The Beauty of New Orleans free essay sample

I will let it be known. I am not the sort of individual who reliably puts others before myself. Now and again I can act naturally focused and uninformed of others. Be that as it may, the mid year of ’08 moved around and I stepped up to the plate of marking myself up for a crucial. Tropical storm Katrina obliterated decisively. From the moment I left the air terminal, I was doused by the influx of feelings New Orleans held. Three years had past and you could even now taste the demolition. It smelled of agony. It was all over the place, wherever except for the family unit of a ruined old woman. She welcomed us to join her for a brisk lunch, however we got an unexpected end result; jambalaya and a mind blowing story. That lady was really the meaning of an endured warrior. Her modest home-gone, her first kid gone, her better half for God’s purpose gone. No, my eyes didn't gush with salty tears. We will compose a custom exposition test on The Beauty of New Orleans or then again any comparable subject explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Furthermore, no, I didn't feel sorry for her. Rather I begrudged her. This slight, old woman who had to suffer something I can’t even start to grasp, had such a consuming energy and stood tall with a spirit so strong that it was infectious. What's more, here I was with my 100-dollar work shoes removing a unimportant week from my year to put somebody else’s needs before my own. I don't recall her name, however I do recollect what she instructed me. She gave me that in any event, when the existence you have fabricated is broken you need to walk on with a grin. She caused me to understand that grumbling and narrow minded reasoning doesn’t help anything. This old, 5-foot-tall lady crawled into my heart and her story spilled into my memory. It improved me.

Winston Churchill Essays (2588 words) - Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Spencer Churchill Winston Churchill was conceived in 1874 and kicked the bucket, matured ninety, in 1965. He was dynamic in British governmental issues for just about sixty years and was twice Prime Minister. He was a trooper, a craftsman, a student of history, and a columnist, just as a legislator. He was a man of incredible mental vitality, of striking creative mind, and amazing aspiration. He was much of the time the focal point of blustery political movement; analysis and misuse were frequently showered upon him. Be that as it may, he kicked the bucket regarded and grieved by his own country, yet by the world, for which he had accomplished such a great deal when he drove the battle against Nazi oppression and wouldn't give up or to give up all hope of triumph. (Gilbert 13) On November 30, 1874, Winston Spencer Churchill was destined to Lord Randolph Churchill and Jennie Churchill at Blenheim Palace. In 1888, he was put in Harrow School. Toward the finish of his first year at Harrow, the kid's evaluations were as yet the least in his group. Hesitantly his dad surrendered any idea of Winston's emulating his own example. Recollecting his child's energy for playing at war, Lord Randolph inquired as to whether he was as yet intrigued by the military. Winston was enchanted over the idea that his dad perceived his military virtuoso. The miserable truth that his dad thought of him as sad in some other field never happened to the confident chap. (Manchester 13) He was then sent to Sandhurst, a Royal Military Academy, in 1893. He joined the military and started offering articles to the Daily Graphic. In 1898, his first book, The Malakand Field Force, was distributed. The following year he left the military to enter legislative issues. July 6, 1899 Churchill lost his first political race as a Conservative competitor. At the point when the Boer War broke out, the London Morning Post sent Churchill as a columnist. A month in the wake of showing up in South Africa he was caught by the Boers however made a challenging departure. At the point when he came back to England in 1900 he ran for political race again and won. ?Entering Parliament in 1901, he rose over the span of a not very many years to a situation in which each significant occasion in England's issues was a piece of his biography? (Coolidge 1). Churchill joined the Liberal party in 1904, after different Conservatives pushed for a Tariff Reform. The following year the Conservative party was crushed in the House of Commons and the Liberals offered Churchill the seat of Under Secretary for the provinces. In 1906, Churchill distributed another book, this one being a memoir of his dad, Lord Randolph Churchill who passed on in 1895. In 1908, the Prime Minister named Churchill as the President of the Board of Trade, which was his first seat in the bureau. Soon thereafter he wedded Clementine Hozier. In July of 1909 their first kid, Diana, was conceived. Churchill was advanced again in 1910 as Home Secretary, which made him liable for lawfulness. In the May of 1911 the Churchills had their first child, Randolph. October of 1911 presented to Churchill another position, First Lord of Admiralty. ?In the Cabinet Churchill contended with his partners to get cash for the development of the Navy? (Jones 16). He felt that there must be a development of the naval force to contend with Germany's expansion in ocean power. In 1914, he firmly sponsored the Irish Home Rule by compromising defiant Ulster Protestants with the Royal Navy. He was extraordinarily scrutinized for his outrageous strategy for taking care of the Irish issue. On August 4, 1914, war with Germany started and Churchill's extended Navy was prepared for war. Churchill was expelled from the Admiralty in 1915 in light of his bombed arrangement to hold onto the Dardanelles from Germany. The Dardanelles frequented Churchill for a considerable length of time since he was expelled from office before his full arrangement had been executed. After he was excluded from the new War Cabinet, Churchill left the administration and joined the battling in France during the November of 1915. A half year later he left the military to start governmental issues once more. He believed he had taken in a lot from being in the channels. Churchill utilized this information to give basic talks about the butcher he had found in the channels. He supported

The Simple Trick Women in the White House Use to Stop Getting Interrupted

The Simple Trick Women in the White House Use to Stop Getting Interrupted The work place is not exactly a cozy place. Everyone is more concerned about themselves above everyone else, and competition is the order of the day.If you want to survive and thrive, you have to be ready to play the game.Unless you can prove that you bring something to the table, you are unlikely to even get that job.Unless you put in more effort than the rest and show your worth, you are unlikely to get that promotion you have always been working for.Unless you can show that you are actually capable, all the big projects will go to those who do.One of the greatest arenas for you to get yourself noticed and show your worth is in meetings â€" especially if your manager is present.Making meaningful contributions in meetings demonstrates your confidence and proactivity and your value to the organization.Regardless of how smart you are, your colleagues are not mind readers, and the only way to showcase your brilliance is by making contributions in meetings.Sometimes, however, an employe e might be unable to showcase their brilliance, not because they are afraid to speak up in meetings, but because they don’t get the chance to speak, or because they feel they are not getting heard when they do.This can especially true for minority groups at the workplace, such as women or people of color.After all, how do you even show your worth when your ideas are being ignored, brushed over or even stolen?If you have worked at a place where you were part of the minority group, I bet you have experienced a situation similar to this.You are invited to a meeting whose aim is to come up with a solution that the organization has been battling with.After listening to presentations, the participants are asked to share their ideas on how they think the problem should be tackled.You experienced a similar problem at your previous job, and you have a solution you think might work in this situation.“I think the best way to tackle this problem is to make clients part of the development pr ocess,” you suggest. “We can come up with a system that allows clients to view the progress on their project. This way, they can provide their comments and feedback during development, instead of completing the whole project only to find out that the client doesn’t like the end product.”You are pretty sure that this will work, but it seems no one heard you say it.There are a few murmurs, and before you proceed to explain why you think your suggestion will work, someone else interrupts you with a different suggestion, and the conversation quickly moves on to something different.Being interrupted and ignored leaves you seething inside, but you decide to let it go.In the next meeting, the same problem comes up for discussion.One of your colleagues â€" someone who is not part of the minority â€" says that he has a solution he thinks might work, and he goes on to give the exact same solution you suggested last week. You can hardly believe your ears.To make matters even worse, eve ryone else at the meeting treats the suggestion like it’s the greatest idea they ever heard in their entire lives. They enthusiastically nod along and wonder how no one else thought of this brilliant idea.Have you ever found yourself in such a situation? For many women and other minority groups at the workplace, this is not such a farfetched scenario. It is something they encounter regularly.Eventually, people within the minority groups at the workplace are cowed into keeping their ideas to themselves because they fear that their ideas will either be ignored or that they will be judged harshly for sharing their ideas.In addition, the feeling of not being heard can be very demoralizing, and when left unaddressed, the frustration can spill over and affect the rest of your life.In addition, the organization also loses out on all your great ideas.This scenario happens at workplaces in industries across the board, from politics and entertainment to banking.The idea that people in minor ity groups â€" especially women â€" are regularly interrupted and ignored at the workplace is not a mere perception. It is not just something in our heads.Various studies and researches show that women are more likely to be interrupted by both men and women, they speak a lot less in professional situations, are less likely to receive credit for their contributions, and may sometimes even get punished for their contributions.This behavior has become so rampant that new terms have even come up to describe the behavior.The word “manterrupting” has been coined to describe situations where a woman is unnecessarily interrupted by a man, while the term “bropropriating” has been coined to describe situations where a man takes credit for a woman’s ideas.Perhaps the most public and most famous case of manterrupting happened at the MTV Video Music Awards ten years ago when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift in the middle of giving an acceptance speech for winning the best female vid eo and told her that she didn’t deserve the award.Below is a video showing how common manterruptions are. During President Obama’s first term at the office, the women working at the White House realized that manterruptions and bropropriations were preventing their voices from being heard, and they decided to do something about it to ensure that their contributions got to the president’s ears.Working at the White House is typically a tough, challenging and demanding job.For a woman, it is even tougher, owing to the fact that women make up for only a few of the employees working at the White House.Historically, the White House has always been skewed in favor of men. All the presidents to ever sit in the Oval Office so far have been men.All the Chiefs of Staff so far have been men.Among the president’s top aides and advisors, men have always outnumbered women.As a president ascends into power, he carries with him the men that have been part of his campaign to the White House, a nd it is a quite hard for a woman to break into this group.This is the situation the women at the White House found themselves in during the first term of Obama’s presidency.When he took office, only one third of his top aides were women. As you might expect in such a situation, the women found it hard to get themselves heard.Their contributions were being ignored and brushed aside, and when the ideas were too good to be ignored, the men in the room often took credit for these ideas.With no one else to turn to, the women turned to themselves.They decided that the only way to make themselves heard was to stick up for each other.The women came up with a strategy known as amplification.If a woman made a great point but it went unacknowledged, the other women in the room would repeat the point and give credit to the woman who initially came up with the idea.For instance, a woman applying amplification strategy would say,“I would like to go back to what Marjorie said earlier. Her ide a is valid because it provides us with a viable solution that allows us to tackle the problem at the grassroots level, where it is a lot easier to make the changes. I am in favor of her approach and can offer a few ways to make her solution even more effective.”This approach forced the male staff at the White House to listen to and recognize the contribution of their female counterparts.It made their contributions harder to ignore and also ensured that the men did not claim the ideas as their own.Their strategy worked, and the men at the White House, including President Obama himself, started paying more attention to what the female staffers were saying.The strategy even contributed to an increase in the number of female staff at the White House during president Obama’s second term.In coming up with the amplification strategy, the women at the White House had realized two key things.The first one is that repetition is one of the simplest and most effective techniques for reinfor cing any point. It is the best tools for creating emphasis.At the same time, the women also realized that having to repeat your point yourself would achieve the opposite of what they were trying to achieve.Instead of helping them get heard, it would make them appear as self-centered and even unprofessional.Having the point repeated by a different person, on the other hand, adds more weight to what was said.While the amplification strategy was invented by the women at the White House, it is not reserved just for women in politics.Manterrupting and bropropriating is not exclusive to politics. It happens in professional environments across the board, which means that the amplification strategy can be used in all these situations.If you notice that the women (or any other minority group) within your office are being ignored or their ideas getting stolen, you should encourage your coworkers to implement the amplification strategy.Cutting each other off and ignoring the ideas of others do es not help an organization in any way. It just intimidates the victims and keeps them from sharing their ideas.In the long run, the organization misses out from all the brilliant ideas that these employees chose to keep to themselves.Therefore, instead of competing against each other and constantly trying to make ourselves look good, you should encourage your colleagues to support each other’s ideas whenever these ideas make sense.Whenever you notice someone’s ideas being ignored, you should be ready to speak up for them.If you work in an environment where female workers are the minority and you decide to adopt the amplification strategy, you need to realize that the strategy is a team effort.It will only work if the women (or any other minority group that is not being listened to) decide to stick up for each other. In order for the amplification strategy to be effective, the members of the group must:Agree to support each other: The strategy relies on support. For it to work, the group must agree to support each other whenever they feel one of their own is being ignored or looked down upon.Amplify each other’s voices: The group must also agree to reinforce each other’s contributions. By amplifying each other’s voices, you build credibility for each other, make each other’s appear smarter, and make yourselves more visible. Another way to amplify each other’s voices is to open the floor for each other. For instance, a woman who is speaking can close by asking another woman if they have any additional thoughts. This gives the other woman a chance to voice her opinion before a male colleague takes over the floor.Make it a habit: You also need to make the strategy a habit in order for it to be effective. If you amplify each other’s voice just one or two times, no one will take note, and your efforts will be in vain. In order for the men in the office to take notice, the female workers should implement the amplification strategy every time one of t heir own makes an important point.Sometimes, however, it is possible that you might not be getting heard, not because you are a woman or part of some minority group, but because of other reasons.In this case, the amplification strategy might not work because you don’t have a group to turn to.If you find yourself in such a situation, you should follow the following steps to make yourself heard.ADVOCATE FOR YOURSELFHave you ever observed what goes on inside your mind when you make a contribution you feel is meaningful, but then the other people in the room brush it off like it makes no sense? How did that make you feel? What did you do about it?If you are like most people, you probably sat back feeling insignificant, while at the same time making a strong mental note on what you will do in response to this.Very often, you end up doing nothing.Unfortunately, this does not help you in any way, and the people who ignored your contributions will probably do it again.To minimize the chan ces of this being repeated, you should speak up for yourself when you feel like your contribution is not getting the consideration it deserves.Instead of sitting back timidly when people ignore your suggestions, gently try to engage them further.You can do this by asking some thoughtful questions, such as:“Do you think this approach could work?”“Do you have any concerns with this approach?”“What if we just gave it a try?”Asking such questions will make it a lot harder for the other guys to dismiss your ideas. However, always remain respectful when pushing for the consideration of your ideas.Of course, for your ideas to be considered, they need to be insightful, therefore it is always good to prepare your talking points before the meeting.This way, you can be sure that your colleagues are not ignoring your suggestions because they don’t make sense.Apart from advocating for yourself when your contributions are ignored, you should also speak up for yourself in case someon e tries to take credit for your ideas.For instance, if you proposed something the previous week and it was brushed aside, yet someone shares the same suggestion this week and the rest of the team seems enthusiastic about the suggestion, you could call out the person trying to steal your idea by saying something like,“Can you explain how that differs from the approach I proposed during last week’s meeting?”While doing this might result in an awkward moment for the colleague that was trying to steal your ideas, it is an effective way of getting people to pay more attention to your contributions, and your colleagues are less likely to try to take credit for your ideas.TALK TO YOUR SUPERVISORWhile calling out people who ignore or try to steal your ideas is effective by itself, it can sometimes result in you being viewed as too competitive, rude or self-centered.Therefore, it is always a great idea to approach your supervisor afterwards for a one-on-one conversation.Make it known t o them that you feel like you are not getting heard, and then explain that all you want to do is make sure that you are also making a valuable contribution to the organization. You can also ask your supervisor if they think that there is something else you need to do to ensure that your contributions get the consideration they deserve during meetings.Having such a conversation makes your supervisor more likely to pay attention to your contributions next time.It might even make them stick up for you the next time other members of the team try to brush off or appropriate your contributions.In addition, it might help you uncover team norms that might not have been initially apparent to you.Sometimes, your contributions might be getting ignored, not because the rest of the team has some malicious intents, but because you are not following some of the group’s unwritten rules.Therefore, it’s always smart to have a conversation with your supervisor before jumping into conclusions.WHAT IF THERE IS NO CHANGE?Sometimes, despite your best efforts at addressing your concerns, it seems like there is nothing you can do to bring about positive change.You have tried pushing for further consideration of your ideas, you have severally called out colleagues who try to take credit for your ideas, and you have had several conversations with your supervisor explaining that you feel like your contributions are not receiving the consideration they deserve.Unfortunately, you have seen absolutely no change.The rest of the team continue ignoring you or stealing your ideas like you are not there.Working in such environment can be very draining and demotivating.If you happen to find yourself in such a situation where you have tried addressing your concerns to no avail, it might be time for you to start the hunt for a new job where you can make a meaningful contribution.Every person deserves to be in a job where their contributions are valued.While I encourage you to move if you feel l ike your contributions are not valued, this does not mean that you should expect your team to treat your every suggestion as a message from the gods and implement it immediately.Regardless of how brilliant you are, not all your ideas will be great, and it’s perfectly normal for some of your suggestions will be dismissed.However, if you feel like no one seems to listen to anything you say, despite your best efforts to change that, this could be an indication that there is a larger problem within the organization, in which case your best bet might be to look for another job.WRAPPING UPIn order to survive and thrive at work, you need to prove yourself and show your worth to the organization.The best way of doing this is by speaking up and sharing your ideas with the rest of the team.Sometimes, however, the rest of your team can make it challenging for you to share your ideas and demonstrate your worth, either by brushing off your ideas or even trying to take credit for your ideas.Thi s is especially common for women and other minority groups within the workplace, such as foreigners or people of color.Having your ideas ignored or stolen can be very discouraging and frustrating.I have been in such situations, and I know how difficult it can be.Fortunately, there are some steps you can take to ensure you get heard. If you are part of a minority group at your workplace, team up with the rest of the group and agree to stick up for each other.If you have no group to stick up for you, advocate for yourself and have a conversation with your supervisor.Finally, if you feel that nothing you do is changing the situation, don’t be afraid to look for another job.

Idealism Vs. Idealism The Theory That Ideas And Thoughts...

Idealism is the theory that ideas and thoughts make up the actual fundamental reality of the world. In an overview, it is any philosophy that argues that the only things that are knowable lies in consciousness. This also states that we can never truly tell if anything in the outside world really exists. Things that are real are only mental, nothing physical if proven to be real. The stages of Idealism’s development have been in a constant change since the times of Plato up to Berkeley. In Idealism, there are many branches of this way of life ranging from Subjective to Objective to even as far as Buddhist. The two main versions of Idealism are those of Subjectivism and Objective. The Subjective view of Idealism is based on that the mind and ideas are truly the things we know and understand. â€Å"Thus, objects exist by virtue of our perception of them, as ideas residing in our awareness and in the consciousness of the Divine Being, or God† (Philosophy Basics). Along with that, state is that if there is anything in the realm outside of our mind, that it is unjustified because it is not a thought or is not in our mind. The main supporter that made Subjective Idealism to be what it is was George Berkeley. George Berkeley crafted his thoughts and ideas out of the ideas of Empiricism whom he shared common thought with John Locke and David Hume. Empiricism ties in with Idealism by the way it uses sensory perception and experiences as a form ideas. Berkeley later t ied it all together byShow MoreRelatedSymbolic Interactionism George Simmel Jacqueline Low10230 Words   |  41 PagesStructure, Agency, and Social Reality in Blumerian Symbolic Interactionism: The Influence of Georg Simmel Author(s): Jacqueline Low Source: Symbolic Interaction, Vol. 31, No. 3 (Summer 2008), pp. 325-343 Published by: Wiley on behalf of the Society for the Study of Symbolic Interaction Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1525/si.2008.31.3.325 . 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In view of the fact that no phase of history can begin to match the twentieth century in terms of the extent to which it has shaped the contemporary worldRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management View.Pdf Uploaded Successfully133347 Words   |  534 Pages 607 EVOLUTION OF PRACTICES ................................... 608 SYSTEMS OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE HUMAN RESOURCE PRACTICES .......................................... 609 INDIVIDUAL BEST PRACTICES VS. SYSTEMS OF PRACTICES ........................................................... 614 UNIVERSAL PRACTICES VS. CONTINGENCY PERSPECTIVES...................................................... 616 EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE: THE CASE FOR UNIVERSAL BEST PRACTICES................................................... 618

Nature of the Mind Essay - 810 Words

William Blake, a poet that strongly believed in the power of mind, once wrote, if we see with imagination, we see all things in the infinite. The Romantic poets use their imagination when gazing at nature, and therefore see and feel the infinite through their poetry. William Wordsworth expresses the serene beauty that nature possesses and its calming effects on the mind. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the poetic geniuses of the age, uses nature and his imagination to create surreal atmospheres. Another Romantic poet, by the name of Percy Bysshe Shelley, shows great longing for the freedom that nature possesses and the freeing effect it has on him. These poets of the Romantic period look at nature from a higher consciousness†¦show more content†¦He expresses the minds ability to take a beautiful scene and create a calm and content feeling throughout his thoughts. Samuel Taylor Coleridge uses nature as a catalyst to search deeper into his mind and discover the surreal creativity of his own imagination. This Lime-Tree Bower My Prison depicts an out-of-body vision that encompasses a breathtaking vista of green mountains and purple flowers from the eyes of an imaginer. Gazing at it with swimming sense, the picture becomes less gross than bodily, causing the swirling colors to form something only found in the divine. However surreal this picture is, nothing can compare to Cloleridges vision in Kubla Khan. In this poem he uses natures creations to depict unnatural scenes. In caverns measureless to man, Kubla Khan wants to build a sunny pleasure-dome with caves of ice. Such a place is only real in the imagination and in the written word, which is why this poem seems so tangible to the eye. He comes across these imaginary visions while meandering with a mazy motion through wood and dale, where these thoughts come alive. 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His arguments throughout his paper are very logicalRead MoreThe Nature of the Human Mind and the Human Body1095 Words   |  4 PagesDescartes talks about the nature of the human mind, and how the mind relates to the human body. With his famous declaration, I am, I exist, Descartes claims that â€Å"I† am â€Å"a thinking thing†, and therefore â€Å"I† exist (17-18). He also argues that the mind is better known than the body. In the Sixth Meditation, he further argues that there must be a clear distinction between mind and body. However, there is surely some connection between these two. In The Treatise on Human Nature, Aquinas argues that theRead MoreAnalyzing Armstrongs Nature of Mind Essay737 Words   |  3 PagesAnalyzing Armstrong’s â€Å"The Nature of Mind† In David M. Armstrong’s â€Å"The Nature of Mind†, Armstrong praises the field of science and seeks to put the concept of mind into terms that agree with science’s definition of minds. His interest is in the physico-chemical, materialist view of man. Armstrong considers science to be the authority over other disciplines because of its reliability and result in consensus over disputed questions. Armstrong’s main argument is as follows: P1: Mental statesRead More Hamlet - The Imbalance of the Idealistic Mind and Human Nature1334 Words   |  6 Pages- The Imbalance of the Idealistic Mind and Human Nature  Ã‚   It is often heard: Nobody is Perfect. This phrase is often used as a rationalization of foolish human mistakes that could have been prevented.   However, this statement has a much more profound significance. It contains an important lesson that guides or rather should guide people through life.   By admitting that nobody is perfect, the individual demonstrates a deeper understanding of the human nature and inner self. This knowledge isRead MoreEssay on HUMAN BEINGS AND NATURE DURING THE REVOLUTION OF THE MIND3395 Words   |  14 PagesHUMAN BEINGS AND NATURE DURING THE REVOLUTION OF THE MIND Enlightenment is mans release from his self-incurred tutelage. Tutelage is mans inability to make use of his understanding without direction from another. Self-incurred is this tutelage when its cause lies not in lack of reason but in lack of resolution and courage to use it without direction from another. Dare to Know! Have courage to use your own reason!- that is the motto of enlightenment. -Immanuel Kant, 1784 (1) From the

Night World Black Dawn Chapter 8 Free Essays

string(45) " had been carved out ofthe cave wall itself\." What are you doing?† he repeated ferociously.His grip was hurting her. â€Å"I’m throwing the water bag down there,† Maggiesaid. We will write a custom essay sample on Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 8 or any similar topic only for you Order Now But she was thinking, He’s so strong. Stronger than anybody I’ve ever met. He could break mywrist without even trying. â€Å"I know that! Why?† â€Å"Because it’s easier than carrying it down in myteeth,† Maggie said. But that wasn’t the real reason,of course. The truth was that she needed to get temptation out of the way. She was so thirsty thatit was a kind of madness, and she was afraid ofwhat she would do if she held onto this cool, sloshing water bag much longer. He was staring at her with those startling eyes,as if he were trying to pryhis way into her brain.And Maggie had the odd feeling that he’d succeeded, at least far enough that he knew the real reason she was doing this. â€Å"You are an idiot,† he said slowly, with cold wonder. â€Å"You should listen to your body; it’s telling youwhat it needs. You can’t ignore thirst. You can’tdeny it.† â€Å"Yes, you can,† Maggie said flatly. Her wrist wasgoing numb. If this went on, she was going to dropthe bag involuntarily, and in the wrong place. â€Å"You can’t,† he said, somehow making the wordsinto an angry hiss. â€Å"I should know.† Then he showed her his teeth. Maggie should have been prepared. Jeanne had told her. Vampires and witches and shapeshifters, she’d said. And Sylvia was a witch,and Bern had been a shapeshifter. This boy was a vampire. The strange thing was that, unlike Bern, he didn’tget uglier when he changed. His face seemed palerand finer, like something chiseled in ice. His goldeneyes burned brighter, framed by lashes that lookedeven blacker in contrast. His pupils opened and seemed to hold a darkness that could swallow aperson up. But it was the mouth that had changed the most.It looked even more willful, disdainful, and sullen-and it was drawn up into a sneer to displaythe fangs. Impressive fangs. Long, translucent white, tapering into delicate points. Shaped like a cat’s canines,with a sheen on them like jewels. Not yellowing tusks like Bern’s, but delicate instruments of death. What amazed Maggie was that although helooked completely different from anything she’d seen before, completely abnormal, he also lookedcompletely natural. This was another kind of creature, just like a human or a bear, with as muchright to live as either of them. Which didn’t mean she wasn’t scared. But shewas frightened in a new way, a way ready for action. She was ready to fight, if fighting became necessary. She’d already changed that much since entering this valley: fear now made her not panicked buthyper alert. If I have to defend myself I need both hands.And it’s better not to let him see I’m scared. â€Å"Maybe you can’t ignore your kind of thirst,† shesaid, and was pleased that her voice didn’t wobble.†But I’m fine. Except that you’re hurting my wrist. Can you please let go?† For just an instant, the brilliant yellow eyesflared even brighter, and she wondered if he wasgoing to attack her. But then his eyelids lowered,black lashes veiling the brightness. He let go ofher wrist. Maggie’s arm sagged,and the leather bagdropped from her suddenly nerveless fingers. It landed safely at her feet. She rubbed her hand. And didn’t look up a moment later, when he saidwith a kind of quiet hostility, â€Å"Aren’t you afraidof me?† â€Å"Yes.† It was true. And it wasn’t just because hewas a vampire or because he had a power thatcould send blue death twenty feet away. It was because of him, of the way he was. He was scary enough in and of himself. â€Å"But what good is it, being afraid?† Maggie said,still rubbing her hand. â€Å"If you’re going to try tohurt me,IT fight back. And so far, you haven’t triedto hurt me. You’ve only helped me.† â€Å"I told you, I didn’t do it for you.And you’ll neversurvive if you keep on being insane like this.† â€Å"Insane like what?† Now she did look up, to seethat his eyes were burning dark gold and his fangswere gone. His mouth simply looked scornful and aristocratic. â€Å"Trusting people,† he said, as if it should havebeen obvious. â€Å"Taking care of people. Don’t youknow that only the strong ones make it? Weak people are deadweightand if you try to help them, they’ll drag you down with them.† Maggie had an answer for that. â€Å"Cady isn’tweak,† she said flatly. â€Å"She’s sickShe’ll get betterif she gets the chance. And if we don’t take care ofeach other, what’s going to happen to all of us?† He looked exasperated, and for a few minutesthey stared at each other in mutual frustration. Then Maggie bent and picked up the bag again.†I’d better give it to her now. I’ll bring your can teen back.† â€Å"Wait.† His voice was abrupt and cold, unfriendly. But this time he didn’t grab her.†What?† â€Å"Follow me.† He gave the order briefly andturned without pausing to see if she obeyed. It wasclear that he expectedpeople to obey him, withoutquestions. â€Å"Bring the bag,† he said, without lookingover his shoulder. Maggie hesitated an instant, glancing down atCady. But the hollow was protected by the overhanging boulders; Cady would be all right there for a few minutes. She followed the boy. The narrow path that wound around the mountain was rough and primitive, interrupted by bands of broken, razor-sharpslate. She had to pick her way carefully aroundthem. In front of her, the boy turned toward the rocksuddenly and disappeared. When Maggie caught up, she saw the cave. The entrance was small, hardly more than acrack, and even Maggie had to stoop and go in sideways. But inside it opened into a snug littleenclosure that smelled of dampness and cool rock. Almost no light filtered in from the outsideworld. Maggie blinked, trying to adjust to the neardarkness, when there was a sound like a match strike and a smell of sulphur. A tiny flame was born, and Maggie saw the boy lighting some kindof crude stone lamp that had been carved out ofthe cave wall itself. You read "Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 8" in category "Essay examples" He glanced back at her and his eyes flashed gold. But Maggie was gasping, looking around her.The light of the little flame threw a mass of shifting, confusing shadows everywhere, but it alsopicked out threads of sparkling quartz in the rock.The small cave had become a place of enchantment. Andatthe boy’s feet was something that glitteredsilver. In the hush of the still air, Maggie couldhear the liquid, bell-like sound of water dripping. â€Å"It’sa pool,† the boy said. â€Å"Spring fed. The watees cold, but it’s good. Water .Something like pure lust overcame Maggie. She took three steps forward, ignoring the boy completely, and then her legs collapsed.Shecupped a hand in the pool, felt the coolness encompass it to the wrist, and brought it out asif shewere holding liquid diamond in her palm. She’d never tasted anything asgood as that water. No Coke she’d drunk on the hottest day of summer could compare with it. It ran through herdry mouth and down her parched throatand then it seemed to spread all through her, sparklingthrough her body, soothing and reviving her. A sort of crystal clearness entered her brain. She drankand drank in a state of pure bliss. And then, when she was in the even more blissfulstate of being not thirsty anymore, she plunged the leather bag under the surface to fill it. â€Å"What’s that for?† But there was a certain resignation in the boy’s voice. â€Å"Cady. I have to get back to her.† Maggie sat backon her heels and looked at him. The light dancedand flickered around him, glinting bronze off hisdark hair, casting half his face in shadow. â€Å"Thank you,† she said, quietly, but in a voice thatshook slightly. â€Å"I think you probably saved mylife again.† â€Å"You were really thirsty.† â€Å"Yeah.† She stood up. â€Å"But when you thought there wasn’t enoughwater, you were going to give it to her.† He couldn’tseem to get over the concept. â€Å"Yeah† â€Å"Even if it meant you dying?† â€Å"I didn’t die,† Maggie pointed out. â€Å"And I wasn’tplanning to. Butyeah, I guess, if there wasn’t anyother choice.† She saw him staring at her in utterbewilderment. â€Å"I took responsibility for her,† shesaid, trying to explain. â€Å"It’s like when you take ina cat, or-or it’s like being a queen or something.If you say you’re going to be responsible for your subjects, you are. You owe them afterward.† Something glimmered in his golden eyes, just fora moment. It could have been a dagger point ofanger or just a spark of astonishment. There wasa silence. â€Å"It’s not thatweird, people taking care of each other,† Maggie said, looking at his shadowed face. â€Å"Doesn’t anybody do it here?† He gave a short laugh. â€Å"Hardly,† he said dryly.†The nobles know how to take care of themselves.And the slaves have to fight each other to survive.† He added abruptly, â€Å"All of which you should know.But of course you’re not from here. You’re fromOutside.† â€Å"I didn’t know if you knew about Outside,† Mag gie said. â€Å"There isn’t supposed to be any contact. Therewasn’t for about five hundred years. But whenmy-when the old king died, they opened the pass,again and started bringing in slaves from the outside world. New blood.† He said it simply andmatter-of-factly. Mountain men, Maggie thought. For years there had been rumors about the Cascades, about menwho lived in hidden places among the glaciers andpreyed on climbers. Men or monsters. There were always hikers who claimed to have seen Bigfoot. And maybe they had-or maybe they’d seen ashapeshifter like Bern. â€Å"And you think that’s okay,† she said out loud.†Grabbing people from the outside world and dragging them in here to be slaves.† â€Å"Notpeople.Humans.Humansarevermin;they’re not intelligent.† He said it in that same dispassionate tone, looking right at her. â€Å"Are you crazy?†Maggie’s fists were clenched; herhead was lowered. Stomping time. She glared upat him through narrowed lashes. â€Å"You’re talking to a human right now. Am I intelligent or not?† â€Å"You’re a slave without any manners,† he saidcurtly. â€Å"And the law says I could kill you for the way you’retalkingto me.† His voice was so cold, so arrogant†¦but Maggiewas starting not to believe it. That couldn’t be all there was to him. Becausehe was the boy in her dream. The gentle, compassionate boy who’d looked ather with a flame of love behind his yellow eyes,and who’d held her with such tender intensity, hisheart beating against hers, his breath on her cheek. That boy had been real-and even if it didn’t makeany sense, Maggie was somehow certain of it. And no matter how cold and arrogant this one seemed, they had to be part of each other. It didn’t make her less afraid of this one, exactly.But it made her more determined to ignore herfear. â€Å"In my dream,† she said deliberately, advancinga step on him, â€Å"you cared about at least onehuman. You wanted to take care of me.† â€Å"You shouldn’t even be allowedto dream aboutme,† he said. His voice wasas tense and grim asever, but as Maggie got closer to him, looking directly up into his face, he did something that amazed her. He fell back a step. â€Å"Why not? Because I’m a slave? I’m a person.† She took another step forward, still looking at him challengingly. â€Å"And I don’t believe that you’re asbad as you say you are. I think I saw what youwere really like in my dream.† â€Å"You’re crazy,† he said. He didn’t back up anyfarther, there was nowhere left to go. But his wholebody was taut. â€Å"Why should I want to take care of you?† he added in a cold and contemptuous voice.†What’s so special about you?† It was a good question, and for a moment Maggie was shaken. Tears sprang to her eyes. â€Å"I don’t know,† she said honestly. â€Å"I’m nobodyspecial. There isn’tany reason for you to care aboutme. But it doesn’t matter. You saved my life whenBern was going to kill me, and you gave me waterwhen you knew I needed it. You can talk all youwant, but those are the facts. Maybe you just care about everybody, underneath. Or-â€Å" She never finished the last sentence. As she had been speaking to him, she was doingsomething she always did, that was instinctive to.,her when she felt some strong emotion. She had done it with P.J. and with Jeanne and with Cady. She reached out toward him. And although shewas only dimly aware that he was pulling his handsback to avoid her, she adjusted automatically,catching his wrists†¦. And that was when she lost her voice and whatshe was saying flew out of her head. Because something happened. Something that she couldn’t ex plain, that was stranger than secret kingdoms orvampires or witchcraft. It happened justas her fingers closed on hishands. It was the first time they had touched like that, bare skin to bare skin. When he had grabbed her wrist before, her jacket sleeve had been in be tween them. It started as an almost painful jolt, a pulsatingthrill that zigged up her arm and then sweptthrough her body. Maggie gasped, but somehowshe couldn’t let go of his hand. Like someone beingelectrocuted, she was frozen in place. The blue fire, she thought wildly. He’s doing thesame thing to me that he did to Bern. But the next instant she knew that he wasn’t. This wasn’t the savage energy that had killed Bern, and it wasn’t anything the boy was doing to her. Itwas something being done to both of them, by some incredibly powerful source outside either of them. And it was trying †¦ to open a channel. Thatwas the only way Maggie could describe it. It was blazing a path open in her mind, and connectingit to his. She feltas if she had turned around and unexpectedly found herself facing another person’s soul.A soul that was hanging there, without protection,already in helpless communication with hers. It was by far the most intense thing that hadever happened to her. Maggie gasped again, seeingstars, and then her legs melted and she fellforward He caught her, but he couldn’t stand up either.Maggie knew that as well as she knew what wasgoing on in her own body. He sank to his knees, holding her. What are you doing to me? It was a thought, but it wasn’t Maggie’s. It washis. I don’t know †¦I’m not doing it †¦ I don’t understand!Maggie had no idea how to send herthoughts to another person. But she didn’t need to,it was simply happening. A pure line of communication had been opened between them. It was afierce and terrible thing, a bit like being fused together by a bolt of lightning, but it was also so wonderful that Maggie’s entire skin was prickling and her mind was hushed with awe. She felt as if she’d been lifted into some new andwonderful place that most people never even saw. The air around her seemed to quiver with invisible wings. This is how people are supposed to be,shethought. Joined like this. Open to each other. Withnothing hidden and no stupid walls between them. A thought came back at her, sharp and quickasa hammer strike. No! It was so cold, so full of rejection, that for a moment Maggie was taken aback. But then she sensedwhat else was behind it. Anger†¦ and fear. He was afraid of this, andof her. He felt invaded. Exposed. Well, I do, too,Maggie said mentally. It wasn’tthat she wasn’t afraid. It was that her fear was irrelevant. The force that held them was so much morepowerful than either of them, so immeasurably ancient, that fear was natural but not important. The same light shone through each of them, strippingaway their shields, making them transparent toeach other. It’s all right for you. Because you don’t have any thing to be ashamed of!The thought flashed by so quickly that Maggie wasn’t even sure she hadheard it. What do you mean?she thought. Wait †¦ Delos. That was his name. Delos Redfern. She knew itnow, as unquestionably as she knew the names ofher own family. She realized, too, as a matter of minor importance, an afterthought, that he was a prince. A vampire prince who’d been born to rule this secret kingdom, as the Redfern family had ruled it for centuries. The old king was your father,she said to him. And he died three years ago, when you were fourteen. You’ve been ruling ever since. He was pulling away from her mentally, trying tobreak the contact between them. It’s none of your business, he snarled. Please wait,Maggie said. But as she chased after him mentally, trying to catch him, to help him,something shocking and new happened, like a second bolt of lightning. How to cite Night World : Black Dawn Chapter 8, Essay examples

Krispy Kreme Swot Analysis free essay sample

First, we will observe the operational characteristics of KKD. These factors will show positive indications of growth in Krispy Kreme. We will look at how many stores they have currently, how many they are planning to add (in the U. S and internationally), and the training and technology that differentiates them from others in the QSR industry. We then will evaluate the performance metrics, such as inventory turnover and days of inventory ratios, to compare how KKD compares to their competition. In order to find out how efficient Krispy Kreme is operating, our group intends to dentify where the QSR is positioned according to the industry life cycle. We will observe the SWOT analysis, then we will analyze their competitors to see where KKD stands in relation. This will give us the basis to develop recommendations about their current strategies. We begin the â€Å"SWOT† analysis by assessing KKD’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. We will write a custom essay sample on Krispy Kreme Swot Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page II.   The following SWOT analysis is intended to examine KKD’s internal strengths and weaknesses so we can link them to external opportunities and threats with the aim of developing a strategy they should pursue. Strengths are characteristics of the business or project that give it an advantage over other competitors. As a global organization, KKD has become a household name as they’ve branched into grocery and convenience stores and made doughnuts readily accessible. KKD offers a product that cannot be matched by any competitors when referring to taste, freshness, and the finest ingredients. Their affordable, high-quality doughnuts create a strong visual appeal and one-of-a-kind taste. Some of the key strengths offered by KKD are: * You are able to get a fresh out of the oven doughnut in the store. Consumers are allowed to watch the process of the doughnuts being made and can buy doughnuts immediately after they are made so they are as hot and fresh as possible. * KKD is a vertically integrated company. They use specialized doughnut making equipment and specific doughnut mixes in each store. Vertical integration ensures a very high-quality product. * Market research shows appeal extends to all major demographic groups including age and income. * Consistent expansion: Krispy Kreme is now in 21 countries. * Product sold at thousands of supermarkets, convenience stores, and retail outlets through U. S. This raises product awareness to the maximum number of target consumers. * Fundraising: Organizations are able to use Krispy Kreme for fundraising. They allow consumers to use their donuts to help raise money for different philanthropies. (Ex: Krispy Kreme run) * Offers free doughnut day once a year to increase sales. This day allows people who have been reluctant to spend money on the donuts to get a free taste and therefore increases their amount of consumers.   Weaknesses are characteristics that place the firm at a disadvantage relative to others. Some apparent weaknesses Krispy Kreme might have are: * Limited amount of â€Å"healthy† selections. * Limited menu: Lack Breakfast items. * Limited amount of non-snack food items. * Not innovative. * No major advertising: 100% reliance on reputation. * Opening additional locations but no focus on increasing current store performance. * International differences/preferences. * Lack of knowledge of what the customer wants (demographics, psychographics, behavioral segmentation). Most internationally located stores purchase their ingredients from local merchants rather than the Krispy Kreme Supply Chain. If KKD can find a cost effective way to provide these ingredients, they can capitalize on supply chain efficiencies to make a profit. Some opportunities for Krispy Kreme to leverage for growth would include: * Emerging markets and expansion abroad: International expansion has proven to bring better returns than expanding domestically. Asia and the Middle East both offer KKD a good market because of high levels of consumer sweet goods consumption and the popularity of Western brands in these International markets. Partnerships with sports teams and convenience stores. * Development of new menu items. * Add breakfast/healthier options to compete more directly with Dunkin Doughnuts, etc. * Innovation. * Product and services expansion. * Local open kiosks and in-store locations in airports, bookstores, and other retail outlets. * Product Diversification. New Mark ets. * Significant co-branding opportunities with local sports teams and movie theaters. * Increased snack consumption: During the past 20 years, more Americans are going out to eat. In today’s busy world, there is less time to prepare meals anymore. KKD believes there’s an opportunity in this trend that will increase the growth of doughnut sales.   Threats to an organization are described as elements in the environment that could cause trouble for the business or project. Some threats facing Krispy Kreme are: * Competition: Only 694 KKD stores compared to 10,000 Dunkin Donuts and 20,000 Starbucks Increasing competition from large and small doughnut chains, Krispy Kreme market share erodes slightly in highly competitive markets. * Price Wars: In the doughnut and pastry shop ndustry, price wars are generated in attempts to take away revenue from other restaurants and sustain growth. * Economic slowdown: External changes (government, politics, taxes, etc. ) * Ordering through the Internet: More and customers are ordering online, but Krispy Kreme does not offer online ordering of their donuts. They offer accessories online, such as coffee mugs and t-shirts. Dunkin Donuts offers more accessories including coffee, but no donu ts. * Healthy food trends: Krispy Kreme must constantly be aware of substitute products from many different areas of the market place. Such substitutes demanded today include healthier menu items include zero trans fats in all products. Going organic or using 100% natural ingredient items. III. INDUSTRY ANALYSIS Operational Characteristics Today, Krispy Kreme and its one-of-a-kind â€Å"Hot Light† which is a light that hangs inside the store window for people to know when the doughnuts have just come out of the oven. This â€Å"Hot Light† can be found in approximately 694 locations around the world and is in 234 locations in the United States. In 2002, KKD shipped their first international load of doughnut mix to Australia, and since then have added locations in over 20 countries. All KKD ingredients and store supplies are shipped from the company’s distribution warehouses in NC, IL, and CA. The KKD distribution center supplies all of the products needed to operate retail stores, from doughnut ingredients (mix, filling, glaze, sprinkles, etc. ) to cleaning supplies and uniforms. Production is done in the factory stores and completely automated, which cuts overhead costs and provides consistency in the products. KKD shops generally operate seven days a week, excluding some major holidays. Traditionally, domestic sales have been slower during the winter holiday season and the summer months. KKD opened five new company operated small retail shops in fiscal 2012 and three new company-operated shops in fiscal 2011, all of which were hot shops. They plan to open five to ten small retail shops in fiscal 2013, consisting mainly of small factory stores, all in the Southeastern United States. In the past three years, they have opened 92 stores (See Figure II). The ability to accommodate a drive-thru window is an important characteristic in most new shop locations, including both factory stores and satellite shops. Of the 85 shops, which serve on-premises customers, 79 have a drive-thru. Traditional factory stores generally are located in freestanding suburban locations generally ranging in size from approximately 2,400 to 8,000 square feet. The average size is 3,000 square feet. The stores typically have the capacity to produce between 2,800 and 16,000 dozen doughnuts daily. KKD is also investing in more technology to support the business. In 2012, KKD purchased new point-of-sale hardware for all of the company stores and implemented a new computer hardware system for all company and franchisee locations. KKD encourages team members to be courteous, helpful, knowledgeable and attentive, focusing intently on employee training. High levels of customer service and the maintenance of quality standards are enforced by frequently monitoring stores through a variety of methods, including random quality audits, known as â€Å"mystery shoppers† and a toll-free consumer telephone number. KKD offers a comprehensive manager training program for every position in the store, covering the critical skills required to operate a Krispy Kreme store and a training program. The manager-training program includes classroom instruction, computer-based training modules and in-shop training. The main competitors for Krispy Kreme are other quick service restaurants, such as Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Panera Bread, and Einstein Noah Bagels. Performance Metrics A company can measure its minimum inventory investment by its inventory turnover. This is the level of customer demand satisfied by the supply on hand. The inventory turnover tells an organization how many times they sell through the entire inventory in one year. The average day’s supply of inventory that is on hand tells you how many days your current inventory will last based on your sales levels. If a company is short on inventory, the warehousing costs will be lower, but there’s a risk of running out. In order to figure these values you need to figure your average inventory and know your costs of goods sold for the year. For the past three years (since 2010) Krispy Kreme has an inventory turnover ratio of 21. 26. They have average days where inventory is 16. 89 (see figures III and IV). Industry Life Cycle Most businesses evolve from the introduction stage, to the growth stage, maturity, and decline. It is important to understand the evolution of the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Industry that KKD competes in to accurately assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats speeding or slowing the firm’s growth. The introduction stage is dominated by the marketing of an innovation for the first time. Competition is minimal and returns are negative, as most companies must catch up on their investments in Ramp;D, marketing, and manufacturing. The growth stage is characterized by high profits and competition. During this stage organizations begin to differentiate their products based on value and quality. The maturity stage shows high sales accompanied by very strong price pressures. Profit margins often shrink as the customers begin to see the product as homogenous (always the same). The decline stage is shown by reduced profits and many companies have to decide whether to stay in the industry or cut their losses. Based on these key factors, we believe the QSR industry is in the maturity stage of the industry life cycle. This is due to a low level of innovation, fluctuating profit margins, and global expansion. IV. RECOMMENDED   Krispy Kreme must remain competitive in the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) Industry. To be effective at this we believe the first thing they should focus on cost leadership. Cost leadership is based on high volume sales of low margin products/services (i. e. Wal-Mart). To achieve this, KKD must focus on increasing their sales. This can be done by analyzing their target market’s key buying habits at the lowest cost to Krispy Kreme. Next, KKD should decrease their prices and adjust Ramp;D, marketing and manufacturing to create a cost gap so they can save some money. KKD can leverage their economies of scale (complete automation of the doughnut making process, added capacity, and TQM) to create a long-term sustainable cost gap. We believe if KKD executives focus on cost leadership in the QSR industry, the company will benefit from increased revenues, retail operations, and increased interest in the brand name of Krispy Kreme.