A Doll’s House: Summary

It was Christmas Eve and Norah Helmer has just arrived home after completing her Christmas shopping list which includes a horse and a sword for her male children and a doll for her female child. She paid the porter twice of how much she owed him, went inside the house and ate some macaroons before her husband, Torvald Helmer, came out of his study room and investigated the things she bought.Torvald addressed his wife with terms such as ‘skylark' and ‘squirrel' while sweetly scolding her for being a spendthrift. Nora immediately denied by saying that saves money whenever she could but she just can't help herself with the Christmas shopping because it's time that they celebrate the good fortune that is ahead of them.Norah is talking about the job promotion that Torvald got from the bank he is working for, an event which according to his wife will allow them to more extravagant this season as compared to what they had last year.However, Torvald argued by saying that the prom otion will take effect after New Year so before that, they must be more watchful with their expenses, Nora suggested that they can spend on credit until Torvald is paid but her husband immediately reprimanded and explained that there is no freedom or beauty in a home life that is based on debt.As a result, Nora finally gave up with her suggestion. Noticing his wife's disappointment, Torvald asked Nora of the gift the she wants to receive. Nora hesitated at first but eventually shared that she would want her husband to give her money instead so she could buy the things she wanted.Torvald again accused his wife of being wasteful, a trait which he believed is inherited by Nora from her father. He then asked Nora if she has eaten macaroons that day but she denied.   The couple then proceeded to discuss the misfortunes they had last year and compared it with the blessings that they are enjoying today.Suddenly, their maid, Helene, entered the room and announced the arrival of Dr. Rank, Torvald's doctor, and Mrs. Linde, Nora's friend whom she has not seen for many years.The drastic changes in Mrs. Linde's appearance, as Nora described them to be, made it hard for Nora to recognize her childhood friend. She said that Mrs. Linde looked paler and thinner and she also apologized for her inability to write her when the news about her husband's death spread.Nora inquired on the kind of life Mrs. Linde had after the death of her husband. Mrs. Linde replied by saying that it was a very dark chapter of her life since her husband left nothing to her, not even money or a child, while she was tasked to take care of an ailing mother and two younger brothers.But today, after three years of working in various jobs, nursing her mother who has recently passed away, and supporting her brothers who are grown ups now, her life is sadder because there is no one to depend on her.Nora sympathized to Mrs.Linde but wasn't able to help herself from discussing about her three lovely children , happy marriage life, and Torvald's new position at the bank. Mrs. Linde saw her opportunity and expressed her desire to have a position at the bank where Torvald works. Nora said that she will discuss the matter with her husband.Nora proceed to mention that life has not always been so good at them because Torvald was hospitalized and needed to be transported to Italy to allow himself to recuperate, an event which required Nora to borrow money and work in order to pay for it. She emphasized that Torvald knew nothing about these stuff because she was sure that her husband's pride would be greatly hurt   of the idea that he owed his life to his wife.Nora told Torvald that the money came from her deceased father but the truth is that she took job as copy writer   during the winter and locked herself inside a room to conceal her secret while making her husband believe that she was just making ornaments.She even boasted that she will be free from her debt after new year and by then, she will be able to completely assume her role as wife and mother. Krogstad, a lawyer wishing to discuss bank business with Torvald suddenly appeared on the door while Nora and Mrs. Linde were talking.Nora introduced him to her friend but Mrs. Linde said that she already knew him. Krogstad entered Torvald's study room when Dr. Rank came out from it. Nora introduced Dr. Rank to Mrs. Linde and the three of them left the house.  In the next scene, Nora was seen playing with her children. Krogstad came and talked to her explaining his belief that Mrs. Linde will replace his position at the bank. He said that Nora should influence her husband and must prevent him from firing Krogstad from his bank position.When Nora was trying to deny his influence on her husband, Krogstad tried to blackmail Nora and said that if she will not help him then he will have to inform Torvald of the debt that Nora incurred from him. He even reminded Nora of the forgery she made on her father's signature say ing that it is a serious crime that is punishable by law.Krogstad further assured Nora of the gravity of her crime and threatened her once more before leaving. Nora was left very disturbed.On Christmas day, the Helmer house is portrayed to be messy of decorations and gifts. Nora, on the other hand, is not jubilated by the occasion because she is deeply thinking on how to prevent Krogstad's dismissal.She seriously tried to persuade her husband to retain Krogstad's position but her husband declined saying that the presence of Krogstad in the bank is a disgrace for the company because Krogstad is not a reputable man. Torvald explained that Krogstad forged many signatures before and denied it, an event which damaged his reputation. Torvald then proceed to prepare Krogstad's letter of dismissal.The next day, when Nora was trying to win the favor of Dr. Rank in order to help her influence Torvald regarding the dismissal of Krogstad, Dr. Rank suddenly confessed his love to Nora and shared to her that his day are numbered because of a serious illness.Nora was shocked of the doctor's declaration of love but was saddened by the news of his impending death. Dr. Rank said that he intends to leave the town after his declaration of his feelings to Nora and said that a calling card with a black cross will be sent to the Helmer's house to signal his imminent death.After receiving his dismissal letter, Krogstad dropped a letter in Torvald's mailbox. The letter contained a detailed explanation of his transaction with Nora. Mrs. Linde became aware of the situation when she saw Nora crying. She promised to help Nora by persuading Krogstad, who happened to be her ex-lover.Torvald then appeared and Nora asked him to help her prepare the tarantella that she will dance at the costume party. Such action was actually Nora's way of preventing her husband from reading Krogstad's letter.Mrs. Linde met Krogstad at the doorway of the Helmer's house. She confessed to him that she still loved him and wants to take care of him and his children. She also explained that she left him before because she needed the money that she will get from her marriage.Krogstad was skeptical at first because he thought Mrs. Linde was only doing this in order to   prevent him from blackmailing Nora but Mrs. Linde said that she believed that Torvald deserves to know the truth. However, she agreed that Krogstad must retract from his first plans of blackmailing Nora.Krogstad eventually agreed to Mrs. Linde's proposal. Inside the Helmer's house, Torvald saw Dr. Rank's card and Krogstad's letter. He went inside his study room and read both letters then stormed out of the living room and punished Nora. He said that he now owes his reputation to Krogstad and he accuses Nora of destroying his life.He said that Nora is a hypocrite and a liar but prevents her from leaving saying that they must still maintain their marriage in order to save themselves from further disgrace. In response to this, Nor a felt calm and frozen as she began to realize the truth of her marriage. The door bell rang and their maid came with a letter for Nora.Torvald read it and suddenly expressed a change of emotion. He said that the letter came from Krogstad telling them that he will no longer blackmail Nora. As an assurance, Krogstad even attached the promissory note which Nora forged. This made Torvald very happy and explained to Nora that everything has returned to normal and that she must forget the things that he has told earlier.However, Nora has made up her mind. She said that Torvald has only treated her as a doll and not as a real human being. She now realizes that she has been blinded by her love for Torvald that she has forgotten to her own identity.Torvald explained that Nora ought to fulfill her duty to as a wife and mother but Nora replied that her duty to herself is more important. Nora removed her wedding ring, freed Torvald of all of his obligations on her, instructed him never to cont act her, walked put of the room, and finally, slammed the door.Questions:1.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Act Three. Torvald to Mrs. Linde: Being Nora's close friend, can you advise me of ways on how to win my wife back? Is there a way for me a â€Å"glorious† thing to happen so that I can save our marriage? What changes should I do in order to make myself worthy of Nora's love again?2.)  Ã‚  Ã‚   Act Three. Torvald to Krogstad: Why did you withdraw your intentions of blackmailing my wife? I just want to be ware of the reasons that made you write a retraction letter? Don't you have any hidden agenda?

Advantages and disadvantages of job security Essay

Is government in Mauritius legalized training? With over 20 years innovation in information technology services and training for enterprises in Mauritius, the region and internationally, FRCI is today a leader in the ICT sector. FRCI is structured around 5 areas of expertise, all geared towards the same objective; customer satisfaction. FRCI was recognised as Microsoft 2010 Country Partner of the year for Mauritius and received numerous Microsoft awards for the West, East and Central Africa (WECA) region : 2012 & 2011 Best Learning Partner, 2011 Best Virtualisation Partner and 2010 Best Enterprise Software Advisor. Historically, with the exception of the air wing, the armed forces have been poorly trained and suffered from low morale. Beginning in the late 1980s, the government began to establish a military training infrastructure. On May 16, 1987, the first noncommissioned officers (NCOs) passed through a three-month refresher course at the SPDF NCO Training School. At the graduation ceremony, Chief of Staff James Michel told the NCOs that a new career development program would give each of them â€Å"an equal opportunity to develop his career and rise up the promotion scale to the highest ranks.† On May 7, 1988, the SPDF, supported by the People’s Militia, conducted a simulated offensive at the Grand Police Military Training Center. The troops covered offensive and defensive military tactics, weapons training, field communications and engineering, first aid, map reading, and other military subjects. On June 2, 1990, officials opened the Seychelles Defence Academy, which provided training courses for the SPDF, the People’s Militia, and the police. Despite these efforts, the SPLA and the navy wing have failed to improve their capabilities. Personnel suffer from low morale, poor qualifications, and ineffective combat skills. Training is legalized in various aspects in Mauritius so that to help the country to attain economic growth and to be effective in the market, the following aspects are shown below, namely: 1. Training in education 2. Training in construction 3. Training in information technology 4. Training in defense 5. Training in health care 6. Training in development 7. Training in dealing in the international market 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 Is training really a necessity? How do you find the true benefit of your training? I wish I could tell you it was glamorous and exciting. With the right attitude it can always be exciting, but it is hardly glamorous. The most important aspect is patience. You won’t find the benefits overnight. It may take a couple of years before you really understand. However, your understanding keeps growing from that point. Training is exciting if you look for the Basic Principles. I see many students (even high ranking) who know the movements but don’t understand principles such as body shifting and turning, balanced motion, focus on abdomen and proper breathing. In order to maximize your training experience I would like you to do one thing. Don’t just look on the surface at what you are doing. Dig deeper and try to understand the real meaning. I guarantee you will be amazed at the treasures you will discover. Training is the process through which you find it – whatever it is you are looking for. The color of your belt or the number of stripes doesn’t mean anything. It is the process of training that is important. Training is your journey. The destination is up to you . Training is probably the most important decision a new registrant can make, because it will dictate if this individual will be in the industry in two years from their point of entry. Basing a decision to join a brokerage based on commission structure alone is a short-sighted decision, but sadly this is all too common. If an individual truly wants to be successful in real estate they need to be trained properly. They need to ensure that the person offering the fundamental training is licensed and has had practical hands-on experience. There are lots of stories about the quality of  training, and the depth and knowledge of the individuals doing the teaching. Some are good, but many are weak or hollow at best. Due diligence on the training front is an absolute requirement for all new registrants. The registrants need to ensure there is substance, relevancy and credibility to the training programs being offered. More importantly, research the actual trainers providing the course materials – remember, you get what you pay for. A good rule of thumb: if it is free, you are probably wasting your time. Surina Hart, the director of education for Right At Home Realty (RAH), who heads up RAH University, says, â€Å"Having taught the OREA courses, I have become intimate about the training the registrants receive and the gap that exists before that registrant completes their first deal. The problem is many registrants feel that upon completion of the registrant courses they are ready to sell, and I can tell you they are not yet in that position.† â€Å"Inadequate introductory training is a key factor in why so many individuals leave the industry after only two years in the business, not to mention the negative impact they have on the public who are interacting with them.† We need to continue learning, expanding and developing our core skills, on top of taking the required continuing education courses. 0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 In which countries are training legalized in developing, less or under developed countries? Differences in training in developing countries can be traced to the experiences of colonization, industrialization, and advancing technology. Since decolonization after World War II, developing countries have had to cope with depleted primary resources and unprecedented and unexpectedly rapid industrialization. Industrialization has taken the form of technology transfer, which has contributed to the loss of indigenous technologies. The developing world is becoming aware that the key to its development lies not in transfer of capital-intensive technologies designed for use where labor is comparatively scarce, but in industrial development that uses those technologies that advance the socioeconomic objective of development. Training and development efforts in developing countries should nrelate to an industrialization that uses technologies appropriate to specific environments. From a developing country’s perspective, training and development have an important role in developing the capacity to use and control appropriate technology. Training and development must be dynamic and focus on an understanding of the respective country’s culture in its transition from a low to a higher technology base. Implementation problems include cultural and linguistic diversity of the audience, poor communication, and limited or out-of-date instructional materials, facilities, and training and development personnel. A visit was made to Washington, D.C., to see Dr. Allan McKelvie, who has spent many active years in the voluntary Organisation, CARE/Medico, and who was responsible for starting the voluntary programmes in Indonesia, Jordan and Tunisia. In these programmes surgeons from the United States, Canada, Australia and elsewhere visit developing countries for periods of one month each to develop the orthopaedic services and train the local surgeons and doctors. Dr. McKelvie is also very active in orthopaedic surgical training programmes in the United States, and has a considerable interest in helping in the training of orthopaedic surgeons from developing countries. The relative needs of the developing countries of the world were discussed, and the realistic methods by which the standard of treatment of the patient crippled by orthopaedic diseases or trauma could be improved in over half the world’s population. The following points were agreed upon as being important: 1. Orthopaedic Surgeons. In developing countries surgeons should be trained either in their own countries or in suitable centres in other developin countries. Little good would come of training them in sophisticated centres in developed countries, apart from short courses in specialised types of orthopaedics. Surgeons from developing countries who are trained in centres in Europe and North America often cannot adapt to simplified procedures on returning to their own countries. In addition, many never want to return to their own countries, while others are dissatisfied after their return. It is therefore essential that certain orthopaedic centres in developing countries, with the facilities, staff and patients suitable for training surgeons from other developing countries, should be assisted and recognised by the major orthopaedic associations in the developed countries of the  world. 2. Type of Training Required. Dr. McKelvie felt that the standards of training in developing countries should be much lower than those of developed countries, in order that the maximum number of orthopaedic surgeons should be trained. In Uganda a very different approach has been used. It is felt that it is essential to have a nucleus of well trained ortho-paedic surgeons with international recognition in order that they can in future train other surgeons to a recognised high standard. The problem of training as many doctors and staff as possible is overcome by running courses of variable length from 3 days to 6 months in duration for other doctors and for general surgeons. In addition a large number of orthopaedic assistants (male nursing assistants with 1-2 years’ additional training in all the simple practical aspects of orthopaedics excluding actual operating) are trained. This method has worked well to date in Uganda. 3. Publications on Training. It was agreed that there was an urgent necessity for books, slides and films devoted to the realistic management of orthopaedics and trauma in developing countries. A booklet was also required on the manufacture of simple appliances and artificial limbs suitable for developing countries. 4. Training of Orthopaedic Ancillaries. In addition to orthopaedic assistants, orthopaedic technicians, physiotherapists, rehabilitation workers and nurses should be trained as far as possible in developing countries. Only a small selected ftw of these should visit a developed country for further training and then only for a specialised course. 5. Assistance from Developed to Developing Countries (a) Staff. CARE/Medico orthopaedic surgeons only spend one month at a time on a rota system in a developing country. They teach and do clinical work, but do not take any part in policy making or administration. (b) Many leading surgeons in developing countries, however, feel that a surgeon should spend at least oneyear, and if possible two, in order to be of real value, especially if he has never worked in a developing country before. This is because it often takes 3 to 6 months for a surgeon to re-orientate his management of patients to that which is economicaly realistic to a developing country. The same will apply to orthopaedic technicians and physiotherapy teachers, but in these cases it is essential that the teacher is flexible and realistic in his or her approach. A teacher, for instance,  who will only make calipers and artificial limbs out of imported parts from a developed country at an exhorbitant cost will do more harm than good in a developing country. Financial Assistance. This is required for secretarial and research assistance and for the preparation of books, booklets, slides, films and reprints for teaching purposes. Large sums of money are spent on transport and emoluments and even capital expenditure for buildings by developed countries in developing countries. A small fraction of this amount would achieve many times the good on an international rather than a national scale by distributing teaching aids so necessary for improving standards of orthopaedic care. The amount actxa~ly available is often negligible. There appears to be a universal reluctance throughout the world to help direct6v in the dissemination of knowledge. As a result of this, the lack of communication between countries, except at the highest level, is little short of appalling.

Attendance Policy for Colleges in the South

I think that schools should apply rules and policies most clearly to those who do not have classes. On most courses, you must always be there. It is possible to learn to test or even to speak comfortably about this topic. Those who have never passed the course have obviously got notes from those who are allowed to take notes from their classmates home and endanger their learning. My research interest in this topic arises from my own personal experience. I was born and brought up in Korea, and received a university education. I planned to return to Korea completely when I go to the United States to study at the graduate school, but I am still here. I am a case of Korean brain drainage? From a traditional point of view, the answer is yes. However, from the viewpoint of improving globalization and mobility, if you look at this problem from another point of view, the answer may not be so clear. High school and university are very different. There is a big difference, and the difference i s not so obvious. These differences include homework, relationship between teacher and student, and attendance policy. In this article I will explain the main differences and secondary differences between high school and university. I will also explain why responsibility is a very important factor in high school or university. In high school, most teachers will late your homework if you make excuses such as Forget at home or I am in my locker. At college, if you give such an excuse to your professor, they will say too bad. There are also many exams in high school. Tests are usually done weekly or biweekly. There are more tests, but that work is not too difficult. In most cases, you will read and review all the points of the assignment aloud in the class so you do not have to worry about what you need to do. Participation in the classroom is essential. This is the policy of the university. If the student is absent beyond weekly classes, or if there is an abnormal attendance or absenc e mode, the teacher has sufficient reason to resign the student. For example, if the course is three hours a week, students can take a leave of up to three times a week. Students who join the course after the official start time will be marked as absent on that particular day. According to the policy of the Ministry of Communications, it is necessary to keep electronic communication equipment closed during class hours. Teacher counseling (ie family emergencies) can account for exceptions. The first crime may be that students are forbidden to participate in the conference. If the crime is repeated, classes may be suspended for up to two days before meeting with the Vice President for Student Services.

Gorbachev and the Age of Rebuilding Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Gorbachev and the Age of Rebuilding - Essay Example Did he really know what he was doing? Most of the radical reformists generally receive much doubt and unstable support simply because their theories have yet to be tested. It does not come as a surprise that many perceived Gorbachev was moving blind in his pursuit of reforms. But the author firmly believes that he had a clear and well equipped understanding on their position regarding what matters were needed to be reformed. Gorbachev literally grew up inside the sluggish Soviet system, thus he knew which components were hindering them from achieving good economic standing (Mcnair et al. 2005: p. 1). The West perceived him as a liberator and progressive leader with his foreign and domestic policies such as the Perestroika, which means restructuring or rebuilding, and the Glasnost which is literally translated as openness. These reforms were meant to remedy the economic deficiency of Russia and adapt better practices in the hope of making Russia a globally competitive economy. These p olicies, especially the Perestroika, received the spotlight since the USSR standard of living drastically collapsed together with the economy under his rule, and ultimately it also lead to the dissolution of the USSR. Perestroika is widely believed and argued to be also the main cause of the revolution of Eastern Europe in 1989 and also it contributed to the end of the Cold War (Heauel & Cohen 2009: p. 1). In the aftermath of these events, it is relevant to consider how Gorbachev has come up with such policies and aggressive reforms. Relevant also would be how he devised and schemed the plans to go, and how the plans later on faltered and backfired to Mother Russia despite all the good intentions and virtues that it bannered. The status quo before he came into power should also be put into consideration and also the consequences of the demise and how much should really be the attributed blame to his blunder. The policies of his predecessors, like Khruschchev, where the early stages of Perestroika was likened to his reforms during the 1950s and sixties (Tompson 1993: p. 73), should also be understood. This is necessary so as to learn how he then came to be with his political orientation and of what external factors are at play in influencing and engineering such policies. SHAPING A REFORMIST Before delving deeper into Gorbachev’s policies and reforms, one must first try to understand where he is coming from and how he came to be in power. His early life shaped how he came to be an aggressive reformist who later on became one of the most influential political figures in the XX century. Gorbachev was born into a mixed Russian-Ukrainian family on March 2, 1931 (Ikeda & Gorbachev 2005: p. 11). Early in his childhood, he experienced the Soviet famine of 1932-1933 which claimed the lives of his two sisters (Gorbachev 2006: p. 10). His family started off as poor landless peasants but later on rose to become middle-class farmers because of the Soviet collectiviz ation (Mcnair et al. 2005: p. 1). He recalls that â€Å"The peasant labor was very hard. It was back-breaking labor twenty hours a day, with no more than three or four hours of sleep. Yet it did not bring prosperity to the farmers. The only hope was the private plot of land where everything was cultivated to make ends meet somehow† (Gorbachev 1996: p. 36). It can be concluded that he is no stranger to the struggles of the lowest of classes for he experienced the

Quality Assessment Plan for Teachers Coursework

Quality Assessment Plan for Teachers - Coursework Example This assessment plan has been designed to give relevant, measurable and consistent results under any circumstances. We take as a point of departure the requirement for each teacher who attends this training course to then, when teaching students him- or herself, to positively influence the chances of each student to gain employment. Employers of these students may be companies providing this IT services to other customers, or companies requiring this kind of competence for their own internal needs. As such, employers will typically look for practical ability and knowledge in this domain, motivation to use and apply that ability and related work experience where possible. The trainee teachers will therefore be assessed on their demonstrable ability to teach students to this level and to provide a motivating environment for the student to succeed. The assessment plan that is applied to the teachers measures what is measurable: the practical teaching ability and the assimilation of teac hing knowledge.For their students to succeed both in the IT curriculum and in the process of gaining employment, teachers will need to instill in them demonstrable competence. This in turn means that the teacher will need to show practical competence in the teaching methods. Theoretical knowledge of teaching methods will not be enough. Therefore a significant part of the training and consequently the assessment is competency-based. However, assimilated knowledge must also be taken into account when it demonstrates the teacher's aptitude.... he practical assessments will take place individually in the classroom itself as well as in rooms adjacent to the classroom to allow sufficient privacy for each trainee teacher and avoid the risk of collusion. Each teacher will answer the questions in the assessment on his or her own, and the grades will be calculated for each individual from the answers given. The correctness of the answers will be measured by the accuracy of the written result or by the demonstration of appropriate teaching behavior when doing the practical exercises. Course objectives: demonstrate broad understanding of teaching principles demo understanding of class dynamics demo understanding of learning motivation particularly in unemployment context demo understanding of continual assessment / orientation of students demo understanding of linking student learning to improved job prospects demo understanding of identifying learning problems and solving them demo workshop leadership for students to apply their learning demo ability to grade and assess students final performance Appendix 1 shows the relationship between the course objectives and the assessment Appendix 2 gives a representative sample of the assessment methods to be used. It may be noted as well that these assessment methods are available for immediate use by any person teaching the teachers on this course. Their application is specified in each case: for example, how to use the multiple choice questionnaires, which steps to accomplish in the practical exercise and what results are to be noted by the trainee teacher. Instructions have also been produced to allow any assessor or official examiner to apply these assessment methods. They require no specific knowledge on the part of the examiner (for the case where the person

Review of litterature Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Review of litterature - Term Paper Example As it progresses, the study informs the reader that the only reliable method of actually measuring the level to which medical care is available to segments of society is to measure it in a qualitative way (Morse, 1992). Therefore, the study also states that the many quantitative studies that have gone before are lacking with respect to the actual data they have attempted to measure or the lack thereof. Therefore, the study sets itself apart as a unique way in which the researches can know and understand the research question and work to draw inference to the greater problem at hand – access to healthcare in society. It is without question that this study is helpful in understanding the overall trends that currently exist with relation to healthcare access. However, both qualitative and quantitative research have their unique drawbacks with respect to being able to fully engage and answer the research question that is presented. In this case, the study begins by laying out the drawbacks that qualitative research has experienced in trying to answer this same research question; however, one could just as easily point out but a few of the drawbacks of using a quantitative approach for such a varied and personal issue as that of healthcare access among the disenfranchised (Siding, 2010). If anything, using a quantitative approach in such a situation risks dehumanizing the effects of non-access. However, on the flip side, over-emphasizing a qualitative approach might have the effect of focusing on one or two problem areas alone without understanding the root problem as it might apply to the society a s a whole. With respect to whether or not this research could be used to inform the development of a quantitative study, the answer is yes and no. As part of a literature review process, the study absolutely can be helpful for the researcher to understand many of the issues that underlie the research

Southwest Airlines Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Southwest Airlines - Research Paper Example This airline particularly targeted the bottom-of-the-pyramid market segment by offering no-frills services that resulted in reduced fares. It was claimed to be one of the most low cost carriers as it offered high frequency and short hauls matched with point-to-point service and reasonable fares (Inkpen 5). Unlike its competitors, Southwest did not believe in the hub-and-spoke system as it resulted in congestion and a lot of time wasted in the process of waiting for customers to arrive from other airports. In the words of the company’s Annual report, the company was poised to manage well in good times so as to sustain during bad times (Inkpen 1). Even though the company enjoys a high volume of passenger traffic and high turnover, it has met with various challenges. The most important challenge was the increasing efficiency of legacy carriers in the U.S along with large mergers such as those between Delta and Northwest that was leading to industry consolidation (Inkpen 1). Such consolidations were a threat to companies such as Southwest since the consolidated companies had access to lower operating costs (owing in part due to joint resources) as well as higher prices of tickets which is something Southwest did not focus on. This is reflected in the fact that, according to the financial statements, Southwest possesses the lowest â€Å"average revenue passenger miles† per passenger and has the highest operating margin in the industry (Inkpen 3). However, since passenger yield is high (reflecting high volume of passengers), Southwest has managed to rack up profits in years when others have faced losses. The company also possesses the lowest costs (including unit costs, labor costs and number of employees per aircraft) which add to its source of competitive advantage. However, the company’s ability to offer low fares at low costs has been challenged by smaller airlines such as JetBlue and Allegiant. Furthermore, the acquisition of Air Tran was a big challenge as it would require downsizing, acquiring new fleet as well as moving into non-U.S destinations. One of the major issues faced by the company was the attempts by its competitors to prevent the company from flourishing. Time and again various airlines that were Texas based tried to tilt law in their favor; however, the company succeeded in its legal proceedings. In line with further attempts to outdo its competitors, Southwest offered unmatched low fares such as $59 compared to $310 offered by its competitors (Inkpen 4). Although this was a good thing in one way, it was difficult to position these fares as regular and not introductory fares in the minds of customers. Positioning the brand through such low prices was, therefore, the ultimate challenge. Another issue faced by the company as that of growing and expanding its operations. There was some resistance by employees to this idea which could result in losing markets to rivals. Furthermore, entry into the northeast region did pose threat to the company’s operations due to congestion on airport and high turnaround times at airports. The company might consider using â€Å"drive through airport† models that reduce the number of lanes that the aircraft must pass through. Perhaps the most pressing issue is the Air Tran deal which requires merger of two airlines with different mindsets and operations. There was a difference in the type of fleets used along with Air

External Sources of Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

External Sources of Finance - Essay Example Financing decisions are normally very fundamental considerations to be made by any multinational corporation like Acme which seeks to venture into large scale operations. As such, the whole prerogative clearly rests on the finance managers to appropriately select the best financing method out of the myriad option available in the world today. The various option of finance that Acme can opt for are lucidly outlined below. The corporation can opt for the issuance of preference or ordinary shares in order to raise sufficient capital for the foreign expansion. This is a major source of finance for most organizations across the world. Its advantage lies in the fact that it is â€Å"non-redeemable†. As such, it is an existing and permanent source of finance that is not to be repaid like other sources of fund. The repayment process only occurs upon the winding up of the company. On the contrary, it can be argued that this form of financing has the disadvantage of diluting the ownership strength of the company since it involves the addition of new shareholders into the company (Steffens 45-9). In the same vein, as the number of shareholders increases, the control of the company becomes very difficult as decision making becomes very procedural and bureaucratic due to the wide consultation needed before any major decisions are made. Bank loans Loans from banks and other financial institutions are usually good sources of finance for business organizations. Obtaining such loans is always simple for most large organizations that are known to have wide capital bases. The use of loans as a source of financing has the advantage that it never leads to a loss of direction for the business as in the case of issuance of new shares. Bank loans are normally long-term sources of finance and can always be obtained in large sums unlike other sources. In most cases, loans are used to buy fixed assets such as vehicles and machinery. The major disadvantage of using loans as sources of finance revolves around the huge interests paid (Gopalan 67). Most banks charge very high interest rates and it therefore becomes unprofitable to acquire loans without the assurance that the business will raise sufficient profits to cover for the high interest rates. Short term loans can also be obtained in form of overdrafts in which case most banks need no collateral. However, bank overdrafts are always charged at very high interest rates than other loans. Debentures The issuance of debentures is also another source of capital that Acme can adopt for its expansion program. Debentures are usually units of loan which a company issues to the debenture holders and are usually traded like shares. The advantages and limitations of using debe ntures are basically similar to those of most bank loans. The loans are usually obtained from other companies, individuals or financial institutions. In that regard, Acme will then be prepared to repay the debenture holders the interest accrued. One striking characteristic of a debenture is that it is only backed by the company without any form of collateral like other loans. It therefore leaves the company’s assets free which can then be used to obtain further financing in the future. Leasing Leasing is one of the most common sources of financing in the increasingly competitive business environment. In essence, a business cannot purchase all the fixed assets it requires to set up operation in a foreign land. Leasing enables companies to

Strategy,Process,Product, and Services Paper Essay

Strategy,Process,Product, and Services Paper - Essay Example Creativity is the main factors which influence marketing and organizational policies, growth and development strategies and competitive position in all continents. . Innovation and creativity are the main driven forces of auto industry. General Motors is a leading global company which relies on innovation and new technologies solutions. Innovation and creativity determine organizational strategy of GM and its market position. For Gm, there are many ways to approach the subject of the growth and internationalization of creative and innovative management. For GM, innovations allow to grow and mature. Global markets and geopolitics are rapidly changing. They are outpacing established management thinking and traditional politics. The growth and internationalization of creative and innovative management shift the focus from rapid changes due to technology and ideology drivers per se to new ways of thinking creatively and innovatively-spontaneous and cultivated. The mission of the company reflects its market position and future growth strategies: "GM. is dedicated to provide products and services of such quality that our customers will receive superio r value while our employees and business partners will share in our success and our stock-holders will receive a sustained superior return on their investment" (GM Home Page 2008). Most of GM technologies are revolutionary for several reasons. First, they reflect fundamental advances in the basic sciences. Our understanding of how the world works has been permanently changed through advances in the basic sciences, which in turn have resulted in a new wave of technologies. These technologies are widely diffused. Because they are so diverse, because they have so many applications, and because they have an impact on so many markets, no one region or country can dominate them completely. Consequently, they are changing the nature of the

Homeless people Essay Example for Free

Homeless people Essay How has Robert Swindells made the reader sympathise with Link and the other homeless people? The novel stone cold is written by Robert Swindells. He feels sympathetic towards the poor and wants the future generations to learn from other peoples mistakes such as caring for everyone in the community, society. The following exportation of certain key points will easily indicate and give a clearer view of the way Swindells creates sympathy throughout the novel. Sympathy may easily be revealed using these points which will able me to answer the question as a full summery and get a clearer understanding of the novel than I previously knew. Swindells makes the reader sympathise with Link when he gets thrown out of his family house for example he states It wasnt even his house but he locked the door and wouldnt let mum open it this shows that he is weak and has become homeless due to other peoples actions and was forced to become homeless. He is shown as a young innocent person. The reader will think that young people are innocent and are still learning and so it is written in a childrens point of view to make the reader in the perspective of Link or with him throughout the novel. He also indicates Next morning Vince started slapping me around the head for going off a worrying mum. He uses this sentence to make people look at Vince like he is in the wrong and he should know better. Swindells uses a teenaged boy because if he had used a grown up person he would not have got that much sympathy from the reader. This would make the reader learn from Links mistakes and the reader was once Links age and might know how it felt for this to happen to them. This quote has been written in Links perspective so the reader would sympathise more with Link afterall there is only one side of the story. The techniques Swindells has used when describing this event is rhetorical questions, personal pronoun, short hand words and amotive language, these techniques makes Link sympathetic and makes the reader feel part of the novel. It is written in the terms of a diary in which Link and Shelter are writing and the reader is reading the diary. This means that the novel has been written in the past. At the end of the chapter it uses a rhetorical question to create tension and make the reader want to carry on reading to find out what happens next. The second way in which Swindells sympathies with the homeless people is through the weather. It was a raw morning with a sneaky wind which came out of side streets and went through you. The way in Swindells says it was a raw morning shows that it was freezing cold and is set in the morning which is the coldest time of the day. Also homeless people cannot afford as many clothes as people with money so they would feel colder and would want to go indoors to get out of the coldness in the winter. Weather tends to indicate mood and emotion so they would feel more depressed and angry. The reader would sympathise with Link and the other homeless people because they might know how it feels to be in this situation and would refer it to Link and the other characters. The technique Swindells uses in this chapter is speech, plurals and long sentences. These techniques make the chapter more motive and shows the reader whats going on. The third way in which Swindells makes Link sympathetic is also through dangers of homelessness Gizzit, if you dont want your face smacked in This shows that it is very dangerous being all alone with a world of people you dont know and Link is very young and vulnerable and cannot fully stand up for himself. This is how people would sympathise with homeless people. The language he uses is slang to show that these homeless or violently behaved people do not get an education or even good vocabulary. Also it seems realistic and true to make the reader thinks that that it is really happening or already happened. The techniques Swindells has used for this chapter is speech, slang and long sentences. He has used long sentences to make the novel more exciting and has used speech to make you feel like you are listening to them speak to one another. The forth and final way Swindells creates sympathy for Link is when he discovers that Gail had betrayed him when he found out she was really a reporter. Louise darling he blurbed youre a genius Gail had broken our clinch. I looked around for a Louise darling but there was only me and Gail. Then it hit me. He was talking to Gail. Therefore this shows that Link is still growing up and furthermore facing problems that you receive whilst growing up. On the other hand people make mistakes and have to deal with them. The technique he uses are short sentences to make it seem more dramatic. Throughout the novel Swindells has sympathized with Link and the homeless people in many different ways. The structure he had used is that he is miserable at the beginning, gets happier when meets Ginger, gets upset again when he loses him then he meets Gail and gets happier and later gets humiliated when Link got betrayed by Gail. Swindells makes you feel sorry for him are that he was young, vulnerable and all alone trying to survive on the streets of London. The writer does this by using different techniques like slang, speech, short and long sentences. Swindells also shows that Link is all alone facing the problems of life as he grows up, furthermore he involves the reader into the book and makes them want to read more. Nevertheless, I think that this book was satisfactory but could have had some improvements. The good points about book was that it was very interesting and made you want to carry on reading and makes you feel extremely sympathetic towards Link. The bad points about stone cold was that it was a bit obvious what would happen towards the end of the book because good always defeats bad. It has many themes and teaches the reader how it feels to be homeless. Homelessness is a major talking point in the world today and always will be. I have learnt that dramatic tension can be symbolized and shown in many different ways. There are one of the purpose of writing a novel as you get to read all these crucial points. This novel is a cyclical book and will probably never end. As you know towards the end, Link will probably have a lot more adventures throughout his life.

Money Factor In Voting Politics Essay

Money Factor In Voting Politics Essay The distribution or offering of money in elections by candidates and political parties during elections plays an important role in determining the voting-choice of the people. The predicament of irresponsible use of cash acknowledged by political parties and individual candidates from businessman and other sources from time-to-time for furtherance of their election prospects has already acquire upsetting aspect of our electoral system. It has also been pointed out that political parties and their candidates have spent money far in excess of limit imposed by the Representation of Peoples Act, 1954.  [1]  Indeed, the former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of India, R.K. Trivedi, himself was embarrassed to testimony of the role of money-power in our elections as L.P. Singh (1987), writes: This malady, I am afraid, during the last decade has assumed alarming proportions. The huge expenditure incurred by candidates and political parties has not relationship to the ceiling prescribed under the law. The candidates and their political parties look to big money-bags for their funds to contest elections, thereby adopting a formula which establishes the chances if winning in direct proportion to the money spent. That in course of time various decision-making levels, does not seem to bother them.  [2]   In extreme forms, unconventional modes of electoral practices are manifest in the explicit acts of vote buying  [3]  which seeks to refute the liberty to articulate citizens electoral preferences. Since, persuasion alone occasionally generates an adequate amount of support, candidates or parties, on the other, on a regular basis, try to pay for or convince votes through money. As indicated in table 4.1, the influence of money in elections shapes the voting behaviour of 15.83% of the respondent electorate in the constituency. The male voters are more influenced by money than the female counterpart. This is mainly because of two important reasons, i.e., due to conservative nature of women and the domination over females by male counterpart. Exchange of vote for money has turn out to be open-secret in every elections of the constituency. Generally speaking, the voters who accepted money are of two types: voters who did not claim but simply agreed while being paid; and those who clai m either from the candidate directly or from any sources that advance them during the campaign period. The table 4.6 indicates the response of the voters who accepted money from candidates in election.  [4]   Table 4.6 Voting Decision: Reasons for accepting money The acceptance of money in exchange for ballot is highest, as indicated in Table 4.2, among the mid-age group of 41-60 years than the older and younger voters. The younger voters, least influenced by money in deciding whom to vote for in an election, are more concerned with their prestige. However, reports suggest that, even young and enthusiastic voters either accepts or demands money for ballot in the constituency,  [5]  but are hesitant to disclosed the same to the researcher. Educationally, as Table 4.3 indicates, the illiterates voters of the sample electorate has the maximum impact of money on their vote-choice. Further, in the constituency, those who are well educated are least influenced by money as determinant of voting behaviour. That is, as educational qualifications of the people entitled to vote increases, the influence of money on voting behaviour decreases. As regards the economic status of the voters and voting decision, as Table 4.4 shows the low income voters ha s the highest influence than the those of average and high income voters. That is, with the increase in the economic status of the voters, the level of influence by money decreases. Moreover, the data in Table 4.6 shows that there are numerous reasons on the part of the voters who acknowledged money throughout election. The main justifying reason is the poverty of the people and they are easily induced by money in elections. As Robert G. Wirsing says: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦campaign period is the time when the market value of their support appears to rise and when the cleaver seller may turn the value of his vote or the votes of his followers to good advantage. The poor are wined and dined, wooed with gifts and bribed with cash à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [6]   In the constituency, one of the most important reason for the acceptance of money is due to the fact that majority of the sample respondents considers that no developmental work has been done by the elected representative. And sees the payment of money for votes as compensation for public money that politicians are assumed to have stolen.  [7]  This particular view holds key in the minds of the voters as 22.73% of the total respondents agreed to it. On the other, a total of 18.18% voters consider that elected representative served the interest of his near and dear ones, not for the constituency as a whole. This is to some extent correct for the reason that 15.91% of the sample electorate views that they have nothing to ask to elected representative after the elections. It is also evident that even campaigner either insisted or offer money to voters as disclosed by 13.64% of the electorate. From the above discussion, one may infer that the influence of money throughout election period cannot be denied. Van de Walle has suggested that, in Nigeria, voters take vote buying offers as signals of their patrons wealth and capability of winning elections features of leader with which they wish to be associated.  [8]  But, more importantly, the underprivileged voters are expected to be ill-treated because of their restricted earnings, making them vulnerable to materials inducements, including the offers of basic commodities or meek amount of cash. For their part, citizens with little education may be unconscious of the political privileges they enjoy and as a result have a weak defense in opposition to such coercion. Moreover, money influence may have been more widespread than the figures cited. Experience from Argentina suggests that some people are understandably reluctant to admit that they had been approached with a forbidden offer, especially if they had subsequently en tered an agreement and complied with the terms.  [9]   In fine, the use of money power to win election by candidates and political parties alike makes the mockery of representative democracy and affects the basic philosophy of democracy and universal franchise. The views of the poor are subdued and the preferences of the rich are enlarged on key issues. Money for votes play as a means and the rich candidates distributed money among the poor voters; and done some instantaneous development work in the constituencies. This tricky design provides space for maneuvering for those who have either the official backing or have too much money to contest the election. However, voters conformity to the requests of money giver in elections may provide least resistance but it is morally and lawfully fraught. Above all, lopsided elections abridged the institutionalization of political responsibility. The influence of Elites: The word elites typically denotes the attributes or distinctiveness of certain individual that determine how far he will accomplish; thus, those with the suitable quality will in due course reach the top and find themselves in the place of power vis-a-vis others in the structure or in society at large. Although the definition of elite varies somewhat across the social science literature, we take a relatively broad view. Rather than taking into account the elite to be the rulers over the ruled,  [10]  we define them as those with the capacity to influence national political outcomes or policy.  [11]  As Eldersveld (1989) define elite largely to comprise those who hold important positions, who have influential roles and who exercise important functions in the polity  [12]  Such positions and status, along with wealth, education, and other advantages, provide the elite with political resources  [13]  and, thus, have the capacity to directly or indirectly influence the ac tivities of the state.  [14]   Although elites have an important role in highly developed democracies,  [15]  their political influence may be even greater where social inequality exists.  [16]  In liberal democratic countries, political leaders are entrenched in, and their efficiency appreciably depends upon elites insignificant groups of position holders in societies having the capability to affect political outcomes on a regular basis and to a large extent.  [17]   The local elites in the constituency like village money-lender, tall income government employees, intellectuals, and also entrepreneur play a big role in determining the voting choice of 12.95% sample voters as indicated by the statistics in Table 4.1. Those elites determined the vote-choice of 4.32% male and 8.63% female of the constituency. That is, female voters have an edge over male voters. There are scores of people who are straightforwardly or in some way reliant upon these groups of people for their everyday requirements and consequently they become their patrons. As a result, local elites pre-determined their clients vote-choice. Table 4.7 displays the different factors of influence to the electorate all through elections.  [18]   Table 4.7 Voting-Decision: Factors influencing by local elites The influence of elites in the constituency as evident from Table 4.2, gradually increases with the increase in the age-group and decline thereafter. It is highest in the age-group of 41-60 years and lowest in the above 61 years category. The female are more influenced than male. Educationally, its influence decreases, as apparent from Table 4.3, with the increase in the level of education of both the sex. It has the highest impact among the illiterates and least influenced to the above graduates respondents. Economically, as indicated in Table 4.4, its influence also decreases with the increase in the rise in its status. Researchers point to the growing income gap,  [19]  stating that the elite control the political process and those of lower socio-economic status have no role to play in electoral process. From the data in Table 4.7, it is absolutely clear that the most important influence to the voters is the distribution or offering of money by elites which accounted for 27.78% respondents. They even mislead people for the ulterior motives (19.44%) during election by making alluring promises or commitments (16.66%); and also creating the spirit of groupism (11.11%) among the electorate in the constituency. Moreover, they provide information of the candidates performance during his stay in office (13.89%) by educating the people on socio-political issues (5.56%) faced in the constituency. This is, perhaps, a good indication of their involvement in participatory democracy and will lead to the furtherance of the democratic politics. From the above analysis on may come to the point that the influence of local elites in the electoral politics of Oinam assembly constituency has its negative and positive aspects as well. Elites and leaders are essential elements of collective and individual life in any given socio-political structure. Many local dominant citizens take devoted attention and are directly involved in the elections taking part in the elections process. These trends, nevertheless, are not perpetual; the elites and privileged, like empires, may well rise up and fall down as well. Candidates Image in voting: Scholars have long acknowledged the significance of candidates personality in voting choice. The qualities of candidates are one factor which invokes the consideration of the electorate in every stages of the electioneering development. Charismatic leaders have a special magnetic quality that fills followers with awe and adoration.  [20]  McAllister argues the substance of influential showing that public perceptions of leaders, if not decisive, have a modest but significance influence on the vote.  [21]  As John L. Sullivan, John H. Aldrich, et. al., points out: Voters assessments of the candidates competencies and personal qualities affect how they feel about each candidate; whether, for instance they feel pride or shame when thinking about a particular candidate, or of more generalized feelings of liking or disliking.  [22]   In the constituency, the influence of candidates personality or charisma shapes the voting behaviour, as indicated in Table 4.1, of 10.32% of the sample electorate. The female voters put more emphasis on personality trait of the candidate in fray while voting than the male voters. Table 4.8 displays the various reasons for voting a particular candidate in elections of the constituency.  [23]   Table 4.8 Voting-Decision: Factors influencing candidates personality From Table 4.2 it is observed that candidates image in the election had the highest impact in the age group of 25-40 years and 18-24 years than other age-group. The female voters are more influenced than the male voters except the older voter, i.e., 61 years and above are equally to both the sex. Educationally, as Table 4.3 indicates the illiterate voters have an edge over those of literate voters on the candidates trait in exercising their political franchise. And, economically, as Table 4.4 suggests, the average income voters has highest influence than low and high income voters in the constituency. Those high income male voters are not even bothered about the candidates image in election of the constituency. From the statistics in Table 4.8, it is apparent that family insistence to vote for a particular candidate in elections has the impact of 35.48% respondent voters, in which the female (19.35%) had an edge over male (16.13%) voters. Educational and economic status of the candidates, in fray influenced the vote-choice of 16.13% and 9.68% of the sample voters. The contesting candidates contribution to the constituency; and his accessibility by the general electorate had an impact equally to 12.90% of the respondents voting decision. While 6.45% voters voted those candidate simply because of their locality supporting that candidate; and that 3.23% voters voted as candidate being from their locality. It is quite clear from the above analysis that the influence of candidates image in shaping the voting decision of the electorate cannot be overlooked. Voters definitely want a representative that they can trust, and convince the public that they believe in what they are saying and will deliver on their promises. As personality dominates in most areas of life, one cannot deny that candidate that appeals to us most based on personality characteristics may not be the candidate that best represents our interests. Therefore, one may argue that voters are not appropriately weighting performance-based information on candidates contesting the elections when undertaking one of democracys most important civic duties. Political party and voting decision: Political parties occupy a central place in democratic politics, as they, in the midst of other things, provide a link between the citizens and the state. It is through parties that citizens have opportunity to influence the effort of governmental elites. Voting for a political party in an election is seen as an important determinant of voting behaviour of the people entitled to vote. This is no exception to the constituency under study as 10.79% of the sample voters exercise their political franchise on the basis of partisanship as apparent in the data from Table 4.1. In the constituency, voting for political parties in elections are much higher of the males compared to female voters, as the former are more exposed to party identification which is a psychological attachment toward a political party that tends to influence a persons decisions on social, economic and political issues.  [24]  In elections between candidates of competing parties, one expects partisanship to influence ballot choice as many voters affirm their partisan identities by casting ballots for the candidates who share their party labels.  [25]  Therefore, elections are frequently identified in the public mind with the main issues discussed or the campaign strategies attempted by the parties.  [26]  Table 4.9 indicates the reasons for voting a particular political party in elections of the constituency.  [27]   Voting for a political party in the elections of the constituency gradually increases with the increased in the age group and decline thereafter. It is highest between the age-group of 41-60 years, however the male are more committed to than the female as indicated in figures of Table 4.2. The female voters are equally influenced as the male in the early stages of electioneering period, by parties, but as one grows older its commitment significantly declined. Table 4.9 Voting decision: Factors influencing political party Educationally, the more formal years of education mean the more allegiance to political party as the degree of consideration of party-voting increases with the rise in educational level of the electors. In the constituency, the below matriculation respondents voters are least influenced while the above graduates has the maximum influenced by political parties as the determinant of voting, as apparent from Table 4.3. On the basis of economic status of the sample electorate, as indicated in Table 4.4, voting pattern of the respondent electorate with reference to political party increases with the rise in the income level of the electorate of both the sex. Those high and average income earners are more unwavering, far more than the low or poor income groups, and hence, are able to choose whom to vote in an election. Moreover, in the constituency, voting-choice of 30.00% of the respondent voters is influenced by the basic ideology of political parties as evident from data in Table 4.9. This is perhaps because voting preferences may be affected by what Andrew Leigh term innate ideological attachment,  [28]  not linked to voters consideration on his family or locality. Also, stable and long term identification with a political party offers an information short cut or default value, a substitute for more complete information about parties and candidates.  [29]  The relationship between party identification and vote choice of the electorate remains one of the most robust and enduring findings in political science.  [30]  In the constituency, more than 23.33% (See Table 4.9) of the self identified partisan voters voted for their partys candidates. When asked whether they would vote for a candidate who is not anticipated to win an election, a respondent replied, whether good or bad, right o r wrong, I stand by my party! on no account in my life have I ever considered being linked with a party other than the Indian National Congress.  [31]  Further, 20.33% of the respondent voters voted to political party simply because their family members are traditional supporter of that party. Another 13.33% voted for party on the pretext that the party has good leadership. Some 6.67% respondents voters views that their decision to vote for a party because their desire candidates is contesting on that party ticket; and equally influenced to those respondents who says they are supporting the party as their locality supports that party. From the above discussion, it is observed that a political party does have a role to play in influencing the vote-choice of the electorate in the constituency. For individual voters, however, motives might differ considerably. They would normally support the candidate of their most ideal party if the contestant has a possibility to win the mandate of the people. Surprisingly enough, there is hardly any empirical research done on the different motives individual vote splitting. Citizens must be given the liberty without undue influence to cast their vote in favour of any political party as it is their independent opinion to decide which party they consider eligible for coming to power and taking that into account they have full right to exercise their political franchise. Election campaign: Political science research once characterized campaign as resonance and vehemence suggestive of nothing, but a resurgence of recent research has offer compelling evidence that campaign can shape voting behaviour of the electorate and election outcomes.  [32]  An election campaign must be understood to be a process that generates a product, the election outcome, and like any other process, one cannot expect to understand the process by analyzing only the product.  [33]  As such, it is a well thought-out effort which seeks to influence a range of issues and to create a long-lasting notion of the same with the electorate. In a campaign the issues are articulated by party leaders, and they are the stuff in terms of which a democratic political campaign is rationalized, in both senses.  [34]  The length and strenuousness of the campaign serves to involve the public, inform it on public issues, and increase its active participation in politics.  [35]   Election campaigning in the constituency determines the voting behaviour of 12.69% of the sample electorate as evident from Table 4.1. The males are greater than females in shaping their voting choice, as the former are more exposed to campaigning than the latter. Table 4.10 represents the various factor of influence to the respondent voters while campaigning.  [36]   In the constituency, the young and mid-age group voters paid more attention to election campaign in deciding for whom to vote during elections as Table 4.2 indicates. It is also evident that male voters exposures to election campaign decreases with the increase in the age-group while the female voters, however remain constant between of 18-24 and 25-40 years groups. Similarly, educational wise, as Table 4.3 shows the illiterates voters has the highest impact on their vote-choice, and decreases with the rise in the level of educational status of both the sex. The well educated voters in the constituency are least influenced by election campaign organized by candidates or parties or its supporters during electioneering process. Likewise, on economic status of the voters, as indicated in Table 4.4, the level of influence by election campaigns decreases with the rise in the level of economic status. That is economically well-off electorates, in the constituency, are undeterred by campai gning, as it influenced the low and average income groups. Table 4.10 Voting decision: Factors influencing election campaign The statistics in Table 4.10, it is known that among the various campaigns employed by candidates and parties, personal contact with the candidates in fray has the highest influences of 37.04% of the sample voters, while door-to-door canvassing influences 18.53% voters. Campaigning through publicity and organizing public meetings on elections had a modest influence of 14.81% and 11.11% respectively. In fine, electoral campaign is a podium to strike the main political issues as well as position and proposition of the different political parties to deal with these issues. In addition, the virtues of campaign effects can only be found in correlation with long-established socio-economic issues. As V.O. Key long ago documented, the perception of behavior of the electorate à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ condition, if they did not fix, the types of appeals politicians employ as they seek popular support.  [37]  However, key player of the campaign have to struggle with the lack of interest, trust and consideration from the citizens towards political life and institutions. Issues importance in voting: The highlighting on an issue based voting has, of late, assumed an important predicator of voting behaviour across liberal democracies. Voters are seen as moving in the direction of a more decisive posture, deciding issues on their merits and consequently acting more judiciously than formally. In their study of voting behaviour, Nie, Verba, and Petrocik (1972), found that following 1960, as V.D. Opfer, quotes, the role of party declined as a guide to the vote. And, as party has declined in importance, the role of issues appears to have risen.  [38]   Issues, local or national, in any election are an important predicator of voting behaviour of the electorate. Issues importance measures the extent to which attitudes manifest the qualities of durability and impactfulness.  [39]  Research has found that issues deemed important by respondents are more likely to be stable, resistant to change, and more likely to influence behaviour of voters.  [40]  Issues in election shapes the voting behaviour of 11.90% of the sample electorate in the constituency (Table 4.1). The female voters accounts for 5.03% of the sample voters saying the issues have its own importance in electoral behaviour thereby shaping the voting act, and are much higher than the male voters (3.60%) as indicated in Table 4.2. Now, Table 4.11 displays the main issues indicated by the respondent electorate.  [41]   Table 4.11 Voting decision: Main issues influencing the electorate From Table 4.2, it is known that issues in election has the highest impact in the age-group of 41-60 years and lowest in the age-group of 61-above. That is, the mid-age group voters are more influenced by issues in election than the younger and older voters. Also, in the constituency, as apparent from Table 4.3, voter with high educational qualifications are not bothered about issues in election while the below matriculations has has highest impact in deciding their voting-choice. The illiterates and below graduates of the constituency are equally influence to those issues in election. Further the data in Table 4.4 predicts that the average economic status voters are more determined by issues in election as their voting choice than those of high and low economic status voters. Now, among the issues cited by the sample respondents as their determining factor of influence, as Table 4.11 indicates, 29.17% of the respondents view that roads, safe drinking water, and better electricity as their main issues in elections. On the other, the state being affected by insurgency activities, 20.83% of the respondents opine that a political solution to such problem will at best serve the interest of the state and hence determining their voting choice. Educational development, better irrigational projects for agricultural activities, tackling unemployment and the repeal of Armed Forces Special Power Act, 1958 (AFSPA), have almost equal influence among the voters in the constituency. From the above analysis, it is apparent that no single issues were cited by the respondents as most important. That not only 11.90% of the respondent voters had issues concerns in elections in the Oinam assembly constituency and whether issues opinions are malicious or not is not easy to conclude. Voters are heterogeneous in their use of issues in the voting booth. Some voters may consider some issues more seriously than others in their voting decisions. Some issue

china intentions :: essays research papers

Osama bin Laden has done Communist China a favor. Because the minds of President Bush and congressional leaders are so concentrated on the war on terrorism, they have all but ignored Beijing's aggressive military buildup. A strong possibility exists that by focusing so closely on Iraq, a focus that is understandable considering how unsettled the situation is, the United States could miss developments that could affect its standing in the rest of the world. Among the many uncertainties of the Asian security environment, none is more compelling than that surrounding the modernization program of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. For some observers, the combination of economic growth and force improvement signals Beijing's intention to establish regional supremacy. Others acknowledge that the PLA can spoil the United States' interests; however, Beijing's interest in regional stability, and the growing conventional capabilities of other regional powers, they tend to discount a PLA military threat. Chinese secrecy compounds the difficulty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  China's armed forces may not be a direct threat to the United States, but are good enough to cause plenty of trouble in their region and will be better in the future. China is one of the few nations to increase its defense spending in the post cold-war world, and is engaged in a major effort to upgrade its weapons capability for a possible quick strike on Taiwan. Taiwan would face an enormous challenge in repelling a determined Chinese attack. The island is too close to the mainland and too inferior in forces to hold out indefinitely. Its technological advantages would enable it to prolong the struggle, but not defeat China. If the United States were to get involved, it would face a nuclear-armed adversary capable of striking its American shores. That is not likely to happen, but it has to be kept in mind. China has greater military power today than it did a decade ago. If Beijing were willing to pay the price, the PLA could wreak great damage. In assessing China's future threat potential, it is essential to consider the economic, political, and strategic constraints on PLA modernization. Such considerations suggest that the PLA is years away from achieving the capability to project military force in a sustained manner. China’s likely future strategic intentions can be difficult to predict and there are many theories put forth by many different experts. Defense budgets can be a useful, even a critical, indicator of national defense priorities, policies, strategies, and capabilities.

My Philosophy of Education Essay -- essays papers

My Philosophy of Education A philosophy of education is very important in the teaching profession. All teachers have their own unique philosophies. My personal philosophy of education contains many different aspects. For instance, in my opinion all teachers are valuable. The younger the teacher the more current the knowledge, the older the teacher the better the wisdom. Determining a personal philosophy of education is a very important part in becoming a teacher. One day, I hope to be able to utilize my philosophy. My philosophy of education begins with my ideal classroom. Inside my classroom, I would like the children to feel comfortable with themselves, their peers, and myself. An ideal classroom for any teacher and myself is a classroom large in size. I would utilize a large classroom by putting one or two long tables towards the back of the classroom, for various special projects, group work, story time, sharing time, etc. All of the students desks in the classroom will form a huge semi-circle with enough room between each desk, so each student has their individual space. I will let my student choose where they want my desk to be in the classroom. The walls in the classroom will be decorated with the student’s drawings and what they would like on the walls, if allowed by school codes. In my opinion a room like this creates conversation, individuality, gives the students a sense of freedom, make the student feel like it is their class, as well as helping to gai...

The Crucible by Arthur Miller Essay -- Arthur Miller Crucible Essays

The Crucible by Arthur Miller John Proctor says, I'll tell you what's walking Salem, vengeance is walking Salem. Discuss the real evil in Salem, who contributed to it and their motives who do you blame the most? John Proctor says, "I'll tell you what's walking Salem, vengeance is walking Salem." Discuss the real evil in Salem, who contributed to it and their motives who do you blame the most? Before I begin to tell you my opinion on who was to blame, and my reasoning for saying so, I will give you a brief insight into the real point of Arthur Miller's play, The Crucible. Arthur Miller first produced his play in 1953, in the middle of the McCarthy political 'witch-hunt', although the story had applied for playwright for many years prior to this. This meant that the play was seen as a political parable - it represented the goings on in actual political life. Since 1938, an organisation had existed in America called the House Un-American Activities Committee with the right to investigate any movement, or anyone who seemed to put at risk America's safety. The chairman of this was Senator Joseph McCarthy. Under his rule, the committee became paranoid in its search for people who sympathised with communists. Almost any criticism of the government or its instructions was seen, in the eyes of McCarthy, as an admission of devotion or loyalty to communism beliefs. Witnesses were made to appear in court and answer charges that they were sympathisers of communist followers, and made to name others that they saw at these meetings which took place as long as twenty years ago. Liberal writers, film directors and actors all appeared before the committee and, as a result, many of them found it hard to fin... ... tries to convince all the others that Mary just acting out of fear but he fails, and John Proctor is accused of witchcraft. In the last scene in the whole play, when Proctor is to be hanged, Danforth makes him sign a written copy of his confession so that he can hang it on the church door. Proctor signs it, but then refuses to have his name hung on the church that he built, with so many people feeling disgust with him. Also, seeing the others that are to hang influences his confession as he feels guilt for letting the others die by not submitting to lies. He pleads with Danforth to leave things as they were, saying his confession by mouth was enough, but Danforth will not accept anything unless it be written and signed. Danforth is heartless in doing this, as he knows the confession is not necessary, for he has not taken a confession from anyone else.

Coyote Blue Chapter 16~17

CHAPTER 16 Live, Via the Spirit World Satellite Network Santa Barbara Lonnie Ray Inman was sitting in a worn leather easy chair listening for noises to sift down from upstairs. He had loaded and unloaded his Colt Python.357 Magnum four times, nervously fumbling its deadly weight as he alternately entertained fantasies of vengeance and prison. Every few minutes he would rise and go to the window to see if the black Mercedes was still parked out front, then he would pause at the front closet, where he opened and slammed the door until the violence in his heart subsided enough for him to sit again. He was short and dark and muscles stood out on his bare arms like cables. The front of his black tank top was soaked with blood where he had ripped the skin of his chest with his fingernails, trying to destroy the tattoo of a naked woman, the same woman whose picture was airbrushed on the tank of his Harley, the same woman who had turned his thoughts to murder. Lonnie Ray Inman dropped six cartridges into the cylinder of the Python and snapped it shut, determin ed this time to make it out the door and up the stairs, where he would burst through the door and kill Calliope's new lover. Fuck prison. -=*=- A thousand miles away, ten thousand feet up in the Bighorn Mountains, Pokey Medicine Wing watched Lonnie loading the gun. Pokey was into the second day of his fast and had been searching the Spirit World for clues to the whereabouts of his favorite nephew, Samson Hunts Alone. He had called for his spirit helper, Old Man Coyote, to help him, but the trickster had not appeared. Instead he was seeing a white city, with red roofs and palm trees, and a man who wanted to murder Samson. Pokey's body sat, dangerously close to death, in the middle of a two-hundred-foot stone medicine wheel, the holiest of the Crow fasting places, just west of Sheridan, Wyoming. Pokey had been under the hoof of a bull-moose hangover when he began the fast, and now the dry mountain wind was sucking the last life-water from his body. Alone in the Spirit World, Pokey was unaware of his heart struggling to pump his thickening blood. He looked for a way to warn Samson, and called out for Old Man Coyote to help. Coyote was in the locker room of the Santa Barbara YWCA when he heard Pokey's call. He had entered as a horsefly, and after watching the women in the showers for a while had changed himself into a baby hedgehog and was rolled into a ball in the soap dish, imitating a loofah. Lazy by nature, Coyote had given his medicine to only three people since time began – Pokey, Samson, and a warrior named Burnt Face, who had built the ancient medicine wheel – so it took him a while to realize that he was being called. Reluctantly, he left the hedgehog body in the capable hands of a soapy aerobics instructor and went to the Spirit World, where he found Pokey waiting. â€Å"What?† Coyote said. â€Å"Old Man Coyote, I need your help.† â€Å"I know,† Coyote said. â€Å"You are dying.† â€Å"No, I need to find my nephew, Samson.† â€Å"But you are dying.† â€Å"I am? Shit!† â€Å"You should end this fast now, old man.† â€Å"But what about Samson?† â€Å"I've been helping Samson. Don't worry.† â€Å"But he has an enemy who is going to kill him. I saw him, but I don't know where he is.† â€Å"I know he has enemies. I am Coyote. I know everything. What's this guy look like?† â€Å"He's white. He has a gun.† â€Å"That narrows it down.† â€Å"He has a tattoo of a woman on his chest – it's bleeding. He looks out a window and sees a motorcycle and a black car. That's all I know.† â€Å"Do you have any water on the mountain where your body is?† â€Å"No. There's a little snow.† â€Å"I will help you,† Coyote said. â€Å"Go now.† Suddenly Pokey was back in his body, sitting on the mountain. In his lap he found a package of dry Kool-Aid that had not been there before. He looked down at it and smiled, then fell forward into the dirt. In the shower of the YWCA a naked aerobics instructor screamed and ran into the locker room when the loofah she was using turned into a raven. The bird circled the locker room twice and nipped her on the bottom with its beak before flying down the hall, into the lobby, and out an open skylight. -=*=- Across town, Calliope took the empty salad bowl from Sam and set it on the dresser next to a statue of Buddha. â€Å"More?† she asked. â€Å"No, I'm full,† Sam whispered. Grubb had fallen asleep in his crib and Sam didn't want to risk waking him. â€Å"Calliope,† he said, â€Å"is this guy dangerous?† â€Å"Lonnie? No. He thinks he's tough because he's in a biker club, but I don't think he's dangerous. His friends are a little scary, though. They take a lot of PCP and it makes them spiritually dense.† â€Å"I hate that,† Sam said, proud because he was spiritually dense without the aid of drugs. â€Å"I'm going to take the dishes out and check on J. Nigel. Why don't you light some candles? I don't think we should turn on the stereo, though. It might irritate Lonnie.† â€Å"We wouldn't want that,† Sam said. -=*=- Outside, a raven landed on the hood of Sam's car. Lonnie Ray saw it from his window. â€Å"Shit on it. Shit on it,† he said, but as he watched the raven seemed to disappear. Lonnie slammed the closet door until the doorframe splintered. Coyote was a mosquito making his way through the air vents of the Mercedes. He flew out of the defroster vent and settled on the driver's seat, where he became a man. Sam's Rolodex was on the passenger seat next to his pack of cigarettes. Coyote lit a cigarette and flipped through the Rolodex until he found the card he was looking for. He removed it and tucked it into the waist of his buckskins. -=*=- Lonnie Ray was rattling through the kitchen cabinets, looking for liquor, when he heard the pounding at his front door. On his way through the living room he snatched the Python off the easy chair and shoved it in his jeans at the small of his back. He threw open the door and was nearly knocked down by the Indian who brushed him aside on the way into the room. The Indian looked around the room and wheeled on Lonnie Ray. â€Å"Where is he? Where's the bastard hiding?† Lonnie Ray recovered his balance and dropped his right hand to the grip of the Colt. â€Å"Who the fuck are you?† â€Å"Don't worry about it. Where's the guy that drives that Mercedes?† In spite of his own anger, Lonnie Ray was intrigued. â€Å"What do you want him for?† â€Å"That's my business, but if he owes you money, you'd better get it back before I find him.† â€Å"You going to kill him?† Lonnie asked. â€Å"If he's lucky,† the Indian said. â€Å"You got a gun?† â€Å"I don't need a gun. Now where is he?† â€Å"Chill, man, I might be able to help you out.† â€Å"I don't have time for this,† the Indian said. â€Å"I'll just catch him at his house.† â€Å"You know where he lives?† Lonnie Ray asked. This was like a gift from heaven. He could send the Indian up to Calliope's to do the dirty work: no risk, no prison. If it didn't work, he and the boys could surprise the guy at his house tomorrow, no witnesses. Lonnie Ray hadn't really relished the idea of having to shoot Calliope, anyway. â€Å"Yeah, I know where the bastard lives,† the Indian said. â€Å"But he ain't there. He's somewhere around here.† â€Å"You give me his address, I'll tell you where he is.† â€Å"Fuck that,† the Indian said, shoving Lonnie against the wall. â€Å"You'll tell me now.† Lonnie brought the barrel of the Python up under the Indian's chin. â€Å"I don't think so.† The Indian froze. â€Å"It's on a card in my pants.† Lonnie Ray held out his free hand. â€Å"Don't ever tell someone you don't have a gun, dipshit.† The Indian lifted his buckskin shirt, pulled a card from his waistband, and handed it to Lonnie Ray, who glanced at it and spun the Indian around by one shoulder, pointing him out the door. Lonnie ground the barrel of the Python into the Indian's spine, stood on his toes, and whispered threateningly into the Indian's ear. â€Å"You didn't come here and you didn't see me. You understand?† The Indian nodded. â€Å"He's upstairs,† Lonnie whispered. â€Å"Now go!† He shoved the Indian out the door. â€Å"And never, never fuck with a brother of the Guild.† Lonnie closed the door. â€Å"Fucking A,† he said with a giggle. -=*=- Upstairs, Calliope said, â€Å"Tell me what you know, Sam.† â€Å"About what?† â€Å"About anything.† She sat down next to him on the bed and brushed his hair back with her fingers. â€Å"Tell me what you know.† The silence that followed would have been awkward except Calliope seemed to expect it. She stroked his hair while he tried to think of what to say. He sorted through facts and figures and histories and strategies. Clever retorts, meaningless jokes, sophistries and non sequiturs rose in his mind and fell unspoken. She rubbed his neck and found a knot in the muscle that she worked her fingertips into. â€Å"That feels good,† Sam said. â€Å"That's what you know?† A smile rose to Sam's lips. â€Å"Yes,† he said. â€Å"What do you want?† she asked. He shot her a sideways glance and saw the candlelight gleaming in her eyes. She was serious, waiting for an answer. â€Å"Is this a test?† â€Å"No. What do you want?† â€Å"Why don't you ask me what I do for a living? Where I live? Where I'm from? How old I am? You don't even know my last name.† â€Å"Would that stuff tell me who you are?† Sam turned to face her and took her hand from his neck. He still had a niggling mistrust of her and he wanted to let it go. â€Å"The truth now – Calliope, are you part of something he cooked up? Some trick?† â€Å"No. Who's he?† â€Å"Never mind.† Sam turned away from her again, stared at a candle flame on the dresser, and tried to think. She really didn't know about Coyote. What now? â€Å"Well, what do you want?† she asked again. He snapped, â€Å"Dammit, I don't know.† She didn't recoil or seem hurt, but began rubbing his neck again. â€Å"You came here because you wanted me, didn't you?† â€Å"No. Yes, I guess I did.† It wasn't bad enough that she had to keep telling the truth; now she was expecting it back, and he was out of practice. â€Å"We've had sex. Do you want to go now?† Christ, she was like some gorgeous New Age district attorney. â€Å"No, I†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Do you want a bowl of chocolate marshmallow ice cream?† â€Å"That would be great!† Sam said. Off the hook, no further questions, Your Honor. â€Å"See, it's not that hard to figure out what you want.† She got up and left the room, heading for the kitchen again. Sam sat back and waited, realizing that it had been some time since a door had slammed downstairs. Suddenly he was very uncomfortable with the silence. When he heard footfalls on the stairs outside he leapt to his feet and ran to the kitchen. CHAPTER 17 A White Picket Fence Around Chaos Santa Barbara Sam hit the kitchen just as Yiffer stepped through the screenless section of the screen door. â€Å"Cool! Ice cream!† Yiffer said, staggering to Calliope's side at the counter. â€Å"Keep it down, Yiffer. I just got Grubb and J. Nigel down.† Calliope picked up two full bowls of ice cream and nodded to the carton on the counter. â€Å"You can have the rest.† â€Å"Bitchin'.† Yiffer grabbed a serving spoon from the empty salad bowl and dug into the ice cream, shoveling a baseball-sized clump into his mouth. Sam watched in amazement as Yiffer mouthed the ice cream until he got his jaws closed around it, then swallowed the whole clump, dipping his head snakelike to facilitate the passage. â€Å"Oh, shit, man,† Yiffer said as he dropped the spoon and bent over, grabbing the bridge of his nose. â€Å"Major ice cream headache. Ouch!† Sam heard footsteps on the stairs outside, ran to the door, and popped his head out to see who was coming, ready to duck back inside should it be the crazed biker from downstairs. To his relief, Nina was trudging up the steps, obviously a little drunk herself. â€Å"Did Yiffer come home?† Sam said, â€Å"He's punishing himself with ice cream as we speak.† â€Å"I'll kill him.† She ran the rest of the way up the steps and Sam helped her wrestle the door open, then he stepped out of harm's way as she stormed by him to Yiffer, who was still bent over, now holding his temples. â€Å"You jerk!† Nina shrieked. â€Å"Who was that woman at the bar? And where the hell is my money?† â€Å"Babe, I'm in pain here. I'm suffering.† Nina raised her fist as if to hammer Yiffer's back, then she spotted the serving spoon, picked it up, and began whacking the surfer unmercifully on the head with it. â€Å"You want pain (whack!), I'll give you pain (whack! whack! whack!). Suffering? (whack!) You wouldn't (whack!) know (whack!) suffering (whack!) if (whack!)†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Well,† Calliope said. â€Å"I guess you guys need a little space. C'mon, Sam.† She led Sam out of the kitchen and back to her bedroom. They sat eating and listening to Yiffer whining under Nina's attack. After a few minutes she was losing momentum and Yiffer's whines turned to moans. Soon Nina was moaning with him rhythmically. Sam stared at the candle on the dresser as if he hadn't noticed. â€Å"They do this all the time,† Calliope offered. â€Å"I think Nina gets in touch with that male energy that equates violence and sex.† â€Å"Excuse me?† â€Å"Hitting Yiffer makes her horny.† â€Å"Oh,† Sam said. He flinched at the sound of breaking dishes from the kitchen. Nina screamed, â€Å"Oh, yes, you asshole! Yes!† Yiffer groaned. The house shook with the sound of a door slamming downstairs and J. Nigel joined the din with a wail of his own. â€Å"Lonnie must think that we're doing it,† Calliope said. â€Å"Do you think he'll give us time to explain before he shoots us?† â€Å"Don't think about it.† Calliope stood and stepped out of her dress, then gestured for Sam to take off his shirt. The moaning in the kitchen was rising in intensity and J. Nigel was wailing like a siren. The windows rattled with a salvo of door slams. Sam looked at her and thought, A bowl of ice cream, a load of loonies, and thou†¦ â€Å"Now?† he said. â€Å"Are you sure?† Calliope nodded. She pulled his shirt off, then pushed him back on the bed and took off his shoes. Sam let her undress him as he tried to put the noise out of his mind. As she pulled the sheet over him and crawled in beside him, he imagined the two of them being shot in the act. When she kissed him he barely felt it. In the crib next to them Grubb began to stir, and with the next series of door slams and a crash from the kitchen he came awake crying. Despite Calliope's soft warmth against him and the smell of jasmine on her hair, Sam was unable to respond. â€Å"He'll be okay,† Calliope said. She stroked Sam's cheek and kissed him gently on the forehead. â€Å"I'll be back in a second,† Sam said. He got up and wrapped his shirt around his hips, then, checking the hallway, he darted out of the room and into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and leaned against it, staring blankly at the ceiling. The sex sounds from the kitchen reached a crescendo with a piercing scream from Nina, then stopped, leaving only the sounds of crying babies and slamming doors. Sam took a deep breath. â€Å"I can't do this,† he said to himself. â€Å"This is too weird. Too fucking weird.† He lowered the lid of the toilet and sat facing the shower stall, assuming the posture of Rodin's Thinker. For once in his life, it really seemed to matter that the sex be good, but this was like a combat zone. â€Å"I can't do this,† he said. â€Å"Sure you can,† a voice said from behind the shower curtain. Sam screamed and jumped to the top of the toilet tank. Coyote stepped out of the shower holding a beaded leather pouch. â€Å"What in the hell are you doing here?† Sam asked. â€Å"I'm here to help,† Coyote said. â€Å"Well, get out of here. I don't need your help.† â€Å"You are wasting that woman.† â€Å"Do you have any idea what is going on around here? Listen.† Another door slammed and Nina resumed shouting at Yiffer. From what Sam could make out it had something to do with the yard sale. â€Å"You must leave here, then,† Coyote said. â€Å"You must find a place on the woman's body and live there. Hear only her breath, smell only her scent.† â€Å"If you don't get out of here I won't even have a chance. What if she sees you? How could I explain your being here?† Thinking about it, Sam realized that if he told Calliope that there was an ancient trickster god in her bathroom she would accept it without question – would probably ask for an introduction. Coyote held out the beaded pouch. â€Å"Put this on your member.† â€Å"What is it?† Sam asked, taking the pouch. â€Å"Passion powder. It will make you as strong and stiff as a lance.† Sam shook the contents of the pouch – a fine brown powder – into the palm of his hand. He sniffed it. â€Å"What is it?† â€Å"Corn pollen, cedar, sweet grass, sage, powdered elk semen – it is an old and powerful recipe. Try it.† â€Å"No way.† â€Å"You want the woman to think you are not a man?† â€Å"If I try it will you go?† Coyote grinned. â€Å"Put just a pinch on your member and you will pleasure the woman to tears.† â€Å"And you'll go?† Coyote nodded. Sam tentatively took a pinch of the powder and began to sprinkle it on his penis. Calliope opened the bathroom door, catching Sam in mid-sprinkle. â€Å"You won't need that, honey,† she said. â€Å"I'm on the pill.† â€Å"But†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sam looked around for Coyote, but the trickster was gone. â€Å"I was just†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Being responsible,† Calliope said. â€Å"Thank you. Now come to bed.† She took his hand and led him out of the bathroom. Sam submitted, glancing over his shoulder for signs of Coyote. Yiffer and Nina had taken the fight to their bedroom. Nina was calling Yiffer an idiot and going on about a newspaper ad being misplaced. A door slammed downstairs and Yiffer stormed out of the bedroom. â€Å"I'm going to kick his ass!† he shouted. In the hall he looked up at Calliope and Sam as he passed. â€Å"Hi, kids,† he said, then he proceeded down the hall. Sam could hear the kitchen screen door ripping off the hinges as Yiffer went through. â€Å"You're history, biker boy!† Calliope pulled Sam into the bedroom and closed the door. â€Å"Shouldn't we call the police or something?† Sam asked. â€Å"No, he'll be okay. Lonnie's afraid of Yiffer. He won't fight him and he's afraid to shoot him because of jail.† â€Å"Oh, everything's fine, then,† Sam said. â€Å"Come to bed,† Calliope said. Sam shot a glance to Grubb, who was lying quietly on his side staring suspiciously at Sam over the edge of a pacifier, as if saying, â€Å"What are you doing with my mom?† â€Å"Can we blow out the candles?† Sam asked. Without a word Calliope blew out the candles and pulled Sam down on top of her on the bed. Outside, the sounds of Nina screaming down from the top of the stairs, Yiffer pounding on Lonnie's door, and J. Nigel crying for attention faded into white noise. â€Å"You must find a place on the woman's body and live there.† In the dark, the noise far away, Sam ran his hands over Calliope's body and the world of work and worry seemed to move away. He found two depressions at the bottom of her back where sunlight collected, and he lived there, out of the wind and the noise. He grew old there, died, and ascended to the Great Spirit, found heaven in her cheek on his chest, the warm wind of her breath across his stomach carried sweet grass and sage, and†¦ In another lifetime he lived on the soft skin under her right breast, his lips riding light over the ridge and valley of every rib, shuffling through downy, dew-damp hairs like a child dancing through autumn leaves. On the mountain of her breast, he fasted at the medicine wheel of her aureole, received a vision that he and she were steam people, mingled wet with no skin separating them. And there he lived, happy. And for the first time in years he felt that he was home. She followed, traveled, lived with him and in him as he was in her. They lived lifetimes and slept and dreamed together. It was swell.