Reflection for Chapter free essay sample

Reflection for path-goal Leadership Key behaviours among group members Most of us were participative and had a supportive leadership path, which means being more people-oriented. Differences among individual members 2 of us are task focused when it comes to leadership. One is directive and another is achievement-oriented. What results were surprising? What were possible causes of the differences? We had thought that our leadership styles would be the same. Giri and Santra (2010) found that Job experiences influence the leadership styles of employees. They add that each person goes through his/her own learning makes ecisions based on his/her life experiences. Each of us had different experiences prior to becoming a group. How did individual members or the group react to differences among the groups behaviours? We were accepting toward the different leadership styles each one preferred and valued each ones strengths. Depending on the situation, we would chose to let the most suitable person lead. We will write a custom essay sample on Reflection for Chapter or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page What was one key factor that the group learnt about each other? We realised that everyone could lead, just in different ways. We are made differently and each of us subconsciously displays our personal leadership style. We have to give each other a chance to display their strengths associated with a particular style of leadership when there is a need to. How activity is linked to discussion topic By deciding what leadership style we would use in a particular situation, and having learnt which style fit best to a situation, we each know which situations we triumph most, and which we have scope for learning to modify our usual styles. Reference: Girl, V Santra, T 2010, Effects of Job experience, career stage, and hierarchy on leadership style, Singapore Management Review, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 85-93.

Dracula Essays - Fiction, Literature, English-language Films

Dracula Essays - Fiction, Literature, English-language Films Dracula Bram Stoker's Dracula The setting of the story begins in 19th century Europe, in the eerie country of Transylvania. The story begins with a solicitor from England named Jonathan Harker is sent by a business man to meet with an old Count named Dracula at his castle located far from civilization. Residents of Transylvania who become aware of his destination begin crossing themselves and giving him garlic and blessings. As a result of these gestures, Mr. Harker soon develops an uneasy feeling about visiting the mysterious Count. He arrives at Castle Dracula regardless, and makes his acquaintances with Dracula. He soon realizes that the count is no normal human, but an evil, blood-sucking vampire, who can command animals and elements with the wave of his hand. Harker escapes but the Count has devised an intricate plan to move to London and exercise his evil forces on innocent people there. However, a group of friends, including an open-minded, but ingenious professor, a psychologist, an American, a rich man, as well as Jonathan Harker and his wife Mina, learn of the Count's sinister plan and pledge to destroy him before he can create an army of un-dead vampires. They systematically destroy his coffins with holy wafers and chase him out of England back to Castle Dracula. There they carry out an ultimate plan to destroy Dracula. The Author uses suspense as a storytelling device rather effectively throughout the story. There are a fair number of parts in which the reader is left suspended on the edge of seat, eager to find out what is to happen next. However, there were parts where suspense could be used in a manner that would enhance the gravity of the plot. Nonetheless, The book is written in a unique way that allows suspense to be used easily and effectively built up. Dracula is written in first person like many other novels but then it differs slightly. The book starts off as a first person Journal of the first character describing his experiences. But then it switches to someone else's journal, and then to letters between two characters, and later to a newspaper article. It follows this pattern roughly throughout the book. At various points, the plot builds up with one character's journal and then it jumps to another character's journal so that you must read a ways through it before the exciti conclusion to that particular event is revealed. At other times deductions must be made on what a character has written to ascertain what has occurred. There is a good example of this when the first character, Jonathan Harker, is imprisoned in the castle close to sunset and knows that the Count will attack him that night. His journal ends as he describes what he might do to escape. But the success of his escape is not evident until the first part of his fiancee's journal is completed. This sort of suspense can be quite frustrating and annoying at times. Thus it's purpose is often defeated and the plot suffers. But there is also the more prevalent type of suspense used where the character is on the verge of an important discovery or he is in a dangerous predicament but the author is slow to divulge what is to happen. When the suspense was used properly, it proved to be both interesting and very dramatic. In conclusion, Bram Stoker's Dracula turned out to be a very exciting and fascinating nove l. The plot was well structured and was very suspenseful. The author used his historical knowledge of Europe, particularly Hungary and Transylvania, very well in conveying a certain idea in the book. For example, Count Dracula was described as a noble of the Magyar peoples of eastern Europe who fought valiantly against invaders during the 14th and 15th centuries. Full insight was given into the minds and personalities of almost all of the well developed characters. Initially, the Count remained somewhat mysterious for a specific reason. This allowed for the main characters to slowly discover who the Count really was thus developing the character slowly for the reader. The intrigue built into his character intensified the mystery. Suspense was used extensively throughout the novel. The book probed

The Performance of TESCO Business Research Paper

The Performance of TESCO Business - Research Paper Example Overall management is responsible for the performance of TESCO business, its duty of directors to check the performance of business, Mostly the departmental managers are responsible for the performance of their department and top management see that the business is running in accordance with its objectives and they take the measures of any risk which may affect the performance of business and find the solution of that risk or problem. Tesco is the member of the ETI since it came into existence in 1998. In 2001, it has developed a new course for its purchaser and technical managers to lift up their consciousness of the Ethical Trading Initiative (ETI), ethical issues, and employee welfare in the supply chain. This was the primary course of its manner in the industry and has now been rolled out to its commercial teams. It will carry on training all new commercial purchaser and technical managers in this way. Organizing standards across its great and complex own brand supply base is a c hallenge, but Tesco is dedicated to functioning with its suppliers to maintain, develop and get better standards. Tesco remains a component of the ETI, actively contributing to projects that aspire to address the complex social matters that subsist in global supply chains. The directors have overall responsibility for day-to-day operational control. Executive directors who are the permanent employee of the company handle the day-to-day operations. Tesco will pick up the pace in its lead ahead of supermarket rivals tomorrow when it lacerates prices of hundreds of goods by another  £30 million.

Discussion Topics for Management Course - United States Essay

Discussion Topics for Management Course - United States - Essay Example In this case, employees feel motivated and increase their dedication business practices, something that enhances its chances of success and quality outcomes. It is important for business executives to understand that risk and uncertainty are not actually similar. Uncertainty often concerns possible results and outcomes, which are not known to the business managers. On the other hand, risks can be described as certain kinds of uncertainties that involve actual probabilities of loss for various outcomes (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2005). In this case, it is evident that situations involving risks can be accounted for easily as compared to those involving uncertainties. The process of making decisions based on risky conditions has to seek, where possible to provide a definite identification of risks, quantifying and absorbing them. In this case, business executives have to understand that the quantity of a risk is often equivalent to the total of all the probabilities relating to the particular risky outcome, alongside the expected loss from the outcome. From the foregone discussion it is evident that business managers are better placed to account for the management outcomes that are made under risky situations that those involving certainties. One of the most important aspects of a business’ management decision-making process is accounting for the outcomes. Accountability, in this case is needed in the process of making assessments and evaluations, which are important in the growth and development stages of the business (Ferrell & Fraedrich, 2005). Business managers are expected to avoid uncertainty situations in the business, this is because, they often lead to many losses in the management process. Risky situations can often bring positive outcomes depending on the effectiveness of the decisions made in the business. This is the reason why business managers that make effective decisions over

Healthcare organizations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Healthcare organizations - Essay Example In the technological environment, various advancements have been made in the field of medicine. Science and technology have continually led to new diagnosis methods and treatments. This put pressure on the healthcare organization to purchaseth-new methods of diagnosis and treatment so as offer quality services to the US population. For instance, in US hospitals, paper medical records are being replaced by the by the electronic health records. This ensures that documents cannot get lost easily (Sultz et al., 2014).In the economic sector, the US health care organizations have been affected the employment rates and inflation. Many people in the US seek health care services, as the employment rate is high. In 2012, the average spending per individual on health in us exceeded that of other countries through their infant mortality and life expectancy was not good. Many Americans are they can readily access services using the insurance cover (Sultz et al., 2014).The banks as players in the financial sector have been offering the health care organizations money to purchase equipment or buildings for expansion. In late 2008 and 2009, the US banking system almost collapsed. Thismakesitdifficultforthe healthcare organizations to borrow finances for new equipment and building thus jeopardizing the operations of the health sector (Barr, 2011). The Indian healthcare organization is greatly affected by sociocultural factors. Many people in India are poor and uneducated. This greatly affects their health-seeking behavior.

Different Approaches To Completing Tasks

Different Approaches To Completing Tasks Imagine that you work for a multinational IT company and have been transferred to Japan for five years project. You want to adjust yourself culturally to the new environment so that you do not have cross cultural problems. Which aspect of the local culture would you wish to observe and understand in order to avoid problems of cross cultural communication? INTRODUCTION Communication is the process of exchanging ideas, facts and figures from one person to another. The term cross cultural implies interaction with people of different cultural, ethnic, age and class backgrounds. Communication is interactive in nature and is greatly influenced by our relationship with others. Different words may mean different meanings to different people. In addition to this what makes cross cultural communication really difficult is the difference in language even the same word can mean different things. Cross cultural communication is a form of global communication which describes how people of different culture communicate and interact with each other in different ways among themselves. Cross cultural communication is a field of study that draws various ways that we have learned to speak and gives non-verbal messages. Thus miscommunication is likely to happen when it involves significant cultural differences among the communicators. This is what known as Cross Cultural difference. FUNDAMENTAL PATTERNS OF CULTURAL DIFFERENCES There are six different cultural patterns that tend to vary from one person to another person. These are discussed as follows: Varying communication styles The way people communicate varies widely within people of different cultures. What may mean to one person may have a different meaning to other person. This aspect of communication style is known as language usage. Some words carries different meaning across different cultures. Another aspect of the communication style is the degree of importance given to verbal and non-verbal communication. Non-verbal communication not only includes gestures and facial expressions but also involves sense of time, personal distance etc. Different approaches to completing the tasks Approaches to completing tasks vary from culture to culture. The reason behind this is different judgments of the rewards associated with the accomplishment of the task, different notions of time and access to resources available. For example Asian culture tends to give more importance to the developing relationships and emphasize more on the task completion towards the end as compared to the European-American culture. Varying attitudes towards conflicts Some cultures see conflict in positive manner while others view it as something to be avoided. In the U.S conflict is not considered to be desirable however people often are encouraged to directly face conflicts as they arise. In eastern countries conflicts are considered to be embarrassing; a written exchange might be favorable means to address the conflict instead of speaking. Different styles of decision making The role played by an individual in decision making process varies from culture to culture. For example in US decisions are frequently delegated i.e. an official assigns the responsibilities to the subordinates associated with the task while in Japan consensus is the preferred mode. Different attitudes towards disclosure In some cultures it is not considered appropriate to be open about emotions, personal feelings and information or a conflict or misunderstanding. When you are working with others or dealing with a conflict questions like what was the conflict about? Or what was your role in the conflict may seem natural to you but may seem intrusive to others. Varying approaches to knowing Differences are likely to occur among cultural groups when it comes to knowing things. For example European culture tends to consider information acquired by measuring and counting rather than the other ways of coming to knowing things. Compare that to African cultures preference for affecting ways of knowing things including rhythm and symbolic imagery. Some of the common aspects and challenges that he observed in Japanese culture are discussed as follows: Rules and etiquettes Japanese adheres closely to rules and regulations. It was clearly evident from the low crime rates. Aspects of etiquettes include vocabulary, grammar for polite conversation, Principles for exchanging gifts and greeting others. This made him aware that Japanese are very certain about their rules and regulations. Hierarchy In Japan a strong hierarchical structure still exists with respect, responsibility and authority being rewarded based on age, status and experience. When communicating with Japanese it is considered wise to pay attention towards the face. Face is closely linked with personal pride and forms the basis for an individuals status and reputation. Damaging face through over confrontation can be disastrous for business relationship in Japan. Concept of time Time is one of the major challenges while working in Japanese culture as Japanese are very strict regarding the punctuality. While working being early or on time for all appointments, meetings whether formal or informal is a show of respect and sincerity towards the task while any event of being late requires an apology. Communication styles Understanding communication style is another biggest challenge that is often faced while working in Japanese culture. Japanese have a preference for indirect and high context communication. They emphasize more on the impact of body language, developing relationship, emotions and other non-verbal communication. Harmony In Japan there is more emphasizing on collectivism rather than individualism. They place significant emphasize on loyalty towards the group. In Japanese culture it is important to understand that praising or prioritizing any one individual over others is likely to be embarrassing. Excessive hard working attitude Japanese people are highly dedicated to their work. For them, there is no day-night, hunger-thirst. When they are determined to achieve something, they achieve it any cost without thinking about any kind of comfort. For example if in India, 10 cars are manufactured in a day then in Japan, that number is 100. So, this is also a major challenge. OVERCOMING CROSS CULTURAL DIFFERENCES No matter whom you are or where you live or which culture you come from it is important to recognize that although other people may dress like you or even work for the same company they are not just like you. Some of the common aspects that Mr. A observed and decided to follows in order to overcome cross cultural differences are discussed as follows. The key to effective cross cultural communication is knowledge. It is very essential for people to understand the potential problems of cross cultural communication and to be prepared to adjust your behavior accordingly. Try to learn from generalizations about other cultures, but do not use those generalizations to oversimplify your ideas about other persons. One should practice and practice because the more effort you put in observing and learning about other culture more easily you can overcome cross cultural difference. One should not assume that his way of communicating is the only right way of communication in fact one should keep questioning about his assumptions about the right way to communicate. Try to listen actively and empathetically. By putting yourself in the other persons shoes especially when other persons perceptions and ideas are completely different from your own, you might need to operate at the edge of your own comfort zone. Another key ingredient that helps in overcoming cross cultural difference is developing awareness about an individuals culture. This is because if you dont have understanding about different cultures than how do you communicate to someone who understands and relates to the world differently to you. Reflective listening plays an important role in overcoming cross cultural differences. It is very helpful in checking out the meaning of what someone says by repeating back what you have heard which in turn helps you to confirm what has been said accurately. Another important point that one must keep in his mind at workplace is to be wise. People need to be aware how to interact with people with respect and knowledge. One must show maturity of thought and action in dealing with people. Thus working across different cultures requires a diverse skill set and a different business approach from business in general. When bridging the cultures both similar and foreign to our own certain strategies are crucial for the success of international project which are briefly described as follows. Learning about the project beforehand This helps to get a feel for the atmosphere, attitude and the angle that the business has. Observing new environment One must carefully observe how people act, dress and treat each other. This will keep a persons observation skills engaged and alert to elements that will help you to adjust in new environment easily. Allow more time Working across different culture takes more time to adjust. Communication may be slowed and logistics may be different. Give yourself more time to process information before taking any decision. Learn to tolerate uncertainty Definitive and concrete answers may not always be given especially when you working with Japanese culture with high tolerance for uncertainty.

Military Service Should be Mandatory Essay -- Papers

Military Service Should be Mandatory Americans, especially baby boomers, should be ashamed of themselves. How can the world's richest population let its military go begging for recruits? Each year, the military services -- Air Force, Army, Marines, Navy -- establish recruiting goals to maintain adequate numbers of personnel. The numbers change annually depending on, among other factors, service needs, recruitment figures the year before and retention of current troops. Most informed folks are familiar with the sorry statistics, but let me repeat them for the record: The Air Force has a goal of 33,800 for this year; it expects to fall short by 1,700. The Army needs 74,500 but will miss the mark by 6,300. Currently short of its goal of 53,200, the Navy expects to have enough recruits by week's end. Because of its unique tradition, the Marine Corps is the only branch that consistently fills its quota. In all, according to the Associated Press, the services need 197,115 recruits to maintain a force of 1.4-million. Why are the services having such a hard time recruiting? One obvious reason, according to the New York Times, is that the number of people between ages 18 and 22, the prime age for recruits, has dropped to approximately 21-million, 5-million fewer than in 1980. Another major reason, of course, is that the economy has opened job opportunities to those who otherwise might see the military as an option. These two are real reasons for the shrinking recruiting pool, but I see another reason, one that is perhaps at the heart of the problem: As a group, those between 18 and 22 are not patriotic. And perhaps even worse, too many baby-boomer parents and other "influencers" -- teachers and coaches -- bad-mouth the milita... ...y" if we expect to recruit effectively. Where I am from, we call such thinking bass ackward. No, we need to scrap the all-volunteer army concept and draft everyone -- including the children of the rich and the powerful in gated enclaves -- who does not volunteer. I leave the logistics to the experts. Unfortunately, money drives everything these days. When parents advise their children on career choices, fewer of them ever mention the military. It is not an option. The New York Times quotes a 17-year-old senior in the class of 2000 about the attitudes of his peers toward the military. His response? "It's not even in their vocabularies." As a nation, we should be ashamed. President Clinton is not to blame for this one, folks. All of us -- especially parents, teachers and coaches -- are blameworthy. Everyone who enjoys the freedom of living in America should serve.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Fifty-six

Tyrion Chella daughter of Cheyk of the Black Ears had gone ahead to scout, and it was she who brought back word of the army at the crossroads. â€Å"By their fires I call them twenty thousand strong,† she said. â€Å"Their banners are red, with a golden lion.† â€Å"Your father?† Bronn asked. â€Å"Or my brother Jaime,† Tyrion said. â€Å"We shall know soon enough.† He surveyed his ragged band of brigands: near three hundred Stone Crows, Moon Brothers, Black Ears, and Burned Men, and those just the seed of the army he hoped to grow. Gunthor son of Gurn was raising the other clans even now. He wondered what his lord father would make of them in their skins and bits of stolen steel. If truth be told, he did not know what to make of them himself. Was he their commander or their captive? Most of the time, it seemed to be a little of both. â€Å"It might be best if I rode down alone,† he suggested. â€Å"Best for Tyrion son of Tywin,† said Ulf, who spoke for the Moon Brothers. Shagga glowered, a fearsome sight to see. â€Å"Shagga son of Dolf likes this not. Shagga will go with the boyman, and if the boyman lies, Shagga will chop off his manhood—† â€Å"—and feed it to the goats, yes,† Tyrion said wearily. â€Å"Shagga, I give you my word as a Lannister, I will return.† â€Å"Why should we trust your word?† Chella was a small hard woman, flat as a boy, and no fool. â€Å"Lowland lords have lied to the clans before.† â€Å"You wound me, Chella,† Tyrion said. â€Å"Here I thought we had become such friends. But as you will. You shall ride with me, and Shagga and Conn for the Stone Crows, Ulf for the Moon Brothers, and Timett son of Timett for the Burned Men.† The clansmen exchanged wary looks as he named them. â€Å"The rest shall wait here until I send for you. Try not to kill and maim each other while I'm gone.† He put his heels to his horse and trotted off, giving them no choice but to follow or be left behind. Either was fine with him, so long as they did not sit down to talk for a day and a night. That was the trouble with the clans; they had an absurd notion that every man's voice should be heard in council, so they argued about everything, endlessly. Even their women were allowed to speak. Small wonder that it had been hundreds of years since they last threatened the Vale with anything beyond an occasional raid. Tyrion meant to change that. Brorm rode with him. Behind them—after a quick bit of grumbling—the five clansmen followed on their undersize garrons, scrawny things that looked like ponies and scrambled up rock walls like goats. The Stone Crows rode together, and Chella and Ulf stayed close as well, as the Moon Brothers and Black Ears had strong bonds between them. Timett son of Timett rode alone. Every clan in the Mountains of the Moon feared the Burned Men, who mortified their flesh with fire to prove their courage and (the others said) roasted babies at their feasts. And even the other Burned Men feared Timett, who had put out his own left eye with a white-hot knife when he reached the age of manhood. Tyrion gathered that it was more customary for a boy to burn off a nipple, a finger, or (if he was truly brave, or truly mad) an ear. Timett's fellow Burned Men were so awed by his choice of an eye that they promptly named him a red hand, which seemed to be some sort of a war chief. â€Å"I wonder what their king burned off,† Tyrion said to Bronn when he heard the tale. Grinning, the sellsword had tugged at his crotch . . . but even Bronn kept a respectful tongue around Timett. If a man was mad enough to put out his own eye, he was unlikely to be gentle to his enemies. Distant watchers peered down from towers of unmortared stone as the party descended through the foothills, and once Tyrion saw a raven take wing. Where the high road twisted between two rocky outcrops, they came to the first strong point. A low earthen wall four feet high closed off the road, and a dozen crossbowmen manned the heights. Tyrion halted his followers out of range and rode to the wall alone. â€Å"Who commands here?† he shouted up. The captain was quick to appear, and even quicker to give them an escort when he recognized his lord's son. They trotted past blackened fields and burned holdfasts, down to the riverlands and the Green Fork of the Trident. Tyrion saw no bodies, but the air was full of ravens and carrion crows; there had been fighting here, and recently. Half a league from the crossroads, a barricade of sharpened stakes had been erected, manned by pikemen and archers. Behind the line, the camp spread out to the far distance. Thin fingers of smoke rose from hundreds of cookfires, mailed men sat under trees and honed their blades, and familiar banners fluttered from staffs thrust into the muddy ground. A party of mounted horsemen rode forward to challenge them as they approached the stakes. The knight who led them wore silver armor inlaid with amethysts and a striped purple-and-silver cloak. His shield bore a unicorn sigil, and a spiral horn two feet long jutted up from the brow of his horsehead helm. Tyrion reined up to greet him. â€Å"Ser Flement.† Ser Flement Brax lifted his visor. â€Å"Tyrion,† he said in astonishment. â€Å"My lord, we all feared you dead, or . . . † He looked at the clansmen uncertainly. â€Å"These . . . companions of yours . . . â€Å" â€Å"Bosom friends and loyal retainers,† Tyrion said. â€Å"Where will I find my lord father?† â€Å"He has taken the inn at the crossroads for his quarters.† Tyrion laughed. The inn at the crossroads! Perhaps the gods were just after all. â€Å"I will see him at once.† â€Å"As you say, my lord.† Ser Flement wheeled his horse about and shouted commands. Three rows of stakes were pulled from the ground to make a hole in the line. Tyrion led his party through. Lord Tywin's camp spread over leagues. Chella's estimate of twenty thousand men could not be far wrong. The common men camped out in the open, but the knights had thrown up tents, and some of the high lords had erected pavilions as large as houses. Tyrion spied the red ox of the Presters, Lord Crakehall's brindled boar, the burning tree of Marbrand, the badger of Lydden. Knights called out to him as he cantered past, and men-at-arms gaped at the clansmen in open astonishment. Shagga was gaping back; beyond a certainty, he had never seen so many men, horses, and weapons in all his days. The rest of the mountain brigands did a better job of guarding their faces, but Tyrion had no doubts that they were full as much in awe. Better and better. The more impressed they were with the power of the Lannisters, the easier they would be to command. The inn and its stables were much as he remembered, though little more than tumbled stones and blackened foundations remained where the rest of the village had stood. A gibbet had been erected in the yard, and the body that swung there was covered with ravens. At Tyrion's approach they took to the air, squawking and flapping their black wings. He dismounted and glanced up at what remained of the corpse. The birds had eaten her lips and eyes and most of her cheeks, baring her stained red teeth in a hideous smile. â€Å"A room, a meal, and a flagon of wine, that was all I asked,† he reminded her with a sigh of reproach. Boys emerged hesitantly from the stables to see to their horses. Shagga did not want to give his up. â€Å"The lad won't steal your mare,† Tyrion assured him. â€Å"He only wants to give her some oats and water and brush out her coat.† Shagga's coat could have used a good brushing too, but it would have been less than tactful to mention it. â€Å"You have my word, the horse will not be harmed.† Glaring, Shagga let go his grip on the reins. â€Å"This is the horse of Shagga son of Dolf,† he roared at the stableboy. â€Å"If he doesn't give her back, chop off his manhood and feed it to the goats,† Tyrion promised. â€Å"Provided you can find some.† A pair of house guards in crimson cloaks and lion-crested helms stood under the inn's sign, on either side of the door. Tyrion recognized their captain. â€Å"My father?† â€Å"In the common room, m'lord.† â€Å"My men will want meat and mead,† Tyrion told him. â€Å"See that they get it.† He entered the inn, and there was Father. Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West, was in his middle fifties, yet hard as a man of twenty. Even seated, he was tall, with long legs, broad shoulders, a flat stomach. His thin arms were corded with muscle. When his once-thick golden hair had begun to recede, he had commanded his barber to shave his head; Lord Tywin did not believe in half measures. He razored his lip and chin as well, but kept his side-whiskers, two great thickets of wiry golden hair that covered most of his cheeks from ear to jaw. His eyes were a pale green, flecked with gold. A fool more foolish than most had once jested that even Lord Tywin's shit was flecked with gold. Some said the man was still alive, deep in the bowels of Casterly Rock. Ser Kevan Lannister, his father's only surviving brother, was sharing a flagon of ale with Lord Tywin when Tyrion entered the common room. His uncle was portly and balding, with a close-cropped yellow beard that followed the line of his massive jaw. Ser Kevan saw him first. â€Å"Tyrion,† he said in surprise. â€Å"Uncle,† Tyrion said, bowing. â€Å"And my lord father. What a pleasure to find you here.† Lord Tywin did not stir from his chair, but he did give his dwarf son a long, searching look. â€Å"I see that the rumors of your demise were unfounded.† â€Å"Sorry to disappoint you, Father,† Tyrion said. â€Å"No need to leap up and embrace me, I wouldn't want you to strain yourself.† He crossed the room to their table, acutely conscious of the way his stunted legs made him waddle with every step. Whenever his father's eyes were on him, he became uncomfortably aware of all his deformities and shortcomings. â€Å"Kind of you to go to war for me,† he said as he climbed into a chair and helped himself to a cup of his father's ale. â€Å"By my lights, it was you who started this,† Lord Tywin replied. â€Å"Your brother Jaime would never have meekly submitted to capture at the hands of a woman.† â€Å"That's one way we differ, Jaime and I. He's taller as well, you may have noticed.† His father ignored the sally. â€Å"The honor of our House was at stake. I had no choice but to ride. No man sheds Lannister blood with impunity.† â€Å"Hear Me Roar,† Tyrion said, grinning. The Lannister words. â€Å"Truth be told, none of my blood was actually shed, although it was a close thing once or twice. Morrec and Jyck were killed.† â€Å"I suppose you will be wanting some new men.† â€Å"Don't trouble yourself, Father, I've acquired a few of my own.† He tried a swallow of the ale. It was brown and yeasty, so thick you could almost chew it. Very fine, in truth. A pity his father had hanged the innkeep. â€Å"How is your war going?† His uncle answered. â€Å"Well enough, for the nonce. Ser Edmure had scattered small troops of men along his borders to stop our raiding, and your lord father and I were able to destroy most of them piecemeal before they could regroup.† â€Å"Your brother has been covering himself with glory,† his father said. â€Å"He smashed the Lords Vance and Piper at the Golden Tooth, and met the massed power of the Tullys under the walls of Riverrun. The lords of the Trident have been put to rout. Ser Edmure Tully was taken captive, with many of his knights and bannermen. Lord Blackwood led a few survivors back to Riverrun, where Jaime has them under siege. The rest fled to their own strongholds.† â€Å"Your father and I have been marching on each in turn,† Ser Kevan said. â€Å"With Lord Blackwood gone, Raventree fell at once, and Lady Whent yielded Harrenhal for want of men to defend it. Ser Gregor burnt out the Pipers and the Brackens . . . â€Å" â€Å"Leaving you unopposed?† Tyrion said. â€Å"Not wholly,† Ser Kevan said. â€Å"The Mallisters still hold Seagard and Walder Frey is marshaling his levies at the Twins.† â€Å"No matter,† Lord Tywin said. â€Å"Frey only takes the field when the scent of victory is in the air, and all he smells now is ruin. And Jason Mallister lacks the strength to fight alone. Once Jaime takes Riverrun, they will both be quick enough to bend the knee. Unless the Starks and the Arryns come forth to oppose us, this war is good as won.† â€Å"I would not fret overmuch about the Arryns if I were you,† Tyrion said. â€Å"The Starks are another matter. Lord Eddard—† â€Å"—is our hostage,† his father said. â€Å"He will lead no armies while he rots in a dungeon under the Red Keep.† â€Å"No,† Ser Kevan agreed, â€Å"but his son has called the banners and sits at Moat Cailin with a strong host around him.† â€Å"No sword is strong until it's been tempered,† Lord Tywin declared. â€Å"The Stark boy is a child. No doubt he likes the sound of warhorns well enough, and the sight of his banners fluttering in the wind, but in the end it comes down to butcher's work. I doubt he has the stomach for it.† Things had gotten interesting while he'd been away, Tyrion reflected. â€Å"And what is our fearless monarch doing whilst all this ‘butcher's work' is being done?† he wondered. â€Å"How has my lovely and persuasive sister gotten Robert to agree to the imprisonment of his dear friend Ned?† â€Å"Robert Baratheon is dead,† his father told him. â€Å"Your nephew reigns in King's Landing.† That did take Tyrion aback. â€Å"My sister, you mean.† He took another gulp of ale. The realm would be a much different place with Cersei ruling in place of her husband. â€Å"If you have a mind to make yourself of use, I will give you a command,† his father said. â€Å"Marq Piper and Karyl Vance are loose in our rear, raiding our lands across the Red Fork.† Tyrion made a tsking sound. â€Å"The gall of them, fighting back. Ordinarily I'd be glad to punish such rudeness, Father, but the truth is, I have pressing business elsewhere.† â€Å"Do you?† Lord Tywin did not seem awed. â€Å"We also have a pair of Ned Stark's afterthoughts making a nuisance of themselves by harassing my foraging parties. Beric Dondarrion, some young lordling with delusions of valor. He has that fat jape of a priest with him, the one who likes to set his sword on fire. Do you think you might be able to deal with them as you scamper off? Without making too much a botch of it?† Tyrion wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and smiled. â€Å"Father, it warms my heart to think that you might entrust me with . . . what, twenty men? Fifty? Are you sure you can spare so many? Well, no matter. If I should come across Thoros and Lord Beric, I shall spank them both.† He climbed down from his chair and waddled to the sideboard, where a wheel of veined white cheese sat surrounded by fruit. â€Å"First, though, I have some promises of my own to keep,† he said as he sliced off a wedge. â€Å"I shall require three thousand helms and as many hauberks, plus swords, pikes, steel spearheads, maces, battleaxes, gauntlets, gorgets, greaves, breastplates, wagons to carry all this—† The door behind him opened with a crash, so violently that Tyrion almost dropped his cheese. Ser Kevan leapt up swearing as the captain of the guard went flying across the room to smash against the hearth. As he tumbled down into the cold ashes, his lion helm askew, Shagga snapped the man's sword in two over a knee thick as a tree trunk, threw down the pieces, and lumbered into the common room. He was preceded by his stench, riper than the cheese and overpowering in the closed space. â€Å"Little redcape,† he snarled, â€Å"when next you bare steel on Shagga son of Dolf, I will chop off your manhood and roast it in the fire.† â€Å"What, no goats?† Tyrion said, taking a bite of cheese. The other clansmen followed Shagga into the common room, Bronn with them. The sellsword gave Tyrion a rueful shrug. â€Å"Who might you be?† Lord Tywin asked, cool as snow. â€Å"They followed me home, Father,† Tyrion explained. â€Å"May I keep them? They don't eat much.† No one was smiling. â€Å"By what right do you savages intrude on our councils?† demanded Ser Kevan. â€Å"Savages, lowlander?† Conn might have been handsome if you washed him. â€Å"We are free men, and free men by rights sit on all war councils.† â€Å"Which one is the lion lord?† Chella asked. â€Å"They are both old men,† announced Timett son of Timett, who had yet to see his twentieth year. Ser Kevan's hand went to his sword hilt, but his brother placed two fingers on his wrist and held him fast. Lord Tywin seemed unperturbed. â€Å"Tyrion, have you forgotten your courtesies? Kindly acquaint us with our . . . honored guests.† Tyrion licked his fingers. â€Å"With pleasure,† he said. â€Å"The fair maid is Chella daughter of Cheyk of the Black Ears.† â€Å"I'm no maid,† Chella protested. â€Å"My sons have taken fifty ears among them.† â€Å"May they take fifty more.† Tyrion waddled away from her. â€Å"This is Conn son of Coratt. Shagga son of Dolf is the one who looks like Casterly Rock with hair. They are Stone Crows. Here is Ulf son of Umar of the Moon Brothers, and here Timett son of Timett, a red hand of the Burned Men. And this is Bronn, a sellsword of no particular allegiance. He has already changed sides twice in the short time I've known him, you and he ought to get on famously, Father.† To Bronn and the clansmen he said, â€Å"May I present my lord father, Tywin son of Tytos of House Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, Shield of Lannisport, and once and future Hand of the King.† Lord Tywin rose, dignified and correct. â€Å"Even in the west, we know the prowess of the warrior clans of the Mountains of the Moon. What brings you down from your strongholds, my lords?† â€Å"Horses,† said Shagga. â€Å"A promise of silk and steel,† said Timett son of Timett. Tyrion was about to tell his lord father how he proposed to reduce the Vale of Arryn to a smoking wasteland, but he was never given the chance. The door banged open again. The messenger gave Tyrion's clansmen a quick, queer look as he dropped to one knee before Lord Tywin. â€Å"My lord,† he said, â€Å"Ser Addam bid me tell you that the Stark host is moving down the causeway.† Lord Tywin Lannister did not smile. Lord Tywin never smiled, but Tyrion had learned to read his father's pleasure all the same, and it was there on his face. â€Å"So the wolfling is leaving his den to play among the lions,† he said in a voice of quiet satisfaction. â€Å"Splendid. Return to Ser Addam and tell him to fall back. He is not to engage the northerners until we arrive, but I want him to harass their flanks and draw them farther south.† â€Å"It will be as you command.† The rider took his leave. â€Å"We are well situated here,† Ser Kevan pointed out. â€Å"Close to the ford and ringed by pits and spikes. If they are coming south, I say let them come, and break themselves against us.† â€Å"The boy may hang back or lose his courage when he sees our numbers,† Lord Tywin replied. â€Å"The sooner the Starks are broken, the sooner I shall be free to deal with Stannis Baratheon. Tell the drummers to beat assembly, and send word to Jaime that I am marching against Robb Stark.† â€Å"As you will,† Ser Kevan said. Tyrion watched with a grim fascination as his lord father turned next to the half-wild clansmen. â€Å"It is said that the men of the mountain clans are warriors without fear.† â€Å"It is said truly,† Conn of the Stone Crows answered. â€Å"And the women,† Chella added. â€Å"Ride with me against my enemies, and you shall have all my son promised you, and more,† Lord Tywin told them. â€Å"Would you pay us with our own coin?† Ulf son of Umar said. â€Å"Why should we need the father's promise, when we have the son's?† â€Å"I said nothing of need,† Lord Tywin replied. â€Å"My words were courtesy, nothing more. You need not join us. The men of the winterlands are made of iron and ice, and even my boldest knights fear to face them.† Oh, deftly done, Tyrion thought, smiling crookedly. â€Å"The Burned Men fear nothing. Timett son of Timett will ride with the lions.† â€Å"Wherever the Burned Men go, the Stone Crows have been there first,† Conn declared hotly. â€Å"We ride as well.† â€Å"Shagga son of Dolf will chop off their manhoods and feed them to the crows.† â€Å"We will ride with you, lion lord,† Chella daughter of Cheyk agreed, â€Å"but only if your halfman son goes with us. He has bought his breath with promises. Until we hold the steel he has pledged us, his life is ours.† Lord Tywin turned his gold-flecked eyes on his son. â€Å"Joy,† Tyrion said with a resigned smile.

French Revolution, Origins of essays

French Revolution, Origins of essays The Origins of the French Revolution The origins of the French Revolution have been debated by historians for years, and poverty being the main issue of dispute. While there are numerous causes of the French Revolution, some argue that the poverty that the peasants experienced was the overwhelming cause, but others feel that it was a culmination of an unstable monarchy, influential philosophes, and poverty. Historians such as Alphonse Aulard contend that the Revolution came about due to the writings of various philosophes such as Montesqieu and Rousseau, and that poverty was merely a contributing cause. Jeffery Kaplow offers a more accurate and convincing account of the origins of the French Revolution saying that poverty was the primary cause. While the writings of philosophes, such as Montesqieu and Rousseau, undoubtedly had a significant influence on the Revolution, it was the inability of Louis XVIs monarchy to deal with Frances financial situation that led to the inevitable outbreak of Revolution. The article by Jeffrey Kaplow, Conditions of Life on the Eve of the Revolution, starts off by giving contradicting statistics of the percent of Frances population that belonged to the labouring poor. The first being as high as 90 per cent, while the other claiming 100,000 out of 500,00, but Kaplow concludes that it was actually 50 per cent. Kaplow effectively proves that the conditions that the peasants lived under were grounds for revolution. He mentions early in the article that it was not merely lack of bread that made the working class revolutionary, but it was a result of various factors that made living nearly unbearable for the poor. The infant mortality rate for peasants was not high and it was likely that any births would result in death within a year, and the possibility of improving their lifestyles financially and socially was non-existent. The peasants had to pay higher taxes then the up...

The people of the Northwest Coast essays

The people of the Northwest Coast essays The moderate temperatures on the Pacific coast of British Columbia, where different cultural groups lived including, the Haida, Tsimshian, Tlingit, Nishga, Gitksan, Nishga, Nvxalk, Heiltsuk, Kwakiutl, Nuu-Chah-Nulth and the Coast Salish. Each group had their own unique lifestyles, and spiritual beliefs which where going to discuss today. This was depended on their surroundings of an area which judged the lifestyle of the native peoples living in that region. Firstly, the Northwest Coast peoples lifestyle was decided by their surroundings. Five significant components consisted of food, clothing, tools, housing and First of all, housing was necessary because it provided shelter from British Columbias wet climate. The Haida of the Northwest Coast lived in huge cedar houses. These houses were about 8 metres high, 9-12 metres wide and 45 metres long. The houses were built by large cedar poles with massive planks placed into the frames to make the walls and roof. As many as two hundred people could live in one of the cedar houses. Inside the building raised a platform all around the walls which made the Second of all, food was very important because it provided nutrition for the people. For the Tlingit and the other tribes of the Northwest Coast, the ocean was the major source of food, providing, salmon, herring, crabs, oysters clams, muscles, seaweed and other types of fish. The Nvxalk tribe also picked cranberries, huckle berries and blue berries. They stored the berries in oil to keep them from spoiling. Third of all, clothing was an essential component because it provided warmth from the climate of British Columbias coast. The Nuu-Chah-Nulths tribe, both male and female wore woven bark and root hats that had been made from cedar. Also a chilikat blanket was made from hair and bark. ...

Auditing, taxes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Auditing, taxes - Essay Example A sample survey and research has revealed a disturbing 16 percent of the audits contain deficiency in maintaining professional ethics in practice. It is but natural for an environ of fast paced competitive economy to witness instances where the issue of ethics is blurred by blatant violations, deficiencies and compromises. JEEP is authorized to deal with deficiencies in audit, violations of code of conduct, testing of internal controls and compliances, and practitioners are under an obligation to cooperate with any investigative communication received from a statutory agency in matters pertaining to audit. Erring members and clients have the options of taking corrective measures, cooperate and comply with the regulatory agency's communications and enquiries, and document their compliance appropriately. Inadvertent errors are damaging and consequential too and corrective measures have to be approved and documented by JEEP. (Ibolya Balog; Thomas R Clay). It is the duty of every corporation and earning individual to pay taxes on the taxable income and sales. However, in the process of paying taxes, the taxpayer may be either parting with more information than necessary, or knowingly or unknowingly hiding information. The existence of additional information could prove to be an irritant later on even if it has no relevance. Getting to know one's minimum tax obligation is a good way of organizing precise tax plans and information. Taxpayers need not volunteer more information than what is required. (Blum Shapiro). Coming to the state tax departments, there is the tendency to vigorously pursue statistical data that help to generate maximum revenue. In other words, the state resorts to witch-hunting tactics by using statistical information to maximize revenue when its responsibility lies in ensuring compliance. Most of these statistical data may have come from extra information unwittingly provided by the taxpayer. With easy access to electronic information and statistical data, there is tremendous potential for the state to uncover purported instances of underpayment. The taxpayer can avert this possibility by confining his statements and figures to only the required level. The ideal option for the state is use of strategies that ensure compliance. (Rocky B. Cummings). Sources: Blum Shapiro, Year End Tax Planning Strategies, Tax Trends, November 2006, http://www.blumshapiro.com/pub/taxtrends/TaxTrends_November,2006.pdf. Ibolya Balog; Thomas R Clay, Ethics, Pennsylvania CPA Journal, Winter 2008; 78, 4; ABI/INFORM Global, p. 22, http://www.academia-research.com/files/instr/215148_PART(1).pdf. Rocky B. Cummings, Too Much Information, Tax Trends, Journal of State Taxation; Nov/Dec 2007, ABI/INFORM Global

Olympic Marketing Strategy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Olympic Marketing Strategy - Assignment Example It offers new products and services on the customers using new techniques and communication media. Marketing business is big and always growing. The political policies that support businesses sponsor in Beijing Olympic games in china are supposed not interfere with the games. Politics, business are supposed to compliment each other but not to impede each other. However, the 2008 September Olympic Games is bound to elicit a lot of pressure and controversies on the political arena regarding the Chinese human rights records and political system. (Plummer, 2008) According to human rights watch, it has argued Olympic sponsors to tackle human rights abuses which are currently taking place in Beijing Games, through targeting what can be achieved. The steps that Human Rights are proposing are in deed in line with the sponsors 's support and also with the Olympic Charter as well as with corporate social responsibility of companies which to sponsor the Olympics. In addition to that, Microsoft and NBC companies which are also included in sponsoring the Olympic Games are also supposed to follow the policies of sponsoring the games which as it has been stated is to avoid political interference but campaigning for achievable human rights. Major global sporting events such as Olympic Games present companies with opportune moment for companies to exploit and market their products. And the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games is not different. This Olympic Games has offered a number of companies' opportunities to market their products. Among these companies is the Levono Company which is a top hi-technology company in China. The company is involved in manufacturing different technological products and it has a sponsorship deal with the IOC to equip Olympic venues with its equipments. (Quelch, 2008) Getting a marketing deal or sponsorship at the Olympic Games is normally a dream come true for any marketer. However, given the extensive protest seen global against the Chinese government, companies are bound to be faced with different and new challenges brought about in Beijing, top on these challenges include: 1. Political demands put at the Chinese administration will create challenge for companies sponsoring the Olympic Games which do not wish to be linked with the political controversy. 2. Considering that Chinese market is the biggest globally, it becomes apparent that no company will probably boycott the games. 3. A number of companies will take a dual marketing method where they will invoke China specific marketing campaigns within the country and invoke less China specific message outside the country. 4. The usually high advertising boost associated with Olympics advertisements may be low as companies reduced their marketing in Olympic-associated brands. The IOC has continued to argue companies and other stakeholders that the Olympic Games and aspirations as well as attainments of all athletes should not involve politics. Though it seems that the Chinese administration intends to use the games to improve its political image, the IOC do not want a repeat of what happened in Moscow when a number of companies and athletes boycotting Olympics. (Quelch, 2008) More so, all companies which are involved in the Olympic Games