Theories of Democracy - Against Human Rights Essay - 2

Hypotheses of Democracy - Against Human Rights - Essay Example Indeed, even wars based on helpful grounds ought to be maintained a strategic distance from to forestall loss of lives and the nonappearance of social relativism in a portion of the countries that are known to persevere through the set thoughts and standards of various areas. As per Ã… ½iÃ¥ ¾ek, human rights are characterized as practicing the opportunity to pick any given thing without disregarding the opportunity privileges of others, regardless of whether it implies opposing war. Strangely, Ã… ½iÃ¥ ¾ek is strong of helpful intercessions just so far as they are discovered ensuring and helping human life. Despite the fact that he isn't amped up for helpful obstruction all in all, he feels that such intercessions ought to be shielded. Regardless of the convictions of the individuals in a specific country, their lives must be secured and upheld as far as its ideas and gauges. A genuine vote based system will consistently hang out in its capacity to protect its residents. Opportunity and Democracy are huge rights, referenced by the essayist, ought to be executed even at home in a country that supports such rights. It is imperative to take note of that there is nothing all inclusive about â€Å"right.† There is more than one approach to completing things and this is clear in the fluctuated social points of view, particular world highlights, special ceremonies and social distinguishing pieces of proof. Ã… ½iÃ¥ ¾ek calls attention to that it isn't right to disregard the distinctions one of a kind to changed races. A great deal of distress and clashes on the planet emerge when countries attempt to force their method of following up on different countries and this, thus, produces war as opposed to harmony. Prejudice towards different people’s perspectives is the fundamental harming power that ruins nations.â

Christianity Essays (719 words) - God, Antigone, Civil Disobedience

Christianity What's more, Greek Gods The Revolutionary War was a huge piece of American history. The upset in Russia, that started the oust of socialism, was a tremendous piece of Russian history. The insurgency of Christianity from the ideas of Greek divine beings was moreover a huge piece of strict history. Christianity and Greek divine beings have numerous examinations, contrasts, and these differences brought about Christianity being progressive. The ideas of Christianity and the strict ideas of the Greek divine beings are relatively similar. To start, in the two religions, people accept that there are speakers for their God/divine beings. Divine beings don't address unimportant humans. These individuals are the clerics who educate of the divine beings? ways and needs. Some are seers or prophets, as they were brought in Greek occasions, that predict what's to come. For instance, Tiriesias, in the plays Oedipus the King and Antigone, was a visually impaired prophet who could see the future and anticipate it to individuals. In Greek times the prophets were of high economic wellbeing. Additionally, the individuals accept that their God or divine beings are over every human position. They accept a divine being is most importantly and tunes in to individuals when they need assistance. This is the reason people go to the God/divine beings for absolution. The two strict perspectives additionally accept that the God/divine beings are looking out for their adherents. The God/divine beings choose either previously or after a person?s life on earth where the individual will live in eternity, depending on the person?s values. Both trust one would either go to an awful spot, called Hellfire or Hades, or a decent spot, called paradise or the Elysian Fields. Similarly both have faith in a the great beyond that is endlessly picked. The thoughts of the adherents of Christianity and Greek religions are likewise altogether different. To start, Christians have faith in one god-like God. This is otherwise called monotheism. Christians accept this God gave the world his solitary child. At the point when that child was put to death by a human, He advised the individuals He would bite the dust to excuse their wrongdoings. This shows that God and His child were both mindful and pardoning creatures. They are regarded by the devotees of Christianity. God helps people. People appeal to this God for help and absolution. Individuals additionally go to chapel to find out about their religion and to offer their feelings of appreciation to God. The congregation is believed to be God?s house. This is the reason individuals get spruced up and attempt to look decent when they are visitors in God?s house. God and Jesus are thought to live in paradise. Greeks, be that as it may, are totally different from Christians. They put stock in numerous divine beings. This is otherwise called polytheism. These divine beings are mean and torment the people for doing wrong. In the play Antigone, the pioneer speaks, ?Must, King and rapidly as well. The divine beings, incited, never stand by to cut men down.?1 This statement demonstrates how speedy tempered the divine beings are. These equivalent divine beings ordain a human?s destiny. Destiny is too decided as a rule by a family revile. As in Antigone, the Greek catastrophe, Antigone states, ?What more do you think could Zeus expect of us to stack the revile that?s on the House of Oedipus2 This statement shows how Zeus, a Greek god, has decided Antigone's destiny by the revile that has been set on her family. A human?s destiny is prognosticated and is kept by the prophets. Oedipus? prophet states that he would execute his dad and wed his mom. This prophet comes genuine despite the fact that numerous individuals of the city of Thebes don't have the foggiest idea about that Oedipus is Jocasta and Liaus? child since they requested their child to be executed. Individuals of Greek occasions don't go to chapel; they are recounted their fates by prophets or by other relatives. They do, be that as it may, likewise attempt to please the divine beings so they are not rebuffed. The Greek divine beings are thought to live over the Greek residents on a mountain named Olympus. Christianity was thought of progressive by many. Progressive is characterized as: ?having the idea of, described by, inclining toward, and causing an insurgency, or intense change.?3 Christianity was a significant change in convictions making many think it wasn't right. The advancement of Christianity was hampered by the convictions of the individuals and their commonality with the methods of the Greeks. This was such a mammoth change, many didn't care for it. In this way, in spite of the fact that Christianity may appear to be like the ideas of the Greek divine beings it has numerous unmistakable contrasts. These distinctions clarify why Christianity can be viewed as progressive.

7 of the Best Books About Mental Illness From 2019

7 of the Best Books About Mental Illness From 2019 One of the most practical ways to combat stigma around mental illness is to raise awareness in society about it, and what better way to do that than through books. This year saw headlines about a string of suicides of young K-pop artists and frequent news of celebrities deaths due to substance overdose, as well as the publication of some terrific and eye-opening books about issues related to mental health and illness. The Heartland by Nathan Filer (Faber) An incredibly profound book on a much misunderstood mental disorder by a mental health nurse and award-winning writer. Filer draws upon his experience of working in psychiatric wards and articulately reveals how the stigma surrounding schizophrenia impacts those affected by it. The Heartland is a vital read for everyone which brims with knowledge, wit and compassion. Mind on Fire by Arnold Thomas Fanning (Penguin) Fanning suffered from depression during adolescence, following the death of his mother. Some ten years later, an up-and-coming playwright, he was overcome by mania and delusions. Thus began a terrible period in which he was often suicidal, increasingly disconnected from family and friends, sometimes in trouble with the law, and homeless in London. Brilliantly written, this book is a haunting and poignant account of a person in the grip of illness and his subsequent path to recovery. Notes Made While Falling by Jenn Ashworth (Goldsmiths Press) This remarkable book gives visceral and eye-opening insight into childbirth, new motherhood, and the toll it takes on the body. Ashworth has crafted a brave and profound portrait of trauma and the art of survival. The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang (Penguin) This courageous and candid book of essays gives necessary insight into the obscure world of psychosis and chronic illness. Wang intimately reveals how mental illness impacted each aspect of her personal and social life. This is an illuminating and revelatory book for anyone seeking to understand what living with schizophrenia feels like. Bipolar Disorder The Ultimate Guide by Sarah Owen Amanda Saunders (Oneworld) Bipolar disorder is one of the most prevalent psychological disorders, yet there are a lot of misconceptions about it. This comprehensive guide manages to be incredibly informative and accessible for people newly diagnosed with bipolar and their loved ones. Exhaustively researched, it aims to debunk myths and challenge stereotypes regarding the disorder. Where Reasons end by Yiyun Li (Hamish Hamilton) This is a devastating masterpiece! Lis teenage son died by suicide out of the blue. In this book she attempts to come to terms with her loss by having imagined conversations with her son. Surprisingly funny and painfully affecting in parts, this is a profound meditation on the complexity of parenthood and grief. Dora: A Headcase by Lidia Yuknavitch (Canongate) This is an ingeniously contemporary reimagining of Freuds breakthrough case study from Doras perspective. Irreverent, absurdly hilarious, and audacious, Dora is a thoroughly entertaining look at the warped demands of adulthood and growing pains.

The Death Of The Cattle Cars - 1610 Words

â€Å"These optimistic speeches, which no one believed, helped to pass the time. The few days we lived here went by pleasantly enough, in peace. There were no longer questions of wealth, of social distinction, and importance only people condemned to the same fate-still unknown† (Night 20). Elie and the others Jews from his community lose some of their innocence when placed on the train to go to the camps. Overall, nobody seemed to think they would actually be doing this and at first still had hope. After being forced on the train they lost some of that hope they had, and because they didn t think of what would happen and had no idea what to expect as a result. â€Å"Life in the cattle cars was the death of my adolescence. How quickly I aged. As a†¦show more content†¦Having never seen this kind of cruelty Elie was especially surprised upon seeing this. He continues to lose even more of that innocence, sadly in such a horrifying way. Since before this he would have ne ver though possible that people were capable of doing such things. It is evident from his tone that he is shocked, and sickened by what he sees and gives the reader an overall impression of being disheartened by all of this. Not just in humans did Elie questions about, he despite his loyalty began to question his faith. Something that he had also been so devoted, and passionate about, †How was it possible in that cursed place, to praise the Eternal One for His supposed love of His people? How was it possible, without telling lies, to say in Auschwitz, Ashreinu, ma tovBalkann --how happy we are to bear our heritage? How and by what right can we peak of happiness in Auschwitz? As I have said elsewhere, Auschwitz is conceivable neither with God nor without Him†¦ II may someday come to understand man s role in the mystery Auschwitz represents but never God s † (All Rivers Run 84). Wiesel’s tone is very clearly accusatory, and disbelief because he just doesn†™t understand how this is all just happening and for it doesn’t seem like anyone is trying to stop. He believes that it was God’s place to do something about it, rather than letting all these Jewish people just suffer. That one night where he saw the children being burned in theShow MoreRelatedNight By Elie Wiesel Analysis1560 Words   |  7 Pagesrational human beings will become engulfed in the minds of irrationality when hunger is no longer bearable. Demanded to travel into the unknown, Wiesel embarks on a miserable trip in a train of several cattle cars in the beginning of his memoir. Confused and unaware, the Jews in Wiesel’s cattle car attempt to come up with the best plan to survive in case anything alarming occurs. Riding the uncomfortable vehicle for miles, the narrator explains, â€Å"There was some food left. But we never ate enough toRead MoreHorseman, Pass By vy Larry McMurtry1355 Words   |  5 Pagesfact that one of Homer’s cattle drops dead for no apparent reason. In order to ascertain what specifically killed the cow, the veterinarian, Newt Garrett is called. Garrett cuts open the dead cow in order to perform a biopsy which inadvertently contaminates the land and exposes the herd to an unknown disease. Unfortunately for the Bannons, the state veterinarian determines that the dead cow had developed hoof-and-mouth disease. In order to determine which strain the cattle developed, the herd is placedRea d MoreElie Wiesel s The Holocaust993 Words   |  4 Pagesshould never have to see such as frantic families lined up for a death in fire, bodies crushed all over as people ran them over, and babies being thrown into pits of fire. One day, police move the Jews, eighty per car, into tiny, dark cattle cars. The Jews did not know what was about to happen to them; however they let themselves be pushed into the cattle cars and sent to their death bed. Since there wasn t that a lot of area within the cars, they took turns sitting. They were told that they were nowRead MoreSarahs Key by Tatiana De Rosnay763 Words   |  3 Pagesstandards in a negative way. In the novel Sarah’s Key, Sarah frequently proves to struggle with both guilt and innocence. These specific themes are put on display when Sarah realizes she is not going back home, the scenario in which Sarah boards the cattle car to the camps, and the tragic event in which Sarah takes her own life. Innocence first proclaims itself when Sarah discovers that she is not returning home. Sarah’s behaviour and lack of understanding towards pressing information is a portrayal ofRead MoreHow Hitler Became Chancellor Of Germany1164 Words   |  5 Pagesget rid of un-German writings proclaiming the death of Jewish intellectualism all the way to the extremity of the mass murder of Jews. This process progressed rapidly, and it had lasting effects for the entire world. The holocaust was the systematic, state-organized persecution and murder of at least six million jews. 100 days after Hitler became chancellor of Germany, Nazis began having book burnings to get rid of un-German writings proclaiming the death of Jewish intellectualism. This was one ofRead MoreInhumane Treatment in Night971 Words   |  4 Pagesin trouble (Langer 5). â€Å"Are you crazy? We were told to stand. Do you want us all in trouble?†(Wiesel 38). S.S guards struck fear in their hostages, which means they will obey without questioning what the Nazis told them to do due to their fear of death. Sometimes, S.S. would punish the Jews for their own sin, but would not explain their sin to the other Jews. For example, Idek punished Wiesel for his own deed, which led to fear among the Jews (Langer 7). For witnessing Idek’s affairs, he gets punishedRead MoreImagery Of Joseph Wiesel s Night1453 Words   |  6 Pages Elie uses imagery of the cattle cars into which the Jews are forced in order to further this theme of dehumanization. On the day of Elie’s deportation, the Jews of Sighet are led into the cattle cars waiting for them at the station with, â€Å"eighty people in each car. We were left a few loaves of bread and some buckets of water [†¦] In each car one person was placed in charge. If anyone escaped, he would be shot† (Wiesel 31). Clearly, the way they are crammed into the cars is cruel and blatantly inhumaneRead MoreNight and Hotel Rwanda Similarities Essay1009 Words   |  5 Pageswagons or cattle cars. There was a horrific experience in Night when the Jews had to fit 80-100 people in the cattle cars with temperatures ranging from below zero degrees in the winter, and up to 108 degrees in the summer. Not only did they have to deal with the weather, they also had little to no room to use the restroom and had to go in the corner of the wagon to relieve themselves. When Elie stated, â€Å"The doors were nailed up; the way back was finally cut off. The world was a cattle wagon hermeticallyRead MoreHolocaust Upstanders: Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Per Anger, and Oskar Schindler555 Words   |  3 Pagesvillage to help students. He helped the students get illegal parish posts. German synagogues and Jewish businesses were burned during Kristallnacht. Dietrich’s students thought Kristallnacht was because of the curse that haunted Jews since Jesus’ death on the cross but he said it was sheer violence of Nazism’s godless face (Braun par 11). He also helped form and anti-Nazi resistance with Hans von Dohnanyi. In April of 1943 Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Hans von Dohnanyi were arrested when the Gestapo foundRead MoreNight, By Elie Wiesel1372 Words   |  6 Pagesto return to Sighet to describe to [the Jews his] death so that [they] might ready [themselves] while there is still time† (Wiesel 7). Rather than listening to Moishe’s story, the Jews of Sighet wanted to remain optimist ic about their future and continued living their lives blissfully, completely unaware of what was happening and what was going to happen. In a matter of days, the Jews of Sighet were ghettoized and deported. All jammed into train cars enroute to Auschwitz-Birkenau. However, their optimism

Sigmund Freud and Carl Young Compare - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 2 Words: 525 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2018/11/16 Category Psychology Essay Type Compare and contrast essay Level High school Tags: Sigmund Freud Essay Did you like this example? There are two theorist which are conferred more often than others when the subject of psychoanalysis is discussed are Sigmund Freud and Carl Young. Freud is mostly considered the founding father of this concept; however, Jung, a follower of Freud, disagreed with some of his theories. This disagreement caused Jung to breakoff and create his own theories on the subject of collective unconscious. Both of these men have similar views on the psychoanalytic theory, but choose different ways to teach and explain those ideas. Freud argues that there are three parts to the psyche. They include: ego, superego, and id. As Freud studied the different parts of the mind, he concluded that slips of the tongue of words, which he later coined Freudian slips, occur when a person unwittingly says what their unconscious is thinking. Freud’s Oedipus complex states that the main drive of humans occurs through sex and sexual libido, Freud assumed, â€Å"that when we are infants we love o ur opposite-sex parent and hate our same-sex parent† (Jacobus 478). Jung argues that there are also three parts to the psyche. They include: the ego, or conscious mind, the personal unconscious, or where â€Å"personal experience form only part of the individual’s unconscious† (Jacobus 488), and the collective unconscious. This is where experiences are revealed in a person’s dreams. Freud and Jung, for years, worked together with a goal of pursuing Freud’s work on psychoanalysis until Jung started to oppose Freuds view he proposed on sexual conflicts and the tendencies of humans. Jung continued to look at what he considered the truth of the unconscious mind and his understanding of human nature which he calls analytical psychology. This is similar to Freud’s findings except just focusing on the sexual libido which leads a person to make decisions, but to focus on an individual’s psyche and the collective unconscious. Even with th ese similarities the two men’s differences distinguish them apart. Freud spends his time focused on the sexual tendencies that a person has and he finds that their sex drive is the sole motivational factor for the decisions they make. As well as, repressed thoughts and memories to the person’s unconscious mind. Freud describes the rational thought process as a way to stop a person’s id from controlling or acting on impulses. Then we are making decision are based upon what makes them happy. As Jung describes a person has an inner world in which the unconscious mind sees and not what society sees as a person’s persona. The ego, as discussed by Jung, is a person’s conscious identity of who they are and what is liked or not liked based on a person’s inner and environmental needs. Freud and Jung were two psychologists who share the similarities and differences in the study of psychology. They did agree upon the importance of dreams and that dreams do provide a guide into a person’s unconscious mind. They disagreed on what the causes of the unconscious. They both made contributions and their own individual theories in the psychoanalytic movement; however, they did agree on certain elements of psychology. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Sigmund Freud and Carl Young Compare" essay for you Create order

The Twilight Saga 4 Breaking Dawn 21. First Hunt Free Essays

â€Å"The window?† I asked, staring two stories down. I’d never really been afraid of heights per se, but being able to see all the details with such clarity made the prospect less appealing. The angles of the rocks below were sharper than I would have imagined them. We will write a custom essay sample on The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 21. First Hunt or any similar topic only for you Order Now Edward smiled. â€Å"It’s the most convenient exit. If you’re frightened, I can carry you.† â€Å"We have all eternity, and you’re worried about the time it would take to walk to the back door?† He frowned slightly. â€Å"Renesmee and Jacob are downstairs___† â€Å"Oh.† Right. I was the monster now. I had to keep away from scents that might trigger my wild side. From the people that I loved in particular. Even the ones I didn’t really know yet. â€Å"Is Renesmee†¦ okay†¦ with Jacob there?† I whispered. I realized belatedly that it must havebeen Jacob’s heart I’d heard below. I listened hard again, but I could only hear the one steady pulse. â€Å"He doesn’t like her much.† Edward’s lips tightened in an odd way. â€Å"Trust me, she is perfectly safe. I know exactly what Jacob is thinking.† â€Å"Of course,† I murmured, and looked at the ground again. â€Å"Stalling?† he challenged. â€Å"A little. I don’t know how†¦.† And I was very conscious of my family behind me, watching silently. Mostly silently. Emmett had already chuckled under his breath once. One mistake, and he’d be rolling on the floor. Then the jokes about the world’s only clumsy vampire would start†¦. Also, this dress – that Alice must have put me in sometime when I was too lost in the burning to notice – was not what I would have picked out for either jumping or hunting. Tightly fitted ice-blue silk? What did she think I would need it for? Was there a cocktail party later? â€Å"Watch me,† Edward said. And then, very casually, he stepped out of the tall, open window and fell. I watched carefully, analyzing the angle at which he bent his knees to absorb the impact. The sound of his landing was very low – a muted thud that could have been a door softly closed, or a book gently laid on a table. It didn’t look hard. Clenching my teeth as I concentrated, I tried to copy his casual step into empty air. Ha! The ground seemed to move toward me so slowly that it was nothing at all to place my feet – what shoes had Alice put me in? Stilettos? She’d lost her mind – to place mysilly shoes exactly right so that landing was no different than stepping one foot forward on a flat surface. I absorbed the impact in the balls of my feet, not wanting to snap off the thin heels. My landing seemed just as quiet as his. I grinned at him. â€Å"Right. Easy.† He smiled back. â€Å"Bella?† â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"That was quite graceful – even for a vampire.† I considered that for a moment, and then I beamed. If he’d just been saying that, then Emmett would have laughed. No one found his remark humorous, so it must have been true. It was the first time anyone had ever applied the word graceful ‘to me in my entire life†¦ or, well, existence anyway. â€Å"T/?an/cyou,†i told him. And then I hooked the silver satin shoes off my feet one by one and lobbed them together back through the open window. A little too hard, maybe, but I heard someone catch them before they could damage the paneling. Alice grumbled, â€Å"Her fashion sense hasn’t improved as much as her balance.† Edward took my hand – I couldn’t stop marveling at the smoothness, the comfortable temperature of his skin – and darted through the backyard to the edge of the river. I went along with him effortlessly. Everything physical seemed very simple. â€Å"Are we swimming?† I asked him when we stopped beside the water. â€Å"And ruin your pretty dress? No. We’re jumping.† I pursed my lips, considering. The river was about fifty yards wide here. â€Å"You first,† I said. He touched my cheek, took two quick backward strides, and then ran back those two steps, launching himself from a flat stone firmly embedded in the riverbank. I studied the flash of movement as he arced over the water, finally turning a somersault just before he disappeared into the thick trees on the other side of the river. â€Å"Show-off,† I muttered, and heard his invisible laugh. I backed up five paces, just in case, and took a deep breath. Suddenly, I was anxious again. Not about falling or getting hurt – I was more worried about the forest getting hurt. It had come on slowly, but I could feel it now – the raw, massive strength thrilling in my limbs. I was suddenly sure that if I wanted to tunnel under the river, to claw or beat my way straight through the bedrock, it wouldn’t take me very long. The objects around me – the trees, the shrubs, the rocks†¦ the house – had all begun to look very fragile. Hoping very much that Esme was not particularly fond of any specific trees across the river, I began my first stride. And then stopped when the tight satin split six inches up my thigh. Alice! Well, Alice always seemed to treat clothes as if they were disposable and meant for one-time usage, so she shouldn’t mind this. I bent to carefully grasp the hem at the undamaged right seam between my fingers and, exerting the tiniest amount of pressure possible, I ripped the dress open to the top of my thigh. Then I fixed the other side to match. Much better. I could hear the muffled laughter in the house, and even the sound of someone gritting her teeth. The laughter came from upstairs and down, and I very easily recognized the much different, rough, throaty chuckle from the firstfloor. So Jacob was watching, too? I couldn’t imagine what he was thinking now, or what he was still doing here. I’d envisioned our reunion – if he could ever forgive me – taking place far in the future, when I was more stable, and time had healed the wounds I’d inflicted in his heart. I didn’t turn to look at him now, wary of my mood swings. It wouldn’t be good to let any emotion take too strong a hold on my frame of mind. Jasper’s fears had me on edge, too. I had to hunt before I dealt with anything else. I tried to forget everything else so I could concentrate. â€Å"Bella?† Edward called from the woods, his voice moving closer. â€Å"Do you want to watch again?† But I remembered everything perfectly, of course, and I didn’t want to give Emmett a reason to find more humor in my education. This was physical – it should be instinctive. So I took a deep breath and ran for the river. Unhindered by my skirt, it took only one long bound to reach the water’s edge. Just an eighty-fourth of a second, and yet it was plenty of time – my eyes and my mind moved so quickly that one step was enough. It was simple to position my right foot just so against the flat stone and exert the adequate pressure to send my body wheeling up into the air. I was paying more attention to aim than force, and I erred on the amount of power necessary – but at least I didn’t err on the side that would have gotten me wet. The fifty yard width was slightly too easy a distance___ It was a strange, giddy, electrifying thing, but a short thing. An entire second had yet to pass, and I was across. I was expecting the close-packed trees to be a problem, but they were surprisingly helpful. It was a simple matter to reach out with one sure hand as I fell back toward the earth again deep inside the forest and catch myself on a convenient branch; I swung lightly from the limb and landed on my toes, still fifteen feet from the ground on the wide bough of a Sitka spruce. It was fabulous. Over the sound of my peals of delighted laughter, I could hear Edward racing to find me. My jump had been twice as long as his. When he reached my tree, his eyes were wide. I leaped nimbly from the branch to his side, soundlessly landing again on the balls of my feet. â€Å"Was that good?† I wondered, my breathing accelerated with excitement. â€Å"Very good.† He smiled approvingly, but his casual tone didn’t match the surprised expression in his eyes. â€Å"Can we do it again?† â€Å"Focus, Bella – we’re on a hunting trip.† â€Å"Oh, right.† I nodded. â€Å"Hunting.† â€Å"Follow me†¦ if you can.† He grinned, his expression suddenly taunting, and broke into a run. He was faster than me. I couldn’t imagine how he moved his legs with such blinding speed, but it was beyond me. However, I was stronger, and every stride of mine matched the length of three of his. And so I flew with him through the living green web, by his side, not following at all. As I ran, I couldn’t help laughing quietly at the thrill of it; the laughter neither slowed me nor upset my focus. I could finally understand why Edward never hit the trees when he ran – a question that had always been a mystery to me. It was a peculiar sensation, the balance between the speed and the clarity. For, while I rocketed over, under, and through the thick jade maze at a rate that should have reduced everything around me to a streaky green blur, I could plainly see each tiny leaf on all the small branches of every insignificant shrub that I passed. The wind of my speed blew my hair and my torn dress out behind me, and, though I knew it shouldn’t, it felt warm against my skin. Just as the rough forest floor shouldn’t feel like velvet beneath my bare soles, and the limbs that whipped against my skin shouldn’t feel like caressing feathers. The forest was much more alive than I’d ever known – small creatures whose existence I’d never guessed at teemed in the leaves around me. They all grew silent after we passed, their breath quickening in fear. The animals had a much wiser reaction to our scent than humans seemed to. Certainly, it’d had the opposite effect on me. I kept waiting to feel winded, but my breath came effortlessly. I waited for the burn to begin in my muscles, but my strength only seemed to increase as I grew accustomed to my stride. My leaping bounds stretched longer, and soon he was trying to keep up with me. I laughed again, exultant, when I heard him falling behind. My naked feet touched the ground so infrequently now it felt more like flying than running. â€Å"Belial he called dryly, his voice even, lazy. I could hear nothing else; he had stopped. I briefly considered mutiny. But, with a sigh, I whirled and skipped lightly to his side, some hundred yards back. I looked at him expectantly. He was smiling, with one eyebrow raised. He was so beautiful that I could only stare. â€Å"Did you want to stay in the country?† he asked, amused. â€Å"Or were you planning to continue on to Canada this afternoon?† â€Å"This is fine,† I agreed, concentrating less on what he was saying and more on the mesmerizing way his lips moved when he spoke. It was hard not to become sidetracked with everything fresh in my strong new eyes. â€Å"What are we hunting?† â€Å"Elk. I thought something easy for your first time †¦Ã¢â‚¬  He trailed off when my eyes narrowed at the word easy. But I wasn’t going to argue; I was too thirsty. As soon as I’d started to think about the dry burn in my throat, it was all I could think about. Definitely getting worse. My mouth felt like four o’clock on a June afternoon in Death Valley. â€Å"Where?† I asked, scanning the trees impatiently. Now that I had given the thirst my attention, it seemed to taint every other thought in my head, leaking into the more pleasant thoughts of running and Edward’s lips and kissing and†¦ scorching thirst. I couldn’t get away from it. â€Å"Hold still for a minute,† he said, putting his hands lightly on my shoulders. The urgency of my thirst receded momentarily at his touch. â€Å"Now close your eyes,† he murmured. When I obeyed, he raised his hands to my face, stroking my cheekbones. I felt my breathing speed and waited briefly again for the blush that wouldn’t come. â€Å"Listen,† Edward instructed. â€Å"What do you hear?† Everything,I could have said; his perfect voice, his breath, his lips brushing together as he spoke, the whisper of birds preening their feathers in the treetops, their fluttering heartbeats, the maple leaves scraping together, the faint clicking of ants following each other in a long line up the bark of the nearest tree. But I knew he meant something specific, so I let my ears range outward, seeking something different than the small hum of life that surrounded me. There was an open space near us – the wind had a different sound across the exposed grass – and a small creek, with a rocky bed. And there, near the noise of the water, was the splash of lapping tongues, the loud thudding of heavy hearts, pumping thick streams of blood___ It felt like the sides of my throat had sucked closed. â€Å"By the creek, to the northeast?† I asked, my eyes still shut. â€Å"Yes.† His tone was approving. â€Å"Now†¦ wait for the breeze again and†¦ what do you smell?† Mostly him – his strange honey-lilac-and-sun perfume. But also the rich, earthy smell of rot and moss, the resin in the evergreens, the warm, almost nutty aroma of the small rodents cowering beneath the tree roots. And then, reaching out again, the clean smell of the water, which was surprisingly unappealing despite my thirst. I focused toward the water and found the scent that must have gone with the lapping noise and the pounding heart. Another warm smell, rich and tangy, stronger than the others. And yet nearly as unappealing as the brook. I wrinkled my nose. He chuckled. â€Å"I know – it takes some getting used to.† â€Å"Three?† I guessed. â€Å"Five. There are two more in the trees behind them.† â€Å"What do I do now?† His voice sounded like he was smiling. â€Å"What do you feel like doing?† I thought about that, my eyes still shut as I listened and breathed in the scent. Another bout of baking thirst intruded on my awareness, and suddenly the warm, tangy odor wasn’t quite so objectionable. At least it would be something hot and wet in my desiccated mouth. My eyes snapped open. â€Å"Don’t think about it,† he suggested as he lifted his hands off my face and took a step back. â€Å"Just follow your instincts.† I let myself drift with the scent, barely aware of my movement as I ghosted down the incline to the narrow meadow where the stream flowed. My body shifted forward automatically into a low crouch as I hesitated at the fern-fringed edge of the trees. I could see a big buck, two dozen antler points crowning his head, at the stream’s edge, and the shadow-spotted shapes of the four others heading eastward into forest at a leisurely pace. I centered myself around the scent of the male, the hot spot in his shaggy neck where the warmth pulsed strongest. Only thirty yards – two or three bounds – between us. i tensed myself for the first leap. But as my muscles bunched in preparation, the wind shifted, blowing stronger now, and from the south. I didn’t stop to think, hurtling out of the trees in a path perpendicular to my original plan, scaring the elk into the forest, racing after a new fragrance so attractive that there wasn’t a choice. It was compulsory. The scent ruled completely. I was single-minded as I traced it, aware only of the thirst and the smell that promised to quench it. The thirst got worse, so painful now that it confused all my other thoughts and began to remind me of the burn of venom in my veins. There was only one thing that had any chance of penetrating my focus now, an instinct more powerful, more basic than the need to quench the fire – it was the instinct to protect myself from danger. Self-preservation. I was suddenly alert to the fact that I was being followed. The pull of the irresistible scent warred with the impulse to turn and defend my hunt. A bubble of sound built in my chest, my lips pulled back of their own accord to expose my teeth in warning. My feet slowed, the need to protect my back struggling against the desire to quench my thirst. And then I could hear my pursuer gaining, and defense won. As I spun, the rising sound ripped its way up my throat and out. The feral snarl, coming from my own mouth, was so unexpected that it brought me up short. It unsettled me, and it cleared my head for a second – the thirst-driven haze receded, though the thirst burned on. The wind shifted, blowing the smell of wet earth and coming rain across my face, further freeing me from the other scent’s fiery grip – a scent so delicious it could only be human. Edward hesitated a few feet away, his arms raised as if to embrace me – or restrain me. His face was intent and cautious as I froze, horrified. I realized that I had been about to attack him. With a hard jerk, I straightened out of my defensive crouch. I held my breath as I refocused, fearing the power of the fragrance swirling up from the south. He could see reason return to my face, and he took a step toward me, lowering his arms. â€Å"I have to get away from here,† I spit through my teeth, using the breath I had. Shock crossed his face. â€Å"Can you leave?† I didn’t have time to ask him what he meant by that. I knew the ability to think clearly would last only as long as I could stop myself from thinking of – I burst into a run again, a flat-out sprint straight north, concentrating solely on the uncomfortable feeling of sensory deprivation that seemed to be my body’s only response to the lack of air. My one goal was to run far enough away that the scent behind me would be completely lost. Impossible to find, even if I changed my mind†¦ Once again, I was aware of being followed, but I was sane this time. I fought the instinct to breathe – to use the flavors in the air to be sure it was Edward. I didn’t have to fight long; though I was running faster than I ever had before, shooting like a comet through the straightest path I could find in the trees; Edward caught up with me after a short minute. A new thought occurred to me, and I stopped dead, my feet planted. I was sure it must be safe here, but I held my breath just in case. Edward blew past me, surprised by my sudden freeze. He wheeled around and was at my side in a second. He put his hands on my shoulders and stared into my eyes, shock still the dominant emotion on his face. â€Å"How did you do that?† he demanded. â€Å"You let me beat you before, didn’t you?† I demanded back, ignoring his question. And I’d thought I’d been doing sowell! When I opened my mouth, I could taste the air – it was unpolluted now, with no trace of the compelling perfume to torment my thirst. I took a cautious breath. He shrugged and shook his head, refusing to be deflected. â€Å"Bella, how did you do it?† â€Å"Run away? I held my breath.† â€Å"But how did you stop hunting?† â€Å"When you came up behind me†¦ I’m so sorry about that.† â€Å"Why are you apologizing to me? I’m the one who was horribly careless. I assumed no one would be so far from the trails, but I should have checked first. Such a stupid mistake! You have nothing to apologize for.† â€Å"But I growled at you!† I was still horrified that I was physically capable of such blasphemy. â€Å"Of course you did. That’s only natural. But I can’t understand how you ran away.† â€Å"What else could I do?† I asked. His attitude confused me – what did he want to have happened? â€Å"It might have been someone I know!† He startled me, suddenly bursting into a spasm of loud laughter, throwing his head back and letting the sound echo off the trees. â€Å"Why are you laughing at me?† He stopped at once, and I could see he was wary again. Keep it under control,I thought to myself. I had to watch my temper. Just like I was a young werewolf rather than a vampire. â€Å"I’m not laughing at you,Bella. I’m laughing because I am in shock. And I am in shock because I am completely amazed.† â€Å"Why?† â€Å"You shouldn’t be able to do any of this. You shouldn’t be so†¦ so rational. You shouldn’t be able to stand here discussing this with me calmly and coolly. And, much more than any of that, you should not have been able to break off mid-hunt with the scent of human blood in the air. Even mature vampires have difficulty with that – we’re always very careful of where we hunt so as not to put ourselves in the path of temptation. Bella, you’re behaving like you’re decades rather than days old.† â€Å"Oh.† But I’d known it was going to be hard. That was why I’d been so on guard. I’d been expecting it to be difficult. He put his hands on my face again, and his eyes were full of wonder. â€Å"What wouldn’t I give to be able to see into your mind for just this one moment.† Such powerful emotions. I’d been prepared for the thirst part, but not this. I’d been so sure it wouldn’t be the same when he touched me. Well, truthfully, it wasn’t the same. It was stronger. I reached up to trace the planes of his face; my fingers lingered on his lips. â€Å"I thought I wouldn’t feel this way for a long time?† My uncertainty made the words a question. â€Å"But I stillwant you.† He blinked in shock. â€Å"How can you even concentrate on that? Aren’t you unbearably thirsty?† Of course I was now, now that he’d brought it up again! I tried to swallow and then sighed, closing my eyes like I had before to help me concentrate. I let my senses range out around me, tensed this time in case of another onslaught of the delicious taboo scent. Edward dropped his hands, not even breathing while I listened farther and farther out into the web of green life, sifting through the scents and sounds for something not totally repellant to my thirst. There was a hint of something different, a faint trail to the east___ My eyes flashed open, but my focus was still on sharper senses as I turned and darted silently eastward. The ground sloped steeply upward almost at once, and I ran in a hunting crouch, close to the ground, taking to the trees when that was easier. I sensed rather than heard Edward with me, flowing quietly through the woods, letting me lead. The vegetation thinned as we climbed higher; the scent of pitch and resin grew more powerful, as did the trail I followed – it was a warm scent, sharper than the smell of the elk and more appealing. A few seconds more and I could hear the muted padding of immense feet, so much subtler than the crunch of hooves. The sound was up – in the branches rather than on the ground. Automatically I darted into the boughs as well, gaining the strategic higher position, halfway up a towering silver fir. The soft thud of paws continued stealthily beneath me now; the rich scent was very close. My eyes pinpointed the movement linked with the sound, and I saw the tawny hide of the great cat slinking along the wide branch of a spruce just down and to the left of my perch. He was big – easily four times my mass. His eyes were intent on the ground beneath; the cat hunted, too. I caught the smell of something smaller, bland next to the aroma of my prey, cowering in brush below the tree. The lion’s tail twitched spasmodically as he prepared to spring. With a light bound, I sailed through the air and landed on the lion’s branch. He felt the shiver of the wood and whirled, shrieking surprise and defiance. He clawed the space between us, his eyes bright with fury. Half-crazed with thirst, I ignored the exposed fangs and the hooked claws and launched myself at him, knocking us both to the forest floor. It wasn’t much of a fight. His raking claws could have been caressing fingers for all the impact they had on my skin. His teeth could find no purchase against my shoulder or my throat. His weight was nothing. My teeth unerringly sought his throat, and his instinctive resistance was pitifully feeble against my strength. My jaws locked easily over the precise point where the heat flow concentrated. It was effortless as biting into butter. My teeth were steel razors; they cut through the fur and fat and sinews like they weren’t there. The flavor was wrong, but the blood was hot and wet and it soothed the ragged, itching thirst as I drank in an eager rush. The cat’s struggles grew more and more feeble, and his screams choked off with a gurgle. The warmth of the blood radiated throughout my whole body, heating even my fingertips and toes. The lion was finished before I was. The thirst flared again when he ran dry, and I shoved his carcass off my body in disgust. How could I still be thirsty after all that? I wrenched myself erect in one quick move. Standing, I realized I was a bit of a mess. I wiped my face off on the back of my arm and tried to fix the dress. The claws that had been so ineffectual against my skin had had more success with the thin satin. â€Å"Hmm,† Edward said. I looked up to see him leaning casually against a tree trunk, watching me with a thoughtful look on his face. â€Å"I guess I could have done that better.† I was covered in dirt, my hair knotted, my dress bloodstained and hanging in tatters. Edward didn’t come home from hunting trips looking like this. â€Å"You did perfectly fine,† he assured me. â€Å"It’s just that†¦ it was much more difficult for me to watch than it should have been.† I raised my eyebrows, confused. â€Å"It goes against the grain,† he explained, â€Å"letting you wrestle with lions. I was having an anxiety attack the whole time.† â€Å"Silly.† â€Å"I know. Old habits die hard. I like the improvements to your dress, though.† If I could have blushed, I would have. I changed the subject. â€Å"Why am I still thirsty?† â€Å"Because you’re young.† I sighed. â€Å"And I don’t suppose there are any other mountain lions nearby.† â€Å"Plenty of deer, though.† I made a face. â€Å"They don’t smell as good.† â€Å"Herbivores. The meat-eaters smell more like humans,† he explained. â€Å"Not that much like humans,† I disagreed, trying not to remember. â€Å"We could go back,† he said solemnly, but there was a teasing light in his eye. â€Å"Whoever it was out there, if they were men, they probably wouldn’t even mind death if you were the one delivering it.† His gaze ran over my ravaged dress again. â€Å"In fact, they would think they were already dead and gone to heaven the moment they saw you.† I rolled my eyes and snorted. â€Å"Let’s go hunt some stinking herbivores.† We found a large herd of mule deer as we ran back toward home. He hunted with me this time, now that I’d gotten the hang of it. I brought down a large buck, making nearly as much of a mess as I had with the lion. He’d finished with two before I was done with the first, not a hair ruffled, not a spot on his white shirt. We chased the scattered and terrified herd, but instead of feeding again, this time I watched carefully to see how he was able to hunt so neatly. All the times that I had wished that Edward would not have to leave me behind when he hunted, I had secretly been just a little relieved. Because I was sure that seeing this would be frightening. Horrifying. That seeing him hunt would finally make him look like a vampire to me. Of course, it was much different from this perspective, as a vampire myself. But I doubted that even my human eyes would have missed the beauty here. It was a surprisingly sensual experience to observe Edward hunting. His smooth spring was like the sinuous strike of a snake; his hands were so sure, so strong, so completely inescapable; his full lips were perfect as they parted gracefully over his gleaming teeth. He was glorious. I felt a sudden jolt of both pride and desire. He was mine. Nothing could ever separate him from me now. I was too strong to be torn from his side. He was very quick. He turned to me and gazed curiously at my gloating expression. â€Å"No longer thirsty?† he asked. I shrugged. â€Å"You distracted me. You’re much better at it than I am.† â€Å"Centuries of practice.† He smiled. His eyes were a disconcertingly lovely shade of honey gold now. â€Å"Just one,† I corrected him. He laughed. â€Å"Are you done for today? Or did you want to continue?† â€Å"Done, I think.† I felt very full, sort of sloshy, even. I wasn’t sure how much more liquid would fit into my body. But the burn in my throat was only muted. Then again, I’d known that thirst was just an inescapable part of this life. And worth it. I felt in control. Perhaps my sense of security was false, but I did feel pretty good about not killing anyone today. If I could resist totally human strangers, wouldn’t I be able to handle the werewolf and a half-vampire child that I loved? â€Å"I want to see Renesmee,† I said. Now that my thirst was tamed (if nothing close to erased), my earlier worries were hard to forget. I wanted to reconcile the stranger who was my daughter with the creature I’d loved three days ago. It was so odd, so wrong not to have her inside me still. Abruptly, I felt empty and uneasy. He held out his hand to me. I took it, and his skin felt warmer than before. His cheek was faintly flushed, the shadows under his eyes all but vanished. I was unable to resist stroking his face again. And again. I sort of forgot that I was waiting for a response to my request as I stared into his shimmering gold eyes. It was almost as hard as it had been to turn away from the scent of human blood, but I somehow kept the need to be careful firmly in my head as I stretched up on my toes and wrapped my arms around him. Gently. He was not so hesitant in his movements; his arms locked around my waist and pulled me tight against his body. His lips crushed down on mine, but they felt soft. My lips no longer shaped themselves around his; they held their own. Like before, it was as if the touch of his skin, his lips, his hands, was sinking right through my smooth, hard skin and into my new bones. To the very core of my body. I hadn’t imagined that I could love him more than I had. My old mind hadn’t been capable of holding this much love. My old heart had not been strong enough to bear it. Maybe this was the part of me that I’d brought forward to be intensified in my new life. Like Carlisle’s compassion and Esme’s devotion. I would probably never be able to do anything interesting or special like Edward, Alice, and Jasper could do. Maybe I would just love Edward more than anyone in the history of the world had ever loved anyone else. I could live with that. I remembered parts of this – twisting my fingers in his hair, tracing the planes of his chest – but other parts were so new. He was new. It was an entirely different experience with Edward kissing me so fearlessly, so forcefully. I responded to his intensity, and then suddenly we were falling. â€Å"Oops,† I said, and he laughed underneath me. â€Å"I didn’t mean to tackle you like that. Are you okay?† He stroked my face. â€Å"Slightly better than okay† And then a perplexed expression crossed his face. â€Å"Renesmee?† he asked uncertainly, trying to ascertain what I wanted most in this moment. A very difficult question to answer, because I wanted so many things at the same time. I could tell that he wasn’t exactly averse to procrastinating our return trip, and it was hard to think about much besides his skin on mine – there really wasn’t that much left of the dress. But my memory of Renesmee, before and after her birth, was becoming more and more dreamlike to me. More unlikely. All my memories of her were human memories; an aura of artificiality clung to them. Nothing seemed real that I hadn’t seen with these eyes, touched with these hands. Every minute, the reality of that little stranger slipped further away. â€Å"Renesmee,† I agreed, rueful, and I whipped back up onto my feet, pulling him with me. How to cite The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 21. First Hunt, Essay examples

Activity Based Costing Study Guide free essay sample

Hours of design time| Facility-level| General factory administration Plant building and grounds| Direct labor-hours* Direct labor-hours*| *Facility-level costs cannot be traced on a cause-and-effect basis to individual products. Nevertheless, these costs are usually allocated to products for external reports using some arbitrary allocation basis such as direct labor-hours -Unit-level activities- are performed each time a unit is produced. The costs of unit-level activities should be proportional to the number of units produced. -Ex. Providing power to run processing equipment is a unit-level activity because power tends to be consumed in proportion to the number of units produced. -Batch-level activities- consist of tasks that are performed each time a batch is processed, such as processing purchase orders, setting up equipment, packing shipments to customers, and handling material. Costs at the batch level depend on the number of batches processed rather than on the number of units produced. -Ex. The cost of processing a purchase order is the same no matter how many units of an item are ordered. We will write a custom essay sample on Activity Based Costing Study Guide or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Product-level activities- relate to specific products and typically must be carried out regardless of how many batches or units of the product are manufactured. Product-level activities include maintaining inventories of parts for a product, issuing engineering change notices to modify a product to meet a customers specifications, and developing special test routines when a product is first placed into production. -Facility-level activities- are activities that are carried out regardless of which products are produced, how many batches are run, or how many units are made. Include items such as factory management salaries, insurance, property taxes, and building depreciation. An Example of an ABC System Design -Under ABC, the manufacturing overhead costs at the top are allocated to products via a two-stage process. -In the first stage, overhead costs are assigned to the activity cost pools. In the second stage, the costs in the activity cost pools are allocated products using activity rates and activity measures. -Ex. In the first stage cost assignment, various manufacturing overhead costs are assigned to the production order activity cost pool. These costs could include the salaries of engineers who modify products for individual orders, the cost of scheduling and monitoring orders, and other costs that are incurred as a consequence of the number of different orders received and processed by the company. -Once the amount of cost in production-order activity is known, procedures from Job-Order Costing are followed. Example of Activity Based Costing Comtek Sound, Inc. , makes two products, a radio with a built-in CD player (called a CD unit) and a radio with a built-in DVD player (called a DVD unit). Both of these products are sold to automobile manufacturers for installation in new vehicles. Recently, the company has been losing bids to supply CD players because competitors have been bidding less than Comtek Sound has been willing to bid. At the same time, Comtek has been winning every bid it has submitted for its DVD player, which management regards as a secondary product. The marketing manager has been complaining that at the prices Comtek is willing to bid, competitors are taking the companys high-volume CD business and leaving Comtek with just the low-volume DVD business. However, the prices competitors quote on the CD players are below Comteks manufacturing costs for these unitsat least according to Comteks conventional accounting system that applies manufacturing overhead to products based on direct-labor hours. Production managers suspected that the conventional costing system might be distorting the relative costs of the CD player and the DVD playerthe DVD player takes more overhead resources to make than the CD player and yet their manufacturing overhead costs are identical under the conventional costing system. The company may have even been suffering a loss on the DVD units without knowing it because the cost of these units has been so vastly understated. Conversely, it seems Comtek has been overcharging for the CD units all along since their costs were overstated. -When a company implements activity-based costing, overhead cost often shifts from high-volume products to low-volume products, with a higher unit product cost resulting for the low-volume products. -This happened in the Comtek example, where the cost of the low-volume DVD units increased from $150 to $207. 0 per unit. This increase in cost resulted from batch-level and product-level costs, which shifted from the high-volume product to the low-volume product. Fewer DVD units are processed per production order than CD units. Evaluation of Activity Based Costing Benefits -improves the accuracy of product costs in three ways: -it usually increases the number of cost pools used to accumulate overhead costs, which in turn accumulates costs for each major activity -the activity cost pools are more homogenous than departmental cost pools. In principle, all of the costs in an activity cost pool pertain to a single activity. In contrast, departmental cost pools contain the costs of many different activities carried out in the department. -Activity-based costing uses a variety of activity measures to assign overhead costs to products, some of which are correlated with volume and some which are not. -makes it clear that batch setups, engineering change orders, and other activities cause overhead costs rather than just direct labor. Managers thus have a better understanding of the causes of overhead costs, which should lead to better decisions and better cost control. -can be used as a part of programs to improve operations Limitations -The Cost of implementing ABC -the cost system must be designed, which involves a cross-functional team. It requires taking valued employees away from other tasks for a major project. -The data used in ABC must be collected and verified. In some cases, this requires collecting data that has never been collected before. Because of these costs, some managers might decide that the costs outweigh the expected benefits ABC costing would bring about. *When is ABC most likely worth the effort? When companies have: -products that differ substantially in volume, batch size, and in the activities they require -conditions have substantially changed since the existing cost system was established -overhead costs are high and increasing and no one seems to understand why -management does not tr ust the existing cost system and ignores data from the system when making decisions -Limitations of ABC Model relies on a number of critical assumptions: -the cost in each activity pool is strictly proportional to its activity measure. We have little evidence on this, suggesting that overhead costs are less than proportional to activity. Also known as increasing returns to scaleas activity increases, the average cost drops. -This means that product costs computed by traditional or activity-based costing will be overstated for the purposes of making decisions

career development portfolio Essay Example Essay Example

career development portfolio Essay Example Paper career development portfolio Essay Introduction Supply Chain Management (SG2038) Case study on DLH as a third-party logistics player Abstract This study or essay attempt to examine the role DHL plays as a third party logistics player and the advantages of the business role of DHL in todays’ supply chain management. Based on the rapid growth of other logistics companies, it will also analyse the challenges DHL is facing and also the challenges the company could face in future in relation to supply chain management. Furthermore, recommendations will be given that could maintain and promote the success of DHL’s role in the third party logistics business. Introduction Company background DHL is a logistics service based industry founded in 1969 in San Francisco by three young shipping executives – Adrian Dalsey, Larry Hillblom and Robert Lynn. Since then, it continued to grow rapidly until today where it stands to be the market leader of the international express and logistics industry. In 1969, it took its primary step in planning for its future through personal shipping of documents by airplane from port to port so they can be, examined and see to, before the ships arrive. As the year goes by DHL network expanded largely, reaching out to every of its customers around the globe. Their market share increased and became more intricate therefore in order to meet the changing needs of its customers both globally and local level, it adapted to the new market changes. career development portfolio Essay Body Paragraphs DHL international network now links more than 220 countries and territories in the world. It offers incomparable skill in express, overland transport, contract logistics solutions, air and ocean freight and international mail services. Behind its success are its employees whose main focuses is on customers’ needs and provision of individual modified solutions since its success has always been around delivering service of extreme excellence to its ustomers ( DHL 2013). Role of DHL as a third-party logistics (3PL) player As a third-party logistics player, DHL plays a significant role in providing services to its clients of outsourced logistics services for all or part of their function of supply chain management. DHL normally focus on integrated operations which can be customized to the needs of customers based on the condition of the market demand and delivery service supplies for their materials and products (Razzaque and Sheng, 2006). The role of DHL thus is to maintain balan ce in its customers supply chain anagement by rendering services such as; DHL freight transport: this is one of DHL’s most common services it involves the movement of goods from one location to the other. This may be from a particular retail store to another or perhaps from a coastal port to a warehouse. They help their customers to constantly improve on their means of transportation by getting products to the market more efficiently and faster therefore making them gain competitive advantage (Bardi and Tracey, 2006). Warehousing and distribution: As a third-party logistics, DHL offer some form of warehousing and distribution. In this sense, the clients business hires the company to store their goods in an organized facility and later distribute the goods to different locations (Ahmed and Raflq, 2003), DHL fulfilment: this can be described as a version of warehousing where they store goods in a warehouse, and then different collections of the goods are assembled in other cont ainers or box. DHL maintains employees, pickers and packers who are able to carry out orders with speed and high level of accuracy (Stefansson, 2006). Supply chain solution: DHL render a special service in helping their clients improve their operational performance and rofitability by making use of current lean and green supply chain management techniques (Lieb, 2005). Advantages of DHL’s business role in supply chain management DHL’s business role in supply chain management enables business to stay ahead of their rivals with greater flexibility, lower cost structure and strong customer satisfaction. Here are some of the advantages of DHL’s business role in supply chain management; Better focus on core activities DHL’s business role in supply chain management allows business or clients to focus on their activities that are of great importance to the company. In a period of rapid growth, operations in a company will expand and when this happens, it may con sume both human and financial resources at the expense of the main activities that made the company successful but, when these additional operations are outsourced, the company focuses on the core activities (Nwokah, 2009). Reduced cost on operations and recruitment The role of DHL in supply chain management evades the needs for companies to hire workers in-house so that operational and recruitment cost are minimized to a great extent (Hertz and Monica, 2003). Risk management In any business or investment, there are, certain level of risk involve. DHL 3pl business in supply chain management is to assume and manage these risks and they can also decide a better way of avoiding these risks since it is one of their area of expertise (Kim, 2003). Increase efficiency In the supply chain, most business that does everything by themselves, often have higher research and development, marketing and distribution expenses and these expenses are passed on to customers. However, with the cost stru cture and economic of scale of a third party logistics like DHL, can give an important competitive dvantage to your firm (Langley and Capgemmini, 2012). Innovation This is one of the greatest advantages of DHL’s business role in supply chain management in the sense that it applies its expertise in various ways that will improve, business operations by, introducing innovative business ideas and technology (Rahman, 2011). Challenges faced by DHL from the perspective of supply chain Third-party logistics like DHL experience constant challenge due to pressure from customers and new innovative ideas in supply chain. However, these challenges, brings about changes in their operations. Inventory policy changes: the consistent changes in the organizations inventory process has become a big challenge to the logistics outsourcing companies including DHL. In this way, the supply chain concepts such as just-in-time and Just-in-sequence approaches have put a challenging demand in the serv ice of DHL Express. Hence, contemporary organizations, does not work in isolation due to interdependent on each other. DHL however is currently strategizing towards changing their original methods on service delivery to ensure efficiency as well as customer satisfaction (Gibson etal, 2006). Competitors: the entrant of various companies into logistics outsourcing industry has become a great challenge to DHL’s services. Logistics report in I-JK 2009 revealed that smaller companies are using channel freight-forwarders which are positioned to enhance service delivery to the customers (Wright, Pickton, and Calliw, 2002). This association has made DHL to lose some of its customers, since the rivals, provides the same services. Also other big competitors like UPS and FEDEX are buying smaller logistics firm to expand their business and this situation may cost DHL its foremost position in the world Express Service. Transportation cost: increase in the cost of transportation (increase in the price of fuel, gas and diesel) creates a big challenge to third-party logistics providers like DHL. For instance, when there is an increase or scarcity in petroleum products, there will be a delay in delivering goods to their supposed destination. As a result of this delay, there will be a loss to the involved organization (Virum, 2003). Globalization: the new trend in globalization, have brought about a change in the concept of third-party logistics business. Users or customers of third party logistics re now demanding more from their service providers as a result of new innovative ideas in supply chain thereby, pushing third-party logistics like DHL to take a new turn (Langley, Newton and Tyndall, 1999). Recommendation For DHL to maintain its successful role as a third-party logistics player in various business industries, it needs to improve in its Just-in-time and Just-in sequence inventory strategy and acquire more channel fright-forwarders that will enhance quick delive ry of goods in other to meet and satisfy the pressing needs of its customers and when this is done, they will be able to regain their lost customers hereby allowing them to compete and retain its place in the logistics business. However, to reduce the delay in the delivering of goods due to scarcity and increase in the price of petroleum products, DHL should have a store or a bank where petroleum products can be stored in case of such occurrence to facilitate the delivery of goods and avoiding loss in the side of customers. As the world continues to develop into a more globalized economy and organizations are coming up with new ideas and becoming more demanding, DHL should also create new innovative ideas o match with the present trend in the globalized economy. Conclusion As third-party logistics companies to grow, the role of DHL in the third-party logistics business will in no doubt continue to change and as the economy continues to move into a more globalized world, the challeng es of DHL will increase thereby making its services stronger and giving them more competitive advantage in the long run of logistics business and supply chain management. Referencing Ahmed, P. and Rafiq, M. (2003) ‘Internal market issues and challenges’. European Journal of Marketing, 37 (9) pp. 1177-1186. Bard’, E. nd Tracey, M. (2006) ‘Transportation outsourcing: a survey of US practices. International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, 21 (3) pp. 15-21. DHL official website (2013) Available at: http://www. dhl. com/en. html, (Accessed Nov. 18, 2013). Hertz, S. and Monica, A. (2003) ‘Strategic development of third party logistics providers’. Industrial Marketing Management, 32 (2) pp. 139-149. Kim, J. (2006) ‘Logistics in Korea: current state and future directions. ‘ International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, 26 (10) pp. 6-21. Lieb, R. C. (2005) ‘The 3PL ndustry : where it†™s been, where it’s going. Supply chain management review, 9 (6) pp. 20-27. Langley, J. , Newton, B. and Tyndall, G. (1999) ‘Has the future of third-party logistics’, Supply Chain Management Review, 56 (5) pp. 85-94. Langley, J. and Capgemmini (2012) 2012 16th Annual Third-Party Logistics Study. Nwokah, N. (2009) ‘Customer-focus, competitor-focus and marketing performance’. Measuring Business Excellence, 13 (3) pp. 20-28. Rahman, S. (201 1), An exploratory study of outsourcing 3PL services: an Australian perspective, An International Journal, 18 (3) pp. 342 – 358. Razzaque, M. and Sheng, C. 006) ‘Outsourcing of logistics function: a literature survey. ‘ International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, 28 (2), pp. 89-107. Stefansson, G. (2006) ‘Collaborative logistics management and the role of third-party service providers’, International Journal of Physical Distribution Logistics Management, 36 (19) pp. 76-92. Virum, H. (2003) ‘Third party logistics development in Europe’, Logistics and transportation review, 29 (4). Wright, S. , Pickton, D. and Calliw,J. (2002) ‘Competitive intelligence in UK firms; a Typology. Marketing intelligence Planning, 20 (6) pp. 349-360. We will write a custom essay sample on career development portfolio Essay Example specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on career development portfolio Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on career development portfolio Essay Example specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Medical and Dental Dialogue for ESL Learners

Medical and Dental Dialogue for ESL Learners English learners can practice medical vocabulary and reading comprehension with this dialogue between a patient and a dental hygienist.   Dental Hygiene Dialogue Sam: Hello.Gina the Dental Hygienist: Hello Mr. Waters. Im Gina. Ill be cleaning your teeth today. Sam: Dr. Peterson has just filled two cavities. Why do I need a cleaning?Gina the Dental Hygienist: Well, we have to make get your teeth and gums clean and disease free. Sam: I guess that makes sense.​Gina the Dental Hygienist: Oral health leads to trouble-free teeth. Ill start off by removing plaque. Please lean back and open wide. Sam: OK, I hope its not too bad.Gina the Dental Hygienist: Everybody gets plaque, even if they floss regularly. Thats why its important to come in twice a year for check-ups. Sam: (getting his teeth cleaned, cant say much...)Gina the Dental Hygienist: OK, please take a drink and rinse. Sam: Ah, thats better.Gina the Dental Hygienist: OK, now Ill apply some fluoride. Which flavor would you like? Sam: I have a choice?Gina the Dental Hygienist: Sure, we have mint, spearmint, orange or bubble-gum - thats for the kids. Sam: Id like to have the bubble-gum!Gina the Dental Hygienist: OK. (applies fluoride) Now, let me give your teeth a final flossing. Sam: What type of floss tape do you recommend?Gina the Dental Hygienist: Personally, I like the flat tape. Its easier to get between the teeth. Sam: OK, Ill remember that the next time I buy floss. How often should I floss?Gina the Dental Hygienist: Everyday! Twice a day if possible! Some people like to floss after every meal, but thats not absolutely necessary. Sam: (after finishing the cleaning) I feel much better. Thank you.Gina the Dental Hygienist: My pleasure. Have a pleasant day, and remember to floss every day - at least once a day! Key Vocabulary to clean someones teethdental hygienistto fill cavitiesgumsdisease freeoral healthto lead toplaqueto remove plaqueto flosscheck-upto rinsefluorideto apply fluorideflavorflossingfloss tapefloss after meals

Operations Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 4

Operations Management - Essay Example 1. Introduction This report elaborates the operations management process at Green Life, a firm that is into production of vegetables and raising turkeys. This report highlights the significance main critical functions of operations and aims to reinforce the fact that operations management is critical to success of any business. This is accomplished on the basis of three main competitive dimensions, operations effectiveness, customer management and product innovation. The concept integrates 8 Ms of operations management, which are the determinants of business performance. 1.1 About the business Green Life Inc. deals with growing vegetables and raising turkeys. The business peaks during Christmas. These products are sold on retail basis as well as supplied to other shops on wholesale basis. For this, an operations strategy that would integrate appropriate production based on previous sales and demand would help in optimizing the production, which would maximize profits and minimize los s from wastage through wasteful activities as well as wastage of products resulting from storage, delivery or overproduction. Setting up these operations is a highly challenging task and involves a myriad of interdependent activities and issues for the operations manager, all of which need to be addressed at the same time in order to ensure a successful business as well as maximum customer satisfaction. 1.2. Operations management: Operations management comprises of all activities that are required for production of specific goods or services. These activities include planning, designing, and the production process; integration of marketing, finance, human resources and strategy (Brown, 2000). The production/operations processes involve inputs, which include the 8 Ms such as money, material, machines, manpower, management, markets, methods and messages (Nel, 2007). The inputs are processed in someway through series of preplanned activities in order to produce desired outputs, which c an be in the form of completed parts, products, chemicals, service to customers, completed paperwork etc. Operations management also involves provisions and processes for storage of inputs as well as outputs (Shim & Siegel, 1999). An illustration of this transformation process is shown in appendix 1. 2. Competitive elements in OM: Adopting competitive dimensions will reinforce the organization’s value by choosing distinct activities or initiatives that can deliver unique mix of outputs. These outputs may include value for money to the customer, customer service, quality products etc other than the main products. These can be achieved by designing the right strategy that cad deliver operational efficiency and high-quality products. Chase (2006) identifies three major components for strategy namely, operations effectiveness, customer management and product innovation. Operations effectiveness refers to the core business processes needed to run the business. Business processes i nclude all business functions from taking customer orders, handling returns, manufacturing, marketing, delivery of finished products etc. Customer management refers to understanding and maintaining customer relationships by meeting customer demands and expectations. Product innovation refers to development of

How to become a nurse practitioner, what are the prerequisites, how Research Paper

How to become a nurse practitioner, what are the prerequisites, how much money and how long it will take me - Research Paper Example A nurse practitioner is a high level nursing profession so it needs a properly acquired higher education. They can proceed like normal physicians due to the extensive knowledge they have acquired while becoming a nurse practitioner. They give primary care to the patients in hospitals and can diagnose or treat patients as well. The main responsibilities of nurse practitioners are to perform physical tests, prescribe physical therapy, ordering of diagnostic tests and other related errands. The major information which I required about this career is the education needed for being a nurse practitioner. Upon researching about the educational requirements for this career I came to know a lot about the career itself. It is not at all an easy task to become nurse practitioner because plenty of hard work and time is needed to become a good nurse. To become a nurse practitioner a master degree is required but in order to get that, first he or she needs to complete all the prerequisites in orde r to further carry on with the higher education. The prerequisite for master is a bachelors of science in nursing (BSN). The curriculum that BSN follows includes the course of anatomy, physiology, nutrition, microbiology and nursing. BSN completes in four years time just like other degrees. Additionally, the candidate for this program has to be a current license registered nurse. In order to get this license there is a criterion to follow, which varies from state to state. But usually what the candidate requires is the completion of an approved nursing program, passing the exam of National Council Licensure Examination or NCLEX-RN and last but not the least they need to have clinical experience in this field. After completion of degree, the applicants now need to complete Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree from an approved nursing program. The main aim of this degree is to prepare the student for specialty in a specific field and primary care. There are various topics that ar e taught in this program which include pathophysiology, advance nursing practice, ethics and other related courses. A Masters of Science in nursing degree is a minimum requirement for becoming a nurse practitioner. Even though master’s degree is enough in order to get into the profession of nurse practitioner but still most students do opt to get admission in doctoral degree program so that it helps them in increasing their career opportunities and expertise. This doctoral program teaches the students advanced methods of how to take care of the needs of the patients. It also helps them to pursue career in teaching and make difference in the field of teaching as well. The general topics that are taught in this doctoral program are capstone project, leadership, behavior complexity and population health. All these courses are taught to enhance the knowledge of these nurses so that they can use this knowledge to help other people and also to pass on this to their students. Other then the information about the education the next question which is also equally important is that how much time all of this takes. As a bachelors degree in nursing is required for this which is of four years, we can straight away add four years to this time. After this the Masters of Science degree in nursing is required which takes almost two to three years. Now, by simply adding up

Effects Of Consumerism In The 21st Century Marketing Essay

Effects Of Consumerism In The 21st Century Marketing Essay The term consumerism denotes an economic and a social order, whose objective is to encourage the purchase of goods and services, in a large amount. Consumerism is part of the media culture, and is associated with Thorstein Veblen, who criticizes extensive consumption. Veblen keenly observed the middle class of the twentieth century, and denotes that there level of consumption increases towards the end of the twentieth century. Their consumption behavior reflected materialism (Close, 24). On this note, consumerism during the 21st century has led to the rise of materialism, and this is most notable in the technology sector. Materialism in the technological sector is depicted by an increase in the sales of technological gadgets, such as mobile phones, personal computers, compact disk players and other electronic devices. Companies producing these gadgets are known to make millions of dollars in terms of profitability, and an example includes Apples, and Samsung electronic companies. These companies further accelerate the notion of materiality by improving the quality of their products, to carter for completion that emanates from the companies technological companies. There is an increase in companies producing these gadgets, because of a higher demand. This is only precipitated by the concept of materialism (Hoyer, 41). In the American consumer culture, there is a shift from the moral values of spirituality, communalism, and integrity while consuming the products of a company, or an organization. People now focus on competition and disconnection. On this note, our consumer behaviors depict us as materialistic individuals. In relation to competition, an individual will look at what another person has, and strife to buy the same gadget, or a different gadget. People compete with each other, not because they need the product, but to show their competitors that they can afford the same gadget. This is also an aspect of materialism, and it does not support the moral values on consumption. In the 21st century, business organizations initiate policies that will make their products attractive to famous personalities, because they greatly influence the reception of their products at the market. For instance, business organization will pay millions of dollars to sports leading sports personalities, and famous musicians, for purposes of marketing their products. Players like Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods and David Beckham have made millions of dollars, just endorsing the products of various companies. As a result of their endorsements, the products of these companies, have managed to penetrate their target markets. On this note, consumers purchase these products, for purposes of having a feeling of instant gratification. This is called an aspect of emulation. People strive to emulate those of a higher status than them. The poor strive to live like the rich, and the rich strive to live and behave like the famous. The consumption behavior of man during the 21st century has shaped him into an individualistic person. Individualism is seen on the corporate sector, at the same time it is depicted on a person himself. For example, producing and consuming commodities result to the extraction, and use of the natural resources. Factories create products from natural resources, and during the process of production, they exert toxic wastes. Using the commodities produced, especially the technological commodities, they emit carbon, which is responsible for eroding the environment. These companies do not want to change their policies and they continue with their productions, with minimal or no measures to reduce the emissions of carbon (Kanner, 51). They do not care on the effects of their productions to the environment. On the side of consumers, they need to boycott the products of companies that do not put in place environmental policies that will ensure the protection of the environment. One argument is that consumers need the products; this argument is not convincing because there are many companies which may be producing the product, and at the same safeguarding the environment. The only reason that emanates from the consumers in regard to this is individualism. The consumers only care for themselves, and not the future generations who will benefit from the various environmental measures that consumers can help to initiate. Consumerism creates the tendencies of narcissism (Steckstor, 27). Narcissism refers to a tendency whereby a person feels he or she is better than the other person . A Narcissist does not care for anyone else, apart from himself, and he or she usually seeks attention. The rise of consumerism in the 21st century has accelerated this notion of Narcissism. This is because of the production of various luxuries, and unnecessary materialistic goods which trade at the markets. These products act as a social mechanism, which place people into classes. For instance, the type of a person might judge the social class of another person through the type of car the person drives. For instance, an individual driving a Mercedes Benz might look down upon an individual with a Toyota cab. On this note, some people develop relationship with products, with the belief that they are a substitute for a good human relationship. This creates a concept of cultural hegemony, whereby a person believes that, because he or she has a certain product, he or she is better than those who do not have such kind of products. The 21st century notion of consumerism has made men and women to possess a dominant nature in the society. According to research, mankind is consuming more than 30% of what the environment within their surroundings produces (Solomon, 37). According to this research, countries which consume more than what they can produce, look for ways and means of filling in the deficit, by depleting the resources of other states (Solomon, 23). Thatà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s why States like China, engage other countries in the globe, for purposes of looking for energy to satisfy their needs. United States of America also imports a majority of its oil from Saudi Arabia, and Nigeria. This is because it does not have sufficient energy to carter for the consumption needs of its citizens. Our Human goals have changed extensively dues to our consumer habits. For instance, in seeking a service, humans will be motivated for what they will get in turn, instead of how they will use the service to benefit the society. A good example, is in the education sector. A person will seek education, for self-gain, instead of seeking to serve the society. A person will acquire a job, basing on the expected salary, and not to serve the organization that employees him. This shift in our mentality has changed the goals of mankind in relation to consumption. The 21st century mankind is impressed by innovative ideas, and products. Man does not just buy a product, because it is on the market, he buys a product based on its technological capacity and ability to satisfy their needs (Kukathas, 18). This is because of the availability of money, made possible through the various opportunities that present themselves at the global economy. For instance, in the 1960s, companies did not care for people with little money to spend. This is because they believed these people did not have the ability to influence the market performance of their products. At the current century, business organizations are forced to seek the customerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s opinions, ideas and thought concerning their products (Chin, 16). This is because the customer will only buy a product that satisfies his requirements and needs. The 21st century consumer has an ability to bring the downfall of a company, and this is because of the power of the internet and the social media. On this note, the human goal has changed from buying outdated products, to new and innovative products (Steksor, 31). This is proved by the constant innovations and improvements of Apples product, which are well received in the market, and has surpassed Nokia, and Samsung in the smartphones market. The performance of Apples in the market is largely attributed to its innovative tendencies, and this is what consumers look for in a product. The goal of mankind has changed to accumulating money, for buying luxurious products. This is as opposed to accumulate money for purposes of improving the society. Consumerism has made mankind to depend on factories and government institutions to carter for their basic needs, in exchange for money. Men and women, leave other people, such as business entities to carter for the production of these services. Man is so much focused on money, so that he may gain access to as many possessions as possible (Chevalier et al, 21). On this note, he is unable to carter for his basic needs, such as growing food for domestic consumption. Due to this change of human goals, mankind takes other jobs, to supplement his earning, which in turn he or she will use to buy unnecessary luxuries. On this note, men and women waste their times, on jobs that do not challenge their mental capability, just for purposes of buying luxuries. In conclusion, consumerism is an international phenomenon. Purchasing and consumption of goods and services in excess to an individualà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s capability existed during the eras of the first civilization. This depicts the periods of ancient Rome, Babylon and Egypt. Industrial revolution accelerated the concepts of consumerism. During this period, States in Europe, such as Britain, Belgium, Germany and France sought colonies so that they could provide raw materials for their industries. These colonies were in Africa, and Asia. These countries focused on building their industrial infrastructure through mining, oil production, building of transport and communication networks, and creating effective financial regimes. During this period, these States were able to create enough foods for the people, and workers were exploited by working many hours a day, giving them little time to engage in consumer activities. In United States of America, the concept emerged during the 1920s, with the rise of cheaper goods. This notion is similar to that of Europe and in particular, Britain. In Britain, the rise of cheaper, and excessive good due to industrial revelation lead to the emergence of the consumerism culture. Before the periods of 1920s, Americans struggled to feed themselves, because of the scarcity of money, and limited productions (Gunter, 31). But in 1920s, there was the development of an assembly line that made it possible for production of goods in plenty, and thus led to cheaper production. Factory owners also advertised their products, and the results of this were an awareness of the products in question and their availability. The driving factor in this period was the cost effectiveness of the products in question. This is also the guiding factor in the consumer tendencies of the 21st century. Consumers are guided by the availability of money to spend, and the products to buy.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Three

Daenerys Her brother held the gown up for her inspection. â€Å"This is beauty. Touch it. Go on. Caress the fabric.† Dany touched it. The cloth was so smooth that it seemed to run through her fingers like water. She could not remember ever wearing anything so soft. It frightened her. She pulled her hand away. â€Å"Is it really mine?† â€Å"A gift from the Magister Illyrio,† Viserys said, smiling. Her brother was in a high mood tonight. â€Å"The color will bring out the violet in your eyes. And you shall have gold as well, and jewels of all sorts. Illyrio has promised. Tonight you must look like a princess.† A princess, Dany thought. She had forgotten what that was like. Perhaps she had never really known. â€Å"Why does he give us so much?† she asked. â€Å"What does he want from us?† For nigh on half a year, they had lived in the magister's house, eating his food, pampered by his servants. Dany was thirteen, old enough to know that such gifts seldom come without their price, here in the free city of Pentos. â€Å"Illyrio is no fool,† Viserys said. He was a gaunt young man with nervous hands and a feverish look in his pale lilac eyes. â€Å"The magister knows that I will not forget my friends when I come into my throne.† Dany said nothing. Magister Illyrio was a dealer in spices, gemstones, dragonbone, and other, less savory things. He had friends in all of the Nine Free Cities, it was said, and even beyond, in Vaes Dothrak and the fabled lands beside the JadeSea. It was also said that he'd never had a friend he wouldn't cheerfully sell for the right price. Dany listened to the talk in the streets, and she heard these things, but she knew better than to question her brother when he wove his webs of dream. His anger was a terrible thing when roused. Viserys called it â€Å"waking the dragon.† Her brother hung the gown beside the door. â€Å"Illyrio will send the slaves to bathe you. Be sure you wash off the stink of the stables. Khal Drogo has a thousand horses, tonight he looks for a different sort of mount.† He studied her critically. â€Å"You still slouch. Straighten yourself† He pushed back her shoulders with his hands. â€Å"Let them see that you have a woman's shape now.† His fingers brushed lightly over her budding breasts and tightened on a nipple. â€Å"You will not fail me tonight. If you do, it will go hard for you. You don't want to wake the dragon, do you?† His fingers twisted her, the pinch cruelly hard through the rough fabric of her tunic. â€Å"Do you?† he repeated. â€Å"No,† Dany said meekly. Her brother smiled. â€Å"Good.† He touched her hair, almost with affection. â€Å"When they write the history of my reign, sweet sister, they will say that it began tonight.† When he was gone, Dany went to her window and looked out wistfully on the waters of the bay. The square brick towers of Pentos were black silhouettes outlined against the setting sun. Dany could hear the singing of the red priests as they lit their night fires and the shouts of ragged children playing games beyond the walls of the estate. For a moment she wished she could be out there with them, barefoot and breathless and dressed in tatters, with no past and no future and no feast to attend at Khal Drogo's manse. Somewhere beyond the sunset, across the narrow sea, lay a land of green hills and flowered plains and great rushing rivers, where towers of dark stone rose amidst magnificent blue-grey mountains, and armored knights rode to battle beneath the banners of their lords. The Dothraki called that land Rhaesh Andahli, the land of the Andals. In the Free Cities, they talked of Westeros and the SunsetKingdoms. Her brother had a simpler name. â€Å"Our land,† he called it. The words were like a prayer with him. If he said them enough, the gods were sure to hear. â€Å"Ours by blood right, taken from us by treachery, but ours still, ours forever. You do not steal from the dragon, oh, no. The dragon remembers.† And perhaps the dragon did remember, but Dany could not. She had never seen this land her brother said was theirs, this realm beyond the narrow sea. These places he talked of, Casterly Rock and the Eyrie, Highgarden and the Vale of Arryn, Dorne and the Isle of Faces, they were just words to her. Viserys had been a boy of eight when they fled King's Landing to escape the advancing armies of the Usurper, but Daenerys had been only a quickening in their mother's womb. Yet sometimes Dany would picture the way it had been, so often had her brother told her the stories. The midnight flight to Dragonstone, moonlight shimmering on the ship's black sails. Her brother Rhaegar battling the Usurper in the bloody waters of the Trident and dying for the woman he loved. The sack of King's Landing by the ones Viserys called the Usurper's dogs, the lords Lannister and Stark. Princess Elia of Dorne pleading for mercy as Rhaegar's heir was ripped from her breast and murdered before her eyes. The polished skulls of the last dragons staring down sightlessly from the walls of the throne room while the Kingslayer opened Father's throat with a golden sword. She had been born on Dragonstone nine moons after their flight, while a raging summer storm threatened to rip the island fastness apart. They said that storm was terrible. The Targaryen fleet was smashed while it lay at anchor, and huge stone blocks were ripped from the parapets and sent hurtling into the wild waters of the narrow sea. Her mother had died birthing her, and for that her brother Viserys had never forgiven her. She did not remember Dragonstone either. They had run again, just before the Usurper's brother set sail with his new-built fleet. By then only Dragonstone itself, the ancient seat of their House, had remained of the Seven Kingdoms that had once been theirs. It would not remain for long. The garrison had been prepared to sell them to the Usurper, but one night Ser Willem Darry and four loyal men had broken into the nursery and stolen them both, along with her wet nurse, and set sail under cover of darkness for the safety of the Braavosian coast. She remembered Ser Willem dimly, a great grey bear of a man, half-blind, roaring and bellowing orders from his sickbed. The servants had lived in terror of him, but he had always been kind to Dany. He called her â€Å"Little Princess† and sometimes â€Å"My Lady,† and his hands were soft as old leather. He never left his bed, though, and the smell of sickness clung to him day and night, a hot, moist, sickly sweet odor. That was when they lived in Braavos, in the big house with the red door. Dany had her own room there, with a lemon tree outside her window. After Ser Willem had died, the servants had stolen what little money they had left, and soon after they had been put out of the big house. Dany had cried when the red door closed behind them forever. They had wandered since then, from Braavos to Myr, from Myr to Tyrosh, and on to Qohor and Volantis and Lys, never staying long in any one place. Her brother would not allow it. The Usurper's hired knives were close behind them, he insisted, though Dany had never seen one. At first the magisters and archons and merchant princes were pleased to welcome the last Targaryens to their homes and tables, but as the years passed and the Usurper continued to sit upon the Iron Throne, doors closed and their lives grew meaner. Years past they had been forced to sell their last few treasures, and now even the coin they had gotten from Mother's crown had gone. In the alleys and wine sinks of Pentos, they called her brother â€Å"the beggar king.† Dany did not want to know what they called her. â€Å"We will have it all back someday, sweet sister,† he would promise her. Sometimes his hands shook when he talked about it. â€Å"The jewels and the silks, Dragonstone and King's Landing, the Iron Throne and the SevenKingdoms, all they have taken from us, we will have it back.† Viserys lived for that day. All that Daenerys wanted back was the big house with the red door, the lemon tree outside her window, the childhood she had never known. There came a soft knock on her door. â€Å"Come,† Dany said, turning away from the window. Illyrio's servants entered, bowed, and set about their business. They were slaves, a gift from one of the magister's many Dothraki friends. There was no slavery in the free city of Pentos. Nonetheless, they were slaves. The old woman, small and grey as a mouse, never said a word, but the girl made up for it. She was Illyrio's favorite, a fair-haired, blue-eyed wench of sixteen who chattered constantly as she worked. They filled her bath with hot water brought up from the kitchen and scented it with fragrant oils. The girl pulled the rough cotton tunic over Dany's head and helped her into the tub. The water was scalding hot, but Daenerys did not flinch or cry out. She liked the heat. It made her feel clean. Besides, her brother had often told her that it was never too hot for a Targaryen. â€Å"Ours is the house of the dragon,† he would say. â€Å"The fire is in our blood.† The old woman washed her long, silver-pale hair and gently combed out the snags, all in silence. The girl scrubbed her back and her feet and told her how lucky she was. â€Å"Drogo is so rich that even his slaves wear golden collars. A hundred thousand men ride in his khalasar, and his palace in Vaes Dothrak has two hundred rooms and doors of solid silver.† There was more like that, so much more, what a handsome man the khal was, so tall and fierce, fearless in battle, the best rider ever to mount a horse, a demon archer. Daenerys said nothing. She had always assumed that she would wed Viserys when she came of age. For centuries the Targaryens had married brother to sister, since Aegon the Conqueror had taken his sisters to bride. The line must be kept pure, Viserys had told her a thousand times; theirs was the kingsblood, the golden blood of old Valyria, the blood of the dragon. Dragons did not mate with the beasts of the field, and Targaryens did not mingle their blood with that of lesser men. Yet now Viserys schemed to sell her to a stranger, a barbarian. When she was clean, the slaves helped her from the water and toweled her dry. The girl brushed her hair until it shone like molten silver, while the old woman anointed her with the spiceflower perfume of the Dothraki plains, a dab on each wrist, behind her ears, on the tips of her breasts, and one last one, cool on her lips, down there between her legs. They dressed her in the wisps that Magister Illyrio had sent up, and then the gown, a deep plum silk to bring out the violet in her eyes. The girl slid the gilded sandals onto her feet, while the old woman fixed the tiara in her hair, and slid golden bracelets crusted with amethysts around her wrists. Last of all came the collar, a heavy golden torc emblazoned with ancient Valyrian glyphs. â€Å"Now you look all a princess,† the girl said breathlessly when they were done. Dany glanced at her image in the silvered looking glass that Illyrio had so thoughtfully provided. A princess, she thought, but she remembered what the girl had said, how Khal Drogo was so rich even his slaves wore golden collars. She felt a sudden chill, and gooseflesh pimpled her bare arms. Her brother was waiting in the cool of the entry hall, seated on the edge of the pool, his hand trailing in the water. He rose when she appeared and looked her over critically. â€Å"Stand there,† he told her. â€Å"Turn around. Yes. Good. You look . . . â€Å" â€Å"Regal,† Magister Illyrio said, stepping through an archway. He moved with surprising delicacy for such a massive man. Beneath loose garments of flame-colored silk, rolls of fat jiggled as he walked. Gemstones glittered on every finger, and his man had oiled his forked yellow beard until it shone like real gold. â€Å"May the Lord of Light shower you with blessings on this most fortunate day, Princess Daenerys,† the magister said as he took her hand. He bowed his head, showing a thin glimpse of crooked yellow teeth through the gold of his beard. â€Å"She is a vision, Your Grace, a vision,† he told her brother. â€Å"Drogo will be enraptured.† â€Å"She's too skinny,† Viserys said. His hair, the same silver-blond as hers, had been pulled back tightly behind his head and fastened with a dragonbone brooch. It was a severe look that emphasized the hard, gaunt lines of his face. He rested his hand on the hilt of the sword that Illyrio had lent him, and said, â€Å"Are you sure that Khal Drogo likes his women this young?† â€Å"She has had her blood. She is old enough for the khal,† Illyrio told him, not for the first time. â€Å"Look at her. That silver-gold hair, those purple eyes . . . she is the blood of old Valyria, no doubt, no doubt . . . and highborn, daughter of the old king, sister to the new, she cannot fail to entrance our Drogo.† When he released her hand, Daenerys found herself trembling. â€Å"I suppose,† her brother said doubtfully. â€Å"The savages have queer tastes. Boys, horses, sheep . . . â€Å" â€Å"Best not suggest this to Khal Drogo,† Illyrio said. Anger flashed in her brother's lilac eyes. â€Å"Do you take me for a fool?† The magister bowed slightly. â€Å"I take you for a king. Kings lack the caution of common men. My apologies if I have given offense.† He turned away and clapped his hands for his bearers. The streets of Pentos were pitch-dark when they set out in Illyrio's elaborately carved palanquin. Two servants went ahead to light their way, carrying ornate oil lanterns with panes of pale blue glass, while a dozen strong men hoisted the poles to their shoulders. It was warm and close inside behind the curtains. Dany could smell the stench of Illyrio's pallid flesh through his heavy perfumes. Her brother, sprawled out on his pillows beside her, never noticed. His mind was away across the narrow sea. â€Å"We won't need his whole khalasar,† Viserys said. His fingers toyed with the hilt of his borrowed blade, though Dany knew he had never used a sword in earnest. â€Å"Ten thousand, that would be enough, I could sweep the Seven Kingdoms with ten thousand Dothraki screamers. The realm will rise for its rightful king. Tyrell, Redwyne, Darry, Greyjoy, they have no more love for the Usurper than I do. The Dornishmen burn to avenge Elia and her children. And the smallfolk will be with us. They cry out for their king.† He looked at Illyrio anxiously. â€Å"They do, don't they?† â€Å"They are your people, and they love you well,† Magister Illyrio said amiably. â€Å"In holdfasts all across the realm, men lift secret toasts to your health while women sew dragon banners and hide them against the day of your return from across the water.† He gave a massive shrug. â€Å"Or so my agents tell me.† Dany had no agents, no way of knowing what anyone was doing or thinking across the narrow sea, but she mistrusted Illyrio's sweet words as she mistrusted everything about Illyrio. Her brother was nodding eagerly, however. â€Å"I shall kill the Usurper myself,† he promised, who had never killed anyone, â€Å"as he killed my brother Rhaegar. And Lannister too, the Kingslayer, for what he did to my father.† â€Å"That would be most fitting,† Magister Illyrio said. Dany saw the smallest hint of a smile playing around his full lips, but her brother did not notice. Nodding, he pushed back a curtain and stared off into the night, and Dany knew he was fighting the Battle of the Trident once again. The nine-towered manse of Khal Drogo sat beside the waters of the bay, its high brick walls overgrown with pale ivy. It had been given to the khal by the magisters of Pentos, Illyrio told them. The Free Cities were always generous with the horselords. â€Å"It is not that we fear these barbarians,† Illyrio would explain with a smile. â€Å"The Lord of Light would hold our city walls against a million Dothraki, or so the red priests promise . . . yet why take chances, when their friendship comes so cheap?† Their palanquin was stopped at the gate, the curtains pulled roughly back by one of the house guards. He had the copper skin and dark almond eyes of a Dothraki, but his face was hairless and he wore the spiked bronze cap of the Unsullied. He looked them over coldly. Magister Illyrio growled something to him in the rough Dothraki tongue; the guardsman replied in the same voice and waved them through the gates. Dany noticed that her brother's hand was clenched tightly around the hilt of his borrowed sword. He looked almost as frightened as she felt. â€Å"Insolent eunuch,† Viserys muttered as the palanquin lurched up toward the manse. Magister Illyrio's words were honey. â€Å"Many important men will be at the feast tonight. Such men have enemies. The khal must protect his guests, yourself chief among them, Your Grace. No doubt the Usurper would pay well for your head.† â€Å"Oh, yes,† Viserys said darkly. â€Å"He has tried, Illyrio, I promise you that. His hired knives follow us everywhere. I am the last dragon, and he will not sleep easy while I live.† The palanquin slowed and stopped. The curtains were thrown back, and a slave offered a hand to help Daenerys out. His collar, she noted, was ordinary bronze. Her brother followed, one hand still clenched hard around his sword hilt. It took two strong men to get Magister Illyrio back on his feet. Inside the manse, the air was heavy with the scent of spices, pinchfire and sweet lemon and cinnamon. They were escorted across the entry hall, where a mosaic of colored glass depicted the Doom of Valyria. Oil burned in black iron lanterns all along the walls. Beneath an arch of twining stone leaves, a eunuch sang their coming. â€Å"Viserys of the House Targaryen, the Third of his Name,† he called in a high, sweet voice, â€Å"King of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the SevenKingdoms and Protector of the Realm. His sister, Daenerys Stormborn, Princess of Dragonstone. His honorable host, Illyrio Mopatis, Magister of the Free City of Pentos.† They stepped past the eunuch into a pillared courtyard overgrown in pale ivy. Moonlight painted the leaves in shades of bone and silver as the guests drifted among them. Many were Dothraki horselords, big men with red-brown skin, their drooping mustachios bound in metal rings, their black hair oiled and braided and hung with bells. Yet among them moved bravos and sellswords from Pentos and Myr and Tyrosh, a red priest even fatter than Illyrio, hairy men from the Port of Ibben, and lords from the Summer Isles with skin as black as ebony. Daenerys looked at them all in wonder . . . and realized, with a sudden start of fear, that she was the only woman there. Illyrio whispered to them. â€Å"Those three are Drogo's bloodriders, there,† he said. â€Å"By the pillar is Khal Moro, with his son Rhogoro. The man with the green beard is brother to the Archon of Tyrosh, and the man behind him is Ser Jorah Mormont.† The last name caught Daenerys. â€Å"A knight?† â€Å"No less.† Illyrio smiled through his beard. â€Å"Anointed with the seven oils by the High Septon himself.† â€Å"What is he doing here?† she blurted. â€Å"The Usurper wanted his head,† Illyrio told them. â€Å"Some trifling affront. He sold some poachers to a Tyroshi slaver instead of giving them to the Night's Watch. Absurd law. A man should be able to do as he likes with his own chattel.† â€Å"I shall wish to speak with Ser Jorah before the night is done,† her brother said. Dany found herself looking at the knight curiously. He was an older man, past forty and balding, but still strong and fit. Instead of silks and cottons, he wore wool and leather. His tunic was a dark green, embroidered with the likeness of a black bear standing on two legs. She was still looking at this strange man from the homeland she had never known when Magister Illyrio placed a moist hand on her bare shoulder. â€Å"Over there, sweet princess,† he whispered, â€Å"there is the khal himself.† Dany wanted to run and hide, but her brother was looking at her, and if she displeased him she knew she would wake the dragon. Anxiously, she turned and looked at the man Viserys hoped would ask to wed her before the night was done. The slave girl had not been far wrong, she thought. Khal Drogo was a head taller than the tallest man in the room, yet somehow light on his feet, as graceful as the panther in Illyrio's menagerie. He was younger than she'd thought, no more than thirty. His skin was the color of polished copper, his thick mustachios bound with gold and bronze rings. â€Å"I must go and make my submissions,† Magister Illyrio said. â€Å"Wait here. I shall bring him to you.† Her brother took her by the arm as Illyrio waddled over to the khal, his fingers squeezing so hard that they hurt. â€Å"Do you see his braid, sweet sister?† Drogo's braid was black as midnight and heavy with scented oil, hung with tiny bells that rang softly as he moved. It swung well past his belt, below even his buttocks, the end of it brushing against the back of his thighs. â€Å"You see how long it is?† Viserys said. â€Å"When Dothraki are defeated in combat, they cut off their braids in disgrace, so the world will know their shame. Khal Drogo has never lost a fight. He is Aegon the Dragonlord come again, and you will be his queen.† Dany looked at Khal Drogo. His face was hard and cruel, his eyes as cold and dark as onyx. Her brother hurt her sometimes, when she woke the dragon, but he did not frighten her the way this man frightened her. â€Å"I don't want to be his queen,† she heard herself say in a small, thin voice. â€Å"Please, please, Viserys, I don't want to, I want to go home.† â€Å"Home?† He kept his voice low, but she could hear the fury in his tone. â€Å"How are we to go home, sweet sister? They took our home from us!† He drew her into the shadows, out of sight, his fingers digging into her skin. â€Å"How are we to go home?† he repeated, meaning King's Landing, and Dragonstone, and all the realm they had lost. Dany had only meant their rooms in Illyrio's estate, no true home surely, though all they had, but her brother did not want to hear that. There was no home there for him. Even the big house with the red door had not been home for him. His fingers dug hard into her arm, demanding an answer. â€Å"I don't know . . . â€Å"she said at last, her voice breaking. Tears welled in her eyes. â€Å"I do,† he said sharply. â€Å"We go home with an army, sweet sister. With Khal Drogo's army, that is how we go home. And if you must wed him and bed him for that, you will.† He smiled at her. â€Å"I'd let his whole khalasar fuck you if need be, sweet sister, all forty thousand men, and their horses too if that was what it took to get my army. Be grateful it is only Drogo. In time you may even learn to like him. Now dry your eyes. Illyrio is bringing him over, and he will not see you crying.† Dany turned and saw that it was true. Magister Illyrio, all smiles and bows, was escorting Khal Drogo over to where they stood. She brushed away unfallen tears with the back of her hand. â€Å"Smile,† Viserys whispered nervously, his hand failing to the hilt of his sword. â€Å"And stand up straight. Let him see that you have breasts. Gods know, you have little enough as is.† Daenerys smiled, and stood up straight.