Beloved Essay -- miscellaneous

Beloved Everyday, people are faced with choices. Some of life’s choices are simple, such as deciding what to wear to school or choosing a television station to watch. Other choices, however, are much more serious and have life-altering consequences. Sethe, the protagonist of Beloved, and Sophie, the main focus in Sophie’s Choice, are mothers that are faced with choices that change their entire lives. While the time period and characters involved differ, the choices of Sethe and Sophie can easily be compared. First and foremost, Sethe and Sophie both make choices that lead to the killing of their children. In both pieces, the actions of the mothers cause the audience to think twice about the limits of maternal love. Sethe tries to kill her children to save them from a life of slavery. Sethe’s plot was unsuccessful, for only one daughter was murdered. To fully understand Sethe’s actions, the reader must realize that on that August afternoon in 1855, Sethe reaches for the handsaw to protect her children from Schoolteacher. Sethe wants to murder her other children, but they escape before she can harm them. Sethe truly believes that she is saving her family from the pain of slavery, and, as a result, her choice alienates her from the rest of her community. Nobody in the area wants anything to do with Sethe after the death of her daughter. Like Sethe, Sophie also attempts to spare her family from pain. She is also faced with a gruesome choice that ends up affecting the res...

AIDS in Africa :: HIV AIDS essays research papers

The AIDS epidemic has reached disastrous proportions on the continent of Africa. Over the past two decades, two thirds of the more than 16 million people in the world infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), which causes AIDS, live in sub-Saharan Africa. It is now home to the largest number of people infected, with 70 percent of the world’s HIV infected population. The problem of this ongoing human tragedy is that Africa is also the least equipped region in the world to cope with all the challenges posed by the HIV virus. In order understand the social and economic consequences of the disease, it is important to study the relationship between poverty, the global response, and the effectiveness of AIDS prevention, both government and grass roots. Half of the world’s cases are found in what is referred to as the AIDS belt, a chain of countries in eastern and southern Africa that is home to two percent of the global population. The main vehicle for spreading HIV throughout Africa is heterosexual intercourse. In contrast, this is the opposite compared to the U.S. where the virus is usually transmitted through homosexual intercourse or contaminated syringes shared by drug users. Besides heterosexual intercourse, HIV transmission through transfusion and contaminated medical equipment is common in sub-Saharan Africa. Africans infected with HIV die much sooner after diagnosis than HIV infected people in other parts of the world. In industrialized countries, the survival time after diagnosis of AIDS ranges from 9 to 26 months, but in Africa the survival time for patients is 5 to 9 months (UNAIDS 3). Factors, such as lower access to health care, poorer quality of health care services, poorer levels of average health and nutriti on, and greater exposure to pathogens that cause infection all contribute to the shorter survival in Africa. It is difficult to stop the flood of AIDS cases in Africa because it is not yet known by researchers the factors that contribute to outstanding prevalence of the disease among heterosexuals. This diagnosis will help determine how likely it is that heterosexual epidemics will spread to Asia or the West. Even though AIDS is heavily researched, its origin still remains a partial mystery. It is know that HIV is a zoonosis, a human disease acquired from animals. The virus evolved from a Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV): a type of slow virus found naturally in monkeys and apes which, while not harming the host, produces diseases in other primates (Caldwell 97).

Allstate Insurance Company and the insurance industry and the affects of globalization and technology

Globalization and Influence on Corporations In many cases, corporations consider globalization as a matter of taking a superior business model and extending it geographically, with basic modifications, in order to exploit the firm’s economies of scale. Based on this perspective, therefore, the corporations’ key challenge is simply to decide how much to adapt the business model—how much to standardize from country to country versus how much to localize to respond to local differences (Ghemawat, 2004).Ghemawat further says that the future of the globalization process is by no means obvious since he looks the market will integrate further once economic conditions improve. However, some people argue that the process could actually shift into reverse, toward even greater economic isolation, if the experience between the two World Wars is any precedent. Amidst the complex situation that globalization possesses, Malcom Waters (1993) defines globalization as â€Å"a soc ial process in which the constraints of geography on social and cultural arrangements recede and in which people become increasingly aware that they are receding†.In addition, Waters (1995) sees the globalization continually erodes the authority of traditionally sovereign states. In this situation, he suggests that within the sense that the sovereign states have control over actions, events, and persons within their borders, he sees that the powerful states will touch their vital interests abroad. In this situation, Waters (1995) describes the processes of globalize economic as the process that gives up the exceptional power into a variety of cross borders or transnational player.These player or economical actors composes of people and institutions such as transnational business, corporations, and financial interests. In these circumstances, Waters (1995) considers globalization as one forceful global process and sees the results of global society in the growing number of mult inational companies (MNCs), international action of human rights and many others. In addition, globalization also enables the communication between people in other parts of the world.This is useful since the communication between two or more parties over the Internet may lead to business deals. Concerning globalization, this paper will discuss about an insurance company and the insurance industry and the affects of globalization and technology. To be precise, this paper will elaborate the adoption of technology on Allstate Insurance Company. 2. Information Technology as the Engine of the Global Economy In general, information technology is considered as the main engine that enables the adoption of global economy.This is true especially in relation with the globalization ideas where as corporations grew to be larger and more complex, managerial activities could no longer rely on traditional organizational methods to produce the demanded daily operational quality. Under such circumsta nces, a multinational companies (MNCs) need more integrated way of communication, a plan delegation and decisions, record and exchanging information, in order to save time and increase productivity of daily operations. To meet the needs, the use of information technology has been increasingly significant for business nowadays.Firms who lack the sensitivity to realize the benefit of this development and being the last to take advantage of the technology are lagging behind its competitors in terms of managerial efficiency and effectiveness. Computer-based Management Information System has now the ability to provide managers with: †¢ Easier ways to records, stores and process data and corporate information †¢ Strategic decision making support system, which allows managers to ask the system the ‘what if’ questions, and then receiving the most accurate response.The system has now become an integral part of decision making activities. †¢ Performance monitoring system, which will immediately alert managers if actual conditions differ materially from expected ones. No wonder if nowadays companies spend millions of dollars to provide themselves with the best and the latest design of information technology equipments. Various service providers of installing specialist software and hardware appliances for establishing information system infrastructure had make millions in benefits because increasing importance of the technology.Almost every company is now using or requiring using this important corporate resource. The need does not vary greatly by differences of corporate size, corporate stage of development, and the nature of the industry in which the firms are operating. Two companies operating in different industries, being in different stage of development and having a significantly different annual income might have similar needs of providing managers with a helpful and trustworthy information system. 3. Allstate Insurance Company 3. 1 Co rporate BackgroundAllstate is established in 1931 and became a traded company publicly in 1993. Currently, the company 40,000 employees manage assets more than US $134 billion and US $32 billion in revenue. The company, which headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois, USA, currently serves over 16 millions of customers by offering a wide range of protection and savings tools to fulfill financial security. 3. 2 IT Implementation on Allstate Insurance Company The important of having suitable information system for insurance company has driven Allstate Insurance Company to develop powerful information technology.They consider information technology (IT) as a critical area. The company reveals that they have IT team that combines technology, creativity, and expertise to fulfill the company’s needs in dealing with competitive market (Allstate Insurance Company, 2008). Concerning the IT implementation in Allstate Insurance Company, prior to 2000, the company did not employ any formal I T control framework. In order to enhance the operation, the company adopts information technology.It is the new director of internal audit who starts the implementation of information technology by introducing Control Objectives for Information and related Technology (COBIT) as the platform of IT governance for Allstate Insurance Company (ISACA, 2008). In addition, the use of COBIT especially rule out when the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was passed in the U. S. to deal with the monitoring of Allstate internal audit operations, evaluating the company’s IT governance and control, conducting benchmarks for measuring key business processes.

Effective communication unit 1 D2 Essay

(D2) – Whist taking part in both group interactions and one to one interactions there are many factors that influence the effectiveness of each. This essay will therefore evaluate the factors in which I came across which were an influence to my effectiveness in the interactions. Firstly in the one to one interaction I feel the factors that came across which made my interaction effective was my speech as I feel that I used a clear pronunciations to the service user which allowed her to understand me better so that they weren’t confused with the words I spoke. I also took my time when speaking to her so that she didn’t feel I was rushing her, I did this in order to try and make her open up slightly as she would know I am there to help and spend time focusing on her and her needs so that she didn’t feel that I had better things to do with my time and that I didn’t want to be with her. Also this may make her gain a level of trust with me during the duration which will make her feel like she has someone she can rely on is not alone. I also feel that in my interaction making myself aware of her needs/situation before hand made it easier for me to understand why she was in that state as a service user in the first place and so therefore I didn’t have to recap over the bad parts of her life as that may of got her upset and made her not want to talk even more. This also helped me as I was able to think of advice beforehand so it could be better thought out advice which would hopefully be helpful to her and if she felt the advice was good then this may make her feel that I actually can help her and that there is hope in overcoming her situation. Whilst talking to her I showed my full interests into the communication and interpersonal skills that were taking place and I did this by looking interested and being focused on just her and not having any distractions around me. This would hopefully have made her feel like I am not interested in something else as that may have made her feel that I am not there to help. I felt by doing this it was a strength as it made her open up slightly due to acting as though I want to hear what she has to say and giving her the time to say it and that I was defiantly listening to her. Throughout the period of talking to her I showed assertiveness which made me portray that I was positive and confident. This hopefully then made her feel like I am not going to give up on her and that  would make her have hope in herself that there is a positive outcome. This then would hopefully have made her open up and talk due to wanting to give me information which I can then help her with in order to get her back on track and to have the positive outcome she wants. She spoke about her past in the interaction and about how her mother and father were in prison, at this point she showed a sense of embarrassment and disappointment in them and so therefore I portrayed an appropriate attitude by not judging what is being said to me and saying that this is all in confidence. So that she felt that there is nothing to be ashamed of. When speaking to her I used reflective listening as this would make her understand that I have taken into account what she has been telling me due to me repeating it in a different way, this also lets her know that I understand what she is trying to tell me and will get her to speak more in depth so that I understand exactly what she wants to happen and how she feels. When we were talking I was sitting upright in order to show that I was alert and listening as I would need to look alert in order for the service user to feel that I am aware of what they are saying and that I am bothered about the conversation. I feel that weaknesses to my one to one interaction was that I repeated myself slightly in some conversations due to her body language looking as though she wasn’t listening and this made her feel frustrated as her tone changed acting as though I was patronizing her and that she heard it the first time and wasn’t stupid, to improve this I would therefore give her time to answer what was said and not repeat myself even if she looks like she isn’t listening, if she still doesn’t answer after some time I will repeat the question again although word it in a different way so that it is not the same. I also feel I could of improved on a part of the interaction as I entered a sensitive subject quite early on in the interaction about the death of her auntie which seemed to have put her in an upset frame of mind as I feel that she hadn’t got comfortable enough with me at that time of the conversation to talking about a close subject so I feel that this was a weakness to the interaction, although I brought it back to being effective by showing her the support networks available to her which put her mind at rest and made her feel like she wasn’t alone. In the group interaction I feel the factors that came across which made my interaction effective was the way in which I spoke out in the group to make my point clear to the  other professionals, this also broke the barrier of silence between one another and this brought the others to speak out and share what they feel would be best so I felt that I was an influence on the group here. As a group I feel are strength was that we had good eye contact with one another when speaking which made us realise that we were all listening and interacting so therefore it kept the conversation going. We expressed our thought on things that we felt were negative and explained why so that we understood why we shouldn’t do certain things in certain ways. I feel that I had good use of body language in the group as I sat up straight when speaking and used hand gestures to bring the others to understand more about what I was explaining. Also I feel that my use of nodding my head to indicate that I agree with what people were saying was a good effective interaction as then people in the group knew that I was keeping on track with what they were saying and understood. Also the way in which we worked effective as a group was the way in which we were all aware of the needs and preferences of Mrs.Signh so that we understood about her past and therefore could go straight into what we are going to do with her. I also feel that I made the communication and interpersonal skills effective in the group due to asking questions in order to verify things so that I understood them correctly so that no faults in the system occurred when the meeting was over, as if we go the wrong idea about something then Mrs.Signh’s health may be at risk. In this meeting jargon was used due to it being with 3 professionals in the same profession of health care so they therefore understood the jargon used in the conversation as it was medical terminology. This helped us understand certain aspects of her health in more depth. I also feel that an effective way of communication in the meeting was that we respected each other’s opinions on Mrs.Signh and then came to a conclusion as a group with the final decision, also if we did not feel that someone else’s thoughts were very good we did not put them down we just suggested how we could improve them. I also feel in the meeting that I had a good clear voice with a calm tone so that the meeting stayed at a calm level and stopped it from becoming an intense discussion when disagreements on the care plan occurred, as an intense discussion could of lead to an argument and that would not have been professional. This also helped the other people in the group understand me clearly so that there was no miscommunication or  misinterpretations as these could of lead to the wrong inappropriate care plan which may not have benefitted Mrs. Singh. Ways to improve the meeting as a group in order to gain more effective communication and interpersonal skills may be to not rush the meeting as much as we did and to make it go on for longer stating more information in it. Also we could have introduced ourselves and our care profession at the start of the meeting and shook one another’s hand showing courtesy and politeness. Other ways which we could of improved it is by not having our coats on and so that we are more comfortable and can move about easily for use of good body language. Another way which we could have improved it in our group would be by sitting in more of a closed circle so that we can hear one another efficiently and can see each other clearly in order to see body language and facial expressions. This will help make communication effective and avoid misinterpretations so that no mistakes in the meeting are made. I feel that I could of improved the way that I acted with the group as I feel that I took a direct approach which made me out to be the main person/leader of the group who was in charge due to be speaking up and setting up the topic for discussion. By speaking up in the group with my opinions this may have made the others in the group shy and they may not feel as confident in expressing their opinions. Therefore I would improve this by making it all equal between one another so that others feel that they are on the same level and can speak up and say what they would like to discuss. References: – Robinson, L Segal, J . (2012). Effective Communication. Available: http://www.helpguide.org/mental/effective_communication_skills.htm. Last accessed 17th October 2012. – Skills you need . (2011-2012). Interpersonal Communication Skills . Available: http://www.skillsyouneed.co.uk/IPS/Interpersonal_Communication.html. Last accessed 17th October . – Stretch, B Whitehouse, M (2010). Health and Social Care Level 3 Book 1. England and Wales: Pearson Limited Education – Collins Education . (2011). Developing effective communication in health and social care. Available: http://www.collinseducation.com/resources/hscbtecnationalch01.pdf. Last accessed 17th October 2012.

Thorn Queen Chapter Fourteen

â€Å"You!† Even with her hands bound, Jasmine didn't hesitate to attack me. She came tearing across the room, face filled with fury. I'm not sure if her intent was to kick me or simply throw herself at me, but she never even got close. My guards were on her in a flash, hauling her back. Magic started to flare around her, but one of the guards countered it with some weak nullifying magic. Her iron cuffs made magic hard to use, but the human in her gave her greater resistance. I turned on all of them incredulously. â€Å"That's not the missing girl. That's my sister! How could you not know that? She was Aeson's mistress!† It was Rurik who answered. â€Å"A lot of the guard has changed since Aeson's time. Many here came as a gift from King Dorian.† It was true. Dorian had warned that even though I'd won the Thorn Land fair and square, many of those who had served Aeson would have a hard time shaking that loyalty. Rurik had consequently sifted through the servants and guards, getting rid of those he didn't think could be trusted. â€Å"Still,† I said. â€Å"Someone should have known. Where the hell is Shaya?† â€Å"She is away, tending to administrative errands,† said the guard who'd been so excited initially. Now he seemed deeply embarrassed and upset. Jasmine, meanwhile, hadn't ceased in her struggles to break free of the guards. Without her magic, she wasn't much of a threat and seemed to realize using it was futile right now. She stood average height for a girl her age, but her build was slim, and she always seemed a little too skinny. Maybe that just ran in our family. Her eyes were large and blue-gray, reminiscent of storm clouds. â€Å"You can't hold me here, Eugenie!† she screamed. â€Å"I'm going to break free and kill you. Then I will be the one to bear our father's heir!† â€Å"Jesus Christ,† I muttered. â€Å"The song remains the same.† To be honest, I was actually kind of surprised Jasmine wasn't already pregnant and took it as a positive sign that she was still referring to it as a future event. The prophecy that loomed over both of us said that Storm King's daughter's son would be the one to lead the battle to conquer humanity. It hadn't specified which daughter, and apparently, Jasmine was still hell-bent on beating me to it. â€Å"It's going to happen,† Jasmine continued. â€Å"You can't stop it.† â€Å"Are you out of your mind?† I demanded. â€Å"You're fifteen! You have no business even talking about getting pregnant, let alone conquering the human world. You were raised there, for God's sake. Do you know how much Wil misses you?† â€Å"I hate them,† she spat. With the angry look in her eyes, I expected to hear thunder rumbling somewhere. â€Å"I hate them all. Even him. I never belonged there. This is my world.† â€Å"Not if I pack you up and send you to Catholic boarding school somewhere,† I mused, rather entertained by the idea. â€Å"They'd never be able to hold me.† â€Å"I was joking. Geez, doesn't sarcasm run in the family?† â€Å"You'll never be able to hold me either. Your men got lucky, and you know it. I've been dodging them for weeks, each time they thought they had me.† I rolled my eyes at her smug attitude, secretly wondering what the hell I was going to do with her now. I'd spent all this time hunting her and had almost gotten used to the idea that she was gone for good. Now that we had her, I was at a bit of a loss. Never would I have guessed that my guards would inadvertently stumble across her while looking for Moria. In the midst of my puzzling, Jasmine's words suddenly replayed through my mind. â€Å"My guys have never found you before,† I said. â€Å"Believe me, we've been looking.† Jasmine stared at me like I was crazy, which was something, considering that she was the one who needed to be on medication. â€Å"They almost got me last week. Maybe they were just too embarrassed about how I nearly drowned them with a tidal wave to tell you.† I shot a questioning look to Rurik, who shook his head. I turned back to her. â€Å"Those weren't my guys.† A strange thought suddenly occurred to me. â€Å"Were they human?† â€Å"No, of course not.† â€Å"Are you sure?† Jasmine gave me a narrow-eyed look. â€Å"I know the difference between humans and shining ones. You're the one who's in denial, trying to act like you're all-human.† I doubted she would say that if she had any idea what I'd been contending with here lately. Her obnoxious adolescent attitude aside, I was thinking again about what she'd said. She'd spoken of nearly being caught†¦by whom? I thought back to my meeting with Moria and her babbling about the Red Snake Man. I'd made a huge leap about Art being responsible for kidnapping her and the others. Again, I slowed down my racing mind to think of other options. It was possible that Moria's red snake was something entirely different. Or, maybe she'd just run into him here. Like all shamans, he probably crossed over every now and then. Maybe she'd seen the tattoo then. Or, perhaps most likely, was my earlier notion that Art had simply banished her back. All of that seemed more plausible. Yet was it enough to cause Moria such terror? That was the repeated question with no answer. And now here was Jasmine, also talking about abduction. It seemed too much of a coincidence that that would happen while other young girls were disappearing. â€Å"Were they brigands?† I asked Jasmine. â€Å"Like†¦sort of rough and dirty types?† â€Å"They were guards or some other kind of fighter,† she said. â€Å"Stop trying to act like you had nothing to do with it. I know the difference between a bunch of gross beggars and trained soldiers.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah, you're a freaking genius,† I muttered. â€Å"That's not hard, compared to you.† â€Å"Oh, look at that. Sarcasm is in the genes.† When I was younger, I'd hated being an only child and had longed for siblings. I'd never in my wildest dreams imagined this was what I'd end up with. â€Å"What did these guys look like? Were they in uniform?† My guards' uniforms were mismatched. They all had leather armor, but Dorian's recruits wore the green of his army while mine had blue left over from Aeson. Some just wore whatever color tunics they wanted. â€Å"I'm not telling you anything else,† she said. â€Å"Now let me go!† There was almost a whine to her command, making her seem very much her age and less like someone literally set on world domination. Of course, there was no way I was letting her out of this place, not when she was clearly willing to spread her legs for anyone who might help fulfill our deranged father's grand plans. Then, staring at her young face, a new thought occurred to me. I was always so concerned about her wanting to get pregnant that I never paid much attention to the idea of her facing the same risks I did. My queenly status had given me some reprieve, but there were still plenty of Otherworldly guys not above raping me. Jasmine had to be facing the same thing, the target of anyone who wanted to be the father of Storm King's heir. These soldiers she was talking about might have had no connection at all to Moria's abductors-if she had been abducted. Fuck. This was all hurting my brain. I needed to talk to Roland and Art before jumping to any more conclusions. And in the meantime, this was all good reason to keep Jasmine under lock and key. â€Å"Sorry,† I told her. â€Å"You aren't going anywhere. You'll be lucky if I don't break out the Depo-Provera and fill your cell full of abstinence propaganda.† â€Å"Cell? You are not locking me in any cell.† Her lips were puffed into a pout. Again, she seemed so much like any ordinary surly teen that I nearly laughed. She looked more like a girl who'd been grounded from texting than one who aspired to be an all-powerful fairy queen. When I didn't respond, the impact seemed to truly hit her. â€Å"You can't†¦you can't do that! Do you know who I am? I'm a princess. I'm Storm King's daughter! My son is going to rule the worlds.† I shook my head. â€Å"No, you're a self-absorbed brat in serious need of discipline and counseling.† â€Å"You can't do that!† â€Å"I can†¦or did you forget who I am? I'm the big sister who rules a kingdom and isn't going to let you jump all over this prophecy.† â€Å"You can't lock me up forever,† she warned. â€Å"She's right,† a voice behind me said. I turned and saw Ysabel hovering near the doorway. She didn't look terrified of me anymore, but she no longer bore that cocky arrogance. She looked cool and aloof. â€Å"You can't lock her up forever,† continued Ysabel. â€Å"You should kill her.† â€Å"What?† Both Jasmine and I spoke at the same time. Ysabel seemed perfectly blase about it all. â€Å"She's your greatest rival to bearing Storm King's grandson. So long as she lives, she always will be an obstacle. The only way you'll be free and retain your power is if she's gone.† I started to protest that I didn't want to beat Jasmine to the prophecy. Then, I realized that part didn't matter. It was Jasmine's own desire for getting pregnant that was the problem, and Ysabel was right to a certain extent. As long as Jasmine was around, I wouldn't have any peace. I slowly shook my head. â€Å"I'm not killing my own sister. But I am double-binding her. Somebody get another set of iron cuffs.† I saw a few guards flinch. Even with as little iron as the cuffs had, that was still more than most gentry could comfortably handle. Doubling it would stunt her magic even more, but that human blood was still going to give us trouble. â€Å"I want her cell guarded at all times,† I told Rurik. â€Å"With more than you usually would post. And make sure you've got guards that can actually use magic.† Someone had returned with the second set of cuffs by then, causing Jasmine to start up a new round of shrieks and protests. Rurik gave me a nod and then said in a low voice, â€Å"If I could speak to your majesty in private?† I arched an eyebrow. Rurik always obeyed me but rarely bothered with formalities or respect, which didn't bother me. In public, though, he always used my titles, and I wondered what was on his mind. We stepped out of the room, past a disapproving Ysabel, and came to a halt a little ways down the hall. â€Å"Keeping the girl locked and under guard might not be the best idea,† he said. I groaned. â€Å"Don't tell me you think I should kill her too.† He shrugged. â€Å"Dorian would tell you to. But if you insist on keeping her here, then get that demon of yours to guard her.† For a moment, I thought of the fire demons. Then, I realized he was using a more generalized term. â€Å"You mean Volusian?† â€Å"I'm not saying they'd do it†¦.† Rurik hesitated. â€Å"But I'm not saying they wouldn't either. A lot of those guards might be tempted by the thought of fathering the heir, and if she offered†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Good God. She's fifteen.† â€Å"Old enough. It didn't stop Aeson, and if she convinced one of the guards, her age wouldn't matter. I'm guessing your, uh, friend wouldn't be so easily swayed.† Volusian swayed by sex? Hardly. Particularly if he was under my commands. â€Å"Fine. I'll summon him.† Volusian would also stop any magic she could muster. â€Å"You might also consider finding a potion master to create a tincture of nightshade.† â€Å"A what?† â€Å"It's a drink that will inhibit her from using her magic.† â€Å"Isn't nightshade poisonous?† â€Å"Not to shining ones. Not if mixed with the right ingredients. With her human blood, it will, ah, leave her a little†¦disoriented. But it won't kill her.† â€Å"I'm not going to keep her in a drugged stupor.† I started to return to the room and then paused to give Rurik a canny look. â€Å"Why warn me? I remember a time when you wanted to father the heir. Why not take your own shot?† â€Å"With her?† Rurik snorted. â€Å"I still wouldn't hesitate to beget Storm King's grandson-but she's not the one. The heir's mother should be a warrior, and unfortunately, that only leaves you.† â€Å"You're never getting near my bed, Rurik.† â€Å"Yes, I've deduced as much. But I would still support Storm King's grandson and would be nearly as happy for my lord the Oak King to father him.† â€Å"Dorian? That's the only other alternative as far as you're concerned?† Rurik's expression seemed to wonder that there could be any question. â€Å"Who else?† I shook my head and left him, off to order the imprisonment of my sister. Before setting Volusian on permanent guard duty, I had one brief task for him. He wasn't very happy about it, not that that came as any real surprise. â€Å"My mistress, as usual, is intent on furthering my eternal torment.† â€Å"I don't really see how watching a teenage girl is that bad-for you, anyway. It's going to be a lot harder on her.† â€Å"I am a being of considerable power. I cannot die. If you insist on enslaving me, you should use my abilities to bring nations to their knees.† Volusian's red eyes narrowed ever so slightly. â€Å"Instead, my mistress dispatches me to supervise children and deliver love notes.† â€Å"It's not a love note! Just ask him, okay?† Volusian blinked once and then vanished. While he couldn't teleport, exactly, he could travel much faster than human or gentry. After Jasmine's capture and Moria implicating Art, I wanted nothing more than to sit down with Kiyo. I needed to talk this out. I wasn't used to this sort of turmoil and indecision in my life. I longed for the days when my job had simply been to go out, find the monster, and get rid of it. It had been a lot easier than this sort of deliberation. Kiyo, to my knowledge, was with Maiwenn, and I'd dispatched Volusian to see if Kiyo would come to me later. It was the closest I could get to making a phone call in the Otherworld-but still far from it, seeing that it took Volusian about twenty minutes to get back to me. â€Å"You see?† I said when he appeared in my bedroom. â€Å"That wasn't so bad.† â€Å"The kitsune says he will come to you in two hours,† Volusian said in his flat voice, not deigning to acknowledge my comment. Two hours. Well, it was better than nothing. I sighed. â€Å"Okay. Thanks.† Volusian simply stared. My gratitude meant nothing to him. â€Å"Alright. Go watch Jasmine then. Don't let her escape, and for God's sake, don't let her get pregnant.† â€Å"For how long?† â€Å"Until I say so,† I snapped. The malice radiated off Volusian, but my mastery of him would not let him disobey. Demeaning task or not, he had no choice. He vanished. Once alone, I lay back on my bed, hoping two hours would go by quickly. Like everything else among gentry royalty, the bed I'd inherited was plush and luxurious, with a thick down mattress. The covers were heavy brocade and almost never needed in this weather-but they felt great to lie against. It wasn't quite sunset outside, but the light was fading, casting long shadows onto the room's heavy stone walls. I'd need to light torches soon. A knock at the door forced me upright. â€Å"Yeah?† It was Nia. She gave a polite curtsey. â€Å"Your majesty, you have a guest.† For a glorious moment, I thought it was Kiyo. Then: no. It was too soon. And Nia wouldn't have announced him. Everyone around here knew enough to let him in by now. â€Å"Who?† â€Å"Prince Leith of the Rowan Land.† â€Å"Leith?† I said, certain I'd misheard. â€Å"I just saw him, like, six hours ago.† Nia shook her head helplessly. â€Å"He's here, that's all I know.† I swung my legs over the bed's edge and stood up, slipping my socked feet into short leather boots. Leith? What was he doing here? A flash of panic went through me. Had something gone wrong in Westoria? If so, wouldn't my own people have told me? They'd taken him to my parlor, where he sat on the edge of one of the satin-lined chairs. He sprang up at my approach, hurrying over to catch my hands in his. He leaned down and kissed them. â€Å"Your majesty. Thank you for seeing me so unexpectedly. I'm sure I'm interrupting all sorts of important things.† â€Å"Not so much,† I said, withdrawing my hands. â€Å"And you should really just call me Eugenie now. What's up? Is there a problem?† Around here, who knew what could go wrong? Famine, flood, locusts†¦ â€Å"A problem with-oh, no. Everything in Westoria is great. We made amazing progress today.† I relaxed. â€Å"Good. I was worried.† Leith shook his head, eager to reassure me. â€Å"No, no problems there. I just†¦well, I know this is strange, but I just had to come see you. That is, I had to ask you something. I feel like an idiot, though.† I frowned. â€Å"You can ask me anything. What's going on? Are you okay?† â€Å"Oh, yes.† His embarrassment grew. â€Å"But after today†¦I just had to hear something from you.† â€Å"Okay, ask.† â€Å"Are you involved with the Oak King?† â€Å"Involved with†¦what, you mean romantically? With Dorian? No!† Leith's face shone like the sun. â€Å"You mean it? When I saw you together today. The way he spoke†¦and the way you two interacted†¦well, I thought for sure the rumors were true.† â€Å"What rumors?† I asked warily. â€Å"That you were still lovers.† â€Å"Where are you hearing these rumors?† â€Å"Pretty much everywhere.† â€Å"Well, the answer is no. Absolutely not.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Really.† Leith exhaled with palpable relief. He reached for my hand, and I stepped back, putting space between us. The rapture on his face made me uneasy. â€Å"Then there's still a chance.† â€Å"A chance for what?† I asked. â€Å"You and me.† â€Å"You and-oh, Leith, no.† It was just like everyone had said. â€Å"I like you-you're really great-but there isn't going to be anything happening with you and me.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He moved forward again, and again, I moved away. â€Å"But you keep wanting to see me and have asked me to be a part of your kingdom. I just assumed†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No, no†¦Leith, I'm involved with someone already†¦you know, Kiyo? The kitsune? We're together.† He frowned and was still too close to my personal space. â€Å"I didn't think it was a serious romance. I thought he was just a†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Fling?† I suggested. â€Å"Yes. I mean, someone like you couldn't take him as a true consort.† I sighed. â€Å"Why does everyone say that? I love Kiyo. We're together. We're going to be together for a very long time.† Leith's earlier joy was rapidly giving way to distress. â€Å"But†¦I mean, with my background and the way we get along, we're a perfect match. Admit it: you are usually happy to see me.† â€Å"Of course I am. But that's because I want to be your friend, not encourage you romantically. I like you-like hanging out with you. But that's it. I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I led you on.† â€Å"It has to be more than friendship. I know it is for me.† He sighed. â€Å"I've never been able to talk to someone so easily. It feels natural.† â€Å"That's because you guys always make everything so†¦exaggerated. There are probably a dozen girls you could sit down with and have great conversations with if you just got rid of the formality.† â€Å"No.† The grief on his face was killing me. â€Å"It's something about you. I just can't help it. I'm falling more and more in love with you every day.† â€Å"You barely know me! You can't love me.† â€Å"I do,† he said in a low voice, and some of that glowing passion returned. â€Å"From the moment I saw you. Mother had said you'd be a suitable match politically, but even if that weren't true, I'd still love you. I've never met anyone like you, Eugenie. So brave and beautiful†¦I'd want to be with you even if we weren't ruling a kingdom together.† â€Å"Leith,† I said, trying hard to make my voice stern. God-dammit. Why couldn't he have been an annoying jerk like most of my other would-be suitors? Why did he have to be a nice guy? With great effort, I tried to let him down easy instead of in my usual harsh way. â€Å"I meant it: I like you. But that's it. I value your help and your friendship, but I'm not leaving Kiyo.† â€Å"But I love you.† It was weak and plaintive. I shook my head. â€Å"I'm sorry.† His face fell, and he turned away, wrapped in despair. He started to walk toward the door and then abruptly turned, eyes alight once more. â€Å"If things end between you and the kitsune†¦then I'd be next in line, right?† â€Å"Next in line? Er, well†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Why couldn't I just lie and say yes? Or why not use a â€Å"I don't want to ruin our friendship† kind of crap line? â€Å"I don't think so, Leith. I just don't think I could ever feel that way about you.† Leith stared at me wide-eyed for several moments, and then at last, his features tightened. â€Å"I see. I'm sorry to have taken your time, your majesty. Your workers in Westoria understand my task and should no longer require my help.† He gave a small, polite bow and then hurried out the door. â€Å"Leith†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I took a few steps forward, my stomach sinking. I felt horrible. I knew he'd had a crush on me, but I hadn't thought it was much more than the usual Otherworldly attractions I experienced. His face at the end there had broken my heart. I hadn't wanted to hurt him, particularly after all he'd done for me. Dejected, I returned to my bedroom and ordered wine sent up. It arrived in a jewel-encrusted pitcher, complete with a heavy golden goblet. Had to love gentry room service. I declined any requests to see anyone until Kiyo arrived. I sat down on the floor, leaning against the bed and wondering how much of the wine I could get through before he arrived. To my surprise, all of it. I had no clock there but was pretty sure more than two hours had passed. I'd drunk goblet after goblet, thinking about Jasmine, Leith, and Art-and finding no resolution for any of them. I was staring at the bottom of the empty pitcher, pondering the time, when I heard a soft knock at my door. Finally! I stood up and felt the world sway around me. I gripped the bed for support. â€Å"Kiyo?† But it wasn't him. It was Shaya. Like Rurik, she'd dropped a lot of formalities and didn't bother with a curtsey. Her face was troubled, and I saw her clever eyes assess me and my drunkenness in a matter of seconds. â€Å"I'm sorry to bother you†¦but a messenger just arrived from the Willow Land.† The anger I'd been kindling against Kiyo's tardiness ran cold. â€Å"Oh my God. Is he okay?† Shaya hesitated and then gave a swift nod. â€Å"As far as I know, he's fine. It's Queen Maiwenn everyone's concerned about†¦she's gone into labor.†

Training Trends and Issues (Human Resource Class) Research Paper

Training Trends and Issues (Human Resource Class) - Research Paper Example The introduction of the internet, intranet and other multi-media devices has made training more systematic and efficient. One example of a web-based training (WBT) is the â€Å"Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS) that deals with the interface between people and software† (Heathfield, 2010). Heathfield however stated that there are some manual-based online courses which simply placed the training manuals online but did not take advantage of the â€Å"interconnectivity and the ability to publish real-time, up-to-the-minute information† (2010). The trend in multi-media training somehow puts pressure on the training and development practitioner. They must make sure that they are up to date with the latest software programs available. Training practitioners must also determine which of the available programs best suit their training needs and whether their companies can afford the cost of purchasing one. According to Holt, training practitioners stand to gain from these latest developments in training (Holt, 2000). He stated that first; there is the benefit of not having to wait for training schedules because the training can be scheduled anytime because the software is always available. The trainer’s schedule need not be divided among the employees to be trained. Some training practitioners are even looking into the possibility of integrating real live instructor and peer interaction in web-based or CD training (Heathfield, 2010). Second, Holt mentioned that since the training is rather individualized, the employee g oes through the program at his own pace. There is no need to wait for the slow learners or keep up with the fast learners. Furthermore, it is time efficient and it gives immediate feedback to the trainers. In the Journal of Instruction Delivery Systems (Winter, 1994) Verl E. Dennis as cited by Holt stated, â€Å"The reduction in instructional time when compared to the

Joseph addai Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Joseph addai - Research Paper Example He was named an All-American by ESPN and Fox Sports, and was rated as a top 100 recruit. Addai graduated from high school and moved into increasing opportunities at Louisiana State University. During his tenure with the Louisiana State University Tigers, he ranked fifth all-time in rushing, with 2,577 yards, despite being primarily used as a blocking fullback early in his career. He wore two numbers while at LSU, 41 in his early years and then number 10 in his final years. Addai started his stint at LSU in 2001, but after only two games was granted a medical red shirt. The following season, he carried the football 80 times, gaining 438 yards, and scoring four touchdowns. His first big game came against the University of South Carolina, during which he gained 98 yards on eleven carries and scored two touchdowns. On November 9, 2002, he amassed 91 yards, including a 63 yard run for a score, against the Kentucky Wildcats at Common wealth stadium. His performance helped to set the stage for The Bluegrass Miracle, a "miraculous" 74-yard game-winning touchdown pass from quarterback Marcus Randall to wide receiver Devery Henderson as time expired on the last play of the game. (Cited from LSUsports.net) Addai's sophomore season proved to be a banner year for LSU. Led by coach Nick Saban the Tigers won the BCS National Championship, the first national championship for LSU since 1958. Addai ranked second to freshman Justin Vincent in rushing, gaining 520 yards on 114 attempts. He led LSU's early season 59-13 rout of the Arizona Wildcats with an 86 yard, two touchdown performances. In 2004, he rushed for 680 yards on 101 carries and caught 24 passes for 294 yards, scoring a total of seven touchdowns. He stood out against the Alabama Crimson Tribe in a 26-10 Tiger Stadium victory on the13th of November. He led the team in rushing with 99 yards and added another 46 yards receiving, as well as scoring two of the three Tiger touchdowns. for the day. The following week he team ed with Alley Broussard (250 yards on 26 carries) to lead the Tigers to a 27-24 victory over the Ole Miss Rebels. Addai's 107 yards was part of an impressive 360 yard ground attack by the Tigers. During his senior season, Addai led the team with 911 rushing yards on 187 carries, scoring nine touchdowns. The highlight of the regular season was a 21-17 victory over the Florida Gators in front of a record-setting 92,402 crowd. Addai sealed the victory for LSU with a three yard touchdown run with 6:27 remaining on the clock. His career-best effort combined 156 yards rushing on 32 carries with 37 yards receiving on 3 catches. Joe Addai completed his tenure at LSU with an impressive game in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. In the Tigers' 40-3 victory over the Miami Hurricanes, he gained a total of 135 yards and scored twice. Joseph Addai graduated from LSU in December 2005 with a degree in General Studies. Things aren’t supposed to be easy for an NFL rookie, but it’s hard to argu e that Joseph Addai’s first year was a breeze. Selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft by the Indianapolis Colts, Addai finished with 1,081 yards on 226 carries and seven rushing touchdowns while sharing the backfield with veteran Dominic Rhodes. He also caught 40 passes in the Colts’ pass-happy offense and averaged 8.1 yards per catch. (Cited from bullz-eye.com) Addai’s regular season performance carried into the postseason where he gained 217