Blood Promise Chapter Twenty-One

Dimitri didn't elaborate. I was too startled by his words and the rest of the night's events to even know how to begin to address them. He took me back inside, past the Strigoi on guard duty, and upstairs to my suite. Nathan was no longer outside. For a few brief moments, that nagging voice in my head spoke loudly enough to break through my addled thoughts. If I had no guard in the hall and Inna returned soon, I had a very good chance of threatening her enough to get out of here. Admittedly, that would mean I'd have to deal with a house of God only knew how many Strigoi, but my escape odds were better in the house than in this room. Then, almost as soon as those thoughts appeared, they vanished. Dimitri snaked his arm around me and pulled me to him. It had been chilly outside, and even if his body was cold, his clothes and jacket provided some warmth. I snuggled closer to him as his hands ran all over me. I thought he was going to bite me, but it was our mouths that met, hard and furious. I wrapped my fingers in his hair, trying to pull him closer to me. Meanwhile, his fingers were running against my bare leg, pushing my skirt up almost to my hip. Anticipation and eagerness lit every part of my body. I had dreamed about the cabin for so long, remembering it with so much longing. I'd never expected anything like that to happen again, but now it could, and I was astonished at how badly I wanted it. My hands moved down to his shirt, undoing all the buttons so that I could touch his chest. His skin still felt like ice, a startling contrast to the burning within me. He moved his lips from mine, down to my neck and shoulder, pushing down the dress's strap as he covered my flesh with hungry kisses. His hand was still on the side of my bare hip, and I frantically tried to pull his shirt off altogether. Suddenly, with a surprising abruptness, he jerked away and shoved me down. At first, I thought it was just more of the foreplay between us, until I realized he was purposely pushing me away. â€Å"No,† he said, voice hard. â€Å"Not yet. Not until you're awakened.† â€Å"Why?† I asked desperately. I couldn't think of anything except him touching me-and, well, another bite. â€Å"Why does it matter? Is there†¦ is there a reason we can't?† Until I'd come here, sex with a Strigoi had never occurred to me†¦maybe it just wasn't possible. He leaned toward me, putting his lips near my ear. â€Å"No, but it'll be so much better if you're awakened. Let me do it†¦ let me do it, and then we can do anything we want†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It was a bargaining chip, I realized vaguely. He wanted me-it was written all over him-but he was using the lure of sex to get me to give in. And honestly? I was this close to accepting. My body was overriding my mind-nearly. â€Å"No,† I whimpered. â€Å"I†¦ I'm scared†¦Ã¢â‚¬  That dangerous look softened, and while he didn't exactly look like the Dimitri from before, there was something a little less Strigoi about him. â€Å"Rose, do you think I'd do anything that would hurt you?† Somewhere, hadn't there been a discussion about how my options were to turn or die? The latter seemed like it might hurt, but I didn't mention that just now. â€Å"The bite†¦ the turning would hurt†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I told you: It'll be just like what we've already done. You'll enjoy it. It won't hurt, I swear it.† I looked away. Damn it. Why couldn't he still be sinister and scary? It was so much easier to put my foot down and resist. Even in the heat of passion, I was able to resist. But somehow†¦ seeing him like this, calm and reasonable†¦ well, it was too close to the Dimitri I'd loved. And that was hard to turn away from. For the first time, it made turning Strigoi seem†¦ not so bad. â€Å"I don't know,† I said lamely. He released me and sat up, frustration filling his features. It was almost a relief. â€Å"Galina's patience is running out. So is mine.† â€Å"You said we still have time†¦ I just need to think more†¦Ã¢â‚¬  How long could I use that excuse? The narrowing of his eyes told me not much longer. â€Å"I have to go,† he said harshly. There would be no more touching or kissing, I could tell. â€Å"I need to deal with some things.† â€Å"I'm sorry,† I said, both confused and afraid. I didn't know which Dimitri I wanted. The terrifying one, the sensual one, or the almost-but still not quite-gentle one. He said nothing. Without any other warning, he leaned down and bit into the tender skin of my throat. Whatever feeble escape strategies I had were gone. I closed my eyes, nearly falling over, and only his arm wrapped firmly around me kept me upright. Just like when we kissed, his mouth was warm against my flesh, and the feel of his tongue and teeth sent electricity through me. And like that, it was over. He pulled away, licking his lips as he still continued to hold onto me. The fog was back. The world was wonderful and happy and I was without any cares. Whatever he'd been worrying about with Nathan and Galina meant nothing to me. The fear I'd felt moments ago†¦ my disappointment over sex†¦ my confusion-I didn't have time to worry about any of that, not when life was so beautiful and I loved Dimitri so much. I smiled up at him and tried to hug him again, but he was already leading me to the couch. â€Å"I'll see you later.† In a flash, he was at the door, which saddened me. I wanted him to stay. Stay forever. â€Å"Remember, I want you-and I would never let anything bad happen to you. I'll protect you. But†¦ I can't wait much longer.† With that, he left. His words made me smile more broadly. Dimitri wanted me. Vaguely, I recalled asking him outside why he wanted me. Why on earth had I asked? What answer had I wanted? Why did it matter? He wanted me. That was what counted. That thought and the wonderful endorphin rush enveloped me as I lay on the couch, and I felt drowsiness overtaking me. Walking over to the bed seemed like too much work, so I stayed where I was and just let sleep come. And, unexpectedly, I found myself in one of Adrian's dreams. I'd pretty much given up on him. After my first desperate attempts at escape in the suite, I'd finally convinced myself that Adrian wasn't coming back, that I'd sent him away for good. Yet here he was, standing right in front of me-or, well, at least his dream version was. Often we were in the woods or a garden, but today we stood where we'd first met, on the porch of an Idaho ski lodge. Sun shone down, and mountains soared off to the side of us. I grinned broadly. â€Å"Adrian!† I didn't think I'd ever seen him look as surprised as he did just then. Considering how mean I usually was to him, I could understand his feelings. â€Å"Hello, Rose,† he said. His voice sounded uncertain, like he was worried I might be playing a trick on him. â€Å"You look good today,† I told him. It was true. He wore dark jeans and a printed button-down shirt in shades of navy and turquoise that looked fantastic with his dark green eyes. Those eyes, however, looked weary. Worn. That was a little odd. In these dreams, he could shape the world and even our appearances to what he wanted, with only a little effort. He could have looked perfect but instead appeared to be reflecting real-world fatigue. â€Å"So do you.† His voice was still wary, as he eyed me from head to toe. I was still in the clingy sundress, my hair down and loose, the sapphires around my neck. â€Å"That looks like something I'd normally dress you in. Are you asleep in that?† â€Å"Yup.† I smoothed down the dress's skirt, thinking how pretty it looked. I wondered if Dimitri had liked it. He hadn't said so specifically, but he had kept telling me I was beautiful. â€Å"I didn't think you'd come back.† â€Å"I didn't think I would either.† I looked back up at him. He wasn't like his usual self at all. â€Å"Are you trying to figure out where I am again?† â€Å"No, I don't care about that anymore.† He sighed. â€Å"The only thing I care about is that you aren't here. You have to come back, Rose.† I crossed my arms and flounced onto the porch's railing. â€Å"Adrian, I'm not ready for anything romant-â€Å" â€Å"Not for me,† he exclaimed. â€Å"For her. You have to come back for Lissa. That's why I'm here.† â€Å"Lissa†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My waking self was pumped full of endorphins, and it carried over here. I tried to remember why I should be so worried about Lissa. Adrian took a step forward and studied me carefully. â€Å"Yeah, you know, Lissa? Your best friend? The one you're bonded to and sworn to protect?† I swung my legs back and forth. â€Å"I never made any vows.† â€Å"What the hell's the matter with you?† I didn't like his agitated tone. It was ruining my good mood. â€Å"What's the matter with you?† â€Å"You aren't acting like yourself. Your aura†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He frowned, unable to continue. I laughed. â€Å"Oh yes. Here it comes. The magical, mystical aura. Let me guess. It's black, right?† â€Å"No†¦ it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He continued scrutinizing me for several heavy seconds. â€Å"I can barely get a fix on it. It's all over the place. What's going on, Rose? What's happening in the waking world?† â€Å"Nothing's happening,† I said. â€Å"Nothing except me being happy for the first time in my life. Why are you acting weird all of a sudden? You used to be fun. Figures the first time I'm finally having a good time, you go all boring and strange.† He knelt down in front of me, no trace of humor anywhere. â€Å"There's something wrong with you. I can't tell what-â€Å" â€Å"I told you, I'm fine. Why do you have to keep coming and trying to ruin things for me?† True, I'd desperately wanted him to come a little while ago, but now†¦ well, that wasn't so important. I had a good thing with Dimitri here, if only I could figure out how to solve all the not-so-good parts. â€Å"I told you, I'm not here for me. I'm here for Lissa.† He looked up at me, wide-eyed and earnest. â€Å"Rose, I am begging you to come home. Lissa needs you. I don't know what's wrong, and I don't know how to help her. No one else does either. I think†¦ I think only you can. Maybe being apart is what's hurting her. Maybe that's what's wrong with you now, why you're acting so weird. Come home. Please. We'll heal both of you. We'll all figure it out together. She's acting so strange. She's reckless and doesn't care about anything.† I shook my head. â€Å"Being away isn't what's wrong with me. Probably not what's wrong with her, either. If she's really worried about spirit, she should go back on her meds.† â€Å"She's not worried; that's the problem. Damn it.† He stood up and began pacing. â€Å"What's wrong with you two? Why can't either of you see there's something the matter?† â€Å"Maybe it's not us,† I said. â€Å"Maybe it's you imagining things.† Adrian turned back toward me and looked me over again. â€Å"No. It's not me.† I didn't like any of this-not his tone, expression, or words. I'd been excited to see him, but now I resented him ruining my good mood. I didn't want to think about any of this. It was too hard. â€Å"Look,† I said. â€Å"I was happy to see you tonight but not anymore, not if you're going to sit and accuse me and make demands.† â€Å"I'm not trying to do that.† His voice was gentle-the anger was gone. â€Å"The last thing I want is to make you unhappy. I care about you. I care about Lissa, too. I want you both to be happy and live your lives like you want†¦ but not when you're both heading down destructive paths.† He almost made sense. Almost seemed reasonable and sincere. I shook my head. â€Å"Stay out of it. I'm where I want to be, and I'm not coming back. Lissa's on her own.† I jumped off the rail. The world swirled a little, and I stumbled. Adrian caught my hand, and I jerked away. â€Å"I'm fine.† â€Å"You are not. Jesus Christ. I'd swear you're drunk, except†¦ the aura's still not right for that. What is it?† He ran his hands through his dark hair. It was his typical sign of agitation. â€Å"I'm done here,† I said, trying to be as polite as possible. Why on earth had I wanted to see him again? It had seemed so important when I first arrived. â€Å"Send me back, please.† He opened his mouth to say something, then froze a few moments. â€Å"What's on your neck?† He reached forward, and addled or no, I managed to dodge pretty efficiently. I had no idea what he saw on my neck, and I had no interest in finding out. â€Å"Don't touch me.† â€Å"Rose, that looks like-â€Å" â€Å"Send me back, Adrian!† So much for my politeness. â€Å"Rose, let me help-â€Å" â€Å"Send. Me. Back!† I shouted the words, and then, for the first time, I managed to pull myself out of Adrian's dream. I left sleep altogether and woke up on the couch. The room was still and silent, the only sound my rapid breathing. I felt all tangled up inside. Usually, so fresh from a bite, I would be floating and gleeful. Yet, the encounter with Adrian had left part of me troubled and sad. Standing up, I managed to make my way to the bathroom. I flicked on the light and winced. It hadn't been very bright in the other room. Once my eyes adjusted, I leaned toward the mirror and pushed my hair out of the way. I gasped at what I saw. There were bruises all over my neck, as well as signs of fresher wounds. Around where Dimitri had just bitten me, I could see dried blood. I looked†¦ like a blood whore. How had I never noticed this before? I wet a washcloth and scrubbed at my neck, trying to get the blood off. I rubbed and rubbed until the skin turned pink. Was that it? Were there more? That looked like the worst of it. I wondered how much Adrian had seen. My hair had been down, and I was pretty sure most of it had covered my neck. A rebellious thought came to my head. What did it matter if Adrian saw or not? He didn't understand. There was no way he could even come close. I was with Dimitri. Yeah, he was different†¦ but not that much different. And I was sure I could find a way to make this work without becoming a Strigoi. I just didn't know how yet. I tried to reassure myself over and over, but those bruises kept staring back at me. I left the bathroom and returned to the couch. I turned on the TV without really watching, and after a while, the happy fog rolled over me again. I soon tuned out the TV and returned to sleep. This time, my dreams were my own. It took a while for Dimitri to come again. And by â€Å"a while,† I mean almost an entire day. I was getting twitchy by that point, both because I missed him and because I missed the bite. He usually visited twice a day, so this was the longest I'd gone without the endorphins. Needing something to do, I preoccupied myself with making myself as beautiful as possible. I sorted through the dresses in my closet, choosing a long ivory silk one that had purple flowers delicately painted into the fabric. It fit like a glove. I wanted to wear my hair up, but after looking at the bruises again, I decided to wear it down. I'd been provided with a curling iron and makeup recently, so I worked my hair over carefully, turning the ends up in perfect little curls. Once made up, I stared happily at my reflection, certain Dimitri would be happy too. All I needed now was to put on some of the exquisite jewelry he'd given me. But when I turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of my back from the side and saw I'd missed fastening a clasp. I reached around to do it but couldn't get a hold of it. It was in that perfect spot just out of my reach. â€Å"Damn,† I muttered, still grappling with the hook. The flaw in my perfection. Just then, I heard the door open in the other room, followed by the telltale sound of a tray being set on the coffee table. A stroke of luck. â€Å"Inna!† I called, walking out of the bathroom. â€Å"I need you to-â€Å" Nausea rolled through me, and as I stepped into the living room, I saw that Dimitri wasn't the source. Nathan was. My jaw dropped open. Inna stood near him, waiting patiently by the tray, eyes downcast as always. I immediately ignored her and then looked back at Nathan. Presumably, he was still on guard duty, but that had never actually included him coming inside. For the first time in a while, some of my battle instincts kicked in, assessing escape options. My fear urged me to back away, but that would trap me in the bathroom. Best to stay where I was. Even if I couldn't leave the room, this gave me the most space to maneuver. â€Å"What are you doing here?† I asked, surprised at how calm I sounded. â€Å"Taking care of a problem.† I didn't really need any pointers to figure out the subtext here. I was the problem. Again, I fought the urge to back up. â€Å"I've never done anything to you.† It was faulty logic to a Strigoi. None of their victims ever did anything to them. â€Å"You exist,† he said. â€Å"You're taking up space here, wasting everyone's time. You know how to find her-the Dragomir girl-yet you'll offer nothing remotely useful until Belikov gets off his ass and awakens you. And in the meantime, Galina forces me to waste time watching you and keeps promoting him because he's convinced her that you're going to be some amazing asset to us.† It was an interesting set of grievances. â€Å"So†¦ um, what are you going to do?† In a flash, he stood in front of me. Seeing him so close triggered that memory in my mind's eye-him biting Dimitri and starting all of this. A spark of anger kindled in me but didn't do much in the way of development. â€Å"I'm getting the information one way or another,† he hissed. â€Å"Tell me where she is.† â€Å"You know where she is. She's at the school.† There was nothing useful in giving up that news. He knew she was there. He knew where the school was. The look he gave me showed he was not happy about me providing knowledge he already had. Reaching out, he gripped my hair and jerked my head painfully back. Wearing my hair down maybe hadn't been so useful after all. â€Å"Where is she going? She won't stay there forever. Is she going to college? The Royal Court ? They must have made plans for her.† â€Å"I don't know what they are. I've been away for a while.† â€Å"I don't believe you,† he snarled. â€Å"She's too valuable. Her future would have been planned out a while ago.† â€Å"If it is, no one's shared it with me. I left too soon.† I shrugged by way of answer. Rage filled his eyes, and I swear, they grew redder. â€Å"You're bonded! You know. Tell me now, and I'll kill you quickly. If you don't, I'll awaken you to get the information, and then I'll kill you. I'll light you up like a bonfire.† â€Å"You†¦ you'd kill me once I was one of you?† Foolish question. Strigoi felt no loyalty to each other. â€Å"Yes. It'll destroy him, and once Galina sees how unhinged he is, I will return to my original place by her side-especially after I stamp out the Dragomir line.† â€Å"The hell you will.† He smiled and touched my face, running his fingers along my neck and the bruises all over it. â€Å"Oh, I will. It really will make things easier if you just tell me now. You'll die in ecstasy rather than being burned alive. We'll both enjoy it.† He wrapped his hand delicately around my throat. â€Å"You're definitely a problem, but you are beautiful-especially your throat. I can see why he wants you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Warring emotions played within me. Logically, I knew this was Nathan-Nathan, whom I hated for having turned Dimitri in the first place. Yet my body's need for Strigoi endorphins was raising its head too, and it barely mattered that it was Nathan. What mattered was that his teeth were only a breath away from my neck, promising that sweet, sweet delirium. And while one hand held my throat, the other ran down my waist, down to the curve of my hip. There had been a sultry edge to Nathan's voice, like he wanted to do more than just bite me. And after so many sexually charged encounters with Dimitri-encounters that never resulted in anything-my body almost didn't care who touched it. I could close my eyes, and it wouldn't matter whose teeth bit into me or whose hands peeled off my clothes. Only the next fix would matter. I could close my eyes and pretend it was Dimitri, lost in it all as Nathan's lips brushed my skin†¦ Except, as some small reasonable part of me recalled, Nathan didn't just want sex and blood. He eventually wanted to kill me. Which was kind of ironic. I'd been dead set-no pun intended-on killing myself when I got here, lest I become a Strigoi. Nathan was offering me that now. Even if he turned me first, he planned on killing me immediately afterward. Either way, I wouldn't have to spend eternity as a Strigoi. I should have welcomed this. But just then, as my body's addiction screamed for his bite and that bliss, I realized something with startling clarity: I didn't want to die. Maybe it was because I'd gone almost a day without a bite, but something small and rebellious woke up in me. I would not let him do this to me. I would not let him go after Dimitri. And I sure as hell wasn't going to let him hunt down Lissa. Pushing through that endorphin cloud that still hung around me, I summoned up as much willpower as I could. I dug deep, remembering my years of training and all the lessons Dimitri had given me. It was hard to access those memories, and I only touched a few. Still, enough came to spur me to action. I lunged forward and punched Nathan. And accomplished nothing. He didn't budge. Hell, I don't even know if he felt it. The surprise on his face promptly turned to mirth, and he laughed in that horrible way Strigoi did-cruelly and without any real joy. Then, with the greatest of ease, he slapped me and knocked me across the room. Dimitri had done nearly the same thing when I'd arrived and attacked him. Only I hadn't flown quite as far or had so miniscule an effect on him. I slammed into the back of the couch, and good God, did it hurt. A wave of dizziness washed over me, and I realized the idiocy of fighting someone vastly stronger than me when I'd been losing blood all week. I managed to straighten up and desperately sought my next course of action. Nathan, for his part, seemed in no hurry to respond to my attack. In fact, he was still laughing. Glancing around, I latched onto a truly pitiful course of action. Inna stood near me. Moving with a speed that was painfully slow-but better than I expected myself to manage-I reached for her and wrapped my arm around her neck. She yelped in surprise, and I jerked her harder against me. â€Å"Get out of here,† I said to Nathan. â€Å"Get out of here, or I'll kill her.† He stopped laughing, stared at me for a moment, and then laughed even harder. â€Å"Are you serious? Do you honestly think I couldn't stop you if I wanted? And do you honestly think I care? Go ahead. Kill her. There are dozens more just like her.† Yeah, that really shouldn't have been a surprise either, but even I was a bit taken aback by how easily he could throw away a faithful servant's life. Okay. Time to go to Plan B. Or maybe it was Plan J? Frankly, I was losing track, and none of them were very good anyway â€Å"Ow!† Inna suddenly elbowed me in the stomach. I released her in my surprise. She spun around with a strangled scream and socked me in the face. The blow wasn't as hard as Nathan's had been, but it still knocked me over. I tried to catch a hold of something-anything-as I fell but failed. I hit the floor, my back slamming against the door. I expected her to come right back at me, but instead, she darted across the room and-God help us all threw herself into a defensive posture in front of Nathan. Before I could fully process the weirdness of her trying to protect someone who was willing to let her die, the door suddenly opened. â€Å"Ow!† I said again, as it hit me and pushed me aside. Dimitri swiftly entered. He looked from face to face, and I had no doubt mine showed signs of both Nathan's and Inna's attacks. Dimitri's fists clenched, and he turned toward Nathan. It reminded me of their scuffle in the hallway, all rage and malice and bloodlust. I cringed, bracing myself for another horrible confrontation. â€Å"Don't,† warned Nathan, face smug. â€Å"You know what Galina said. Touch me and you're out of here.† Dimitri strode across the room and came to stand in front of Nathan, knocking Inna aside like a rag doll. â€Å"It'll be worth facing her wrath, particularly when I tell her you attacked first. Rose certainly bears the marks of it.† â€Å"You wouldn't.† He pointed at Inna, who was sitting dazed on the floor from where Dimitri had knocked her over. Despite my own injuries, I began crawling over to her. I had to know if she was all right. â€Å"She'll tell the truth.† Now Dimitri looked smug. â€Å"You really think Galina will believe a human? No. When I tell her how you attacked me and Rose out of jealousy, she'll let me off. The fact that you'll be so easily defeated will be proof of your weakness. I'll slice your head off and get Rose's stake from the vault. With your last breath, you can watch her drive it through your heart.† Holy crap. That was a little worse than Nathan threatening to burn me-wait. My stake? Nathan's face still bore haughty arrogance-at least to me. But I think Dimitri must have seen something that satisfied him, something that made him think he'd gotten the upper hand. He visibly relaxed, his smirk growing larger. â€Å"Twice,† Dimitri said softly. â€Å"Twice I've let you go. Next time†¦ next time, you're gone.† I reached Inna and gently held out my hand. â€Å"Are you okay?† I murmured. With a look of hate, she recoiled and scooted away. Nathan's eyes fell on me, and he began backing toward the door. â€Å"No,† he said. â€Å"Twice I've let her live. Next time she's gone. I'm the one in control here, not you.† Nathan opened the door and Inna stood up, stumbling after him. I stared, mouth agape at the events that had just taken place. I didn't know which of them I found more disturbing. Looking up at Dimitri, I grappled with what to ask him first. What were we going to do? Why had Inna defended Nathan? Why had Dimitri let him go? None of those defiant questions came to my lips, though. Instead, I burst into tears.

Managerial Economics and Globalization Essay

Abstract This paper will describe the details of a fictitious business and will assess the current environmental scan factors while determining the factors that will have the greatest impact on plant operations and management’s decision to continue or discontinue operations. Thirdly, this paper will evaluate the financial performance of the company using the information provided in the scenario; consider all key drivers of performance, such as company profit or loss for both the short term and long term. Also, a recommendation as to how the company can improve its profitability and develop a brief plan to implement the recommendations. Lastly, this paper will assess the circumstances in which the company should discontinue operations while providing a set of reasonable rationales. 1. Briefly describe the details of the fictitious business that you created for this assignment. The fictitious business in this assignment is named TopShop, which is an American multinational retailer with its main headquarters in New York. It is a high end fashion brand that specializes in fashion clothing, shoes, make-up and accessories. Currently, TopShop has 150 workers for its factory in New Jersey, and has hired a consultant to offer some advice that could help it make a decision as to whether it should shut down completely or continue operations. In addition, TopShop has 100 workers that produce 6,000 units of output per month (working 20 days / month). The daily wage (per worker) is $70, and the price of the firm’s output is $32. The cost of other variable inputs is $2,000 per day. The firm’s fixed cost is â€Å"high enough† so that the firm’s total costs exceed its total revenue. The marginal cost of the last unit is $30. 2. Assess the current environmental scan factors. Determine the factors that will have the greatest impact on plant operations and management’s decision to continue or discontinue operations. The environmental scan factor refers to the macro environment and is the activity of acquiring information about events and relationships in a company’s outside environment, the knowledge of which would assist top management in its task charting the company’s future course of action. (Aguilar,1967). Comparably, finance, marketing, and operations will have the greater impact on plant operations and management’s decisions in determining if the operation continues its business. First, finance is responsible for acquiring financial resources at favorable prices and allocating those resources throughout the business, as well as budgeting, analyzing, investment proposals, and providing funds for operations. Secondly, marketing aims to analyze and determine consumer demands in the future, then selling and promoting its products and services. Thirdly, operations are responsible for production of goods and customer services in business. In addition, the production of goods or services supply could transform inputs into outputs (Michaels, 2011). Inputs such as capital, labor, and information are used to create goods or a service. That is why companies take measurements at various points in the transformation process and then compares them with previously established standards to determine whether corrective action is needed. In other words, the three factors; finance, marketing and operation can work in the study and interpretation of the political, economic, social and technological (PEST analysis) events and trends which influence a business, an industry or even a total market. In summary, they have the greatest impact on plant operation and management’s decision. 3. Evaluate the financial performance of the company using the information provided in the scenario. Consider all the key drivers of performance, such as company profit or loss for both the short term and long term. Be sure to show the calculations that helped you reach your conclusions. Topshop’s financial performance is in trouble. A decision was made to hire Mr. Blake Lively as a managing consultant to offer suggestions to improve Topshop’s financial performance. Based on the data given, Blake considered the following key drivers of performance and the financial analysis. The details are following: 100 employees produce 6,000 units in a month. The price is $32 The total revenue per day = 6,000*$32 = $192,000 Daily wage per employee = $70 Total wage in one month = 20days * 100 employees * $70 = $140,000 Total variable cost = variable inputs + total wage in one month = $2,000*20days+ $140,000 = $180,000 per month. AVC=TVC/Q=$180,000/6,000=$30 per unit Net income=Total Revenue-TVC=192,000-180,000=$12,000 Based on the analysis of data, Topshop could continue its operations in short term because the $32 price is more than AVC $30, and the revenue received per month is $12,000. However, in the long term, Topshop should seriously consider the option of shutting down completely. The main reason being that the firm’s fixed cost is high enough so that its total costs exceed its total revenue, and the price must be less than AVC. Under this situation, the firm has no other recourse but to close its operation. 4. Recommend how the company can improve its profitability. Then, develop a brief plan to implement the recommendations. Every business can improve its profitability by aiming to increase profitability, reduce costs, consider the price, and expand the market. Buy more effectively One of the most obvious routes to increasing the profitability is to buy more effectively. It makes sense to review a supplier base regularly and to determine if a firm can buy the same raw materials more cheaply or efficiently. However, it must be ensured that the cheaper raw materials will not reduce quality of product and service (He, et al., 2007). Manage your costs Close management of the costs can drive firm’s profitability. Most businesses are capable of fining some forms of waste to reduce, however it is important to be mindful and not cut costs at the expense of the quality of products and services. Pricing considerations It is a good idea to regularly examine the pricing. Changes in the marketplace may help increase the price without risking sales. However, it is essential to test any price increases before they are made permanent. Expand your market Moving into new market areas can transform a business and if handled correctly, can significantly increase the profitability. However, bear in mind that developing new products and services and selling in new markets can be risky – and mistakes can prove very costly. 5. Assess the circumstances in which the company should discontinue operations. Provide a rationale with your response. To qualify for presentation as a discontinued operation, all of the following conditions must be met: 1. The operations and cash flows of the component have been or will be eliminated from the ongoing operations of the entity as a result of the disposal transaction and 2. The entity will not have any significant continuing involvement in the operations of the component after the disposal transaction 3. A description of the facts and circumstances leading to the expected disposal, the expected manner and timing of the disposal and the carrying amounts of the major classes of assets and liabilities included as part of the disposal group (if not reflected separately on the face of the statement). 4. The gain or loss recognized and, if not separately presented on the income statement, the caption in that statement in which the gain is included. 5. If applicable, the amount of revenue and pretax profit or loss reported in discontinued operations. 6. If applicable, the segment in which the long-lived asset or disposal group is reported. References Aguilar, F. J. (1967). Scanning the Business Environment. New York, NY: McMillan. Michaels, R. J. (2011). Transactions and Strategies. 1st Edition. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. He, Y. Q., Chan, L. K. & Wu, M. L. (2007). Balancing productivity and consumer satisfaction for profitability: Statistical and fuzzy regression analysis Original Research Article. European Journal of Operational Research, 176(1), 252-263 Drake, M., Gerde, V., & Wasieleski, D. (2011). Socially responsible modeling: a stakeholder approach to the implementation of ethical modeling in operations research. OR Spectrum, 33(1), 1-26. doi:10.1007/s00291-009-0172-9

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Premiums Promotion, Limited

Qing Lu 2111573 10 weeks Business M. Sc. International Business Permission given to use this project Word Count: 2824 An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Premiums Promotion, Limited- time Discount and Loyalty Card Promotion—Based on Product Life Cycle 31 August 2012 Abstract In recent years, sales promotion tactics are extensively used to achieve different marketing targets.The aim of this project is to analyze the effectiveness of premiums promotion, limited-time discount and loyalty card promotion according to the marketing targets in the first three phases of product life cycle, which can help companies maximize the effects of sales promotion. The specific marketing targets in the first three stages of product life cycle are discussed and the effective sales promotion tactics are analyzed, based on a rich literature about sales promotion.The potential risks in the implementation process need to be taken into account and the possible solutions are proposed to help companie s reduce the unnecessary losses. This may be of interest to marketers, which intend to enhance the competitiveness of companies.   List of references Introduction As the competitive pressure on market increases, the studies on product life cycle are paid more and more attention by marketers in recent years. On one hand, product life cycle can direct companies to set the clear marketing target in each phase. On the other hand, it can help marketers select the effective sales promotion tactics to achieve each marketing target.The selection of sales promotion strategies in each stage of product life cycle seems to be of considerable importance in achieving different marketing targets. The study by Yeshin (2006) suggests that premiums promotion, limited-time discount and loyalty card promotion play marked roles in the first three stages of product. Moreover, it appears to be necessary for marketers to set the marketing targets in different stages of product life cycle, to select the e ffective means of sales promotion, and to be aware of possible solutions for dealing with potential risks.As Kotler and Armstrong (2001) point out, companies can induce customers to know, to use and to be loyal for their products by the effective means of sales promotion, even if customers may have different buying habits, product preference and purchase motivation. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effectiveness of premiums promotion, limited-time promotion and loyalty card promotion according to the three marketing targets in the first three phases of product life cycles, which tends to help companies expand new product awareness, increase market share and maintain customer loyalty. Features nd marketing targets of the first three stages of product life cycle will first be presented. The reasons for the effectiveness of the three marketing tactics mentioned above will then be analyzed, with a focus on the three corresponding marketing targets. The limitations and the pos sible solutions will finally be discussed to help firms reduce the potential risks. 1. Features and Marketing Targets of Product Life Cycle When a new product is launched into market, it will go through four stages of product life cycle, which are introduction, growth, maturity, and decline (Kotler and Armstrong 2001).The first three stages, however, may be the optimal period at which the effect of sales promotion can be maximized. Therefore, features of the first three stages and the corresponding marketing targets will be discussed in the following subsections. 1. 1 Introduction stage Introduction stage refers to a period at which new products are first introduced into market (Ibid). In this phase, the growth of sales tends to be slow because much time and money need to be invested to attract the resellers, to inform customers of new products, and to encourage the trial (Ibid).In other words, customer demand for new products should be aroused in the introduction stage. As Bhasin ( 2011) points out, marketers should induce customers to accept new products, thus inspiriting their desires for these products. As a result, the marketing target in introduction stage appears to maximize new products awareness and to stimulate customers to try out new products. 1. 2 Growth stage Growth stage refers to a period at which new products are widely recognized in the market, and more and more customers are willing to follow their innovators (Kotler and Armstrong 2001).The market share is likely to be quickly expanded in this stage as long as marketers attempt to form a purchasing trend. According to the illustration by Bhasin (2011), growth stage offers the appropriate opportunity to markers to occupy more market share due to the high growth rate of sales. Hence, the marketing target in this phase should be to quickly boost sales volume, so as to create a customer trend that more new customers could be attracted to follow. 1. 3 Maturity stageIt is widely agreed that sales i n the maturity stage continue to grow at a relatively slow rate until it reaches the peak, which means the number of customers seems to maintain relatively stable (Kotler and Armstrong 2001, Janotta 2012). There is far less agreement, however, about customers’ purchasing behaviors in this phase. Yeshin (2006) concludes that it may be a competitive period in which the existing customers are likely to buy other brands. In fact, competitive products are likely to flood into the marketplace in the maturity stage, providing more options for customers.Thus, if the effective measures are not taken, companies would lose a portion of market share. Likewise, Bhasin (2011) also illustrates that fierce market competition probably occurs in the maturity stage because some competitors tend to drive down the prices under the cost, in order to draw the attention of customers. Namely, the risk of brand switching in this phase seems to be high, so the marketing target should be set to retain c ustomer loyalty.In conclusion, the first three stages of product life cycle have their own features, so different marketing targets need to be set in different phases: new products awareness should be expanded in the introduction stage, sales volume should be quickly boosted in the growth stage, and customer loyalty should be maintained in the maturity stage. Then, effective sales promotion tactics will be analyzed in the next chapter, according to the marketing targets in the three phases. 2. Analysis of the Three Sales Promotion Tactics 2. 1 Premiums promotion for new product awarenessPremiums promotion refers to free products or free services that can be obtained by customers in addition to the main purchase (Yeshin 2006). Gift promotion plays an important role in new product introduction. First of all, free gifts as incentives can encourage customers to try out new products as well as inform customers about new demand. For example, 200,000 Quattro for Women razors were given out as free gifts in American by Schick, which allowed Quattro to receive the recognition of most female customers (Pride and Ferrell, 2010).It seems that free gifts are effective to stimulate customers to generate interest in new products. Yeshin (2006), however, argues that premiums promotion may reduce the value of brand due to the possible hazard caused by the free gifts in the product contents. For example, in order to attract children, small toys are often inserted into snakes as premiums, which are likely to arouse the controversy about food security, thereby resulting in brand crises. Nevertheless, premiums still contribute to expand new products awareness.Pride and Ferrell (2010) illustrates that the Promotion Marketing Association’s Product Sampling Council, according to an investigation, showed that 92%of participators in this survey indicated that free samples motivated their trials for new products. Besides, the free experience as a kind of intangible gifts could al low customers experience multi-value such as relational, emotional and behavioral value, which increases brand popularity and affinity. As a case in point, the customers who buy the new item in Burger King could watch the latest Star Wars film for free (Yeshin 2006).Not only did the famous film expand the new item awareness, but also increased customers’ affection for Burger King. In fact, the reason why premiums promotion has a great appeal to customers tends to be that it gets hold of customers’ mentalities. According to the study by Yeshin (2006), customers usually get used to regarding themselves as the weaker end of the deal, so the free products or services as the compensatory gifts can incentivize customers. Consequently, premiums as incentives can benefit to expand new products awareness in the introduction stage. 2. 2 Limited-time promotion for quick boost to salesA promotional deadline is set for customers to ensure that the volume of sales can be boosted as soon as possible, which is called limited-time promotion (Reid and Bojanic 2010). The advantage of limited-time discount lies in a short-term surge in sales, which enables companies to rapidly grab market share in the growth phase. Limited-time discount seems to create a sense of excitement and competition and a tense atmosphere. Customers tend to be attracted by excitement that limited-time discount create. Or rather, what customers love may not be products themselves but the sense of getting a good deal.Kolb (2005) also indicates that even the customers with high wages like to feel that they are smart in this way. In addition, as this kind of discount is temporary, which will restore regular prices soon, it creates a threat to customers, aiming at stimulating them to make immediate purchase (Gaffney and Francis, 2009). Such a threat appears to take effect on rapidly increasing sales. According to Reid and Bojanic (2010), Marriott International, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, and Hilton gave discounts to customers on weekends as so to quickly boost the volume of sale, which had gotten great success.Hence, if limited-time discount is used in the growth stage, market share can be quickly expanded by increasing sales in the short term. 2. 3 Loyalty card for customer loyalty Loyalty card is used to earn points for purchasing certain products or shopping at certain retailers. When customers collect enough points, these can be exchanged for money, goods or other offers (Kotler and Armstrong 2001). One of the main functions of loyalty card is to maintain the long-term relationship between customers and brands. It motivates customers to keep buying products with fixed brand, thus strengthening customers’ brand loyalty.A study by Lancaster and Massingham (2011) shows that Tesco owed its success in becoming the largest grocery supermarket retailer in Britain to introduction of loyalty card, since loyalty card was used to reward regular purchase, thus enhancing consum er loyalty to Tesco. Furthermore, loyalty card is felt to be effective in analyzing purchasing behaviors of the existing customers and directing enterprises to improve the operation of businesses, which thus benefits to build long-lasting relationship with existing customers.As Humby, Hunt and Phillips (2007) conclude, shopping habits, brand preference and economic capability of certain customer groups can be analyzed through loyalty card data, which contribute to firms to adjust marketing strategy. As a matter of fact, most marketers concern about customer loyalty in the maturity stage in that many competitive brands have piled into the market, which may lead customers to switch other brands.Liljenwall(2004) points out that it is difficult to be loyal for most products that customers purchase, even though many of them have brand preference for commodities. Indeed, they attempt to seek the best one by constantly changing brands. However, it seems that loyalty card reduces the risks of brand switching by offering discounts for regular purchases. When facing to different brands with same quality, customers usually would like to purchase fixed brand in return for discount. That is to say, loyalty card promotion can effectively maintain customer loyalty in the maturity stage.In conclusion, the three sales promotion tactics are effectively used to help companies to achieve the marketing targets in different phases: premiums promotion expands new products awareness in the introduction stage since this way could induce consumers to try out new items; limited-time promotion probably helps companies increase market share in the growth stage through boosting the volume of sales as soon as possible; loyalty card seems to be effective to maintain customer loyalty in the maturity stage because marketers would like to provide discount or gifts in return for regular purchase.Nonetheless, some potential risks may occur in the implementation. In order to maximize the effects o f sales promotion on different phases of product life cycle, limitations and possible solutions of the three means of sales promotion will be discussed in the next main section. 3. Limitations and Possible Solutions 3. 1 Risks of premiums promotion There seems to be two limitations in premiums promotion. First, it is difficult for marketers to ensure that premiums or free samples are attractive enough to their target customers (Ace 2002).In the introduction stage, new products usually need to be widely aware, so if premiums cannot arouse customers’ interest, marketers may lose chances to convince customers to try out their new products. Second, the cost of premiums and the value that customers perceive should be balanced. As Yeshin (2006) illustrates, the low-cost premiums may be perceived as low quality, thus reducing the brand value of new products themselves, whereas free gifts with high quality often cost much.Hence, it is felt to be difficult for marketers to forecast th e perceived value of premiums and to ensure that premiums can enhance new products reputation. 3. 2 Risks of limited-time discount Two possible limitations should be taken into account when limited-time discount is implemented. First, overusing limited-time discount probably shakes consumers’ decision for instant purchase in that they get used to waiting for discounts (Hendershot-Hurd 2007). As most customers are waiting for discount, it seems possible that the growth rate of sales becomes low in the growth stage.Second, if the time interval between the end of a limited-time discount and the start of the next limited-time discount is short, the perceived value of products may be reduced (Devlin, Ennew, McKechnie, and Smith 2007). In other words, Customers may regard the promotional price as the actual value. As a result, once restoring the original price, products may become unacceptable. 3. 3 Risks of loyalty card promotion The security of personal data caused by loyalty car ds may lead to customer dissatisfaction (Janotta 2012).For example, customers probably regard loyalty cards as source of spamming, thereby refusing to use loyalty card; they may also feel that individual privacy is offended, which could directly decrease customer satisfaction and destroy customer loyalty; if rewards cannot satisfy customers, they are likely to lose interest in loyalty card. As Janotta (2012) concludes, loyalty card system often disappoints consumers because of unattractive rewards, harsh requirements for exchange, and time and place limit. 3. 4 Possible solutionsWith regard to the limitations above, the possible solutions are proposed by Yeshin (2006) and Kotler and Armstrong (2001) as follow: * A small quantity of premiums should be first used at the beginning of introduction stage for market test, and a mass of premiums or free samples should be then used to expand new products popularity. * Time limited discount should be reasonably used and the promotion cycle s hould be identified by market investigation * Integrated promotion replacing single promotion should be used to stimulate customers in the first three stages of product life cycle.These possible solutions enable companies to reduce the risks in the implementation, thereby avoiding the unnecessary losses. All in all, the risks of sales promotions should be considered by marketers. First, low attractiveness and low perceived value of premiums could reduce the interest of customers in new products. Second, overuse and short cycle of limited-time promotion tend to compel companies to cut prices in that customers may overly relay on discount and reject to purchase at the original price.Third, the invasion of privacy caused by loyalty cards can result in decreasing customer satisfaction since customers could feel to be offended. Furthermore, in terms of possible solutions, early market test on a small scale enables companies to adjust promotion strategies, appropriate promotion cycle prob ably stimulate customers to make instant purchase decision, and integrated promotion mode could make better use of the advantages of sales promotion and compensate for the disadvantages of each other. Conclusion Sales promotion tactics seems to be of considerable importance in achieving different marketing targets.This paper analyzed the effectiveness of three sales promotion tactics according to the three marketing targets mentioned above. First, premiums could encourage customers to try out new products, which are beneficial to expand new products popularity in the introduction stage. Second, limited-time promotion is used to increase sales as sons as possible, eventually occupying more market share in the growth stage. Third, loyalty card has great advantage in keeping long-term relationship with existing customers, which could reduce the risk of brand switching in the maturity stage by rewarding regular purchase.Nevertheless, it seems to be inevitable that the three sales promot ion strategies have limitations. First of all, the quality and attractiveness of free gifts may directly influence the perceived values of new products. Furthermore, limited-time discount may stop products from restoring the original prices since customers prefer to wait for discounting. Finally, even if companies may obtain useful information about customers through analyses of loyalty card data, customer satisfaction is probably reduced due to the invasion of individual privacy.The possible solutions can be summarized as market test on a small scale, appropriate promotion cycle, and integrated promotion mode, which could reduce the risks above and maximize the effects of sales promotion. In discussing process in premiums promotion, limited-time discount and loyalty card promotion, it was conclude that the three tactics of promotion can be effective to help companies achieve the marketing targets in the first three phases, based on a rich literature about sales promotion.However, i t should be noted that a detailed analysis of other tactics of sales promotion realizing different marketing targets is not involved in this paper and future work could be done in this area. This would mainly focus on online marketing and could help marketers enhance the competitiveness of online marketing by appropriate strategies of sales promotion.References Ace, C. (2002) Effective Promotional Planning for e-Business. Oxford: Butterworth-Heinemann Devlin, J. , Ennew, C. ,McKechnie, S. , and Smith, A. (2007) ‘A study of time limited price promotions’. Journal of Product & Brand Management 16 (4), 280 – 285 Gaffney, S. and Francis, C. (2009) Honesty Sells: How to Make More Money and Increase Business Profits. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons Humby, C. , Hunt, T. , and Phillips, T. (2007) Scoring Points: How Tesco Continues to Win Customer Loyalty. London: Kogan Page Hendershot-Hurd, K. (2007) Beyond the Niche: Essential Tools You Need to Create Marketing Mess ages that  Deliver Results. Swindon: Acuminate Janotta, S. (2012) Loyalty Cards in the Apparel Retail Industry. Munich: Grin Verlag Kolb, B. M. (2005) Marketing for Cultural Organizations. London: Thomson Learning Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (2001) Principles of Marketing. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall Lancaster, G. and Massingham, L. (2011) Essentials of MarketingManagement. Abingdon: Routledge Liljenwall, R. (2004) The Power of Point-of-Purchase Advertising: Marketing At Retail. Washington, DC: Point-Of-Purchase Advertising International   Pride, W. M. and Ferrell, O. C. (2010) Marketing. Stamford: Cengage Learning Reid, R. , D. and Bojanic, D. , C. (2010) Hospitality Marketing Management. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons Yeshin, T. (2006) Sales Promotion. London: Thomson Learning

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Service Quality and Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Service Quality and Leadership - Essay Example revealed that comprehending the novel distribution, as well as marketing trends currently will help businesses to make better decisions and reach more individuals. I have learned that when companies want to prepare their online stratagems, hoteliers usually approach companies who have the capacity to guide them on selecting the top trends that their businesses can follow. These include mobile, conversations on social media, along with channel management where a number of the most important trends for the hospitality industry are emerging. I have come to ascertain that the mobile trend is the primary reason as to why communications have turned out to be increasingly individualized and client-customized. This trend can refer to not just smartphones that have the capacity to access the Internet. Perceptibly, hoteliers are supposed to take mobile into consideration as a significant marketing channel, but ought to additionally be conscious of the trend to develop on-property in the midst of the introduction of NFC, along with additional device-activated services. The hospitality service industry has been able to make use of the mobile trend by starting with an optimized website for mobile along with booking engine that consider client experience across manifold mobile pieces of equipment, counting tablets. Companies today make the most out of the mobile trend with an exceptional website that is specifically designed to obtain mobile guests to whatever they are looking for swiftly and effectively with the capacity to have bookings on various pages. The hospitality service industry thinks of the mobile trend as its individual channel so that companies have the aptitude to present special rates, endorsements, product depictions, in addition to the tracking particularly for these marketplaces. Most hospitality companies function with websites that have geo-locality services, for instance, Gowalla and Foursquare to give promotions. Companies also take part in free

Architecture Rome Essay Example for Free

Architecture Rome Essay Arch of Constantine Rome, Lazio, Italy This arch is religiously significant because it commemorates the battle that led the Emperor Constantine to convert to Christianity, thereby changing the religious landscape of the western world. The Arch of Constantine was erected to commemorate Constantines victory over Maxentius at the  Battle of Milvian Bridge  in 312 AD. According to contemporary historians, the night before the battle Constantine had a vision. He saw the symbol of  chi-rho  (the first letters of Christ in Greek) or the cross in some accounts in the sky with the words,  By this sign, conquer. Facing an army larger than his own, Constantine was happy to try anything. He had his soldiers carry the Christian symbol into battle, and he was victorious. So Constantine adopted Christianity for himself and declared the religion officially tolerated throughout the Roman Empire. With Constantines conversion, Christian persecution ended and the development of Christendom began. Thus, the event celebrated by the Arch of Constantine was a  major turning point  in the history of the western world. 7. Archbishops Palace, Prague Jean Baptist Mathey city of Prague in the Czech Republic The Archbishops Palace in Prague in the Czech Republic dates back to the mid-15th century. The Archbishops Palace in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic is home to some of the finest architecture around Europe and was constructed on the foundation of a Renaissance home. The home was reconstructed for two years in 1562-1564 and later in 1669-1694 in the Baroque style. The front of the Archbishops Palace in the city of Prague is a magnificent display of extravagant 18th century architecture and the interior is just as spectacular. Tapestries decorate several rooms and the furniture is all from the 18th century amongst portraits that relate to the Christian Church. The Archbishops Palace shares its entrance with the Sternberg Palace which is an incredible public attraction that is open to visitors to view great art masterpieces from the 14th 18th centuries. On the facade of the Palace there is a display of different hats that are ranked for the church officials. The hat with ten tassels belonged to the Archbishop and the others with five tassels were the bishops. The Archbishops Palace and the Sternberg Palace are worth seeing while visiting Prague even if you just get a chance to see the incredible architecture of this building. Archbishops Palace, the Seat of the Arch Bishop near the entrance to the Castle of Prague, Czech Republic, Europe. 8. The Ark, London Ralph Erskine, Lennart Bergstrom, Arkitektkontor, Rock Townsend Hammersmith, London, The Ark is that very unusual but arty and landmark office building by the Hammersmith flyover in west London, which appears always empty to the millions of car commuters that stream past it everyday, on their way in and out of London. In fact, the building was bought by GE Capital Real Estate back in 2006, who finally have decided to use it to consolidate the various GE London offices into one space. The Ark is an original and popular landmark greeting visitors to London as they drive in on the A4 through Hammersmith, from the west or Heathrow Airport. On a cramped site hemmed in by a concrete overpass on one side and a railway cutting on another, the Ark sits serenely if rather darkly, its brown glass hiding some long gaps between lettings. Visually, the Ark is immediately striking both outside and in. Outside, it plays the Ark idea almost to the full, although early plans for a large ramp leading up to the entrance have not been fulfilled. The idea of such a ramp is still hinted at by the cutaway in the facade, where any metaphorical ramp would fold up into hull once the animal pairs were all on board.

Illegal Immigration Immigrants

Illegal Immigration Immigrants Running Head: Illegal Immigration in the US: Is it hurting us or helping us? Introduction For years, the debate on unauthorized immigrants has been a hot topic in the United States. Although it is an issue that has been a part of our society for a long time, it is a very difficult issue to study. The amount of illegal immigrants that have made the country their homes is not an actually known number. Many of the illegal men, women, and children that we have living in the US have not been observed or accounted for making it hard to distinguish just how big the problem is. In addition to this issue of unaccountability, the nation has yet to develop a census that asks members of our society of their legal status in the US. This has been an ongoing debate and it seems as though, despite the many departments established and bills passed on this issue, we will never find a common ground. Should we continue to spend money and time trying to fight the illegal migration of unauthorized immigrants in the US or are their presences helping to build a stronger nation? Illegal immigration in the US is a complex issue for several reasons. There has been a history of attempts to control the illegal population in the US, but yet and still, we have no answer. The number of immigrants that we have living in the US is not precisely known making it hard to determine how large the issue is and how wide spread is it affecting our nation. Where do we start if we dont know where they are? The complexity of the issue is one that needs to be observed more than the prevalence of the issue because no one on this side of statistical research and the analysis of our population has proven that this is indeed a problem for our economy and the society we live in. Some of the nations economist and business owners have determined that the American economy depends on illegal workers because they except low-wage jobs, pay taxes and spend money, all of which expands back to our national economy. On the other hand, there are illegal immigrants that are in the US to take advantage of the services that our federal government provides to the less fortunate. States such as California, Texas, Florida and Arizona are concerned with the large amounts of unauthorized immigrants in their jurisdictions and are seeking government assistance to provide education, health care and other social services that the state is required by law to provide to every person that abides in that state. Looking at the issue from this perspective would cause one to think that the cost of providing a â€Å"better† life to an unauthorized immigrant is too high. This review of the effects of illegal immigration is not something we can devote one field of study or one discipline to. The problem is so complex that when you look at the issue from one perspective it eliminates the chances of finding a common ground due to the biases of the research. The fast growth of our population can take effects on our government policies, education system, work force and job availability, health care system, and the amounts of crime that any one city may face. With an increased number of people there are to take care of, there is a decreased amount of resources to provide to any one individual or family. This issue lacks the simplicity of a right or wrong answer. Illegal immigration is an issue that needs to be research based on an interdisciplinary perspective based on the premise that, devoting one discipline to the study leaves out so many important factors and arguments that are for or against this issue. The number of disciplines that have taken an interest in this subject can range from government to the institution of the family but in this paper we will focus on the disciplines of Economics, Sociology and Political Science. These three disciplines have been proven to provide analysis of this issue on a wide spread basis. The study of economics includes the study of labor, land, and investments, of money, income, and production, and of taxes and government expenditures. According to the Gallop Poll, 66% of Americans believe that illegal immigrants are costing taxpayers too much money by using up government services such as public education and medical programs, rather than becoming productive citizens. At the same time, 74% of the people surveyed insisted that illegal immigrants in the US are helping the economy because they are willing to take low-paying jobs that most Americans are not willing to take. The problems that an illegal worker can cause on the economy are apparent in many of the scholarly studies on this issue and common ground seems far from being discovered. Sociology is the study of social life, social change, and the social causes and consequences of human behavior. Sociologists investigate the structure of groups, organizations, and societies, and how people interact within these contexts. Illegal immigration is obviously one of those issues that are affecting our society as a whole. Every year the size of the population living illegally increases by as much as 500,000 people. This flow of people is exploited by criminal structure involved in the smuggling of people and trafficking of illegal documents across the border. Illegal immigration has become a drain on social services and because of the conditions in which illegal immigrants work and live, many have found it difficult to follow the law and are at risk of becoming under-class and the source of social conflict. Political science is the study of governments, public policies and political processes, systems,  and political behavior. The government in the US has attempted to reduce illegal immigration mainly by making use of two immigration policies: border patrol and employer sanctions. Each year the border patrol makes more than a million apprehensions of aliens that violate our nations laws by unlawfully crossing US borders. Such entry is a misdemeanor, but, if repeated, becomes punishable as a felony. In addition to sneaking into the country in violation of the immigration law, others enter with legal documentation and overstay their welcome. Political Science is at the heart of this debate because the government is the sole source of the policies and procedures that we must follow. The purpose of this paper is to identify the negative and the positive effects of illegal immigration in the United States and come up with a valid answer to the question†¦is the illegal immigration population in the US helping our nation or hurting it? So much time and effort has been spent on this issue and there is still no common ground. The policies and the procedures that have been set aside to regulate this mass of migration have failed to do so in several ways and with each year that passes by the issue of illegal immigrants prove itself to be uncontrollable. Should we establish a comprehensive effort to end illegal immigration once and for all or should the people of our nation accept the fact that there is no answer to the problem and move on to other important issues that are affecting us? This paper will establish an answer to just that. Background The United States holds the prestige of being the best country in the world to live in. It is the land of freedom with endless opportunities. It is understandable why citizens of poorer, foreign countries are flocking to the US. America give immigrants the opportunity to receive higher wages and an increased amount of employment options. It is an opportunity for them to have a better life and provide a better life for their families. America in its simplest form can be considered a melting pot of all different kinds of people. There are hundreds if not thousands of different race groups, ethnic groups, and religion living on one common ground. Generation after generation people from all over the world have com e to America to start a new life. Some of these immigrants follow the rules of entrance and others do not. We not only share our land and country with Americans, we also share with a very large population of illegal immigrants. Often times when Americans think of illegal immigration, the first thing that comes to mind is the crossing of Mexicans illegally across the US border. The truth is, Mexicans are not the only illegal immigrants that we host in our country. An illegal immigrant is any foreign national that has resettled in the US in violation of immigration and nationality laws (White). There are a number of people from all over the globe that have illegal entered America and others that have overstay ed their welcome according to these same laws. Illegal immigration in the US is not a problem that is new to American people. It is one of the issues that we have dealt with for a very long time. Illegal Immigration reform can be dated back as far as 1891, which is when the first laws on immigration was established in the United States. At this time legislators were given the right to deport people living in the US with illegal status. The act also put a tax on immigrants landing on US soil. Immigrants would have to pay a 30 to 40 cent fee and the monies collected went towards things to help the town that the immigrant has landed in. This was the beginning of the citizens starting to notice the impact illegal immigration had on the country. Although the issue was recognized legislation didnt do so well. At that time illegal immigration was not seen as a big problem as many see it today. As years went on, the American government used different tactics in order to regulate the excessive amounts of foreign nationals entering the country. There were quota systems which limited the amount of people that could reside in the US from one particular country. In a way, one can say this system used prejudice tactics because members of the committee decided which ethnic groups of people were most and least desirable to live in the US. In 1952 the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) was put into place. This act was basically our way of governing citizenship and immigration in the US. The INA gave authorities the right to deploy illegal immigrants once apprehended and questioned. The act also prohibited the entry of citizens from certain countries into the US. This act, also known as the McCarran-Walter act, is the basis of immigration law enforcement today. The INA relied on a national origins quota system also with a preference system for Eastern Hemisphere immigrants, and wa s concerned with excluding and removing subversives and communists (Weissinger). Since the INS was first established, several amendments have been established in an attempt to put the illegal immigration crisis at ease. This paper does not go into detail on each of the legislations but it is apparent in research that the road to a perfect policy on immigration is a long one. By 1954, illegal immigration was perceived as so serious that the US Border Patrol launched â€Å"Operation Wetback† during which more than a million undocumented Mexican migrants were rounded up and deported back to Mexico (Espenshade). Within 5 years the number of illegal immigrant apprehensions dropped by 95% to fewer than 50,000 in 1959. This was a good start to correcting the problem but it wasnt a permanent fix which brings us to the Immigration Act of 1965. It was established after the Immigration and Nationality Act and it repealed the national origins quota system. This gave people of all nations the right to migrate to the United States regardless of their country of origin. In 1986, the Immigration Reform and Control Act was signed into law by President Reagan. It included amnesty for aliens who could establish residence in the United States by January 1, 1982. It allowed over 4 million immigrants to rightfully stay in the US. The act also allowed employer sanctions aimed at removing the lure of employment and gave a special exception for those aliens working in the field of agriculture. The IRCA is a very detailed description of the policies that are supposed to be enforced by immigration regulatory agencies. A strong emphasis was put on the employment of illegal immigrants. It made it unlawful for employers to hire an immigrant knowing of his or her illegal status and it also made it illegal to employ a person without receiving documents required to prove that persons citizenship. Before this act, employers were getting involved in hiring undocumented worker but once the act took place, it made the penalties for this much higher causing the numbers of employers that were not in compliance to fall. Another issue related to illegal immigration is crime. Having an increased amount of people in the country that then, because of the Immigration Reform and Control Act, cant work, increased the amount of crimes throughout American cities. The Immigration Act of 1990, which actually took effect in 1992, attempted to remove illegal immigrants with aggravated felony convictions (Weissinger). As far as the removal and deportation of criminals was concerned, the Immigration Act was successful but other stipulations within the act allowed for the number of visas provided to foreigners for employment-based immigration to more than double. The focus on removing criminal aliens continued with the addition of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA). This act attempted to apply retroactivity to aggravated aliens felons in the United States. Over several years over 5,000 Border Patrol agents and 300 interior enforcement agents were added to the tasks force. The IIRIRA and all of the various amendments to immigration reform are under continuous judicial review which makes it difficult for all of the different agencies regulating this to get on one accord. A major player in the difficulty of regulating illegal immigration in the US is the fact that the actual number of illegal immigrants we have living in the US is not a known number. In addition to the number of illegal immigrants entering the US not being observed, there is also no census or other federally sponsored survey asks respondents of their legal status. Basically, we can guess how many illegal immigrants are living in the US but we will never reach an actual number. The Immigration and Nationalization Service only documents the number of illegal immigrants that have been apprehended. It does not count the number of illegal immigrants that have actually made it into the US. The Immigration and Nationalization Service is the main source of immigration reform. The two major functions of the INS include service to the public and enforcement. There is a right and a wrong way to enter the country and for those trying to obtain legal status in the correct way, the INS is there to help. The service provided involves processing applications for benefits such as lawful permanent residence and citizenship. In order for the strategies of the INS to work successful, interior enforcement must be the most important factor in controlling immigration. Interior enforcement includes investigations, deportation, and inspections. These are all separate units within the INS. Critics of the INS claim that much more time is spent on border control than on the investigations. Based on the national census in 2000, the US Census Bureau puts the estimate of illegal immigrants at 8.7 million. Since then, United States immigration officials have said the number has grown by as much as 500,000 every year. It is apparent why illegal immigration is an issue for most Americans but it is difficult to find a solution that really works. Many scholars from fields such as political science, economics, geography and social science have studied and suggested their theories and beliefs on illegal immigration in America. The issue is however too complex and the window is way to big to see it from one view. Integration is needed to get a clear understanding of the effects and future of this phenomenon. References Political Science Wessinger, PhD, George (11/7/2003).The Illegal Alien Problem: Enforcing the Immigration Laws. New York Institute of Technology. CIBC66-327, 1-9 Orrenius, Pia (2001). Illegal Immigration and Enforcement along the U.S.-Mexico Border: An Overview. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, 1, Retrieved 2/1/2008, from www.frbd.com Woodland, Alan D., Yoshinda, Chisato (7/2004). Risk Preference, immigration policy and illegal immigration. Journal of Development Economics. 81, 500-513. Sociology Knickerbocker, Brad (5/16/2006). Illegal Immigrants in the US: How many are there?. The Christian Science Monitor, 516, Retrieved 2/1/08, from www.csmonitor.com/2006/0516/p01s02-ussc.htm Chapman, Stephen Birth Control: Another Assault on Immigration. (4/8/2006). The Chicago Tribune, p. A14 Judis, John (2/13/2008). Phantom Menace: Americas Immigration Hysteria. The New Republic, 4, Retrieved 2/1/2008 Espenshade, Thomas (1995).Unauthorized Immigration to the United States. Office of Population Research. 21, 195-216 Economics White, Deborah (2/7/2008). About.com. Retrieved February 9, 2008, from About.com: Illegal Immigration Explained-Profits, and Poverty, Social Security and Starvation Web site: www.usliberals.about.com/od/immigration/a/IllegalImmi.htm?p=1 Lecker, Tikva (2000). Foreign Aid as a Discipline on Illegal Immigration. F22, 571-577. Jacobe, Dennis (3/27/2007). Investors Believe Illegal Immigration is Hurting the U.S. Economic Climate. Gallup News Service, Retrieved 2/1/2008 Jacobe, Dennis (9/14/2006).The Real Impact of Illegal Immigration. Gallup Management Journal Dula, Giora, Kahana, Nava, Lecker, Tikva (2004). How to partly bounce back the struggle against illegal immigration to the source countries. J Popul Econ. 19, 315-325

American Heros in Tom Wolfes The Right Stuff Essay examples -- Righ

American Heros in Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff depicts the lives of some of America's hottest pilots and its first astronauts. These men include Pete Conrad, Chuck Yeager, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Shirra, Alan Shepard, Gordon Cooper, Scott Carpenter and Deke Sleyton. Some of these men were hotshot test pilots at Edwards Air Force Base, and some flew cargo planes. Some had impeccable service records, while others hadn't flown in a real dog fight for even a second. Despite these differences in backgrounds and credentials, Tom Wolfe turns each of these nine men into a separate and individualized hero. Chuck Yeager and John Glenn are probably the most memorable of the nine pilots in The Right Stuff. Chuck Yeager was a hillbilly from West Virginia, who by the age of 22 had 13 1/2 "kills" in World War II. Yeager made a name for himself by being the first man to reach Mach 1, the speed of sound. John Glenn was an all-American Marine pilot. Glenn was a religious family man who was ready to do anything he could for his country. He became the poster boy for America's Mercury Project. Yeager and Glenn are two fine examples of American heroes of the 1950's and 1960's. In The Right Stuff, Wolfe presents these men in such a way that the excitement they started is rekindled. Wolfe uses many tools in his recreation of these real-life heroes, including entertaining anecdotes, the characters' own words and thoughts, and the opinions of others. In several instances, Wolfe uses anecdotes to reveal parts of a character's personality or to show his influence upon others. One example of this occurs when Wolfe mentions that the voices of airline pilots are modeled after the voice of Chuck Yeager. Wo... ...nks to himself, "What the hell was he talking about. I don't think any of us could really go on with something like this...What possible difference could a wife's attitude make about the opportunity for a giant step up the great ziggurat" (95). This thought again shows the other six astronauts' perception of Glenn as an outsider. He didn't follow the rules of those who had the right stuff; he was stealing the show and directing the attention away from them. Tom Wolfe is a master of recreating the people and events of the Mercury Project. In The Right Stuff he brings out all the excitement that each astronaut produced during the era. He uses anecdotes, the characters's own words, and the opinions of others to separate the characters and present each as an individual hero. Works Cited: Wolfe, Tom. The Right Stuff. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1979.

Dennis Potters Blue Remembered Hills :: Dennis Potters Blue Remembered Hills Essays

Dennis Potters' Blue Remembered Hills A.E. Houseman’s poem looks back at childhood as a â€Å"land of lost content† meaning that when you are a child you are innocent and you don’t have a care in the world. Also he says that childhood is a â€Å"happy highway where I went / and cannot come again† meaning that they are the best years of your life but you can never go back there. Dennis Potter took the poem and turned it in to a play about a group of children who were on there school holidays in the forest of dean in Gloucester. Potter is asking if childhood is such a land of lost content and is children so innocent. The poem was set in the summer of 1943 and there were 5 boys and 2 girls who were played by adults. The first person we meet is Willie who is playing at being a spitfire. Next we meet peter who is a bit of a bully. There is Audrey who is a bit of an ugly tag-along and then there is Angela who is a pretty girl who orders Audrey about. There is also Raymond who has a stutter and John he is a bit of a hero and is number 2 last there is Donald he is a bit of a pyromaniac. In the play the behaviour is realistic because that is what they would really do if they were in the forest of dean. They do things that only children do for example in scene 5 Donald, Angela and Audrey are fanaticising about being adults and are playing houses. Also they laugh about knickers being made out of silk. John and peter have a fight in scene 11. It all started in scene 10 Raymond was standing on his head and Audrey shouted that there was blood in his ear and John was standing up for Raymond and Peter was trying to make Raymond loose and then they get in to a fight and John won and peter was running away â€Å"Run, babby, run!† and peter ends up in the old barn talking to Donald. In this part of the play Dennis Potter is trying to make them look as if they are not so innocent. They are being deliberately cruel when they are trying to knock a squirrel out of a tree and they eventually knock it out and kill it. An incident of when they are unintentionally being cruel is when they trap Donald in the barn when Donald is starting a fire in amongst the hay.

Impact of Technology on Family Life Essay example -- Sociology Essays

Impact of Technology on Family Life I think that technology has had both positively and negatively impacted the family life in our society. But I think the positive effects out way the negative ones. In this term paper I will focus on how cell phones, internet, and home security systems. These are only a few of the technology that has affected family life. I will first talk about the positive effects then I will explain the negative effects. Communication has had a big impact on family life in our society. Cell phones have become very popular in the past few years. One big cell phone that has been very popular with younger generations is the Nextel cell phones. One reason for this is because the Nextel phone has two way radios built into them. This makes it very easy for someone to talk to another person, you don’t have to dial up their number you just find their name and then push the button and then talk to them. Everyone in my family owns a Nextel phone. My parents got my brother’s and me phones so that they could get a hold of us easier when we went away. When I was in high school they were nice because I could call my parents and tell them where I was going and let them know when I was going to be home. Since cell phones are made smaller these days they are easier to carry around and much more convenient then trying to find a pay phone and then worrying if you have money for the pay phone. The internet has a positive impact much like cell phones. By this I am mainly talking about email and instant messenger. Email has had a huge impact on family life because it allows families to write each other that might not be able to talk to each other very often. Most email are free this is ... ...lso many other sites on the internet that are dangerous such as online gambling sites that say you can win lots of money. With these types of sites and many other sites that want you to give up personal information such as credit cards numbers, pin numbers, or social security number you have to be very careful and make sure that the site is a creditable site. There really isn’t too many things that I can say are negative about having a home security system because it will keep your family safe. The only ones that I can think of would be maybe the headache of insulting it. Another one is that it now a days people have to get home security systems. These are just a few ways technology has affected the family life in our society, but there are many more then the one that I have told you about in this paper. And there are many more to come in the future. Impact of Technology on Family Life Essay example -- Sociology Essays Impact of Technology on Family Life I think that technology has had both positively and negatively impacted the family life in our society. But I think the positive effects out way the negative ones. In this term paper I will focus on how cell phones, internet, and home security systems. These are only a few of the technology that has affected family life. I will first talk about the positive effects then I will explain the negative effects. Communication has had a big impact on family life in our society. Cell phones have become very popular in the past few years. One big cell phone that has been very popular with younger generations is the Nextel cell phones. One reason for this is because the Nextel phone has two way radios built into them. This makes it very easy for someone to talk to another person, you don’t have to dial up their number you just find their name and then push the button and then talk to them. Everyone in my family owns a Nextel phone. My parents got my brother’s and me phones so that they could get a hold of us easier when we went away. When I was in high school they were nice because I could call my parents and tell them where I was going and let them know when I was going to be home. Since cell phones are made smaller these days they are easier to carry around and much more convenient then trying to find a pay phone and then worrying if you have money for the pay phone. The internet has a positive impact much like cell phones. By this I am mainly talking about email and instant messenger. Email has had a huge impact on family life because it allows families to write each other that might not be able to talk to each other very often. Most email are free this is ... ...lso many other sites on the internet that are dangerous such as online gambling sites that say you can win lots of money. With these types of sites and many other sites that want you to give up personal information such as credit cards numbers, pin numbers, or social security number you have to be very careful and make sure that the site is a creditable site. There really isn’t too many things that I can say are negative about having a home security system because it will keep your family safe. The only ones that I can think of would be maybe the headache of insulting it. Another one is that it now a days people have to get home security systems. These are just a few ways technology has affected the family life in our society, but there are many more then the one that I have told you about in this paper. And there are many more to come in the future.