planning and Operations; Types of Essay

Introduction to Emergency Planning and Operations; Types of Emergencies and Disasters - Essay Example can be undertaken by the government and other organized movement toward the achievement of goal to lessen disasters (Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters CRED, 2008). There are different types of disasters that are needed to be given attention. These events can be related to natural disasters and calamities, social, economic and health issues. The main focus of the study undertaken is related to the effects natural calamities specifically earthquake and the terrorism in different groups in the society. The attention needed by the students and workers of schools can be considered one of the most fundamental aspects due to the vulnerability of the said population. There are different actions and policies that can be related to both the local and national responses and plans. Included in the most important policies implemented in the different states and localities in the United States is the National Response Framework. Basically, the application of the processes inculcated in the policy in connection to the specific needs of the different parts of the country. For example in the case of the preparedness in terms of the natural disasters such as earthquake, there are some areas more susceptible to earthquake than others. In such cases, for example in the western region of the US, more actions are undertaken. Although this is the case, a multifaceted policy in terms of emergency planning and preparedness is required to be able to continuously protect the population and prevent cases such as the 2002 earthquake disasters in New York and the Midwest (Department of Homeland Security, 2008). When the policies of local, national and international coverage are then applied, the consciousness can be considered holistic. The NRF is in collaboration with the local governments, the state and tribal governments, the federal government and the private sectors and NGO’s. Each sectors and organizational systems has different visions and missions to

Renaissance Essay Example for Free

Renaissance Essay Renaissance is a French word that literally means â€Å"Rebirth† and is referring to the rebirth of learning in northern Italy after there was hardly learning in the middle ages. During the Renaissance, there was a great renewal of education and ancient times. But, the Renaissance was more than just studying works of ancient scholars; it influenced sculpture, architecture and painting. In Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the mysterious smile reflects the newly emerging Renaissance values of Humanism and The Renaissance man. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Renaissance. †) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Leonardo da Vinci. ) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Mona Lisa†) Humanism was a new philosophical outlook that rejects religious beliefs and centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth. For example some human achievements and concerns were the study in philosophy, culture, human needs, desires, and experiences. Humanism not only influenced the Renaissance, it also assisted the creation of art during the Renaissance. For example most of history’s famous painters lived during the Renaissance. In Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, humanism is shown by her mysterious facial expression, which gives an indication that she’s keeping a secret. Humanism was key to the Renaissances success in art and learning because it got peoples minds off religious beliefs and allowed them to focus on human values like artwork. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Humanism. †) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Leonardo da Vinci. †) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Mona Lisa†) The Renaissance man was a major title during the Renaissance and almost every man wanted this title. The Renaissance man is a flawless individual who tried to master all areas of study. For example Leonardo da Vinci was considered a Renaissance man because he was a musician, architect, sculptor, painter, scientist, engineer, mathematician, geologist, inventor, cartographer, anatomist, botanist and writer. Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa was an example of Leonardo da Vinci’s title of a Renaissance Man because this artwork showed how talented he was by creating her mysterious smile. Today, the Mona Lisa’s mysterious smile is being debated why Leonardo da Vinci made it that way. The Renaissance man is a value of the Renaissance because this encouraged more scholars to learn and study so they have something to earn. Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Renaissance Man. †) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Leonardo da Vinci. †) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Mona Lisa†) In Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the mysterious smile reflects the newly emerging Renaissance values of Humanism and The Renaissance man. The realizations of the Mona Lisa demonstrated how much art had changed compared to the middle ages. Renaissance art was a huge contribution to the Renaissance and in fact expressed the values of it. (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Leonardo da Vinci. †) (Encyclopedia Britannica, 11th ed. , s. v. â€Å"Mona Lisa†)

Application of Pinch Technology and Analysis

Application of Pinch Technology and Analysis INTRODUCTION: The term Pinch Technology was introduced by Linnhoff and Vredeveld to represent a new set of thermodynamically based methods that guarantee optimum energy requirements in design of heat exchanger networks. The application of Pinch technology to study industrial process is called Pinch Analysis. Applying first and second Laws of thermodynamics is essential in Pinch Analysis method. The first law of thermodynamics enables us to use the energy equations in order to calculate the enthalpy change in the streams passing through heat exchangers and the second law decides the direction of heat flow because according to second law heat may only flow in the direction from hot to cold regions but there conditions in heat transfer in heat exchanger like: 1) No temperature crossover should be done: since in a heat exchanger, a hot stream cant be cool down below the cold stream inlet temperature nor the cold stream can be heated up above the hot stream temperature. 2) In reality the hot stream can be cooled down to a temperature defined by the temperature approach of the heat exchanger. The temperature approach is the minimum allowable temperature difference (DTmin) in the stream temperature profiles. The temperature level at which DTmin is observed in the process is referred to as pinch point. Pinch Analysis There are 8 steps in pinch analysis which are: Steps of Pinch Analysis Identification of the Hot, Cold and Utility Streams in the Process Thermal Data Extraction for Process Utility Streams Selection of Initial DTmin value Construction of Composite Curves and Grand Composite Curve Estimation of Minimum Energy Cost Targets Estimation of Heat Exchanger Network ( HEN ) Capital Cost Targets Estimation of Optimum DTmin Value by Energy-Capital Trade Off Design of Heat Exchanger Network 1. Identification of the Hot, Cold and Utility Streams in the Process * Hot Streams: Hot streams that are required to be cooled down. * Cold Streams: Cold streams that are required to be heated up. * Utility Streams are used to heat or cool process streams, when heat exchange between process streams is not practical or economic. 2. Thermal Data Extraction for Process Utility Streams For each hot, cold and utility stream identified, the following thermal data is extracted: * Supply temperature (TS oC) : the temperature at which the stream is available. * Target temperature (TT oC) : the temperature the stream must be taken to. * Heat capacity flow rate (CP kW/ oC) : the product of flow rate (m) in kg/sec and specific heat (Cp kJ/kg 0C). CP = m x Cp * Enthalpy Change (dH) associated with a stream passing through the exchanger is given by the First Law of Thermodynamics: First Law energy equation: d H = Q  ± W In a heat exchanger, no mechanical work is being performed: W = 0 (zero) The above equation simplifies to: d H = Q, where Q represents the heat supply or demand associated with the stream. It is given by the relationship: Q= CP x (TS TT). Enthalpy Change, dH = CP x (TS TT) 3. Selection of Initial DTmin value As discussed before and according to second law of thermodynamics no temperature crossover can be done. Thus the temperature of the hot and cold streams at any point in the exchanger must always have a minimum temperature difference (DTmin). In mathematical terms, at any point in the exchanger Hot stream Temp. ( TH ) ( TC ) Cold stream Temp. >= DTmin For a given value of Q, if smaller values of DTmin are chosen, the area requirements rise. If a higher value of DTmin is selected the heat exchange between the exchangers will decrease and the use of utilities will increase. Thus, the selection of DTmin value has an imprtants and significant implications for both capital and energy costs. This table shows a typical DTmin of some industrial processes: No Industrial Sector Experience DTmin Values 1 Oil Refining 20-40 °C 2 Petrochemical 10-20 °C 3 Chemical 10-20 °C 4 Low Temperature Processes 3-5 °C 4. Construction of Composite Curves and Grand Composite Curve * COMPOSITE CURVES: Composite curves consist of temperature (T) enthalpy (H) profiles of heat availability in the process (the hot composite curve) and heat demands in the process (the cold composite curve) together in a graphical representation. To construct the composite curve, a stream with a constant heat capacity (CP) is represented on a T H diagram by a straight line running from stream supply temperature to stream target temperature. When there are a number of hot and cold streams, the construction of hot and cold composite curves simply involves the addition of the enthalpy changes of the streams in the respective temperature intervals. For heat exchange to occur, the hot stream cooling curve must lie above the cold stream-heating curve. This point of minimum temperature difference represents a bottleneck in heat recovery and is commonly referred to as the Pinch which is DTmin. Increasing the DTmin value results in shifting the curves horizontally apart resulting in lower process to process heat exchange and higher utility requirements. In summary, the composite curves provide overall energy targets but do not clearly indicate how much energy must be supplied by different utility levels. The utility mix is determined by the Grand Composite Curve. GRAND COMPOSITE CURVE (GCC): In selecting utilities to be used, determining utility temperatures, and deciding on utility requirements the Composite curve doesnt provide so much information, thats why Grand Composite Curve (GCC) is used. The GCC (Figure 3) shows the variation of heat supply and demand within the process.Using this diagramthe designer canfind which utilities are to be used. The aim is to maximize the use of the cheaper utility levels and minimize the use of the expensive utility levels. Low-pressure steam and cooling water are preferred instead of high-pressure steam and refrigeration, respectively. To construct GCC the information required comes directly from the Problem Table Algorithm. The method involves shifting (along the temperature [Y] axis) of the hot composite curve down by  ½ DTmin and that of cold composite curve up by  ½ DTmin. The vertical axis on the shifted composite curves shows processinterval temperature. In other words, the curves are shifted by subtracting part of the allowable temperature approach from the hot stream temperatures and adding the remaining part of the allowable temperature approach to the cold stream temperatures. The result is a scale based upon process temperature having an allowance for temperature approach (DTmin). The Grand Composite Curve is then constructed from the enthalpy (horizontal) differences between the shifted composite curves at different temperatures. On the GCC, the horizontal distance separating the curve from the vertical axis at the top of the temperature scale shows the overall hot utility consumption of t he process. The utility can be divided into many temperatures. The GCC indicates that we can supply the hot utility over two temperature levels TH1 (HP steam) and TH2 (LP steam). Recall that, when placing utilities in the GCC, intervals, and not actual utility temperatures, should be used. The total minimum hot utility requirement remains the same: QHmin = H1 (HP steam) + H2 (LP steam). Similarly, QCmin = C1 (Refrigerant) +C2 (CW). The points TH2 and TC2 where the H2 and C2 levels touch the grand composite curve are called the Utility Pinches. The shaded green pockets represent the process-to-process heat exchange. 5. Estimation of Minimum Energy Cost Targets Once the DTmin is chosen, minimum hot and cold utility requirements can be evaluated from the composite curves. If the unit cost of each utility is known, the total energy cost can be calculated using the energy equation given below. 6. Estimation of Heat Exchanger Network (HEN) Capital Cost Targets The capital cost of a heat exchanger network is dependent upon three factors: 1. The number of exchangers. 2. The overall network area. 3. The distribution of area between the exchangers. * AREA TARGETING: To calculate the HEN minimum total area Amin ,divide the composite curve into a set of adjoining enthalpy intervals such that within each interval, the hot and cold composite curves do not change slope. The total area of the HEN (Amin) is given by the formula below, where i denotes the ith enthalpy and interval j denotes the jth stream and dTLM denotes LMTD in the ith interval. NUMBER OF UNITS TARGETING: For the minimum number of heat exchanger units (Nmin) required for MER (minimum energy requirement or maximum energy recovery). The minimum number of units (NminMER) is the sum of the targets evaluated both above and below the pinch separately. NminMER=[Nh+Nc+Nu-1]AP +[Nh+Nc+Nu-1]BP Where : Nh = Number of hot streams Nc=Number of cold streams Nu = Number of utility streams AP / BP : Above / Below Pinch HEN TOTAL CAPITAL COST TARGETING: HEN capital cost (CHEN) is the capital cost is annualized using an annualization factor that takes into account interest payments on borrowed capital. The equation used for calculating the total capital cost and exchanger cost law is given below. C($) HEN=[Nmin{a+b(Amin/Nmin)c}]AP +[Nmin{a+b(Amin/Nmin)c}]BP Where a, b, and c are constants in exchanger cost law For the Exchanger Cost Equation shown above, typical values for a carbon steel shell and tube exchanger would be a = 16,000, b = 3,200, and c = 0.7. 7. Estimation of Optimum DTmin Value by Energy-Capital Trade Off To select an optimum DTmin value, plot the total annual cost which is the sum of total annual energy and capital cost versus values of DTmin. After plotting three important key features can be concluede: 1. If DTmin increases, the energy costs will increase but capital costs will decrease. 2. If DTmin decreases,t he energy costs will decrease but capital costs will increase. 3. Theoptimum DTmin is where the total annual cost of energy and capital costs is minimized. 8. Design of Heat Exchanger Network In designing the heat exchanger network it is essential to know which hot stream match which cold stream. Every match brings one stream to it target temperature. As mentioned before the pinch point divides the network into two separate regions, and each region is designed separeatley.When the heat recovery is maximized the remaining thermal needs must be supplied by the utilities. The graphical method of representing flow streams and heat recovery matches is called a grid diagram . All the cold (blue lines) and hot (red line) streams are represented by horizontal lines. The entrance and exit temperatures are shown at either end. The vertical line in the middle represents the pinch temperature. The circles represent heat exchangers. Unconnected circles represent exchangers using utility heating and cooling. To design the network and construct the grid diagram we use the CP Inequality Rule which states that the heat capacity flow-rate (CP) of the stream leaving the pinch needs to be greater than the CP of stream approaching the pinch, or CPout à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ CPin So above the pinch: CPhot à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¤ CPcold And Below the pinch: CPhot à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ CPcold After making all the possible matches above and under the pinch separately, the two designs are then brought together and usually refined to further minimize the capital cost. After the network has been designed according to the pinch rules, it can be further subjected to energy optimization.

United Kingdom Fast Food Industry Commerce Essay

United Kingdom Fast Food Industry Commerce Essay The Fast Food in the United Kingdom industry profile is an indispensable source for high level data and analysis wrapping the fast food industry. It covers detailed facts on market structure and its segmentation, market size and segmentation, plus documented and graphical analysis of the key trends and competitive background, leading companies and demographic information. The market predict for the fast food industry in UK is to generate total returns of $2.6 Billion by the end of 2013, with an expected complex annual growth of 3.5%.The market is broken down in to four segments: Quick Service Restaurants (QSR), Takeaways, Mobile Street Vendors and Leisure Locations. Intrinsic and Extrinsic environmental factors have a remarkable consequence on fast food industry. Market segmentation in UK is as leisure (48%), QRS (37.2%), Take away (13.4%) and street and mobile vendors (0.9%), (Data monitor-B, 2009). Purpose and Benefits: PESTLE analysis is an essential apparatus for understanding risks allied with market expansion or turn down and as such the situation, position, capability and trend for a business or organization. This analysis examines the impact of each of these factors (and their interaction with each other) on the business. And identifying means for change assists top-level to focus on pestle factors which are important and must given the main concern. By this analysis, we can certify that what we do is associated positively with the factors of change which upset our global and also avoid taking action which directs towards malfunctioning and helps to adapt in a new environment. A. MACRO ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS POLITICAL FACTORS The policies of the government have greater collision on an organization in that particular country. Government decision such as accumulation, diminution, alteration in stuff like policy and taxes has adverse affect in organizations established in that particular country. And the taxation policy is 15-17.5% in UK. Likewise, fast food industry is an inevitable. (G Johnson K Scholes , 2005) CORPORATION TAX Corporation tax is a direct tax which is executed by the government, and organisation or industry pay directly depending on their profit. 30% is the standard corporation tax set for the business organisations but this rate is only applicable to the organisations whose annual profit exceeds more than  £1,500,000. In the year, 2010, 21% is applied for those organizations that make profit less than  £300,000 per year. CARBON TAX It is and environmental tax which is imposed due to the harmful gases it emanates likes carbon dioxide in the environment which affects environment. It is imposed to effect to minimize the emission of gases by the industries to guard environment.The Conservatives are planning to impose a carbon tax on British businesses in UK. There should be labelling of genetically modified food as well and health and safety guidelines from the government sector. ECONOMIC FACTORS Market value of UK fast food is bid. The market anticipation for the fast food industry in UK is to engender total revenue of $2.6 billion by the end of 2013 with an expected complex annual growth of 3.5%. Unemployment: This factor influence and has greater impact in every organisations executing in the country. The figure of people unemployed in the UK has plummeted again, leaving the jobless rate at 7.8 %. Workers are perhaps agreeable to accept lower wages or shorter period of time stick on to their jobs in fast food industries. (BBC, 2010) Affect of Inflation: There are various ways in which it affects business industries. The inflation rate in UK is 5% in 2010.If there is the rise in prices of the products it has an undesirable affect on the organisations including the fast food industries. Increase in inflation force employees to demand higher wages in their working places in order to maintain their living standard and increase in the disposable income. Therefore, companies spend more on labours for well execution of their business. As a result, companies need to enhance their prices or products to maintain the profitability in the business. Recession also leads to increase sales of a product of the companies. SOCIAL FACTORS Population: Fast food affects a community in many aspects. It is mainly geared towards the younger edge of the market. According to the census UK population is aging and most of the fast food organisations are concerned in this sector. So, fast food products are diminishing because people are concerned about their health. Busy Schedule: As we all know that UK has a very busy life style which has positive affect on the UK food industry by choosing fast food rather than cooking in their own house for saving their time. Health and Safety: Government are concerned about public health and imposed rules on fast food industry that the foods that contains high sugar, salt or obesity should be avoided in order to maintain healthy life and protection from obesity.( M Purcell, 2008) Most of the people are being vegetarianism due to health concerns which affects fast food industry. Animals right campaign: Fast food key players such as Mac Donalds, Burger King , Pizza Hut, KFC etc are the main industries for producing and consumption of food from animals all over the global. Thus animals right personnel are concerned about the maltreatment towards the animals which are supplied to the players of the fast industry. TECHNOLOGICAL FACTORS Technology plays a vital role in fast food industries. It enhances the speed and saves time for the successful completion of its performance. For eg: systematic computerised system such as till counters helps to perform their operation in accurate time. The use of online marketing about their products too has been very successful. The presence of the internet of the companies such as Mac Donald, KFC etc has been very solid factor to stand out in their business. The products that are delivered online also assist to a large amount to enhance sales and profit of the business. LEGAL FACTORS Food safety act The Food Safety Act 1990 provides the framework for all food legislation in Britain. It is concerned with food safety and consumer protection in Great Britain. The main objectives of this law are as follows: To ensure that the food is safe to public health and provide legality authority to the consumers. For e.g.: a child spills himself/ herself and he/she should be properly cared. To ensure that the food is served should meet the expectations in (quantity and quality) forms To ensure they advertise and label the product in a proper way which do not mislead consumers. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS Fast food outlets have been responsible for high amount of litters and waste. For eg: we probably dont think that eating a burger emerges carbon, but it is true that whatever we do we donate towards the resources we use. The organization concerned with protection of environment has held, which is keep Britain Tidy . And they found McDonalds which is responsible for most of the burger wrappers, condiment sachets and plastic straws. . The litters found in the streets have been divided among the all the fast food brands or companies as given below: 1. McDonalds 29% 2. Unbranded fish and chips/kebab 21% 3 .Greggs -18% 4. KFC 8% 5. Subway 5% and other branded coffee 5% Ultimately, the analytical tool helped us to understand the prons and cons of the fast food industry and their success and failure of the strategy. This analytical tool (PESTLE) helped to determine industrys attractiveness (profit potential) and can be influential in general performance. B: MICRO ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS (PORTERS FIVE FORCES): Porters five forces is a framework for the industry analysis and strategy development introduced by Michael E. Porter in 1979. It is a way of assessing the potential profit of different industries which provide the starting point for strategic analysis even profit criteria may not apply. POWER OF BUYER: Despite the population of UK do not go for fast food, but many of the people plump for it or as consumers. Many of the big players in UK such as Mc Donald, KFC, Burger King .Etc, spend hugely in the fast food industry through advertising and other promotional activities to improve brand image towards consumers because they are the essential part of the business to survive. And leads to customer loyalty and decreases buying power. For e.g.: milk in the grocery sector in UK, where there is few retailers dominance that means few large customers relate for the majority of sales. Thus, buying power increases. If such gift items in fast food industries help to enhance some degree of customer loyalty, nonetheless, buying power can be strengthened to some extent, low switching cost is insignificant. In the fast food industry, the buying power can be accessed as reasonable. POWERS OF SUPPLIERS: The factors increasing buying power are the converse to those for buying power. It is very crucial for the fast food industry for the continuous, reliable supply of food with a quality and low cost which is applicable even in the fast food industry. By this we can figure out the reliability of fast food chains. As we all know, fast food industry are not only engaged with single sort of food but they can also create profit by other varieties. Suppliers are the main source of firm when there are few substitutes, they might also refuse to work with the firm, and therefore, it is vital for food industry to maintain good relationship with each other in order to get success. The leading food industry in UK is 3663 because it exceeds its sales which exceeds 1 billion pound per annum. For e.g.: star football players have succeeded in raising their plunder to enormous levels but leading football clubs, their buyers struggle. THREATS OF SUBSTITUTES Substitutes are services of products that offer a same benefit to an industrys products. For eg: trains are substitute of cars. Likewise in fast food industry there are other forms of food service providers as well as food stores, eg: Sainsbury, ASDA, Somerfield, etc provides ready serve their food to the customers. Fast foods are cheaper. Therefore, the substitutes do not have a power to dominate fast food industry in terms of various foods and services they provide. Eventually, the advantage which substitutes have with comparison with their substitutes is that they facilitate with diversity of products and there is the matter of health and safety towards fast food outlets which has been criticised by public and government. Consequently, substitutes in the whole market propose its consumers with more liberty or alternatives to organize their fast by delivering various ranges of food products. The threat of substitutes has been accessed as moderate in fast food industry. Threats of entrants: The entry into the UK fast food market does not involve huge investment. Individuals can enter without recognized brand name. Some companies execute their task as a franchise which enables the franchisee or the investor to help operating or fully operate a business. The franchisee pays for the cost to the franchisor and yield profit from the business from different strategies used by franchisor. For e.g. Mc Donalds., have many out lets all over the world among them 25,400 are operates by franchisee. Although it is not much expensive to execute a fast food industry but there is a threat to the entrants because there are key players who already set their brand images in front of the consumers. The already existing players are very strong established for the new entrants to compete with (Data monitor-A, 2009). COMPETETIVE RIVALRY As we are all concerned about fast food industry that they cover large market and focus on large part of UK population therefore it has been mushrooming every year. There is very low risk of business failure which as a result attracts more new entrants. Former fast food industry wants to increase their number of outlets as a result they want to survive in the industry for longer time period by employing more employees and execute for longer period. Each industry wants to be better than each of their competitors. Therefore, to float in the business, the main thing that the industry needs to maintain is attractiveness, i.e. profitability. Eventually, UK is mushrooming with fast food industry, in recent globalisation. It is not much easier to enter into the market. There are challenges in entering into the fast food industry as well opportunities to receive success. Despite the dark cloud on the horizon, fast food industry is one of the most important food outlets in the context of UK.

The Importance of Effective Listening Skills in the Workplace Essay

The Importance of Effective Listening Skills in the Workplace Every business consists of a variety of communication activities such as listening, speaking, questioning, gathering and participating in small work groups. The listening skill is one of the most important aspects of communication process. It helps to understand and read the other person’s message. Effective listening skills create positive workplace relationships which influence our opinions and responsiveness to one another. There is a big difference between hearing and listening. Hearing is a physical ability that the ears receive feelings and transmit them to the brain while listening is a skill. Listening skills allow one to make sense of what another person is saying. In other words, listening skills let you to understand what someone is "talking about†. It requires concentration so that your brain processes meaning from words and sentences. Listening and understanding what others communicate to us is the communication process needed for interpersonal effectiveness. If you listen well, you will understand the meaning of the message. If you are unfocused, you will not know most of what the other person is saying. However, there is a range of listening skills that can be learned to develop the communication effectiveness. Firstly, encouraging listening points to the listener that is willing to do more than listen. Usually it provides feedback that supports speakers to say more. Fur...

All The King’s Men :: essays research papers

The title of the book is All The King’s Men and the Publication date for this book is 1996. The author Robert Penn Warren was a very famous author. His life was full of many achievements that helped him become recognized. He even won the Pulitzer Prize for this book All The King’s Men. Warren was inspired to write this book because when he was younger he lived in the state of Louisiana and around this time Huey P. Long was already an established politician. Warren started out writing poetry but then turned to writing novels. His works are loved and cherished by many and even used in today’s schools. It is safe to say that Robert Penn Warren was one of America’s most brilliant writers. This book takes place in the southern part of the United States in the 1930s. Although Warren never reveals the true setting of this book, one can conclude that this took place in Louisiana seeing how Warren became inspired in that state by a person who is mirrored in this very book. Part of this novel is in Mason City. Another place in this novel is Burden’s Landing Jack , the main character, goes there many times because this is his hometown. This novel is mainly about the rise and fall of the political figure Willie Stark told through the eyes of his business associate and friend Jack Burden. Willie stark in his early political career is all for helping the people and trying to do what is best for them. As he gains power and the trust of his people he soon becomes corrupt by the evils of success. Characters Jack Burden- He is the narrator of this story and he is the companion of Willie Stark. He works at a newspaper company before getting a job from Willie after they become acquainted . Readers will learn his story while they are learning about the life of Willie. Willie Stark-He becomes a treasurer of Mason City and from there his political career takes flight. After becoming a treasurer Stark decides to study law and become a lawyer. After he receives some success he runs for governor and becomes a power-hungry politician. Sadie Burke-She was an employee and mistress of Willie Stark. She has a crude behavior and has an outspoken personality. Later she becomes very intolerant in all the women Stark is with. Two reoccurring motifs and symbols are The Great Sleep and the Hospital.

Transformation of Marriage: Essay -- essays research papers

Abstract The marriage revolution has been a controversial issue since the dawn of time, and all that are and have been involved with â€Å"matrimony† are aware of the issues of the future. There can be no denying that the culture of marriage has changed. This very course is itself a great example of this fact. Much like any other sociological subject of any real concern, there are many â€Å"opinions† related to this issue. This paper will attempt to highlight marriage seen as the sociological transformation, marital erosion versus evolution, and why many people fail at marriage and what does it take to be successful in greater detail. This will allow you, the readers, to make up your own minds regarding this extremely multifaceted issue. Marriage seen as the sociological transformation â€Å"Couples today have much higher expectations. Between the 1950s and the 1970s American attitudes toward marriage changed dramatically as part of what has been called the â€Å"psychological revolution†Ã¢â‚¬â€a transformation in the way people look at marriage, parenthood, and their lives in general.† (Skolnick p.171) At first blush, marriage in America seems to have followed a similar course. Once a required rite of passage, seen as a genuine embodiment of shared values, it now serves as a game-show prize on Who Wants to Marry a Multimillionaire or a booby prize on My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancà © — even though wedding ceremonies have created a "bridal-industrial complex," as Lee professor of economics Claudia Goldin calls the nearly $100-billion-a-year U.S. industry that outpaces even the movie business ($45 billion a year, including sales and rentals). (Hodder, 2004) Motivated by celebrity magazines and wedding planners, couples take on increasing ly elaborate spectacles that take years to plan and cost on average $20,000 to produce. When Love Story first appeared, our society was still extremely absorbed in a marriage culture that encouraged and supported getting and staying married. But inside a few years, the women's movement, the pill, the sexual revolution, and various economic shifts had permanently transformed that marriage-centric society. Marriage is not an endangered species, but it is surrounded by enormous difficulties that were not readily apparent 35 or 40 years ago. Divorce is a very serious presence — over 50 percent of our marriages end in di... ...;what has been will still be." Stay open to newness. Stay open to change.† (Nutt, 1990) References: Catholic Answers Inc. (2004). Special Report: Marriage. Retrieved April 8, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://www.catholic.com/library Gallagher, Maggie. (2002, July 13). How We Destroy Lasting Love. The Abolition of Marriage. Retrieved April 8, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://www.leaderu.com/ftissues/ft9608/reviews/gold.html Hodder, Fraser H. (2004, Nov-Dec). The Future of Marriage. Harvard Magazine Volume 107, Number 2, Page 38. Retrieved April 8, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://www.hmag.harvard.edu/on-line/110491.html Grady Nutt. (July, 1990) Higher Praise. Retrieved April 8, 2005 from the World Wide Web: http://www.praiselyrics.com/illustrations/marriage.htm Ross, Catherine E., Mirowsky, John & Goldsteen Karen. (1990). The Impact of the Family on Health. Journal of Marriage and the Family. Retrieved April 8, 2005 from the World Wide Web: Skolnick, Arlene S. & Skolnick Jerome H. (2005). Family in Transition. Boston: Pearson A&B. Waite, Linda & Gallagher, Maggie. (2001). The Case for Marriage. New York: Doubleday

Why Do Luxury Companies Sponsor Art?

Course: The Environment of Visual Arts Administration Instructor: Prof. Carlo Lamagna Title of the paper: Why do luxury companies sponsor art? Author: Qing Zhong Why do luxury companies sponsor art? Motivations of corporate art sponsorship fall in many categories, as suggested by O'Hagan and Denice (O'Hagan,J. 2000). The analysis of this article concentrates on the external benefits a luxury company could gain from sponsoring art and particular attention will be given to the promotion of brand image, as it is a dominant motivation for corporate decision makers in order to raise brand awareness (Hitters, 1996).To examine the outcomes of art sponsorship, examples of some luxury companies will be given. These examples include but are not necessarily limited to, Deutsche Bank, LVMH and Hermes. Each example will examine one aspect of the three major motivations that can be generalized into the publicity/brand image promotion category. In addition to these three examples, a personal observ ation will be given as a complete inspection analyzing all the motivations in a flowing process.All the cases used in this article are â€Å"designer sponsorship† which means that luxury companies either initiate corporate art organizations or organize their own art events (Eamon O hOisin 1995). Instead of sponsoring existent art organizations or events, designer sponsorship allow luxury companies to take control over all aspects of the activities and thus maximizes the potential outcomes. The starting point of this discussion is the definition of sponsorship.It has been reiterated thousands of times by many luxury companies as selfless motives. However, it is not true in reality. Differing from charity or philanthropy, sponsorship is at its best a win-win situation in which sponsors put their own benefits, instead of the sponsored subjects’, in the first place. For the recipients, financial support may save them from desperate situations. For the givers, expected bene fits include earning capacity growth or transferring a responsible corporate image to the public.Luxury companies may not gain directly from their sponsorship behaviors, but they gain huge indirect bnefits from branding and image promotion to the public (Krzysztof Klincewicz, 1998). Indirect benefits relating to art sponsorship could be further detailed in three aspects. Firstly, by appearing more frequently in front of the public’s eyes on banners, boards, websites or TV news report, luxury companies propagate themselves and impress the latent clients in a way that is different from traditional advertisements.A good example worth mentioning is the Deutsche Bank’s sponsorship for various art forms, including art fairs such as the International Hong Kong Art Fair, Art Fair Tokyo, self designed art events such as â€Å"Artist of the Year† and influential long-term art projects like the cooperation between Deutsche Bank and the Guggenheim Museum. Figure 1 Hong Kong International Art Fair Sponsorship for worldly renowned art events gives Deutsche Bank a wide coverage and exposure in social media and thus expands its visibility to the public, but this kind of brand exposure is not directly related with Deutsche Bank’s products.It gives the public a fresh and indirect perspective to approach the bank and its products. As can be seen in Figure 1, whenever viewers browse on the Hong Kong Art Fair’s website, they can’t avoid noticing the little image of the bank on the right corner. Same situation applies to other art events such as the â€Å"Deutsche Bank’s Artist of the Year†. It is impossible for the media to mention this event without saying its title beginning with the â€Å"Deutsche Bank†.It is neither impossible for the public to get a first impression for the event without knowing that it is sponsored by the bank. Secondly, art sponsorship transcends the role of a narrowly defined advertising tool a nd adds meanings and value to the company and its products, which is the most essential difference between art sponsorship and sports or entertainment sponsorship (O'Hagan,J. 2000). Value creation is essential as it stimulates emotional connections in human minds and help luxury companies attract and gather key clients who share the same kind of ifestyle with their unique brands. By sponsoring art, luxury companies create images that consistently convey their value and expect potential clients connect the corporate identity with these images, which is often times not just an illusion as meaning transferring and image associations are most effective and immediate when such image links exist (Gwinner, K. 1997). Let’s take a look at Bernard Arnault‘s plan on the LVMH Museum, which has been a controversial issue since 2006 because of the conflict between the public rights and the corporate’s benefits.Figure 2 LVMH Museum The museum looks fabulous. It’s itself an art work by the renowned architect Frank Gehry, but it’s also a iconic image of the corporate self-portrait: arrogant, powerful, egocentric and elitist. The project once ceased constructing because neighbors  objected: they want the space to remain green and they don't want this to be the start of more buildings in the bois, even if it's by Gehry. However, the senate finally compromised to LVMH’s superpower announcing that this project contributes to the civic pride and cultural identity of the nation.Ironically, the content of this museum may not be as democratic or liberal as stated. It will include Arnault’s private and corporate collections as well as heritage pieces from several brands such as Dior and Vuitton-those have always been regarded as belongings of the elite. Contrary to the senate’s announcement, LVMH reinforces its value and identity by building up a private coded museum that can only be decoded by the counterparts, namely, the limit ed elite who would have the sense and taste to appreciate the art in the same way the company appreciates it.Wouldn’t the public be scared off if they approach this apparently exclusive and flamboyant museum? They might come up with an even stronger conclusion that glory only belongs to the superior. As for the â€Å"lucky† elite, their requirements for supremacy can be further satisfied and therefore confirms their degree of honesty for the company. Thirdly, since sponsorship is naturally linked with social responsibility, it will relieve the public’s aversion for the luxury that is often times regarded as a superior, limited VIP belonging distinguishing the elite class from the grass roots.Promotion of public image also provides better returns in luxury companies’ rent-seeking process – that of lobbying important politicians or policy makers (O'Hagan, J. 2000). Cartier might have been excelled in establishing such a generous and socially responsi ble identity in its continuous giving for the Foundation Cartier since 1984. Besides the organization’s name, there is no link between the artworks commissioned by or in the foundation’s collection and the Cartier brand.This kind of sponsorship is therefore called the â€Å"pure† sponsorship in order to distinguish from the product-related one (O'Hagan,J. 2000). Figure 3 The Foundation Cartier The artworks in the collection travel around the world and ongoing programs take place in the foundation’s dynamic, light-filled home in Paris, which Figure 2 presents. For nearly 30 years, Foundation Cartier has been sponsoring the contemporary art in a modest and prudent manner.Though hard to notice, this conduct might have won a good reputation for Cartier and would benefit the brand enormously in its long term rent-seeking activities. Finally, in order to delineate a more consistent and comprehensive picture, an independent case based on my personal observation at the Rolex Mentor ; Protege Arts Initiative will be studied to integrate all the three motivations stated above. The Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative is an international philanthropic programme created to assist extraordinary, rising artists to achieve their full potential.It seeks out these artists from around the world and brings them together with great masters, for a year of creative collaboration in a one-to-one mentoring relationship. The event that I volunteered at was a â€Å"dinner celebrating the Mentors and Proteges of the 2010-2011 Rolex Arts Initiative†. It was actually a quite exclusive event with safeguards standing outside the entrance and all guests dressing up with their by-invitation-only cards. Admittedly, Rolex has done a lot to propagate this initiative, as can be seen on various websites, on banners, n magazines and on spot of the celebrating dinner (Refer to Figure 4). Figure 4 Entrance of the dinner for celebration the Rolex Arts Initiative However, â€Å"By Invitation Only† is what I felt for this arts initiative because during a whole year of mentoring, no public access has been allowed into the procedure all the way from selecting qualified candidates to presenting the cooperative final projects. Only the â€Å"selected† will have a real sense for what is happening within this event.This â€Å"selected† group includes the renowned artists, board of the Rolex, celebrities and business magnets, all of whom share a common character of being superior and elite (from my observation at the Rolex dinner). As the art initiative reflects the value of Rolex, it satisfies and attracts the same group of people who recognize and approve of this value. If attracting only a small group of people is what Rolex aims at, there will be some questions to ask: Does the initiative promote the public image of Rolex? Is this program contributing to the overall goodness of the society?Can the public feel the goodness an d if yes, to what extent? Information gathered from the websites or the observation did not suggest a positive answer to this question, but together they do not provide enough evidence to make a decisive conclusion. Luxury companies’ motivations for art sponsorship are tailored to the internal and external situation each company faces. They are diversified and sometimes hard to recognize, but together they stimulates information and resource exchange between art organizations, business and the public and contribute to the flourish of the art ecology.Bibliography Bulut, D. â€Å"Corporate Social Responsibility in Culture and Art. †Ã‚  Management of Environmental Quality  20, no. 3 (2009): 311. Comunian, R. â€Å"Toward a New Conceptual Framework for Business Investments in the Arts: Some Examples from Italy. †Ã‚  The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society  39, no. 3 (2009): 200. Eamon O hOisin. â€Å"Art Marketing: Sport on the Sidelines. †Ã‚  Ci rca  no. 71 (Spring, 1995): pp. 43-45. Gwinner, K. â€Å"A Model of Image Creation and Image Transfer in Event Sponsorship. †Ã‚  International Marketing Review  14, no. 3 (1997): 145.Krzysztof Klincewicz. â€Å"Ethical Aspects of Sponsorship. †Ã‚  Journal of Business Ethics  17, no. 9/10, How to Make Business Ethics Operational: Creating Effective Alliances: The 10th Annual EBEN Conference (Jul. , 1998): pp. 1103-1110. O'Hagan, J. â€Å"Why do Companies Sponsor Arts Events? some Evidence and a Proposed Classification. †Ã‚  Journal of Cultural Economics  24, no. 3 (2000): 205. pp. 6. 8 Okonkwo, Uche. Luxury Fashion Branding : Trends, Tactics, Techniques. Basingstoke: Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan, 2007. ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Deusche Bank,â€Å"Art & Music: Fostering Creativity†, http://www. db. com/csr/en/art_and_music. htm (Accessed Novembe r 21). [ 2 ]. Judith H. Dobrzynski, â€Å"Paris To Get Gehry's LVMH Museum Afterall†, Arts Journel Weblog, http://www. artsjournal. com/realcleararts/2011/04/lvmh. html (Accessed November 21). [ 3 ]. LaPlaca Cohen, â€Å"Cultural Sponsorship†, http://www. laplacacohen. com (Accessed November 21). [ 4 ]. The Rolex Mentor and Protege Arts Initiative, â€Å"About the initiative†, http://www. rolexmentorprotege. com/en/ about-the-initiative/index. jsp(Accessed November 21, 11).

Zoe’s Tale PART II Chapter Nineteen

And wouldn't you know. Something big was arranged. The Colonial Union showed up. The shuttle landed and a little green man popped out. And I thought, This seems familiar. It was even the same little green man: General Rybicki. But there were differences. The first time I saw General Rybicki, he was in my front yard, and it was just him and me. This time his shuttle landed in the grassy area right in front of Croatoan's gate, and a large chunk of the colony had turned out to see him land. He was our first visitor since we came to Roanoke, and his appearance seemed to give the idea that maybe we would finally be out of exile. General Rybicki stood in front of the shuttle and looked at the people in front of him. He waved. They cheered wildly. This went on for several minutes. It's like people had never seen someone wave before. Finally the general spoke. â€Å"Colonists of Roanoke,† he said. â€Å"I bring you good news. Your days of hiding are over.† This was interrupted by another gout of cheering. When it calmed down, the general continued. â€Å"As I speak to you, my ship above is installing your communications satellite. Soon you will be able to send messages to friends and loved ones back on your home planets. And from here on out, all the electronic and communication equipment you had been ordered to stop using will be returned to you.† This got a huge whoop from the teenage sectors of the crowd. â€Å"We know that we have asked much from you,† Rybicki said. â€Å"I am here to tell you that your sacrifice has not been wasted. We believe that very soon now the enemy that has threatened you will be contained – and not just contained, but defeated. We couldn't have done this without you. So for all of the Colonial Union, I thank you.† More cheering and nonsense. The general seemed to be enjoying his moment in the sun. â€Å"Now I must speak with your colony leaders to discuss how to reintegrate you into the Colonial Union. Some of this may take some time, so I ask you to be a little patient. But until then, let me just say this: Welcome back to civilization!† Now the crowd really went nuts. I rolled my eyes and looked down at Babar, who went with me to the landing. â€Å"This is what happens when you spend a year out in the wilderness,† I said. â€Å"Any dumb thing looks like entertainment.† Babar looked up at me and lolled his tongue out; I could tell he agreed with me. â€Å"Come on, then,† I said. And we walked through the crowd to the general, who I was supposed to escort back to my dad. General Rybicki saw Babar before he saw me. â€Å"Hey!† he said, and bent down for his slobbering, which Babar duly and enthusiastically applied. He was a good dog but not a hugely accurate judge of character. â€Å"I remember you,† he said to Babar, petting him. He looked up and saw me. â€Å"I remember you, too.† â€Å"Hello, General,† I said, politely. The crowd was still milling around us but quickly dispersing as folks raced to all corners of the colony to pass on what they were told. â€Å"You look taller,† he said. â€Å"It's been a year,† I said. â€Å"And I am a growing girl. This despite being kept in the dark all this time.† The general seemed not to catch this. â€Å"Your mother said that you would be escorting me to see them. I'm a little surprised that they didn't come out themselves,† he said. â€Å"They've had a busy couple of days,† I said. â€Å"As have we all.† â€Å"So colony life is more exciting than you thought it would be,† the general said. â€Å"Something like that,† I said, and then motioned. â€Å"I know my dad is very interested in talking to you, General. Let's not keep him waiting.† I held my PDA in my hand. There was something not quite right about it. Gretchen noticed it too. â€Å"It feels weird,† she said. â€Å"It's been so long since we carried one around. It's like I've forgotten how to do it.† â€Å"You seemed to remember pretty well when we were using the ones in the information center,† I said, reminding her of how we'd spent a fair amount of the last year. â€Å"It's different,† she said. â€Å"I didn't say I'd forgotten how to use one. I'm saying I've forgotten what it was like to carry one around. Two different things.† â€Å"You could always give it back,† I said. â€Å"I didn't say that,† Gretchen said, quickly. Then she smiled. â€Å"Still, you have to wonder. In the last year people here actually did manage to get along without them just fine. All the hootenannies and the plays and the other stuff.† She looked at her PDA. â€Å"Makes you wonder if they're all going to go away now.† â€Å"I think they're part of who we are now,† I said. â€Å"As Roanokers, I mean.† â€Å"Maybe,† Gretchen said. â€Å"It's a nice thought. We'll have to see if it's actually true.† â€Å"We could practice a new song,† I said. â€Å"Hickory says Dickory's been wanting to try something new for a while now.† â€Å"That's funny,† Gretchen said. â€Å"One of your bodyguards has become a musical fiend.† â€Å"He's a Roanoker too,† I said. â€Å"I guess he is,† Gretchen said. â€Å"That's funny, too.† My PDA blinked; something happened with Gretchen's as well. She peered at hers. â€Å"It's a message from Magdy,† she said. â€Å"This is going to be bad.† She touched the PDA to open it. â€Å"Yup,† she said, and showed me the picture. Magdy sent a short video of him mooning us. â€Å"Some people are getting back into the swing of things sooner than others,† I said. â€Å"Unfortunately,† Gretchen said. She tapped onto her PDA. â€Å"There,† she said. â€Å"I made a note to kick his ass the next time I see him.† She motioned at my PDA. â€Å"He send it to you, too?† â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"I think I'll refrain from opening it.† â€Å"Coward,† Gretchen said. â€Å"Well, then, what is going to be your first official act on your PDA?† â€Å"I'm going to send a message to a certain two someones,† I said. â€Å"And tell them that I want to see them alone.† â€Å"We apologize for being late,† Hickory said to me, as it and Dickory stepped into my bedroom. â€Å"Major Perry and General Rybicki gave us priority status on a data packet so that we could communicate with our government. It took some time to prepare the data.† â€Å"What did you send?† I asked. â€Å"Everything,† Hickory said. â€Å"Everything,† I said. â€Å"Every single thing you two and I did in the last year.† â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"A digest of events now, and a more comprehensive report as soon as we can. Our people will be desperate to know what has happened with you since they last heard from us. They need to know you are well and unharmed.† â€Å"This includes what happened last night,† I said. â€Å"All of it. Including the part where you oh so lightly mentioned your plans to murder my parents.† â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"We are sorry to have upset you, Zoe. We would not have wished to do that. But you offered us no alternative when you told us to speak the truth to your parents.† â€Å"And what about to me?† I asked. â€Å"We have always told you the truth,† Hickory said. â€Å"Yes, but not all of it, have you?† I said. â€Å"You told Dad that you had information about the Conclave that you didn't tell him about. But you didn't tell it to me, either. You kept secrets from me, Hickory. You and Dickory both.† â€Å"You never asked,† Hickory said. â€Å"Oh, don't give me that crap,† I said. â€Å"We're not playing word games here, Hickory. You kept us in the dark. You kept me in the dark. And the more I've thought about it, the more I realize how you acted on what you knew without telling me. All those alien races you had me and Gretchen study in the information center. All the races you trained us how to fight. Hardly any of them were in the Conclave. Because you knew that if the Conclave found us first, they'd try everything not to fight us.† â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"Don't you think I should have known that?† I asked. â€Å"Don't you think it would have mattered to me? To all of us? To the entire colony?† â€Å"We are sorry, Zoe,† Hickory said. â€Å"We had orders from our government not to reveal information to your parents that they did not already know, until such time as it became absolutely necessary. That would have only been if the Conclave were to appear in your sky. Until then, we were required to exercise care. If we had spoken to you about it, you would have naturally informed your parents. And so we decided that we would not bring these things up with you, unless you asked us directly about them.† â€Å"And why would I do that?† I asked. â€Å"Indeed,† Hickory said. â€Å"We regret the necessity. But we saw no other alternative.† â€Å"Listen to me, both of you,† I said, and then stopped. â€Å"You're recording this now, aren't you.† â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"We always record, unless you tell us otherwise. Would you like us to stop recording?† â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"I actually want all of you to hear this. First, I forbid you to harm my parents in any way. Ever.† â€Å"Major Perry has already informed us that he would surrender the colony rather than destroy it,† Hickory said. â€Å"Since this is true there is no reason to harm either him or Lieutenant Sagan.† â€Å"It doesn't matter,† I said. â€Å"Who knows if there's going to be another time you decide it's going to be necessary to try to get rid of John and Jane?† â€Å"It seems unlikely,† Hickory said. â€Å"I don't care if it's more likely that I was going to sprout wings,† I said. â€Å"I didn't think it was ever possible that you might think to kill my parents, Hickory. I was wrong about that. I'm not going to be wrong about it again. So swear it. Swear you will never harm my parents.† Hickory spoke briefly to Dickory in their own language. â€Å"We swear it,† Hickory said. â€Å"Swear it for all Obin,† I said. â€Å"We cannot,† Hickory said. â€Å"That is not something we can promise. It is not within our power. But neither Dickory nor I will seek to harm your parents. And we will defend them against all those who would try to harm them. Even other Obin. This we swear to you, Zoe.† It was the last part of this that made me believe Hickory. I hadn't asked him to defend John and Jane, just not harm them. Hickory added it in. They both did. â€Å"Thank you,† I said. I felt as if I were suddenly coming unwound; until that second I didn't realize how worked up I was just sitting there, talking about this. â€Å"Thank you both. I really needed to hear that.† â€Å"You are welcome, Zoe,† Hickory said. â€Å"Is there something else you want to ask us?† â€Å"You have files on the Conclave,† I said. â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"We have already given them to Lieutenant Sagan for analysis.† That made perfect sense; Jane had been an intelligence officer when she was in the Special Forces. â€Å"I want to see them, too,† I said. â€Å"Everything you have.† â€Å"We will provide them to you,† Hickory said. â€Å"But there is a lot of information, and not all of it is easy to understand. Lieutenant Sagan is far more qualified to work with this information.† â€Å"I'm not saying give it to me and not her,† I said. â€Å"I just want to see it too.† â€Å"If you wish,† Hickory said. â€Å"And anything else that you might get from your government on the Conclave,† I said. â€Å"And I mean all of it, Hickory. None of this ‘you didn't ask directly' junk from now on. We're done with that. Do you understand me?† â€Å"Yes,† Hickory said. â€Å"You understand that the information we receive might in itself be incomplete. We are not told everything.† â€Å"I know,† I said. â€Å"But you still seem to know more than we do. And I want to understand what we're up against. Or were, anyway.† â€Å"Why do you say ‘were'?† Hickory asked. â€Å"General Rybicki told the crowd today that the Conclave was about to be defeated,† I said. â€Å"Why? Do you know any different?† â€Å"We do not know any different,† Hickory said. â€Å"But we do not think that just because General Rybicki says something in public to a large crowd, it means he is telling the truth. Nor does it mean that Roanoke itself is entirely out of danger.† â€Å"But that doesn't make any sense,† I said. I held up my PDA to Hickory. â€Å"We were told we can use these again. That we can use all of our electronics again. We had stopped using them because they would give us away. If we're allowed to use them again, we don't have to worry about being given away.† â€Å"That is one interpretation of the data,† Hickory said. â€Å"There's another?† I asked. â€Å"The general did not say that the Conclave had been defeated, but that he believed they would be defeated,† Hickory said. â€Å"That is correct?† â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"Then it is possible that the general means for Roanoke to play a part in the defeat of the Conclave,† Hickory said. â€Å"In which case, it is not that you are being allowed to use your electronics because it is safe. You are being allowed to use them because you are now bait.† â€Å"You think the Colonial Union is leading the Conclave here,† I said, after a minute. â€Å"We offer no opinion one way or another,† Hickory said. â€Å"We note only that it is possible. And it fits what data we have.† â€Å"Have you told my dad about this?† I asked. â€Å"We have not – † Hickory began, but I was already out the door. â€Å"Close the door behind you,† Dad said. I did. â€Å"Who have you talked to about this?† he asked. â€Å"Hickory and Dickory, obviously,† I said. â€Å"No one else.† â€Å"No one?† Dad asked. â€Å"Not even Gretchen?† â€Å"No,† I said. Gretchen had gone off to harass Magdy for sending her that video. I was beginning to wish I had gone with her instead of making Hickory and Dickory come to my room. â€Å"Good,† Dad said. â€Å"Then you need to keep quiet about it, Zoe. You and the alien twins.† â€Å"You don't think what Hickory is saying is going to happen, do you?† I asked. Dad looked directly at me, and once again I was reminded how much older he was than he appeared. â€Å"It is going to happen,† he said. â€Å"The Colonial Union has laid a trap for the Conclave. We disappeared a year ago. The Conclave has been looking for us all that time, and the CU has spent all that time preparing the trap. Now it's ready, so we're being dragged back into view. When General Rybicki's ship goes back, they're going to let it leak where we are. The news will get back to the Conclave. The Conclave will send its fleet here. And the Colonial Union will destroy it. That's the plan, anyway.† â€Å"Is it going to work?† I asked. â€Å"I don't know,† Dad said. â€Å"What happens if it doesn't?† I asked. Dad laughed a very small and bitter laugh. â€Å"If it doesn't, then I don't think the Conclave is going to be in any mood for negotiations,† he said. â€Å"Oh, God,† I said. â€Å"We have to tell people, Dad.† â€Å"I know we do,† he said. â€Å"I tried keeping things from the colonists before, and it didn't work very well.† He was talking about the werewolves there, and I reminded myself that when all this was done I needed to come clean to him about my own adventures with them. â€Å"But I also don't need another panic on our hands. People have been whipsawed enough in the last couple of days. I need to figure out a way to tell people what the CU has planned without putting them in fear for their lives.† â€Å"Despite the fact they should be,† I said. â€Å"That is the catch,† Dad said, and gave another bitter chuckle. Then he looked at me. â€Å"It's not right, Zoe. This whole colony is built on a lie. Roanoke was never intended to be a real colony, a viable colony. It exists because our government needed a way to thumb its nose at the Conclave, to defy its colonization ban, and to buy time to build a trap. Now that it's had that time, the only reason our colony exists is to be a goat at a stake. The Colonial Union doesn't care about us for who we are, Zoe. It only cares about us for what we are. What we represent to them. What they can use us for. Who we are doesn't actually enter into it.† â€Å"I know the feeling,† I said. â€Å"I'm sorry,† Dad said. â€Å"I'm getting both abstract and depressed.† â€Å"It's not abstract, Dad,† I said. â€Å"You're talking to the girl whose life is a treaty point. I know what it means to be valued for what I am rather than who I am.† Dad gave me a hug. â€Å"Not here, Zoe,† he said. â€Å"We love you for you. Although if you want to tell your Obin friends to get off their asses and help us, I wouldn't mind.† â€Å"Well, I did get Hickory and Dickory to swear not to kill you,† I said. â€Å"So that's progress, at least.† â€Å"Yes, baby steps in the right direction,† Dad said. â€Å"It'll be nice not to have to worry about being knifed by members of my household.† â€Å"There's always Mom,† I said. â€Å"Trust me, if I ever annoyed her that much, she wouldn't use something as painless as a knife,† Dad said. He kissed me on the cheek. â€Å"Thanks for coming to tell me what Hickory said, Zoe,† he said. â€Å"And thanks for keeping it to yourself for now.† â€Å"You're welcome,† I said, and then headed for the door. I stopped before I turned the handle. â€Å"Dad? How long do you think it will take before the Conclave is here?† â€Å"Not long, Zoe,† he said. â€Å"Not long at all.† In fact, it took just about two weeks. In that time, we prepared. Dad found a way to tell everyone the truth without having them panic: He told them that there was still a good chance the Conclave would find us and that the Colonial Union was planning on making a stand here; that there was still danger but that we had been in danger before, and that being smart and prepared was our best defense. Colonists called up plans to build bomb shelters and other protections, and used the excavation and construction machinery we'd kept packed up before. People kept to their work and stayed optimistic and prepared themselves as best they could, readying themselves for a life on the edge of a war. I spent my time reading the stuff Hickory and Dickory gave me, watching the videos of the colony removals, and poring through the data to see what I could learn. Hickory and Dickory were right, there was just too much of it, and lots of it in formats I couldn't understand. I don't know how Jane managed to keep it all straight in her head. But what was there was enough to know a few different things. First, the Conclave was huge: Over four hundred races belonged to it, each of them pledging to work together to colonize new worlds rather than compete for them. This was a wild idea; up until now all the hundreds of races in our part of space fought with each other to grab worlds and colonize them, and then once they created a new colony they all fought tooth and nail to keep their own and wipe out everyone else's. But in the Conclave setup, creatures from all sorts of races would live on the same planet. You wouldn't have to compete. In theory, a great idea – it beats having to try to kill everyone else in the area – but whether it would actually work was still up in the air. Which brought up the second point: It was still incredibly new. General Gau, the head of the Conclave, had worked for more than twenty years to put it together, and for most of those years it kept looking like it was going to fall apart. It didn't help that the Colonial Union – us humans – and a few others expended a lot of energy to break it up even before it got together. But somehow Gau made it happen, and in the last couple of years had actually taken it from planning to practicality. That wasn't a good thing for everyone who wasn't part of the Conclave, especially when the Conclave started making decrees, like that no one who wasn't part of the Conclave could colonize any new worlds. Any argument with the Conclave was an argument with every member of the Conclave. It wasn't a one-on-one thing; it was a four-hundred-on-one thing. And General Gau made sure people knew it. When the Conclave started bringing fleets to remove those new colonies that other races planted in defiance, there was one ship in that fleet for every race in the Conclave. I tried to imagine four hundred battle cruisers suddenly popping up over Roanoke, and then remembered that if the Colonial Union's plan worked, I'd see them soon enough. I stopped trying to imagine it. It was fair to wonder if the Colonial Union was insane for trying to pick a fight with the Conclave, but as big as it was, its newness worked against it. Every one of those four hundred allies had been enemies not too long ago. Each of them came in to the Conclave with its own plans and agenda, and not all of them, it seemed, were entirely convinced this Conclave thing was going to work; when it all came down, some of them planned to scoop up the choice pieces. It was still early enough for it all to fall apart, if someone applied just the right amount of pressure. It looked like the Colonial Union was planning to do that, up above Roanoke. Only one thing was keeping it all together, and that was the third thing I learned: That this General Gau was in his way a remarkable person. He wasn't like one of those tin-pot dictators who got lucky, seized a country and gave themselves the title of Grand High Poobah or whatever. He had been an actual general for a people called the Vrenn, and had won some important battles for them when he decided that it was wasteful to fight over resources that more than one race could easily and productively share; when he started campaigning with this idea, he was thrown into jail. No one likes a troublemaker. The ruler who tossed him in jail eventually died (Gau had nothing to do with it; it was natural causes) and Gau was offered the job, but he turned it down and instead tried to get other races to sign on to the idea of the Conclave. He had the disadvantage that he didn't get the Vrenn to go along with the idea at first; all he had to his name was an idea and a small battle cruiser called the Gentle Star, which he had gotten the Vrenn to give him after they decommissioned it. From what I could read, it seemed like the Vrenn thought they were buying him off with it, as in â€Å"here, take this, thanks for your service, go away, no need to send a postcard, bye.† But he didn't go away, and despite the fact that his idea was insane and impractical and nuts and could never possibly work because every race in our universe hated every other race too much, it worked. Because this General Gau made it work, by using his own skills and personality to get people of all different races to work together. The more I read about him, the more it seemed like the guy was really admirable. And yet he was also the person who had ordered the killing of civilian colonists. Yes, he'd offered to move them and even offered to give them space in the Conclave. But when it came right down to it, if they wouldn't move and they wouldn't join, he wiped them out. Just like he would wipe us all out, if despite everything Dad told Hickory and Dickory we didn't surrender the colony – or if, should the attack the Colonial Union had planned on the Conclave fleet go wrong, the general decided that the CU needed to be taught a lesson for daring to defy the Conclave and wiped us out just on general principles. I wasn't so sure just how admirable General Gau would be, if at the end of the day he wouldn't stop from killing me and every single person I cared about. It was a puzzle. He was a puzzle. I spent those two weeks trying to sort it out. Gretchen got grumpy with me that I'd been locked away without telling her what I was up to; Hickory and Dickory had to remind me to get out and work on my training. Even Jane wondered if I might not need to get outside more. The only person not to give me much grief was Enzo; since we got back together he was actually very accommodating about my schedule. I appreciated that. I made sure he knew. He seemed to appreciate that. And then just like that we all ran out of time. The Gentle Star, General Gau's ship, appeared above our colony one afternoon, disabled our communications satellite so Gau could have some time to chat, and then sent a message to Roanoke asking to meet with the colony leaders. John replied that he would meet with him. That evening, as the sun set, they met on the ridge outside the colony, about a klick away. â€Å"Hand me the binoculars, please,† I said to Hickory, as we climbed out to the roof of the bungalow. It obliged me. â€Å"Thanks,† I said. Dickory was below us, on the ground; old habits die hard. Even with the binoculars General Gau and Dad were little more than dots. I looked anyway. I wasn't the only one; on other roofs, in Croatoan and in the homesteads, other people sat on roofs with binoculars and telescopes, looking at Dad and the general, or scanning the sky, looking in the dusk for the Gentle Star. As night finally fell, I spotted the ship myself; a tiny dot between two stars, shining unblinkingly where the other stars twinkled. â€Å"How long until the other ships arrive, do you think?† I asked Hickory. The Gentle Star always arrived first, alone, and then at Gau's command, the hundreds of other ships would appear, a not-at-all-subtle bit of showmanship to get a reluctant colony leader to agree to get his or her people to leave their homes. I had watched it on previous colony removal videos. It would happen here, too. â€Å"Not long now,† Hickory said. â€Å"By now Major Perry will have refused to surrender the colony.† I took down my binoculars and glanced over to Hickory in the gloom. â€Å"You don't seem concerned about this,† I said. â€Å"That's a different tune than you were singing before.† â€Å"Things have changed,† Hickory said. â€Å"I wish I had your confidence,† I said. â€Å"Look,† Hickory said. â€Å"It has begun.† I glanced up. New stars had begun to appear in the sky. First one or two, then small groups, and then entire constellations. So many had begun to appear it was impossible to track every single appearance. I knew there were four hundred. It seemed like thousands. â€Å"Dear God,† I said, and I was afraid. Truly afraid. â€Å"Look at them all.† â€Å"Do not fear this attack, Zoe,† Hickory said. â€Å"We believe this plan will work.† â€Å"You know the plan?† I asked. I didn't take my eyes off the sky. â€Å"We learned of it this afternoon,† Hickory said. â€Å"Major Perry told us, as a courtesy to our government.† â€Å"You didn't tell me,† I said. â€Å"We thought you knew,† Hickory said. â€Å"You said you had spoken to Major Perry about it.† â€Å"We talked about the Colonial Union attacking the Conclave fleet,† I said. â€Å"But we didn't talk about how.† â€Å"My apologies, Zoe,† Hickory said. â€Å"I would have told you.† â€Å"Tell me now,† I said, and then something happened in the sky. The new stars started going nova. First one or two, then small groups, and then entire constellations. So many expanded and brightened that they had begun to blend into each other, forming an arm of a small and violent galaxy. It was beautiful. And it was the worst thing I had ever seen. â€Å"Antimatter bombs,† Hickory said. â€Å"The Colonial Union learned the identity of the ships in the Conclave fleet. It assigned members of your Special Forces to locate them and plant the bombs just before the jump here. Another Special Forces member here activated them.† â€Å"Bombs on how many ships?† I asked. â€Å"All of them,† Hickory said. â€Å"All but the Gentle Star.† I tried to turn to look at Hickory but I couldn't move my eyes from the sky. â€Å"That's impossible,† I said. â€Å"No,† Hickory said. â€Å"Not impossible. Extraordinarily difficult. But not impossible.† From other roofs and from the streets of Croatoan, cheers and shouts lifted into the air. I finally turned away, and wiped the tears off my face. Hickory noticed. â€Å"You cry for the Conclave fleet,† it said. â€Å"Yes,† I said. â€Å"For the people on those ships.† â€Å"Those ships were here to destroy the colony,† Hickory said. â€Å"I know,† I said. â€Å"You are sorry they were destroyed,† Hickory said. â€Å"I am sorry that we couldn't think of anything better,† I said. â€Å"I'm sorry that it had to be us or them.† â€Å"The Colonial Union believes this will be a great victory,† Hickory said. â€Å"It believes that destroying the Conclave's fleet in one engagement will cause the Conclave to collapse, ending its threat. This is what it has told my government.† â€Å"Oh,† I said. â€Å"It is to be hoped they are correct,† Hickory said. I was finally able to look away and face Hickory. The afterimages of the explosions placed blotches all around it. â€Å"Do you believe they are correct?† I asked. â€Å"Would your government believe it?† â€Å"Zoe,† Hickory said. â€Å"You will recall that just before you left for Roanoke, my government invited you to visit our worlds.† â€Å"I remember,† I said. â€Å"We invited you because our people longed to see you, and to see you among us,† Hickory said. â€Å"We also invited you because we believed that your government was going to use Roanoke as a ruse to open a battle against the Conclave. And while we did not know whether this ruse would be successful, we believed strongly that you would have been safer with us. There is no doubt that your life has been in danger here, Zoe, both in ways we had foreseen and in ways that we could not. We invited you, Zoe, because we feared for you. Do you understand what I am saying to you?† â€Å"I do,† I said. â€Å"You asked me if I believe the Colonial Union is correct, that this is a great victory, and if my government would believe the same,† Hickory said. â€Å"My response is to say that once again my government extends an invitation to you, Zoe, to come visit our worlds, and to travel safe among them.† I nodded, and looked back to the sky, where stars were still going nova. â€Å"And when would you want this trip to begin?† I asked. â€Å"Now,† Hickory said. â€Å"Or as close to now as possible.† I didn't say anything to that. I looked up to the sky, and then closed my eyes and for the first time, started to pray. I prayed for the crews of the ships above me. I prayed for the colonists below me. I prayed for John and Jane. For Gretchen and her father. For Magdy and for Enzo and their families. For Hickory and Dickory. I prayed for General Gau. I prayed for everyone. I prayed. â€Å"Zoe,† Hickory said. I opened my eyes. â€Å"Thank you for the invitation,† I said. â€Å"I regret I must decline.† Hickory was silent. â€Å"Thank you, Hickory,† I said. â€Å"Really, thank you. But I am right where I belong.†