Medical Supply free essay sample

Consider a company that manages a network of hospitals across several counties in one state. Household incomes and the cost of living are higher in urban than rural areas. The company, however, has set the same prices for pharmaceuticals and services in all of its hospitals. It has also paid the same salaries for doctors, nurses, and other professional staff throughout the state. Assumptions: We assume that both, prices and salaries are set according to the cost of living of the region they are set for. This in mind and since prices and salaries of the hospital are equal in rural and urban areas, we assume that the management of the hospital network set prices and salaries according to the average of the living cost of rural and urban areas (= state average cost of living). Independent of how sophisticated the averaging of cost of living was, the average will always be higher than the cost of living in rural areas and lower than the cost of living in urban areas. We will write a custom essay sample on Medical Supply or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The supply of medical treatment, that is the capacity of a hospital, is inelastic as well as the number of positions necessary to supply the treatment. The number of hospitals does not change. Medical treatment refers to both, pharmaceuticals and services, and there combination. Deduction: The cost of living can be taken as price index, indeed is directly proportional to price. Question (a) Management has noticed that there are long waiting lists for treatment at its urban hospitals. Can you explain this problem? Supply and demand for medical treatment is shown in Fig. 1. The capacity of the hospital is fixed, that is the supply is inelastic. As already pointed out under the assumptions, the price for medical treatment in urban hospitals set by the management is according to the average cost of living of the state. Since we further assumed that the salaries of urban area population are according to the actual cost of living, we can also assume that the customer is willing to pay according to the higher cost of living in urban areas, hence, the price of medical treatment set by management is lower than the customer is willing to pay and leads to higher demand by the customers (see full demand curve in Fig. ). Since the hospital capacity is fixed, the higher demand causes a waiting list as shown in Fig. 1. An opposite effect could probably be seen in rural areas, where the price for medical treatment is high compared to the cost of living and could therefore lead to a lower demand as anticipated by the management. Fig. 1: Supply and demand for medical treatment in urban hospitals.

History and Uses of Marijuana essays

History and Uses of Marijuana essays Whether you call it Hemp, Mary Jane, Pot, Weed; it doesn't matter. It is still Cannabis Sativa, or cannabis for short. And it is still illegal. The use of marijuana as an intoxicant in the United States became a problem of public concern in the 1930s. Regulatory laws were passed in 1937, and criminal penalties were instituted for possession and sale of the drug. "Marijuana" refers to the dried leaves and flowers of the cannabis plant, which contains the non-narcotic chemical THC at various potencies. It is smoked or eaten to produce the feeling of being "high." The different strains of this herb produce different sensual effects, ranging from a sedative to a stimulant. The term "marijuana" is a word with indistinct origins. Some believe it is derived from the Mexican words for "Mary Jane"; others hold that the name comes from the Portuguese word marigu-ano, which means "intoxicant". The use of marijuana in the 1960's might lead one to surmise that marihuana use spread explosively. The chronicle of its 3,000 year history, however, shows that this "explosion" has been characteristic only of the contemporary scene. The plant has been grown for fiber and as a source of medicine for several thousand years, but until 500~ AD its use as a mind-altering drug was almost solely confined in India. The drug and its uses reached the Middle and Near East during the next several centuries, and then moved across North Africa, appeared in Latin America and the Caribbean, and finally entered the United States in the early decades of...

Plan an Entire Year of Content with this Retail Marketing Events Calendar Template

Plan an Entire Year of Content with this Retail Marketing Events Calendar Template You’re probably thinking that it’s a little too soon to be planning next year’s retail marketing calendar. But why put off until tomorrow what you can do today? In fact, there are a lot of benefits to planning your retail and e-commerce marketing campaigns  early. A few include: You’ll start filling your sales funnel  early, which means people will be closer to making a purchase decision by the time peak buying periods roll around. Working far in advance means you’ll have more time to build up plenty of marketing runway. You can be more creative, since you’ll have plenty of time to do it right. There will be fewer last-minute fire-drills, making your work life more manageable. While I’m not expecting you to have all of your retail marketing activities for next year planned, this template and infographic should help you build up at least a quarter or more of marketing campaigns. If you’re not ready to start planning yet – no problem. It’ll be here waiting for you when you’re ready to get started. There’s even a printable retail marketing infographic and calendar template to help you when it’s time to get planning. Retail Marketing Calendar Templates Before getting into the nuts and bolts of planning your retail marketing calendar, you’ll want to download these templates. You’ll find:   A Marketing Campaign Planning Template  to organize your entire retail marketing campaign. A Retail Marketing Calendar with all the upcoming holidays to plan your campaigns around. A Printable Retail Marketing Infographic  to keep up with all the key marketing dates. What is a Retail Marketing Calendar? Let’s start by discussing a little about what a retail calendar actually is. A retail marketing and events calendar is usually a spreadsheet that gives the marketing team a single source of truth for all the upcoming marketing activities. It’s the birds-eye view of the marketing strategy, new merchandise launches upcoming events and promotional schedules. A robust calendar should outline deadlines, tasks, and all required actions that must take place for content to publish on time. It's the document that makes sure your marketing activities go from imagination to reality. Companies who sell a product via a brick-and-mortar, e-commerce store, or pop-up shop can all benefit from a retail marketing calendar. Planning Your Retail Marketing Events and Campaigns When sitting down to start strategizing about your upcoming retail and sales campaigns, there are a few things you can do to make sure your initiatives are successful. Some marketers feel that these steps are a waste of time and take away effort that could be used to produce customer-facing content. However, marketers are 356% more likely to report success  when they engage in a few planning activities before launching a campaign. Here are a few areas to focus on: Recommended Reading: The Marketing Management + Strategy Statistics You Need to Know in 2019 Goal and Objective Setting The main goal of retail marketing is to bring visitors to the store†¦ be it a digital or physical location. Then, we need to convert these visitors into paying customers. Rarely does a visitor complete  a purchase their first time in the store. The buying cycle typically involves numerous interactions prior to making a sale. The individual will visit the store, see an ad or social media post, follow the company, sign up for its mailing list, visit the store again, put something in the shopping cart, abandon the shopping cart, click an ad, go cold for a few weeks, open a discount email, visit the store again, and finally complete their purchase. It’s a convoluted process†¦ and it can take weeks or even months. Defining goals and objectives can help you make sense of the often complicated marketing funnel. Let’s go through how to set goals that actually contribute to the bottom line. â€Å"Get more visitors.† This is not a very well-thought-out business goal. Why? Because it doesn’t specify much more than an outcome. Your marketing goals need to provide clear guideposts for what success looks like. In other words. Your goals need to be S.M.A.R.T. Here’s what your goal should look like instead: ‘We need 20,000 website visitors and 5% converted into leads, within the next 12-months in order to achieve our revenue goal of $1.2 million.† Recommended Reading: How To Set Social Media Goals To Crush Your Business Objectives Find Your Retail Marketing Goal With This Step-by-Step Process Start by figuring out how much revenue you need to generate and how much you want to grow. Step 1: Figure out how much revenue you need to generate and how much you want to grow. Your company sold $1 million worth of merchandise last year. You want to grow by 20% in the coming year. That means you need to sell $1.2 million next year. Here’s the equation: Total Sales Previous Year x Percentage Growth = Revenue Increase $1 million x .20 = $200,000 $1 million + $200,000 = $1.2 million Step 2: Calculate the average price of your sales. So, you sold $1 million dollars in merchandise last year and you had about 20,000 total customers. That means the average person spent $50 in your store. Total Sales Previous Year / Total Number of Customers = Average Price of Each Sale $1 million / 20,000 = $50 Step 3: Figure out how many customers you need to reach your revenue goal. Assuming the average sale of $50 remains constant... You’ll need about 24,000 customers next year. OR 4,000 more than you had last year. Total Revenue Next Year / Average Sale Price = Total Customers Needed Next Year $1.2 million / $50 = 24,000 Step 4: Calculate your visitor conversion rate. Not everyone who visits your store will make a purchase or become a customer. You need to figure out your conversion percentage to make an accurate approximation for how many total visitors you’ll need to bring in to meet your revenue goal. Taking the numbers from above, your store had 1 million total visitors last year and 20,000 of them turned into paying customers. In that case, you converted 2% of visitors into paying customers. Total Customers / Total Visitors * 100 = Conversion Rate 20,000 / 1,000,000 * 100 = 2% Step 5: Calculate the total number of visitors you need to reach your growth goal. The final step is to figure out how many visitors you need to bring in as a marketer to reach the revenue goal of $1.2 million dollars in sales. Assuming you continue to convert 2% of visitors Total Customer Needed / Conversion Rate   = Total Visitors Needed 24,000 / .02 = 1.2 Million Visitors That’s your north star as a marketer. Everything you do should be focused on driving 1.2 million people to visit your store. Brainstorm Ideas to Reach your Visitor Goals 1.2 million visitors (or whatever visitor number you calculated using the formula above) aren’t going to just magically appear. You’ve got to do some great marketing to bring them to your store. To start your brainstorming session, use this simple three-step process. Step 1: Get your marketing team together in a room. Have everyone spend ten minutes writing down as many ideas as they can. Don’t worry about the quality of those ideas yet - you will vet the ideas in step 3. Step 2: Spend ten minutes reading each idea out loud. Have each team member score every idea on a three-point scale. Threes are home runs, twos are possibilities, and ones you can skip altogether. Step 3: Spend ten more minutes reviewing each idea that everyone agrees is a three. These are your best ideas and the ones you should go with. By following this process, you can wrap up your campaign brainstorming in half-hour to an hour (depending on how much time you spend discussing ideas at the end). Map All Your Best Projects on a Retail Marketing Calendar After you’ve figured out all your best marketing ideas, it’s time to get planning. The template provided in the download above provides a basic foundation to get started. Simple populate the excel spreadsheet with all your ideas, when you’re going to launch them and who will be involved. Remember each individual project should have a goal to drive a certain number of visitors. Here’s how to use it: I’ve created a fictional company that sells basic kids clothing and accessories. This activity plan gives a high level for each campaign that is coming down the pipeline. In the next tab on the spreadsheet, you’ll find an area for the granular campaign details. Begin filling out details for each project under the campaign. I started by creating a fictional influencer outreach campaign where 4 influencers will create sponsored content on their Instagram feeds. Provide a short description of the project, the budget, the goal, and due dates for each task needed. Next, you can fill in the due dates on the calendar template provided. This provides further clarification of due dates for each task If you’re kinda sick of managing a bunch of different spreadsheets†¦ And you’re never really sure if people are on top of their tasks†¦ Try planning your retail marketing activities in instead. Rather than having to constantly update a spreadsheet, gives you a single version of truth so everyone can finally get on the same page. Start by creating a marketing campaign by choosing the first option called â€Å"marketing campaign†. Once you’ve done this, you’ll see the campaign populate on your calendar. Next, add each individual project that will make up the campaign. I’ll start with the influencer campaign similar to the one in the spreadsheet template. Next, give your campaign a title and due date. Now, instead of creating static due dates in a spreadsheet, assign and delegate tasks in so everyone knows what their contributions are and when to do them. After you’ve assigned the tasks, each individual will see them pop-up on their daily to-do lists. Once you’ve added all the projects, everyone on your team will be able to see how all the pieces of your retail marketing campaign fit together. Here’s what a fully populated marketing campaign in looks like. You’ll see every project, due dates, tasks and project progress all in one place. Use ’s Hubspot Integration for The Ultimate Holiday Calendar A lot of retailers are leveraging the power of Hubspot. Which is great – lucky for you we integrate seamlessly with all things Hubspot. Here’s how it works: Connect your HubSpot account directly in to sync your email marketing, pages, and blog posts into one place. Once you’ve connected your Hubspot account, you can create Hubspot projects directly in . When adding a new project, you’ll see a couple of Hubspot options you can add to your calendar. Enter your title, add labels, owner, etc. Click the Create button when you are ready. Next, choose your URL, if you're managing multiple sites, then the Page template you're wanting to work with. Once finished, you will see the HubSpot Page editor added to your project. You can change the Post Title, Author, and Scheduled Time in . To edit further, click Edit in HubSpot. Key Dates in Retail Marketing Retail marketing ebbs and flows with seasonal changes, holidays, events and special occasions. Knowing key dates allows you to plan in advance and prepare to increase sales with strategically timed marketing campaigns. This printable infographic will help you identify key marketing opportunities for better social media content, email promotions and more. I’ve also provided a few examples under each to show how you can launch similar occasion-based marketing campaigns around holidays and key dates.

Green & Competitive Qs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Green & Competitive Qs - Assignment Example The Ecomagination initiative is a program was launched in 2005 with an aimed of providing a long-term environmental solution for the sake of future generation. Through this initiative, the General Electrical Company emphasized on clean technology whereby, the company encouraged utilization of solar energy, fuel cells, low engine fuel consumption capacity, as well as application of clean technology to curb environmental pollution (Wittenberg, Russell, Lipsky & Enterprise Sustainability Action Team, 2009). In 2008, the General electric company invested 1.4 billion dollars in clean technology as part of reinforcing its Ecomagination initiative. The company brought numerous products such as Engines that utilized biogas as well as halogen lamps. The establishment of those products into the market obtained a positive response from consumers. This initiative made the company to obtain twenty five billion dollars revenues. The General Electric Company has continued to invest heavily on clean technology and hard started adhering to strict environmental regulations despite the heavy cost involved in promoting an eco friendly environment (Porter, Michael and van, 1995). BP Company is a British Petroleum company with its headquarters in London; the company operates in Petroleum Industry. The company extract and process oil to produce a wide range of products such as motor fuel, petroleum natural gas to mention just but a few. However, the company had been receiving great criticism from members of the general public all over the word because of producing products that are not environmentally friendly leading to water and air pollution. For example in 1999, BP company was charged with one hundred and four claims of oil spills in Arctic Ocean in America, further the company was accused of environmental pollution as well as cases of violation of human right in Columbia which greatly tarnished the reputation of BP company. In an effort to rebuild back its reputation, BP

Patient Confidentiality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Patient Confidentiality - Essay Example The information being provided by the manufacturers are skewed towards giving positive data on the effectiveness of their products. Information-wise, patients lack the capabilities to properly assess the appropriateness of the medication being marketed to them by the manufacturers through the marketing company. 2. If patients give their health information voluntarily, it means that they are allowing the information to be used freely by whoever sent the questionnaire. They should realize that providing information especially through the web, makes the data public. In this case, the patient is given a choice whether to answer freely the questionnaire or not. They are not being forced to do so. Some questionnaires though would specify from the very beginning that any information submitted may be used in whatever way the website wishes. If a patient reads the said statement and still goes on to answer the questions about their health, then it is implied that they approve of the use of their health

Education For Life Essay Example for Free

Education For Life Essay Education For LifeThe basic purpose of a liberal arts education is to liberate the human being to exercise his or her potential to the fullest. Liberal arts plays an important role in developing individuals and the world. When students attend liberal art colleges, they will understand the essence of humanity and will learn to shape and develop personal values. For a person to develop, he needs to understand the essence of humanity. When you attend college, your view on the meaning of life changes. You live for your minds and spirits and not just for the security of material wealth (Urbanek). You start to do things related to your work as this is your interest. This will make you care less about material wealth and you will focus more on the benefit of the world than the benefit of yourself. Liberal arts means arts of freedom. People learn about things that interest them. This makes the experience of learning better. Students will recognize the value of material things for what they are (Urbanek). They will start challenging tasks of design where they would learn how to translate ideas into actions. They will get to know the depth, flexibility and openness of their thinking and will also be able to recognize the importance of their thinking. Taking these ideas into consideration, I can say that liberal arts teaches people global responsibility, social awareness and self development, which is the essence of humanity. Thus, when the essence of humanity is known, then only a person will be able to acquire personal values. The value of liberal arts was appreciated by the students in older times but contemporary students do not share the same sentiment. In 1900, 70 percent of college students in US attended liberal arts colleges but today fewer that 5 percent do. The idea has taken hold by educators that todays youth are more materialistic, less idealistic and more self interested than their predecessors (Richard). In 1997, Yankelovitch survey focused on high school students and their parents, found that 85 percent of the high school students and 74 percent of their parents stated that the goal of college is to get a practical education and to secure a job. Furthermore, only 14 percent of the students and 27percent of their parents were even familiar with what a liberal art education is. Todays students tend to be career oriented, impatient and focused in material rewards (Kahn). People do not know that liberal arts can offer a clearer understanding that work embodies the values of courage, honour and responsibility. Liberal art colleges expose you to a variety of academic disciplines and an excellent background for future work. The education gives you the ability to adapt to a changing environment, communicate effectively, think critically and solve complex problems, which can prove very useful in everyday lives. As you acquire personal values throughout your college years, it is important to learn how to shape these values. I believe that the central purpose of liberal arts education is to shape the values of people. The impact of liberal arts education on student value change is conclusive in determining whether higher education is effective in achieving this central purpose. According to a survey conducted at the University of California at Los Angeles, 8 out of 10 academics said they were spiritual, and 64 percent called themselves religious. More than half of the faculty members said that it was important to enhance undergraduates self-understanding and to develop their moral character and values. I think liberal arts is a great way to teach people their spiritual and moral responsibilities towards the community and world itself. Humanitarian values are defined by acceptance of value equivalency between ones own loyalties and those of all other individuals and groups, as well as respecting the rights of others to freely express similar claims and loyalties without infringement (Hollway). Values serve as guiding principles in the life of a person or other social entity and thus, it is important for people to learn how to shape these values. Values are described as serving the interests of some social entity, motivating action, giving direction, and having emotional intensity (Hollway). Therefore, these values are needed for the development of individuals. When individuals possess these values, they will be able to use them in their society. Employers around the world are looking for people who possess these values and have the ability to use them. Hence, liberal arts students will satisfy these employers. These students will also find opportunities to learn more as their primary goal is not material wealth. This will help countries to better their economy. These values will benefit the students themselves as well as the world. Once a person understands the essence of humanity and learns to shape and develop values, he will be able to make changes to the world. Liberal arts students have the skills to become valuable community members. They make decisions, solve problems and communicate the solutions to others. Liberal arts prepares these students to be successful throughout their life. WORKS CITEDUrbanek, Jennifer. The EBSCOhost. 28 Oct. 2007 Kahn, Beverly. Co-opting The Market Place. Journal of Higher Education: p. 19. EBSCOhost. 28 Oct. 2007 Richard, M. The Practical Path, Too, Can Be High-Minded. Chronicle of Higher Education: p. 11. EBSCOhost. 28 Oct. 2007 Hollway, Michael. A Comparison of the Impact of 2 Liberal Arts. Journal of General Education: p. 237. EBSCOhost. 28 Oct. 2007.

Global Warming Essay -- Environmental Global Climate Change

Global Warming Global warming is an important factor because every one in the world but most importantly for me it will effect all of my relatives, as it is predicted that countries such as Bangladesh will be totally fooled due to global warming. Global warming interest me because the planet we live in is changing and the change that is happening will effect the way we live and how the future generations live. It has direct effects on the us and the relatives we have all over the, for ex This changes which will likely to alter the natural weather and climate patterns is largely because of human activities in the last century. Scientists believe that the Earth's surface temperature has risen by about 1 degree Fahrenheit in the past century. They also believe that most of the warming over the last 50 years is due to human activities. We have changed the amounts and the types of gases in the atmosphere. Gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. What causes global warming? Green house effect. Gases such as Carbon dioxide are normally used to keep the earths at a temperature average level. Which is comfortable for us and the environment. How does the greenhouse effect work? As shown on the diagram the suns heat passe through the atmosphere, some of this heat is absorbed by the earth, and some of it is reflected back by the earth and the atmosphere. The heat that is released by the earth is also passed into the atmosphere, and some is reflected back into the earth and the surrounding gas. This keeps the planets temperature at a comfortable level, which allows plants, an... ...Ã… ¸ Buy energy-efficient appliances. Ã… ¸ Replace your light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Ã… ¸ Weatherise your home or apartment. Ã… ¸ Choose renewable energy. Ã… ¸ Plant more trees Ã… ¸ Change farming practices Ã… ¸ Political action What’s already being done? Ã… ¸ More efficient cars have been made, which release less pollution. For example most cars are fitted with catalytic converters. Ã… ¸ Cars can now use other forms of power, e.g. electricity, hydrogen and even cooking oil. Ã… ¸ Energy saving homes. Ã… ¸ Government laws stop big companies from producing too much pollution. Ã… ¸ Energy saving products introduced, e.g. fridges, cookers, and lights. Ã… ¸ More use of tidal, wind, solar and nuclear energy Ã… ¸ To stop people using cars more taxes. And people are advised to use public transport.

Augustine on free choice of the will book 1 Essay

Three major points made by the author Evil can be used in two ways- when someone has done evil and when someone has suffered evil. Since God is good, God does no moral evil; however, because God is just, God punishes the wicked and thus causes the evil of punishment. People are the cause of their own evildoing. Furthermore, because learning is good a thing, we do not learn evil. It is people’s inordinate desires that drive their evildoings. There are two laws- eternal law and temporal law. Both laws are good and guarantee people to live perfectly. To live perfectly and well, we need to know that we are alive, that we live with reason and understanding. And when the impulses of the soul are guided by reason, a person is perfectly ordered- eternal law. However, it is possible that the reason or mind does not rule. According to Augustine, this can only happens if a person’s own will and free choice make the mind a companion of cupidity. It is up to us to decide whether we want out will to be good or bad, and whether we desire things we can lose or we can’t lose. Thesis (What is the central point of the reading?   Use no more than three sentences.): Augustine claims that people do evil by the free choice of our will. Your questions So if God is all good and omnipotent, then why will God allow anyone to do evil by the free choice of their will? If we are images of God, and God is all good and omnipotent, shouldn’t we be all good and not act in ways that conflicts with God’s image?

Storm Born Chapter Ten

By my count, we'd spent a little over two hours at Dorian's and almost an hour getting there. That did not please me. At this rate, we might not get home until dawn in our world. If we made it home. Dorian's servant, Gawyn, looked like he was about a hundred years old. No, wait. Actually, that'd be pretty young for one of the gentry. Okay. He looked about a millennium old. I don't know. He was just old, plain and simple. His gray hair fell almost to his ankles, and as soon as I saw him hobble forward, I suddenly envisioned us taking another three hours to get to Aeson's, despite how close Dorian and the spirits claimed it was. â€Å"He's ancient,† I whispered to Dorian. â€Å"And he seems kind of†¦out of it.† Gawyn was currently telling Wil what lovely legs he had, despite the fact that Wil had none in spirit form. I wasn't entirely sure if Gawyn even realized Wil was male. â€Å"His mind will be razor sharp when it comes to Aeson's castle. As for speed, I'll give you horses. You look like you could ride a number of things exceptionally well.† I ignored the innuendo, mostly thinking how it'd been years since I'd been on a horse – not counting my earlier capture. Horses had never done much for me. I didn't get why little girls wanted ponies. If I did more riding tonight, I'd likely be sore as hell tomorrow. Once my weapons were returned, we set out. Dorian waved us off, telling me he'd be looking forward to my next visit. I stayed professional, simply thanking him for his help. I think this delighted him more than any other reaction could have. The horses did give us more speed than walking and were the best I could have hoped for in a world without mechanical transportation. The horse I rode was midnight black with a small white star on its nose. Gawyn's appeared to be a palomino. The spirits and Wil merely drifted in our wakes. In the darkness, I could just barely see Gawyn glancing over at me. â€Å"So you're Eugenie Markham. The Dark Swan.† â€Å"So they say.† â€Å"I met your father once.† â€Å"Oh?† I didn't bother making the father-stepfather clarification. â€Å"Great man.† â€Å"You think so?† â€Å"Absolutely. I know some don't think so†¦but, well, you should be proud.† â€Å"Thank you. I am.† Gawyn said no more, and I pondered his words, feeling kind of surprised. Considering what Dorian had told me, I hadn't expected Roland to have fans in the Otherworld. Then again, Dorian had also said that some – what was her name? Maiwenn? – had opposed Storm King. They might very well view Roland as a hero. We traveled in relative silence after that, broken occasionally when Finn would happily spout about what a great party Dorian had had. Like before, we crossed in and out of the various kingdoms and their climatic changes. I still felt like we traveled in circles. More than once, Gawyn called us to a halt, scratched his head, and mumbled to himself. I didn't find that reassuring. At one point, he led us off the trail and into a forest, and I hoped one of my minions would speak up if we'd gotten completely lost. Everything was tropically warm and flourishing here, so presumably we rode in the Alder Land again. Gawyn came to a stop. â€Å"Here,† he said. I looked around. Night insects sang in the trees around us, and the smell of dirt, fresh growth, and decaying plants permeated the air. It had been dark before, but now the canopy of leaves blocked out even starlight. Gawyn climbed off his horse, nearly falling into a heap on the ground. I started to get down and help him, but he soon righted himself. He walked a few paces forward and then slammed his foot against the ground. A hard, solid sound answered back. I dismounted as well. â€Å"What is that?† Volusian, back in a legged form, walked over. â€Å"A door of sorts. Built into the ground.† â€Å"Yes,† said Gawyn triumphantly. â€Å"Built for sieges. But never used anymore.† â€Å"Does it lead into Aeson's fortress thing?† I asked. â€Å"To the cellar. Stairs from the cellar lead up to the kitchen. From the kitchen, you take the servants' stairs – â€Å" â€Å"Whoa, hang on.† I wanted to make sure I had it all. Volusian created blue flame to cast light, and we drew a map in a clear spot of dirt based on Gawyn's recollections. I might have doubted his memories, but he spoke with certainty, and he had managed to lead us to this obscure place. Maybe Dorian had been right in the â€Å"razor sharp† assessment. When Gawyn felt we had the directions to the residential wing memorized, he told us he wouldn't join us. He would wait here to tell Dorian what became of us. That was fine by me. I didn't really regard Gawyn as a battle asset – or Wil, for that matter. Unlike the old man, however, the ghostly conspiracy theorist didn't take being left behind so well. â€Å"But I told you, I need to reassure her – â€Å" â€Å"No,† I said firmly. â€Å"I let you come this far, and you almost ruined things with those riders. Now you wait. If Jasmine's scared, she'll hold on a few more minutes until we bring her out to you.† I worried I'd have to bind him – I could actually do it since he was here in spirit, not in body – but it didn't come to that. He conceded, so I entered the trapdoor with just my minions in tow. â€Å"Truly,† remarked Nandi as we entered a darkened tunnel, â€Å"it is amazing that you have not died yet, mistress.† â€Å"Well, hang in there. The night is young.† Volusian provided light again, and we let it guide us along a stone-encased tunnel that smelled damp. Rats ran by at one point. Finn had been right. Apparently the Otherworld did have its share of animals and vermin. When the tunnel sloped upward, I knew we had reached the end. A wooden door in the ceiling marked our next gateway. I asked the spirits to go into an insubstantial form. Hitherto, they'd walked along looking very human. I needed them obscured now. Compliant, all three shifted to what looked like a fine mist surrounding me. I pushed open the door and climbed out, finding myself in a small enclosed space. The mist that was Volusian glowed once more, and I made out the shapes of bags and boxes. If Gawyn was right about this attaching to the kitchen, then those containers probably contained food or other supplies. Twenty feet in front of me, a doorway was outlined in light shining through from the other side. I walked up about ten steps and gingerly opened the door. I now stood in a kitchen, a very rustic one compared to my own, but completely on par with what I'd seen at Dorian's place. All was quiet. â€Å"Where is everyone?† I murmured. â€Å"It's late now,† Finn whispered back. â€Å"No one's hungry. And Aeson's not into the party scene as much as Dorian.† We found the servants' stairwell exactly where Gawyn had said it would be. Unfortunately, when I opened the door, I found a servant there, just coming down. We stared at each other stupidly, and I had only a heartbeat to decide how to handle him. I wielded both gun and athame. In another state of mind, I probably would have just killed him. But something held me back. Maybe it was Dorian. Maybe it was seeing his people and having to acknowledge they were more than just a faceless mob. Whatever it was, I chose not to kill this time. I reached out, grabbed the guy, and gave him a hard jolt to the head with my fist and the butt of my gun. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the floor. Once he had been safely deposited in the cellar, we continued on our way. We encountered no one else on the stairs, nor in the magnificent hallway it led us to. Enormous stone pillars supported the high ceiling, and rich oil paintings of various landscapes turned the walls into seas of living color. We had reached the residential wing, just as Gawyn had said. If my other intelligence was correct, we'd find Jasmine Delaney behind one of the many doors lining the hall. Fortunately, housekeeping had decided to leave open all of the unoccupied rooms. Sticking my head inside a few, I could see no one had occupied them in awhile. The beds were stripped of covers, and dust coated everything. Only two doors were actually closed. In some ways, that made my job easier. Yet, I might have enjoyed the buildup of opening a few false doors before the big payoff. Weapons readied, I opened the first one. It led to a bedroom almost bigger than Dorian's, but no one was inside. All was dark and still. A smoldering fire provided the only source of movement. Pausing a moment, I admired the wall tapestries and canopied bed. It had a nice layout, almost circular, complete with adjacent rooms and high ceilings. It made my bedroom at home look like a closet. â€Å"One left,† I muttered, slipping back out. We turned down the hall and approached the only other closed doorway. Unless Jasmine was locked in a dungeon, we should find her here, according to what we'd heard. I reached for the handle, then hesitated. â€Å"You open it, Volusian.† Some of the mist coalesced into physical form. Once solid, Volusian slowly opened the door and peered in. It looked dark. I started to move forward, but he held up a warning hand. â€Å"No, there's something – â€Å" Light flared on, and suddenly we were under attack. I tried to back out of the room, but someone grabbed me, pulling me inside. With me at risk, the other minions poured into the room. They had no choice, their preemptive orders always demanding they look to my safety. This was a bedroom, like the other one, but seven men stood here, armed with weapons and magic. I fired at the one who had grabbed me, aiming for the face and neck now that I knew what little effect I'd had on Dorian's people. It was bloody and messy, but I felt pretty sure even the best healing magic would have a tough time fixing that guy up. Once free of him, I turned on the next one who came at me. He was smart enough to strike out at my gun hand, attempting to neutralize that threat. I slashed at him with the other hand, the one holding the athame. He flinched at the feel of iron, and I used that momentary weakness to grab him and shove him into the wall with my elbow. He collapsed to the floor, and a sharp kick to the gut made sure he stayed down. I saw the spirits engaged in battle nearby, shoving and fighting with a strength that was literally inhuman. Two other men had been subdued or killed by them, and they now fought a third. That left two. One lunged at me, and I shot him, the gun's report loud in the small room. He fell backward, and I fired again, still not trusting gentry healing on their own turf. I started to look for the last guy when I heard a small whimper on the far side of the room. I turned, pausing. It was her. Jasmine Delaney. She was smaller and slighter than I'd thought she'd be. A long white gown covered her body, and she wrapped its voluminous folds around herself as she huddled in the corner. Lank, reddish blond hair nearly covered her face, but it couldn't hide her eyes. They were enormous and gray, filled with fear. They stood out sharply against her pale, gaunt face. Seeing my gaze upon her, she cringed further. Anger boiled within me. And pity. I knew she was fifteen, but in that moment, she looked about ten. She was a child. And she was trapped here, taken against her will. Hotter and fiercer my rage grew. I needed to make her captor pay, to let him know he couldn't just – My moment of emotion cost me. In those seconds I'd spent staring at her, I'd lost the last man. I felt a blade at my throat and realized I'd let him sneak up behind me. â€Å"If you want to live,† he said, â€Å"drop your weapons and call off your servants.† I didn't really think I'd live if I did that, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't if I didn't. So I did as he asked. Yet, it wasn't entirely clear to me what this one guy could really do alone. A moment later, I had my answer as another man entered. Immediately, I knew he was Aeson. For one thing, the others had been dressed in a sort of uniform. He was not. He wore deep burgundy pants tucked into thigh-high boots made of black leather. A shirt of black silk clothed his upper body, billowing and gleaming. His gray-streaked brown hair was pulled back in a short ponytail, and a circlet of gold sat on his head. His face was long and narrow, with a mouth destined for good sneers. Arrogant or not, Dorian had never worn a crown in his own keep, I realized. There had been no need. His kingship was obvious to all. Two guards followed Aeson, and upon seeing the situation, he sent one for backup. And here we'd been doing so well in evening the odds. â€Å"If I'd realized you would decimate my men in minutes, I would have had the whole garrison up here,† Aeson remarked. He leaned toward me, touching my cheek. â€Å"It really is you. Eugenie Markham. I can't believe I finally have you.† I tried to squirm from that touch, but I had nowhere to go, not with a blade at my throat. My minions waited, tense, willing to do whatever I asked. Yet, I feared unleashing them might put Jasmine at risk – and my own throat. â€Å"You have her,† said a shaking voice from the hall. â€Å"I did what I said. Now give me Jasmine.† Moving my eyes, I stared in astonishment. Wil floated in the doorway. He must have followed us after all. He looked at Aeson expectantly. An uneasy feeling built up within me, and everything clicked into place. â€Å"You traitorous son of a bitch!† Ignoring my outrage, Wil turned pleading eyes to Aeson. â€Å"Please. I brought you Eugenie. I kept my part of the deal.† â€Å"Yes,† said Aeson without even looking at the other man. â€Å"You did. And I will keep my word – momentarily.† He kept studying me like I was some kind of treasure or artifact. Like I was the eighth wonder of the world. I appreciated the boost to my ego, but the look in his eyes was actually kind of creeping me out. â€Å"Aeson – † tried Wil again. â€Å"Shut up,† snapped the king, still staring at me. The hand on my cheek slipped down and cupped my chin. He smiled, but it was a cold smile, one that didn't meet his eyes. In the corner, I heard Jasmine make a distraught sound. â€Å"After all this time, after so much waiting, I can finally beget the heir.† The statement was so ludicrous as to simply bounce off of me without comprehension. â€Å"Either kill me or let me go. I hate these idiotic soliloquies.† The entranced look on his face suddenly sharpened, and he blinked. â€Å"You†¦you have no idea, do you?† When I didn't answer, he started laughing so hard, I thought tears would form in his eyes. â€Å"I've tried so hard to get you, and you never even knew. You really don't know.† â€Å"Know what?† I asked impatiently. â€Å"Who your father is.† I didn't really appreciate the Star Wars?Cesque routine. â€Å"Roland Markham is my father. And the next time I see him, we're going to come back and kick your ass together. If I don't do it now.† â€Å"The next time you see him, you should ask him for the truth about you and Storm King.† â€Å"I don't have anything to do with Storm King.† â€Å"He's your father, girl. Roland Markham is a murderer and a thief. How could you not have known?† He might as well have been speaking a foreign language. â€Å"Maybe because you're insane. And because I'm human.† â€Å"Are you? Funny. You function in this world as easily as one of the shining ones. I've never met a human who could.† â€Å"Maybe I'm gifted.† I had on my bitch-bravado face, but his words were sneaking into me. I've heard that the soul often recognizes truth when it hears it, even if the mind does not. Maybe that was what was happening. My logical self was still being stubborn, but something†¦something in his words tickled the back of my mind. It was like some image lay there, covered in a black veil, waiting for me to lift it. â€Å"You are gifted. More than you know.† He brushed my hair out of my face. â€Å"Soon I will give you the greatest gift of your life. I'll redeem you for being a blood traitor.† â€Å"Shut up.† The keres had called me a blood traitor too. â€Å"You don't know what you're talking about.† â€Å"Then why do you look so pale? Admit it. You've always known. You've always been alone.† â€Å"Everyone feels alone.† â€Å"Not like you do. Rest easy, though. You won't be lonely much longer. I would have taken you to my bed even if you were ugly, but now that I've seen you – â€Å" There were a lot of ways to have your maniacal tirade cut short, but being attacked by a fox was a new one. I didn't even know where it came from. One minute, Aeson was babbling on about having his way with me, and the next, a red fox was leaping out at him, claws and teeth bared. I'd never thought of a fox as a really dangerous animal, but this one looked lethal. It was the size of a German shepherd, and it hit Aeson like a tank. Its claws left scratches on his face. The guard holding me released me to help his master, and I retrieved my gun. I fired on him just as he was about to pry the fox from Aeson. It wasn't a killing shot, but it distracted him, halting his progress. I grabbed the wounded guard and threw him as far as the difference in our body weights would allow. He collapsed into a pile, and I shot him again. I turned toward Aeson to check the fox's progress, but the fox was no longer holding the king down. Kiyo was. My mouth dropped open. Kiyo. The black hair curled behind his ears, and I could see his muscles straining as he struggled with Aeson, his hands wrapped around the king's throat. Fire flared up from Aeson's fingertips, and I heard Kiyo grunt in response. I started to go to him without conscious thought, but he yelled at me to get Jasmine. Jasmine. Of course. The reason I was here. I dragged my eyes from the face I'd been obsessing on for the past week and approached the girl in the corner. I didn't think she could move any farther against the wall, yet she seemed to do so with each step I took. â€Å"Jasmine,† I said, leaning over and trying to sound gentle despite the panic coursing through me. â€Å"I'm a friend. I'm here to help you – â€Å" With those pathetic eyes and worn features, I'd expected some difficulty in getting her on her feet. What I did not expect was for her to suddenly leap out and flail at me with both hands. â€Å"Noooo!† she screamed, her shrill voice grating against my ears. I recoiled, not because of the threat she represented but because of the damage I could potentially cause her. â€Å"Aeson!† She ran to the struggling men and started beating fists on Kiyo's back. I suspected they had about the same effect as a fly landing on him. He transformed into a fox, and her blows fell on Aeson instead. I reached for her in that moment of surprise, but she was too small and too fast. She slipped away from me and everyone else in the room, and ran out the door before any of us could stop her. â€Å"Jasmine!† I yelled, my cries echoed by Wil as I ran to the door. Kiyo and Aeson still fought, and some distant part of me noted how Kiyo slipped in and out of fox and human forms as Aeson used fire magic against him. â€Å"Eugenie,† gasped Kiyo, â€Å"get out of here. Now.† â€Å"Jasmine – † I began. â€Å"The girl is gone, mistress,† said Volusian. â€Å"The kitsune is right. We need to get out of here. Cut your losses.† â€Å"No.† I stuck my head out the door. Jasmine was not in sight. Over a dozen or so guards running down the hall were, however. â€Å"Eugenie!† It was Kiyo again. â€Å"Run!† â€Å"Yes, Storm Daughter,† laughed Aeson, blood running out of his nose. â€Å"Run home. Ask Roland Markham who your father is.† â€Å"You bastard – † I wanted to lunge at him, to help Kiyo, but Finn grabbed me. â€Å"Jump now. Back to your world.† The pounding boots in the hall were almost upon us. â€Å"I can't. Not from here. I don't have an anchor.† â€Å"Yes, you do.† He glanced over at Wil, who hung there, translucent and utterly useless. If it had been up to me, I would have left Wil and his betraying ass here to be destroyed, but suddenly he had a purpose. Seeing my uncertain look, Kiyo said, â€Å"I'll go as soon as you do. They're here!† And they were. Men pouring into the room. I probably shouldn't have cared what happened to Kiyo, but I did. I wanted him to get out of this alive. I wanted to find Jasmine and bring her away. But the best I could do now was save my own skin. Invoking Hecate, I shifted my senses away from this world, reaching out to my own. While doing so, my will grabbed ahold of a startled Wil, dragging his spirit with me. A hard transition like that, without a crossroads or thin spot, theoretically could have dumped me anywhere in the human world. But I had Wil's spirit in tow. It had no choice but to snap back to his physical body, out in the Sonora Desert. If I was strong enough. â€Å"Follow!† I yelled to the minions. Or maybe it was to Kiyo. I didn't really know. The world shifted, my senses blurring. Crossing worlds in a convenient spot was like crossing through a wall made out of plastic sheeting. It was thin, and it took some struggling and clawing, but you could eventually get through. Jumping without a normal crossover spot, however? Well, that was like breaking through a brick wall.

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buy custom Boundary-Spanning Roles essay Managers have full responsibilities of making success in a business (Lysonski, Singer Wilemon, 1989). This presents a challenge for them to formulate effective and goal-oriented strategies that will enable them succeed. They coordinate the operations of a business both in and out. This involves dealing with staff, daily, operations, customers and publics. Both internal and external environments of a business are important in defining its state. One of the strategies managers use is boundary-spanning role. These are job positions where employees are subjected to direct contact with publics, as well as employees from other organizations or firms. Managers use boundary spanners to gather external information. This information is very useful in enhancing the entire organizational performance. This is because managers get to know the trends in the market and understand the consumers better. In most cases, they know what the customers want, as well as what the competitors have in store. They also use boundary-spanning roles in form of business practice, so as to get nearer to trends and potential customers of their products. Through this, they enhance their competitive advantage, which is essential for survival in the market. Most managers use communication as a boundary-spanning mode where they lay much focus on IT (Ford, Evans Matthews, 2004). This allows for easy communication and access of data from both internal and external sources. Customer data is also made available to the organization and kept in a database for easier access in future transactions. This increases efficiency in service provision and hence an upgraded competitive advantage. Boundary-spanning role enables managers to notice any change in the technology world, which facilitates innovation. This innovation of products enhances customers satisfaction and loyalty and hence a repeat business. Competitive advantage is enhanced through product innovation. Managers involved both customers and suppliers in product development process, thus maintaining them in the organizations circle. Buy custom Boundary-Spanning Roles essay

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Bill Recommendation Essay Is it a good idea for those individuals convicted of armed robbery to receive double the sentence that it is now? In my opinion the answer is no. Policy making in the field of criminal justice is extremely vital to society. Punishments can be very confusing in the fact of what is appropriate. What is too much and what is too little? There have been many studies that show that there is little or no deterrent of crime such as armed robbery when the punishment is a long sentence to prison. The reason for this lack of deterrent is because the person who is committing the crime or crimes knows what is at stake, yet he or she chooses to commit the robbery anyway. This is because the gains of that robbery outweigh the prison sentence. The main purpose of this bill is to stop or at least lessen the amount of armed robbery that is being committed by putting those who commit the crime behind bars for a longer period of time. This seems like a good idea at first glance. However there is more to this proposition. Lengthening the prison sentence is being used as a deterrent or to simply take the bad guys off the street for longer. This has not worked in the past and will not work now. Facing a long sentence has not deterred robbery from happening. If prison sentencing was enough robbery would not be around in society especially not as frequent as it is today. According to a study done by the FBI in 2006 447,403 robberies were reported to the police, which equals out to a rate of one robbery per minute in the United States (McGoey, 2014). The punishment for robbery can be up to 25 years in the United States. Doubling that and making the sentence 50 years will hardly make any change in the robbery rate. If anything it would just cause the jails and prisons to  become overpopulated quicker, costing taxpayers more money. There are more effective ways to address a crime than make the punishments more intense or longer. The classic school of criminology is what I base my recommendation on. In the late 1700’s, which are the time that the classical school came about, the punishment for crimes was extremely cruel and would be seen today as barbaric. Cesare de Beccaria and Jeremy Bentham played a tremendous role in the theory of criminology and criminal justice today would not be where it is without them. Their main focus was to lessen the harsh punishments implemented by the judicial system at the time (Schmalleger, 2012). Cesare de Baccaria believed that preventing crimes would benefit a society more than punishing someone who committed a crime. This belief was the driving force of the classic school of criminology. He believed the punishment should fit the crime for instance theft should be punished through the use of fines and crimes that cause personal injury to be punished by corporal punishment. This would, in turn he believed, prevent these crimes from happening. Jeremy Bentham viewed crime a little differently than Beccaria. Bentham was viewed as a utilitarian. He believed that the punishment for any crime must be that of the greater good for the community. Basically stating that any pain being used as a punishment towards an offender must be justified to benefit the good of the society. Modern criminal justice still holds its foundation in that of the classic school of criminology. Having said that, long prison sentences do act as a major deterrent for many criminals, but poses a major conflict of ideas to that of the classic school of thought due to the fact that crimes are committed based on free will and rational thinking. many factors such as emotional instability in s sudden moment, and mental and physical disorders that a longer prison sentence simply would not abolish. There is also the very likely chance that drugs and or alcohol is involved.  If the offender is being driven by an addiction nothing, surely not a longer prison sentence is going to persuade his or her decision (Schmalleger, 2012) With all of that being said, the answer to decreasing crime, more specifically armed robbery, a longer prison sentence is not the answer. The question at hand is: what is the answer? This is a question that is going to be debated as long as crime is resent in the population. Juvenile criminals usually mature into adult criminals, so perhaps putting more criminal emphasis on juvenile crime must be done. In addition to everything, it is well known that drugs are the foundation of many crimes. Drugs are responsible for many thefts and robberies, and more time behind bars is not going to make a drug addict think twice before robbing someone. More emphasis needs to be put on the war on drugs and alcohol addiction. Put the taxpayers money to good use by stopping the spread of drugs, not on paying for more people inside if jails. Lets stop the robberies from happening. McGoey, C.E. (2014). Robbery Facts: Violent Crime Against Persons.

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Wiki - Assignment Example The journey was influenced by a vision that Xuanzang experienced even after official refusal to travel by Emperor Taizong on grounds of safeguarding national security, Xuanzang’s state-supported decision (Hwui-Li 28). The travel chronological of Xuanzang was as a result of the conflicting Chinese traditional principles and his adherence to the doctrines of Buddhism. Chinese followed filial piety and Confucian orthodoxy, but on the other hand, Buddhism advocated for Monatic discipline and Mahayana progressivism. Having undergone a confusion education system, Xuanzang sought to re-define the philosophies of Buddhism by going to the cradle land of Buddhism, India. Travel tales of Xuanzang, therefore, allow the audience to actualize the travel experiences of Xuanzang, in relation to the influential people he met in his journey and the resultant imperial and scholastic elements of the Buddhism in China (Wriggins 21). During his journey, Xuanzang encountered different societies, each with their own traditional influence, Confucianism, Persian and Buddhis. Upon arrival in India at the Nalanda monastery, his incorporation as a Silabhadra disciple incorporated his observations in previous societies encountered to the taught philosophies at the monastery. India and China acknowledged his histrorian influence. In India, Xuanzang ousted notable Buddhist Indian potentates, Brahmins, Jains and heterodox Buddhists. Back in China, Xuanzang became the historian of the day. Even after leaving as an imperial fugitive, Emperor Taizong acknowledged his historical influence all over central Asia, influencing huge Chinese populations to adopt his Buddhist ideologies (Hwui-Li 182). The reception from the different people he countered in his journey amused him, while bad encounters such as robbers and the Gobi Desert were the challenges along his route. During his journey, Xuanzang encountered a tale that almost resembled Greek tragedy. While at Silk Road,