Differences Between Groups and Teams Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Contrasts Between Groups and Teams - Essay Example A gathering can be characterized as the arrangement of at least two individuals cooperating to accomplish a shared objective (Schermerhorn and Hunt and Osborn, 2003, p.172). Gatherings can be either formal or casual. Any social affair of different workers establishes a gathering. At the point when the director orchestrates a gathering with the workers the pioneer is coordinating his message towards a gathering. There are five phases that portray the arrangement of a gathering. The phases of gathering arrangement are framing, raging, norming, performing, and charging. During the norming stage the representative form an obligation of trust among them and different individuals that improves the general execution. The size of the gathering is a significant factor to consider. The ideal size of a gathering is between seven to eight individuals. Cooperative choice creation can be improved utilizing procedures, for example, conceptualizing, ostensible gathering strategy, and Delphi method. A group is a sort of formal gathering wherein the individuals cooperate to achieve shared objectives. One of the significant contrasts between a gathering and a group is that in group settings individual and gathering responsibility exists (Katzenback and Smith, 1993). Organizations make groups for key purposes, while most work bunches are detailed to achieve explicit undertakings. Groups will in general be detailed to accomplish long haul assignments. For instance an organization can make a quality control group to diminish item abandons. Work bunches are diverse in light of the fact that they are regularly framed to accomplish momentary objectives. Another inconsistency among groups and gatherings is the manner in which they work. The five stages of the support procedure of colleagues are shown beneath: A significant part of collaboration is simply the need of administration to show. Because of the idea of cooperation representatives can apply authority while working in settings regardless of whether the individual isn't the official group pioneer.

Ancient history Cartimandua

Question: Examine about the Ancient history for Cartimandua. Answer: Presentation Cartimandua was the female leader of a clan called Brigantes during the hour of a Roman sovereigns composed victory of Britain. Cartimandua was viewed as a solid partner to the Roman Empire and was portrayed as the sovereign of the Brigantes in the Annals by the Roman student of history named Tacitus. There has been the record of a couple of number of female pioneers in the Roman realm, who were as savage and solid as Cartimandua. Cartimandua assumes a noteworthy job in the catch of Britain by the Romans and thus was known as a solid partner to the Roman realm. The report examines the depiction of Cartimandua in the antiquated history and present day point of view dependent on various elements (Highham, 2013). Old history investigation In the old history, Cartimandua has been depicted in a contrary job because of her character. As she was faithful to the Roman Empire, she sold out Caratacus, a British opposition pioneer, which thusly prompted his catch. Caratacus at first looked for the insurance from Cartimandua, before being sold out by her. She has been depicted as an enemy of social character in the Roman history because of an enormous number of negative exercises of which she was a piece of. She was reprimanded vigorously for her guilty pleasure in sexual inappropriateness of dismissing her better half for a typical officer (Hanson, 2012). She has been characterized to be a terrible individual in the old history likewise in view of her treachery to every last bit of her family members. Cartimandua held onto her sibling and family members to have the full control of the clan and to help the Roman domain. She deceived and separated from her better half to supplant him with the normal officer named Vellocatus, wh o was the shield carrier of Venutius. So all the old history notices of Cartimandua by Tacitus is insidious and hostile to social (Haselgrove, 2015). Current point of view examination Regardless of whether Cartimandua has been depicted in an awful way in the antiquated history, she has been portrayed as a solid and impressive pioneer in various present day point of view rendition of the Roman history. For instance, Barbara Erskine portrays Cartimandua as a youthful princess who experienced a great deal of bend and turns alongside various catastrophes to get probably the most grounded sovereign in the Roman history. Barbara Erskine composed a novel named, Daughters of Fire and depicted Cartimandua as a solid and free woman, who cut out a triumph way for herself through a war among Rome and Britain alongside a general public commanded by the guys. She has been depicted as a women's activist and a good example for the presentation of her boldness and her assurance to be triumphant in all wars battled (Hartley, 2013). George Shipway additionally depicted Cartimandua as one of the most significant character in his novel Imperial senator, which depends on the accomplishment of a Roman general, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus who conquered various rebellions to keep up the quality of the Roman Empire. Cartimandua has been depicted as the partner and admirer of the Roman general, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus and has been considered to have a significant job in the achievement of the Roman general (Pham, 2014). In practically the entirety of the advanced books, Cartimandua has been depicted as a brilliant illustration of women's liberation and ladies strengthening during the Roman Empires journey to catch Britain. She has been contrasted and other solid female pioneers like Boudicca, who was known to be the sovereign of the Iceni clan. End Despite the fact that both the old history and books portray Cartimandua as a savage head and furthermore the sovereign of the Brigantes clan. The old history weights on her character, while the cutting edge portrayals depict her accomplishments. The old history depicts Cartimandua depicts her as exceptionally self-reveled, insatiable and eager for power. The cutting edge delineations anyway have depicted the sovereign as a solid and imposing pioneer, who confronted numerous disasters to discover achievement in a male-commanded society (Arch, 2015). References Curve, D., 2015. The Star Crossed Queen. Hanson, W., 2012. England, Roman victory of (4396). The Encyclopedia of War. Hartley, B.R., 2013. A few issues of the Roman military control of the north of England. Northern History. Haselgrove, C., 2015. Cartimandua's capital? The late Iron Age regal site at Stanwick, North Yorkshire; hands on work and examination 19812011. Highham, N.J., 2013. Brigantia returned to. Northern History. Pham, M.V., 2014. Hadrian's Wall: A Study in Function.

OpenDyslexic Font Now Available in MindMeister! - Focus

OpenDyslexic Font Now Available in MindMeister! - Focus Were proud to announce that MindMeister, which already helps countless dyslexic students organize their thoughts with the power of mind mapping, now supports OpenDyslexic a typeface specifically created for people with dyslexia! OpenDyslexic  is a font that aims to mitigate some of the common reading errors caused by dyslexia, such as letter confusion, rotation and crowding. With their heavy-weighted bottoms, letters have more gravity,   which helps to keep them from flipping and swapping around. While it is not a cure for the problem and may not work for all dyslexic readers, the font has received a lot of positive feedback from users and has been installed as an optional choice in e-readers, school computers and certain websites, such as Wikipedia. Its also available as a Chrome add-on. Just like OpenDyslexic, the mind map format can help people with dyslexia make sense of texts. Those with dyslexia can benefit from mind mapping software if they struggle to get their thoughts and ideas down in a structured way. It is also helpful software for those who prefer visual working as opposed to linear lists.www.dyslexic.com Over the years, weve heard from countless students with learning disabilities that using MindMeister has changed the way they study, improving grades and enabling them to continue climbing up the academic tree.   Combining the mind map format with the OpenDyslexic font was therefore the next logical step for us, and were happy to announce that the font is now available for all MindMeister users. To select the font in one of your mind maps, simply click on the ( i ) button in the top bar of the map editor and select Customize. In the dialog that opens, select OpenDyslexic from the font menu. You can choose whether to use the font for the maps main topic, its first-level sub topics, or all topics in the map. If you give the new font a try, let us know how you get on in the comments below! OpenDyslexic Font Now Available in MindMeister! - Focus Were proud to announce that MindMeister, which already helps countless dyslexic students organize their thoughts with the power of mind mapping, now supports OpenDyslexic a typeface specifically created for people with dyslexia! OpenDyslexic  is a font that aims to mitigate some of the common reading errors caused by dyslexia, such as letter confusion, rotation and crowding. With their heavy-weighted bottoms, letters have more gravity,   which helps to keep them from flipping and swapping around. While it is not a cure for the problem and may not work for all dyslexic readers, the font has received a lot of positive feedback from users and has been installed as an optional choice in e-readers, school computers and certain websites, such as Wikipedia. Its also available as a Chrome add-on. Just like OpenDyslexic, the mind map format can help people with dyslexia make sense of texts. Those with dyslexia can benefit from mind mapping software if they struggle to get their thoughts and ideas down in a structured way. It is also helpful software for those who prefer visual working as opposed to linear lists.www.dyslexic.com Over the years, weve heard from countless students with learning disabilities that using MindMeister has changed the way they study, improving grades and enabling them to continue climbing up the academic tree.   Combining the mind map format with the OpenDyslexic font was therefore the next logical step for us, and were happy to announce that the font is now available for all MindMeister users. To select the font in one of your mind maps, simply click on the ( i ) button in the top bar of the map editor and select Customize. In the dialog that opens, select OpenDyslexic from the font menu. You can choose whether to use the font for the maps main topic, its first-level sub topics, or all topics in the map. If you give the new font a try, let us know how you get on in the comments below!

Online Shopping Habits - 1389 Words

REVIEW OF LITERATURE ONLINE SHOPPING Online shopping or online retailing is a form of electronic commerce which allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a seller over the Internet using a web browser. Alternative names are: e-shop, e-store, Internet shop, web-shop, web-store, online store, and virtual store. An online shop evokes the physical analogy of buying products or services at a bricks-and-mortar retailer or shopping center; the process is called business-to-consumer (B2C) online shopping. In the case where a business buys from another business, the process is called business-to-business (B2B) online shopping. The largest of these online retailing†¦show more content†¦In-store pick-up: The customer selects a local store using a locator software and picks up the delivered product at the selected location. This is the method often used in the bricks and clicks business model. Printing out, provision of a code for, or e-mailing of such items as admission tickets and scrip (e.g., gift certificates and coupons). The tickets, codes, or coupons may be redeemed at the appropriate physical or online premises and their content reviewed to verify their eligibility (e.g., assurances that the right of admission or use is redeemed at the correct time and place, for the correct dollar amount, and for the correct number of uses). Shipping: The product is shipped to a customer-designated address. Will call, lCOBO (in Care Of Box Office), or at the door pickup: The patron picks up pre-purchased tickets for an event, such as a play, sporting event, or concert, either just before the event or in advance. With the onset of the Internet and e-commerce sites, which allow customers to buy tickets online, the popularity of this service has increased. ONLINE SHOPPING IN INDIA The very concept of purchasing something online, a necessity or luxury took time to settle down well with the Indians, since this entire concept was very western. In addition to that, there were other hindrances such as low computer penetration and lowShow MoreRelatedCase Analysis : Tesco 1626 Words   |  7 Pagesplaced too much money, thinking that it will be a success, but they ended up having to retrench most of their chains and other stores. Based on the case their problems are mainly caused by change in consumer habits, and because of that change, Tesco lost a lot of their money Consumer habits is probably the biggest factor affecKng Tesco because since their customers strayed away from them and found other sources, they lost a lot of sales, which then greatly affected their business, that’s why theyRead MoreThe Electronic Commerce And The Internet818 Words   |  4 Pagesinformation through Internet. The Internet has created a new market for both customers and business firms, the firms has ability to target mass customers through the online market. Even though the current economic crisis caused by the consumption downturn, the volume of ectronic commerce is expanding rapidly. The volume of Internet shopping grew to the value of $348.6 billion in 2009 worldwide. It is anticipated to reach $778.6 billion, increasing by nearly 125%, in 2014 and hit $1 trillion by 2020 (DatamonitorRead MoreStrategic Management and Planning788 Words   |  4 Pagesinternationally if the internet is not always available* 6. Can BN expand its product offerings beyond diamond and jewelry* 7. Is BN â€Å"stuck in the Middle† APA 3-5 pages at least 4 references Blue Nile, Inc. is considered the world’s largest online retailer of diamonds. Founded in Nineteen-ninety nine, the Blue Nile offers gold, platinum, pearl and silver jewelry. The company’s headquarters is located in Seattle, Washington and operates in over twenty five countries, with products offeredRead MoreE Commerce : A Market Scale1690 Words   |  7 Pagesother activities and it is not only tedious but time consuming to go out shopping in physical stores. In a market scale this could be an astounding figure providing enormous market space. E-business can be used interchangeably with the term E-commerce with occasional use of the term e-tail to refer to online retailing activities. In a retail interest shopping carts are normally established upon which customer shopping habits and preferences can be monitored although some entrepreneurs using the e-commerceRead MoreHow Website Design Influences Customers Purchase Intentions1352 Words   |  6 Pagesreliance on Internet, online retailing has become an essential way for retailers to sell their products to customers (Yulin et al. 2014). Retailers increasingly shift their focus to online retailing because of the consecutive decreases in customer traffic to physical stores (Banjo Ziobro, 2014; Yulin et al. 2014). Customers indicate that online shopping brings them greater convenience, various options, and instant comparisons between products; meanwhile, retailers state that online retailing lower theRead MoreFactors Affecting Online Shopping1438 Words   |  6 PagesFact ors Affecting Customers’ Satisfaction in the Environment of Online Shopping 1. Abstract Online shopping is a process of buying and selling of products and services through the Internet. Online shopping has become the fastest-growing industry and Internet users have reported that online shopping is one of their primary uses of Internet. With the help of online shopping, the consumers can purchase clothing, shoes, books, airline and events tickets, foods, computers hardware and so on. In theRead MoreFactors Affecting The Indian Online Retail Market1201 Words   |  5 PagesOnline retail market in India: Recent changes in the Retail environment in India have pave way for major changes in the infrastructure, technology, regulation, shift in demographic patterns and changes in consumer preferences Broadbridge and Srivastava (2008). The main reasons for the transformation of retail market in India are factors such as rising disposable income, socio-economic growth, urbanization, demographic transitions, increasing middle income group and high demand. Broadbridge and SrivastavaRead MoreSwot Analysis : Target And Red Colored Logo 802 Words   |  4 Pagesmajor in sourcing new customers in emerging markets. Target has over the years, employed business analyst that mine customer data for shopping habits and use the data observed to design advertising and marketing schemes that can reach potential customers. Target’s â€Å"Guest marketing Analytics† department plays an enormous role in sourcing data that looks at shopping pattern or collects unique customer information throu gh surveys, emails or other personal identification assigned to the shopper (DuhiggRead MoreThe Grocery And Supermarket Chain Essay1643 Words   |  7 PagesMore and more modern customers are used to shop online nowadays and they have the increasingly interest to deal with all aspects of daily life through clicking keyboard. Even the traditional industries like grocery stores and drugstores have extended their business channels into the internet in order to meet more customers’ needs (Geunes 2004, p.218). The grocery and supermarket industry develops quite fast in the UK for the past few decades. There are more than 86,000 grocery physical stores operateRead MoreThe Expansion Of The World Wide Web987 Words   |  4 Pagesresulted in the creation in a new form of retail transactions; Online shopping. (Shim, Quereshi and Siegel 2000) define Web Shopping as the process consumers go through to purchase products over the internet. (Alba et al 1997) defines it from a consumer vi ew point as, web shopping allows web shoppers to search and compare various products or services over the internet that are located in different parts of the world. Online shopping can be accessed from a variety of different devices now not only

Modern Day Hero - 1077 Words

In today s society, it is hard to know someone who another person can look up to as a hero. It takes a special quality and person for others to know they can look up to and follow without worrying about being lead astray. The modern day hero I have chosen is someone who not only is willing to lay his life down for another, but also is willing to fight for everyone s freedom. James A. Miller Jr. is that modern day hero; he is a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corp. For the last year, he has been overseas fighting for not only the lives of all Americans, but he is also trying to free the Iraqi Government and people. Growing up, I always thought of him as just my baby brother. After he joined the Marines in 1993, I†¦show more content†¦During his search for the Holy Grail, although he found it he was denied access because of his love for Genevieve was greater than his love for God. James is very faithful to not only his wife, but also his country. He believes in God and to betray an oath made would be betraying everything he holds dear. James should be mythologized because of the acts of heroism he has performed over his lifetime. For all the lives he has touched and saved, many people are thankful for his acts of kindness and heroism. He stands for what he believes in and fights for the freedom of those that cannot. James is an individual that anyone can talk to and have confidence that he can and will do what is right for this Country; he is willing to die for his love of the United States and his family. He is a true modern day hero. The men and women that fight with him, beside him and in every other branch of the military are also heroes. James is a very special person who manages to bring a smile to peoples faces, but also can strike fear into enemies. Below are 2 pictures: one of SSgt. James A. Miller Jr. on one of his missions and a jeep that was also involved in the mission. Modern Day Hero Outline: 1. James A. Miller a. Childhood b. Family 2. Comparisons to a mythological hero-Sir Lancelot a. Similarities b. Differences 3. Why he will beShow MoreRelated Modern Day Hero Essay1024 Words   |  5 Pagestoday’s society, it is hard to know someone who another person can look up to as a hero. It takes a special quality and person for others to know they can look up to and follow without worrying about being lead astray. The modern day hero I have chosen is someone who not only is willing to lay his life down for another, but also is willing to fight for everyone’s freedom. James A. Miller Jr. is that modern day hero; he is a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corp. For the last year, he hasRead MoreMy Modern Day Hero729 Words   |  3 PagesA modern day hero is someone who shows strength, courage and is willing to fight, my grandma is my modern day hero because she shows these traits and more. My grandma had a liver and kidney transplant last year, and she showed those heroic traits. 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They help define who we are and what we want to be. They give us hope and inspire us to head in the right direction. They show us that good will always triumph over evil and that anything is possible if you set your mind to it. Heroes give us the inspiration we need to overcome problems in our own lives and that is why we create them. Beowulf perfectly embodies the idea of a hero. He defeats the evil Grendel andRead MoreThe Four Characters Of Beowulf And Modern Day Heros738 Words   |  3 Pagesheroesheros. Some heroes Heros take the direct approach and overcome obstacles with raw power and strength, both physical and moral. Others use their intelligence along with trickery and ruthlessness. It is hard for a hero to take a more direct approach than Beowulf. For example, he rips Grendel’s arm right out of its socket! He also shows moral strength by being champion of the values of his society. There are also some other things that can differentiate two types heros. The first the type thatRead MoreEssay about Beowulf and Modern Day Hero670 Words   |  3 PagesBeowulf and the modern day hero. All soldiers that are fighting for my country certainly comes to mind first, when I think about a modern day hero. Both hero’s are fighting for a good cause, get rewarded for what they do, and get treated with much re spect. Although a soldier might not withhold unworldly strength as one such as Beowulf, they both are putting their life at stake, which gives them both the title as being a hero. Both the U.S soldier and Beowulf portray characteristics of a hero. CourageRead More Pearl S. Buck - A Modern Day Hero Essay2921 Words   |  12 Pages Pearl S. Buck - A Modern Day Hero Introduction A friend of mine gave me a copy of The Good Earth as a birthday gift. Until then, I had never heard of the literary masterpiece or the author, Pearl S. Buck. The story captivated me. I found myself engrossed in the story of the poor farmer Wang Lung whose love for his land allowed him to overcome many odds including famine, flood and a revolution. Through hard work and dedication, Wang Lung became one of the wealthiest landowners in the Anweih provinceRead MoreEssay about Tiger Woods: A Modern Day Tragic Hero1044 Words   |  5 PagesThesis: Professional golfer Tiger Woods is a modern-day tragic hero because his flaw of excessive pride directly led to the destruction of both his personal relationships and his professional career. Tiger took complete responsibility for his actions, but it came too late and by then he ended up suffering consequences that were excessive compared to his errors. One reason why Tiger Woods could be characterized as a modern day tragic hero is because he demonstrates the tragic flaw of excessive prideRead MoreModern Hero vs. Anglo Saxon Hero Essay814 Words   |  4 PagesTodays modern day hero has similarities and differences than the Anglo-Saxon hero. The two heroes each have different values they believe in. Also, they are motivated to fight for different reasons. An Anglo-Saxon hero also fights differently than a modern day hero. An example of this comparison is Bono from the band U2 and Beowulf. Both modern day heroes, like Bono and Anglo-Saxon heroes, like Beowulf, try to improve their societies, but do it in different ways and for different reasons. Anglo-SaxonRead MoreHeroism : Beowulf And Cuchallain928 Words   |  4 PagesMany people disagree on who might qualify to be a hero. While a few people could qualify to be called a hero, many people have done some heroic things at some point in their life; Beowulf and Cuchallain demonstrated heroism through their actions. A hero in the medieval times is considered to be someone that is a noble character that fights for his honor or the honor of his kingdom or community and also someone that is willing to risk his or her life for the greater good. Beowulf was a brave man that

Development of Australian Law Free Essays

Western culture refers to the societal structures and norms that arose from Ancient Greece and spread throughout Europe. This Included the ways their governments were run and how their legal systems developed. Australia, being a colony of the British Empire was heavily influenced by the concepts and institutions established under English government and law, which had a profound Impact on how the state, especially that of New South Wales, and federal legal systems were originated and developed, based on what was relevant to the new colony and what was not. We will write a custom essay sample on Development of Australian Law or any similar topic only for you Order Now Origin of English Law To understand how the English legal system had an influence on the concepts and Institutions In the Australian legal system, It must first be known how It was established and developed. The Battle of Hastings in 1066 which saw the Normandy takeover by William the Conqueror, saw a change in the way England was ruled, and the further development of the Feudal System to English society. The King argued that he was above all law, whilst Parliament refuted this claim. What followed was centuries of fishing that saw the legal system develop and gain power over the monarchy in order to Magna Cart The Magna Cart was a 121 5 document, that King John, was forced to sign by his Curia Regis, or King’s court, as he had been abusing his powers. Restrictions were placed upon the amount of arbitrary power the King had, as well as outlines for the court systems. Its main purpose was to show that it was possible to put limitation upon the King and for the court to have some control over the ruling of the country. It was Woolworth who said â€Å"[T]he gaining of Magna Cart closes one period in the history of English law and begins another. It closes the period during which the law Is plopped by the power of the crown alone, and it begins the period which will end in the establishment of a Parliament, with power to take some share in the making a development of the law. † This movement which gave power to the King’s court was a founding component In the English constitution, which helped establish a Parliamentary system, and therefore is important in the Australian legal system. Similarly to England, Australia’s parliamentary and court systems are separate entities to the monarchy, with these institutions being able to govern themselves outside of the Governor-General or Governor’s capacity, thus showing the Influence hat the English legal system has. Royal Prerogative One problem faced by the King, parliament and courts was where one’s power started and stopped. According to common law, the King was not above the law, however, the monarchy argued that he was above all law, and could delegate tasks to others. However, under the case of Prohibitions these Issues were discussed and findings set out the limitations each of arm of the law. These findings have influenced the concepts and institutions that were established in the Australian legal system, and how much power each of arm of government has and what this entails, again roving that the concepts and Institutions of the English legal system are embedded in Australia. Separation of Powers Separation of powers refers to the government being divided into three arms- the I OFF (defining the legislation). The parliament and courts argued that nobody, including the King, was above the word of the law. In England, in Bantam’s Case, the ruling against the orders of the King gave way to the notion that the courts had power over the monarchy. However, it wasn’t until the reign of Charles I without a parliament from 1629-1640 and the subsequent events that this idea was cemented in law. Upon losing the Civil War against parliament in 1649, Charles I was tried for superseding the parliament and excessively taxing the people once he ran out of funds. He was the first European monarch to be tried without first being deposed, and this was an historical event in Western law. His defense being that he was King, and therefore above court Jurisdiction, however he was found to be guilty and sentenced to death. England was then ruled without parliament, known as an interregnum period, between 1649 and 1660. After this period, Charles II was asked back to be head of the monarchy by the parliament, however was placed under strict limitations that saw his powers restricted, and played a founding role in the idea that nobody was above the law. These actions thus saw the establishment of a separation of powers, a concept that has been put into place in the Australian legal system as well. Separation of powers is an integral part of the Australian legal system, as it stops any one branch of government gaining arbitrary power over the people. Discovery of Australia Terra Annulus, meaning land belonging to no one, is a term used to describe a new found land that gives permission for colonization. This meant that those native to Australia, with the land being declared terra annulus’ were stripped of any land rights or legal rights. This meant that the British were able to colonies the land, and formed their own society, that saw the brutal treatment of Aborigines and the planned destruction of their culture. This gave way to the formation of the Australian legal system as it is known today, as the English had free reign to build society as they saw fit. Development of Australian Parliamentary System Like England, the established ways of state and federal parliament were based on a institutional framework- a set of guidelines as to how run parliament and how power is distributed. The Australian Constitution and its state counterparts are the guidelines upon which the federal and state legal systems are based. This includes a Governor, whom acts as a representative of the Queen, showing how the English idea of a Head of State was still instilled in the Australian legal system. Like England, the New South Wales Government – as well as the six other states bar Queensland, Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory – and the Australian Federal Government has a bicameralism system of parliament. Bicameralism is to have two houses of parliament, in Australian state and federal these are the upper house – Senate – and lower house – House of Representatives. These are similar to the English House of Lords (Upper House) and House of Commons (Lower House). This concept was brought from England to Australia, where the lower house is voted in by the people and these are the ones who propose legislative change, whilst the upper house is decided from within government, must also pass any proposed bills and can keep a balance and check of power from the elected government, to ensure that arbitrary power is not gained. The Western legal traditions from England were new colony. Development of Australian Legislation Much of early Australian legislation was based upon English law, as it was the founder of the colony. However it was Blackstone who said that English law would only apply in the new colony as long as it was applicable to the context, under new circumstances. The idea that to move forward as a colony, that some laws would need to be changed to promote growth, can be seen in the Cable Case, where Henry Cable was labeled as a ‘laborer’ and as a ‘new settler of this place’ instead of a invoice, and treated to the legal rights of those without criminal records, which was against English Law which found anyone with a criminal record to be civilly dead, that is, to have no legal rights. This landmark case gave almost all the right to obtaining legal help, a fact that was important in a colony made up of majority of convicts, so that in the future there could be social and legal development. This landmark case also saw the Australian legal system as being able to hold its own, and that it could make laws outside of English law. Although this may be the case, English ideals and trustees used still remain an integral part of the legislation process. Conclusion Western legal tradition, or essentially English law, built the foundations upon which the Australian legal system was formed. The concepts and institutions used in the practice of governing and the making of legislation have been taken from that of English ways, however, Australian federal and state has developed its own legislation as it has seen fit in order to appease the people of the place, and not those in England. One cannot deny however, that the English legal traditions are ingrained in the New South Wales and Australian legal systems. How to cite Development of Australian Law, Papers

Strategic International Marketing Springer Science

Question: Discuss about the Strategic International Marketing Springer Science. Answer: Introduction: An expansion in the marketing activities to the global level and when the same are carried out across the two or more nationalities then it is to be termed as international marketing. These types of marketing transactions are carried out on large scale and are also referred as global marketing. The concept is the mechanism of marketing principles for the countries involved in the transactions and this type of trade occurs when the marketing managers of the company adopt a global plan effectively marketing their products and services on an international basis (Terpstra, Foley and Sarathy, 2012). This concept constitutes the marketing activities co-ordinated and integrated across multiple country markets. It can also be considered as the multinational process of planning and executing the price and promotion of the produced goods, ideas and services for creating and developing an exchange which will satisfy the consumers needs and requirements. The need for global marketing arises when the firm realizes the need for expansion in the business activities to a global level. The advanced communication and transportation has aided the business organizations and also has reduced the distance among the nations across the globe. Due to the emergence in the global markets the status of all the components has also acquired a global status, i.e. global supply and suppliers, global consumers and demand, global market etc. International marketing has also aided the business corporations with the introduction of updated technologies, use of contemporary approaches in the organizational structure such as e-commerce, e-business, Internet marketing etc. The below presented research project has been focused on the principles of international marketing for Vmoto Limited which is leading brand name (Czinkota and Ronkainen, 2013). The company is a manufacturer and distributor of scooters and specializes in electric powered two wheeler vehicles. The report has been focused on the midd le class consumers segment in China. Consumer segment in China On the basis of a research it has been concluded that approx 76 % of the economy's urban population will be considered middle class by 2022 (Iskyan. 2016). It has been defined that population from urban household have an earning of US$9,000 US$34,000 on a yearly basis. As per the research in 2000 approx 4% of the urban people were considered under the middle class segment. In 2015 China had approx 730 million people which were considered urban population (Babin and Zikmund, 2015). So even if no change observed in the figure and it is obvious to grow, and an estimate has been concluded that in 2022, over 550 million people in the economy will be considered middle class. And this figure is enough to make China the third-most populous country in the world in the middle class population. Product and services mix The business activities which is a well blended combination of both tangible i.e. physical goods and intangible i.e. the services provided from business corporations. And under concept the emphasis has been provided on the services as compared to the physical goods. For example lodging, programming or training (Meissner, 2012). It has to be considered as the top most or the first activity for any of the organization is deciding which product to be offered? If the company is offering more than one product or service then it will be aiding them in the issue of diversify risk, target on the different consumer and market segments, and also will help in building the credibility and trustworthiness of an established brand. All as a whole make a contribution towards the sustainability for the business organization. These activities also proves beneficial in balancing the need to be financially stable with fulfilling the social and corporate mission of the business. And this can be done by b y targeting simple designs to the subsidy market and more aspirational designs to the full-cost recovery market. Expansion of the product and service mix is a crucial task and needs to be considered carefully. There are a number of relevant and important points which are essentially required to be considered while expanding the mix. For instance, the capacity of the corporation for manufacturing and distributing the new products and services, the economic and technological condition, sales of new offerings should not have any impacts on that of the existing one etc. The below mentioned is the product and service mix that is marketed to the middle class population of China: Product: The company deals in scooters and the concept has been focused on the middle class people in China, then in this case the company can select the electronic scooter as the product and as mentioned the target market segment constitutes of the middle class people (Cova, Kozinets and Shankar, 2012). The product needs to be designed as per the convenience of this segment. Price: As the targeted segment is from the middle class group and has limited income sources and also buying patterns and purchasing power is also low. Vmoto need to adopt an economy pricing policy. According to this policy the company will be minimizing the expenses associated with the marketing, promotion and production (Solomon, 2014). And this is done in order to make the prices of the product low. Place: The company needs to make the products available from where the targeted customers (Middle class consumers) finds it easiest to shop. For instance the company can establish the stores and outlets in the local markets or on the high streets so as for the convenience of the consumers. Promotion: Advertising, sales and promotion makes the consumers aware about the goods and services offered by the business organization/ Vmoto should adopt the promotional approaches which are the most familiar one to the targeted segment (Wedel and Kamakura, 2012). For instance, ads in newspapers, pamphlets, hoardings, use of social media-Face-book, Twitter etc. People: Human resource is the most significant one of the business organization as all the operational activities are based and related on them only. Vmoto should have a well skilled, equipped and potential staff which should posses the knowledge of all the operational activities to be carried out within the organizational structure. An efficient staff leads in an increase in the level of productivity of the business corporation. Processes: The processes are the services offered, the manufacturing, customers services provided by the executives. After utilizing the product the this mix increases the satisfaction level of the consumers (Gunter and Furnham, 2014). Physical Evidence: All the services offered by the company have some physical evidence. For this case the stores, outlets and the showrooms constitutes of physical evidence. The stores and the outlets should be well maintained and arranged in a manner that it makes more and more customers attracted. Nature, Size and Scope Nature: The term nature constitutes the income level, buying habits, purchasing power, standard of living, livelihood pattern, consumption patterns etc. As the report has been focused on the middle class segment of the consumers. 70% of the urban population to 200 million people, according to an authoritative survey which was carried out on approx 40,000 households conducted in August 2015. This consumers is well educated and qualified and is the most fastest growing segment of the Chinese population. They are also well-traveled and informed, and tech savvyall factors that should make them proponents of political change (Pei. 2016). Moreover An estimate was made that their earnings were between US$9,000 and US$16,000 per year (Iskyan. 2016). But there is an expectation of change in their income level by 2022 due to the employment provided by the growing number of higher-paying high-tech and service industry, Moreover an approx 54% will be classified as upper middle class meaning the y earn between US$16,000 and US$34,000 a year. Meanwhile, a growth of 9% a year through 2020 is expected in Chinese consumption (the amount of stuff people buy). Size: As per the survey carried out in 2012 an approx 54% of Chinas urban households were considered mass middle class. according to the Boston Consulting Group. Overall, the consumer economy is forecasted to grow by 55 percent, to US$6.5 trillion (Solomon, Russell-Bennett and Previte, 2012). Thats an increase of US$2.3 trillion which is like adding a new consumer market 1.3 times larger than the current consumer markets of Germany or the U.K. And thats assuming that Chinas GDP will grow by 5.5 percent a year, which is lower than the projected growth of 6.5 to 7 percent a year. Scope: This constitutes of the future developments and enhancements in the literacy, income level, buying habits, standard of living and lifestyle the This will be done by the emergence of the high-tech industries, the job opportunities provided by the business corporations. This has brought a change in the standard level of this segment which directly or indirectly has impacts on the purchasing power, buying habits and lifestyle. Analysis of market segment The concept is all about having proper data and knowledge about the type of consumers the company is targeting, and the tracks used to approach the same. This step is the key for focusing the marketing efforts done by the marketing team of the organization on the groups or the segments of the consumers. This step provides a better view to develop an approach for the development of the goods as per the needs of the consumers. It also aids the company with an increase in the sales (Schtte and Ciarlante, 2016). The below mentioned is the analysis carried out on the market segment of China : Demographics: This is one of the most effective parameter which can be used in segmenting the target market (Pestle analysis. 2015). This constitutes age, gender, race location, educational background and more. The company should think about the type of consumers. For instance, scooters comes under those vehicles which can be used by any age group, easy to handled and can be use for any location. Psycho-graphics: In this category of segment the personality traits of the customers such as their values, beliefs, perceptions, interests, attitudes, opinion and behavior (Baker, 2014). This data will help the corporation in building and developing a clearer persona for each of targeted segments or the groups. Research: The company can carry out additional and detailed research so as to get direct and quick feedbacks from the targeted consumers and markets. And this is also done for examining the customers' behaviors. This provides the corporation regarding the needs and retirements their perceptions and beliefs and also buying habits and patterns so as to develop better products in order to provide a greater level of satisfaction (Pei. 2016). For instance Vmoto needs to execute the research report in order to make the necessary developments and up-gradations in the features of the scooters, this can be done by considering the feedbacks of the consumers. Strategy: The last step in the process of analysis of market segment is the planning and developing strategies and tacts for tackling the rivals and remaining sustainable in the Once the company have a clear view about the segmented target market an also a clear idea about the differences between the same then Vmoto can make use of this data in development of marketing strategies and plans. The strategies should be developed on the needs and perceptions of the consumers, the company should consider their feedbacks so as to provide the customers a good and quality products which will aid in making their lives better (Armstrong and et al, Anitsal, M.M., 2012). The research executed should clear and solve the issues and the problems of the customers and clients and after that only the company will be able to incorporate the findings into an effective marketing plan. Justification to product and service mix The most prime task for a business organization is of deciding which products should be offered (Marsh. 2017). The company will be aided from the risk of diversity if they opt to offer more than one product or service, target various market segments, and also bring development in the credibility of an existing and established brand and this will also aids in making the business organization more sustainable (Patidar. 2015). The concept of expansion of product mix has to be considered at priority and carefully. While taking decisions regarding the expansion activities of the mix, the organization should consider the resources that are to be required by the new products or service (Wedel and Kamakura, 2012). The following are some of the points which are required to be considered as significant one while expansing the product or service mix, the organizations capacity and capability to produce and distribute the goods, technologically upgraded and updated, economical stability, impacts of the sales of new offerings on that of the existing one and also fulfilling the needs and requirements of the consumers. Macro factors of Australian Middle class population The concept of strategic management is concerned with the management of the contemporary which constitutes of development of goals and instituting programs which assists in the fulfillment of these goals. Environmental scanning has to be considered as one of the significant component of strategic management and through which the managers and superiors can execute the study over various political, economical, socio-cultural, technological, legal and environmental factors. This scanning aids the organization with the identification of the untapped markets and avoid the expensive mistakes (Wilkinson, 2013). PESTLE analysis has to be considered as the strategic management tools that will also help the managers brainstorming and organize the ideas during the process of environmental scanning. PESTLE is an acronym for Political, Economical, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental. The prime objective of this analysis is the identification of all the various external components which are capable in influencing the the business activities of an organization. This analysis aids the managers with the identification of the risks and make this information available in a form so as to be utilized in the process of decision making. For instance the change in the legal aspects will be known by Vmoto by executing and making use of the legal factors from this analysis (Loveridge and Mok, 2012). This will help the company in development and building the decisions regarding the legal issues and the other related concerns with the factor. The below mentioned are the macro factors of Australian middle class population: Political: The commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under parliamentary democracy. This factor refers to the various government policies which are imposed by the governing or the local authorities of the concerning economy (Yksel, 2012). There are number of policies which have great impacts on the middle class population in the economy. For instance, there are many policies related to economic liberalization, Anti-union, free trade, rural and agriculture etc. These all the policies are very much capable in influencing the middle class group of the population. For example the policies on rural and agriculture will have an impact on the agricultural products which will indirectly effect the consumption of vegetables and fruits for middle class population (Weinstein and Cahill, 2014). Economical: The country have an enviable, strong economy with a per capita GDP on par with the four dominant west European economies. Australia have a copious and diverse natural resources which has developed a high level of attraction for foreign investment and also have an comprehensive reserves of coal, iron ore, copper, gold, uranium, natural gas and other renewable natural resources. As the economic condition of the country is stable and hence there are lot of employment opportunities for the middle class population. This makes them financially stable. Social: English is the most common language to be spoken in Australia, approx 80% of population make use of this language (McDonald, 2012). The GDP of Australia contributes an approx figure of 4.5% for education purpose, also 99% of the Adults are literate. This factor also constitutes of the diverse religions, traditions and languages spoken in the country. Technological: A growth has been observed in the household access to the Internet from 1.1 million in 1998 to 4.7 million in 2005-06. The expenditure on research and development was also more, it showed a growth of approx 15.7 billion Australian dollar in 2004-05 and it was 19% more than that compared to that of previous two years. There had been many innovations in the industrial sector which developed and generated a number of job opportunities for the middle class people in the economy. Environmental: As Australia is a large island continent and is also from the top most countries who have a diversity in biological factors. 5% of the Australian land is occupied by the national parks and that provides an excellent places such as deserts, coral reefs, rain-forests, and also the animals ad the plants that inhabit them (Frederiksen, Solomon and Brehony, 2013). These all the aspects have direct or indirect impacts on the middle class population in the economy. Legal: The legal system in Australia is totally base on the the fundamental belief in the rule of law, justice, independence of the judiciary. There is a sense of equality in the economy and this has been carried out before the laws and safeguards were imposed (Verbeke, 2013). The legal factor constitutes of the tax and tariffs, the laws and the regulations and the changes in the same will impose many impacts on the middle class group. Conclusion From the above executed analysis it can be inferred that Vmoto Limited is an multinational corporation and is a manufacture and distributor of scooters. The research report has been focused on the analysis which has been carried out for Middle class consumer segment of China. The company also wants to launch a new product i.e. electrical scooters for the same consumer segment. A brief discussion has been presented for the nature, size and scope of the mentioned market segment. Further an analysis of product and service mix has been done for the new product in the markets of China, also a justification has been provided for the same. Moreover the process of market segmentation process has been discussed and at last the macro- environmental factors for the Middle class population of Australia. References Terpstra, V., Foley, J. and Sarathy, R., 2012. International marketing. Naper Press. Czinkota, M.R. and Ronkainen, I.A., 2013. International marketing. Cengage Learning. Babin, B.J. and Zikmund, W.G., 2015. Exploring marketing research. Cengage Learning. Meissner, H.G., 2012. Strategic international marketing. Springer Science Business Media. Cova, B., Kozinets, R. and Shankar, A., 2012. Consumer tribes. Routledge. Solomon, M.R., 2014. Consumer behavior: Buying, having, and being (Vol. 10). Engelwood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall. Wedel, M. and Kamakura, W.A., 2012. Market segmentation: Conceptual and methodological foundations (Vol. 8). Springer Science Business Media. Gunter, B. and Furnham, A., 2014. Consumer Profiles (RLE Consumer Behaviour): An Introduction to Psychographics (Vol. 5). Routledge. Solomon, M., Russell-Bennett, R. and Previte, J., 2012. Consumer behaviour. Pearson Higher Education AU. Schtte, H. and Ciarlante, D., 2016. Consumer behaviour in Asia. Springer. Baker, M.J., 2014. Marketing strategy and management. Palgrave Macmillan. Armstrong, G., Adam, S., Denize, S. and Kotler, P., 2014. Principles ofmarketing. Pearson Australia. Anitsal, I., Girard, T. and Anitsal, M.M., 2012. An Application of Services Marketing Mix Framework: How do Retailers Communicate Information on Their Sales Receipts?,. Business Studies Journal, 4(2), pp.77-90. Wedel, M. and Kamakura, W.A., 2012. Market segmentation: Conceptual and methodological foundations (Vol. 8). Springer Science Business Media. Wilkinson, F. ed., 2013. The dynamics of labour market segmentation. Elsevier. Loveridge, R. and Mok, A.L., 2012. Theories of labour market segmentation: a critique. Springer Science Business Media. Weinstein, A. and Cahill, D.J., 2014. Lifestyle market segmentation. Routledge. McDonald, M., 2012. Market Segmentation. John Wiley Sons, Ltd. Frederiksen, L.W., Solomon, L.J. and Brehony, K.A. eds., 2013. Marketing health behavior: Principles, techniques, and applications. Springer Science Business Media. Verbeke, A., 2013. International business strategy. Cambridge University Press. Dunning, J.H., 2014. The Globalization of Business (Routledge Revivals): The Challenge of the 1990s. Routledge. Yksel, I., 2012. Developing a multi-criteria decision making model for PESTEL analysis. International Journal of Business and Management, 7(24), pp.52-66. Pestle analysis, 2015, What is environmental analysis, Assessed on 26th March 2017, https://pestleanalysis.com/what-is-environmental-analysis/. Iskyan, K, 2016, Chinas middle class is exploding, Assessed on 26rd March 2017, https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-middle-class-is-exploding-2016-8?IR=T. Pei, M, 2016, Chinas middle class is about to demand big changes, Assessed on 26nd 2017, https://fortune.com/2016/05/26/china-middle-class-changes/. Patidar, M, 2015 Steps of international marketing, Assessed on 26nd March 2017, https://www.enotesmba.com/2015/03/steps-in-process-of-international-marketing.html. Marsh, E, 2017, Seven elements of international marketing, Assessed on 26nd March, https://www.internationalman.com/articles/seven-elements-of-international-marketing.

United Airlines Flight 173 Accident

Pricing Practices in the Denver, Colorado, Newspaper Market Essays

Pricing Practices in the Denver, Colorado, Newspaper Market Essays Pricing Practices in the Denver, Colorado, Newspaper Market Paper Pricing Practices in the Denver, Colorado, Newspaper Market Paper Beginning with the basics, economics is based on scarcity. Price has no connection to morality or â€Å"objective value†. Since everything has a cost, price is therefore a signal of how scarce a good is. The price also tells us how much the good is worth to the marginal consumer. Knowing that firms are greedy and want to maximize profits, the joint operating agreement between the Post and News will lead to one independent newspaper in Denver. If there is only one newspaper, then they are solely responsible for the advertising, circulation, and production. With the merger between two companies, there is obviously no reason to have two editors, two directors of each department, etc. Even the amount of people delivering newspapers will be cut in half. Therefore, jobs are going to be lost with the merge. With only one company, the Denver Newspaper Agency can charge any rate they want for circulation prices and they can increase advertising costs because they are the only newspaper to advertise in. At first, if all the consumers continue to buy newspapers, there will most likely be a shortage in supply. If P1 P*, then QD1 QS1. Therefore, a shortage exists and some consumers have incentive to bid up the price. As price increases, quantity supply increases, and quantity demand decreases. This will continue until equilibrium (P*) is met and the shortage will disappear. At equilibrium QD=QS=Q*, therefore no one has incentive to change behavior. Price remains constant. Figure 1 (attached) shows a graphical explanation. If consumers in Denver decide that the Denver Newspaper Agency is charging too much for a newspaper, then consumers will stop buying the product. If P2 P*, and QS1 QD1, a surplus exists. Firms can’t sell all goods, therefore price decreases, quantity demand increases, and quantity supply decreases. This continues until equilibrium is met again at P*. This relationship is shown in Figure 2. The relationship also explains if The Denver Newspaper Agency tries to charge high prices for advertising. Consumers will stop buying advertisements causing a decrease in quantity demand. Figure 3 shows the demand curve shift right as there would be an increase in consumers for the Denver Newspaper Agency since it would be the only supplier. The graph shows the initial equilibrium where QD1=QS1=Q1. The increase in consumers causes the shift in demand from D1 to D2. At initial price (P1), with new demand curve (D2), QD2 QS2, therefore there is a shortage. Consumers compete for scarce goods and bid up price, so price increases, quantity supply increases, and quantity demand decreases; therefore shortage disappears. This will continue until P* (Pt. B. ) where QS3=QD3=Q3. 2. Price discrimination occurs when the same product is sold at more than one price. In general, managers try to identify submarkets on the basis of an individual’s price elasticity of demand. There are three types of price discrimination: first, second, and third degree. The case of selling classified advertising that varies in price according to the value of the item advertised is an example of the most common form of price discrimination: third-degree price discrimination. This type of discrimination is most popular because although managers would prefer to identify the preferences of individuals, it is too expensive. Instead, they chose the next best alternative. This alternative is to identify individuals with similar traits and group them together. Buyers of the product must fall into specific groups with considerable differences in price elasticity of demand for the product. For example, a newspaper knows that an average person is willing to pay more to advertise a car than to advertise a bicycle. One reason to consider is the â€Å"return on investment†. I, personally, would be willing to pay more to advertise my car knowing that I would be making thousands of dollars off the sale. With a bike, it may not be worth it if the return is only a few hundred dollars. Like I mentioned in the previous answer, price has no relation to morality or objective value. Taking an ad out in a newspaper for a funeral is very expensive. However, the newspaper knows that consumers are willing to pay the price because it is one of the easiest ways to get the information out to friends and family in the community. Another reason may be that funeral homes usually take care of all the arrangements, so consumers don’t know how much the newspaper advertisement really cost until they see the bill of the entire funeral broken down. Simply put, the person advertising a funeral has a much less elastic demand than the person advertising a bicycle. The person selling the bicycle has more substitutes. Figure 4 (attached) illustrates third degree price discrimination. 3. Managers practice price discrimination either when they sell physically identical products at different prices or when similar products are sold at prices with different ratios to marginal cost. The strategy works best in markets with various classes of buyers who are differentiated in price elasticities of demand. In order for price discrimination to exist, there has to be two or more distinct groups, the groups must be identifiable, there must be market power, and the good has to be difficult to resell. In the case of airline fares, there are different types of travelers, identifiable groups (business and leisure), and the airline ticket cannot be resold. Once the flight has happened, the experience cannot be shared and the ticket cannot be used again. With local newspapers, there are different types of customers that have different reasons for advertising different items. Once the paper is printed and issued, the advertisement cannot be used again. It cannot be resold. I would argue that the example of airline fares is a better example of price discrimination. It is easier to identify different groups of people traveling than it is to identify different reasons as for why people want an advertisement. The experience of a flight on an airplane cannot be resold. Although an advertisement is only good for the one issue of a newspaper printed, it can still be seen by multiple people in a household or workspace. An airline ticket can only be used by one person. It is also easier to identify passengers as business or leisure. In the case of newspaper advertisements, it is harder to identify groups of people.

Final reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Final reflection - Essay Example The paper will rely on knowledge gained throughout the semester on child-language development to appropriately advice these parents. How Children Develop Speech and Language Skills Human communication is an acquired skill gained over time. Human communication can be compared to technology in that both have a basic structure of function, but change over time as the needs of a society change. While human communication development is procedural, the amount of time it takes should not result in a child taking too long to understand comprehensively their first language. Children start developing their language skills immediately they get born. However, at the very early stage of their life, these developments can hardly be noticed (Bochner & Jane 122). As a child grows, their parents should keenly observe how their development in language is fairing. Parents must be in a position to realize any cases of abnormality in their children’s language development. This should help them add ress the problem as early as possible. At the age of six months, a child should have started showing signs that indicate that they are indeed learning how to communicate. They should be able to turn to sources of sound upon hearing them. They should further respond in shock to sudden, loud noises. Children in this age start making cries for different needs watches people's face as they walk and start to imitate coughs and other sounds (Bochner & Jane 123). These are the first signs that a child is learning their communication skills. Although the skills can hardly be noticed by most parents as signs of language development, they help a child to start having a memory on how to respond to different situations. This includes when they are in shock, hungry or in pain. At the age of nine months, a child should manage to respond to their name and anything else that rings around them, for example, a telephone. At this age, a child understands when they get told ‘no’. They can also get what they want through gestures and starts playing social games with those around them. A child gets to enjoy when people are around her and starts to babble or repeat sounds. Communication skills at this age can be identified. It is, however, worth noting that some children may take a slightly longer period than this. The period should not extend one year since they were born. At the age of one year, a child can follow simple one-step instructions like ‘sit down’. When someone near them points to something, a child gets to look for it. A child at this age uses three or more than three words in their communication but will mostly use gestures. A child also combines many sounds as though talking (Pressley & Christine

Occupational Therapy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Occupational Therapy - Essay Example On a personal note, occupational therapy is beneficial for people who underwent surgery, stroke or any other medical disorders and would want to be able to do their activities of daily living with minimal supervision and maximum adaptation to their current condition. The Philosophy of Occupational Therapy As with other health professionals, occupational therapists adhere to different schools of thought for the planning of treatment. There are, however, basic philosophical premises underlying occupational therapy, which foster a sense of professional identity and guide practice.In order to understand the occupational therapy process, it is important to have some consensus on the underlying philosophy of occupational therapy, which is the unifying force of the profession. The concept of occupation is central to occupational therapy. Nevertheless, the term itself has been used in the literature in various, sometimes ambiguous ways. It is best to stand with the position of AOTA (Assembly of the American Occupational Therapy Association) that occupations involve mental abilities and skills but do not always include an associated observable or physical behavior. In the OT process, one of the ultimate goals of treatment is the developing, nurturing and restoring of occupations. It is the performance aspects of occupation that have most often been discussed in OT literature, but these are most accurately described as â€Å"activities†. Three major, closely related themes are prevalent in occupational therapy literature. The first is the use of purposeful activity that includes activities that have personal and cultural meaning and provide a basis for â€Å"exploration and learning, practicing and achieving mastery† .

The Sports Goods Industry Of India Marketing Essay

The Sports Goods Industry Of India Marketing Essay The roots of Sports Goods Industry in India are in Sialkot, Pakistan. In 1947, when the partition of the country took place, many of the skilled Hindu craftsmen migrated to Indian part of Punjab and settled in Jalandhar where one of the major sports cluster is now located. Later on some of the migrants shifted to Meerut. The sports Goods Industry of India is spread over the length and breadth of the country. It is located in Jalandhar, Meerut, Delhi, Gurgaon, Agra, Mumbai, Moradabad and Kolkata. The industry is concentrated largely in Meerut and Jalandhar. Punjab and Meerut have emerged as the leading centers for sports goods manufacture and the only industry which appears to offer some prospects is sports goods industry of Punjab, Meerut is yet to be powerful. (Chander Mohan, 2002). Both Meerut and Jalandhar together claim more than 80% of the domestic market. A major share of all Indias output is accounted for by these two centers (Pandit, 1985, p.116) The sports goods industry is mainly concentrated in the cottage and small scale sector. The industry is highly labour intensive, provides employment to weaker sections of the society. Sports Goods Industry is highly labour intensive industry consists miniature workshops with the exception of medium and large scale units. (Sharma, 1991, p.10). The industry has shown a tremendous growth over the last ten decades. The exports of sports goods industry can be seen as: The Indian sports goods export has shown an increasing trend. It manufactures approximately 318 items (Manzoor Ahmad, p. 4). Today many of the Indian manufacturers are producing the products under their own brand name. They are also producing for other international sports brands. The major item that are exported are Inflatable balls, Hammocks, Cricket Bats, Boxing Equipments and Protective Equipments. The item wise export of sports goods for 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 is as follows: The largest component of export is Inflatable balls which accounts for 29% of total exports followed by Hammocks which accounts for 9% and cricket bats accounting for 8%. The total domestic market for various sports goods is estimated to be around Rs. 170 crores of which cricket related items account for 70% of the market share. (Exim Bank, 1998). The production structure of the industry consists of four levels: Big units which mainly cover export market apart from supplying goods to domestic market. Small units which manufactures only for domestic market or as per the orders of exporters. Sub contractors who are catering to the demand of these big and small units and producing exclusively as per the orders received. Household workers who are producing goods at home. Some of them obtain raw material directly from the factories while some of them produce as pr the orders of subcontractors. These workers are paid in piece rate basis. 4.2 SPORTS GOODS CLUSTER OF JALANDHAR Jalandhar is an important city of Punjab located in the doaba region. It is located between two rivers i.e. Satluj and Beas. It is also situated between two important cities of Punjab i.e. Ludhiana (70 kms) and Amritsar (60 kms). Jalandhar is also a city of location of two important clusters of handtools and the leather cluster. Apart from these two clusters, Sports Goods Cluster is also located at Jalandhar. Today more than 50% of Indias export of sports goods is from Jalandhar alone (As per the records of SGEPC, Delhi). The emergence of sports goods cluster of Jalandhar can be divided into two parts:- Sports Goods Cluster before Independence Sports Goods Cluster after Independence 4.2.1 Sports Goods Cluster before Independence The origin of sports goods cluster of Jalandhar can be traced back to Sialkot (now in Pakistan). Prior to partition of the country, Sialkot was the sports goods production centre. Sialkot is located in foothills of Himalayas. The wood required for manufacturing of sports items was available in large quantity. The credit for introducing cricket in India goes to British army. As the number of British people increases, the demand for sports equipments also increases. After sometime, middle class families of India also get increased in playing the games. But the increased demand of sports equipments could not be easily fulfilled by those items which are imported from England. Further, their prices were also high and an average Indian cannot afford it as the cost of transportation was very high. The first item to be manufactured was a tennis racquet by the firm Uberai Ltd. in 1888. This firm was founder of sports industry in India (Sharma, 1990, p.16). According to a myth, sports goods in dustry starts in Sialkot, when a british man broke his tennis racquet. Due to unavailability of immediate replacement, a local person Mr. Ganda Singh Uberai, a clerk in army was asked to get it repair. Mr, Ganda called a local artisan to repair racquet. The man did a perfect job and sports goods industry comes into existence. There was manufacturing of only racquet on small scale till 1895. Then with the passage of time, with the spread of education in India, various European games like cricket, badminton and squash gained popularity in Indian educational institutions and encouraged the production of sports goods related to these games (Sharma, 1990, p.16).The product range further expanded to include cricket and hockey balls, footballs, polo sticks etc. By that time, many workers get training in Uberio Ltd. and start setting up their own units. By the time of partition, Sialkot has earned a reputed name as manufacturer of sports goods. In 1946-47, sports goods worth Rs. 3 crore wer e exported from this centre and industry was estimated to employ 40000 to 45000 workers directly and indirectly (Pandit, 1985, p116) 4.2.2 Sports Goods Cluster after Independence In 1947, due to partition of the country, Sialkot becomes a part of Pakistan. The entrepreneurs belonging to one community decides to shift from Sialkot. The workers belonging to that community also migrated along with the entrepreneurs. As per the resettlement plan of Government of India, initially these migrants settled in Batala in Punjab, which was near to Sialkot and close to hills where the wood required for manufacturing sports items could be grown. But as per resettlement plan of Government of India, these people shift from Batala to Jalandhar. Jalandhar was found to be suitable place for manufacturing sports items due to its location near the foothills of Himalayas which assured regular supply of wood and further the presence of leather cluster assured regular supply of leather. At Jalandhar, both of the raw material required were easily available. Some of the migrants shifted to Merutt, where also both wood and leather were available. The migrants located at Jalandhar start ed manufacturing of sports items and flourished as a cluster consisting of a number of firms working together. Jalandhar industry is located traditionally in two localities, Basti Nau and Basti Sheikh. With the growth of industry, many firms start up their units in the adjoining areas of Basti Danishmandan, Nakodar road etc. The workers working in the industry are settled in Bhargav camp, Gandhi camp and Basti Danishmandan. Now entrepreneurs have started setting up modern units in Surgical and Sports Goods Complex, industrial area, located on the highway to the city. However the network of traditional business process is so strong that even these firms have their offices in Basti Nau and Basti Sheikh- the traditional location. 4.3 MAJOR PRODUCTS OF THE CLUSTER Sports goods is a wider term and any item which is used for sporting activities is also included in this term. A number of products are covered under this category. The various sports goods can be classified into following sectors: A. Inflatable Balls 1. Footballs 2. Soft leather goods 3. Bladders 4. Water Polo balls 5. Base balls 6. Volley Balls 7. Tennis balls 8. Rugby balls 9. Hand balls 10. Punch balls 11. Golf and Billiard balls 12. Net balls B. Sports Equipment 1. Cricket equipment 2. Hockey equipment 3. Badminton, Tennis Squash Rackets 4. Childrens playing games and toys 5. Shuttle cocks 6. Exercise and Gymnastic equipments 7. Sports nets 8. Carrom boards 9. Chessman and Chess boards 10. Athletic equipment 11. Metal Trophies and medals 12. Lawn and Table Tennis equipment 13. Rolling skates 14. Skipping ropes 15. Weight lifting equipment 16. Health Fitness equipment 17. Club equipment 18. Playground equipment C. Sports Wears 1. Shirts, trousers, track suits 2. Ties, bags and badges 3. Sports shoes D. Sports Protective Gears 1. Protective equipment Arm Leg guards, Head guard, Chest guard 2. Shin Guard 3. Helmets 4. Hand gloves 5. Boxing gloves and boots

If There Is Nothing Lurking in the Darkness, Then Illumination and Exposure Are Pointless

Charles Brockden Brown’s novel Wieland is famous as the first American Gothic novel. It was published in 1798, at the very end of the Eighteenth Century and just fifteen years after the end of the American Revolution. While the novel was written in a time still dominated by Enlightenment-era thinking, the novel questions many of the assumptions of the Enlightenment. The realizations of the limits of the Enlightenment become apparent as the book progresses. The novel offers the characters Wieland and Pleyel as opposites in the novel, the former representing religion and the latter representing rationalism. Wieland is a novel that interacts with epistemology, that is, the study of knowledge; and the two characters are prime examples to focus on. The Enlightenment was characterized by the belief that the universe is a logical and orderly place and the hope that humanity would uncover the laws that govern it. Multiple scientific discoveries led to achievements in politics, the arts, and religion; but as the work proceeded, the importance of religion seemed to decline. As the years went on and questions remained unanswered after the American Revolution, it became assumed that not everything was as logical as it seemed at the spark of the Enlightenment. Another factor that added to the â€Å"burning out† of the Enlightenment was the French Revolution. Americans saw what a bloodbath the revolution in Europe had been and realized that the American Revolution could have just as easily been as bad. The combination of the limits of the Enlightenment with the near-missed massacre led writers to adopt a dark and opposite side of the reasonable thinking of the Enlightenment: the Gothic. This movement became the exploration of the extremes of emotions and limits of human understanding, so it included many mysterious happenings. Gothic literature typically contains old ruins, inexplicable occurrences, and overall dark environments. The main purpose of Gothic work was to respond to the shortcomings of the Enlightenment. In Brown’s Wieland, the characters Wieland and Pleyel are colleagues who share different views on life. Wieland, the brother of Clara the narrator, is a man of religion and emotion while Pleyel, the beloved of Clara, is a man of reason. The novel begins with the story of Wieland’s grandfather, which is disgustingly Gothic. The son of an esteemed family, Grandfather Wieland eventually marries the daughter of a merchant, which is the first conflict for the Wieland family line. The next Wieland (father to Clara) is a very religious man who develops an obsession for his temple. His constant brooding over the need to be in his church leads him to â€Å"spontaneously combust† one evening at his beloved establishment. Grandfather Wieland seems to curse the family by betraying his noble line, and his son is the victim of an unexplainable, possibly divine occurrence; Brown is using the most blatant Gothic references he can. At the end of this stained family tree is Wieland, Clara’s brother. He is a man of religion just like his father, however his character is not a true Calvinist like his father was. Wieland hears voices from an unknown source, and due to his outstanding faith, he attributes them to God. His connection with this formless voice leads Wieland to trust in his own religious mysticism. Positive that he hears, knows, and properly understands God’s will; Wieland accepts the divine orders given to him and murders his wife and children. Carwin tells Wieland that it has been him the whole time throwing his voice and playing with Wieland’s head, but Wieland does not let himself be deterred from his heavenly task to kill Clara by the â€Å"demon† Carwin. It is not until Carwin throws his voice again that Wieland is persuaded into believing that he has acted out of madness. Only by hearing the shapeless voice does Wieland accept that he has done wrong and believe that he is insane; he does not believe Carwin when he reveals the truth because he is so certain that God has been speaking to him, but when he truly understands (because â€Å"God†/Carwin speaks to Wieland), he decides to kill himself. Pleyel is Wieland’s closest friend, even though he has no connection with religion. His opposition provided Wieland and him with an extensive amount of room to discuss their personal beliefs. Having spent his youth abroad, Pleyel is a man of reason who allows his knowledge of the world to rule his decisions. Clara even states that Pleyel rejects â€Å"all guidance but his reasons,† confirming his Enlightenment-ness even further. Even though he and Wieland are unlike each other, they both offer views on the Enlightenment. A moment in the novel in which Pleyel parallels with Wieland’s character is when the former hears Carwin throwing his voice to give the illusion that Clara and Carwin are together and have been intimate with each other. Being the man of reason that he is, Pleyel decides that since he heard Clara and Carwin speaking it is only logical to conclude that what he hears is reality. He then takes it upon himself to court another woman since Clara â€Å"evidently† is not the virtuous woman he thought she was. Pleyel does not trust Clara after hearing Carwin’s biloquism, but if he truly loved her then he would take her word over what he heard. Unfortunately, Pleyel trusts that his own mind is able to discern the truth over Clara’s heart and runs away from the reality he cannot handle. He trusts that his reasoning is greater than his emotions and ignores his own feelings for Clara, which leads him to marry another woman before he finally ends up with Clara years later. Charles Brockden Brown’s Wieland is a Gothic novel of epistemology. It is unlike anything else that has been read this semester as it is one of the earliest Gothic novels written. The ancestral curse that befalls the Wieland family when Grandfather Wieland taints the noble bloodline is first carried to his son, whose only gratification is in his temple, who spontaneously combusts; and is then carried to his grandson who believes and trusts so firmly in his faith that he cannot differentiate between a biloquist and God’s actual orders and kills his family and himself. These â€Å"supernatural† occurrences are key in Gothic novels, even though Wieland and Clara are the only two characters who fall for them. Pleyel, on the other hand, relies on his senses and instead of trusting what seems to be true (like Wieland), he trusts (what he concludes) has to be true. The ongoing tug-of-war of knowledge throughout the story between Wieland’s faith and Pleyel’s reason comes to an end when Wieland, the man of religion, murders his entire family because of his mistake of certainty. Brown is offering his take on the post-Enlightenment stance on religion through the tragic flaw and downfall of Wieland; while at the same time showing how the limits of human understanding in Pleyel cause him to not believe Clara and marry another woman first. Even though both men lose their (first) wives, Pleyel manages to repair his relationship with Clara and marry her. This must be the victory of reason over religion. By embracing the dark side of the Enlightenment that was virtually untouched before and during the Eighteenth Century, Brown’s Wieland attributes religious mysticism to madness and shows the flaw of the Enlightenment to be the power of human emotions.

Night World : Daughters of Darkness Chapter 1

Rowan, Kestrel, and Jade,† Mary-Lynnette said as she and Mark passed the old Victorian farmhouse. â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"Rowan. And Kestrel. And Jade. The names of thegirls who're moving in.† Mary-Lynnette tilted herhead toward the farmhouse-her hands were full of lawn chair. â€Å"They're Mrs. Burdock's nieces. Don't you remember I told you they were coming to live with her?† â€Å"Vaguely,† Mark said, readjusting the weight of the telescope he was carrying as they trudged up the manzanita-covered hill. He spoke shortly, which Mary-Lynnette knew meant he was feeling shy. â€Å"They're pretty names,† she said. â€Å"And they must be sweet girls, because Mrs. Burdock said so.† â€Å"Mrs. Burdock is crazy.† â€Å"She's just eccentric. And yesterday she told meher nieces are all beautiful. I mean, I'm sure she's prejudiced and everything, but she was pretty definite. Each one of them gorgeous, each one a completely different type.† â€Å"So they should be going to California,† Mark saidin an almost-inaudible mutter. â€Å"They should be posing for Vogue.Where do you want this thing?† he added as they reached the top of the hill. â€Å"Right here.† Mary-Lynnette put the lawn chairdown. She scraped some dirt away with her foot so the telescope would sit evenly. Then she said casually, â€Å"You know, I thought maybe we could go over there tomorrow and introduce ourselves-sort of welcome them, you know†¦.† â€Å"Will you cut itout?†Mark said tersely. â€Å"I can organize my own life. If I want to meet a girl, I'll meet a girl. I don't need help.† â€Å"Okay, okay. You don't need help. Be careful withthat focuser tube-â€Å" â€Å"And besides, what are we going to say?† Mark said, on a roll now. â€Å"‘Welcome to Briar Creek, where nothing ever happens. Where there are more coyotes than people. Where if you really want some excitement you can ride into town and watch theSaturday night mouse racing at the Gold Creek Bar†¦.'† â€Å"Okay. Okay.† Mary-Lynnette sighed. She-looked at her younger brother, who just at the moment was illuminated by the last rays of sunset. To see him now, you'd think he'd never been sick a day in hislife. His hair was as dark and shiny as Mary Lynnette's, his eyes were as blue and clear and snapping. He had the same healthy tan as she did; thesame glow of color in his cheeks. But when he'd been a baby, he'd been thin andscrawny and every breath had been a challenge.His asthma had been so bad he'd spent most of his second year in an oxygen tent, fighting to stay alive. Mary-Lynnette, a year and a half older, had won dered every day if her baby brother would ever come home. It had changed him, being alone in that tent whereeven their mother couldn't touch him. When hecame out he was shy and clingy-holding on to theirmother's arm all the time. And for years he hadn'tbeen able to go out for sports like the other kids. That was all a long time ago-Mark was going to bea junior in high school this year-but he was still shy. And when he got defensive, he bit people's heads off. Mary-Lynnette wished one of the new girls would be right for him, draw him out a bit, give him confidence. Maybe she could arrange it somehow†¦. â€Å"What are you thinking about?† Mark asked suspiciously. Mary-Lynnette realized he was staring at her. â€Å"About how the seeing's going to be really good tonight,† she said blandly. â€Å"August's the best month for starwatching; the air's so warm and still. Hey,there's the first star-you can make a wish.† She pointed to a bright point of light above the southern horizon. It worked; Mark was distracted and looked, too. Mary-Lynnette stared at the back of his dark head.If it would do any good, I'd wish for romance for you, she thought. I'd wish it for myself, too-but what would be the point? There's nobody around here to be romantic with. None of the guys at school–except maybe JeremyLovett-understood why she was interested in as tronomy, or what she felt about the stars. Most ofthe time Mary-Lynnette didn't care-but occasionally she felt a vague ache in her chest. A longing to †¦ share. If she hadwished, it would have been for that, for someone to share the night with. Oh, well. It didn't help to dwell on it. And besides,although she didn't want to tell Mark, what they were wishing on was the planet Jupiter, and not a star at all. Mark shook his head as he tramped down the path that wound through buckbrush and poison hemlock. He should have apologized to Mary-Lynnette beforeleaving-he didn't like being nasty to her. In fact, she was the one person he usually tried to be decent to. But why was she always trying to fix him? To the point of wishing on stars. And Mark hadn't really made a wish, anyway. He'd thought, if I was making a wish, which I'm not because it's hokey and stupid, it would be for some excitement around here. Something wild, mark thought-and felt an innershiver as he hiked downhill in the gathering darkness. Jade stared at the steady, brilliant point of lightabove the southern horizon. It was a planet, she knew. For the last two nights she'd seen it moving across the sky, accompanied by tiny pinpricks of light that must be its moons. Where she came from, nobody was in the habit of wishing on stars, but this planet seemed like a friend-a traveler, just like her. As Jade watched it tonight, she felt a sort of concentration of hope rise inside her. Almost awish. Jade had to admit that they weren't off to a very promising start. The night air was too quiet; there wasn't the faintest sound of a car coming. She wastired and worried and beginning to be very, very hungry. Jade turned to look at her sisters. â€Å"Well, where is she?† â€Å"I don't know,† Rowan said in her most doggedly gentle voice. â€Å"Be patient.† â€Å"Well, maybe we should scan for her. â€Å"No,† Rowan said. â€Å"Absolutely not. Remember what we decided.† â€Å"She's probably forgotten we were coming,† Kestrel said. â€Å"I told you she was getting senile.† â€Å"Don't saythings like that. It's not polite,† Rowan said, still gentle, but through her teeth. Rowan was always gentle when she could manageit. She was nineteen, tall, slim, and stately. She had cinnamon-brown eyes and warm brown hair that cascaded down her back in waves. Kestrel was seventeen and had hair the color of old gold sweeping back from her face like a bird's wings. Her eyes were amber and hawklike, and she was never gentle. Jade was the youngest, just turned sixteen, and she didn't look like either of her sisters. She had white-blond hair that she used as a veil to hide behind, and green eyes. People said she looked serene, but she almost never felt serene. Usually she was either madly excited or madly anxious and confused. Right now it was anxious. She was worried about her battered, half-century-old Morocco leather suitcase. She couldn't hear a thing from inside it. 00 â€Å"Hey, why don't you two go down the road a little way and see if she's coming?† Her sisters looked back at her. There were few things that Rowan and Kestrel agreed on, but Jade was one of them. She could see that they were about to team up against her. â€Å"Now what?† Kestrel said, her teeth showing just briefly. And Rowan said, â€Å"You're up to something. What are you up to, Jade?† Jade smoothed her thoughts and her face out and just looked at them artlessly. She hoped. They stared back for a few minutes, then looked at each other, giving up. â€Å"We're going to have to walk, you know,† Kestrel said to Rowan. â€Å"There are worse things than walking,† Rowansaid. She pushed a stray wisp of chestnut-colored hair off her forehead and looked around the bus stationwhich consisted of a three-sided, glass-walled cubicle,and the splintering wooden bench. â€Å"I wish there was a telephone.† â€Å"Well, there isn't. And it's twenty miles to BriarCreek,† Kestrel said, golden eyes glinting with a kind of grim enjoyment. â€Å"We should probably leave our bags here.† Alarm tingled through Jade. â€Å"No, no. I've got allmy–all my clothes in there. Come on, twenty milesisn't so far.† With one hand she picked up her cat carrier-it was homemade, just boards and wiresand with the other she picked up the suitcase. She got quite a distance down the road before she heard the crunch of gravel behind her. They were following: Rowan sighing patiently, Kestrel chuckling softly, her hair shining like old gold in the starlight. The one-lane road was dark and deserted. But notentirely silent there were dozens of tiny night sounds, all adding up to one intricate, harmonizing night stillness. It would have been pleasant, except that Jade's suitcase seemed to get heavier with everystep, and she was hungrier than she had ever beenbefore. She knew better than to mention it to Rowan, but it made her feel confused and weak. Just when she was beginning tothink she would have to put the suitcase down and rest, she heard a new sound. It was a car, coming from behind them. The engine was so loud that it seemed to take a long time to get close to them, but when it passed, Jade saw that itwas actually going very fast. Then there was a rattling of gravel and the car stopped. It backed up and Jade saw a boy looking through the window at her. There was another boy in the passenger seat. Jade looked at them curiously. They seemed to be about Rowan's age, and theywere both deeply tanned. The one in the driver's seat had blond hair and looked as if he hadn't washed ina while. The other one had brown hair. He was wear ing a vest with no shirt underneath. He had a toothpick in his mouth. They both looked back at Jade, seeming just as curious as she was. Then the driver's window slid down. Jade was fascinated by how quickly it went. â€Å"Need a ride?† the driver said, with an oddly bright smile. His teeth shone in contrast to his dingy face. Jade looked at Rowan and Kestrel, who were just catching up. Kestrel said nothing, but looked at the car through narrow, heavy-lashed amber eyes. Rowan's brown eyes were very warm. â€Å"We sure would,† she said, smiling. Then, doubtfully, â€Å"But we're going to Burdock Farm. It may be out of your way†¦.† â€Å"Oh, hey, I know that place. It's not far,† the onein the vest said around his toothpick. â€Å"Anyway, anything for a lady,† he said, with what seemed to be an attempt at gallantry. He opened his door and got out of the car. â€Å"One of you can sit up front, and I can sit in back with the other two. Lucky me, huh?† he said to the driver. â€Å"Lucky you,† the driver said, smiling largely again. He opened his door, too. â€Å"You go on and put that cat carrier in front, and the suitcases can go in the trunk,† he said. Rowan smiled at Jade, and Jade knew what she was thinking. Iwonder if everybody out here is so friendly? They distributed their belongings and thenpiled in the car, Jade in the front with the driver, Rowan and Kestrel in the back on either side of the vested guy. A minute later they were flying downthe road at what Jade found a delightful speed, gravel crunching beneath the tires. â€Å"I'm Vic,† the driver said. â€Å"I'm Todd,† the vested guy said. Rowan said, â€Å"I'm Rowan, and this is Kestrel. That'sJade up there.† â€Å"You girls friends?† â€Å"We're sisters,† Jade said. â€Å"You don't look like sisters.† â€Å"Everybody says that.† Jade meant everybody theyhad met since they'd run away. Back home, everybodyknew they were sisters, so nobody said it. â€Å"What are you doing out here so late?† Vic asked. â€Å"It's not the place for nice girls.† â€Å"We're not nice girls,† Kestrel explained absently. â€Å"We're trying to be,† Rowan said reprovingly through her teeth. To Vic, she said, â€Å"We were waiting for our great-aunt Opal to pick us up at the bus stop, but she didn't come. We're going to live at Burdock Farm.† â€Å"Old lady Burdock is your aunt?† Todd said, removing his toothpick. â€Å"That crazy old bat?† Vic turned around to look at him, and they both laughed and shook their heads. Jade looked away from Vic. She stared down at the cat carrier, listening for the little squeaking noises that meant Tiggy was awake. She felt just slightly †¦ uneasy. She sensed something. Even though these guys seemed friendly, there was something beneath the surface. But she was toosleepy-and too light-headed from hunger-to figure out exactly what it was. Rowan was still looking polite and puzzled, but Kestrel looked at the car door on her side thoughtfully. Jade knew what she was looking for-a handle.There wasn't one. â€Å"Too bad,† Vic said. â€Å"This car's a real junkheap; you can't even open the back doors from inside.† He grabbed Jade's upper arm so hard she could feel pressure on the bone. â€Å"Now, you girls just be nice and nobody's going to get hurt.† They seemed to drive a long time beforeVic spoke again. â€Å"You girls ever been to Oregon before?† Jade blinked and murmured a negative. â€Å"It's got some pretty lonely places,† Vic said. â€Å"Outhere, for example. Briar Creek was a gold rush town, but when the gold ran out and the railroad passed it by, it just died. Now the wilderness is taking it back.† His tone was significant, but Jade didn't understand what he was trying to convey. â€Å"It does seem peaceful;† Rowan said politely from the backseat. Vic made a brief snorting sound. â€Å"Yeah, well, peaceful wasn't exactly what I meant. I meant, take this road. These farmhouses are miles apart, right? Ifyou screamed, there wouldn't be anyone to hearyou.† Jade blinked. What a strange thing to say. Rowan, still politely making conversation, said, â€Å"Well, you and Todd would.† â€Å"I mean, nobody else,† Vic said, and Jade could feel his impatience. He had been driving more and more slowly. Now he pulled the car off to the side of the road and stopped. Parked. â€Å"Nobody outthere is going to hear,† he clarified,turning around to look into the backseat. Jade looked, too, and saw Todd grinning, a wide bright grin with teeth clenched on his toothpick. â€Å"That's right,† Todd said. â€Å"You're out here alone with us, so maybe you'd better listen to us, huh?† Jade saw that he was gripping Rowan's arm with one hand and Kestrel's wrist with the other.