My Life Had Stood a Loaded Gun by Emily Dickinson Essay

My Life Had Stood a Loaded Gun by Emily Dickinson Today, few would deny that Emily Dickinson is an important figure in American literature. The numerous ways to interpret her poetry draws more and more readers into her publications. Its as if everyone could interpret Dickinsons poems into his or her personal life; seeing the poems the way they want to see it. This is the effect flexible poems have on people. In Dickinsons My Life Had Stood#8212;A Loaded Gun, I interpreted the poem literally, thinking the poem was really about a gun and the relationship with its owner. But as I read the poem more and more, I felt the power and rage engulfed into this piece. I also gathered that, like most of Dickinsons poetry,†¦show more content†¦And since he was her Master(possibly a lover, or another male who plays a significant role in her life, liken her father?), he decided to use her to express her purpose. Maybe her purpose is poetry. The poet experiences herself as loaded gun, imperious energy. Yet without the Master, the possessor, she is merely lethal. And when she describes herself as a Loaded Gun, I think she means shes been full of rage or anger and has been holding it in for such a long time. Or she may just be full of emotion and thought, and experience, and she just wants some way or chance to express herself. And whenever she has the next chance to release this rage, it c ould be harmful, just like a loaded gun#8212;she has the potential to cause harm. The doe (female deer) is hunted and presumably killed, just as women writers feel they have to kill or suppress a part of themselves to write. Or maybe just as Dickinson felt strained to write poetry in seclusion. But Im wondering if all female poets felt the same as she? Did they feel that they had to write poetry in private? Also, when she talks about the Woods being Sovereign, it gives a sense of control. This all gives me the impression that being a loaded gun she is harmless until her master takes possession of it (her). And in the line, And every time I speak for him/ The Mountains straight reply, it represents language toShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Emily Dickinson s Poem My Life Had Stood- A Loaded Gun 993 Words   |  4 PagesEmily Dickinson is a very famous and accomplished poet with over 1700 published poems. Several of her poems are similar in theme, and also similar in bringing out human emotions that we humans usually try to avoid. The common theme in most of Dickinson s poems is the wonders of nature, and the identity of self, as well as death and life. The five poems with the common theme of death are: â€Å"My Life had Stood- A Loaded Gun†, â€Å"I Heard A Fly Buzz- When I Died†, â€Å"Behind Me Dips- Eternity†, â€Å"Because IRead More`` It Was Not Death, For I S tood Up, By Emily Dickinson1728 Words   |  7 Pagesa specific focus on Emily Dickinson’s link of mental illness to reclusiveness within her works titled â€Å"It was not Death, for I stood up,† â€Å"After great pain, a Formal feeling comes,† â€Å"I dwell in Possibility,† â€Å"My Life had stood—a Loaded Gun,† and â€Å"Tell all the Truth but tell it slant†.† Emily Dickinson is one of the most influential female poets of the 19th century. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts in 1830, Dickinson began her life as a normal child. Growing up, Dickinson had more opportunities thanRead MoreEmotion in Emily Dickinsons â€Å"My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun†1109 Words   |  5 Pagespoem was written by American poet, Emily Dickinson, who was born in the 1800. This was the period where art was based on emotion; the â€Å"Romantic Period†. She was also born in the Victorian Era, where women had to be shackled to their pedestals and most had to be married by age eighteen. They were not allowed to vote, or earn money. This information should help the reader better understand the poem. When writing the poem â€Å"My Life had stood—a Loaded Gun† Dickinson thought of what format to use to expressRead MoreEmily Dickinsons My Life Had Stood a Loaded Gun Essay970 Words   |  4 PagesThe primary literary strategy in Emily Dic kinson’s â€Å"My Life Had Stood – a Loaded Gun†, is a metaphor of a gun and its master which is used to represent a wife and her husband. This metaphor is used to illustrate an unbalanced relationship where the wife is objectified and lacks agency. The wife reduced to an object which is at the disposal of her hunter/master/husband. The gun narrates the poem and it takes pleasure in expressing its power to kill. The poem presents the challenge of identifyingRead MoreAnalysis of Dickinsons Loaded Gun Poem1172 Words   |  5 PagesIn the poem 764 of The Norton Anthology which starts My Life had stood - a Loaded Gun - (line 1), Emily Dickinson takes on the role of a married woman of the nineteenth century whose husband owns and completely controls her. The woman, whose voice Dickinson wrote from, reflects on the importance of her husband s life to hers and her dependency on him being there to direct her life. Dickinson never married and lived a secluded life in her family s home, only ever leaving the house for one yearRead MoreAnalysis Of The Letters Behind The Locked Box By Emily Dickinson1571 Words   |  7 PagesThe Letters Behind the Locked Box - Emily Dickinson â€Å"If I read a book and it makes by whole body so cold no fire can ever warm me, I know that is poetry† (Emily Dickinson). This effect that Emily is referring to is the impact her writing has on her readers. Her life from beginning to end is one that is a bit mysterious, however it clearly reveals more detail as one becomes more familiar with her writing in accordance with her lifetime. Emily was an amazing poet that was purely honest andRead MoreFemale Oppression By Emily Dickinson And Charlotte Perkins Gilman1729 Words   |  7 Pageswomen were faced with an unshakeable social prison. Husband, home and children were the only life they knew, many encouraged not to work. That being said, many female writers at the time, including Emily Dickinson and Charlotte Perkins Gilman, were determined to examine the mind behind the American woman, through the lens of mental illness and personal experience. This essay will compare the work of Dickinson and Gilman using the perspective of male oppression leading to mental illness. The goal beingRead MoreAnalysis of Dickinsons Poem, My Life had Stood a Loaded Gun631 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun† In the poem, â€Å"My Life had stood – a Loaded Gun,† published around 1863, Emily Dickinson effectively uses metaphorical language in making the speaker compare him/her self to a loaded gun. The speaker speaks as if he/she is a loaded gun waiting to expose their full potential. When reading this poem, one could definitely see religious connotations in that one cannot reach his/her full potential without The Master’s – God’s – help and direction. In â€Å"My Life had stoodRead MoreEmily Dickinsons Capitalization and Punctuation1251 Words   |  6 PagesThe poetry of Emily Dickinson is one of the most recognizable of the 19th century. Dickinson’s poetry stands out because of its unconventional use of capitalization and punctuation. Her poems contain capitalized words which are not normally capitalized. Her poems are noted for the frequent use of the dash. Literary scholars have attempted to interpret Dickinson’s unconventional capitalization and punctuation. Some believe that it was merely part of Dickinson’s penmanship (Weisbuch 73). They thereforeRead MoreEssay on A poem and a loaded gun1111 Words   |  5 Pages A Poem and a Loaded Gun The post civil war era was wrought with sexism and backwards thinking. Emily Dickinson was born in 1830, wrote 1800 poems in her lifetime. She has become known for unfolding the social boundaries surrounding women in this time period. Most of her life was shrouded in seclusion and mystery. In the realm of poetry, authors are creative with their usage of literary techniques in order to illustrate their point of view to the reader. Emily Dickinson is especially known for her

Human Resource Management and Evolutionary Strategic Approach

e-Recruiting Assignment 4 Chastity Byrd Dr. Dana Richmond, MBA Strayer University May 26, 2012 1. Suggest how HR professionals can use online recruiting to more effectively support recruitment activities while reducing organizational costs. In order to effectively use online recruiting, the professionals must understand how the process works; this is done by providing a framework of understanding the antecedents and outcomes of recruitment (Gueutal amp; Stone, 2005). One way is to use the Rynes’s (1991) model. This model suggests that the applicants gather information about organizations to assess the types of rewards offered by the organization and determine whether or not they meet the requirements of the job (Gueutal et†¦show more content†¦The numerous expectations that shape the psychological contract include the work role (skills use, job performance), social relations (coworker and customer interactions), economic rewards (raises, monetary incentives), and company culture (Baker, 1985; Breaugh amp; Starke, 2000; Kavanagh et al, 2012). According to Hen eman amp; Judge, 2006, one approach to use to ensure psychological contracts are filled is a realistic recruitment message. This message describes the organization and the job as they truly are without sugarcoating (Heneman amp; Judge, 2006; Kavanagh et al, 2012). A realistic job preview is an important tool that a lot of organizations use, it shows applicants the positive and negative characteristics of a job they are applying for to see if this job is truly what they desire or thought it was (Wanous,1992). These previews can be communicated via written information that is posted on the employers’ Web sites (Heneman amp; Judge, 2006; Kavanagh et al, 2012; Wanous, 1992) 4. Suggest three (3) strategies you would use to attract high-quality candidates and members of diverse groups using e-Recruitment approach. One strategy to use to attract candidates would be through social media. Examples of social media would be Facebook, Twitter and even email such as Yahoo, Google, etc.Show MoreRelatedSamsung Electronics Company Strategic Management System Essay1394 Words   |  6 Pagesstrategies and carry out open management that removes all restrictive discriminatory institutions and practices. 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Definition of Human Resource Management It is proposed that we take human resource management to be that part of management concerned with: All the decisions, strategies, factors, principles, operations, practices, functions, activities and methods related to the management of people as employees in any type of organisation (includingRead More Strategic Human Resource Management Essay1236 Words   |  5 PagesArmstrong ( 2010) defined Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) as â€Å"an approach to making decisions on the intentions and plans of the organisation in the shape of the policies, programmes and practices concerning the employment relationship, resourcing, learning and development, performance management , rewards and employee relationships,† ( p. 115). There is a paradigm shift from a functional role to a tactical one through the strategic management process. SHRM is very important toRead MoreCritically compare and contrast the ‘Best Fit’, ‘Best Practice’ and ‘Resource-Based View’, models of HRM strategy and explain how each approach is argued to contrib ute to improved organisational performance.2489 Words   |  10 PagesPRACTICE AND RESOURCE-BASED VIEW, MODELS OF HRM STRATEGY AND EXPLAIN HOW EACH APPROACH IS ARGUED TO CONTRIBUTE TO IMPROVED ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE. Strategy is the skill and planning that are involved in governing resources. 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Designing - Implementing and Improving Business

Question: Discuss about theDesigning, Implementing and Improving Business. Answer: Introduction Benchmarking is a process used to compare the performance of two business organizations. Lean six sigma is a method that is used to improve the performance of the organization by removing waste that is generated. The aim of the assignment is to discuss how organization uses the technique of benchmarking and lean six sigma to improve its business performance and achieve competitive advantage. The tool of benchmarking and lean six sigma is used to access its quality check and know the strategies used by its competitors for the operation of business. The two tools are used to enhance business process and sustain competitive advantage (Goetsch and Davis 2014). The author chooses the organization of Xerox to analyze how the organization improves its business and sustain competitive advantage. Benchmarking helps the organization sustain competitive advantage while lean six sigma method is used to enhance and improve business. Xerox was the first organization to adopt the tool of Benchmarki ng to improve its strategy and business proves. Benchmarking was used to focus on the quality improvement that led the business process of organization to improve. Then total quality improvement plan was termed as benchmarking in its later process to improve its cost and time dimensions. Body Benchmarking Benchmarking is a technique used by organization to analyze the areas that will help them improve business performance and become more competitive in the market. Benchmarking is a business report that is used to compare the performance of an organization with another organization. Benchmarking works on dimensions such as time, cost, and quality. The tool of benchmarking is used to analyze the revenue, cost, expenses, production, employee productivity and amount of an organization. Benchmarking can be used in any type of industry or company such as health, business, private, public, profit and nonprofit organizations. Benchmarking helps, the organization analyze its own performance and the areas where it can improve to fight with its competitors (Gilmour 2013). Types of Benchmarking: Different Types of Benchmarking are as follows: Best practices- This is a benchmarking report where the strategies and characteristics of another company is analyzed who the companies aspire to be. This helps the organization know the strategies that the companies use to be in a leading position so that the strategies can be applied in the organization to enhance its business (Stallkamp et al. 2012). Peer benchmarking- Peer benchmarking report consists of the strategies used by its competitors. This is done to achieve competitive advantage in the industry and know the plan of its competitors. SWOT- SWOT analysis is a marketing tool that is used to analyze the strengths, weakness, opportunities and threat of the organization by gathering data from a market survey. Collaborative benchmarking. The report is based on a particular association and is a part of a group. Benchmarking helps, the industries by providing relevant information and the methods that can be applied to get a useful result (Gernaey et al. 2014). The use of benchmarking is to know the areas where the organization can improve, the methods used by other firms to achieve high performance and it also helps in providing useful information to the organizations to improve the business. Lean Six Sigma Lean six sigma is a method used to remove the unnecessary waste from the organization to help the organization improve its business through collaborative team effort. Lean six sigma method helps in removing and eliminating eight types of waste that include transportation, inventory, over production, defects, motion, waiting, skills and over processing. Lean six sigma method is used to ensure that the organization generates minimum amount of waste and reduce defects so that it is able to maintain quality (Vinayak and Kodali 2013). The training of lean sigma is provided in a hierarchical chain that is divided into different colored belts such as white, green, yellow, black and master black belts. Lean six-sigma method is used to assure that the quality is maintained in the organization. A product that does not have any impact on consumer and add no value to consumers is considered as waste and the responsibility of Lean six sigma is to eliminate waste. Lean six-sigma method is the comb ination of two methods such as six sigma and lean manufacturing. The process of lean is to maintain the efficiency in an organization and the process of six sigma is to remove errors and defects in an organization (Furterer 2016). Application of Benchmarking and Lean Six Sigma in Business Process Change Benchmarking can be applied in business houses to compare its strategies with other organizations and enhance the business performance. The main purpose of benchmarking is to allow the business achieve what is best for the organization. It is used to find the gaps in an organization and suggest ways for improvement. Benchmarking is used in an organization to set a benchmark for the company by helping the organization reduce the cost, meet the productive demand of consumers and produce the commodity at the given time. Benchmarking is used to help the organization maintain efficiency (Cornolti et al. 2013). Benchmarking is not just about learning its own strategies and areas of improvement but also helping the organizations gather necessary information and documents that is required to formulate a competitive strategy. Three types of benchmarking include internal benchmarking, competitive benchmarking and strategic benchmarking. Internal benchmarking is a technique that is used in orga nization that is already established to share the information with other organizations to help them achieve success. Competitive benchmarking is used in organizations to achieve competitive advantage. Strategic benchmarking is used to analyze the needs of the industry identifying the excellent performance (Zhu 2014). Benchmarking uses the following steps to bring business change. The steps are based on the resources that are available to firm. The first step is to evaluate the performance of the company and find out the gaps that exist on the organization. The second step is to obtain support from the leadership team to for the execution of plan. The third step is to formulate objectives and goals of benchmarking. The fourth step is to document the process of the organization. The fifth step is to form the measurement of performance that is formulating the primary metrics that should be in a written format. The next step is to develop a plan for data collection and gather information from the prescribed sources. The last step is to execute the plan with the help of a team leader and formulate an alternative if the implemented plan is not successful (Camp 2013). Lean six sigma is used to help the organization maintain quality by eliminating the waste from the organization. Lean six sigma is a methodology that helps in enhancing the business with a joint team effort. It helps in improving the transportation and inventory system of an organization and help the organization eliminate error and defects that are found. The skills are divided into various belts. A quality detection tests help the organization reduce errors and defects (Breslin et al. 2014). Application of lean six sigma technique requires proper training of employees so that they concentrate on their work and try reducing errors and defects in the work. The second step is to identify the processes that need improvement so that the organization can concentrate on those fields only. Analyzing the effects of the particular method is necessary that can be done by using various metrics and techniques such as fishbone diagram that helps in measuring the requirement of the organization. The next step is to formulate a strategy that is cost effective. Lean six sigma is inspection of audit process to maintain high-level quality of products (Hilton and Sohal 2012). Usage of Benchmarking and Lean Six Sigma in Organizations: Case Studies Benchmarking was used in many organizations in USA, Europe and many other countries. The first company to use benchmarking was Xerox. Toyota and Ford Company used benchmarking as well to improve its business performance and achieve competitive advantage. Benchmarking was used in Starbucks coffee. This was done to minimize the cost and improve the timely delivery of the product. The concept of benchmarking was used in McDonalds. This was adopted to fight against competition and improve its performance along with maintaining quality of food that it supplied (Frontczak 2015). Case Study: Application of Benchmarking at Xerox Xerox is Photocopy Company that was established in the year 1938 by The Haloid Company. The company was said to maintain monopoly in copying and printing for many years. In 1981, the company lost its monopoly due to establishment of high tech photocopy machine by many renowned companies such as IBM and Kodak. This led the market share of Xerox to decline by thirty five percent. The reason for using benchmarking at Xerox was to fight against its competitors and improve its efficiency. Xerox found out that the Japanese were providing materials and selling the machines at a price that was cost to Xerox. The production process was higher in Xerox than its competitors were (Barkham and Saxon 2015). The company found out through quality check that it was producing thirty thousand defective products that was three times higher than its competitors. The benchmarking was used to check the cost, quality and productivity of the organization and sustain the hardcore competition that it was facin g from the competitors. Benchmarking was used to analyze the internal strategies and gaps as well as external strategies of its competitors. Benchmarking model adopted at Xerox included the following steps: Planning- this was done to identify the areas that need improvement and compare it with the techniques used by the competitors (Jung and Mukherjee Xerox Corporation, 2015). Analysis- this was done to analyze the strength of both the organization and its competitors. Integration-this step was to establish goals and objective and execute it with companies performance. Action- this step is to formulate the action plan that is required by the organization to follow in order to accomplish its goals and objectives. Maturity- this step is used to determine whether the organization was able to attain superior performance level (Orme et al. 2013). Application of benchmarking led the company adopt the following measures that proved to be successful for the organization. The suppliers were reduced from 5000 to 300. A training programme was set for the suppliers to help them understand the areas that needed improvement. Consultation of suppliers played a major role for improving the design process. Adoption of benchmarking helped the Xerox Company cut the quality problems by two third and manufacturing costs by half. The company became efficient in its production process as the development time reduced by two thirds (Rolstadas 2013). Benchmarking proved to be beneficial for the company as it helped the company fight its competitors and maintain efficiency in business. Xerox Company established the concept of benchmarking. Leadership through quality was later known as benchmarking, as the aim of the company was to create its own benchmark. The principle of the Xerox Company was to meet the requirement of customers and maintain qua lity. Benchmarking was used at Xerox to maintain and improve quality, reduce the manufacturing cost and improve the productivity and manufacturing time. Conclusion Hence, benchmarking and lean six sigma tools were used in organization to improve its business performance and bring about change. Benchmarking is used to improve the performance of the organization and maintain a good quality. Lean six sigma is used to reduce errors in an organization. Application of benchmarking has proved to be beneficial for Xerox and many other organizations. It has helped the organization improve its cost, time and quality. Benchmarking has helped Xerox to improve its quality and service and sustain competitive advantage. Both benchmarking and lean six sigma is used to enhance business performance. References Barkham, M. and Saxon, D., 2015. Benchmarking Studies of Psychotherapy.The Encyclopedia of Clinical Psychology. Breslin, S.E., Hamilton, K.M. and Paynter, J., 2014. Deployment of lean six sigma in care coordination: an improved discharge process.Professional case management,19(2), pp.77-83. Camp, R.C., 2013.Benchmarking: the search for industry best practices that lead to superior performance. Milwaukee, Wis.: Quality Press; Quality Resources, 1989.. Cornolti, M., Ferragina, P. and Ciaramita, M., 2013, May. A framework for benchmarking entity-annotation systems. InProceedings of the 22nd international conference on World Wide Web(pp. 249-260). ACM. Frontczak, N.T., 2015. The Use of Benchmarking as an Integral Part of TQM in Marketing Departments. InProceedings of the 1993 Academy of Marketing Science (AMS) Annual Conference(pp. 477-481). Springer International Publishing. Furterer, S.L. ed., 2016.Lean Six Sigma in service: applications and case studies. CRC Press. Gernaey, K.V., Copp, J.B., Jeppsson, U., Nopens, I., Pons, M.N. and Vanrolleghem, P.A., 2014. Benchmarking of control strategies.Benchmarking of control strategies for wastewater treatment plants,23, pp.55-58. Gilmour, P., 2013. Benchmarking supply chain operations.International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management. Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S.B., 2014.Quality management for organizational excellence. pearson. Hilton, R.J. and Sohal, A., 2012. A conceptual model for the successful deployment of Lean Six Sigma.International Journal of Quality Reliability Management,29(1), pp.54-70. Jung, G. and Mukherjee, T., Xerox Corporation, 2015.System and method for identifying optimal cloud configuration in black-box environments to achieve target throughput with best price based on performance capability benchmarking. U.S. Patent 9,124,498. Orme, R., Clegg, B., Rees, C. and Titchen, M., 2013. A systems approach to customizing lean six sigma implementations. InProceedings of the 24th Annual Conference of the Production Operations, Management Society. Rolstadas, A. ed., 2013.Benchmarkingtheory and practice. Springer. Stallkamp, J., Schlipsing, M., Salmen, J. and Igel, C., 2012. Man vs. computer: Benchmarking machine learning algorithms for traffic sign recognition.Neural networks,32, pp.323-332. Vinayak, K. and Kodali, R., 2013. Benchmarking the quality function deployment models.Benchmarking: An International Journal,20(6), pp.825-854. Zhu, J., 2014.Quantitative models for performance evaluation and benchmarking: data envelopment analysis with spreadsheets(Vol. 213). Springer.

Paps Effect on Huck in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn free essay sample

When a man becomes worthless in ones eyes, one begins to loathe all morals and ideas that man has ever demonstrated. In Mark Twains classic, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the main character, Huck Finn, is greatly influenced by his Jaded father, Pap Finn. Through Paps actions he becomes worthless in the eyes of young Huck. Twain uses Paps abusive and absurd behavior to emphasize Hucks desison making in his transition into adulthood, and to show hope for Hucks future. Youth, hope, and change are all the things that Huck represents and Pap is against. Pap is what one would consider a resentful alcoholic who doesnt believe in change of any kind. Huck is merely a child, trying to find his place in the world and form his own morals and views on life. Huck always is imaginative an likes to create make believe worlds in which everything is so interesting. We will write a custom essay sample on Paps Effect on Huck in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Pap is like the harsh sence of reality that shows Huck a taste of the real world in contrast to his own wonderful fantasies. Huck says Mornings, before daylight, I slipped into corn fields and borrowed a atermelon, or a mushmelon, or a punkin, or some new corn, or things of that kind. Pap always said it warnt no harm to borrow things, if you was meaning to pay them back, sometime; but the widow said it warnt anything but a soft name for stealing, and no decent body would do it. (77) Pap, in telling Huck it was okay to steal, is forcing Huck to have to differentiate between right and wrong, something that Huck has never cared about before. Pap, being the stubborn selfish man he is, puts his needs before the needs of his own son. He buys alcohol with Hucks money. Huck says l borrowed three dollars from Judge Thatcher, and Pap took it and got drunk and went a-blowing around and cussing and whooping and carrying on (26). Before this Huck was hesitant to give Pap the money because he knew what consequences would arise. Pap helps Huck mature in this way because Huck is forced to think of what happens next and is exposed to the horrors of the adult world such as alcoholism. Pap states Who told you to meddle with such hifaultn foolishness(26) when talking about Hucks attempts o succed in school. This shows Paps closed mindedness to new ideas and his inabilities to support his own son. When Huck says if I never learnt nothing else out of Pap, I learnt that the best way to get along with his kind of people is to let them have their own way'(147) This shows Huck as thinking of himself as independent from Pap and shows that he thinks of himself not as one of his kind of people. Huck has grown up enough to realize that he can create his own views on life and that there is something good to learn even in the worst of situations. This is a big part of becoming an adult and it really shows that even though Huck was raised horribly, he has enough sense to form a steady identi What are fathers but the fundamental basis in a young boys life? Huck therefore lacks the fundamental basis needed to have a healthy relationship with the world. Paps views are constantly imposed on Huck, which make Huck despise them in general. His father is cruel and malicious and because of this situation, Huck usually does not need to be told what to do but comes to his own decisions based on his firsthand experiences.

Free Essays on Multicultural Counseling

Counseling is an interactive process characterized by a unique relationship between counselor and client that leads to change in one or more areas (Trickett, Sept. 9, 2003). Multicultural counseling requires the recognition of: (1) the importance of racial/ethnic group membership on the socialization of the client; (2) the importance of and the uniqueness of the individual; (3) the presence of and place of values in the counseling process; and (4) the uniqueness of learning styles, vocational goals, and life purposes of clients, within the context of principles of democratic social justice (Locke, 1986). As the theoretical and professional foundations of multicultural counseling have progressed, a natural evolution has been the development of ethical standards to help regulate the practice of multicultural counseling. Ibrahim and Arredondo (1986) authored a proposal to develop specific ethical standards regarding multicultural counseling in the areas of education, research, assessment, and practice. LaFromboise and Foster (1989) also discussed this by bringing attention to other issues related to ethics in multicultural counseling that involved participants in research and right to treatment. Which in respond to this the 1995 revision of the ethical standards, the American Counseling Association (ACA) included specific excerpts requiring counselors to respect diversity, avoid discrimination, and demonstrate cultural sensitivity when engaging in direct client services, research, education, testing, computer applications, public communications, and relationships with employers and employees (ACA, 1995). Within the section on professional competence, it requires them to show a commitment to gain knowledge, awareness, and skills related to serving all different types of clients. Researchers have stated the need to prepare professionals to become more skillful in dealing with ethical dilemmas, particularly those involving multicult... Free Essays on Multicultural Counseling Free Essays on Multicultural Counseling Counseling is an interactive process characterized by a unique relationship between counselor and client that leads to change in one or more areas (Trickett, Sept. 9, 2003). Multicultural counseling requires the recognition of: (1) the importance of racial/ethnic group membership on the socialization of the client; (2) the importance of and the uniqueness of the individual; (3) the presence of and place of values in the counseling process; and (4) the uniqueness of learning styles, vocational goals, and life purposes of clients, within the context of principles of democratic social justice (Locke, 1986). As the theoretical and professional foundations of multicultural counseling have progressed, a natural evolution has been the development of ethical standards to help regulate the practice of multicultural counseling. Ibrahim and Arredondo (1986) authored a proposal to develop specific ethical standards regarding multicultural counseling in the areas of education, research, assessment, and practice. LaFromboise and Foster (1989) also discussed this by bringing attention to other issues related to ethics in multicultural counseling that involved participants in research and right to treatment. Which in respond to this the 1995 revision of the ethical standards, the American Counseling Association (ACA) included specific excerpts requiring counselors to respect diversity, avoid discrimination, and demonstrate cultural sensitivity when engaging in direct client services, research, education, testing, computer applications, public communications, and relationships with employers and employees (ACA, 1995). Within the section on professional competence, it requires them to show a commitment to gain knowledge, awareness, and skills related to serving all different types of clients. Researchers have stated the need to prepare professionals to become more skillful in dealing with ethical dilemmas, particularly those involving multicult...

Vegetarian diets Essays

Vegetarian diets Essays Vegetarian diets Paper Vegetarian diets Paper Essay Topic: Vegetarian Vegetarian diets can meet all the recommendations for nutrients. The key is to consume a variety of foods and the right amount of foods to meet the calorie needs. Nutrients that vegetarians may need to focus on include protein, iron, calcium, zinc and vitamin B12. Breakfast: German apple pancake, strawberries (1 cup), skim milk. Lunch: Leek, asparagus and herb soup or triple celery bisque, quinoa and black beans, orange (1large). Snack: apple, skim milk. Dinner: Curried cashew burgers or no bake macaroni and cheese, orange, infused roasted green beans and peppers, roasted peaches. Vitamin B12 deficiency can occur in vegetarian, because the best sources of the vitamin are animal products. Strict vegans (like Jones) are people who do not eat any animal products; including meat, eggs, or milk are at a greatest risk. A deficiency of vitamin B12 can lead to anemia; as the anemia worsen it may cause symptoms as weakness, tiredness, pale skin. Three nutritional recommendations for Mr. Jones are: Eat a variety of vegetables, especially dark green and red, orange vegetables, beans, and peas. Mr. Jones needs to choose a variety of protein foods, which include seafood, lean meat, poultry, and eggs. He needs to increase his physical activity and reduce time spent in sedentary behaviors. The food guidance for Mr. Jones; follow food safety recommendations when preparing and eating foods. Account for all foods and beverages consumed, and assess how they fit eaten pattern. Select eaten pattern that meets nutrient needs at an appropriate calorie level. Anticoagulation medication such as Warfarin act to reduce the overall production of blood clotting factors. Anticoagulants do not dissolve blood clots, but they prevent clots from getting bigger. Anticoagulants benefits are: They protect patients from heart attack and stroke. Ensure blood flows smoothly throughout the entire body. The side effects; since anticoagulants stop blood clots from forming, excessive bleeding can occur within the body which may result in paralysis, headaches, shortness of breath, chest pain, abdomen, or muscles pain, nose bleeds, blood in urine. Taking heparin for a long time can lead to osteoporosis. High vitamin K intake can decrease the effectiveness of Warfarin, while small intake increase the sensitivity to small changes in vitamin K. Vitamin K manufactures the protein that reduce the level of blood clotting. Vitamin K and warfarin reacts against each other in the body. Patients that reduce food rich in vitamin K while taking Warfarin experienced unstable anticoagulation and restriction of other nutrients found in these foods. The nutritional advice for Mr. Jones is that he should eat a consistent diet rather than limiting Vitamin K rich foods like dark leafy greens, red peppers, roasted peaches. He needs to know which foods can affect how warfarin works. If Mr. Jones gets sick, and do not feel like eating for few days, he needs to talk to his doctor, rather than taking new medicine that may alters the works of Warfarin. Limit alcohol intake and avoid binge drinking. References: Nix, Staci. (2011). The nature of vitamin. Williams’ Basic Nutrition and Diet Therapy. (14th edition). Pp. 94-125. Hasler CM, Brown AC. (2009). Position of the academy of nutrition of dietetics: functional foods. I Am Diet Association, 109(4):735-746.

Points of Access citizens have in the American Government Essay

Points of Access citizens have in the American Government - Essay Example These three outlets are chosen because they seem to be the most efficient approaches to letting American government know about the grievances of its citizens. There are broadly two kinds of demonstrations: there are peaceful and non-peaceful demonstrations. In the United States, peaceful demonstrations are mostly carried out by special interests groups, disgruntled workers, angry people from the same communities, unpaid workers, and topical issues opponents. Since the inauguration of Obama Administration, several peaceful demonstrations or protests have been carried by those who felt that his Government was moving off course: they include protests against Health Care reforms, Abortion issues, Big government spending and several other testy issues that divide or unify Americans. The main merit of peaceful demonstrations is that they are not often dispersed by the jaded police, since it has no immediate dangers to the public safety and would not disrupt usual business activities (Holbrook 4)1. It may be difficult, at times, to precisely detect the efficiency of a demonstration, but there is no doubt that it is an open expression of displeasure at the US Governmental policies. And it is always true that the particular section of the government affected by the demonstrations often take into consideration what the demonstrators are fighting for. When peaceful, a demonstration can attract an unbelievable number of people who shared in the same urgency to make their voices heard against a typical injustice or mismanagement of public limited resources. The courts in the United States have been described as the last resort for common men: in other words, anyone who feels that his/her fundamental rights have been breached, or has been cruelly treated against the dictates of the US Constitution, can seek legal redress in any of the courts in America. Structurally, these courts range from the Municipality Court to the Circuit Court, Appeal Court

Epicurus believed that death should be nothing to us. Describe and Essay

Epicurus believed that death should be nothing to us. Describe and critically assess his principle argument for this conclusion - Essay Example Unfortunately, we can become acquainted only with small parts of his works and some letters,  which reached our times. All the fine points of  Epicureanism can be learned from the works of his followers and critics. Nevertheless, the philosophy of the thinker is valuable and worth-discussing as it presents very interesting ideas about life and death, pleasure and pain, and teaches us how to avoid the fear of death that prevents people from enjoying life. Epicurus had very interesting view on philosophy. He stated that the aim of this science was to reach the pleasant, calm life, absolute harmony without fear and hurt, full-fledged life among true friends. According to the philosopher, delight and hurt define what is good and bad, while death represents the end of everything, both the body and the spirit and that is why humans should not be afraid of it (Bakalis, 2005). The philosopher did not believe that any supreme forces can control human’s life and punish humans. According to his materialistic point of view, our world is founded on the atoms’ behavior and represents eternal system (Panicha, 1967). Epicurus considered the science of philosophy to be very helpful for people in their attempts to make their life more pleasant. The philosophy can help get rid of troubles that make our life poorer. One of the troubles that prevent us from enjoying our life is the fear of death. According to Epicurus, this fear spoils our life and in order to get rid of it, it is necessary we should understand what death really is. In order not to suffer people must feel safe. Here Epicurus is talking about the value of justice. According to the philosopher, only justice can eliminate harm and suffering completely. The philosopher talks about the justice system as about an agreement we sign with each other people make with each other to guarantee our safety. Get used to believing that death is nothing to us. For all good and bad consists in sense experience,

Nature and Nature in Cognitive Development Essay Example for Free

Nature and Nature in Cognitive Development Essay Why are both nature and nurture important in perceptual development? How do both help a baby’s brain and sensory organs to develop? The question of whether nature or nurture is more important in terms of perceptual development has bee long debated. In general, there are two theories that explain how humans develop these perceptions. The Nativists claim that our brains are built or hardwired to recognize certain stimuli by both design and construction. In contrast, an Empiricist would say that we learn through experience how to perceive things. There was an experiment done by Nativist researchers that sought to determine how very young mammals are able to perceive. The data concluded that early infants were able to perceive quite a lot before they really had a chance to learn anything. Gibson and Walk’s the â€Å"visual cliff† experiment was one such experiment, in this test both young animals and 6 month old human infants were taken to a side of a visual cliff, the test subjects would avoid the clearly deep drop. This indicated that children can perceive visual depth and that visual depth dominates even touch information. Additionally, studies have been done that show babies can recognize faces and that they often prefer the visual stimulation of carton faces as opposed to the same features arranged at random. In other tests it was shown that babies can also recognize whether or not and object is coming directly at their face or not. These experiments show that even the undeveloped infant brain has considerable capacity for perceptual capabilities. In contrast, several Empiricists experiments have been done as well. In one such study, scientists sought to determine the effects of depriving developing animals from perceptual stimulations. These tests have consistently shown that the longer the subject is deprived, the more severe the consequences. For example, humans are sometimes born without sight, due to a clouded cornea. Later in life some elect to have surgery to repair this clouded cornea. The result is sight, these people can see but they cannot perceive what it is that they see. As time goes on they slowly learn to distinguish one object from another, but this is however quite easily interrupted. Often changing an objects position or context is quite enough to slow down or prevent recognition. To conclude, although some argue that perception is due to nature, while others argue for nurture, it may in fact be that the two factors are interdependent and rely on each other. Support for this idea comes from an experiment that studied rats and found that those raised in a perceptually restricted environment had smaller brain development than those raised in an enriched environment, suggesting that while we are born with innate capabilities we need the environment to ensure we develop our abilities to perceive well. The perceptual capabilities we have at birth must be strengthened continuously through perceptual stimulation, furthermore, it would seem that perception in general follows the use it or lose it principle. Just as unused muscles become week, so to do our senses if left unused. Nature and nurture are both essential to health y perceptual development; stimulation begins in the womb and quickly follows all the way through adulthood. Sources. Nature and Nurture in Perceptual Development. . www. indiana. edu. Web. 11 Feb 2013. http://www. indiana. edu/~p1013447/dictionary/natnurt. htm. . Experiencing Sensation and Perception. . physch. hanover. edu. Web. 11 Feb 2013. http://psych. hanover. edu/classes/sensation/chapters/Chapter 15. pdf. Arterberry, M. Perceptual Development. . Colby College. Web. 11 Feb 2013. http://www. elsevierdirect. com/brochures/Infant/PDFs/Perceptual development. pdf.

Alcoholism Essay -- Persuasive Argumentative Essays

Alcoholism Alcohol consumption was initiated on reservations when traders in the nineteenth century started to offer it to oppressed and depressed Native Americans. Natives represent, in fact, the ethnic group with the highest degree of alcohol consumption in the United States. Confinement on reservations after displacement brought for Native Americans identity conflicts and assimilation problems. This situation promoted the abuse of liquor to mitigate the psychological pain inflicted by the dispossession of the land and enclosure in a limited and controlled space. Both the stereotype of the â€Å"Noble Savage† and the â€Å"drunken Indian† are recurrent figures in mainstream literature of the US. Native American Literature of the 70s and 80s (American Indian Literary Renaissance) focused on restoring the tribal inheritance of mixed blood Indians who had been alienated both by whites and fellow Indians. Serving in the army during World War II or in the VIETNAM WAR, some tried to gain the respect of their fellow soldiers only to collapse completely and dive into an ocean of solitude after the conflicts ended. Partial consolation seemed to be found in drinking. Assimilation to white culture often times means drinking as whites, thus, CEREMONY, HOUSE MADE OF DAWN, WINTER IN THE BLOOD and LOVE MEDICINE, among others, introduced the topic of the alienated Indian destroyed by liquor. James WELCH, Louise ERDRICH, Leslie Marmon SILKO, and Scott MOMADAY deal with the issue of alcohol abuse in most of their novels; they express a true concern about the situation of their tribes due to alcoholism and propose the return to the ancient ceremonies and traditions to cure tribal members addi cted to liquor and restore their link with the earth. ... ...n Blues. New York: Warner Books, 1996 Brave Bird, Mary E.& Erdoes, R. Ohikita Woman. New York: Grove Press, 1993. Crow Dog, Mary E. & Erdoes, R. Lakota Woman.New York: Harper Perennial, 1990. Dorris, Michael. The Broken Cord Erdrich, L. Love Medicine (New and Expanded Edition). New York: Harper Perennial, 1984. Gunn Allen, Paula. The Sacred Hoop, Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Tradition. Boston: Beacon Press books, 1986. Mc. Farland, R. James Welch. Lewinston (IH): Confluence Press Inc., 1986. Momaday, N. Scott. House Made of Dawn. New York: Harper and Row, 1968. Silko, Leslie Marmon. Ceremony. New York: Penguin, 1977. Stookey, Lorena Laura. Louise Erdrich : a critical companion. Westport (Connecticut): Greenwood Press, 1999 Welch, James. Winter in the Blood. New York, Harper & Row 1974 Imelda Martà ­n-Junquera

Business Strategy

Victorians Secret, in both its' business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics in both channels. Strategically the company focuses on individual business processes instead of its' business model so that it can improve upon some of them with technology as this avoids a primarily internet-driven business model which could affect the sales of their retail locations.Their business processes that support their verbal selling and purchasing activities for their physical locations can be utilized by the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which is a strategy implemented in order to reduce transaction costs by improving the flow of information within the company and its' channels. This helps to coordinate the actions for both channels which is useful in maintaining the same brand standards regardless of where the consumer is buying the product.An example of this would be the technique libr ary database the company established which Is shared among all regions/suppliers and includes company standards of design and production. Victorians Secret implements a business strategy that makes use of multiple marketing channels such as their retail stores and e-commerce channel. They utilize a 360 degree approach for the website with channel cooperation regarding their already established physical locations.Victorians Secret strategically avoids channel conflict by differentiating certain products such as best sellers and only offering them for sale from Victorians Secret, In both Its' business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics In both the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which Is a be the technique library database the company established which is shared among. Business Strategy Victorians Secret, in both its' business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics in both channels. Strategically the company focuses on individual business processes instead of its' business model so that it can improve upon some of them with technology as this avoids a primarily internet-driven business model which could affect the sales of their retail locations.Their business processes that support their verbal selling and purchasing activities for their physical locations can be utilized by the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which is a strategy implemented in order to reduce transaction costs by improving the flow of information within the company and its' channels. This helps to coordinate the actions for both channels which is useful in maintaining the same brand standards regardless of where the consumer is buying the product.An example of this would be the technique libr ary database the company established which Is shared among all regions/suppliers and includes company standards of design and production. Victorians Secret implements a business strategy that makes use of multiple marketing channels such as their retail stores and e-commerce channel. They utilize a 360 degree approach for the website with channel cooperation regarding their already established physical locations.Victorians Secret strategically avoids channel conflict by differentiating certain products such as best sellers and only offering them for sale from Victorians Secret, In both Its' business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics In both the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which Is a be the technique library database the company established which is shared among. Business Strategy Application Exercise (Assignment to be submitted) (180 min. ) * Construct a value chain for your department/ division/ company and contrast it over time or vis a vis a competitor, to try and explain the business performance. | | Guidelines for the assignment * Brief introduction of your firm and division. * Draw a value chain of your division/company. (as next best choice generic chain will do) Enlist all the activities under the relevant primary and support functions. Show how each activity is being pursued now, and also differently over time, by your firm. (OR if comparison is not over time but with a competitor’s value chain, show how they perform it differently) * Indicate internal links within the activities, if any. Show how the activities of the value chain are linked to company strategy and structure and how these links enhance competitive advantage. (or show the lack of these links and divergence of activities-scope for improvement in value chain. ). Explore external links (eg. lignment of activities with vendors that enhances differentiation. ) * Conclude-Reflect on overall shift in value chain over time OR difference with competitor’s value chain and how that results in difference in business performance. * The assignment submission should not exceed 5 pages| | About VMware VMware is the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, delivers customer-proven solutions that accelerate IT by reducing complexity and enabling more flexible, agile service delivery.VMware enables enterprises to adopt a cloud model that addresses their unique business challenges. VMware’s approach accelerates the transition to cloud computing while preserving existing investments and improving security and control. With more than 350,000 customers and 50,000 partners, VMware solutions help organizations of all sizes lower costs, increase business agility and ensure freedom of choice I belong to the Consulting Services Division of VMware where we carry out the consulting implementation and management of customer projectsVmware’s Value chain is broadly covered as below . The Value Chain Analysis of VMware covers two categories of activities – primary and support activities. The primary activities are most familiar, as it deals with the steps and processes necessary to take the VMware product or service from R&D to final customer sale and support. * Suppy Chain Management – covers the identification, sourcing, procurement, and supplier management of the â€Å"raw materials† that comprise the final product or service. Operations – covers the engineering, inventory management, and manufacturing of the final product or service. Note:   any technologies incorporated into the product or service are also included here. * Distribution – covers the entire channel network and partnerships that VMware drives for distributing the key platform product solutions * Marketing and Sales – covers the marketing, merchandising, promotions, advertising, sales, and channel management to get the completed product and service to the end customer. Service – covers the support and maintenance of products and services after they are delivered to the customer. The secondary activities are less familiar, but equally important in supporting product and service scalability. * R&D – covers the testing of the product as per the customer specifications, development and roll out of new product updates * Technology Development – covers the supporting technologies, both information technologies as well as other technologies, important for keeping the lights on.Technologies integrated into the product would be covered in the Operations stage. * Human Resource Management – covers the recruiting, hiring, development,and firing of personnel. * General Administration – covers the general admin tasks of the company (buildings, offices, warehouses) I belong to the Services Department function which forms the primary form of activities in the value chain in terms of delivering the value of the virtualization and cloud benefits to customers as per VMware best practices.Compared to our competitor which is Microsoft our services are allinged to be more proactive to customers in the form of Technical Account Manager program. The product profolio that we drive in the Services and consulting space are truly key in giving VMware 84% of the global market share. VMware Professional Services offer end-to-end consulting services for Datacenter, Virtualization Management, Desktop Virtualization and Cloud Services.Our service offerings are based on in-depth virtualization expertise, proven best practices, and repeatable delivery methodologies to help customers realize the full value of virtualization for IT as a service computing models faster, and with less risk. Based on best practices from working with thousands of customers and using reliable, r epeatable methodologies, our services are designed to help Assess the current environments, Plan and design solutions that meet the desired business objectives, Build and implement the desired virtualization solutions, and Manage the environment with staff augmentation and performance tuningRegardless of the level of a customer’s virtualization maturity or business need, VMware Consulting Services accelerate the business value of IT transformation to IT as a Service computing models, through virtualization, with less risk compared to our competition which is the key differentiator in our engagement with customers compared to competition. We have provided key differentiators in our Services Value chain which has resulted huge business benefits to VMware the summary of which is as below – Year-over-Year Revenue Growth of 25% to $1. 6 Billion – Operating Margin of 20. 6%; Non-GAAP Operating Margin of 32. 6% – Trailing Twelve Months Operating Cash Flows Growt h of 64% to $2. 12 Billion; Free Cash Flows Growth of 53% to $2. 07 Billion Service revenues, which include software maintenance and professional services, were $573 million for 2012, an increase of 35% from 2011. The use of value chain analysis facilitates the strategic management of VMware as an organization. The three main types of competitive strategy are cost leadership, differentiation, and focus.Cost leadership is a strategy that relies on lowest-cost production and delivery, while differentiation relies on outstanding quality or product (program/course) features. The focus strategy relies on differentiation or cost leadership for a particular product or market niche. Value chain analysis is a framework that can provide a number of benefits to the VMware management of virtualiation and cloud computing organizations. This analysis help VMware managers of to identify linkages between value activities within the organization, and to think in terms of process rather than function or department.Through analysis of the value system, managers identify potentials for strategic alliances with various actors in the industry value system. Identification of cost drivers and linkage with value chain activities help managers focus on cost reduction and on finding ways to optimize returns throughout the value chain. As well, value chain analysis helps managers understand cost management problems. Failure to see the impact of a decision on the overall value chain will result in missed opportunities for VMware.The value chain framework allows VMware to break down the chain—from basic infrastructure and support, to software development, to customer support and service—into strategically relevant activities to understand the behavior of costs and the sources of differentiation. Profit Margin is typically only one part of the larger set of activities in the value delivery system. Gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage requires that VMware understands the entire value delivery system, not just the portion of the value chain in which it participates.Suppliers and distribution channels have profit margins that must be identified if one is to understand VMware’s cost or differentiation positioning, because the customers ultimately pay for all the profit margins throughout the value chain. Broadly the value chain framework is used as powerful analysis tool for the strategic planning and to build the organizational model ensuring an effective leadership model. The value chain concept is applied also in the individual business unit and is extended to the whole supply chain and distribution networks of VMware.To form a successful product for VMware it is important to add value in each activity that the product goes through during the life cycle. The best possible value can be achieved in the product development process by adding value in each stage. For that it needs all, or a combination of, value chain activities and a proper s ynchronization among all the related activities. A proper organization is required that contains all the required functional departments to perform these activities and a proper communication approach is required to synchronize the activities of these functional units efficiently. Business Strategy Application Exercise (Assignment to be submitted) (180 min. ) * Construct a value chain for your department/ division/ company and contrast it over time or vis a vis a competitor, to try and explain the business performance. | | Guidelines for the assignment * Brief introduction of your firm and division. * Draw a value chain of your division/company. (as next best choice generic chain will do) Enlist all the activities under the relevant primary and support functions. Show how each activity is being pursued now, and also differently over time, by your firm. (OR if comparison is not over time but with a competitor’s value chain, show how they perform it differently) * Indicate internal links within the activities, if any. Show how the activities of the value chain are linked to company strategy and structure and how these links enhance competitive advantage. (or show the lack of these links and divergence of activities-scope for improvement in value chain. ). Explore external links (eg. lignment of activities with vendors that enhances differentiation. ) * Conclude-Reflect on overall shift in value chain over time OR difference with competitor’s value chain and how that results in difference in business performance. * The assignment submission should not exceed 5 pages| | About VMware VMware is the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, delivers customer-proven solutions that accelerate IT by reducing complexity and enabling more flexible, agile service delivery.VMware enables enterprises to adopt a cloud model that addresses their unique business challenges. VMware’s approach accelerates the transition to cloud computing while preserving existing investments and improving security and control. With more than 350,000 customers and 50,000 partners, VMware solutions help organizations of all sizes lower costs, increase business agility and ensure freedom of choice I belong to the Consulting Services Division of VMware where we carry out the consulting implementation and management of customer projectsVmware’s Value chain is broadly covered as below . The Value Chain Analysis of VMware covers two categories of activities – primary and support activities. The primary activities are most familiar, as it deals with the steps and processes necessary to take the VMware product or service from R&D to final customer sale and support. * Suppy Chain Management – covers the identification, sourcing, procurement, and supplier management of the â€Å"raw materials† that comprise the final product or service. Operations – covers the engineering, inventory management, and manufacturing of the final product or service. Note:   any technologies incorporated into the product or service are also included here. * Distribution – covers the entire channel network and partnerships that VMware drives for distributing the key platform product solutions * Marketing and Sales – covers the marketing, merchandising, promotions, advertising, sales, and channel management to get the completed product and service to the end customer. Service – covers the support and maintenance of products and services after they are delivered to the customer. The secondary activities are less familiar, but equally important in supporting product and service scalability. * R&D – covers the testing of the product as per the customer specifications, development and roll out of new product updates * Technology Development – covers the supporting technologies, both information technologies as well as other technologies, important for keeping the lights on.Technologies integrated into the product would be covered in the Operations stage. * Human Resource Management – covers the recruiting, hiring, development,and firing of personnel. * General Administration – covers the general admin tasks of the company (buildings, offices, warehouses) I belong to the Services Department function which forms the primary form of activities in the value chain in terms of delivering the value of the virtualization and cloud benefits to customers as per VMware best practices.Compared to our competitor which is Microsoft our services are allinged to be more proactive to customers in the form of Technical Account Manager program. The product profolio that we drive in the Services and consulting space are truly key in giving VMware 84% of the global market share. VMware Professional Services offer end-to-end consulting services for Datacenter, Virtualization Management, Desktop Virtualization and Cloud Services.Our service offerings are based on in-depth virtualization expertise, proven best practices, and repeatable delivery methodologies to help customers realize the full value of virtualization for IT as a service computing models faster, and with less risk. Based on best practices from working with thousands of customers and using reliable, r epeatable methodologies, our services are designed to help Assess the current environments, Plan and design solutions that meet the desired business objectives, Build and implement the desired virtualization solutions, and Manage the environment with staff augmentation and performance tuningRegardless of the level of a customer’s virtualization maturity or business need, VMware Consulting Services accelerate the business value of IT transformation to IT as a Service computing models, through virtualization, with less risk compared to our competition which is the key differentiator in our engagement with customers compared to competition. We have provided key differentiators in our Services Value chain which has resulted huge business benefits to VMware the summary of which is as below – Year-over-Year Revenue Growth of 25% to $1. 6 Billion – Operating Margin of 20. 6%; Non-GAAP Operating Margin of 32. 6% – Trailing Twelve Months Operating Cash Flows Growt h of 64% to $2. 12 Billion; Free Cash Flows Growth of 53% to $2. 07 Billion Service revenues, which include software maintenance and professional services, were $573 million for 2012, an increase of 35% from 2011. The use of value chain analysis facilitates the strategic management of VMware as an organization. The three main types of competitive strategy are cost leadership, differentiation, and focus.Cost leadership is a strategy that relies on lowest-cost production and delivery, while differentiation relies on outstanding quality or product (program/course) features. The focus strategy relies on differentiation or cost leadership for a particular product or market niche. Value chain analysis is a framework that can provide a number of benefits to the VMware management of virtualiation and cloud computing organizations. This analysis help VMware managers of to identify linkages between value activities within the organization, and to think in terms of process rather than function or department.Through analysis of the value system, managers identify potentials for strategic alliances with various actors in the industry value system. Identification of cost drivers and linkage with value chain activities help managers focus on cost reduction and on finding ways to optimize returns throughout the value chain. As well, value chain analysis helps managers understand cost management problems. Failure to see the impact of a decision on the overall value chain will result in missed opportunities for VMware.The value chain framework allows VMware to break down the chain—from basic infrastructure and support, to software development, to customer support and service—into strategically relevant activities to understand the behavior of costs and the sources of differentiation. Profit Margin is typically only one part of the larger set of activities in the value delivery system. Gaining and sustaining a competitive advantage requires that VMware understands the entire value delivery system, not just the portion of the value chain in which it participates.Suppliers and distribution channels have profit margins that must be identified if one is to understand VMware’s cost or differentiation positioning, because the customers ultimately pay for all the profit margins throughout the value chain. Broadly the value chain framework is used as powerful analysis tool for the strategic planning and to build the organizational model ensuring an effective leadership model. The value chain concept is applied also in the individual business unit and is extended to the whole supply chain and distribution networks of VMware.To form a successful product for VMware it is important to add value in each activity that the product goes through during the life cycle. The best possible value can be achieved in the product development process by adding value in each stage. For that it needs all, or a combination of, value chain activities and a proper s ynchronization among all the related activities. A proper organization is required that contains all the required functional departments to perform these activities and a proper communication approach is required to synchronize the activities of these functional units efficiently. Business Strategy MPM703 Business Strategy and Analysis Trimester 1, 2013 Assignment: Business Strategy Report In this assignment you are acting either as a group of strategy consultants (group assignment), or as one strategy consultant (individual assignment). You have been asked to prepare a strategy report for a business. The first step is to select a business as the subject of your assignment. The business can be a publicly listed company in Australia or overseas which is of interest to you or other members of your group, or it may be a large private or family business located either in Australia or overseas.Do not use or refer to assignments completed by students for this unit in previous trimesters. (A record of past assignments is kept on a database). Note also that the requirements of the assignment change from trimester to trimester. The focus of this assignment is on the business level of analysis. Therefore if you select a diversified company then make sure you focus only on one of the comp any’s business units. The report must be specific and applied to the business. In other words you must apply the relevant concepts and tools of business strategy to the particular conditions and circumstances of the business you are studying.General statements and references to theories and models that are not applied to the business will not add value to your assignment. Similarly, data about the business that is not analysed and presented from a strategic perspective – using the relevant concepts and tools of strategy – is of little value. To help you in this exercise, consider the position of the CEO of the business who will be reading your report and looking for a strategic analysis and recommendation that is practical and specific to her or his business.The CEO does not want to read a broad analysis that could apply to any number of organisations and does not ‘speak’ to their business. Group or individual submission This assignment may be compl eted either as a group submission (up to 5 people) or as an individual assignment (one person only). Either way, you must sign up in one of the group assignment spaces online. Marking will be done without regard to whether the assignment was a group or individual submission. In other words an individual assignment should be of a similar standard and quality to that of a group assignment.For group assignments the mark will be shared by all in the group. Therefore: 1. Allocate the various tasks among your group members and agree on interim due dates for the stages of work. Make sure your interim due dates allow for drafts to be circulated and edited so that the final submission is of the highest standard. 2. Each group member must make a relatively fair and reasonable contribution to the report, in whatever form or shape that might take, in order to share equally in the mark. In the rare event that there are any issues you should contact me two weeks prior to the report due date so th at a resolution can be reached.Report format and requirements The presentation of your report is a critical aspect of this assignment. It is essential that your report is formatted appropriately, and carefully edited and re-edited to achieve a professional standard. Allow time to draft and re-draft your assignment prior to the due date in order to improve the quality of writing and presentation. You must follow carefully the report structure and requirements set out below. 1. Title Page In the title page, you should include: †¢ Title of the report, e. g. ‘Company X: A Business Strategy Report’. Cloud Deakin Group number (whether you are a group or individual). †¢ The names and student IDs of your group members. †¢ Off campus or on campus status. †¢ Date and Unit Code. †¢ Name and postal address for the return of your assignment. 2. Table of contents Include all of the section headings and subheadings used in your report, together with page numbe rs. 3. Executive summary (Less than 300 words) This is a one page only summary of the report, written as a series of short paragraphs, outlining your key findings and recommended strategic option. 4. Introduction (Approximately 400 words)This section provides some background and context to your report. Your introduction should include: †¢ A brief description of the reasons for undertaking the study, i. e. the value of undertaking a strategy review of the business. †¢ An introduction to the business and its macro environment and industry. 5. Strategic Analysis 5. 1 Methods (Approximately 200 words) Provide a brief description of the techniques of data collection and analysis used in this section, including an outline of the sources used to gather the data upon which the report is based.Data may be collected from sources within the business (business documents, questionnaires, interviews) and from industry reports, media sources, the World Wide Web and database searches. It is important to describe the types and quantity of your data sources so that the reader can evaluate the quality and validity of the data on which your analysis is based. 5. 2 Business strategy statement (Approximately 300 words) Describe the mission, vision, objectives, scope, and advantage of the business (see section 1. 2. 3 in the text). Summarise these descriptions into a clear and compelling strategy statement in 35 words or less. . 3 External analysis (Approximately 800 words) †¢ Conduct a PESTEL analysis of your business’s macro environment, evaluating whether each of the PESTEL factors are positive, neutral, or negative for the industry. †¢ Provide an overall evaluation of the impact of these factors on growth and consumer demand in the industry. Explain which of the influences in your analysis are likely to be the main drivers for change in the future. †¢ Using the five forces framework described in your text, evaluate and briefly describe the key for ces at work in your business’s industry environment. Draw a strategy canvas for your business and the two main rivals (see Figure 2. 9 in the text). Describe briefly the three most critical success factors for your business (see pp. 73-74 in the text). 5. 4 Strategic capability (Approximately 400 words) †¢ Describe your business’s strategic capability in the form of a value chain analysis. †¢ Present a SWOT analysis in table form. 5. 5 Strategy and culture (Approximately 400 words) Draw a cultural web of the business (see Chapter 5 of your text and Figure 5. 8). Briefly evaluate the relationship between the business’s culture and its strategy. . 6Strategic direction (Approximately 450 words) Identify and describe the one most viable strategic direction for the business. To undertake this task refer to Figure 7. 2 on p. 232 and the relevant commentary. Explain how your chosen strategic direction allows the business to: †¢ Respond appropriately to t he industry and macro environments described in your external analysis. †¢ Match the strengths of the business to the opportunities in the environment, described in your earlier analyses, to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage. . Conclusion (Approximately 250 words) This section is written in paragraph form to provide a summary of one key finding from each of the report sections from 5. 2 to 5. 6. 7. References List all of the references referred to in the report. Please note that appendices are not allowed. Requirements Word limit:3500 (excluding the references only) Line spacing: 1. 5 Font size: 12 Contribution to your final mark: 40% Due date: 3. 00pm, Tuesday 7 May 2013 NB. Words in excess of 3500 will not be marked. Assignment submission rules All assignments are to be submitted online, in addition to a printed copy delivered to the Faculty office, or handed in at lecture. For off campus students the mailed hard copy of the assignment is deemed to be on time if sen t and post-marked by the due date of the assignment. Please note that the version of an assignment you submit electronically must be the same as any version you submit in any other form. Students enrolled through partnership agreements must submit as required by the unit chair at the partner institution on the due date. Assignments are on time if they are submitted online and in hard copy on the due date. On campus students must submit the printed version in lecture or at the Faculty office by the due date; off campus students must mail their submission on or before the due date to: Assignment Tracking AASD Deakin University Waurn Ponds, VIC, 3217 3Remote students: A student is classified as remote if they are living in a place where it takes more than 3 days for mail to reach Deakin University, Geelong, for example overseas in certain locations.If you are a remote student, you may submit your assignment by email to [email  protected] edu. au If you are a remote student and submit via email, please clearly state your name, student ID number, unit code and assignment number on the email. It is also recommended that you place this information on your assignment as a Footer or Header. The Assignment Tracking staff will print your assignment and place an Assignment Attachment Form onto your assignment. It will then be tracked and sent to your assessor for marking the same day.When returning the assignment, the assignment will be sent by normal postage and not via email. Please do not post another version in the mail if you email your assignment. 5 No extensions will be considered for assignment submission due dates unless a written request is submitted to and negotiated with the unit chair. 6 Assignments submitted late without an extension being granted will not be marked. Plagiarism and other academic offences Plagiarism is the copying of another person’s ideas or expressions without appropriate acknowledgment. Please read the notes on plagiarism in the Unit Guide. Business Strategy Victorians Secret, in both its' business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics in both channels. Strategically the company focuses on individual business processes instead of its' business model so that it can improve upon some of them with technology as this avoids a primarily internet-driven business model which could affect the sales of their retail locations.Their business processes that support their verbal selling and purchasing activities for their physical locations can be utilized by the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which is a strategy implemented in order to reduce transaction costs by improving the flow of information within the company and its' channels. This helps to coordinate the actions for both channels which is useful in maintaining the same brand standards regardless of where the consumer is buying the product.An example of this would be the technique libr ary database the company established which Is shared among all regions/suppliers and includes company standards of design and production. Victorians Secret implements a business strategy that makes use of multiple marketing channels such as their retail stores and e-commerce channel. They utilize a 360 degree approach for the website with channel cooperation regarding their already established physical locations.Victorians Secret strategically avoids channel conflict by differentiating certain products such as best sellers and only offering them for sale from Victorians Secret, In both Its' business and e-business components use a B to C business strategy that focuses on the same market segment and economics In both the e-commerce channel of the business as well as the retail locations which Is a be the technique library database the company established which is shared among.

Descriptive Essay About a Person

Zarja G. ESSAY #: About a person They say you will never forget the person you first laid your eyes on. A tinny glimpse, which you probably do not remember, although it somehow stayed in your heart. Not the picture but the feeling you had when you saw him/her. The feeling of warmth, safety and joy. Without them you feel lost not really yourself. Somehow they are a part of you, a part of your world, your heart. For me that is my mother. Her voice calms me down.After moving to Vienna I was a bit homesick, but my mom would call me and everything would get better in a second. Just the sound of her voice is what I need from time to time. She is very good with words and almost knows what you want to hear when you are sad. Being a journalist and a writer explains her love of books and literature in general. She loves telling stories and is really good at it. She puts her heart and soul in what she writes. She never talks about her feelings, but in stories and short stories she always does.W riting somehow makes her feel better. It makes her emotions be heard without a voice just by the words on a white paper. The picture of my mother will never ever disappear from my mind. Her curly brown hair with a ribbon in them so they do not hide her face, her dark brown eyes and the smile which lights up my world. She is not that tall probably the same height as me. Her style for clothing is a bit different from other mothers, but I love that. She never wears heals and her favorite shoes are converse Allstars. My mother is a fantastic cook.Whatever she prepares is absolutely delicious. Even our neighbors tell us that after my parents moved to Klagenfurt even they miss the smell of her gingerbread cookies. For me it is a smell of Christmas. You can smell cinnamon and honey and you can almost immediately feel your mouth water. Right after the cookies were done in our family they quite quickly disappeared. She is the one who is always there for me. If I am in trouble or just sad I k now I can always count on her. She would walk to my room close the door and slowly sit next to me.Without even asking she would know I am not okay. Her presence made me always feel better even though I was broken inside. Her hand would slowly rub my back and she would whisper in my ear: ‘‘I am here everything will be okay. ’’ And it always was. I could say my mother is my best friend which will never disappear from my life. Her personality and charisma makes me want to be just like her when I grow up. We are kind of inseparable. I am always there for her as well as she is there for me. I love my mom. Descriptive Essay About a Person Zarja G. ESSAY #: About a person They say you will never forget the person you first laid your eyes on. A tinny glimpse, which you probably do not remember, although it somehow stayed in your heart. Not the picture but the feeling you had when you saw him/her. The feeling of warmth, safety and joy. Without them you feel lost not really yourself. Somehow they are a part of you, a part of your world, your heart. For me that is my mother. Her voice calms me down.After moving to Vienna I was a bit homesick, but my mom would call me and everything would get better in a second. Just the sound of her voice is what I need from time to time. She is very good with words and almost knows what you want to hear when you are sad. Being a journalist and a writer explains her love of books and literature in general. She loves telling stories and is really good at it. She puts her heart and soul in what she writes. She never talks about her feelings, but in stories and short stories she always does.W riting somehow makes her feel better. It makes her emotions be heard without a voice just by the words on a white paper. The picture of my mother will never ever disappear from my mind. Her curly brown hair with a ribbon in them so they do not hide her face, her dark brown eyes and the smile which lights up my world. She is not that tall probably the same height as me. Her style for clothing is a bit different from other mothers, but I love that. She never wears heals and her favorite shoes are converse Allstars. My mother is a fantastic cook.Whatever she prepares is absolutely delicious. Even our neighbors tell us that after my parents moved to Klagenfurt even they miss the smell of her gingerbread cookies. For me it is a smell of Christmas. You can smell cinnamon and honey and you can almost immediately feel your mouth water. Right after the cookies were done in our family they quite quickly disappeared. She is the one who is always there for me. If I am in trouble or just sad I k now I can always count on her. She would walk to my room close the door and slowly sit next to me.Without even asking she would know I am not okay. Her presence made me always feel better even though I was broken inside. Her hand would slowly rub my back and she would whisper in my ear: ‘‘I am here everything will be okay. ’’ And it always was. I could say my mother is my best friend which will never disappear from my life. Her personality and charisma makes me want to be just like her when I grow up. We are kind of inseparable. I am always there for her as well as she is there for me. I love my mom.

Changing Me

Changing Me Free Online Research Papers Changing Me Alone, Asleep, Forever I didn’t want to let her go; I wanted to hold on forever, but, I had to let go someday. Who am I? Alice Lewis I would suggest. I stare blankly at the piece of paper intended to be an English essay. I can’t believe it, it is only the first term of year eleven and we have already been given an English essay that is meant to help the teacher see who you are -like they need to know that. I am Alice Lewis, 15 years old. Is that not enough? You know what, I think it’s timetabled – the first lesson back the teachers encourage us to ‘delve into our beings’ and write an essay titled ‘who am I’ on our findings. I don’t get it, surely we are the same person year on year and although it is usually hard to concentrate this year I find it even harder because the sun is glaring through the window obscuring my view of the empty page and sending my brain down a different path. I try to think about who I am, but my brain is not cooperating. All I can do is remember what I was doing this time last week – when I was free from school and all the worries it brings, free from my own thoughts. A week ago I was relaxing with my sister Lily on the swings at Stanley Park. I love going to Stanley Park, I can unwind and just be myself. I am free to travel to my favourite place, a place where the only passport you need is imagination. The multicoloured swings at Stanley Park have always been my favourite, my Dad used to push me when I was young – I always felt on top of the world, untouchable, invincible. But now I just tend to rock slowly backwards and forwards, gathering my thoughts and taking time off from the hustle and bustle of the real world. When I started secondary school I started to take Lily with me to the park and I took her with the hope that she would enjoy the park just as much as me. She loves the swings; we can sit next to each other for hours, simply chatting. Stanley Park is close to where we live, as it’s easy to get to the park and, because there is only one road to cross, I am allowed to take Lily by myself. Anyway – who am I? I don’t know what to put, a little help please? I could put ‘My name is Alice Lewis and I am aged 15, I live with my 7 year old sister called Lily and my parents. In my free time I go to Stanley Park’ but I know that is not what the teacher wants to read. It’s not exactly exciting, I mean – Seriously? A bell can symbolise many things. A life, a death, love. For me it means freedom. When the school bell rings I push all my books into my bag and pull it off the desk. It’s like a race. A race to get as far away from this environment as possible. The bell rings. I sigh with relief. I can file this essay into the back of my head – for another year at least. I walk out of the class as fast as I can without making a fool of myself. We have freedom, well, freedom until we are caged up in a hot, stuffy classroom again tomorrow. As I walk towards the school gates my friends Carly and Gemma catch up with me. Just what I need, I just want to get away from this place as quickly as possible. I have known Carly since we were tiny, our mums are best friends. The two of us used to be joined at the hip. Used to be, until Gemma came along. Carly and I were always partners at primary school and I mean always. We never fell out, but then Gemma came along. I was off school for a week, ill with the chicken pox. I couldn’t wait to see Carly when I got back, but is wasn’t me she wanted to share her cookie with or whisper her secrets to, Carly had a new best friend. This new best friend had just moved from Americ a and Carly had become best buddies with her. Buddy, that word came from America too, just like Gemma. Sure, I miss our little conversations, just Carly and me. But I guess I will just have to accept it. Gemma is here now, and she is here to stay. The sun is blinding on the way home. Carly and Gemma are talking around me, at me, but I don’t hear their voices, they are only sounds lost in the gentle breeze. I only thing I hear is freedom calling; Stanley Park is around the corner. I manage to peel myself away from Carly and Gemma, rushing my goodbyes. Because the schools have just finished the park is full of primary school kids running around and their mums chatting to each other. Ignoring the strange looks I get from the mums wondering what a 15 year old is doing in the park alone at this time of day, I make my way to the multicoloured swings. I sit on the red one, the one closest to the trees. As my feet leave the ground, my mind leaves earth as we know it – I travel to a parallel galaxy where everything I want happens. I can spend ages exploring my mind, letting my imagination take over. Closing my eyes and rocking backwards on the swing I can hear the wind gently licking the trees and I can feel it ru stling my hair. I can feel the presence of someone; suddenly aware of my surroundings I open my eyes. I realise the hairs on the back of my neck are standing up. I look to my side cautiously, not sure if I will like what I see. But I breathe out a breath I didn’t know I was even holding and utter a single symbol. â€Å"Oh†. The figure standing beside me just laughs. I can feel myself blushing, my cheeks turning a pale red colour. To regain my composure I begin to rock backwards and forwards on the swing. The eyes of my spectator follow my every move; I wait for him to speak. Then his lips move, saying one of the things I hear day in day out. My name, Alice. Silence falls, all I can hear is the gentle breeze, until he breaks the silence. The question that leaves his lips is easy to answer, I can only say yes. Would I mind if he joined me? Really, would I say no? Could I say no? This is only the person that occupies my dreams, the person wondering in my thoughts at every opportunity. So, saying no? I don’t think so. I let another syllable leave my lips, only this time my single syllable doesn’t make my skin change colour. I find it strange that one syllable can alter someone’s life, it can make someone ecstatic or extremely sad. I can feel my legs turning into jelly as he sits on the blue swing next to me. I just thank God that I am already sitting down, otherwise something embarrassing could happen. Before I know it one hour has bleed into the next three and the light blue sky has had a navy blue velvet curtain covered with silver glitter drawn across it. We have been sitting here for ages just talking. The scene is almost identical to my dreams, but I know that I am awake because in reality he is even more perfect, his feature more defined. His touch has the opposite effect of a defibrillator and his eyes hold me in a constant trance. His voice is like a violin playing a perfect melody and not missing a single note. They say ‘Time flies when you are having fun’ but I think it time flies when your heart belongs to another. I get strange looks when I walk through the front door hours later than usual, I respond to the questions with all the right answers, but I can read Mum’s face like a book and I can tell she don’t believe me. I know at dinner that the glares being thrown at me like daggers from Dad mean that I am in serious trouble. After dinner he questions me on why I am late home and I come out with the same story I told Mum. His response? A snort. Thanks Dad. He thinks I am drunk, I guess I am fairly giggly, but I’m not drunk. I am just intoxicated with a somewhat sudden love. Waking up pains me, I have to rip myself away from the perfection that the night brought. As my eyes open the truth of reality floods back, well drizzles. The view from my window mirrors my mood exactly. Dull, grey, dreary. I pull my clothes on slowly as even piece of material separates me from the night. I’ll remember last night forever, the dream that flowed through my head last night has visited before, though usually I suffer pain because the morning brings the cruel truth. But today is different, finally. My dream reflects reality. My imagination sometimes gets the better of me; my ticket to ‘Alice’s World’ is used far too regularly. That’s why I doubt my own memories of yesterday; sometimes I find it hard to differentiate between the fact and the fiction. Did it really happen, did I really spend all that time yesterday with him at the park? I can’t help thinking about it on the way to school. I’m not sure, it feels like the jigsaw pieces fit together bit too easily. â€Å"Alice Lewis in entering the building† – com e on Carly, do you have to be so immature? Is it really normal for a 15 year old girl to announce the entrance of a friend so loudly? My reply to this statement – a sudden, piercing glare thrown in Carly’s direction – soon shuts her up. As usual, just like any other morning I go and sit in my chair in the back corner of the classroom, right next to the window. Looking out of the window soon sets my mind off. I travel; I travel to a faraway place, visiting my faraway friends. It is almost like I write a script for them, they say every line with great conviction; follow every stage direction as if it would be the natural thing to do. It’s only me, Alice Lewis, that knows why they are doing the things I want them to do, say saying the things I want them to say. It’s straightforward really, it’s because my mind says so. School passes, slowly, but is does pass. I act like a puppet. I go the right places, say the right things and make the right choices, but the thought is not there. No, the thought is someplace else, simply swinging backwards and forwards. I intend to follow my thoughts. I know where they will take me, but where will they take my story? Could a single thought swimming around in a teenager’s –somewhat empty- brain really change the path your life takes? I don’t know, but I want to find out. I expect the signal any time now. It should ring soon. Really soon. When the signal comes it shocks me even though I am expecting it. The school bell. My signal of freedom. The walk to Stanley Park isn’t long; it’s only about a 3 minute walk away from school but the anticipation that has been building up inside me makes the walk feel more like 3 hours. Upon arrival at the park I notice it is empty – empty apart from the one figure sitting alone on the multicoloured swings. Waiting. I don’t dwell on why the park is empty for too long. I have more important things to think about. Like that waiting person, the person waiting for me. The park belongs to us, the only people here. We just sit, swinging backwards and forwards. As we swing we talk, we listen and we play the melody together. He tells me things I thought no one would say to me, things including the words gorgeous, striking, beautiful. Can life be any better? Can it? In return I tell him things that I thought I would never be able to say to hm. The moment is perfect and I want to hold onto it forever, I want to capture it on a camera so I can always remember how brilliant I feel now. Just sitting with the person you dream of, talking to the person that makes you feel relaxed, simply watching time slip by. My idea of perfection. Perfection until the moon comes out and we have to say out goodbyes. Before we leave we both utter three final words. â€Å"See you tomorrow.† Saturday morning. Yawn. Is there any reason to get out of bed on a Saturday morning? I can’t think of any. Actually, I take that back. I can think of one, I’m meeting him today. Well I am meant to be meeting him. I would definitely be meeting him if it wasn’t for ‘the puppeteers’. The puppeteers called parents that control my life. I got grounded. Grounded for being out late without permission. I mean – I wasn’t out that late and it wasn’t like I was miles away either. 5 minutes away, that’s all. So, now I am grounded and my parents are going out, leaving me to look after Lily all day. All day! Lily! I mean, I do love her and all, but a whole day with your little sister? The terror starts after breakfast. The terror comes in the form of a moaning 7 year old girl holding my best foundation. The foundation that cost me  £16. The foundation being held tightly by my 7 year old sister without a lid on. The foundation being squirted across the carpet. A quick furniture move around does the trick. The evidence is gone, but as for Lily Why do 7 year old girls have to have such cute puppy dog eyes? They can turn the waterworks on and off at the speed of light. It takes a while but Lily manages to convince me she is sorry, just. We agree it is best to get out of the house and leave our arguments behind us. But there are more squabbles to come. Lily wants to go to the park; I am reluctant to go – I don’t want to have to look after my moaning little sister on a Saturday at the park, I refuse to go. I really don’t want to go, until I have a brainwave. He will be there. I can send Lily off to play and I can go and sit on the swings so we can talk till our heart’s content. I get the impression Lily is happy with this new decision, her grin says it all. Lily skips ahead of me, dancing along the pavement and humming under her breath. My mind is elsewhere, floating away and racing ahead of our movements. My imagination shows pictures of the empty park, pictures of me and him, together. Only a warm hand tapping my shoulder can tear me away from the inside of my head. â€Å"Lily, what do you† I begin to say, before I notice who I am talking to. â€Å"Oh, hello† It’s him, the one. I call after Lily, trying to get her to come back to me. He tells me to leave her, that she can look after herself. I have to listen to him; I am drowning in his eyes. The eyes flooded with reassurance and sincerity. The road stretches, but I don’t care. In fact, I rather it was this way. It gives us a chance to talk. He brings up school; he had one of those stupid essays yesterday. I retell him some of my who am I essay. He laughs at my sarcastic recital, he laughs until. A flash of sheer terror crosses his face and the word â€Å"Lily† falls from his lips – and hits the ground. My eyes follow his gaze and I can see a small red car whizz round the corner, bounce over speed bumps and speed along the road at almost 70mph. I see a little girl in a skimpy pink vest and white shorts skip across the road. I see the red car hit the little girl. I see the little girl thrown into the air. I see my sister knocked to the ground. ‘Lily, Lily are you OK?’ I scream as I run towards the scene, there is no sign of the car. A hit and run. Lily’s shorts aren’t white anymore, just stained red – but I know there isn’t any red dye. â€Å"Lily please, speak to me, Lily look at me.† I cry desperately, picking up her limp body. â€Å"Help, someone. We need an ambulance.† I look around frantically. â€Å"Please, someone help!† This time I only manage a whimper. I see the life draining out of Lily. Her pulse is weak and colour is disappearing from her cheeks. I need her to grip her life, to keep fighting. I don’t want to let her go; I want to hold on forever, but, I have to let go someday. To think, earlier I was questioning whether a single though could change a path of life. It does, it can. It did. I changed Lily’s life forever. My vain thoughts took away my little sister’s life. My head spins; I have as good as murdere d someone. My thoughts made this happen, my thoughts caused a death. It takes me a while to realise that people are gazing at me, their eyes don’t leave my body. I just lie there. I know Lily has it worse, much worse. Suddenly aware of the eyes piercing my body, I begin to see movement. I start to take in the picture, mouths are moving but no sound is coming out of them. It takes a long time to adjust, to break out of my bubble. Then it all comes at once. The shock slaps me in the face. After recovering I can make out the words, everyone is saying the same thing. People are standing around me, the world starts to spin. Blackness follows. I miss Lily. I want her back. I need to talk to her, to be with her and hear her laughter. She has left me in an empty space, I feel as though a part of me has died with her. The funeral was last week. I had never been to a funeral before and my younger sister’s was not one I wished to start with. It’s hard. Harder than you could imagine. She will never sit on the swing again; never feel on top of the world as I did every time I visited the park. I haven’t been back since, I don’t feel able to. The thought that the swing that she always used to sit on will never be used by her again shocks me. I still see him. He gave a witness report for the police as he was one of the only people who saw the car. He managed to see a bit of the number plate, that has helped the police investigations a lot. They haven’t caught the driver yet but there is still time. I hate that American word, but it will be nice to have some ‘closure’ on things. He has supported me all the way and even if I don’t love him the way I do now, I know I will always love him as a friend. I’ll never forget that day, the day I lost someone special to me. The day it changed, the day I changed. Who am I? I am still Alice Lewis, aged 15. But I am different, I always will be. 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