How Did the Greek King Agamemnon Die

King Agamemnon is a mythological character from Greek legend, most famously appearing in Homers The Illiad, but also found in other source material from Greek mythology. In the legend, he is the King of Mycenae and the leader of the Greek army in the Trojan War. There is no  historical  verification  of either a Mycenaen  king  name Agamemnon, nor  a Trojan  Was as described by Homer, but  some  historians find  tantalizing  archeological evidence that  they  may be  based in early Greek history. Agamemnon and the Trojan War The Trojan War is the legendary (and almost certainly mythical) conflict in which Agamemnon laid siege to Troy in an effort to retrieve Helen, his sister-in-law after she had been taken to Troy by Paris. After the death of some famous heroes, including Achilles, the Trojans fell victim to a ruse in which they accepted a large, hollow horse as a gift, only to find that Achean Greek warriors had hidden inside, emerging at night to vanquish the Trojans. This is tale is the source   of the term  Trojan Horse, used to describe any supposed gift that contains the seeds of disaster, as well as the old saying, Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts.  Ã‚  Yet another oft-used term to come out of this legend is face that launched a thousand ships, which is a description used for Helen, and now sometimes used for any beautiful woman for which men will perform superhuman feats.   The Story of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra In the most famous story,  Agamemnon, brother of Menelaus,  came home to a very unhappy household in his kingdom of Mycenae  after the Trojan War. His wife, Clytemnestra, was still justifiably furious that he had sacrificed their daughter, Iphigenia, in order to get fair sailing winds to sail to Troy. Bitterly vengeful toward Agamemnon, Clytemnestra (Helens half-sister), had taken Agamemnons cousin Aegisthus as her lover while her husband was away fighting the Trojan war. (Aegisthus was the son of Agamemnons uncle, Thyestes, and Thyestess daughter, Pelopia.)   Clytemnestra had installed herself up as the supreme queen while Agamemnon was away, but her bitterness increased when he returned from the war not repentant, but in the company of another woman, a concubine—a concubine, the Trojan prophetess-princess—as well as (according to some sources) his children borne by Cassandra.   Clytemnestras vengefulness saw no bounds. Various stories tell different versions of the exact way Agamemnon died, but the essence is that Clytemnestra and Aegisthus murdered him in cold blood, out of vengeance for Iphigenias death and other slights he had perpetrated against them. As Homer recounts in  the  Odyssey,  when Odysseus saw Agamemnon in the underworld, the dead king complained, Brought low by Aegisthus’ sword I tried to lift my arms in dying, but bitch that she was my wife turned away, and though I was going to Hadess  Halls she disdained even to close my eyelids or my  mouth. Clytemnestra and Aegisthus also slaughtered Cassandra. Aegisthus and Clytemnestra, demonized in later Greek tragedy, ruled  Mycenae for a time after dispatching with Agamemnon and Cassandra, but when her son by Agamemnon, Orestes, returned to Mycenae, he murdered them both, as beautifully told in Euripidess Oresteia.

The Effects Of Racism On Society s Perception On Culture...

Race has always been one of the greatest issues throughout the world. How people categorize themselves based on their physical appearance, and choose which characteristics are preferable in society, really emphasizes racism. Ethnocentrism is what distorts society’s perception on which physical characteristics are preferable and better for society. Using one’s own culture to evaluate and judge the practices and ideas of others is what ignites racism. The biggest issue with racism is the evaluation of whether they one race is perceived to be inferior or superior. White supremacy is an ideology that has places races in a hierarchy where people of lighter skin tones are placed on the top, while everyone else is considered to be inferior. The perception on culture and race is distorted through the false belief of white supremacy, and race being biologically inherited. When evaluating race and racism, it is quite obvious to have noted which characteristics of humans are preferred. By evaluating times in history when countries were conquered, the white race had to most advantage in attaining the most power and what benefits society best. Non-whites are believed to be biologically different, intellectually inferior, and not fully human in a spiritual sense (Guest 214-15). This evaluation on non-whites determines the welfare of those who not meet certain standards that are distinguished as â€Å"superior qualities†. Those who are non-white are considered to be inferior in the eyes ofShow MoreRelatedRacism And The Australian Human Rights Commission1626 Words   |  7 PagesRacism, wherever it occurs, has damaging effects. It can be defined as the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race (Oxford dictionary). It can occur on individual, in ternal,or institutional levels, and it can be either subtle or obvious (Jones,2000). 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Mama Might Be Better Off Dead by Laurie Kaye Abraham free essay sample

Critical review of work exposing mistreatment of poor sick by U.S. health care system, with personal reaction. Laurie Kaye Abraham argues in Mama Might Be Better Off Dead: The Failure of Health Care in the United States that the health care system in the United States has indeed failed miserably, specifically in treating poor people. As Abraham portrays it, the system has not only failed, it seems to have been created to fail, and to cause as much misery for poor and helpless sick people as it possibly can. Despite this negative portrait, the author apparently believes that the system can be restructured to better serve the poor sick in this country, although it seems that a complete collapse of the system first is more likely. However, the author is not merely trying to show the sad state of the system overall, in national, statistical, theoretical, or other grand contexts. We will write a custom essay sample on Mama Might Be Better Off Dead by Laurie Kaye Abraham or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page To the contrary, she wants to bring the reader down to the level where the failure of the

The drama skills Essay Example For Students

The drama skills Essay I found this scene similar to the Rabid Dog one, as it was quite complicated working with the lights and how they would be most effective and the fact we were reading from scripts made the acting stiffer.  Scenes of Jem and Ms Dubose: Here we did a few short scenes where first two young children get their father unfairly insulted by an old woman, instead of ignoring it, one of the children gets mad and attacks the womans porch by throwing over all her potted plants and wrecking the whole place. Later he was told by his Dad to say sorry, then we had to do a scene where he went to the old woman to apologise. The scenes where he wrecks the porch and has to apologise are not written in the book so were improvised. We will write a custom essay on The drama skills specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now These were some of my favourite scenes as it involved giving us a free reign to do acting. The Drama Skills used, were Improvisation, mime and Thought Tracking. When the boy was destroying the porch we used one actor to play the part of the boy in mime, and another to do the thought tracking of the boy saying what he would be saying or thinking at the time. This was very fun and interesting as we looked closely at how the boy would feel and then acted it. The scene where he had to apologise was a very interesting scene as again we were given a free reign in what we could do. Here we tried to convey status by making the woman seem in total control of the boy who had to apologise. Interpretations: Here we acted out different peoples interpretations or viewings of the same scene. The drama skills used were, Script Work, and Improvisation. Here we based our plays on the script but did not use the script during the scenes as they were very short. I didnt like this exercise as I found it rather tedious and not very helpful as we could have just read through it as a class and have had the same understanding.  Conclusion  Overall I enjoyed reading the play and acting the scenes. Most of the scenes were beneficial to my understanding of the play and helped my acting skills. The Skills that helped me the most were: Thought-tracking Helped me the most as it helped me really get involved and get a good understanding of the character and why they were doing what they were doing.  Staging Although rather complicated this helped immensely as it was the first time I looked hard at staging and how it effects a play.  Script Work Without this I would not have had much of an idea of what was going on even though it did get a bit boring.  Skills that may have helped me if we had done more of them would have been: Improvisation This is my favourite type of acting and it really helps you get a good understanding of what is happening and why, more of this would have enriched my understanding of the play further.  Mime I found what we did of this very good as it concentrated on your facial expressions which are one of the most important parts of acting, more of this would have again helped me understand the play better.  I think we covered all the skills that we could have done.

Battle Royal By Ellison Essays (674 words) - Nigger, Profanity

Battle Royal By Ellison The narrator of "Battle Royal," lived his life under the illusion that everybody had an equal chance in life. He desperately wanted and tried to please everyone, thinking that if he did he would eventually rise and become somebody great. He was a great speaker and his speeches won him great recognition, but he did not realize that nobody took him seriously. He was trapped in a body of inferior qualities and would never amount to anything. The setting of "Battle Royal," was recently after slavery had been abolished. A time where blacks were free, but looked upon and treated with less than equality. The narrator was praised by the whitest of white men in the town, and looked upon as an example of desirable conduct. What he did not understand was that they did not think any more of him than any other black man, he was just another nigger to them. The magnificent blonde that paraded around the middle of the boxing ring was more than just amusement. This was everything that these black men wanted, but would never have. She represented the American dream of power, wealth, and fame. The narrator knew he could never have her, but he looked anyway. "Had the price of looking been blindness, I would have looked." Pg198. The author had devoted his life to pleasing the white men, so he could speak, to be somebody, but he would never amount to anything. He was their toy. The "Battle Royal," itself was a thorough example of the power that the white man had over the blacks. All ten of the boys were made to go through acts of humiliation before and after they had fought and made to wear blindfolds during the actual fight. The boys were degraded and humiliated throughout the whole event and didn't once think that they were being mistreated. They were scared of the white men and what might happen if they did not cooperate. The boys had been brought in to fight for the men and be nothing more than an amusement. After the fight was over the boys were led to an electrified rug, covered in piles of money, which they were told was to be their reward. There appeared to be quite a sum of coins, crumpled bills, and gold pieces, which turned out to be next to nothing considering the gold pieces were actually brass advertising tokens. The boys had been misled, lied to, and physically abused, but never spoke out against the white men once. The white men knew the could do whatever they wanted and they did. A few days after the fight the narrator had a dream that he and his grandfather were at the circus. "...I dreamed that I was at the circus and that he refused to laugh at the clowns no matter what they did." Pg. 205. This dream was an image of what had happened that night at the "Battle Royal." He was one of the white men sitting in the crowd looking at what had been him and the other boys which were represented by the clowns. His grandfather was trying to show him what he had really looked like that night in the ring. Then he opened his briefcase to read what was inside. He opened the envelope stamped with the state seal only to endlessly find envelope after envelope. His grandfather explained to him that these envelops represented years of his life. Finally the last envelope contained a letter which read, "To Whom It May Concern, Keep This Nigger Boy Running." Pg. 205. This letter represented what the white man wanted for him. They wanted him to become educated and to eventually lead his people. They figured that they could keep him busy leading his people in circles. To keep them ever chasing their dreams to which they would never catch up with. The narrator had lived his whole life chasing his dreams and continually ignoring the reality of his situation. He thought the white men were helping him to achieve his goals and eventually he would get to where he wanted to be. What he did not realize was that he was doing everything the white man wanted him to. They did not take him seriously and they never would.

Watt Surname Meaning and Origin

Watt Surname Meaning and Origin The Watt  surname derives from early forms of the personal name Walter. The popular Middle English given names Wat and Watt were pet forms of the name Walter, meaning powerful ruler or ruler of the army, from the elements wald, meaning rule, and heri, meaning army. Watt is the 80th most common surname in Scotland. Surname Origin:  Scottish,  English Alternate Surname Spellings: WATTS,  WATTE,  WATTIS, WATS  See also WATSON. Where Do People with the Watt Surname Live According to WorldNames PublicProfiler, the last name Watts is most common in Wales, especially Pembrokeshire, as well as Somerset, Gloucester, and Northampton counties in England. The Watt spelling (without the s) is much more common in Scotland, as well as County Tyrone in Northern Ireland. Both names are also popular in Australia and New Zealand. Interestingly, the Watt spelling is more common in the Canada, while Watts is found more frequently in the United States. Surname distribution data from Forebears also puts Watt as most frequently found in Scotland. In 1881 the name was most commonly found in Banffshire where it ranked 5th, as well as East Lothian (#11), Aberdeenshire (#20) and  Kincardineshire (#21). In contrast, the Watts surname is more common in Wales (#128), England (#139), Australia (#151), New Zealand (#252) and the United States (#323) than it is in Scotland, where it ranks 692nd most common. Famous People with the Watt Surname James Watt - Inventor of the modern steam engine- NFL football playerAndrà © Watts - German pianistCharlie Watts - English drummer, best known for being part of the  famed rock n roll group The Rolling StonesReggie Watts - German-born musical comedianIsaac Watts -  English Christian minister, hymn writer and theologian; author of the Christmas hymn Joy to the World Genealogy Resources for the Surname Watt 100 Most Common U.S. Surnames Their MeaningsSmith, Johnson, Williams, Jones, Brown... Are you one of the millions of Americans sporting one of these top 100 common last names from the 2000 census? Watt/Watts/Watson Family Reconstruction ProjectOver 150 group members belong to this Y-DNA surname project, working together to combine DNA testing with traditional genealogy research to sort out Watt, Watts and Watson ancestral lines. Watt Family Crest - Its Not What You ThinkContrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as a Watt family crest or coat of arms for the Watson surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted.   WATT Family Genealogy ForumSearch this popular genealogy forum for the Watt surname to find others who might be researching your ancestors, or post your own Watt query. FamilySearch - WATT GenealogyAccess over 8 million free historical records and lineage-linked family trees posted for the Watt surname and its variations on this free genealogy website hosted by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. WATT Surname Family Mailing ListsRootsWeb hosts several free mailing lists for researchers of the Watt surname. You can also browse or search the list archives to explore previous postings for the Watt surname. DistantCousin.com - WATT Genealogy Family HistoryFree databases and genealogy links for the last name Watt. The Watt Genealogy and Family Tree PageBrowse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Watt from the website of Genealogy Today.- References: Surname Meanings Origins Cottle, Basil. Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore: Penguin Books, 1967. Menk, Lars. A Dictionary of German Jewish Surnames. Bergenfield, NJ: Avotaynu, 2005. Beider, Alexander. A Dictionary of Jewish Surnames from Galicia.  Bergenfield, NJ:  Avotaynu, 2004. Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of Surnames. New York: Oxford University Press, 1989. Hanks, Patrick. Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. Hoffman, William F. Polish Surnames: Origins and Meanings.  Chicago:  Polish Genealogical Society, 1993. Rymut, Kazimierz. Nazwiska Polakow.  Wroclaw: Zaklad Narodowy im. Ossolinskich - Wydawnictwo, 1991. Smith, Elsdon C. American Surnames. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

Got to Have a Goal Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Got to Have a Goal - Assignment Example Sales and compensation are integral to modern business organizations. These aspects are ascertained to impose paramount impact on the overall performance of the businesses in the contemporary world. Thus, this assignment intends to address these two major aspects. Correspondingly, the assignment is segregated into two parts. The first part reflects upon the three major techniques of goal setting in sales and provides a case study of a company, which exemplifies best practices in establishing sales goals. Similarly, the second part of the assignment considers the discussion made about three major sales incentives along with elaborating a case study on a company, exemplifying best practices in sales incentives. It is claimed that before striving any kind of business success, it is crucial for an individual to remain much aware about what he/she is striving for. The substantial knowledge regarding the aspects for which the individual is striving enable in directing efforts towards specific directions that result in attaining the best outcomes. Correspondingly, goal setting is advocated to be vital. It is essential for every individual to understand the prominence of goal setting in pursuit of certain aspects. Same rule is identified to be relevant for sales professionals in order to gain personal and organizational success. Notably, it has been argued that there are certain specific goal setting techniques in sales that required to be followed by sales professionals for gaining greater success. Failure to incorporate appropriate goal-setting techniques is observed to cause financial loss and in certain circumstances, it may also result in job loss. Most importantly, the failure may sabotage the chances of sales professionals to succeed. Thus, it is decisive for sales professionals to apply effective goal setting techniques frequently. The three basic goal-setting techniques

Euro-Debt Crisis and the European Union Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Euro-Debt Crisis and the European Union - Essay Example Rather than specifically call out any of the EU member states, Christine Lagarde calls on the ECB to fully commit reserve funding to deploy bailouts. The problem with this particular viewpoint is that the European Union is becoming more and more entwined with the internal political and economic desperation that is exhibited among the weakest links within the Union’s membership. Although attempting to save the European Union has been a central theme of the combined efforts of the world’s most influential financial body (the IMF), these efforts have dragged on and on and look increasingly unlikely to avert a crisis and/or disaster that is already unfolding before the eyes of the viewer (Wall Street Journal 1). The situation with Greece is but one example. Although the article in question deals mostly with the IMF’s implied directions regarding Spanish liquidity, this is just another example of the debt contagion that threatens to envelop the economies Greece, Spain, Italy, Portugal, and Ireland (PIIGS). In the article, Lagarde goes on to implore the domestic/state actors of the respective economies to fully cooperate with all haste and cooperation with the efforts of the European Central Bank. One interesting component of this advice is the fact that many of these state actors are playing a very tenuous balancing game. This balancing game is accented by attempting to employ the rigid austerity measures that the ECB requires in order for the disbursal of any further monetary aid/loans/bailout package, the fear that the European Union will eventually collapse and the consequential reaction to withhold resources in order to prepare for a worst-case scenario forcible exit from the Eurozone. It is for precisely this reason that Christine Lagarde is so adamant that each of these nations commits themselves fully to the proposition of saving the Euro.

Lets Be Lefties for a Day Essay Example for Free

Lets Be Lefties for a Day Essay Corporations must develop a plan to develop their employees to embrace cultural competency and value diversity. Promoting to understand cultural, ethnic and gender difference requires awareness and being sensitive to others needs in the workplace or patient population served in an organization. Employees should be culturally knowledgeable and be able to interpret the needs and disparities of a particular group or culture. Being able to interpret the health and disparities are keys elements to understand the health care practice. Health care organizations should encourage and promote individuals to engage cross culturally with other diverse backgrounds. Health care providers should be aware of selfcare remedies practices and health traditions of groups served in the clinic or hospital setting. To a be viewed as culturally competent the provider of care should possess the ability to integrate the skills, attitude and knowledge learned of other ethnic backgrounds. Applying the knowledge received is a strategic effort in respecting the cultural difference of others. Avoiding ethnocentric responses to care of the individual patient is a positive reaction of a culturally competent person. Keeping in mind that each patient is culturally unique. Cultural competence should address and accept gender difference among employees, health care team, patients, families, providers and the community. As a population we are diverse in many dimensions including diversity as being recognizable when it comes to gender, religion, race, weight, age, education, physical and mental abilities, sexual orientation, marital status, physical clothing appearance and job relevant abilities. Identifying potential similarities and differences of an organization or a community can help one to deliver competent service or promote relevant team building. In healthcare one example of a guide to assist in transforming is Transcultural Communication in Nursing (Munoz Luckman , 2005). A persons motive to categorize, encompassed with the need to dissect the person categorized, leads to stereotyping. To approach cultural knowledge from a particular viewpoint is inappropriate and can lead to stereotyping in the workplace. One can take explore their cultural value and beliefs related to the corporate environment or health care industry. Developing strategies to examine one’s cultural bias is a way to show sensitivity to others culture. Also establishing a basic understanding is another way to improve cultural knowledge along with taking advantage of creditable websites and reading research studies that describe cultural differences. In order to maintain relationships as a provider or in a corporate environment is relevant to ask a client what they need, what they expect to receive, and whether they have received, what they think will help the situation or make them feel better. Corporations must develop a plan to develop the knowledge, skills and sensitivities needed to work in a culturally –diverse population. Culturally diversity can complicate the delivery of care seen in the community and health disparities refer to inequalities and differences in health status and outcomes. Decisions in cultural diversity is lacking when you evaluate healthcare access to care in urban and rural areas. Lack of preventive screenings and completion of health indicators are seen in the general population and other social ethnic groups of the underserved and social economic lifestyle. Cultural competency is valuable because it facilitates positive experiences and development in team building by improving effiencicy and effectiveness in a health care organization. Training workers and reinforcing the Golden Rule â€Å"Do unto others as they would like done unto them†, is an important mission statement. Being able to effectively change is another component needed in an organization. New ways to creativity thinking about the world and learning about health and wellness for ourselves can positively penetrate the world around and ultimately impact diversity in organizations. American Academy of Ambulatory Nursing (AAACN 2006), pp.242-243 Tajfel, H. (1978). â€Å"Social Categorization, Social Identity and Social Comparison.† In H. Tajfel (Ed.), Differentiation Between Social Groups, London: Academic Press, pp. 61–76. Bell â€Å"Diversity in Organization† (2007) pp.62

Six Markets Model Of Relationship Marketing Marketing Essay

Six Markets Model Of Relationship Marketing Marketing Essay An Organization must exceed customer expectations in order to retain them and develop a healthy relationship with them. The methods and tactics involved to develop long term relationship with the customers in order to retain them is termed as Relationship Marketing. (http://www.learnmarketing.net/relationshipmarketing.htm) To attract and retain its customers the company must put into place some tactics and methods which may include promoting the product and brand, offering good quality product/services at competitive prices. At the same time its very difficult to keep the customers 100% satisfied reasons could be any as needs and wants of the customers change. So its a good practice to keep monitoring them in a number of ways. Internal Markets: The process of bringing support for a company and its activities within its own employees, in order to encourage them to promote its goals is defined as Internal Market. Internal Marketing did not play a vital role in traditional marketing but relational marketing sees the importance and treats the employees as an enabler to enhance external market place performance. If internal market is neglected external market would collapse. Its always the employees who create the trust and build the relationship with the customers. Therefore the firm must meet the needs of the employees are the basis to meet the customer needs. Customer MarketsSupplier Markets: Establishing long term relations with suppliers is a departure from traditional supplier positions. This development means that suppliers are seen as collaborators or partners in improving quality and managing costs.Relationships with suppliers is the main focus in recent years in relationship marketing. In traditional marketing the suppliers were unable to invest in the new plants and technologies which allowed them to deliver better products and services, faster and more cheaply. In relationship marketing manufacturers choose to build less exploitative relationships with fewer suppliers creating integrated and relatively stable supply chains thus allowing quality and flexibility in the system with low costs. Recruitment Markets: Recruitment marketing is the vital area for any organization to conduct strategic and effective partnerships with intermediaries in order to expose the company and capture the best trained and experienced workforce. Getting and retaining best people to work in the profession to build sustainability with the customers. Referral Markets: Developing relationships in referral markets means to link up with those people or institutions that have the power to direct business to the company. Key existing customers are often referral sources, and so are intermediaries, third party buyers, agencies and business networks. This is often the most effective part of an overall marketing plan and the best use of resources. (http://www.economicexpert.com/3a/Relationship:marketing.htm) Influence Markets: Influence markets are important to an organization in terms of relationship marketing as members of this market include bodies that directly impact on the organization. They involve sub markets like government regulators, stockholders, venture capitalists, financial analysts, stockbrokers, consumer associations, environmental associations, and labor associations. Developing relationships in referral markets means to link up with those people or institutions that have the power to direct business to the company. These activities are typically carried out by the public relations department. Customer Markets: The goal of customer markets is to get the customers and retain them. Sustained growth in business usually depends upon the same customer coming back again and again. Existing relationships with customers cost less to sustain than new ones. Traditional marketing: Marketing is the process to identify and retain the customer i.e. to know what products or services are of interest to the customer. In order to stay profitable companies should shift focus from production and build strong customer relationships. These factors are considered as the cutting edge over its competitors. Traditional marketing is a marketing mix with Four Ps. They refer to the four factors that a marketer has to consider comprising of Product, Price, Promotion and Placement. The first is the Product its production and management; second is the price; and the third is its promotion with advertising and branding etc finally the fourth is the placement or the distribution of the product. Before launching any product these four elements are to be well planned by any organization. (http://ezinearticles.com/?Overview-of-Traditional-marketingid=374128 ). Limitations of Traditional Marketing: Traditional marketing is company focused and product based with the intension to increase the visibility of the company and its brand. Its a failure since brand recall is very minimal as customer is exposed to many brands. The company becomes the active participant while the customer becomes inactive. Traditional marketing uses USP (Unique selling proposition) which is exclusive to a particular product from a particular brand. In todays world every brand is has all the features offered by its competitors therefore the USP marketing is becoming passive. Advertising is the main strategy for any business to give product visibility and boosts its sales. Traditional marketing uses Above the line advertising method which uses media as the main source like Newspapers, Magazines, TVs, all kind of mailers and leaflets. Its a drawback since the online marketing is offering a lots of hope to the marketer reaching out to a prospective customer at a faster pace. Internal Marketing is given little or no attention. Market share is taken as customer satisfaction indicator. Commitment to customers is very limited. (http://ezinearticles.com/?Overview-of-Traditional-marketingid=374128 ). Market Segmentation: Examples to evaluate the effective use of relationship marketing: New use of technology as marketing tools: To maximise organizations goals the companies have to adopt latest technologies and developments such as the Internet, Social Networks, Intelligent commercial websites, Media / Advertising using Billboards, Networking and Direct mail etc. (http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/uploads/E%20J%20Pullicino%20-%20MBA.pdf) Promoting the products through internet is termed as E-Commerce it is a network enabled business for selling products and services on the website. It is a practical medium for realizing the benefits of Relationship marketing. Consumers get greater and easier access to the market because information about competing offers is searchable and marketers are provided with the information they need to do their job more effectively. Email marketing strategy is used to build business through email marketing campaigns and online surveys. Advertising using Billboard is most common in 21st century. The use of signs along roadways to advertise a wide range of products, services etc. The signs used in these roadside advertising campaigns must be over a certain size in order to be referred to as a billboard and must be large enough for a driver or passenger in a vehicle to be able to clearly read the lettering while navigating the vehicle along a road. The effectiveness of these advertisements led to creating an entirely new branch of the advertising industry, as clients demanded newer and more attractive ads that would catch the eye and entice the traveler to stop and spend money. (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-billboard-advertising.htm) An integrated social media marketing strategy can help ecommerce site increase brand visibility, improve customer loyalty, and gain important insights about the markets served. (http://www.practicalecommerce.com/articles/961-Ecommerce-Know-How-Social-Media-as-a-Marketing-Tool) Mobility Marketing: Universal mobility programs are marketed through Mobility Marketing. Mobility programs consist of public, private, and human services modal alternatives. Mobility program is a success by implementing developing Techniques, Strategies, and Public Relations tools. Viral Marketing: A strategy that facilitates and encourages individuals to pass along a marketing message is termed as Viral Marketing. It depends on a high pass-along rate from person to person. If a large number of recipients forward something to a large number of friends, the overall growth rises very quickly. If the pass-along numbers get too low, the overall growth quickly falls down. Hotmail is cited as the first example of viral marketing. (http://www.marketingterms.com/dictionary/viral_marketing/) Its been referred as word of mouth, creating a buzz. Effortless and instant inexpensive communications to people is done through internet which is working out well in Viral Marketing. Another way to propagate the message is use others websites like placing text, graphics etc basically giving adverts in various websites to pass on the message. (http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt5/viral-principles.htm) Guerrilla Marketing: Guerilla Marketing is unconventional marketing intended to get maximum results from minimal resources and it is specifically used in small business and entrepreneurs. Marketing is done in an unusual way at public places, street giveaways etc. In order to sell a product or a service, a company must establish a relationship with the customer build trust and support and understand the customers needs, and it must provide a product that delivers the promised benefits. Guerilla Marketing uses several tactics as follows: Providing service which is beyond customer expectations. Aiming efforts to impress the customers. Working hours that matches the customers requirements. Use of extreme specialization skills to market a product. (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/guerilla-marketing.html) Importance of Social Networks in Marketing: Social Networking is defined as grouping of individuals into groups like communities to make new friends and connect with old ones. Professionals use social networking to improve their career. In 21st century social networking is mainly done online through websites termed as Social sites. They function as online communities for internet users. Depending on the websites the users share their experiences, hobbies, politics etc thus socializing themselves from home. Another benefit is diversity because the internet gives individuals from all around the world to access the social sites. These sites are designed focusing on the interest of the individual. The websites without a main focus are referred to as traditional social networking sites and have open memberships. At the same time there are hidden dangers associated with these sites like data theft and viruses. These crimes are termed as cyber crimes. Depending on the cyber surrounding proceed with caution online conversations, marke ting etc. There are several Forums and groups such as Friendwise, Friendfinder, Facebook, Orkut, Twitter and many more. (http://www.whatissocialnetworking.com/) Promoting Products and Services using Social Networks: Facebook: Businesses large and small are actively connecting with customers through Facebook which has a number of tools that make it powerful helping them to spread brands by attract potential customers. It also helps business to review ways to make it better. Facebook is the second largest website with more than 321 million people. Ways Facebook can help business: Facebook Pages: Businesses can create their own profiles on Facebook using Pages. These pages help the business to give an identity by publishing companys information, photos, videos etc. When a individual is interested in a certain brand a note is written in those pages. These pages are posted back for all the friends to see thus promoting the product. Individuals are spreading the good word about products they are using making it easier for companies to market their products through word of mouth. People can know instantly about any news that they have to share. Applications: With powerful API developers write software helping to promote business on Facebook. For instance Visa Business Network application which takes information about users and allows them to better network with small business owners. Advertising: Facebook is a free application but gets its revenue through its powerful advertising engine that enables businesses to specify a specific demographic target, see how many people that demographic will hit, and advertise to that demographic. It also has advertising links at the bottom promoting products and services. Polls: Its a boon for marketers looking to get a quick answer about a particular feature theyd like to implement, or just to find out information and opinions. (http://www.insidefacebook.com/2008/07/28/facebook-for-business-what-it-needs-what-it-has/) Twitter: Twitter is one of the fast growing free online platforms that is being used for communication and conversation with over 1 million users and broadcasts over 3 million messages everyday. It can be used as a marketing tool, but the users must do it right by following the Twitter etiquette in order to be effective. (http://marketing.about.com/b/2008/10/07/twitter-a-marketing-tool.htm) Twitter is an application that allows to tweet with individuals. Search queries can be performed and notified if someone is searching for us. Its a great tool that can consistently run on the desktop. With the help of Twitterfeed one can post blog posts directly into ones Twitter account. Ubertwitter is a tool to get blogs on cell phone the users can reply and direct messages. Twitter is used as a media outlet by posting news and updates of the company or products. Ultimately Twitter provides an excellent source of free publicity. Twitter marketing is all about talking to the prospective customers, interacting with them thus providing optimal customer service. Its a fantastic tool giving the brand a voice and identity. It can be made as a best marketing tool by following unique style while twittering.

Policing and the Constitution

The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution states: Prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures and sets out requirements for search warrants based on probable cause. This amendment impacts law enforcement because police need a warrant to make arrests and searches. This is not applicable if the officer has first-hand knowledge of an event and the evidence is likely to be destroyed or the subject will abscond if time is taken to get a warrant. If a warrantless search is made by the police that should have been made only after a warrant was issued, then all knowledge gained by that evidence is not allowed in testimony. The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution states: Set out rules for indictment by grand jury and eminent domain, protects the right to due process, and prohibits self-incrimination and double jeopardy. This means that the officer does not determine innocence or guilt. She or he only determines probable cause of belief of guilt. Also, an officer cannot force a person to bear witness against himself. If a person is tried and a verdict is given, that person cannot be tried again. Accused persons cannot be forced to say anything. Eminent domain is the power of a government to take private property for public use, usually with compensation paid to the owner. The Sixth Amendment of the United States Constitution states: Protects the right to a fair and speedy public trial by jury, including the rights to be notified of accusations, to confront the accuser, to obtain witnesses and to retain counsel. This means the subject has the right to counsel before, during, and after questioning. Should the subject request the presence of an attorney, questioning should cease until counsel arrives. Probable cause is one of the fundamental protections built into the criminal justice system by the founding generation of the United States. Probable cause is the standard by which an officer or agent of the law has the grounds to obtain a warrant for, or as an exception to the warrant requirements for, making an arrest or conducting a personal or property search, etc. when criminal charges are being considered. This term comes from the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The exclusionary rule is a rule in which any evidence that is obtained in violation of the accused’s rights under the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Amendments, as well as any evidence derived from illegally obtained evidence, will not be admissible in criminal court. The exclusionary rule has been controversial for decades because many people believe that it is unconstitutional and not helpful the finding the truth in criminal proceedings. The name fruit of the poisonous tree is thus a metaphor: the poisonous tree is evidence seized in an illegal arrest, search, or interrogation by law enforcement. The fruit of this poisonous tree is evidence later discovered because of knowledge gained from the first illegal search, arrest, or interrogation. The poisonous tree and the fruit are both excluded from a criminal trial. The fruit of the poisonous tree doctrine is an offspring of the exclusionary rule. The Miranda rights, also known as Miranda warning, is a warning given by police in the United States to criminal suspects in police custody before they are interrogated to preserve the admissibility of their statements against them in criminal proceedings. Your Miranda rights are your rights as per being under arrest. If you are not under arrest they may detain you, but cannot lock you up unless by reasonable evidence they can prove that you are guilty of the crime in which they would more than likely arrest you. Questioning is not a reasonable excuse to lock you up without circumstantial evidence. They do not need to notify you unless they search your property, or person in which they would need a warrant and also do not need notification with accurate evidence against you. Your Miranda warning reads as followed: You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak with an attorney and to have an attorney present during questioning. If you so desire and cannot afford one, an attorney will be appointed for you without charge before questioning. An arrest is the taking into custody of a citizen for the purpose of detaining him or her on a criminal charge. Frisking is a search of a person’s outer clothing wherein a person runs his or her hands along the outer garments to detect any concealed weapons or contraband. A stop takes place when a law enforcement officer has reasonable suspicion that a criminal activity is about to take place. An interrogation is the direct questioning of a suspect to gather evidence of criminal activity and to try to gain a confession. A custodial interrogation occurs when a suspect is under arrest or is deprived of his or her freedom in a significant manner. A reading of the Miranda warning is only required before a custodial interrogation. An interrogation is when you are not in custody, and a custodial interrogation is when you are in custody.

My reaction to Dante’s Inferno Essay

While I was looking back through all the freewrites I had written about Dante’s The Divine Comedy I realized how much I had really progressed in my understanding of the poem itself, and in doing so had really been given a whole new view on religion and spirituality. The freewrite that showed this growth to me the most was the second one we had written after reading Canto’s III and IV. I had a rather strong reaction to the ideas presented to me within those sections that dealt with the concept of Limbo. That reaction brought on somewhat of a domino effect, bringing up even larger issues for me that had to do with my views on Christianity and the assumptions I made about it. Through further reading and class discussions I was able to start looking The Divine Comedy with a whole new angle, allowing me to grasp Dante’s message of being responsible for your actions so that you can be in control of your own fate. Limbo was making little sense to me. I could not comprehend how God could let these worthy souls, especially Virgil, not go up to heaven just because of certain technicalities that were beyond their control, such as not living in a time of Christianity or living in a culture that was not Christian. Or being held up because of something as small as not being baptised. It seemed so arbitrary to me that God could get so hung up on these details and punish those souls by not permitting them to go to heaven even though they seemed to deserve it. I am really not religious at all, and I have a lot of my own views about the afterlife and God. Realizing that my values are probably different than the average Christian, I adopted what I think of as the â€Å"normal† Christian view when I go into anything that deals with religion. That view, to be simplistic about it, is that we go through life, and when we die, God either rewards or punishes us for the life we led by sending us to heaven or hell. So when I began reading The Divine Comedy, I was trying to apply that overly simplistic view to the poem, and it led to a lot of confusion for me. I had to overcome my assumption that God was the judgemental ruler and determiner of all things and realize that Dante wants us to understand that we have all the control over our fate because we have the power to choose right from wrong in any situation. In this poem, it’s a matter of making the right  decisions and doing the right things to lead a life of God, or its choosing to do the wrong thing, therefore giving your self a hellish existence. Dante gives us the idea that God is eternally forgiving and accepting of us. Therefore the people we see suffering so horribly all throughout the Inferno have made the decision to be there. None of them ever ask to get out. They are quite literally still choosing to be in hell because they refuse to see the evil in their decisions. You can’t feel sorry for any of them because of this. It gives it a certain level of deservidness when you read of all the tortures going on in the Inferno. That I think really explains the idea of contrapasso. You get what you deserve. This is seen in every level of hell, it is what the Inferno is based upon, it is the physical punishment that fits the sin. Like in the seventh circle, for example, tyrants and murderers are immersed in a boiling river of blood. Or in the first ring of the ninth circle, traitors are immersed in ice with their heads bent down. Dante feels that they chose to sin, and now they are paying for it. They choose to be there by not recognizing their responsibility to do the right thing. I think it is really hard for anyone to read about the suffering in hell and not feel some sympathy for those who are going through it, whether they are choosing it or not. I think it should be understood that Dante was not being literal about it all. Contrapasso is something that I think is supposed to be somewhat amusing to think about and can create some gratifying mental images for one’s imagination, but to have people actually suffering I think it feels a bit harsh. Hell in The Divine Comedy I think is mainly used for allegorical purposes, and contrapasso accomplishes that. He was writing a poem, an entertaining one at that, and I highly doubt he was trying to show us what the afterlife was really like. What I do think he was trying to do was tell us that we have the power to choose right from wrong, and based upon that we can decide our own fate. I feel that anyone can find some solice in that idea, whether you are Christian or not. Limbo is still probably the hardest concept for me to accept, but I do know that before I just thought it was really unjust of God to hold back  worthy people, whereas now I understand that it is really a bit more complicated then that. Based on how every other level of hell works in The Divine Comedy, I might say that God really doesn’t have much to do with keeping them there, it has more to do with them keeping themselves there. Or perhaps Limbo is just an exception to that rule. It’s hard to say. But by realizing how simplistic I thought the â€Å"normal† Christian view was, I think I’ve gained a lot in understanding that the views of Christianity can be seen in a multitude of ways. It would certainly be unfair of me to continue to assume I know how anyone, Christian or not, views the afterlife and God.

University of Phoenix Material Essays (319 words) - Career

University of Phoenix Material Essays (319 words) - Career University of Phoenix Material Career Interests and Market Research Worksheet Access the Phoenix Career Guidance System, located by clicking on the Careers tab. Complete the first Career Guidance Milestone "Set Your Goals." Then, complete Step 1.2. At the end of Step 1.2, click Go to the Career Exploration tool to access the career interest profiler. Select two careers you are interested in, based on the results of the Interest Assessment activity. Conduct labor market research on the two careers, and fill in the following table regarding the research you conducted. | |Career 1 |Career 2 | |What is the|Administrative Manager |Business/ management analyst | |career? | | | |What |I like the entire business job|I would enjoy this job because| |interests |setting. I would enjoy that I |of the fact I would deal with | |you about |would managed different |the corporation part of the | |this |aspects of the company. |company. I would deal in the | |career? | |decision making such as | | | |production things. | |Is there a |No there isn't a hiring demand|Yes there is a very high | |hiring |for this particular job. |hiring demand. There are | |demand? | |currently 35 job openings in | | | |my area. | |What are |To have a bachelor's degree |To have a bachelor's degree | |the | | | |educational| | | |requirement| | | |s? | | | |What are |2-5 years of experience |2-5 years of experience | |the | | | |experience | | | |requirement| | | |s? | | | |What are |There are so many, but here |Business intelligence, | |the skill |are a few; business |financial analysis, and | |requirement|administration, office |business solutions. | |s? |management, and business | | | |management. | | Based on your research, which career path would you prefer to pursue? Why? I would choose the Business/ management analyst career path, because both require basically the same education, experience, and skills. The best thing about Business/ management analyst is the demand is so high and the pay is way better the Administrative manager.

Free Essays on David Koresh

â€Å"If the Bible is true, then I’m Christ.† Welcome to the thoughts of one named Vernon Howell. America knows him better as David Koresh. Anyone even half way familiar with current events knows the David Koresh that the media portrayed before the compound went up in flames on April 19, 1993, but what was David Koresh like up to the events leading to this event? After reading this paper one should have a better understanding of David Koresh as a person and his religious ideas. David Koresh was born to a single mother in Houston, Texas in 1959. Growing up he was an indifferent student, yet very interested in the Bible and it’s teachings. He spent hours on end as a teenager memorizing Bible passages word for word. His next love to the Bible was playing the guitar. Later on in life he would use these two acquired talents to recruit his followers. Koresh’s religious experiences picked up its pace after he dropped out of high school in the ninth grade. He was raised in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, yet he felt more at home as a radical thinking teenager in the teachings of a spin off known as the Branch Davidians. One should be aware that Koresh did not create the Branch Davidian cult. Their roots trace back to Victor Houteff, a Bulgarian immigrant who was expelled from an L.A. church in 1929. Houteff’s main interest was passages found in the Book of Ezekiel. These passages dealt with an angel of God separating the faithful f rom the sinful right before Jerusalem’s fall to the Babylonians. Houteff created a spin-off congregation in 1935 on the outskirts of Waco. From this action begins the cycle of cult leaders in Waco. After 20 years of leading his cult Florence, the wife of the now deceased Houteff, took over the branch. She controlled it for about five years until it broke up after failing to accurately predict the beginning of the end of the world. This occurred on April 22, 1959. Almost all of the me... Free Essays on David Koresh Free Essays on David Koresh â€Å"If the Bible is true, then I’m Christ.† Welcome to the thoughts of one named Vernon Howell. America knows him better as David Koresh. Anyone even half way familiar with current events knows the David Koresh that the media portrayed before the compound went up in flames on April 19, 1993, but what was David Koresh like up to the events leading to this event? After reading this paper one should have a better understanding of David Koresh as a person and his religious ideas. David Koresh was born to a single mother in Houston, Texas in 1959. Growing up he was an indifferent student, yet very interested in the Bible and it’s teachings. He spent hours on end as a teenager memorizing Bible passages word for word. His next love to the Bible was playing the guitar. Later on in life he would use these two acquired talents to recruit his followers. Koresh’s religious experiences picked up its pace after he dropped out of high school in the ninth grade. He was raised in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, yet he felt more at home as a radical thinking teenager in the teachings of a spin off known as the Branch Davidians. One should be aware that Koresh did not create the Branch Davidian cult. Their roots trace back to Victor Houteff, a Bulgarian immigrant who was expelled from an L.A. church in 1929. Houteff’s main interest was passages found in the Book of Ezekiel. These passages dealt with an angel of God separating the faithful f rom the sinful right before Jerusalem’s fall to the Babylonians. Houteff created a spin-off congregation in 1935 on the outskirts of Waco. From this action begins the cycle of cult leaders in Waco. After 20 years of leading his cult Florence, the wife of the now deceased Houteff, took over the branch. She controlled it for about five years until it broke up after failing to accurately predict the beginning of the end of the world. This occurred on April 22, 1959. Almost all of the me...

Allied strategy in WWII for campaign on mainland Italy Essay

Allied strategy in WWII for campaign on mainland Italy - Essay Example We are raising a generation of young people who are historically illiterate to a large degree. Everything we have--our institutions, our material advantages, our laws, our freedom, not to say our poetry...music and...architecture--all comes to us from people who went before us. And to not know anything about them, to be indifferent to them, which is even worse than being ignorant...is...really...mass ingratitude1. The allied invasion of mainland Italy began in September 1943. General Harold Alexander's 15th Army Group was responsible for starting this invasion. The first step was invasion of Sicily. This was completed successfully during the campaign. How did it all start After the defeat in North Africa, the differences between the axis powers began to grow. The next strategic step of the allied forces was now not clear. Winston Churchill said the next step should be to invade Italy. He wanted to remove the influence of Regia Marina on Italy. The invasion of Italy would open the routes for the allied forces to enter the Mediterranean. The entrance in the Mediterranean was important as later on it could give way to the allied forces to enter Middle East and Far East. Another important reason for this was the increase in supply from America and Britain. This invasion would also help stop Germans who were planning to execute operation Overload. Operation overload was about invading Normandy. General George Marshall was against this operation. He did not want to delay the operation overload in any circumstances. However, when no solution could be made and differences started to grow, it was planned that first Sicily should be invaded . Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ planned out all of this operation. They ordered the invasion of Sicily and the Italian mainland. Operation Husky, or in other words the invasion of Sicily began in July 1943. It was a very successful operation. Many of the allied forces escaped to the mainland Italy. Benito Mussolini was overthrown by a rebellion. He was the head of the Italian government. The actions were quick and swift. They thought that Italy would surrender if a quick invasion is done. However, they did not know that Italians and Germans together will be very strong. Even after Berlin was invaded, the Italians put up really good. The allied forces were now in a difficult position. They now had to provide food and other supplies to the troops in Italy. Germany was putting up resistance too. In fact it was because of the Germans that the Italians felt so strong. Even though Germans whole economy was at war too, they were putting up a lot of resistance. According to Milward "here was little that was new and less that was orderly in the New Order"3.Solely in economic terms, the new German Empire in Europe would have been a large-scale structure organized for, and run on the principles of, a colonialism of the crudest kind. Germany's economic policy toward occupied countries can in essence be summed up in two terms: exploitation and colonization. "Anti-Semitism as a political movement neither can nor should be based on fleeting emotions, but on the acceptance of

The Sociology of Nursing and Patient Care Essay

The Sociology of Nursing and Patient Care - Essay Example The essay "The Sociology of Nursing and Patient Care" follows an observational approach to analyze abilities of a nurse’s routine with this particular patient, using literary materials and a reflective type of perspective. The conclusion emphasizes how the use of sociological thought can be of benefit to the role of a nurse and the patient. The story of â€Å"Peeling the Onion† is about a young girl who has been in a severe car accident. The scenarios that transpire define how the role of nurses sociologically affect the patients own behaviors and emotions by the way in which the interactions take place. This poor girl is suffering from multiple injuries and is lucky to be alive; the nurses and medical doctors that are depicted in the story give rise to numerous concerns from a sociological context. Wright C. Mills coined theory of, â€Å"sociological imagination† gives clarification to this girl’s problem, as his theorization was designed to understand the social realization of individuals own adversities based upon the social position they might find themselves, such as in this young girl’s current predicament. One of the main negativities that are found in this girl’s circumstance is in how the nursing staffs relative indifference towards this patient makes her feel alienated, which could also pose as a complication from a cultural perspective since the racial identity is left to be questioned. Mills points out that it is the past experiences and history of them that affect individuals social perspectives the most.

Why is Gun Control a necessary tool to reduce the levels of violence Essay

Why is Gun Control a necessary tool to reduce the levels of violence in the USA - Essay Example However, the Gun Lobby groups are well organized, well funded, and substantially powerful for the all-out ban on such guns. Various government agency bully various lawmakers such as Congress members, Senators, and State Reps due to passing strict and effective legislation on firearms. The perception of "people kill people† is an unfounded phenomenon that gun rights advocates do not support. It is worth noting that guns were designed to murder people. The item is a war weapon that has become a way of life. Life is abruptly put to an end or altered through the pull of a trigger and the pistol’s crack. Many murder cases occurring across the world indicate that people have prior knowledge of each other in bar rooms, within the home, in parking lots, or on street corners among family, friends, and acquaintances (Spano & Pridemore & Bolland 19). In times of heated situations, the possession of firearms translates into murder. The other frequent occurrence in this case is evident when young kids have access to the guns. They play with fellow typical kids without knowledge of them being loaded. When kids poses to shoot others, it results into murder as they do not have a realization that such guns are actually loaded. In most cases, people with proper knowledge of one another involve in drastic arguments that become deadly in the presence of firearms. However, in reality, these individuals do not have an awareness of the actions they per take up to the moment the action crosses their mind and they face such situations. Further, it is even easier for people to aim a gun at people out of anger. This results in death or even permanent paralysis. In other poor urban areas, aspects of murder are rather rampant. This attributes to poverty, low employment, as well as minimal educational opportunities (Alcindor 123). In drastic environments, the drug presence, bad housing, as well as overcrowding are also major pointers of gun violence.

Interwest Healthcare Essay Example for Free

Interwest Healthcare Essay What are the potential sources of the problem? The source of these problems seems to be coming from two areas in Interwest Healthcare. The first area is the miscommunication that the hospital administrators are having with upper management. The hospital administrators and upper management are not only having miscommunication issues but they also do not share the same role expectations with each other which is creating tension. â€Å"The hospital people accused Singh of being a bureaucrat who did not care about patient services. Singh accused the hospital staffs of not understanding the importance of accurate reporting† (Brickley, Smith Zimmerman 2009 p. 38). The second area is the system or process that is in place for recording and entering data. The current process is clearly not running at an efficient rate which is raising concerns for upper management. Even though hospital administrators do not see to eye to eye with upper management the concerns that they have are valid and can have a very negative impact on Interwest Healthcare if the issue is not resolved. What information would you want to analyze? The first information that would be analyzed is the process that is done to record and enter data for patients. It is important to gain as much information as possible regarding the data entry because that is the root of the whole issue between hospital administrators and upper management. Another area that would be analyzed is the workplace with emphasis on how time is managed and the importance employees put on data entry. It is important to gather and analyze as much information as possible on the source of the problem. By gaining and analyzing the information it would help Interwest Healthcare make progress on the data entry issue which will put them in a better position to succeed. What actions might you recommend to increase the accuracy of the data entry? The first point of action would be streamlining and simplifying the data entry process. By completing those it would not only increase the accuracy of the data entry but it would also decrease the burden on the hospital administrators. But before any changes to the data entry process are made it is important to communicate directly to the hospital administrators. It is important to have the hospital administrators on board with the changes that will be made with the data entry process. By gaining the hospital administrators consent with the changes this will allow a smoother transition for the data entry change and it could provide a positive change to the workplace. As for the changes to the data entry it would most likely be a simple computer process along with small piece of paperwork. It would be best to have some sort or paper record on file that would need to be alphabetized along with a simple computer program. The computer program would help ensure accuracy and would have the patient’s data record on file which will be easy to locate. There would be very little paper work for the process mainly because it takes up space and takes more time to record. The paper work that is part of the process would simply serve as a backup if the computers were down. The key to ensuring accuracy with the data entry is to make the process as simple as possible so it would minimize the errors. How does your view of behavior affect how you might address the consulting assignment? As a consulting assignment I see Interwest Healthcare as a company in distress due to the way the hospital administrators and upper management. The way the two groups have been behaving and treating each other it is a clear sign of stress and miscommunication. One of the first tasks is to mediate the two groups and try to have everyone on the same page. There is a clear disconnect on the expectations of each other’s roles but by bringing them together the roles and expectations can be made by both parties and progress can be accomplished. In order to make progress both parties will need to be able to compromise and be willing to understand each other’s concerns and priorities. Refreneces : Brickley, J.A., Smith, C.W. Zimmerman J.L. (2009). Managerial economics and organizational architecture (5th Ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Irw

Early Christianity :: essays research papers

Christianity is now in our modern world one of the five major religions. The other major religions include Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Judaism from which Christianity descended. Christianity was practiced before Christ, During his life, and after his life. After Christ ¹s life Christianity spread to become a main world religion.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 63 B.C. Roman power spread to Judea, the Jewish homeland. At the time King Herod was the ruler of Judea, he accepted Roman rule and angered many Jews by doing so. After the death of Herod many Jews revolted against Roman rule for 10 years. At this time there were two main factions of Jews, one group, the Zealots wanted to rid Judea of Roman influence. The other group was waiting for a messiah as scripture had prophetized. The Messiah, or Savior would restore the kingdom to the Jews.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jesus is said to have been born around 4-6 BC. When Jesus was 30 he began his ministry. Many of the reasons that his religion succeeded were that it treated everyone equally promised eternal life and was centered on on your personal relationship with God. Jesus ¹ teachings included love for God, neighbors, enemies and yourself. The ten commandments and the basic foundation of Judaism was included in his teachings as Jesus was born a Jew.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jesus had 12 disciples, disciple means follower or pupil, even long after the death of Jesus these disciples would continue teaching about Jesus. The first four books of the bible were written by the Disciple these books are called apostles they are as follows Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Jesus became famous, because he appealed to the rich and poor alike, he had few or no possessions and he traveled all over what was then considered to be the world. Jesus attracted attention from both Jewish and Roman leaders.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Jesus visited Jerusalem around 29 AD, he found enthusiastic crowds greeting him as the messiah. However he was arrested for not worshiping pagan Roman gods and was sentenced to death on a cross. While he was hanging awaiting death he forgave those who had killed him and those who had worshipped him the day before were denying him. After his crucifixion he was placed in a tomb, on the third day he rose, and greeted his followers, further convincing them that he was the messiah.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Paul was originally a Jew by the name of Saul, who persecuted Christians.

MS A.S.Thafeni Essay

1. How did I engage myself with the group? Deciding which group or organization to engage with was not easy for me. I had to play around with some ideas and think which one because we have plenty of them around here. In my community we have Trauma Center, FAMSA; we also have lay counselors who are making a difference in more informal way. However deciding how to approach one of them wasn’t easy at all. I felt anxious every time I had to make a choice. I reflected to one of my experiences I encountered long time ago when I relocated to another country (Angola) for three years. When I had to meet different people, different culture, language and so forth. It was totally new environment for me and I had to adjust very fast. The first step I took was to make an appointment with one nurse in charge in our local clinic to authorize me to do my observation in the clinic with the help of my nephew who was employed at the clinic. She agreed. I also went to FAMSA and try to negotiate my entry there as person who needs help, unfo rtunately, they were not in that day. Then I decided to engage with the group located in my clinic where I got permission. . I learned lay counselors are in attempt to bring change in our community. Targeted members are those patients who visit or come to clinic on a daily basis for various reasons. The group meets during the week (Monday to Friday) at 8am – 10pm. The establishment of the group was two years ago because the concern some few community members had. It seems it has been started by local community members who were concerned about certain issues that affect people. They felt that buy working together as community would bring a difference and enhance life of other people. They also thought that this group will bring some changes in their homes and to community as a whole. This awareness program is not static, new members are introduced daily, weekly and monthly as the group is informal. The program compels no one to stay, people do have right to choice and freedom and it’s being respected by everyone. The goal of this program is to make the people aware of some disease and illness that affect us and consciously and unconsciously. I understand since this program started two years ago, it has been successful. People show interests  and others report that there has been a radical change in their lives as now they know the importance of taking their treatment especially on time, completing the treatment, eating healthy, exercising, teenage pregnancy decreased as youth now know how to protect themselves against the diseases, abortions decreased and so forth. This kind of reports is what kept the program alive. I also understand this program reached so many people every month as they count approximately 300 to 400 monthly. Again they hope that in the long run the community will be better, HIV/AIDS, TB, Teenage pregnancy will be decreased by 50%. What made them certain is that in 2012 when this program commenced within six to seven months, TB and HIV/AIDS was combated seriously and clinic reported that 2% less/ reduced. I also learned that people wants to be taught with the language they understand so that they can participate fully about the things affect their lives on the daily basis. I came to know the group because I am also a community member who also uses the facilities available to my community such as the clinic. Most of the time when I visited my clinic I used to see people entering certain door and I asked a friend who was sitting next to me and also as I have mentioned above I have a nephew who is employed there about the group and she explained to me. Initially, I never give myself time to join or to be interested in whatever they are doing but studying this module made me to be interested in the group. My nephew who works at the clinic helped me to enter the space by introducing me to the nurse in charge. I made appointment with appointment with the nurse. I had to make an appointment because for me it indicated respect as I wouldn’t just enter as I please in the group without permission. I had five minutes with the nurse and explain who I am? What do I want to do? Why, How? When? And after that she gave me permission. What is important I  indicated that whatever I am going to observe here is strictly confidential; it’s only for my assignment purpose. The nurse introduced me to the facilitator who was facilitating the group and I was highly accepted as part of the family but as an observer. The main area of focus is to teach or  make the community members aware about various issues that affect them on the daily basis. Issues such as Teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS, TB, STI’s, etc. They also focused on teaching morality because they believe good morality will result in reduced mortality. 2. I had few assumptions before engaging in the context. Assumption 1- The Environment= the environment should be conducive so that members should be comfortable. Assumption 2-The group share common interest. Assumption 3- They group should share common problem. Assumption 4- They must have open communication. Assumption 5 – They should have solution to their problem. Assumption 6 – Decisions are made collectively. All these assumptions are only based on my observations that are not confirmed. I was also aware that even though they form a group but they are still unique individuals with their unique experiences (proposition 1 & 2). These unique experiences will bring change to their lives. I also believed that as a group they have collective knowledge, skills and potential. The only thing that is required is the facilitator to release that potential resource. Aspects pertaining to the social context as well as social issues that the group is grappling with or the challenges the group is facing are denial and distortions about the disease such as HIV/AIDS. Some member of the group came with the interesting aspect that HIV/Aids caused by super natural causes. It is caused by people casting a spell over you (bewitched) (boloi- South Sotho). Some will say the disease can be cured, they know the traditional healers who cured somebody. Some will say its indication  of ancestors calling. Some claims that they don’t have food in order for them to take treatment. Because of these challenges the program had to be adjusted a little bit to accommodate these challenges. The members will somewhere somehow include God and super naturals in their discussions, for an example, a woman was taught about the HIV/AIDS illness, how we contact it and so forth, and she also made her inputs that in the Bible all these illnesses where predicted, therefore its not a miracle. During my observation I realized that people are struggling to relate with the  environment also with one another. For an example, during the session the group members were afraid to talk their hearts out. I can assume that members know each other perhaps as a neighbor, friend. Therefore, their friendship or neighbor relationship deprived them freely participation in the group as one will think that what others will do or say or one doesn’t want others to know about his /her business or issues the one struggling with. According to part two of the study Guide – The ‘cracked’ landscape – Society in crisis. I have realized that people are not aware that they are not alone, they are not individuals. They failed to cherish the idea of ‘motho ke motho ka batho ba bang’ – ‘Humanity’. They still isolate themselves, still have negative thinking that no one can help them and yet they don’t realize that this behavior is abnormal as it makes us to live like animals – where we should be on a look out everyday – who says wh at, to whom? In what manner? This behavior also creates tension between the people, create hunger, poverty, violence, discrimination (Study Guide for PYC3705:24). Our society is broken into smaller pieces. However, As I was observing this group I realized positive things about the members. Even though disclosing in public is not their way of life but they do need help. I saw this after the first session ended. Some of them wanted private dialogue with the facilitator. Others shared their experiences with others in private. That private conversation gave them hope and less despair and that allowed development among the group itself. The second session – the following day I saw different group than  yesterday in terms of enthusiasm, energy. The dialogue was just open and free and that also helped other to open up. I heared other member of the group says â€Å"Ka ikutlwa ke fodile† – â€Å"She now feels better or healed†. That where I learned that talking or opening up indeed heals and assist the government cost on medicine. I think the are some similarities and differences I have observed with regard to what constitute a counseling setting. Why I am saying this is because firstly, as I have mentioned above about the well reception I received from the group and the counselors. This indicated positive regard for others  Unconditional positive regard is one of the climate that the counselor should create so that people should feel accepted, and that how I felt. As I observed the counselor/ facilitator’s. According to study guide for PYC3705:40, explains that unconditional positive regard is being present is the basis from which people can explore thoughts, feelings and experiences. This is what I saw from the lay counselor. That is reason why members of the group were able to express their feelings about the HIV/AIDS issues. Even though members introduced their knowledge about traditional healers who can treat various illnesses, she was non – judgmental, she showed warmth through body langu age – used posture, maintained eye contact and that indicated one of the values that she should have – Respect. Secondly, she created the safe environment (proposition 17). She allowed the group members to be themselves. She let them to deal with the issues they felt strong about e.g. (What do you guys want us to talk about today?). She let them to self determine (proposition 4). She never judged them. She respected every one’s ideas. She listens to each and every one of them. She was attending every member of the group. The lay counselors even though they conduct counseling informally as they have no formal training in psychology , like Mrs. Bengu in the study guide for PYC3705 they provide emotional support in the community in collaboration with others. What I also observed in this group is ‘Confidentiality’. We know that this is a dilemma. One member in the group requested that what they discussed in there it should end there. She herself she doesn’t want to hear her problems outside that group. If her request is not respected, then she will be very disappointed. All members including the facilitator agreed on that and made promise to one another that they will be confidential. This indicated the unity of the group (proposition 3). The differences I saw was lay counselor couldn’t recognize the discrepancies between what the member was saying and how was said or behaved. She was just accepting what ever the member said. Two, non-verbal communication, what the member was communicating through her body language e.g. member is communicating something but she puts hands on her mouth. She doesn’t use minimal encouragers, open question paraphrasing and so forth. The lack of attentiveness skill. According to (Grobler and  Schenck 2009:46), attentiveness is the way in which the facilitator orientates him or herself physically and psychologically towards the clients. However, the counselor will answer her phone during the session with the client without apologies. This is the evidence that I have conducted a proper research. As I have mentioned earlier the group is located in my local clinic and is informal, is not registered, the counselors are not qualified or trained. Therefore, they make use of the pamphlets available in the clinic such as Drug-resistant, TB and HIV and TB in the Workplace. REFERENCES Grobler, H. &Schenck, R. 2009. Person centred facilitation. 3rd edition. Oxford University Press Modutla, K. & Semenya, B. 2010. Only study Guide for Transformative counseling encounters. University of South Africa. Louw, H. 2008-2010. Only study guide for Participatory community development in social work and the social service professions. University of South Africa.

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 3. BIG DAY

My own eyes flew open. I lay shivering and gasping in my warm bed for several minutes, trying to break free of the dream. The sky outside my window turned gray and then pale pink while I waited for my heart to slow. When I was fully back to the reality of my messy, familiar room, I was a little annoyed with myself. What a dream to have the night before my wedding! That's what I got for obsessing over disturbing stories in the middle of the night. Eager to shake off the nightmare, I got dressed and headed down to the kitchen long before I needed to. First I cleaned the already tidy rooms, and then when Charlie was up I made him pancakes. I was much too keyed up to have any interest in eating breakfast myself – I sat bouncing in my seat while he ate. â€Å"You're picking up Mr. Weber at three o'clock,† I reminded him. â€Å"I don't have that much to do today besides bring the minister, Bells. I'm not likely to forget my only job.† Charlie had taken the entire day off for the wedding, and he was definitely at loose ends. Now and then, his eyes flickered furtively to the closet under the stairs, where he kept his fishing gear. â€Å"That's not your only job. You also have to be dressed and presentable.† He scowled into his cereal bowl and muttered the words â€Å"monkey suit† under his breath. There was a brisk tapping on the front door. â€Å"You think you have it bad,† I said, grimacing as I rose. â€Å"Alice will be working on me all day long.† Charlie nodded thoughtfully, conceding that he did have the lesser ordeal. I ducked in to kiss the top of his head as I passed – he blushed and harrumphed – and then continued on to get the door for my best girlfriend and soon-to-be sister. Alice's short black hair was not in its usual spiky do – it was smoothed into sleek pin curls around her pixie face, which wore a contrastingly businesslike expression. She dragged me from the house with barely a â€Å"Hey, Charlie† called over her shoulder. Alice appraised me as I got into her Porsche. â€Å"Oh, hell, look at your eyes!† She tsked in reproach. â€Å"What did you do? Stay up all night?† â€Å"Almost.† She glowered. â€Å"I've only allotted so much time to make you stunning, Bella – you might have taken better care of my raw material.† â€Å"No one expects me to be stunning. I think the bigger problem is that I might fall asleep during the ceremony and not be able to say 1 do' at the right part, and then Edward will make his escape.† She laughed. â€Å"I'll throw my bouquet at you when it gets close.† â€Å"Thanks.† â€Å"At least you'll have plenty of time to sleep on the plane tomorrow.† I raised one eyebrow. Tomorrow, I mused. If we were heading out tonight after the reception, and we would still be on a plane tomorrow†¦ well, we weren't going to Boise, Idaho. Edward hadn't dropped a single hint. I wasn't too stressed about the mystery, but it was strange not knowing where I would be sleeping tomorrow night. Or hopefully not sleeping †¦ Alice realized that she'd given something away, and she frowned. â€Å"You're all packed and ready,† she said to distract me. It worked. â€Å"Alice, I wish you would let me pack my own things!† â€Å"It would have given too much away.† â€Å"And denied you an opportunity to shop.† â€Å"You'll be my sister officially in ten short hours†¦ it's about time to get over this aversion to new clothes.† I glowered groggily out the windshield until we were almost to the house. â€Å"Is he back yet?† I asked. â€Å"Don't worry, he'll be there before the music starts. But you don't get to see him, no matter when he gets back. We're doing this the traditional way.† I snorted. â€Å"Traditional!† â€Å"Okay, aside from the bride and groom.† â€Å"You know he's already peeked.† â€Å"Oh no – that's why I'm the only one who's seen you in the dress. I've been very careful to not think about it when he's around.† â€Å"Well,† I said as we turned into the drive, â€Å"I see you got to reuse your graduation decorations.† Three miles of drive were once again wrapped in hundreds of thousands of twinkle lights. This time, she'd added white satin bows. â€Å"Waste not, want not. Enjoy this, because you don't get to see the inside decorations until it's time.† She pulled into the cavernous garage north of the main house; Emmett's big Jeep was still gone. â€Å"Since when is the bride not allowed to see the decorations?† I protested. â€Å"Since she put me in charge. I want you to get the full impact coming down the stairs.† She clapped her hand over my eyes before she let me inside the kitchen. I was immediately assailed by the scent. â€Å"What is that?† I wondered as she guided me into the house. â€Å"Is it too much?† Alice's voice was abruptly worried. â€Å"You're the first human in here; I hope I got it right.† â€Å"it smells wonderful!† I assured her – almost intoxicating, but not at all overwhelming, the balance of the different fragrances was subtle and flawless. â€Å"Orange blossoms†¦ lilac†¦ and something else – am I right?† â€Å"Very good, Bella. You only missed the freesia and the roses.† She didn't uncover my eyes until we were in her oversized bathroom. I stared at the long counter, covered in all the paraphernalia of a beauty salon, and began to feel my sleepless night. â€Å"Is this really necessary? I'm going to look plain next to him no matter what.† She pushed me down into a low pink chair. â€Å"No one will dare to call you plain when I'm through with you.† â€Å"Only because they're afraid you'll suck their blood,† I muttered. I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes, hoping I'd be able to nap through it. I did drift in and out a little bit while she masked, buffed, and polished every surface of my body. It was after lunchtime when Rosalie glided past the bathroom door in a shimmery silver gown with her golden hair piled up in a soft crown on top of her head. She was so beautiful it made me want to cry. What was even the point of dressing up with Rosalie around? â€Å"They're back,† Rosalie said, and immediately my childish fit of despair passed. Edward was home. â€Å"Keep him out of here!† â€Å"He won't cross you today,† Rosalie reassured her. â€Å"He values his life too much. Esme's got them finishing things up out back. Do you want some help? I could do her hair.† My jaw fell open. I floundered around in my head, trying to remember how to close it. I had never been Rosalie's favorite person in the world. Then, making things even more strained between us, she was personally offended by the choice I was making now. Though she had her impossible beauty, her loving family, and her soul mate in Emmett, she would have traded it all to be human. And here I was, callously throwing away everything she wanted in life like it was garbage. It didn't exactly warm her to me. â€Å"Sure,† Alice said easily. â€Å"You can start braiding. I want it intricate. The veil goes here, underneath.† Her hands started combing through my hair, hefting it, twisting it, illustrating in detail what she wanted. When she was done, Rosalie's hands replaced hers, shaping my hair with a feather-light touch. Alice moved back to my face. Once Rosalie received Alice's commendation on my hair, she was sent off to retrieve my dress and then to locate Jasper, who had been dispatched to pick up my mother and her husband, Phil, from their hotel. Downstairs, I could faintly hear the door opening and closing over and over. Voices began to float up to us. Alice made me stand so that she could ease the dress over my hair and makeup. My knees shook so badly as she fastened the long line of pearl buttons up my back that the satin quivered in little wavelets down to the floor. â€Å"Deep breaths, Bella/7Alice said. â€Å"And try to lower your heart rate. You're going to sweat off your new face.† I gave her the best sarcastic expression I could manage. â€Å"I'll get right on that.† â€Å"I have to get dressed now. Can you hold yourself together for two minutes?† â€Å"Urn†¦ maybe?† She rolled her eyes and darted out the door. I concentrated on my breathing, counting each movement of my lungs, and stared at the patterns that the bathroom light made on the shiny fabric of my skirt. I was afraid to look in the mirror – afraid the image of myself in the wedding dress would send me over the edge into a full-scale panic attack. Alice was back before I had taken two hundred breaths, in a dress that flowed down her slender body like a silvery waterfall. â€Å"Alice – wow.† â€Å"It's nothing. No one will be looking at me today. Not while you're in the room.† â€Å"Har har.† â€Å"Now, are you in control of yourself, or do I have to bring Jasper up here?† â€Å"They're back? Is my mom here?† â€Å"She just walked in the door. She's on her way up.† Renee had flown in two days ago, and I'd spent every minute I could with her – every minute that I could pry her away from Esme and the decorations, in other words. As far as I could tell, she was having more fun with this than a kid locked inside Disneyland overnight. In a way, I felt almost as cheated as Charlie. All that wasted terror over her reaction†¦ â€Å"Oh, Bella!† she squealed now, gushing before she was all the way through the door. â€Å"Oh, honey, you're so beautiful! Oh, I'm going to cry! Alice, you're amazing! You and Esme should go into business as wedding planners. Where did you find this dress? It's gorgeous! So graceful, so elegant. Bella, you look like you just stepped out of an Austen movie.† My mother's voice sounded a little distance away, and everything in the room was slightly blurry. â€Å"Such a creative idea, designing the theme around Bella's ring. So romantic! To think it's been in Edward's family since the eighteen hundreds!† Alice and I exchanged a brief conspiratorial look. My mom was off on the dress style by more than a hundred years. The wedding wasn't actually centered around the ring, but around Edward himself. There was a loud, gruff throat-clearing in the doorway. â€Å"Renee, Esme said it's time you got settled down there,† Charlie said. â€Å"Well, Charlie, don't you look dashing!† Renee said in a tone that was almost shocked. That might have explained the crustiness of Charlie's answer. â€Å"Alice got to me.† â€Å"Is it really time already?† Renee said to herself, sounding almost as nervous as I felt. â€Å"This has all gone so fast. I feel dizzy.† That made two of us. â€Å"Give me a hug before I go down/7Renee insisted. â€Å"Carefully now, don't tear anything.† My mother squeezed me gently around the waist, then wheeled for the door, only to complete the spin and face me again. â€Å"Oh goodness, I almost forgot! Charlie, Where's the box?† My dad rummaged in his pockets for a minute and then produced a small white box, which he handed to Renee. Renee lifted the lid and held it out to me. â€Å"Something blue,† she said. â€Å"Something old, too. They were your Grandma Swan's,† Charlie added. â€Å"We had a jeweler replace the paste stones with sapphires.† Inside the box were two heavy silver hair combs. Dark blue sapphires were clustered into intricate floral shapes atop the teeth. My throat got all thick. â€Å"Mom, Dad†¦ you shouldn't have.† â€Å"Alice wouldn't let us do anything else,† Renee said. â€Å"Every time we tried, she all but ripped our throats out.† A hysterical giggle burst through my lips. Alice stepped up and quickly slid both combs into my hair under the edge of the thick braids. â€Å"That's something old and something blue,† Alice mused, taking a few steps back to admire me. â€Å"And your dress is new†¦ so here – â€Å" She flicked something at me. I held my hands out automatically, and the filmy white garter landed in my palms. â€Å"That's mine and I want it back,† Alice told me. I blushed. â€Å"There,† Alice said with satisfaction. â€Å"A little color – that's all you needed. You are officially perfect.† With a little self-congratulatory smile, she turned to my parents. â€Å"Renee, you need to get downstairs.† â€Å"Yes, ma'am.† Renee blew me a kiss and hurried out the door. â€Å"Charlie, would you grab the flowers, please?† While Charlie was out of the room, Alice hooked the garter out of my hands and then ducked under my skirt. I gasped and tottered as her cold hand caught my ankle; she yanked the garter into place. She was back on her feet before Charlie returned with the two frothy white bouquets. The scent of roses and orange blossom and freesia enveloped me in a soft mist. Rosalie – the best musician in the family next to Edward – began playing the piano downstairs. Pachelbel's Canon. I began hyperventilating. â€Å"Easy, Bells,† Charlie said. He turned to Alice nervously. â€Å"She looks a little sick. Do you think she's going to make it?† His voice sounded far away. I couldn't feel my legs. â€Å"She'd better.† Alice stood right in front of me, on her tiptoes to better stare me in the eye, and gripped my wrists in her hard hands. â€Å"Focus, Bella. Edward is waiting for you down there.† 1 took a deep breath, willing myself into composure. The music slowly morphed into a new song. Charlie nudged me. â€Å"Bells, we're up to bat.† â€Å"Bella?† Alice asked, still holding my gaze. â€Å"Yes,† I squeaked. â€Å"Edward. Okay.† I let her pull me from the room, with Charlie tagging along at my elbow. The music was louder in the hall. It floated up the stairs along with the fragrance of a million flowers. I concentrated on the idea of Edward waiting below to get my feet to shuffle forward. The music was familiar, Wagner's traditional march surrounded by a flood of embellishments. â€Å"It's my turn,† Alice chimed. â€Å"Count to five and follow me.† She began a slow, graceful dance down the staircase. I should have realized that having Alice as my only bridesmaid was a mistake. I would look that much more uncoordinated coming behind her. A sudden fanfare trilled through the soaring music. I recognized my cue. â€Å"Don't let me fall, Dad,† I whispered. Charlie pulled my hand through his arm and then grasped it tightly. One step ata time, I told myself as we began to descend to the slow tempo of the march. I didn't lift my eyes until my feet were safely on the flat ground, though I could hear the murmurs and rustling of the audience as I came into view. Blood flooded my cheeks at the sound; of course I could be counted on to be the blushing bride. As soon as my feet were past the treacherous stairs, I was looking for him. For a brief second, I was distracted by the profusion of white blossoms that hung in garlands from everything in the room that wasn't alive, dripping with long lines of white gossamer ribbons. But I tore my eyes from the bowery canopy and searched across the rows of satin-draped chairs – blushing more deeply as I took in the crowd of faces all focused on me – until I found him at last, standing before an arch overflowing with more flowers, more gossamer. I was barely conscious that Carlisle stood by his side, and Angela's father behind them both. I didn't see my mother where she must have been sitting in the front row, or my new family, or any of the guests – they would have to wait till later. All I really saw was Edward's face; it filled my vision and overwhelmed my mind. His eyes were a buttery, burning gold; his perfect face was almost severe with the depth of his emotion. And then, as he met my awed gaze, he broke into a breathtaking smile of exultation. Suddenly, it was only the pressure of Charlie's hand on mine that kept me from sprinting headlong down the aisle. The march was too slow as I struggled to pace my steps to its rhythm. Mercifully, the aisle was very short. And then, at last, at last, I was there. Edward held out his hand. Charlie took my hand and, in a symbol as old as the world, placed it in Edward's. I touched the cool miracle of his skin, and I was home. Our vows were the simple, traditional words that had been spoken a million times, though never by a couple quite like us. We'd asked Mr. Weber to make only one small change. He obligingly traded the line â€Å"till death do us part† for the more appropriate â€Å"as long as we both shall live.† In that moment, as the minister said his part, my world, which had been upside down for so long now, seemed to settle into its proper position. I saw just how silly I'd been for fearing this – as if it were an unwanted birthday gift or an embarrassing exhibition, like the prom. I looked into Edward's shining, triumphant eyes and knew that I was winning, too. Because nothing else mattered but that I could stay withhim. I didn't realize I was crying until it was time to say the binding words. â€Å"I do,† I managed to choke out in a nearly unintelligible whisper, blinking my eyes clear so I could see his face. When it was his turn to speak, the words rang clear and victorious. â€Å"I do,† he vowed. Mr. Weber declared us husband and wife, and then Edward's hands reached up to cradle my face, carefully, as if it were as delicate as the white petals swaying above our heads. I tried to comprehend, through the film of tears blinding me, the surreal fact that this amazing person was mine. His golden eyes looked as if they would have tears, too, if such a thing were not impossible. He bent his head toward mine, and I stretched up on the tips of my toes, throwing my arms – bouquet and all – around his neck. He kissed me tenderly, adoringly; I forgot the crowd, the place, the time, the reason†¦ only remembering that he loved me, that he wanted me, that I was his. He began the kiss, and he had to end it; I clung to him, ignoring the titters and the throat-clearing in the audience. Finally, his hands restrained my face and he pulled back – too soon – to look at me. On the surface his sudden smile was amused, almost a smirk. But underneath his momentary entertainment at my public exhibition was a deep joy that echoed my own. The crowd erupted into applause, and he turned our bodies to face our friends and family. I couldn't look away from his face to see them. My mother's arms were the first to find me, her tear-streaked face the first thing I saw when I finally tore my eyes unwillingly from Edward. And then I was handed through the crowd, passed from embrace to embrace, only vaguely aware of who held me, my attention centered on Edward's hand clutched tightly in my own. I did recognize the difference between the soft, warm hugs of my human friends and the gentle, cool embraces of my new family. One scorching hug stood out from all the others – Seth Clearwater had braved the throng of vampires to stand in for my lost werewolf friend.