On Equianos Travels and the Enlightenment Essay - 776 Words

On Equianos Travels and the Enlightenment During the eighteenth century, an age of enlightenment fell upon the people of Europe. Across the continent, knowledge and discovery spread like wildfire. During this era, an overwhelming majority of middle-class citizens became literate, partaking in various forms of high culture previously reserved exclusively to the aristocracy. At the same time, while the age of Enlightenment produced prominent theorists, thinkers, and intellectual works, it also made the common man more aware of intellectuality. With access to literature rich in revolutionary thought, the middle-class assumed an understanding of natural law that encompassed freedom, social equality, and the value of mankind. However, while†¦show more content†¦Equianos Travels reveals a European mind state far removed from philosophe theory. From the outset of his narrative, Equianos description of his short-lived childhood is filled with cultural detail giving insight into the life of his people. His words also convey his naivety, as Equiano claims to have at one time never even heard of Europeans. When he recounts the day he and his sister were kidnapped from their own yard by greedy countrymen, the reader gets a sense of the inhumanity that exists even in the earliest stages of slavery. Being torn from his sister is a similarly gut-wrenching detail that plagues the reader with a sense of guilt that refuses to leave even after the excerpt has ended. The narration between that takes the reader from the shore of Equianos homeland to the interior of the putrid-smelling slave ship and across a seemingly endless ocean drives the point of slaverys evils home. The conditions of such enslavement stand in direct violation of the philosophes theory of human freedom. While their beliefs deny authority, Equianos account tells the story of a place where these laws are permanently suspended, and man is made beast before his master. At the end of the excerpt from Equianos Travels, the then-freed Negro and outs poken abolitionist summarizes his conclusions from what he has gained as a subject to both the experience of slavery and the Enlightenment in Europe. Equiano does this through a series of questionsShow MoreRelatedThe Age Of Enlightenment : The Interesting Life Of Olaudah Equiano1456 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the 18th century, many things were happening and the Europeans also were known as â€Å"Enlightenment thinkers and philosophers† thought by creating a movement called Age of Enlightenment, it would inflict rational change upon humanity. The Age of Enlightenment is described to be â€Å"set out by means of reason and direct observation to discover the fundamental laws governing nature, humanity, and society. The philosophes believed that such discoveries would free the world from tyranny, violence, andRead MoreMary Rowlandson And Olaudah Equiano Essay1140 Words   |  5 PagesNarratives about captivity have often intrigued readers in Western culture. Mary Rowlandson a nd Olaudah Equiano’s stories helped pave the way for stereotypes within both European and white culture; teaching Europeans to see Native Americans as cruel and allowing whites to see the evil in the American slave market. In both â€Å"A Narrative of the Captivity† and â€Å"The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano,† Mary Rowlandson and Olaudah Equiano share their individual stories of being kidnappedRead MoreThe Complex Nature Of Equiano s Identity Crisis1411 Words   |  6 PagesDaniel Miret HUM3306 29 September 2014 Option Three The complex nature of Equiano’s identity crisis Equiano presents himself as an African, who is embattled with a myriad of issues enroute to a foreign land. He starts off as a normal African boy that takes pride in the family unit. His life changes as he is exposed to a life of slavery that makes him wonder just how far he would go to regain his freedom. Equaino is celebrated due to his anti-slave trade achievements, but rather criticized for a

The Condition Of Iraq s Demographic State Is Not Good

Domenic Bettinelli Human Geo Scanlan 11/20/15 Dear Mr. President of Iraq Fuad Masum, The condition of Iraq’s demographic state is not good. The literacy rate, especially for women is very low and could be improved upon. The population growth shows the characteristics of a poor country because of the low amount of elderly and the low median age. There are also problems like the low life expectancy. Compared to the United States Iraq’s life expectancy is low. These problems can be fixed to improve your country s status and raise the standard of living and earn respect from other countries that have listened to my advice. To fix the problems like population the female literacy rate and the low life expectancy and the low median age, you†¦show more content†¦The benefits of having a longer lifespan is that the natural increase will get smaller because the death ratio will rise. If the natural increase rate rises the population doubling time will become a longer tim e, therefore the population will eventually get smaller. Another important aspect of keeping your citizens alive longer is sanitation. The sanitation of your people is not good compared to the level of the United States. The percentage of people in the country of Iraq that does not have access to clean water is 14.6%(CIA) of the entire population. The percentage that do not have the proper sanitation in Iraq is 14.4%(CIA) which is very high. The United States people according to the CIA have 100% of their people that can access proper sanitation and 98.2%(CIA) that can access clean fresh water. This means that almost â…™ of the population does not have access to water or sanitation and this is not good. One way to fix this is to set up places that give out clean water in places that clean water is not common. A series of hospitals could also be set up to give people access to being examined for health issues especially in areas that need it most. Education is very important for the future of a country because the children will be in charge of the country some day and their choices are based off what they were taught in school. The definition of literacy is the ability to read and write. Iraq has a low literacy rate compared to the rest

Usefulness of Learning Experience for Telstra-myassignmenthelp

Question: Write about theUsefulness of Learning Experience for Telstra. Answer: Introduction The business outsourcing has been evolving with the changing transformations. It includes the different functions of the business like the accounting, human resource and the payroll. The processes are based on how the organisations are likely to contract with the non-core functions. Usefulness of learning experience The research is based on the identification of the advantages and the disadvantages of the outsourcing in Telstra. The focus has been on the business processes where the business functions are related to the manufacturing, telecommunication and the other accounting organisations. Opinion about learning experience As per the opinion standards set, there are different integral standards for planning the security and working over the improvement in the product quality. Along with this, the outsourcing has been found to be important for obtaining the goods or the services by contract from the other suppliers. This will help in improving the contacts with the other suppliers as well. (Letica, 2016). Value of this experience The value is based on managing the different services with the ability to protect and work over the changes that occurred in the project. The BPO relationship is mainly about handling the information with the outsourcing of the companies. This could lead to the security risks as well for the different parent companies. (Gonzalez et al., 2015). Hence, for this, there is a need to focus on the synchronisation of the deliverables and then working over handling the quality of the products and services. The experience also comes from the evaluation of the business processes which are based on the business requirements (Schoner et al., 2017). Significance of learning process to you Outsourcing has become very important in every organisation. With the different programs, when I went deeper into the subject, I realized that there are different consistent encounters which are technical based concepts mainly to communicate with the people. Along with this, I will be able to communicate with different people on the different concepts like business, industry etc., confidently. The life of the people need to be familiar with the concepts related to the different compelling subjects (Oshri et al., 2015). Application of gained knowledge in future To work towards the improved technology, the outsourcing has been able to work over the different functions and the planning. The system includes the government, technology and the usage of the overall data which is based on the different issues. It is important to access and hold the proper documentation to avoid any of the legal confusions or the complications. The outsourcing in the organisation is mainly to evaluate the business processes and then work over assuring the best requirements for the business as well (Lee, 2017). Learning process and explanation of learning process The focus is on evaluating the business functions which are important to handle the overall impact of the outsourcing business functions, where the learning process also works over the different manufacturing units. The hiring of the workers from the third party organisations has made it possible to take all the extra information where there is a possibility to purchase new ideas from the workers at a lower price. (Tajari et al., 2014). Plan to apply the learning process The outsourcing could be applied for the proper investments where there is a focus on the investment in the technology and then work over the rate of production as well. It has been seen that the companies work on providing the proper customer care ability inorder to eliminate any of the high amount of investments for the infrastructure setup. Business Research for the Learning Process The process of the business is related to the business planning and working over the marketing research (Wanyama, 2016). This is set with the latest trends that includes the fast-changing consumer market. There are certain large-scale companies that can set with the different third-party business firms to provide the valuable information from the external market environment. The information is important for the company to work over the different marketing plans and the brand value. It is important to focus on the globalisation with the different aspects of the business organisation to work with the clients. Learning Process I have also learned about the disadvantages where the huge expenditures due to outsourcing leads to complications in the organisation. The forms are set with holding the business and other legal complications. It is important to focus on the share process to get all the maximum possible benefits from the different activities. The external agents are set with the data risks that are exposed to the public domain. The risks for the third party organisations is related with the data misuse and the compromising of the business implementation process (Gasparenien?, 2016). Activities performed It is important to focus on the different parts of the implementation where the issues are set to take hold of operational activities that are for the third party organisation. The workers are working under the control of the outsourcing vendors with the fulfilment of the business plans as well. There are certain cultural conflicts which needs to be handled with proper working performance capability. Applied plan for the learning The activities are evaluated depending upon the organisational costs and how the organisation is equipped with the different special experts as well as the technical equipment. How learning will apply in future? The organisation can also get the delivery of the projects in a time mainly from the different outsourced organisations. The focus is also on working over how the outsourcing is processed and then worked with the inter-networked information system. Conclusion The research is based on reducing the workloads of the employees with facilitating the incorporation of the expert knowledge in the business process with increased performance of the business. The assessment of the outsourcing is mainly through the managerial control. References Gasparenien?, L. and Remeikien?, R., 2016. EVALUATION OF OUTSOURCING RELATIONSHIP IN ELECTRICITY SUPPLY SECTOR: LITHUANIAN CASE.Journal of Management, (1), p.28. Gonzalez, R., Gasco, J.L. and Llopis, J., 2015. Information systems outsourcing satisfaction: some explanatory factors.Industrial Management Data Systems,115(6), pp.1067-1085. Lee, J., 2017. Strategic risk analysis for information technology outsourcing in hospitals.Information Management. Letica, M., 2016. The effect of outsourcing activities selection on the benefits of outsourcing.Management: journal of contemporary management issues,21(2), pp.77-97. Oshri, I., Kotlarsky, J. and Willcocks, L.P., 2015.The Handbook of Global Outsourcing and Offshoring 3rd Edition. Springer. Schner, C.R., Schner, M.G., Grafe, T.U., Clarke, C.M., Dombrowski, L., Tan, M.C. and Kerth, G., 2017. Ecological outsourcing: a pitcher plant benefits from transferring pre?digestion of prey to a bat mutualist.Journal of Ecology,105(2), pp.400-411. Tajari, J., Valmohammadi, C. and Mohammadi, M., 2014. Identification and Prioritization of Outsourcing Risks of Information Technology Projects (Case Study: Iran Technical and Vocational University). Wanyama, J., 2016. Business process outsourcing (BPO) strategy. A conceptual approach.

Strategic report for Spotify

Introduction Music is a one of the most popular leisure activities worldwide. It is so popular that the music industry is a dynamic industry that keeps growing and advancing in the way it delivers music to the fans worldwide. Fans get to listen to their favourite musicians over the Internet through applications like YouTube.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic report for Spotify specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Listening or watching music online can sometimes be very frustrating, especially when the Internet is not fast enough and buffering takes ages. The advance in technology has assisted in solving this problem. One of these solutions was created by the Spotify Company under Daniel EK, who is the founder of this popular technological innovation. The service provided by this company also bears the name Spotify like the company itself. Spotify engages in the provision of a service that allows the streaming of music. This platform allows Internet users to listen to music on demand from their favourite artists without having to buy or own the albums (Gilmour, 2011). Spotify is the most recent online music service that was launched in London by the Spotify company in 2006 (Miller, 2012). The service is designed to avail streaming music from internationally recognized labels like Warner Music Group, Sony, EMI, among others. Therefore, the service gained popularity very fast across Europe and also internationally and by 2010, Spotify had about 10 million users, and the number was increasing by the day. This was an indication of how technological advancements can lead to the rapid development of an industry. Spotify has been able to reach out to many customers through the technological advancement experienced in the global Internet connectivity. This paper provides a critical analysis of the Spotify Company in the way it has been carrying out its business. The Spotify Company and its Resou rces The music industry thrives in the presence of the Internet. Spotify is a company that is entirely depended on the Internet. For the company to survive, it needs to appeal to the users and give them services that will keep them hooked. This means that Spotify always has to anticipate the needs of its users and meet them.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Every business depends on its consumers to survive in the competitive market. For Spotify, it goes more than that. Its users are its own lifeline. This company literary cannot exist or grow without new account creations or new subscriptions from users. This means that consumers are the biggest source of resources for Spotify. The company has shifted the notion of ownership from having the physical product to virtually possessing it. This also includes having accessibility to it irrespective of time and place (Jones Dewing , 2010). Spotify also depends on the content producers for its survival. The international recording label companies, which Spotify helps advertise and play their music directly to consumers, pay for promotion (Aigrain, 2012). The content also benefits at the end of the day. They get to have their music promoted and advertised without having to sign contracts with recording labels for advertisement (Zager, 2012). Spotify is a major investor attraction due to its fast grasp of the market share. Shrewd investors, both local and international, have a canny ability to smell lucrative venture from far. Spotify has proven its high potential by capturing interested clients in such a short time. According to Myers (2011), recording label companies like Merlin, Sony BGM, Warner Music, and EMI among others own about 18% of the Spotify company (Heimer, 2011). By June 2011, other investors of Spotify included Sean Parker, Li Ka-Shing, Northzone Ventures and Wellington Partners. The Spotify Comp any’s Performance For individuals who love music, Spotify is like a dream come true. This is because they get to listen to whichever track they want anytime and anywhere as long as the Internet is present. Although this is a good thing, it cannot be the only determining factor for success. This is because there are other aspects that have to be considered. These factors include: is the company able to sustain itself? How efficient is it? Are the profits as high as they appear to be? Does it give back to investors who channel cash into it?Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic report for Spotify specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Efficiency Efficiency of a company has to do with the quality of services it provides to its clients, speed of service and how well it meets the consumer needs of its clients. Spotify has gained such a high rating in growth of market share due to its ability to respond to the ne eds of consumers. Spotify has in its collection music from different recording labels, which means that whichever song a consumer might want to hear Spotify will play. Buskirk (2012) observes that Spotify is like one big database where a consumer can find all the play lists, ratings and artistes they want. It is like owning a modern, top notch technology radio that plays all the songs an individual may want. Sustainability of the Spotify Company Spotify is a company that has made such huge milestones in the market share and within such a short time. In as much as this is good or business, it may be its major down side. This is because the company might be growing in so fast a rate that it will not be able to sustain itself. Therefore, the company may be a victim of the great success it has made (Hepworth-Sawyer Golding, 2011). Spotify and Profits Every business venture has the aim of making maximum profits and cutting down on its losses. Spotify has been under maximum scrutiny sinc e its inception as critics try to analyse its operations and economic status. The company started off in a high note, which is still the current case. This is a good sign of a business destined for great success in the future. Spotify may have undergone major rocking times in 2010, like the fact that it lost approximately $45 million, but it certainly headed for greatness (Peoples, 2011). Therefore, Spotify is on the right track in regards to business. It started off on a high note, which is good for business since many followers ensures good marketing and promotion. The losses it has seemingly made are just a price it has to pay.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Spotify and Investors Every investment is always a risk. In the music industry, and especially virtual industries, the risk is way higher. This is because such business ventures are totally depended on shifting focal points of resources like consumers. Once consumer needs change; and the company is not flexible enough to meet these needs, it means that the company is sure to take a nose dive in its ultimate profits. At such a time, the company may not give back very much to its investors. However, since the company has potential of growing even more and producing bigger profits in the future, it will be wise to invest. Some investors are shying away from investing in Spotify nevertheless. It is normally asserted that when the risks are high, the returns are also attractive. Strategic Analysis of the External Environment PESTEL Analysis PESTEL analysis is a model that will be used to evaluate the risks that the Spotify company and also the external environment that have influence on the company with the emphasis on the social, economic, legal, technological, environmental and political aspects. Opportunities Social This aspect has to do with the feelings and opinions of the community. The opinions can be reflected by how individuals react to the product. With the number of users going up on a daily basis, it is clear that the community thinks highly of the Spotify music streaming service. This can be viewed as a great opportunity for the company since it is online based and its success depends on the number of users it has. The advantage of Spotify over other online music services is that the required music can be accessed instantly and played anywhere as long as the Internet was available. Another advantage is that Spotify allows the user to store assorted music in libraries for future listening. Spotify is also available in different shapes and sizes, and it comes in models that are compatible with PCs, mobile phones, home audio systems and Macs (Spotify Ltd, 2012). Threats Economic Spotify, like all other businesses, is not immune to the effects of the changes in the economic environment. Fluctuations in the economy will affect the stakeholders of Spotify which will in turn affect the company and threaten its very existence. Environmental constraints will affect the company’s operations and advertising. Aigrain (2012) observes that, for some companies like Spotify, their business models are based on subscriptions by the users and advertising. Technological Technological factors in the external environment of the company affect the company in that the trends of technology keep changing by the day. Innovations in technology may pose a challenge to Spotify. This is because these changes may happen at a frequency that any company might have difficulties in adapting to the changes. There is the threat of other companies introducing new products in the market that will compete with Spotify. Legal The controversies that have arisen wit h the advent of free music streaming could lead to copyright restrictions for Spotify by the music owners. If this should happen, Spotify would be left flat on its back. Environmental The environmental aspect has to do with issues such as global warming. Even though Spotify is an online company, it does not exist in a vacuum. Therefore, changes in the environment trigger a domino effect that gets to Spotify and influences its operations. Political The political aspect of the environment will affect Spotify in terms of change in the tax policy that will affect the company in a negative way. Specific Environmental Analysis Porter’s Five Model The Porter Five model draws on a company’s economics to come up with five forces determining the intensity of the company and hence its attractiveness in the market. Three of these forces have to do with the external environment and competition. They are; the threat of substitute products, the threat of new entrants, and the threat of established rivals. The remaining two forces that constitute the internal competition include the suppliers’ and consumers’ bargaining power. The threat of substitute products The music industry is large and diversified. This means that new products are coming up every other time. This is a threat that Spotify faces since the introduction of another music dispensing product means that some of its clients will move over to the other side. Such loss will cost Spotify a big deal. The threat of new entrants Spotify also faces threat of other music streaming companies that might come up in the future. These companies will take up part of the market share that is already owned by Spotify. The threat of established rivals There are also established rivals for Spotify. A very good example of such would be Pandora. This is the pioneer business in the online, streaming industry. Pandora, which was founded in 2000, has been the lone music streaming business before Spotify. Wit h the advent of Spotify, as the new kid in the block, there is no question about the competition for market share between the two (Taylor, 2011). Bargaining Power of Suppliers The suppliers of Spotify’s music are record labels. The fact that Spotify needs this music to survive can make the suppliers increase the prices of the product they provide to Spotify Company. This will cost Spotify more. Bargaining Power of Customers The users of Spotify service are the lifeline of the company. They are the main determinants as to whether the company will survive or not. Apart from that fact, they also determine the prices of the services provided by Spotify. Spotify has to determine their target group before they can set the prices for the upgraded service. Boston Consulting Group Matrix (BCG) BCG is a model based on categorizing a company’s components into four classes. This is made possible by merging the market growth and market share in relation to the major rival. In this case, Spotify’s market share and market growth is merged in comparison to its current biggest rival in the market. Consequently, Spotify can increase its annual earnings and its continuous growth and development (Chitale Gupta 2011). The BCG model takes into considerations two main variables. These include â€Å"the potential for attractive earning or relative market share and the potential for growth given by product sales growth† (Chitale Gupta 2011, p. 56). Spotify is viewed as a star actor since it has so far demonstrated a huge market share and steady growth in the music streaming industry. Despite the entry of more competitors in the market, Spotify has managed to maintain a large number of customers. The growth rate of the company has been fast, and this makes the company to be described as a star. However, there are other companies which had a large market share even before Spotify entered into the market. Apple Inc. has dominated the market, has a large mark et share and high growth rate. The iTune product of Apple dominated the market, and this makes Apple to be located at the question marks quadrant of the BCG Matrix. Relative market share Source: Author SWOT Analysis This analysis stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The strengths and weaknesses represent the internal environment while the opportunities and threats represent the external environment. Strengths Spotify has ventured into a partially exploited market and managed to scoop a large chunk of the market share within such a short time. Spotify Company can provide any track to its users anytime, anywhere. However, this is for as long as the users have an internet connection. Also, the company can take care of the consumer needs and provide these services for free. In addition, the company has low overheads, which gives it the chance to provide real good service to its users. Weaknesses The company underwent major losses in its initial stages in 2010. F or a company that is still trying to find its way around the market, that was a major blow. Investors were hesitant to put their money in Spotify Company due to these loses. This is also not good for business as Spotify relies on a big part on investors to be able to operate. Opportunities The Spotify business has a very large room for expansion, bearing in mind that it is online, and its services can be accessed globally. The company also has the potential to make big profits. Therefore, there is room for great investment, and big names in the industry will take great interest in the business. Threats Many companies might take notice of the lucrative nature of the music streaming business and start their own music streaming services. This will bring about great competition for Spotify in the future. There is also the copyright threat that is hovering over Spotify. Content owners may put restrictions on the music that Spotify can and cannot play. These limitations will reflect on th e services provided. Value Chain Analysis The value chain is a company’s chain of activities in its operations within a certain industry. The business unit of the company is the most suitable for the construction of a value chain. Spotify has applied technology to acquire a large market size. The company has acquired online retail stores to market its products to the international market. In addition, the company has sufficient infrastructure to support the development and sale of music products. Spotify has also employed professionals to produce quality products. Marketing and sales of the company are conducted by a professional team. The company sells its products to local and international markets. The diagram below shows the value chain of the company. Source: Neilson Pritchard (2009). Operations Spotify uses various applications that ensure the value of the music, which their clients listen to, is of a top notch quality. Top quality sound and videos are some of the rea sons that the company has gained so much popularity worldwide. Key Success factors of Spotify The key success aspects endorsed by the company include simplicity, comprehensive catalogue, and smart marketing. In simplicity, there is the lack of sophistication and complexity. This has proved to be an asset to the Spotify Company. This has also contributed to its popularity. In comprehensive catalogue, the ad-supported tire of the Spotify Company provides free access to a free, comprehensive catalogue. In smart marketing, Spotify makes use of shrewd marketing techniques which launches an invite-only mode. This creates scarcity, which makes the demand shoot. Spotify’s Strategic position Spotify understands the enthusiasm of individuals about the internet all over the world. Therefore, company understands its business will bloom. The company has also created a very user friendly interface in the web and has also made its services downloadable. There is also the option for its user s to save their favourite songs using the same application. The simplicity factor of the company has assisted push the company further up the competition ladder and also promoted the company’s services to potential market (Allen Wray, 2009). Implementation of the Policies and Strategies It is also imperative that policies have to be established to make sure that the music streamed by Spotify improves the music industry rather than destroy it. The presence of free streamed music over the Internet is two sides of the same coin, and if no policies are enforced to ensure its controlled exploitation, it will be more of harm than good to the industry. Laws governing and restricting the music streaming business should be enacted. Biagi (2011) asserts that technology without some control is usually very destructive. It may seem all glossy at first, but the long term effects will be negative. Also, by the time this is acknowledged, it would be quite late to salvage the situation. The music industry could be totally killed by the overestimation or under estimation of the effects of technology. It is important for the company to have a strong and firm management system that strategically plans the business of the company. This forms another platform that can enhance the performance of the Spotify Company. Technology is dynamic, in that it changes on a daily basis. Spotify needs a team that ensures the company is flexible enough to make the necessary modifications in order to fit in the modern world (Aaker McLoughlin, 2010). These changes are also critical in keeping up with market dynamics in respect to the consumer needs and desires. Summary of the Threats to the Spotify Company and future strategies to counter the threats This is the biggest threat since other companies are coming up to compete with Spotify for the market share. The online music streaming industry sure is lucrative, and other companies are getting interested. Spotify has to ensure that it deli vers quality service to its consumers in order to stay on top of the game. The advent of free, streaming music also raises very valid concerns in the music industry worldwide. In as much as it serves the consumer’s music needs, will it profit the other stakeholders in the music industry too in the long run? There emerges a pertinent question on whether its business model is sustainable, whether or not it will survive the harsh test of time and economy (Allen Wray, 2009). Fear of investment is also another issue. People tend to shy away from ventures that have such an easy way of rising to the top in their areas of expertise (Aaker McLoughlin, 2010). Investors hesitate to invest in Spotify du to the past losses it has made. The company should work to improve its profits so as to attract a significant number of investors. Viable Future Strategy for Spotify Spotify Company should build the audience they receive sufficiently in order to attract established companies in the adve rtising industry. This strategy will work towards generating increased income for the company. The company should also move its services to mobile phone in order to maximise its market share. This is because the mobile phones provide more portability than a PC. Spotify should also try to improve its relationship with its stakeholders as much as possible. Conclusion In summary, Spotify has the potential to grow and expand to unimaginable heights. The company has to take into account the internal and external environment that surrounds it. It should take advantage of the strengths it has like its simplicity, which makes it very user friendly, in order for it to expand and try to minimise the threats it faces. Threats like competition from existent and potential rivals. The fact that Spotify is a star actor according to the BCG matrix proves that the company has the potential of expanding and growing to an international music streaming company. Spotify also has to consider the way it d eals with its stake holders as a strategy of survival in the future. In addition, the company should meet all the needs of the consumers, the investors, and the record labels too. This strategy will ensure that the internal environment, which is also crucial, is conducive for the company. The external environment of Spotify will also have to remain balanced for it to survive. The management should form policies that guarantee survival in the environment. Balancing the internal and external environment will keep the stakeholders satisfied. This will also keep Spotify in business. Reference List Aaker, DA McLoughlin, D 2010, Strategic market management global perspectives, Wiley, Chichester. Aigrain, P 2012, Sharing: culture and the economy in the Internet age, Amsterdam University Press, Amsterdam. Allen, K Wray, R 2009. Can Spotify’s Free Music Pay Off? Viewed on https://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/nov/29/spotify-music-industry-funding Biagi, S 2012, Media/impact: an introduction to mass media, Wadsworth Cengage Learning, Australia. Buskirk, EV 2012, One Big Database Could Save the Music Business with Billions of Tiny Rivulets. Viewed on http://evolver.fm/2012/01/24/one-big-database-could-save-the-music-business-with-billions-of-tiny-rivulets/ Chitale, AK Gupta, R 2011, Product policy and brand management: Text and cases, PHI Learning, New Delhi. Gilmour, K 2011, Spotify for Dummies, John Wiley sons, Washington DC. Heimer, M 2011, The theory of access replacing ownership on the example of spotify, Viewed on https://www.grin.com/document/153699. Hepworth-Sawyer, R Golding, C 2011, What is music production? A producer’s guide: the role, the people, the process, Focal Press, Burlington, MA. Jones, T Dewing, C 2010, Future agenda the world in 2020,  Infinite Ideas, Oxford. Miller, M 2012, Sams Teach Yourself Spotify in 10 Minutes, Pearson Education, Inc., USA. Myers, CB 2011, Spotify Closes $100 Million from High Profile Investors at $1 Billion Valuation. Viewed on https://thenextweb.com/insider/2011/06/17/spotify-closes-100-million-from-high-profile-investors-at-1-billion-valuation/ Neilson, J., Pritchard, B. (2009). Value chain struggles: Institutions and governance in the plantation districts of South India. Chichester, U.K: Wiley-Blackwell. Peoples, G 2011, Business Matters: Why Spotify Shouldn’t Worry About Turning A profit Right Now. Viewed on https://www.billboard.com/biz Spotify Ltd 2012, What is Spotify? Viewed on Taylor, C 2011, Pandora: Spotify is Our Friend, Not a Competitor. Viewed on https://gigaom.com/2011/11/11/pandora-roadmap-2011/ Zager, M 2012, Music production: for producers, composers, arrangers, and students, Scarecrow Press, Lanham, Md. This essay on Strategic report for Spotify was written and submitted by user Luciano Mullins to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. 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6 Ways to Train Your Essay Writing for College

6 Ways to Train Your Essay Writing for College 6 Ways to Train Your Essay Writing for College Before you finish college, you will have written a great deal of academic papers. That being said, writing each paper is not necessarily easy. The best way for students to improve their essay writing for college is to train the skill-set already taught and expound upon previous writing lessons. Read as Many Academic Papers as You Can Reading different academic papers which are published in your school library or online will open your eyes to college level standards for writing, as well as for research and for citations. These might not be things to which you have been introduced before, and it is better late than never. Learn about Different Citation Styles There are many mistakes made by new college students with regard to citations, often because they are not familiar with the multiple citation styles each teacher may ask them to use. In any given semester students might be asked to write something using APA citation for one class, MLA for another, and Chicago for a third. Familiarizing yourself with these styles and looking over reference material on common mistakes students make can prevent you from making them yourself. Deepen Your Knowledge on the Plagiarism Issue Take seriously the plagiarism guides published by your academic institution and read them more than once. Remember that the key here is to properly cite sources you use and never copy the work of someone else. Take into consideration, too, that even accidental plagiarism can be the ground for expulsion. Ask Your School Teachers What Your Weak Points Are Ask your teachers where you can improve, what areas you should read more about, and what things you can do to hone your skills. Your teachers might tell you that citations are a problem and then direct you to a great book on proper citations. Make a List of Different Topics and Write Essays on Them The more you practice, the better you will be. Don’t limit yourself. Pick interesting topics and produce short, 5-paragraph essays on them so that you can critique yourself. Use the Services of Custom Writing Companies You can send them the essays you have written to practice and they can proofread your samples and tell you your mistakes, so that you can learn from them. With this information in mind, you can then make a list of guides, how-to texts on different academic matters to have it on hand when in college. This will make your homework decidedly simpler for you. Overall, you can improve your writing in myriad ways. Whether you ask your teacher for guidance, practice writing essays regularly, or just read, you can take the steps necessary to prepare yourself for custom college level essay writing.

What is Early Action and Early Admission

What is Early Action and Early Admission SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Shakespeare once wrote, "Better three hours too soon than a minute too late." If you're someone who likes to get things done ahead of schedule, then you might consider applying about two or three months sooner than regular deadlines under an early action program. Early action lets you apply early to one or more colleges, and you find out if you got accepted earlier too. This guide will go over the ins and outs of early action and the schools that offer it. Read on to figure out whether applying early action is right for you. What is Early Action? Early action is an admission plan offered by some colleges in addition to regular decision. Asthe name indicates, you apply by an earlier deadline. This deadline is often, but not always, November 1. This November deadline is months earlier than the regular decision deadline, which is usually in January. When you apply early action, you don't have to do anything special except for make the deadline. You'll still apply the normal way, usually through the Common Application. You'll fill out your application with information, such as yoursenior year courses and extracurricular activities. You'll send your official test scores through College Board or the SAT, invite your teachers and counselor to upload their recommendation letters, and submit your personal essay. Once you send everything in, you don't have too long to wait before hearing back from the admissions office. Most early action applicants hear back in mid-December. This opens up the awesome possibility of getting a college acceptance only halfway through senior year! Besides getting accepted, the other less welcome outcomes could be that you're denied or deferred. If you getdenied, you can't apply again for that academic year. If you're deferred, then your application will be pushed forward into the regular applicant pool to be reviewed again in the next round. If this happens, then you might want to call the school to see if you can get any more information. You could alsosend your mid-year grades or more recent test scores if they'll help your cause. Early action, unlike its counterpart early decision, is not binding. If you're offered a spot in the upcoming class, you don't have to accept it right away (unless you want to!). Instead, you can wait until May 1 before telling your EA school whether or not you plan to enroll. This policy allows you to compare admissions and financial aid offers from other schools that you applied to. You can apply elsewhere under regular decision, but can you apply to more than one school under early action? That all depends on the school. So many options! A little guidance here, please! Can You Apply to More Than One School Early Action? In most cases, the answer to this question is yes. You can apply to as many schools as you want under early action or regular decision. Some schools that allow you to apply early action anywhere include Boston College, CalTech, Georgetown, MIT, UNC Chapel Hill, University of Chicago, University of Virginia, and Villanova. For a few schools, however, the answer to the above question is a firm no. Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, Yale, and the University of Notre Dame, for example, only have a restrictive or single choice early action plan. As Harvard says, "If you apply...under our Early Action program, you may also apply at the same time to any public college/university or to foreign universities butyou are restricted from applying to other private universities' Early Action" programs. Basically, single choice early action means you can only apply to that one school early. So if you're applying to a restrictive early action school, make sure it's your top choice! Even though restrictive early action prevents you from applying under other schools' early action programs, you can still submit applications elsewhere under the regular decision deadlines. Again, this policy allows you to compare offers and financial aid throughout the spring before committing to a college. Early action is a great way to get a jumpstart on your college applications and ideally have your plans finalized ASAP senior year. While this can save you from a lot of the stress of the college notification waiting game, what benefit does it give to colleges? Why do colleges offer early action? Why Do Colleges Offer Early Action? Colleges have all different approaches, philosophies, and priorities when it comes to building a student body (and these can change from year to year). It makes sense that they offer different admissions plans as well. A few of the main reasons for an EA deadline are... To Space Out the Work One logistical reason for early action is that it allows admissions officers to space out their work. With more and more students applying to college, offering two deadlines lets schools stagger the review process over the year, rather than lumping it all together in one crazy month. To Control Enrollment Numbers Another reason that early action candidates appeal to admissions officers is that they're statistically more likely to accept an offer than are regular decision candidates. Think about it: if you apply early to a school, then you're probably really excited about that school. You're motivated to prepare months earlier than normalto get your application in one time. Students who apply under RDmight be applying to six or more schools on their college list, some safeties and some that are big reaches. That's largely why RD candidates less predictable in terms of where they'll enroll than EA candidates. For colleges, being able to predict their enrollment numbers and maximize their student yield is a big plus. To Discover Qualified Students Finally, colleges appreciate that EA applicants tend to be some of the most qualified candidates. A few years ago, Harvard, Princeton, and UVA eliminated their early action programs, citing evidence that early admissions predominantly benefited white, more affluent students with access to better resourced college counseling. Harvard's interim president in 2007, DerekBok,said,"Early admission programs tend to advantage to advantaged. Students from more sophisticated backgrounds and affluent high schools often apply early to increase their chances of admission, while minority students and students from rural areas, other countries, and high schools with fewer resources miss out." Other schools didn't follow suit, though, and all three colleges brought back their EA programs. Why? According to Harvard, they realized that students withall backgrounds wanted an early option. Realistically, though? They probably realized they were missing out on some of the most qualified students, who just applied early action somewhere else. Besides gaining more insight into how college admissions work, does any of this matter for you as a student? Well, by understanding that colleges are looking for qualified candidates andare looking to improve their yield, you could conclude that applying EA cangive you some strategic advantage. By demonstrating both your competitiveness and your commitment to the school (perhaps by saying it's your first choice in a supplemental essay, if possible), then you might curry more favor with admissions officers than would an RD candidate, whose commitment might not be perceived as equally strong. Let's break this down in more detail as we try to answer the much debated question - Is There an Advantage to Applying Early Action? There are a lot of rumors that you have a better shot of getting in if you apply EA. Sometimes students feel pressured to apply early, thinking it will increase their chances of admission. So does applying early help you? Now for the frustrating answer: yes and no. Data does show that a greater percentage of early action candidates are accepted over regular decision. Plus, as more and more students apply early, colleges have begun to raise their early acceptance rates too. In this past year, Harvard increased the percentage of EA acceptances from 6% to 17% That's a whole lot higher than its overall (and extremely selective) acceptance rate of 5.9%. You might conclude from this that you do have a better chance of getting accepted as an EA applicant. But there could be another explanation. The greater acceptance rate could reflect the greater number of qualified EA candidates. Perhaps students who apply early, especially to selective schools like Harvard, contain a higher proportion of well-qualified candidates than students who apply RD. MIT has this to say about its early action program: "There is no positive or negative prejudice associated with or conferred by applying during either cycle. We do not have a preference, and there is no strategic benefit to be had. We have two cycles for two reasons: 1) it helps us spread our work out over a longer period, devoting more time to each application and 2) it provides applicants with more options sothey can choose which works best for them." So is there any advantage to applying early? I would suggest the answer lies somewhere in the middle of Harvard's data and MIT's statement. Colleges do seem to appreciate the greater yield of EA candidates and their enthusiasm about attending. On the other hand, the EA pool could be even more competitive than the RD pool. Applying early won't make weaker grades or test scores look any stronger; in fact, compared to other early applicants, they could look even less up to scratch. So what conclusion can we drawhere? I'd say your number one priority should be sending the strongest application you can. If you've done careful planning in advance of your November deadline (more advice on how to do this below), then by all means, go for it! Apply early action. If you feel like you're doing a rush job, consider holding off and applying in January. Don't apply EA because you feel like you "should" if you think you're not ready. Take control of your college planning and go with the option that feels right to you. To cover all possible bases, you could call up or visit the admissions office of your school of interest and ask them about their EA program. Ask how selective EA is, or what their process is on denying versus deferring an applicant. Find out if there's any differences in financial aid processes and packages for EA vs. RD candidates. While you may be starting to have a sense of whether EA is right for you in terms of your readiness, what else do you need to think about when deciding to apply early? What steps do you need to take throughout junior and senior year? IsEarly Action is Right for You? Early action pushes your college planning timeline earlier by a few months.When deciding whether or not to apply early, you should think about your readiness and the strength of your credentials at that point. If you're already a senior, you could evaluate your readiness based on the info below. If you're a younger student, you can use this timeline to guide your college planning as you get ready to apply early action. Let's break down your planning byeach application component and your timeline for completing it, starting with your course grades. How Are Your Junior Year Grades? If you apply EA, your application will reflect your academic record up through the end of junior year. This differs from regular decision, when you'll send your mid-year senior grades as part of your transcript. If you're satisfied with your grades and GPA up until that point, then EA could be a great choice. If your grades are improving and you want to show that momentum in your college app, then you might wait until a January deadline. Remember that applying EA means that the admissions committee will focus on your freshman, sophomore, and junior years. If you'd benefit from adding the first half of senior year to the mix, then it might be to your advantage to wait for RD. How Are Your SAT or ACT Scores? If you apply EA, then your last chance to take the ACT or SAT would be in September or October of senior year. It could be pretty nerve-wracking if you're relying on these fall test dates to achieve your target scores. To ease the pressure, you could leave yourself two or three test dates in sophomore and/or junior year. For instance, you could take the SAT or ACT in the spring of sophomore year, fall of junior year, and again in the spring of junior year. With this schedule, you'd have three opportunities to achieve your target score, plus an additional date in the fall of senior year, just in case. Alternatively, since not everyone wants to take the SAT or ACT three or four times, you could take your test in the fall and spring of 11th grade. The main takeaway here is that you'll need to prep and plan for the SAT or ACT a long time before your EA deadline. If you find that you've run out of available test dates and still aren't satisfied with your scores, then you might decide to wait until RD. That way, you'd have one more opportunity to test in the fall of 12th grade. Do You Know Who to Ask for Recommendations? According to Emily Post's rules of manners and etiquette (probably), you should give your recommenders at least three weeks to a month's notice before your deadline. Be thoughtful about who you ask, and take the time to fill out a detailed "brag sheet" with your reflections on your goals andvalues. A lot of students ask their junior year teachers, so it can be a good idea to ask them at the end of junior year. At the very least, you should have your brag sheet ready and ask your teachers by October of senior year in order to apply EA. Meeting and talking to your counselor is important too. Share your plans and get to know her so she can write you a detailed and insightful rec letter. The keypoint here? To apply EA, fill out your brag sheet, talk to your recommenders, and make your rec letter requests at the end of junior year or by October of senior year at the latest. Are You Working On Your Personal Essay? Just like with your test scores and recommendations, you also want to start preparing your personal essay a few months in advance of your EA deadline. Even though it's a short essay (only 650 words for the Common App), it takes a lot of time, thought, and careful revising to produce an effective personal statement. To apply EA, you should start working on your college essay over the summer, and give significant time to drafting, eliciting feedback, and revising. Finding the time to work on your essay and balancing it with your other schoolwork and activities is another challenge to applying early, but one that you can manage if you get a head start and set deadlines for yourself. These are a few of my favorite schools... Is the EASchool Your Top Choice? This last question is most important for restrictive or single choice early action. Since restrictive EA only lets you apply early to one school, you should make it your top choice. How can you figure this out? For one thing, you can research the school, its programs, and its culture and social scene online and in person. Visit campus, speak to people in the admissions office, and speak to students about their experience. Maybe you can even do an overnight visit. Make sure that the school appeals to you and that you have concrete, significant reasons for wanting to spend the next four years of your life and education there. If you're really excited about attending the school, then this could motivate you to accomplish all of the steps described above in time to create an impressive application by the EA deadline. In closing, let's review the most important pieces of info you need to remember about choosing and applying early action. Key Takeaways About Early Action If I had to distil all the information above into the most important points for you to remember, they would be these: Some schools offer early action deadlines. They're usually in November, and you'll hear back whether you were accepted, denied, or deferred in mid-December. A small number of schools have restrictive or single choice early action, meaning you can't apply EA anywhere else. Applying early action isn't binding. You can apply to other schools and compare admission and financial aid offers before responding by May 1. If you're planning to apply EA, then you should prepare your application months in advance, payingspecial attention to your SAT or ACT scores, recommendations, and personal essay. Remember, applying EA can be a great option if you're excited about one or more schools and ready to apply. Don't rush and send off a weaker application just for the sake of applying early, but if you demonstrate that you're a qualified candidate, then you could have great success applying EA. If you're lucky, you could have your college plans all set before the new year! Then instead of anxiously awaiting college decisions, you could spend the spring relaxing and shopping for dorm room furniture. What's Next? Now that you know all about how early action works, check out the full list of schools with early action and their deadlines. Are you curious about how early decision differs from early action? Learn more about applying ED with this in-depth guide, plus a full list of schools with early decision and their deadlines. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Which habits of the mind you are going to set for yourself as your Essay

Which habits of the mind you are going to set for yourself as your highest personal goals for the rest of this semester - Essay Example Striving for accuracy will help me to set a goal in my mind and check the progress. This habit of mind will help to review the criteria, rule and confirm the works that are completed exactly matching the specification (Hyerle 76). This will help to get aware of the expectation of the faculties and standard that needed to be done to meet the requirement. This might take maximum effort and devotion but ultimate finished product will help me to succeed in this semester. Checking continuously on the goals that are set by me and finding out ways to improve and succeed in this semester. And to make sure that I am doing my best is concentrating on my aim and blocking everything else. Goals set by me might me higher, but this habit of mind can help me to improve constantly to find out best possible results for this semester. `This can be concluded that striving for precision and accuracy will help me to identify flaws, strength and weakness. Constantly correcting my work and flaws will help me to find out best possible result to achieve my goals for this

Healthy Lifestyles Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Healthy Lifestyles - Assignment Example ecifically, the detrimental consequences of these unhealthy behaviors manifest when two or more habits of the behaviors merge to produce synergistic effects. Technically, frequent health habits coalesce to form health lifestyles. Based on the interview, relevant data and information were obtained regarding particular unhealthy lifestyles. Admittedly, trends on unhealthy lifestyles suggested by the interview’s results were a bit surprising. Prior to the interview, I perceived the behaviors of tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and lack of physical exercises as experienced by members within the age bracket of 45-60 years. Surprisingly, these unhealthy behaviors are prevalent among members of the young generation; particularly those between 20-35 years. Actually, this optimally productive portion of the population seems to frequently engage in risky health habits more than those within the age bracket of 45-60 years. For example, alcohol abuse and reckless driving topped the list of most common unhealthy behaviors examined during the exercise. Observably, certain unhealthy behaviors are primarily associated with members of a particular age group. For example, teenagers and young adults between the ages of 15-24 are fond of smoking, drinking alcohol and using phones while driving compared to members of any other age group. Contrarily, adults between the ages of 55-64 years emerged as having unhealthy physical activity habits coupled with improper nutrition. With respect to teenagers and young adults, the pronounced frequency and intensity of drug abuse are relatively high compared to any other age group. In addition, reckless driving habits are more common among teenagers and young adults compared to any other age group. Reasons for this trend in young persons may include but not limited to emotional immaturity, juvenile delinquency, and social anxiety among others (Burnham, 2010). Contrarily, drinking, smoking and reckless driving habits subside towards adulthood.

Push and Pull Factors in the Tourism Industry Essay Example for Free

Push and Pull Factors in the Tourism Industry Essay Gogo (formerly known as Aircell), is an innovation company, becoming leaders in providing inflight connectivity. The company began in 1991, when they began creating telephone systems for aircrafts, they progressed from this and in 2006 began creating a broadband network for aircraft. In 2008, they launched this new system into commercial flights and since then they have been offering this service for various American airlines including US Airways, Virgin America and American Airlines (Gogo 2013). The purpose of this paper is to discuss the recent experience of using Gogo Wi-Fi on an American Airlines flight, and investigate the strategy of Gogo, with reference to the innovation dilemmas when creating this new service. The experience occurred on an American Airlines flight from San Francisco to Los Angeles, although the technology had been available for a few years, this was the first time the consumer had experienced Wi-Fi whilst flying. Although the consumer had no need for the Internet on their flight and only purchase it to update their Facebook status, they recognised the benefits of having the internet on long haul flights, this included people being able to check emails and stay in touch with people and it also provides people with the ability to download entertainment from online sources and no longer be limited to the selection provided by the airline. Due to the nature of the Airline industry, at the core level it can be viewed as a generic offering across the industry. This resulting in airlines often creating a differentiation strategy, in order to gain a competitive advantage as they seek to increase the value of the product/service on offer to the consumer (Hooley et al, 2012). The Gogo Company acknowledged that their innovation could provide a service to Airlines that will enable them to differentiate themselves. This can be identified on the Gogo website, as it states ‘By differentiating your airline and providing a memorable passenger experience, you stand to gain loyalty among your valued flyers†¦lets you custom wrap the video portal, so your brand is consistently comes forth whenever passengers are connected’ (Gogo 2013). In 2009, American Airlines announced it would be using Gogo services on their domestic flights, costing the airline $100 000 to install (Semuels, 2009). This therefore shows that American Airlines have recognised the benefits and the increase ticket sales and revenue they could receive by advertising Gogo Internet is now a part of inflight entertainment. When innovation occurs within a company, they must consider the following innovation dilemmas, whether the product or service is a technology push or market pull, product or process innovation, open or closed innovation and finally a technological or business-model innovation. Technology push is when innovation is pushed by technologist or scientist who pass this information onto the company, from there they will manage, promote and distribute this new innovation. This can be compared to market push, this is when companies create innovation based on what the ‘lead users’ are doing in that particular industry (Johnson et al, 2011). One aspect that has enable Gogo to overcome this dilemma, is by listening to what the market wants and ensuring they are up to date with the current market technological tends. Product Innovation is when emphasis on innovation is placed on the finally product, whereas in process innovation is when innovation is focused on the production and distribution (Johnson et al, 2011). At the beginning Gogo was focused on the product innovation, but as the company has grown, they have shifted to process innovation. This can be identified on the Gogo website stating that ‘1 in 4 people consider their laptop, tablet or IPad an essential carry on item’ (Gogo 2013), therefore Gogo has had to ensure its innovation is compatible across the multiple devices. Open innovation is when companies improve their innovation through gaining ideas through internal and external personnel. This can be compared to closed innovation, when innovation is based on internal personnel (Johnson et al, 2011). Gogo tend to go for closed innovation to ensure they remain leaders in the industry however ensuring they are receiving feedback from their clients to ensure they are meeting their needs. Technological or business-model innovation, technological innovation is when innovation is relied on new science or technology, whereas business-model innovation emphasises on creating new models that will bring stakeholders together in a new method (Johnson et al, 2011). Gogo began as a technological innovation, however has become a business-model innovation for companies using Gogo products and service, as it changes the way they sell and promote their airline company. Overall, Gogo are the market leaders and innovators in inflight communications services. And from reviewing the company’s current strategy, it can be recognised that will continue to be market leaders as they are aware of the demands from today’s consumers, and are constantly updating, innovating and meeting these demands. Although by company innovating new products or services, it dose propose the risk of innovation dilemmas, Gogo has proven that they can overcome these dilemmas and continue to lead and grow.

The Debate Over Video Game Violence Essay -- Violent Video Games

Controversy surrounds almost every topic and has been around for centuries. Controversial topics usually involve different types of people that have two opposite points of view about a certain topic or idea. The widespread expansion of technology has allowed people all over the world to debate certain topics that they deem to have a correct understanding of. Unsurprisingly, the effect of video games on the human brain has been a controversy since video games were first released decades ago. Video games involve the use of body and mind, which causes the player to be "inside" of the game, and they can see the world through the eyes of the character of which they play. Some psychologists and other scientists suggest that violent video games can cause psychological disorders which can cause players to engage in violent behavior in real life. On the other hand, there have also been studies conducted that suggest violence in video games does not affect the brain in that kind of way. Peop le from both sides of the viewpoint bring up good arguments that support their claim and really brings into question our understanding of video games and the impact they have on our brains. These scientists have conducted experiments over the last couple decades but still don't have an answer to what the underlying cause of children and young adults to be violent in real life as a result of playing violent video games, or if it does at all. Unfortunately, many of the people viewing this subject point the finger at others to see who is responsible for getting the children into violent video games. Some may blame the manufacturers for targetting children with their advertising of violent video games, and others may blame the parents for purchasing the... ...mes+influence+aggressive+behaviour+kids+expert+warns/9812114/story.html>. Lejacq, Yannick. "'Call of Duty' maker gears up against 'violent video games' bill." NBCnews. NBC, 11 Sept. 2013. Web. 11 May 2014.. Rettner, Rachael. "Do Video Games Boost Aggression? Study adds fire to debate." Fox News. Fox, 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 11 May 2014. . "S. 134: Violent Content Research Act of 2013." 113th Congress. N.p.: n.p., 2013. GovTrack. Web. 11 May 2014.. Tobias, Greitemeyer, and Mugger Dirk. "Video Games Do Affect Social Outcomes." Sage Journals: n. pag. Sagepub. Web. 11 May 2014. .

The Good Life: Perspectives of Buddha and Confucius

There are several definitions of the technical term â€Å"good life† and there are countless standards on â€Å"how one should live†, however, there are two personalities that teach differently with regards to this. This paper entitled â€Å"The Good Life: Perspectives of Buddha and Confucius† intends to answer the following questions: 1) â€Å"What is the ‘good life’ according to Buddha? †; 2) â€Å"What is the ‘good life’ according to Confucius? †; 3) â€Å"How should one live according to Buddha? †; and last but not least 4) â€Å"How should one live according to Confucius? †. II. The Good Life According to Buddha The good life according to Buddha is to live according to certain standards that will lead one to obtain the â€Å"definitive life of bliss† (Thapar, 1966). In addition to that the â€Å"good life† is where â€Å"equal treatment† is experienced (Thapar, 1966). This is stated under the category â€Å"Sunyata† (Thapar, 1966). Furthermore, it also entails â€Å"nirvana†, which means that â€Å"whatever happens or no matter how disordered incidents may turn out to be, there will always be perfect peace, as well as, fairness in the end† (Gotiangco, 2001). Believing in such is already living the good life according to Buddha (Gotiangco, 2001). Moreover, living the good life is also to practice the combination of â€Å"compassion and wisdom† (Gotiangco, 2001). This means that individuals ought to show sympathy towards other people which may be achieved by â€Å"understanding the real meaning of life (Gotiangco, 2001). He reiterated that â€Å"wisdom should be developed as well to be able to impart the right teachings of Buddhism while compassion should also be present to be able to appropriately carry out the appropriately the teachings of Buddhism† (Gotiangco, 2001). Last but not least is to â€Å"develop wisdom and faith† which involves the conviction with open-mindedness to be able to see visibly other people’s point of view without any preconceived notion and foregone conclusion; belief with extremely profound contemplation to be able to be acquainted with its soundness; commitment with efforts to be able to really comprehend it; and confidence with realization to be able to recognize that there is really no difference between the belief of an individual and the truth (Gotiangco, 2001). III. The Good Life According to Confucius The good life according to Confucius is a never-ending aspiration for moral faultlessness/perfection (Gotiangco, 2001). IV. How One Should Live According to Buddha According to Buddha, one should live in a matter that observes the following: A. Essential Teachings First of all, the basic and essential teachings of Buddha should be learned and practiced by an individual (Thapar, 1966). These include the following: â€Å"1) the Four Noble Truths which include the following: a) Noble Truth of Sorrow; b) Noble Truth of Arising Sorrow; c) Noble Truth of the Stopping of Sorrow; and d) Noble Truth of the Way which leads to the Stopping of Sorrow; as well as 2) The Noble Eightfold Path which consists of the following: a) Right Speech; b) Right Views; c) Right Conduct; d) Right Resolve; e) Right Effort; f) Right Recollection; g) Right Mediation; and h) Right Livelihood† (Thapar, 1966). B. Steps to Follow to Achieve a Life of Bliss and Perfection Second is to be extremely aware of the concrete steps to attain â€Å"a life of bliss and perfection† (Thapar, 1966). The following should then be followed: 1) It is important for one to discover what causes suffering to be felt or experienced (Thapar, 1996). Buddha technically defined suffering as â€Å"anything that hinders preference or anything which go against an individual’s will, for instance death, illnesses, etc† (Thapar, 1966). ) It is needed for an individual to know what he or she should do to be able to avoid encountering suffering (Thapar, 1966). Likewise, an individual is obliged to â€Å"control himself or herself† and to â€Å"fight off suffering† which â€Å"presents itself through lust, negative emotions, hatred, lapse in judgment, as well as, self-centeredness† (Thapar, 1966). This is in connection with the one mentioned in Part A of this section/category that te achings should be read incessantly to be able to internalize it (Thapar, 1966). This is because such internalization and habitual meditation will play a large role in letting go of wants and release of disparaging mania/fixations which will eventually keep the mind and body of a person to be calm (Thapar, 1966). Of course, to live calmly is to be able to initiate goodwill and capability of delivering rational decisions which are all parts of the good life according to Buddha (Thapar, 1966). 3) Last but not least is to know what is technically known as karma (Thapar, 1966). Buddha said that â€Å"since the calmness, rational judgment and goodwill are already present then it can be claimed that rebirth or karma has already taken place (Thapar, 1966). A human being who now actually has better control of herself/himself may now attain â€Å"perfect bliss or nirvana†, which in turn is the objective of living and so the most basic principle to how one should live as well (Thapar, 1966). V. How One Should Live According to Confucius There is a set of standards that one should follow according to Confucius (Gotiangco, 2001). It entails being ethical and being humanitarian (Gotiangco, 2001). Specifically, there are three elements included in the aforementioned two and these are â€Å"human relations, virtues, as well as, rituals† (Gotiangco, 2001). All these components are required or needed to be able to meet the standards on how one should really live from the perspective of Confucius (Gotiangco, 2001). A. Human Relations Human relations should be very harmonious according to Confucius (Gotiangco, 2001). The five kinds of human relations that should be kept are the following: â€Å"1) parents – children; 2) husband – wife; 3) older – younger; 4) friend – friend; and last but not least 5) ruler – subject† (Gotiangco, 2001). He advises that â€Å"a parent should be able to understand what a parents really means; a husband should know how to be a good husband; a daughter or a girl should be able to internalize the allusions highly related with being a female or a daughter; likewise, a ruler or a subject should be familiar of being a ruler or a subject respectively (Gotiangco, 2001). He said that everybody is anticipated to â€Å"relate† in accordance with the aforementioned kinds of relationships to be able to achieve harmony and maintain stability as well (Gotiangco, 2001). B. Virtues He thus reiterates that all the members of the family should be provided with the proper training to be able to exhibit the suitable and proper values relevant to the relationship they are involved with (Gotiangco, 2001). The training referred to here by Confucius include the following: First of all is â€Å"loyalty† (Gotiangco, 2001). Second is â€Å"filial piety† â€Å"which is technically defined as â€Å"the Chinese way of showing respect to parents and ancestors† (Gotiangco, 2001). Third is known as â€Å"obedience† (Gotiangco, 2001). Last but not least is better known as â€Å"conduct† (Gotiangco, 2001). Confucius stated that to be familiar with the aforementioned appropriate values will help people be more conscious of what they are about to carry out and since it maintains good relationships with others then it is a way of living the good life (Gotiangco, 2001). C. Rituals There are certain â€Å"rituals† that must be observed (and should be instilled preferably during childhood) as well according to Confucius (Gotiangco, 2001). Some of these are the following: First is to provide â€Å"formal education† to individuals (Gotiangco, 2001). This is in addition to the parental assistance and regulation given to their children (Gotiangco, 2001). Second is the â€Å"worshipping of ancestors† (Gotiangco, 2001). This is important it is effective in instituting and upholding â€Å"high esteem, reverence, faithfulness, as well as, loyalty among the members of the immediate family, as well as, that of the clan† (Gotiangco, 2001). Third is â€Å"contemplative reading or meditation† (Gotiangco, 2001). Confucius stated that the aforementioned is needed to enlighten the mind, invigorate it, as well as, instill and advocate values like tolerance/staying power, self-control/temperance, as well as, calmness that’s welled up inside a person (Gotiangco, 2001). He added that in times of extreme conflict or catastrophes, such values will definitely help the person (Gotiangco, 2001). Last but not least is the training in what is technically referred to as the â€Å"Confucian Six Arts† (Gotiangco, 2001). Included in the â€Å"Confucian Six Arts† are the following: ) â€Å"Music and Literature†, which are considered necessary for the â€Å"purposes of humanism and finesse† (Gotiangco, 2001). 2) â€Å"Mathematics†, which helps challenge and eventually sharpen â€Å"mental awareness† and â€Å"logic† (Gotiangco, 2001). 3) â€Å"Callligraphy†, which actually trains one to become extremely patient and strong-minded/indomitable (Gotian gco, 2001). 4) â€Å"Martial Arts†, which helps and molds someone to exhibit exactness and meticulousness (Gotiangco, 2001). In addition to that, it encourages maintenance of the body to become physically fit (Gotiangco, 2001). ) â€Å"Archery†, which â€Å"according to the philosophy of Confucianism, is needed for the purposes of developing deference, as well as, agility† (Gotiangco, 2001). 6) â€Å"Chariot Racing†, which Confucius says that it highly increases fortitude/stamina, as well as, adroitness/dexterity (Gotiangco, 2001). 5) â€Å"Confucian Literature Reading†, wherein a child is compelled to read the following books everyday: â€Å"a) I Ching or the Book of Change; b) Shuh Ching or the Book of History; c) Shih Ching or the Book of Odes; d) Spring and Autumn Annals; e) the Analects; f) the Great Learning; and last but not least g) the Doctrine of the Mean† (Gotiangco, 2001). The aforesaid books serve as â€Å"directions† or â€Å"models† for people to follow and to light their paths as they keep up with life and face all the challenges/endeavors that may come their way (Gotiangco, 2001). Confucius reiterated that the aforementioned rituals is a critical part of â€Å"how one should live† and so it is very important to him to start early with the aforementioned rituals (Gotiangco, 2001). He said that traditions will not only be sustained, the community/society will be cultivated and taken cared of as well (Gotiangco, 2001). In addition to that, the spirit of reciprocity lives on as well† (Gotiangco, 2001). VI. Conclusion The good life according to Buddha is one that is directed to reach â€Å"a definitive life of bliss† while for Confucius â€Å"it is the unending desire to attain moral perfection† (Gotiangco, 2001). According to Buddha, one should live by knowing and practicing his teachings and following the step s to attaining â€Å"a life of bliss and perfection† while for Confucius, one should live by maintaining good relations, instilling virtues and observing rituals (Gotiangco, 2001).

Last Sacrifice Chapter Five

GETTING AWAY FROM DIMITRI WASN'T just about our rocky romantic past. I'd meant it when I said I didn't want him getting in trouble because of me. If the guardians found me, my fate wouldn't be that much different from what I'd already been facing. But Dimitri? He'd been making baby steps toward acceptance. Sure, that was pretty much destroyed now, but his chance for a life wasn't over. If he didn't want to live at Court or with humans, he could go back to Siberia and return to his family. Out there in the middle of nowhere, he'd be hard to find. And with how close that community was, they'd go to a lot of trouble to hide him if someone ever did try to hunt him down. Staying with me was definitely the wrong option. I just needed to convince him. â€Å"I know what you're thinking,' Dimitri said, after we'd been on the road for about an hour. We hadn't spoken much, both of us lost in our own thoughts. After a few more country roads, we'd finally made it to an interstate and were making good time toward †¦ well, I had no idea. I'd been staring out the window, pondering all the disasters around me and how I alone could fix them. â€Å"Huh?' I glanced over at him. I thought there might be the smallest hint of a smile on his lips, which seemed absurd considering this was probably the worst situation he'd been in since being restored from his Strigoi state. â€Å"And it won't work,' he added. â€Å"You're planning how to get away from me, probably when we eventually stop for gas. You're thinking maybe you'll have a chance to run off then.' The crazy thing was, I had been thinking very much along those lines. The old Dimitri was a good partner on the road, but I wasn't so sure I liked having his old ability to guess my thoughts back as well. â€Å"This is a waste of time,' I said, gesturing around the car. â€Å"Oh? You have better things to do than flee the people who want to lock you up and execute you? Please don't tell me again that this is too dangerous for me.' I glared. â€Å"It's about more than just you. Running away shouldn't be my only concern. I should be helping clear my name, not hiding in whatever remote place you're undoubtedly taking me to. The answers are at Court.' â€Å"And you have lots of friends at Court who will be working on that. It'll be easier on them if they know you're safe.' â€Å"What I want to know is why no one told me about this–or, I mean, why Lissa didn't. Why'd she hide it? Don't you think I'd have been more helpful if I'd been ready?' â€Å"We did the fighting, not you,' Dimitri said. â€Å"We were afraid if you knew, you might give away that something was up.' â€Å"I would have never told!' â€Å"Not intentionally, no. But if you were tense or anxious †¦ well, your guards can pick up on those kinds of things.' â€Å"Well, now that we're out, can you tell me where we're going? Was I right? Is it some crazy, remote place?' No answer. I narrowed my eyes at him. â€Å"I hate not being in the loop.' That tiny smile on his lips grew a little bigger. â€Å"Well, I have my own personal theory that the more you don't know, the more your curiosity is likely to make sure you stick around with me.' â€Å"That's ridiculous,' I replied, though really, it wasn't all that unreasonable of a theory. I sighed. â€Å"When the hell did things get so out of control? When did you guys start being the masterminds? I'm the one who comes up with the wacky, impossible plans. I'm supposed to be the general here. Now I'm barely a lieutenant.' He started to say something else but then froze for a few seconds, his face instantly taking on that wary, lethal guardian look. He swore in Russian. â€Å"What's wrong?' I asked. His attitude was contagious, and I immediately forgot all thoughts of crazy plans. In the erratic flash of headlights from oncoming traffic, I could see his eyes dart up to the rearview mirror. â€Å"We have a tail. I didn't think it would happen this soon.' â€Å"Are you sure?' It had grown dark, and the number of cars on the highway had increased. I didn't know how anyone could spot one suspicious car among that many, but well †¦ he was Dimitri. He swore again and suddenly, in a maneuver that made me grab the dashboard, he cut sharply across two lanes, barely missing a minivan that expressed its annoyance with a lot of honking. There was an exit right there, and he just barely made it without clipping the exit ramp's rail. I heard more honking, and when I looked back, I saw the headlights of a car that had made just as crazy a move to follow us onto the exit. â€Å"The Court must have gotten the word out pretty fast,' he said. â€Å"They had someone watching the interstates.' â€Å"Maybe we should have taken back roads.' He shook his head. â€Å"Too slow. None of it would have been an issue once we switched cars, but they found us too soon. We'll have to get a new one here. This is the biggest city we'll hit before the Maryland border.' A sign said we were in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and as Dimitri skillfully drove us down a busy, commerce-filled road, I could see the tail mirroring everything we did. â€Å"What exactly is your plan to get a new car?' I asked warily. â€Å"Listen carefully,' he said, ignoring my question. â€Å"It is very, very important that you do exactly as I say. No improvising. No arguing. There are guardians in that car, and by now, they've alerted every other guardian around here–possibly even the human police.' â€Å"Wouldn't the police catching us create a few problems?' â€Å"The Alchemists would sort it out and make sure we ended up back with the Moroi.' The Alchemists. I should have known they'd get involved. They were a secret society of humans who helped protect Moroi and dhampir interests, keeping us out of the mainstream human public. Of course, the Alchemists didn't do it out of kindness. They thought we were evil and unnatural and mostly wanted to make sure we stayed on the fringes of their society. An escaped â€Å"criminal' like me would certainly be a problem they would want to help the Moroi with. Dimitri's voice was hard and commanding when he spoke again, though his eyes weren't on me. They were busy scanning the sides of the road. â€Å"No matter what you think of the choices everyone's been making for you, no matter how unhappy you are with this situation, you know–I know you do–that I've never failed you when our lives were at stake. You trusted me in the past. Trust me now.' I wanted to tell him that what he said wasn't entirely true. He had failed me. When he'd been taken down by Strigoi, when he'd shown that he wasn't perfect, he had failed me by shattering the impossible, godly image I had of him. But my life? No, he had always kept mine safe. Even as a Strigoi, I'd never entirely been convinced he could kill me. The night the Academy had been attacked, when he'd been turned, he'd told me to obey him without question too. It had meant leaving him to fight Strigoi, but I'd done it. â€Å"Okay,' I said quietly. â€Å"I'll do whatever you say. Just remember not to talk down to me. I'm not your student anymore. I'm your equal now.' He glanced away from the side of the road just long enough to give me a surprised look. â€Å"You've always been my equal, Roza.' The use of the affectionate Russian nickname made me too stupid to respond, but it didn't matter. Moments later, he was all business again. â€Å"There. Do you see that movie theater sign?' I gazed down the road. There were so many restaurants and stores that their signs made a glittering haze in the night. At last, I saw what he meant. WESTLAND CINEMA. â€Å"Yes.' â€Å"That's where we're going to meet.' We were splitting up? I'd wanted to part ways but not like this. In the face of danger, separating suddenly seemed like an awful idea. I'd promised not to argue, though, and kept listening. â€Å"If I'm not there in a half hour, you call this number and go without me.' Dimitri handed me a small piece of paper from his duster pocket. It had a phone number scrawled on it, not one I recognized. If I'm not there in a half hour. The words were so shocking that I couldn't help my protest this time. â€Å"What do you mean if you're not–ah!' Dimitri made another abrupt turn, one that caused him to run a red light and only narrowly miss a number of cars. More honking ensued, but the move had been too sudden for our tail to keep up. I saw our pursuers whiz past on the main road, brake lights flashing as they searched for a place to turn around. Dimitri had taken us into a mall parking lot. It was packed with cars, and I glanced at the clock to get a grasp for human time. Almost eight o'clock at night. Early in the Moroi day, prime entertainment time for humans. He drove past a few entrances to the mall and finally selected one, pulling into a handicap spot. He was out of the car in one fluid motion, with me following just as quickly. â€Å"Here's where we split up,' he said jogging toward a set of doors. â€Å"Move fast, but don't run when we're inside. Don't attract attention. Blend in. Wind through it for a little bit; then get out through any exit but this one. Walk out near a group of humans and then head for the theater.' We stepped into the mall. â€Å"Go!' As though afraid I might not move, he gave me a small push toward an escalator while he took off on the main floor. There was a part of me that wanted to just freeze and stand there, that felt dumbfounded by the sudden onslaught of people, light, and activity. I soon pushed that startled part aside and began heading up the escalator. Fast reflexes and instinctual reactions were part of my training. I'd honed them in school, in my travels, and with him. Everything I'd been taught about eluding someone came rushing back to my head. What I wanted to do more than anything was look around and see if I had a follower, but that would have definitely attracted attention. I had to imagine that, at most, we had a couple minutes' lead on our pursuers. They would have had to turn around to get back to the mall and then circle to spot our car, presuming they figured out we'd gone into the mall. I didn't think Harrisburg had enough of a Moroi presence to summon very many guardians on short notice. The ones they had would likely split up, some searching the mall and some guarding the entrances. This place had too many doors for the guardians to watch them all; my escape choice would be pure luck. I walked as fast as I reasonably could, weaving through couples, families with strollers, and giggling teens. I envied that last group. Their lives seemed so easy compared to mine. I also passed the usual mall stores, their names registering but not much more: Ann Taylor, Abercrombie, Forever 21 †¦ Ahead of me, I could see the center of the mall where several corridors branched out. I'd have a choice to make soon. Passing an accessories store, I ducked inside and pretended to look at headbands. As I did, I covertly glanced back out to the mall's main section. I saw nothing obvious. No one had stopped; no one had followed me into the store. Beside the headbands section was a clearance bin filled with items that obviously deserved to be on clearance. One item was a â€Å"girly' baseball cap, hot pink with a star done in rainbow rhinestones on the front. It was god-awful. I bought it, grateful the guardians hadn't taken away the meager cash I'd had on me when arrested. They probably figured it wasn't enough to bribe anyone. I also bought a ponytail holder, all the while still keeping an eye on the store's doorway. Before leaving, I bound my hair up as much as I could with the holder and then put on the hat. There was something silly about being reduced to disguises, but my hair was an easy way to ID me. It was a deep, almost-black brown, and my lack of any recent haircut had it hanging to my mid-back. In fact, between that and Dimitri's height, we would have made a very conspicuous pair walking through here. I merged back into the shoppers and soon reached the mall's center. Not wanting to show any hesitation, I took a left toward Macy's. As I walked, I felt slightly embarrassed at the hat and wished I'd at least had time to find a more stylish one. Minutes later, when I spotted a guardian, I was glad I'd made such a quick fashion choice. He was near one of those carts you always see in the center of malls, pretending to be interested in cell phone covers. I recognized him first because of his stance and the way he was managing to act interested in a zebra print phone cover while simultaneously searching around him. Plus, dhampirs could always distinguish each other from humans with close enough examination. For the most part, our two races appeared pretty identical, but I could spot one of my own. I made sure not to look right at him and felt his eyes pass over me. I didn't know him, which meant he probably didn't know me either. He was likely going off a photo he'd seen once and expected my hair to be a big giveaway. Keeping as casual an air as I could, I moved past him at a leisurely pace, glancing in windows that kept my back to him but sent no obvious messages that I was on the run. All the while, my heart pounded in my chest. Guardians could kill me on sight. Did that apply to the middle of a mall? I didn't want to find out. When I was clear of the cart, I picked up my pace a little. Macy's would have its own outside door, and now it was just a gamble to see whether or not I'd made a good call coming in this direction. I entered the store, went down its escalator, and headed toward the main floor exit–passing a very nice selection of cute berets and fedoras. I paused near them, not because I planned on upgrading my hat, but because it allowed me to fall in step just behind a group of girls who were also exiting. We left the store together, and my eyes quickly adjusted to the change in light. There were lots of people around, but I again saw nothing threatening. My girls stopped to chat, giving me an opportunity to get my bearings without appearing totally lost. To my right, I spotted the busy road Dimitri and I had come in on, and from there, I knew how to get to the movie theater. I exhaled in relief and cut across the parking lot, still watching my surroundings. The farther I walked from the mall, the less crowded the parking lot became. Lampposts kept it from being totally dark, but there was still an eerie feel as things grew quieter and quieter. My initial impulse was to head right for the road and take the sidewalk directly to the theater. It was well lit and had people. But a moment later, I decided it was too conspicuous. I was pretty sure I could cut across parking lots much more quickly to get to the theater. It proved true–kind of. I had the theater in sight when I realized I had been followed after all. Not far ahead of me, the shadow of a parking lamp's post didn't cast correctly. The shadow was too broad. Someone was behind the pole. I doubted a guardian had coincidentally picked this spot in the hopes Dimitri or I would come by. Most likely it was a scout who'd seen me and circled ahead for an ambush. I kept walking, trying not to obviously slow down, though every muscle in my body was tensing for attack. I had to be the one who attacked first. I had to be in control. My moment came, seconds before I suspected my ambusher would have made his move. I leapt out, throwing him–it turned out to be a dhampir I didn't recognize– against a nearby car. Yup. I'd surprised him. Of course, the surprise was mutual when the car's alarm went off, blaring into the night. I winced, trying to ignore the shrieking as I punched my captive on the left side of his jaw. I had to make the most of having him pinned. The force of my fist knocked his head against the car, but he took it admirably, promptly pushing back in an effort to free himself. He was stronger, and I did stumble a little, but not enough to lose my balance. What I lacked in strength, I made up for in speed. I dodged each attempt at me, but it brought me little satisfaction. That stupid car alarm was still going strong, and it was eventually going to attract the attention of other guardians or human authorities. I dashed around the side of the car, and he gave chase, stopping when we were on opposite sides. It was like two kids playing keep-away. We mirrored each other as he tried to anticipate which direction I'd go. In the dim lighting, I saw something surprising tucked into his belt: a gun. My blood ran cold. Guardians were trained to use guns but rarely carried them. Stakes were our weapon of choice. We were in the business of killing Strigoi, after all, and guns were ineffective. But against me? Yeah. A gun simplified his job, but I had a feeling he'd hesitate to use it. A car alarm could be blamed on someone accidentally getting too close, but a gunshot? That would elicit a call to the police. This guy wouldn't fire if he could help it–but he would if he ran out of options. This needed to end soon. At last I made a move toward the front of the car. He tried to intercept me, but then I surprised him by springing onto the car's hood (because honestly, at this point, it wasn't like the alarm could get any louder). In my split second of advantage, I threw myself off the car and onto him, knocking him flat to the ground. I landed on top of his stomach and held him down with all my weight while my hands went around his neck. He struggled, trying to throw me off, and nearly succeeded. At last, the lack of air won out. He stopped moving and fell into unconsciousness. I let go. For a brief moment, I had a flashback to our escape from Court, when I'd used the same technique on Meredith. I saw her lying on the ground all over again and felt that same pang of guilt. Then, I shook it off. Meredith was okay. Meredith wasn't even here. None of that mattered. All that mattered was that this guy was out of commission, and I had to get out of here. Now. Without looking to see if others were coming, I tore off across the parking lot toward the theater. I stopped once I had some distance between me and the wailing car, using another car as cover. I saw no one near the guy yet, but over by the parking lot's front, close to the mall, there seemed to be some activity. I didn't stick around to get a closer look. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good for me. I reached the theater a couple minutes later, breathless more from fear than exhaustion. Running endurance was something I had built up a lot of, thanks to Dimitri. But where was Dimitri? Theatergoers mingled around, some giving my disheveled state an odd look, as they either waited for tickets or discussed what movie they'd just seen. I saw no sign of Dimitri anywhere. I had no watch. How long had passed since we'd parted? Surely not a half hour. I walked around the theater, staying obscured in the crowd, searching for any indication of Dimitri or more pursuers. Nothing. Minutes ticked by. Uneasily, I reached into my pocket and touched the piece of paper with the phone number. Leave, he'd told me. Leave and call the number. Of course, I had no cell phone, but that was the least of my problems right now– â€Å"Rose!' A car pulled up at the curb where others were dropping people off. Dimitri was leaning out the driver's side window, and I nearly fell over in relief. Well, okay, not nearly. In reality, I didn't waste a moment in hurrying over to him and hopping into the passenger seat. Without a word, he hit the gas and got us away from the theater and back to the main road. We said nothing at first. He was so wound up and on edge, it seemed the slightest provocation would make him snap in half. He drove as fast as he could without attracting police attention, all the while glancing into the rearview mirror. â€Å"Is there anyone behind us?' I asked at last, as he drove back onto the highway. â€Å"It doesn't look like it. It'll take them a while to figure out what car we're in.' I hadn't paid much attention when I'd entered, but we were in a Honda Accord– another ordinary-looking car. I also noticed that there was no key in the ignition. â€Å"Did you hotwire this car?' I then rephrased my question. â€Å"Did you steal this car?' â€Å"You have an interesting set of morals,' he observed. â€Å"Breaking out of jail is okay. But steal a car, and you sound totally outraged.' â€Å"Im just more surprised than outraged,' I said, leaning back against the seat. I sighed. â€Å"I was afraid †¦ well, for a moment there, I was afraid you weren't coming. That they'd caught you or something.' â€Å"No. Most of my time was spent sneaking out and finding a suitable car.' A few minutes of silence fell. â€Å"You didn't ask what happened to me,' I pointed out, a little miffed. â€Å"Don't need to. You're here. That's what counts.' â€Å"I got in a fight.' â€Å"I can tell. Your sleeve is ripped.' I glanced down. Yup, ripped. I'd also lost the hat in my mad dash. No big loss. â€Å"Don't you want to know anything about the fight?' His eyes stayed on the road ahead of us. â€Å"I already know. You took down your enemy. You did it fast, and you did it well. Because you're just that good.' I pondered his words for a moment. They were matter-of-fact, all business †¦ and yet, his statement brought a tiny smile to my lips. â€Å"Okay. So what now, General? Don't you think they'll scan reports of stolen cars and get our license plate number?' â€Å"Likely. But by then, we'll have a new car–one they won't have any clue about.' I frowned. â€Å"How are you pulling that off?' â€Å"We're meeting someone in a few hours.' â€Å"Damn it. I really hate being the last one to know about everything.' â€Å"A few hours' put us in Roanoke, Virginia. Most of our drive had passed uneventfully up until that point. But as the city came into view, I noticed Dimitri watching the exit signs until he found the one he wanted. Turning off the interstate, he continued checking for a tail and found none. We reached another commerce-filled road, and he drove to a McDonald's that stood out clearly from the rest of the businesses. â€Å"I don't suppose,' I said, â€Å"that this is a food break?' â€Å"This,' he responded, â€Å"is where we catch our next ride.' He drove around the restaurant's parking lot, his eyes scanning for something, though I didn't initially know what. I spotted it a fraction of a second before he did. In the far corner of the lot, I saw a woman leaning against a tan SUV, her back to us. I couldn't see much of her except that she wore a dark shirt and had tousled blond hair that almost touched her shoulders. Dimitri pulled into the spot next to her vehicle, and I was out of ours the second he hit the brake. I recognized her before she even turned around. â€Å"Sydney?' The name came out as a question, though I knew for sure it was her. Her head turned, and I saw a familiar face–a human face–with brown eyes that could turn amber in the sun and a faint gold tattoo on her cheek. â€Å"Hey, Rose,' she said, a rueful smile playing on her lips. She held up a McDonald's bag. â€Å"Figured you'd be hungry.'