Breast Augmentation Revision

Emperor Xiaowen and His Court

Emperor Xiaowen and His Court The mural ‘Emperor Xiaowen and His Court’ depicts a walking-procession (presumably a religious one) that involves at least twenty members of the Emperor’s entourage. The Emperor himself heads the procession. He appears to be intending to dip his fingers in the cup filled with water (?), which is being held in front of him by one of his servants.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Emperor Xiaowen and His Court specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The Emperor’s facial expression radiates calmness, which sets him visually apart from the rest of the entourage’s members that seem to be experiencing an array of different but predominantly positive emotions. The artist went about emphasizing the Emperor’s royal status by the mean of having him slightly elevated above others, within the composition’s spatial framework. The fact that the procession’s participants are being depic ted wearing richly decorated garments, and the fact that due to these garments’ sheer length they can be hardly considered the items intended for an everyday use, we can assume that the portrayed event is indeed rather extraordinary. What adds to the mural’s aesthetic value is that the author succeeded in accentuating the depicted event’s transitional subtleties (viewers do perceive it as such that is being in the state of motion). As it was already mentioned, the mural ‘Emperor Xiaowen and His Court’ is carved in the limestone rock. What it means is that at the time of its making (522-523), the Chinese already possessed the knowledge of metallurgy, which in turn allowed them to make carving-chisels out of iron. Because limestone is particularly prone to the forces of erosion, the state of the mural’s preservation suggests that, apart from knowing how to carve depictions in stone, the ancient Chinese artists also knew how to lessen the extent of the produced artifacts’ susceptibility to the elements of nature. Another technical aspect of the mural in question is that the applied polishing appears being of a supreme quality. Given the fact that this polishing needed to be applied manually (by hand), we can well assume that there were a number of people involved in the process. In its turn, this serves as yet another indication that there is much of not only technological but also logistic complexity to the discussed mural. Such our assumption correlates rather well with what historians know about the developmental phases of the Chinese ancient civilization.[1] There can be a few doubts, as to the fact that the carved mural ‘Emperor Xiaowen and His Court’ was meant to commemorate the Emperor and the members of his court, as such that never ceased being observant of the early Buddhism’s ritualistic provisions.[2]Advertising Looking for essay on art? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In its turn, this was intended to convince the Emperor’s subjects that their ruler’s main agenda was concerned with acting on behalf of ordinary people (representing the bulk of believers). Moreover, because the author made a deliberate point in accentuating the Emperor’s ‘Buddhist’ looks (hence, his apparent calmness), there is a certain rationale in the assumption that the mural was supposed to serve as an additional proof that the Emperor is in fact radiates the spirit of a true divinity. Therefore, we can say that the mural’s foremost social function was concerned with its potential ability to legitimize the Emperor’s authority in the eyes of onlookers. What it means is that, along with referring to the mural ‘Emperor Xiaowen and His Court’ in terms of art, we can also refer to as the art-related tool of an ideological indoctrination. Bibliography Qiang, Ning. â€Å" Imperial Portraiture as Symbol of Political Legitimacy: A New Study of the ‘Portraits of Successive Emperors’.† Ars Orientalis 35 (2008): 96-128. Tsiang, Katherine. â€Å"Changing Patterns of Divinity and Reform in the Late Northern Wei.† The Art Bulletin 84. 2 (2002): 222-245. Footnotes Ning Qiang, â€Å"Imperial Portraiture as Symbol of Political Legitimacy: A New Study of the ‘Portraits of Successive Emperors’.† Ars Orientalis 35 (2008): 113. Katherine Tsiang, â€Å"Changing Patterns of Divinity and Reform in the Late Northern Wei.† The Art Bulletin 84. 2 (2002): 238.

World Geography Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

World Geography - Essay Example It is undeniable that human beings derived numerous benefits from the study of earth’s geography through ages. Jerry and Martin (2000) agreed that geographic knowledge was instrumental or rather paramount during construction of the first world map. This first map commonly referred to as the Babylonian world map dates back to 600BC. According to Talbert and Richard (2009), invention of geography as a definite field of study would later be credited to Pythagoras, renowned for his approved claim that the earth is spherical. Subsequently, Pythagoras claim would open doors to advanced arithmetic perception of the spherical earth. From 2nd Century AD, Roman scholars employed the use of latitudes and longitudes in determining geographical difference in time. Harrison, Massey and Richards (2004) said that by the 10th Century, skilled geographers from the west could calculate with high precision the distance between various points on earth. This was the time when researchers started do cumenting detailed knowledge about the planet’s habitability. Eventually, medieval studies of the earth’s phenomena would soon pave way for western explorer like Christopher Columbus, accredited with discovery of new lands, especially America. In the early 18th Century, geography scholars struggled with the problem of longitudinal relations with time. According to James and Trapasso (2006), conflicts surrounding this problem came to a halt in 1760s when John Harrison used a chronometer and accurately acknowledged the Greenwich meridian as the reference longitude.

Pricing Scheme Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Pricing Scheme - Research Paper Example The United States stock market is the place where individuals buy or sell stocks. The markets’ sellers sell the companies’ products to the eager stock buyers. Similarly, the stock market sellers offer to buy the stocks sold by the stock owners. Economics plays a major role in the sale or purchase of the stocks. The sellers prefer to sell more stocks at higher prices. Similarly, the buyers prefer to buy stocks at lower prices. As the prices rise, the current and future customers’ demand for the products decline. When the prices rise, the supply of the products increases (Arnold 312). The current research delves on the pricing of the Verizon Company’s stock market prices. The stocks are sold and bought using a controlled computerized software program. The stock market includes the services offered by the stock market agents. The agents are selling the stocks of the communication services company, including Verizon (Morningstar 1). Table 1 shows the prices of the Verizon stocks sold in the digital stock market. The stock market prices show the equilibrium price. The equilibrium price is the price agreed upon by both the Verizon stock sellers and the Verizon stock buyers (Morningstar 1). There are economic interpretations of the stock market prices (Arnold 312). In terms of the January 10, 2014 equilibrium price, the sellers and buyers of 11,454,003 stock units agreed to sell (exchange) the stocks at $ 47.75 per stock. The price dropped from the prior week’s $48.42 stock market price. The price drop was instituted in order to increase the drop in the demand for the Verizon stocks. The 11,454,003 stock units sold show the decline from in the demand for the Verizon stock. The prior week’s stock market units sold (exchange) was higher at 12,045,205 units (Morningstar 1). Similarly, the January 31, 2014 stock market price of the Verizon stock was $48.02 each. At this price, there were 18,558,798 stock units sold.

The four basic management strategies to compete internationally Essay

The four basic management strategies to compete internationally - Essay Example This research will begin with the statement that marketers have to find ways and means to identify continuous demand and match the demands with the products and services which they are best at the offering. If the demand has saturated then marketers need to identify unmet needs and demand and create demand. In fact, marketing opportunity is being able to identify unmet needs or create new demand. The globe presents a plethora of new markets with a host of unmet needs and demands and hence implying a host of opportunities. Globalizing an organization’s operations can be generalized by saying that an organization seeks to enter new markets. Yet entering new markets means committing the limited resources required to produce a targeted return on the investment which could have been put to other marketing decisions each having their own return on investments, or we may also say that globalization has its opportunity cost. Thus organizations usually decide to globalize their operati ons when they foresee a sufficient profitability in assigning their limited resources to foreign market(s) higher than the expected rate of return from other marketing decisions. Ansoff’s grid clearly juxtaposes the decision to enter new markets with other marketing decisions. The strategies which an organization adopts to compete globally depends on many factors such as: Its objectives, competitiveness, resources, products, and services. The attractiveness of the foreign market. The cost of entering the market.

The Importance Of Intimacy And Effective Communication Theology Religion Essay

The Importance Of Intimacy And Effective Communication Theology Religion Essay The Bible gives us deep insight into the biblical principle of communication within our human relationships. God shows us in His Word that He is more concerned about understanding than He is about speaking. Paul tells us that the objective of prophecy is to build up, and if something is said that does not build up, it should not be said. Paul also instructs us about order speaking when its your turn in order to avoid confusion and to pursue peace. When God speaks to us from heaven, 1) it is decent and in order, 2) we will know what He is talking about (we have an understanding), and 3) there is a purpose behind it- to build us up! Communication is a skill! Communication is defined as taking what is inside of us and conveying it to another person. I have also heard it characterized as an exchange of sincerity. Not being able to communicate constitutes the bulk of our marital problems, which is why I decided to give this tool its own chapter. Communication is the process by which we share our thoughts, feelings, and ideas in such a way that others understand us. The goal of communication is to make things common. To do this, we define terms and reduce everything down to its common denominator. If we do not define terms and find commonality frustration will result, leading to conflict. The divorce rate in our country is greater than 60%, and research indicates that one of the biggest problems that lead to divorce is communication issues peoples inability to talk with one another This chapter is designed to help you and your partner learn the art of successful communication, whether that partner is your spouse, your friend, or your significant other. When we make things common, we have communion. When we have communion, we have community, which is belonging or relationship. Unfortunately, with the way that we currently communicate, what is meant, what is sent, what is received, and what is interpreted are different conversations! Before you begin your journey to learning successful communication, realize that this investment will take some effort! Effective communication is not for wimps! Communication is or involves: Dialogue Hard work Time consuming Reveals your perspective Requires courtesy Requires body talk Must happen at the right moment Succeeds with positive regard for the other person Getting an understanding I pray much success as the Holy Spirit guides you in your efforts to learn how to speak, listen, understand, and be understood through the art of successful communication. I also pray that you develop tolerable communication. The Importance of Intimacy and Effective Communication Intimacy is necessary for skillful communication. Intimacy is from the Latin word innimus meaning innermost. We share our innermost thoughts, opinions, feelings, and goals. When we are able to share these things with others, we can connect on another level. Reflection: Have you ever felt like you were talking about something, but the person you were speaking to never quite got what you were saying? How did it feel when you could not connect? A consequence of not being able to communicate due to a lack of intimacy is that it creates distance as opposed to the closeness that we desire from our partner. Reflection: Did you sense a distance between yourself and your partner when you did not connect? Intimacy or the ability to speak freely from your inner being is a must if there is going to be effective communication patterns in the relationship. The stage of negotiation will be ineffective if intimacy does not exist. Why? Because people will not be honest with each other; they will simply say what causes the least amount of stress and conflict. Here are five keys to intimacy the five (5) musts for intimacy: Access you must possess the ability to link spiritually, emotionally, and physically. In order to have access to your partner, your values must be compatible and in the same camp. Exercise: Does your partner share the same values that you do? List three values that you share with your partner. Availability making sure that both you and your partner are available for one another physically, spiritually, and emotionally. Do you and your spouse have a space and a time where you just chill out and talk and laugh? Is there a time for you to access each other? Exercise: Does your partner ever complain that you are not available to him/her? What practical, reasonable steps can you take to ensure that you are available to the extent that it makes your partner comfortable? Argot an inside language that you develop with your partner. No one else may know what you are talking about because this is a language specific to your relationship such that you can have a conversation in the midst of other people and they have no idea what you are talking about. Exercise: Give three examples of the types of words, phrases, or gestures used in the relational argot between you and your partner. Abandonment you have to be willing to become transparent and self-disclosing. If you are unable or unwilling to reveal yourself, you cant become intimate. Exercise: Describe an instance in the past when you or your partner revealed something about yourselves to the point where you understood him/her (or vice versa) on deeper, more intimate level. Application you must be willing to apply yourself in your relationship. Exercise: Give an example of how you might apply yourself even further towards developing a quality relationship with you partner. After having lived with a spouse for a number of years, it is apparent that the couple becomes unable to communicate in a normal, meaningful fashion. If either spouse is unable to avoid exchanges that invariably result in conflict, a communication breakdown in the marriage has occurred. In extreme cases, especially if accompanied by abusive tendencies or other symptoms of dysfunction, a growing inability to deal with any verbal exchanges without conflict could be indicative of a much more serious problem that requires the attention of a mental health professional. More often than not, however, growing differences between the spouses, which may have their roots in the above-mentioned causes, are to blame for communication breakdowns. Treatment: James 1:19-20, Ephesians 4:15, 29-32, Philippians 2:14 Do all things without complaining and disputing Failure to Communicate In any relationship, communication is essential. One needs to let the other person know what is on his or her mind. You cannot keep on second-guessing the other person. Open communication becomes critical, so misunderstanding can be minimized. Problems arise when one partner expects the other to read his or her mind you will agree with me that this is close to impossible. The following five things hinder the creation of a context of toleration of communication. Five Hindrances to Communication The Complexity of Communication Communication is not simply about peoples ability to access vocabulary words. It is a skillful exchange between two people. There are listening styles and communication styles that exist in order to help facilitate this. If your spouse is a visual communicator and you are auditory, saying I love you will never reach them as much as actually seeing a symbol of your love, such as flowers, a card, a nice gift, etc. Many times, we are talking the wrong language to our spouse. Low Self-Esteem If you have low self-esteem, you will not talk, because you feel that what you have to say is not important. At some point in time, you will talk, but that time you may explode. You must learn to value your feelings enough to share them with your spouse. Understand that your unwillingness to share your thoughts can destroy the future of the relationship. Fear of Criticism and Judgment Some people live in fear that what they say may be interpreted in a way that they did not intend, or they are unwilling to allow their words to be potentially judged or criticized negatively. Rather than risk this potentially negative backlash or misunderstanding, they can be hesitant to communicate clearly with sincerity and with honesty. Lack of Knowledge of Internal Happiness You really do not understand what is going on inside yourself, so you are unable to put your true feelings into words. Thus, your words and what is going on inside of you are totally disconnected, and you feel unfulfilled. Inability to Put Thoughts and Feelings into Words Some people put thoughts and feelings into actions, such as being mean, slamming doors, withholding physical intimacy, and name-calling, because they are unable to verbally communicate exactly how they feel. If you can be comfortable without any talking with your significant other, there is something wrong and dysfunctional with your relationship. Exercise: Choose the hindrance that most affects communication within your relationship and then list two alternatives to overcoming those hindrances. Communication involves talking with objectives and the following are the objectives behind talking. Determine which ones you are trying to achieve when talking with your spouse. Information Talking informs you or makes you aware of something you do not know. We must talk in order for others to understand us. We cannot expect others to know what we are thinking or feeling. Some people tend to say, He should ALREADY know! But this is not the case. Simply because we articulate what we want over and over does not mean that our partner gets the message. Revelation Information is based on words; however, the basis for revelation is self. Revelation is the self-disclosure behind the words. The objective of communication is not just words, because words are inadequate to holistically explain what we are trying to say. Communication There is a difference between talking and communicating. Communication is the process by which we share our thoughts, feelings, and ideas in such a way that others understand us. The goal of communication is to make things common. To do this, we define terms and reduce everything down to its common denominator. If we do not define terms and find commonality, frustration will result, leading to conflict. Exercise: Pick one issue or need that you feel your partner has not responded to in ways that satisfies you, and answer the following questions regarding this issue: Have I fully expressed to my partner what it is I want? Yes No Have I revealed to my partner what it is I want? Yes No When I expressed these issues and revealed myself to my partner, based upon the definition of communication, was I simply talking or were we truly communicating? How can I more effectively communicate this particular need to my partner? The 5 Levels of Communication There are, what I refer to as, five levels of communication that at some level are correlated with the objectives of talking, but differ due to the emotional involvement in communication vs. talking. Level 1 Clichà © Shallow level of communication we use when talking with strangers. We dont talk about anything of significance because we are not trying to relate. Level 2 Reporting Facts A simple exchange of data. This occurs frequently in relationships, as people may simply report the details of their day to one another. A husband and wife may talk about the kids, what happened on their jobs during the work day, whats for dinner, and what bills need to be paid, rather than anything on a deeper level. Level 3 Sharing of Ideas and Opinions This is the first level of risk communication, because it taps into the core of who we are. On this level, we risk possible conflict and/or rejection that may result from disagreement. What if your partner shares his/her ideas or opinions about this and you do not agree? For this reason, most people stay away from this level and stick to Level 2. Many couples have tried this level and found it to be too challenging. Level 4 Revealing Emotions This level of risk is the I feel level where you communicate your joys and sorrows to your partner. The problem with this level is that if a woman communicates her emotions to a man, he will tend to blame himself for causing the woman to feel this way. Rather than hear the emotions of the woman, the man may move into a posture of defense that might thrust him into warfare. People may not mind communicating the joyful emotions on this level, but they often do not like to communicate negative emotions on this level. Level 5 Complete Disclosure -The riskiest, but most rewarding level of intimacy, is the unrestrained, honest sharing of ones innermost desires, whether they are popular or not to a partner The partner, in response to the sharing of emotions on this level, will then respond in a loving, accepting way that acknowledges the problem and assists their partner in resolving the problem Exercise: Complete the following chart regarding your relationships communication style. For each level of your relationship, write down you and your partners level of communication at that particular point in time. Check only those relationship levels that apply to your own relationship and skip the levels that do not apply. Relationship Level Communication Level When you first met your partner One year after you met your partner The day you married your partner One year after the birth of your first child Five years into your marriage Ten years into your marriage Your relationship today If you noticed a change in the level of communication, to what might you attribute this change? At what level would you like your communication with your partner to be? If we want to have a tolerable relationship that is healthy, we must be attentive to our communication style. Sometimes we engage in negative communication styles beyond our own consciousness. Virginia Satir offers a model that accentuates what she refers to as the four styles of communication. Four Negative Communication Styles Placater The Yes person who tries to avoid conflict at any cost. Blaming The fault finder who tries to find fault in your argument or something he/she can be critical of in an argument Computing The Cool, Calm, Collected, and Correct person who is always right. They never get excited or emotional, because they know they are right. During their turn in the conversation, they will explain to you all of the facts. They tend to believe that their partner has lost the facts in all of their emotion. Distracting The person who changes topics like crazy because the conversation becomes too conflicting, personal, and intimidating. Circle the Communication Style that best describes YOU: a. Placater b. Blaming c. Computing d. Distracting Circle the Communication Style that best describes your PARTNER: a. Placater b. Blaming c. Computing d. Distracting How do you think either of your negative communication styles has impacted the communication in your relationship? Communication Styles Characterized by Animals Shark The Competitor Gets what they want no matter what it takes by shouting, sulking, withholding physical intimacy whatever works. This type does not mind having disharmony in the home. Bear The Accommodator Keeps peace at any cost Fox The Negotiator Specialist in compromise such that everyone wins a little and everyone loses a little. Both Bear and Fox tend to walk away half-pleased. Turtle The Avoider Pretends that problems do not exit in the relationship. Their partner tends to be the shark-style communicator. This person feels conflict, so he/she becomes passive and withdrawn. Some people think they have happy marriages, because they are married to turtles. The Owl The Collaborator The win-win person who will try to get a resolution for all. Tends to operate with wisdom. Exercise: List the potential strengths and weakness of your animal-type communication style and that of your partner. Communication and Non-Verbals Communication is more than the words you speak. Communication encompasses what you say, how you say it, and how your body is reacting to what you are saying. Research shows that communication is: 7% Words 24% Tonality 69 Body Language and Expressions Reflection: What would happen if your partner shouted to you, I AM interested in what you are saying! while turning away from you to intently watching his/her favorite show on the television? Would you believe the words that he/she was communicating? The tonality and the non-verbals would outweigh the words that were spoken. Key Dynamics of Communication Listening is one of the most important functions of communication there is. If both people are slow to listen and quick to speak, there will be chaos and lack of communication because there will be no understanding. There is a difference between HEARING and LlSTENING! Hearing the auditory reception of sound Listening the ability to hear, interpret, and understand Exercise: Give an example of how your partner may have heard something you said rather than listen to what you said: Listening involves commitment! A commitment to understand, empathize, to put aside ones own interests and prejudices long enough to see the relationship through the eyes of the other person. The goal of listening is to understand, learn, and enjoy helping. Listening involves compliment! Because our partner listens, we tend to feel that we matter. Roadblocks to Listening Most men dread hearing the words, Can I talk to you about something? or We need to talk. They tend to ask themselves, What did I do now? They dread that they will now have to engage in an activity that so many of us are unprepared for the art of intentional listening. The following are roadblocks to listening in which many of us engage in with our relationships: Mindreading ignoring what is being said while trying to figure out what is meant. In other words, ignoring the obvious in favor of the imaginary Rehearsing preparing what is going to be said. You cannot listen you are trying to get your argument together against your partner Filtering keeping the things that you do want to hear or that you do agree with and blocking out all you do not want to hear Judging Listening to criticize, to judge, and to find blame Daydreaming not paying attention or tuning the other person out Advising jumping in to try to fix the problem with a solution rather than hear what the person is saying. Just because your partner has a problem does not mean that he/see wants you to fix it all of the time! Exercise: Evaluate the following scenario. Jesse is listening to his wife complain once again about the gas tank of their car being left on empty after he has driven it all weekend. As his wife proceeds to give him a play-by-play of who drove the car that weekend and when and where it was driven, he is trying to pinpoint in his mind exactly who should have stopped to fill the cars tank rather than hearing his wifes issue. After she finishes, he has already concluded whose fault this whole issue was, deciding actually it was her fault. Which roadblock is Jesse employing? a. Mindreading b. Rehearsing c. Filtering d. Judging e. Daydreaming f. Advising Dynamics of Active Listening Step 1: Pay Attention. Listen without any roadblocks. Step 2: Paraphrase. Restate your understanding of what your partner has spoken to you. Step 3: Clarify. Your partner comes back with what he/she actually meant if you did not get the intended message. Step 4: Collect Yourself and Get Feedback. The feedback should address what you just clarified with your partner. Deal with the facts on the floor and respond with what you feel about what was communicated. The goal of communication is not agreement or convincing your partner. Rather, the goal of communication is to be heard and understood! Exercise: Choose a neutral topic to discuss with your partner, and allow your partner to practice utilizing the four Dynamics of Active Listening while you explain your topic. After you have had your turn, allow your partner to use the same exercise. Write down the results of how this exercise transpired and how active listening made each of you feel. Very few people actually make contact in communication, i.e., two people ending up at the same place, knowing where they are when they get there. We tend to be on different frequencies when we communicate, and thus never end up on the same channel. Everyone wants to grow close with their partner, but when people realize how difficult this is through communication, they tend to shy away from this type of relational intimacy and decided not connect on a deeper level. Communication allows our partners to know us, who we are, and how we think or feel. We want them to enter our world of feelings so that we can enhance them, support them, help them, or simply enjoy them. Expression of oneself is the ability to give voice to ones emotional feelings. The only way to do this is through the process of self-awareness. Youve got to learn how you feel and what it is that you are feeling and then put a voice to it so that the other person can understand it. If you find yourself constantly saying, You dont ever listen to me, you might consider asking the question, Am I listening to myself?, because you might be communicating the wrong way. The Pillars of Communication The following charts are exercises to begin learning about you so you can clearly articulate your issues. Pillar #1: How to Express Yourself Prepare to Talk Step Task 1 Identify what it is you feel (Is it a good or bad feeling?) 2 Ask yourself, How important is this feeling to me? (Is it really important enough to talk about?) 3 What is the feeling saying to me? (Something positive, negative, affirming, etc.) 4 What do I want to do about this feeling? (What do I want or expect to happen?) 5 What past experience does this feeling remind me of? (Have I ever felt this before?) 6 Name your feeling (annoyed, happy, sad, playful, jealous, etc. you cannot explain it you if you cannot name it!) 7 Define the word for the feeling in terms of intensity (Very, a little, not at all) 8 Define the word or feeling in terms of duration (How long youve held the feeling?) 9 Define the feeling in cause and context (When the feeling came, where were you were, and in what context?) 10 Define the feeling in terms of its historical context (Have you ever felt this way at another stage in your life? Pillar #2; Scripting Your Needs Planning in Advance How to Ask for what you want Step Task 1 Say exactly what you mean 2 Send the message effectively by using the right words and action 3 Obey the 10 Commandments of Clean Communication 10 Commandments of Clean Communication Commandment 1 Avoid Judgment Words and Loaded Terms (Words that communicate your partner is flawed, incorrect, and in error) Commandment 2 Avoid Global Labels (Stay away from generalizations and name-calling, as this will shut down communication) Commandment 3 Avoid You Messages of Blame and Accusation (Stay away from always and never, and use I rather than You statements when talking about your feelings) Commandment 4 Avoid Old History (Stick to the issue at hand and discuss one issue at a time) Commandment 5 Avoid Negative Comparison. (Dont ask, Why cant you be like Frank?) Commandment 6 Avoid Threats (Threats bring insecurity in a relationship and causes people to be less self-disclosing with you) Commandment 7 Describe your feelings rather than attacking with them. (Your goal is not to make your partner feel bad, but to express how you feel) Commandment 8 Keep Body Language Open and Receptive (You speak louder with your body than with your words) Commandment 9 Use Whole Messages (Use your thoughts, your feelings, and your emotions) Commandment 10 Use Clear Messages (Make sure youre specific, and do not ask loaded questions of your partner) Exercise: Complete the following exercise by listing which commandments the following statements are violating (some may violate more than one). Statement Commandment Violated You have the biggest stomach in the whole class. Why cant you lose weight? You have one more time to hang the telephone up on me before I walk out for good! I wish I would have known that you were this stubborn before I married you! I am very upset about the way you treated me yesterday. Why did you totally ignore me? This is just like when you almost had an affair three years ago. Youve never changed! I can listen and do my paperwork at the same time. My hands are occupied, not my ears! Sometimes I think that you dont like me anymore. Thats all I have to say. Well, maybe if you werent so uneducated, you wouldnt be so closed-minded! You always decide to call one of your friends on the phone when I say we have an issue to resolve! Yes, I am jealous, and its all your fault! You dont have to hug people like that in front of me! How to Communicate with Your Body The following are steps that you and your partner can exercise to communicate more effectively with your body language: Maintain Eye Contact Lean in Close to the Person Nod and Give Short Verbal Affirmations Smile or Frown, Whichever is Appropriate Keep Your Posture Open. Arms Unfolded, Towards Your Partner Actively Move Away From Distractions Exercise: Evaluate the following scenario: Lynn certainly thinks that she looks like she is listening to her partner. She is seated in a comfortable chair, leaning forward with her arms unfolded, and she is making direct eye contact with him. However, she is neither nodding nor shaking her head, she says nothing, and her face is expressionless. Even further, when her partner finishes talking, Lynn remains in her same posture, gazing intently at him, but not saying a word. Her partner thinks that she is in a daze. What is Lynn communicating to her partner with her body? Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who [are] spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Galatians 6:1 Sometimes you are talking to someone who hurt you, but you have to be eager to restore the relationship. However, if the goal of communication is not restoration, there really is no need to talk. There are certain parameters to fair communication that each partner in a relationship should employ. Dos and Donts of Communication Donts Be judgmental Expect too much from one session Bring up your mates past Butt in or be rude Overstate by saying you a1ways or You never Lose your temper Pout or give the silent treatment Tell endless stories Compete Think in terms of winning and losing Belittle your male Dos Be accepting and tolerant Plan to talk again Be forgiving Be courteous as to a stranger Be accurate by saying Sometimes, Many times, To me it seems Be in control of yourself Be positive, outgoing. and unselfish even when you dont feel like it Be concise See yourself as an equal partner Be cooperative and not combative Be affirming and build up your mate Exercise: Choose three Dos listed and list the possible positive consequences of the chosen behavior. Then, choose three Donts listed above and list the possible negative consequences of the chosen behavior. Difference in the Way Men and Women Communicate There are a number of differences between the communication styles of men and women. For example, you have a 96% chance of the conversation continuing when the man initiates it, and yet, you have only a 36% chance of the conversation continuing when a woman initiates it. Also, because men have a larger ego, this ego drives a mans awareness of what is received and what is blocked out in communication. Differences do not have to hinder our communication if we acknowledge, understand, accept, and learn to work with them. Men and women must have positive regard for the differences that exist between them. Men Women Focus on achievement Focus on relationship Focus on solving problems with the facts Like to share their feelings Need an agenda when communicating Tend to use intense adjectives Tend to interrupt more Tend to be more descriptive in conversation Talk more in public settings than they do in private Tend to talk more in small groups Talk loudly and tell lots of stories Talk more quietly with focuses on fewer topics Talk about reports Talk about rapport Assume you are sharing what you want revealed Ask a lot of questions Tend to be competitive in their dialogue Tend to be cooperative Tend to be exclusive Tend to be inclusive Information Intuition Listen for whats important Listen for details Need time to process their thoughts and feelings Process immediately Say women are too emotional Say men are not sensitive enough Say women talk too much Say men dont listen How God Broke Down Differences to Communicate with Humanity The incarnation was a divine example of communication that transcended differences. In John 1, the incarnation taught us that communication has to be reflective. The Word accurately described what God was feeling. The word God spoke was so reflective of God that it was God Himself. We have to take time to come up with the words that accurately reflect what i

The Authors Character in A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery OConn

â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† is a short story written by Flannery O’ Connor. O’Connor was an American writer whose writings always incorporated humor into a sad or devastating situation. Her collections include 31 short stories, two novels, and a couple of letters and speeches. O’Connor is most famous for her short story works. In numerous works of her, her conscious craftsmanship was revealed and also the devoted role that Roman Catholicism plays in her life (Flannery) O’ Connor was born the only child to her parents in Savannah, Georgia. Her father was a real estate agent and her mother was born into a very prominent family. When O’ Connor was twelve years old, her family moved back to her mothers hometown of Milledgeville, GA where her father was also the mayor of for a couple of years. Milledgeville was known as the ‘crazy’ town in Georgia. Milledgeville was home to one of the largest mental institutions in the United States. At the time this story was written, the hospital had 13,000 mentally ill patients hospitalized there. She was surrounded by crazy people. The influence of living in Milledgeville helped her in writing her stories. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† is one of O’Connor’s best and well known works. The work tells the story of a normal every day family and their trip to Florida. The trip begins as normal trips do, but then turns and there is an unexpected twist thrown in. The family encounters an escaped criminal who named himself The Misfit. The criminal and his accomplices threaten the family’s’ life, but while doing so are also very friendly and courteous. In a desperate attempt to save herself and her family, the grandmother begins talking to The Misfit telling him that she believes he really is a g... ... job with this story and I believe any reader can find some one or something in the story they can relate to and can apply the story to their every day life. The story has many lessons and morals that can be learned but adds a humorous twist to things. So I leave with this final though, in the words of Wendell Berry, â€Å"Practice Resurrection!† Works Citied â€Å"Flannery O’Connor† Tegasos Literature. 1 Feb 2006. O’Connor, Flannery. â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† Discovering Literature. 3 Edition. Hans P. Guth and Gabrielle Rico, Eds. Uppersaddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall,2003:(355-365)† Woodiwis, Anna. â€Å"Jesus thrown everything off balance† Writings @ Swarthmore. 2003. WA Program at Swarthmore College. 1 Feb 2006.

A Game of Thrones Chapter Thirty-one

Tyrion As he stood in the predawn chill watching Chiggen butcher his horse, Tyrion Lannister chalked up one more debt owed the Starks. Steam rose from inside the carcass when the squat sellsword opened the belly with his skinning knife. His hands moved deftly, with never a wasted cut; the work had to be done quickly, before the stink of blood brought shadowcats down from the heights. â€Å"None of us will go hungry tonight,† Bronn said. He was near a shadow himself; bone thin and bone hard, with black eyes and black hair and a stubble of beard. â€Å"Some of us may,† Tyrion told him. â€Å"I am not fond of eating horse. Particularly my horse.† â€Å"Meat is meat,† Bronn said with a shrug. â€Å"The Dothraki like horse more than beef or pork.† â€Å"Do you take me for a Dothraki?† Tyrion asked sourly. The Dothraki ate horse, in truth; they also left deformed children out for the feral dogs who ran behind their khalasars. Dothraki customs had scant appeal for him. Chiggen sliced a thin strip of bloody meat off the carcass and held it up for inspection. â€Å"Want a taste, dwarf?† â€Å"My brother Jaime gave me that mare for my twenty-third name day,† Tyrion said in a flat voice. â€Å"Thank him for us, then. If you ever see him again.† Chiggen grinned, showing yellow teeth, and swallowed the raw meat in two bites. â€Å"Tastes well bred.† â€Å"Better if you fry it up with onions,† Bronn put in. Wordlessly, Tyrion limped away. The cold had settled deep in his bones, and his legs were so sore he could scarcely walk. Perhaps his dead mare was the lucky one. He had hours more riding ahead of him, followed by a few mouthfuls of food and a short, cold sleep on hard ground, and then another night of the same, and another, and another, and the gods only knew how it would end. â€Å"Damn her,† he muttered as he struggled up the road to rejoin his captors, remembering, â€Å"damn her and all the Starks.† The memory was still bitter. One moment he'd been ordering supper, and an eye blink later he was facing a room of armed men, with Jyck reaching for a sword and the fat innkeep shrieking, â€Å"No swords, not here, please, m'lords.† Tyrion wrenched down Jyck's arm hurriedly, before he got them both hacked to pieces. â€Å"Where are your courtesies, Jyck? Our good hostess said no swords. Do as she asks.† He forced a smile that must have looked as queasy as it felt. â€Å"You're making a sad mistake, Lady Stark. I had no part in any attack on your son. On my honor—† â€Å"Lannister honor,† was all she said. She held up her hands for all the room to see. â€Å"His dagger left these scars. The blade he sent to open my son's throat.† Tyrion felt the anger all around him, thick and smoky, fed by the deep cuts in the Stark woman's hands. â€Å"Kill him,† hissed some drunken slattern from the back, and other voices took up the call, faster than he would have believed. Strangers all, friendly enough only a moment ago, and yet now they cried for his blood like hounds on a trail. Tyrion spoke up loudly, trying to keep the quaver from his voice. â€Å"If Lady Stark believes I have some crime to answer for, I will go with her and answer for it.† It was the only possible course. Trying to cut their way out of this was a sure invitation to an early grave. A good dozen swords had responded to the Stark woman's plea for help: the Harrenhal man, the three Brackens, a pair of unsavory sellswords who looked as though they'd kill him as soon as spit, and some fool field hands who doubtless had no idea what they were doing. Against that, what did Tyrion have? A dagger at his belt, and two men. Jyck swung a fair enough sword, but Morrec scarcely counted; he was part groom, part cook, part body servant, and no soldier. As for Yoren, whatever his feelings might have been, the black brothers were sworn to take no part in the quarrels of the realm. Yoren would do nothing. And indeed, the black brother stepped aside silently when the old knight by Catelyn Stark's side said, â€Å"Take their weapons,† and the sellsword Bronn stepped forward to pull the sword from Jyck's fingers and relieve them all of their daggers. â€Å"Good,† the old man said as the tension in the common room ebbed palpably, â€Å"excellent.† Tyrion recognized the gruff voice; Winterfell's master-at-arms, shorn of his whiskers. Scarlet-tinged spittle flew from the fat innkeep's mouth as she begged of Catelyn Stark, â€Å"Don't kill him here!† â€Å"Don't kill him anywhere,† Tyrion urged. â€Å"Take him somewheres else, no blood here, m'lady, I wants no high lordlin's quarrels.† â€Å"We are taking him back to Winterfell,† she said, and Tyrion thought, Well, perhaps . . . By then he'd had a moment to glance over the room and get a better idea of the situation. He was not altogether displeased by what he saw. Oh, the Stark woman had been clever, no doubt of it. Force them to make a public affirmation of the oaths sworn her father by the lords they served, and then call on them for succor, and her a woman, yes, that was sweet. Yet her success was not as complete as she might have liked. There were close to fifty in the common room by his rough count. Catelyn Stark's plea had roused a bare dozen; the others looked confused, or frightened, or sullen. Only two of the Freys had stirred, Tyrion noted, and they'd sat back down quick enough when their captain failed to move. He might have smiled if he'd dared. â€Å"Winterfell it is, then,† he said instead. That was a long ride, as he could well attest, having just ridden it the other way. So many things could happen along the way. â€Å"My father will wonder what has become of me,† he added, catching the eye of the swordsman who'd offered to yield up his room. â€Å"He'll pay a handsome reward to any man who brings him word of what happened here today.† Lord Tywin would do no such thing, of course, but Tyrion would make up for it if he won free. Ser Rodrik glanced at his lady, his look worried, as well it might be. â€Å"His men come with him,† the old knight announced. â€Å"And we'll thank the rest of you to stay quiet about what you've seen here.† It was all Tyrion could do not to laugh. Quiet? The old fool. Unless he took the whole inn, the word would begin to spread the instant they were gone. The freerider with the gold coin in his pocket would fly to Casterly Rock like an arrow. If not him, then someone else. Yoren would carry the story south. That fool singer might make a lay of it. The Freys would report back to their lord, and the gods only knew what he might do. Lord Walder Frey might be sworn to Riverrun, but he was a cautious man who had lived a long time by making certain he was always on the winning side. At the very least he would send his birds winging south to King's Landing, and he might well dare more than that. Catelyn Stark wasted no time. â€Å"We must ride at once. We'll want fresh mounts, and provisions for the road. You men, know that you have the eternal gratitude of House Stark. If any of you choose to help us guard our captives and get them safe to Winterfell, I promise you shall be well rewarded.† That was all it took; the fools came rushing forward. Tyrion studied their faces; they would indeed be well rewarded, he vowed to himself, but perhaps not quite as they imagined. Yet even as they were bundling him outside, saddling the horses in the rain, and tying his hands with a length of coarse rope, Tyrion Lannister was not truly afraid. They would never get him to Winterfell, he would have given odds on that. Riders would be after them within the day, birds would take wing, and surely one of the river lords would want to curry favor with his father enough to take a hand. Tyrion was congratulating himself on his subtlety when someone pulled a hood down over his eyes and lifted him up onto a saddle. They set out through the rain at a hard gallop, and before long Tyrion's thighs were cramped and aching and his butt throbbed with pain. Even when they were safely away from the inn, and Catelyn Stark slowed them to a trot, it was a miserable pounding journey over rough ground, made worse by his blindness. Every twist and turn put him in danger of falling off his horse. The hood muffled sound, so he could not make out what was being said around him, and the rain soaked through the cloth and made it cling to his face, until even breathing was a struggle. The rope chafed his wrists raw and seemed to grow tighter as the night wore on. I was about to settle down to a warm fire and a roast fowl, and that wretched singer had to open his mouth, he thought mournfully. The wretched singer had come along with them. â€Å"There is a great song to be made from this, and I'm the one to make it,† he told Catelyn Stark when he announced his intention of riding with them to see how the  "splendid adventure† turned out. Tyrion wondered whether the boy would think the adventure quite so splendid once the Lannister riders caught up with them. The rain had finally stopped and dawn light was seeping through the wet cloth over his eyes when Catelyn Stark gave the command to dismount. Rough hands pulled him down from his horse, untied his wrists, and yanked the hood off his head. When he saw the narrow stony road, the foothills rising high and wild all around them, and the jagged snowcapped peaks on the distant horizon, all the hope went out of him in a rush. â€Å"This is the high road,† he gasped, looking at Lady Stark with accusation. â€Å"The eastern road. You said we were riding for Winterfell!† Catelyn Stark favored him with the faintest of smiles. â€Å"Often and loudly,† she agreed. â€Å"No doubt your friends will ride that way when they come after us. I wish them good speed.† Even now, long days later, the memory filled him with a bitter rage. All his life Tyrion had prided himself on his cunning, the only gift the gods had seen fit to give him, and yet this seven-times-damned she-wolf Catelyn Stark had outwitted him at every turn. The knowledge was more galling than the bare fact of his abduction. They stopped only as long as it took to feed and water the horses, and then they were off again. This time Tyrion was spared the hood. After the second night they no longer bound his hands, and once they had gained the heights they scarcely bothered to guard him at all. It seemed they did not fear his escape. And why should they? Up here the land was harsh and wild, and the high road little more than a stony track. If he did run, how far could he hope to go, alone and without provisions? The shadowcats would make a morsel of him, and the clans that dwelt in the mountain fastnesses were brigands and murderers who bowed to no law but the sword. Yet still the Stark woman drove them forward relentlessly. He knew where they were bound. He had known it since the moment they pulled off his hood. These mountains were the domain of House Arryn, and the late Hand's widow was a Tully, Catelyn Stark's sister . . . and no friend to the Lannisters. Tyrion had known the Lady Lysa slightly during her years at King's Landing, and did not look forward to renewing the acquaintance. His captors were clustered around a stream a short ways down the high road. The horses had drunk their fill of the icy cold water, and were grazing on clumps of brown grass that grew from clefts in the rock. Jyck and Morrec huddled close, sullen and miserable. Mohor stood over them, leaning on his spear and wearing a rounded iron cap that made him look as if he had a bowl on his head. Nearby, Marillion the singer sat oiling his woodharp, complaining of what the damp was doing to his strings. â€Å"We must have some rest, my lady,† the hedge knight Ser Willis Wode was saying to Catelyn Stark as Tyrion approached. He was Lady Whent's man, stiff-necked and stolid, and the first to rise to aid Catelyn Stark back at the inn. â€Å"Ser Willis speaks truly, my lady,† Ser Rodrik said. â€Å"This is the third horse we have lost—† â€Å"We will lose more than horses if we're overtaken by the Lannisters,† she reminded them. Her face was windburnt and gaunt, but it had lost none of its determination. â€Å"Small chance of that here,† Tyrion put in. â€Å"The lady did not ask your views, dwarf,† snapped Kurleket, a great fat oaf with short-cropped hair and a pig's face. He was one of the Brackens, a man-at-arms in the service of Lord Jonos. Tyrion had made a special effort to learn all their names, so he might thank them later for their tender treatment of him. A Lannister always paid his debts. Kurleket would learn that someday, as would his friends Lharys and Mohor, and the good Ser Willis, and the sellswords Bronn and Chiggen. He planned an especially sharp lesson for Marillion, him of the woodharp and the sweet tenor voice, who was struggling so manfully to rhyme imp with gimp and limp so he could make a song of this outrage. â€Å"Let him speak,† Lady Stark commanded. Tyrion Lannister seated himself on a rock. â€Å"By now our pursuit is likely racing across the Neck, chasing your lie up the kingsroad . . . assuming there is a pursuit, which is by no means certain. Oh, no doubt the word has reached my father . . . but my father does not love me overmuch, and I am not at all sure that he will bother to bestir himself.† It was only half a lie; Lord Tywin Lannister cared not a fig for his deformed son, but he tolerated no slights on the honor of his House. â€Å"This is a cruel land, Lady Stark. You'll find no succor until you reach the Vale, and each mount you lose burdens the others all the more. Worse, you risk losing me. I am small, and not strong, and if I die, then what's the point?† That was no lie at all; Tyrion did not know how much longer he could endure this pace. â€Å"It might be said that your death is the point, Lannister,† Catelyn Stark replied. â€Å"I think not,† Tyrion said. â€Å"If you wanted me dead, you had only to say the word, and one of these staunch friends of yours would gladly have given me a red smile.† He looked at Kurleket, but the man was too dim to taste the mockery. â€Å"The Starks do not murder men in their beds.† â€Å"Nor do I,† he said. â€Å"I tell you again, I had no part in the attempt to kill your son.† â€Å"The assassin was armed with your dagger.† Tyrion felt the heat rise in him. â€Å"It was not my dagger,† he insisted. â€Å"How many times must I swear to that? Lady Stark, whatever you may believe of me, I am not a stupid man. Only a fool would arm a common footpad with his own blade.† Just for a moment, he thought he saw a flicker of doubt in her eyes, but what she said was, â€Å"Why would Petyr lie to me?† â€Å"Why does a bear shit in the woods?† he demanded. â€Å"Because it is his nature. Lying comes as easily as breathing to a man like Littlefinger. You ought to know that, you of all people.† She took a step toward him, her face tight. â€Å"And what does that mean, Lannister?† Tyrion cocked his head. â€Å"Why, every man at court has heard him tell how he took your maidenhead, my lady.† â€Å"That is a lie!† Catelyn Stark said. â€Å"Oh, wicked little imp,† Marillion said, shocked. Kurleket drew his dirk, a vicious piece of black iron. â€Å"At your word, m'lady, I'll toss his lying tongue at your feet.† His pig eyes were wet with excitement at the prospect. Catelyn Stark stared at Tyrion with a coldness on her face such as he had never seen. â€Å"Petyr Baelish loved me once. He was only a boy. His passion was a tragedy for all of us, but it was real, and pure, and nothing to be made mock of. He wanted my hand. That is the truth of the matter. You are truly an evil man, Lannister.† â€Å"And you are truly a fool, Lady Stark. Littlefinger has never loved anyone but Littlefinger, and I promise you that it is not your hand that he boasts of, it's those ripe breasts of yours, and that sweet mouth, and the heat between your legs.† Kurleket grabbed a handful of hair and yanked his head back in a hard jerk, baring his throat. Tyrion felt the cold kiss of steel beneath his chin. â€Å"Shall I bleed him, my lady?† â€Å"Kill me and the truth dies with me,† Tyrion gasped. â€Å"Let him talk,† Catelyn Stark commanded. Kurleket let go of Tyrion's hair, reluctantly. Tyrion took a deep breath. â€Å"How did Littlefinger tell you I came by this dagger of his? Answer me that.† â€Å"You won it from him in a wager, during the tourney on Prince Joffrey's name day.† â€Å"When my brother Jaime was unhorsed by the Knight of Flowers, that was his story, no?† â€Å"It was,† she admitted. A line creased her brow. â€Å"Riders!† The shriek came from the wind-carved ridge above them. Ser Rodrik had sent Lharys scrambling up the rock face to watch the road while they took their rest. For a long second, no one moved. Catelyn Stark was the first to react. â€Å"Ser Rodrik, Ser Willis, to horse,† she shouted. â€Å"Get the other mounts behind us. Mohor, guard the prisoners—† â€Å"Arm us!† Tyrion sprang to his feet and seized her by the arm. â€Å"You will need every sword.† She knew he was right, Tyrion could see it. The mountain clans cared nothing for the enmities of the great houses; they would slaughter Stark and Lannister with equal fervor, as they slaughtered each other. They might spare Catelyn herself; she was still young enough to bear sons. Still, she hesitated. â€Å"I hear them!† Ser Rodrik called out. Tyrion turned his head to listen, and there it was: hoofbeats, a dozen horses or more, coming nearer. Suddenly everyone was moving, reaching for weapons, running to their mounts. Pebbles rained down around them as Lharys came springing and sliding down the ridge. He landed breathless in front of Catelyn Stark, an ungainly-looking man with wild tufts of rust-colored hair sticking out from under a conical steel cap. â€Å"Twenty men, maybe twenty-five,† he said, breathless. â€Å"Milk Snakes or Moon Brothers, by my guess. They must have eyes out, m'lady . . . hidden watchers . . . they know we're here.† Ser Rodrik Cassel was already ahorse, a longsword in hand. Mohor crouched behind a boulder, both hands on his iron-tipped spear, a dagger between his teeth. â€Å"You, singer,† Ser Willis Wode called out. â€Å"Help me with this breastplate.† Marillion sat frozen, clutching his woodharp, his face as pale as milk, but Tyrion's man Morrec bounded quickly to his feet and moved to help the knight with his armor. Tyrion kept his grip on Catelyn Stark. â€Å"You have no choice,† he told her. â€Å"Three of us, and a fourth man wasted guarding us . . . four men can be the difference between life and death up here.† â€Å"Give me your word that you will put down your swords again after the fight is done.† â€Å"My word?† The hoofbeats were louder now. Tyrion grinned crookedly. â€Å"Oh, that you have, my lady . . . on my honor as a Lannister.† For a moment he thought she would spit at him, but instead she snapped, â€Å"Arm them,† and as quick as that she was pulling away. Ser Rodrik tossed Jyck his sword and scabbard, and wheeled to meet the foe. Morrec helped himself to a bow and quiver, and went to one knee beside the road. He was a better archer than swordsman. And Bronn rode up to offer Tyrion a double-bladed axe. â€Å"I have never fought with an axe.† The weapon felt awkward and unfamiliar in his hands. It had a short haft, a heavy head, a nasty spike on top. â€Å"Pretend you're splitting logs,† Bronn said, drawing his longsword from the scabbard across his back. He spat, and trotted off to form up beside Chiggen and Ser Rodrik. Ser Willis mounted up to join them, fumbling with his helmet, a metal pot with a thin slit for his eyes and a long black silk plume. â€Å"Logs don't bleed,† Tyrion said to no one in particular. He felt naked without armor. He looked around for a rock and ran over to where Marillion was hiding. â€Å"Move over.† â€Å"Go away!† the boy screamed back at him. â€Å"I'm a singer, I want no part of this fight!† â€Å"What, lost your taste for adventure?† Tyrion kicked at the youth until he slid over, and not a moment too soon. A heartbeat later, the riders were on them. There were no heralds, no banners, no horns nor drums, only the twang of bowstrings as Morrec and Lharys let fly, and suddenly the clansmen came thundering out of the dawn, lean dark men in boiled leather and mismatched armor, faces hidden behind barred halfhelms. In gloved hands were clutched all manner of weapons: longswords and lances and sharpened scythes, spiked clubs and daggers and heavy iron mauls. At their head rode a big man in a striped shadowskin cloak, armed with a two-handed greatsword. Ser Rodrik shouted â€Å"Winterfell!† and rode to meet him, with Bronn and Chiggen beside him, screaming some wordless battle cry. Ser Willis Wode followed, swinging a spiked morningstar around his head. â€Å"Harrenhal! Harrenhal!† he sang. Tyrion felt a sudden urge to leap up, brandish his axe, and boom out, â€Å"Casterly Rock!† but the insanity passed quickly and he crouched down lower. He heard the screams of frightened horses and the crash of metal on metal. Chiggen's sword raked across the naked face of a mailed rider, and Bronn plunged through the clansmen like a whirlwind, cutting down foes right and left. Ser Rodrik hammered at the big man in the shadowskin cloak, their horses dancing round each other as they traded blow for blow. Jyck vaulted onto a horse and galloped bareback into the fray. Tyrion saw an arrow sprout from the throat of the man in the shadowskin cloak. When he opened his mouth to scream, only blood came out. By the time he fell, Ser Rodrik was fighting someone else. Suddenly Marillion shrieked, covering his head with his woodharp as a horse leapt over their rock. Tyrion scrambled to his feet as the rider turned to come back at them, hefting a spiked maul. Tyrion swung his axe with both hands. The blade caught the charging horse in the throat with a meaty thunk, angling upward, and Tyrion almost lost his grip as the animal screamed and collapsed. He managed to wrench the axe free and lurch clumsily out of the way. Marillion was less fortunate. Horse and rider crashed to the ground in a tangle on top of the singer. Tyrion danced back in while the brigand's leg was still pinned beneath his fallen mount, and buried the axe in the man's neck, just above the shoulder blades. As he struggled to yank the blade loose, he heard Marillion moaning under the bodies. â€Å"Someone help me,† the singer gasped. â€Å"Gods have mercy, I'm bleeding.† â€Å"I believe that's horse blood,† Tyrion said. The singer's hand came crawling out from beneath the dead animal, scrabbling in the dirt like a spider with five legs. Tyrion put his heel on the grasping fingers and felt a satisfying crunch. â€Å"Close your eyes and pretend you're dead,† he advised the singer before he hefted the axe and turned away. After that, things ran together. The dawn was full of shouts and screams and heavy with the scent of blood, and the world had turned to chaos. Arrows hissed past his ear and clattered off the rocks. He saw Bronn unhorsed, fighting with a sword in each hand. Tyrion kept on the fringes of the fight, sliding from rock to rock and darting out of the shadows to hew at the legs of passing horses. He found a wounded clansman and left him dead, helping himself to the man's halfhelm. It fit too snugly, but Tyrion was glad of any protection at all. Jyck was cut down from behind while he sliced at a man in front of him, and later Tyrion stumbled over Kurleket's body. The pig face had been smashed in with a mace, but Tyrion recognized the dirk as he plucked it from the man's dead fingers. He was sliding it through his belt when he heard a woman's scream. Catelyn Stark was trapped against the stone face of the mountain with three men around her, one still mounted and the other two on foot. She had a dagger clutched awkwardly in her maimed hands, but her back was to the rock now and they had penned her on three sides. Let them have the bitch, Tyrion thought, and welcome to her, yet somehow he was moving. He caught the first man in the back of the knee before they even knew he was there, and the heavy axehead split flesh and bone like rotten wood. Logs that bleed, Tyrion thought inanely as the second man came for him. Tyrion ducked under his sword, lashed out with the axe, the man reeled backward . . . and Catelyn Stark stepped up behind him and opened his throat. The horseman remembered an urgent engagement elsewhere and galloped off suddenly. Tyrion looked around. The enemy were all vanquished or vanished. Somehow the fighting had ended when he wasn't looking. Dying horses and wounded men lay all around, screaming or moaning. To his vast astonishment, he was not one of them. He opened his fingers and let the axe thunk to the ground. His hands were sticky with blood. He could have sworn they had been fighting for half a day, but the sun seemed scarcely to have moved at all. â€Å"Your first battle?† Bronn asked later as he bent over Jyck's body, pulling off his boots. They were good boots, as befit one of Lord Tywin's men; heavy leather, oiled and supple, much finer than what Bronn was wearing. Tyrion nodded. â€Å"My father will be so proud,† he said. His legs were cramping so badly he could scarcely stand. Odd, he had never once noticed the pain during the battle. â€Å"You need a woman now,† Bronn said with a glint in his black eyes. He shoved the boots into his saddlebag. â€Å"Nothing like a woman after a man's been blooded, take my word.† Chiggen stopped looting the corpses of the brigands long enough to snort and lick his lips. Tyrion glanced over to where Lady Stark was dressing Ser Rodrik's wounds. â€Å"I'm willing if she is,† he said. The freeriders broke into laughter, and Tyrion grinned and thought, There's a start. Afterward he knelt by the stream and washed the blood off his face in water cold as ice. As he limped back to the others, he glanced again at the slain. The dead clansmen were thin, ragged men, their horses scrawny and undersized, with every rib showing. What weapons Bronn and Chiggen had left them were none too impressive. Mauls, clubs, a scythe . . . He remembered the big man in the shadowskin cloak who had dueled Ser Rodrik with a two-handed greatsword, but when he found his corpse sprawled on the stony ground, the man was not so big after all, the cloak was gone, and Tyrion saw that the blade was badly notched, its cheap steel spotted with rust. Small wonder the clansmen had left nine bodies on the ground. They had only three dead; two of Lord Bracken's men-at-arms, Kurleket and Mohor, and his own man Jyck, who had made such a bold show with his bareback charge. A fool to the end, Tyrion thought. â€Å"Lady Stark, I urge you to press on, with all haste,† Ser Willis Wode said, his eyes scanning the ridgetops warily through the slit in his helm. â€Å"We drove them off for the moment, but they will not have gone far.† â€Å"We must bury our dead, Ser Willis,† she said. â€Å"These were brave men. I will not leave them to the crows and shadowcats.† â€Å"This soil is too stony for digging,† Ser Willis said. â€Å"Then we shall gather stones for cairns.† â€Å"Gather all the stones you want,† Bronn told her, â€Å"but do it without me or Chiggen. I've better things to do than pile rocks on dead men . . . breathing, for one.† He looked over the rest of the survivors. â€Å"Any of you who hope to be alive come nightfall, ride with us.† â€Å"My lady, I fear he speaks the truth,† Ser Rodrik said wearily. The old knight had been wounded in the fight, a deep gash in his left arm and a spear thrust that grazed his neck, and he sounded his age. â€Å"If we linger here, they will be on us again for a certainty, and we may not live through a second attack.† Tyrion could see the anger in Catelyn's face, but she had no choice. â€Å"May the gods forgive us, then. We will ride at once.† There was no shortage of horses now. Tyrion moved his saddle to Jyck's spotted gelding, who looked strong enough to last another three or four days at least. He was about to mount when Lharys stepped up and said, â€Å"I'll take that dirk now, dwarf.† â€Å"Let him keep it.† Catelyn Stark looked down from her horse. â€Å"And see that he has his axe back as well. We may have need of it if we are attacked again.† â€Å"You have my thanks, lady,† Tyrion said, mounting up. â€Å"Save them,† she said curtly. â€Å"I trust you no more than I did before.† She was gone before he could frame a reply. Tyrion adjusted his stolen helm and took the axe from Bronn. He remembered how he had begun the journey, with his wrists bound and a hood pulled down over his head, and decided that this was a definite improvement. Lady Stark could keep her trust; so long as he could keep the axe, he would count himself ahead in the game. Ser Willis Wode led them out. Bronn took the rear, with Lady Stark safely in the middle, Ser Rodrik a shadow beside her. Marillion kept throwing sullen looks back at Tyrion as they rode. The singer had broken several ribs, his woodharp, and all four fingers on his playing hand, yet the day had not been an utter loss to him; somewhere he had acquired a magnificent shadowskin cloak, thick black fur slashed by stripes of white. He huddled beneath its folds silently, and for once had nothing to say. They heard the deep growls of shadowcats behind them before they had gone half a mile, and later the wild snarling of the beasts fighting over the corpses they had left behind. Marillion grew visibly pale. Tyrion trotted up beside him. â€Å"Craven,† he said, â€Å"rhymes nicely with raven.† He kicked his horse and moved past the singer, up to Ser Rodrik and Catelyn Stark. She looked at him, lips pressed tightly together. â€Å"As I was saying before we were so rudely interrupted,† Tyrion began, â€Å"there is a serious flaw in Littlefinger's fable. Whatever you may believe of me, Lady Stark, I promise you this—I never bet against my family.†

The Dark Half by Stephen King essays

The Dark Half by Stephen King essays During the seventies, Stephen King wrote several stories under a pseudonym, Richard Bachman. Ten years later King incorporated the idea of a writer using a fake name in a novel called The Dark Half published by Penguin Books USA Inc. in 1989. It's the story of Thad Beaumont, a writer who lives in Ludlow, Maine. His "other" is George Stark, who writes crime novels about a killer named Alexis Machine. When it's learned that Thad Beaumont is really George Stark, he and his wife Elizabeth come up with a photo opportunity, a daylight burial of George. His tombstone at the local cemetery says it all: NOT A VERY NICE GUY. When he was 11, Thad Beaumont had to have surgery on his brain to remove what was thought to be a tumor. It turned out that the 'tumor' was something else. Thad is soon visited by Sheriff Alan Pangborn, asking questions about the mysterious murders that are going on. Somehow, Thads fingerprints are all over the crime scene. Pangborn soon learns why Thad had to have surgery when he was a kid and that he was twins. The unborn brother was absorbed into Thad and later removed from his skull when he was a boy. He had suffered from severe headaches, and it was originally thought to be a tumor causing them. Somehow, Stark resurrects himself and starts to kill everyone he believes is responsible for his "death".After Stark murders the people responsible for his death he makes contact with Thad. All Stark seems to want is for Thad to write another novel as his pseudonym, and he is going to go to any length to get him to do it. Thad experiences blackouts every now and then. Soon, he finds out that him and George share a telepathic bond. This explains how he can see George's murderous rampages, and how the two can telegraph pain to one another. This is a very good book that starts out a little too slow. The pace set at the start of the book doesn't really pick up like you might expect. As you start ...

Warfare in the High Skies

Warfare in the High Skies Abstract Etihad Airways and Emirates Airways are two rival airlines operating from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This proposal looks at several components of a research project designed to look at the elements of their marketing strategies, against the backdrop of their rivalry. The paper provides an analysis of the two companies and compares their marketing strategies.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Warfare in the High Skies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The paper also presents findings of previous research regarding international market entry and examines the different approaches that may be used by a company looking to establish itself into a foreign land. The paper closes by giving various recommendations to both Etihad and Emirates on how they can advance by learning from each other which may threaten the representativeness of the achieved sample. Introduction Etihad Airways and Emirates Airways are t wo rival airlines operating from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This proposal looks at several components of a research project designed to look at the elements of their marketing strategies, against the backdrop of their rivalry. As can be seen from table 1, the income from the airline business keeps fluctuating. Chart 1 and 2 also depict the results in the table graphically. Table 1: Summary of Airline Profits and Margin Item / Year 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Operating Revenue 291 295 305 328 307 306 321 378 413 452 490 514 Operating Expense 274 279 293 317 319 311 323 375 409 440 474 498 Operating Profit 17 16 12 11 -12 -5 -2 3 4 12 16 16 Operating Margin (%) 5.8 5.4 3.9 3.3 -3.9 -1.6 -0.6 0.8 1 2.6 3.3 3.1 Net Profit 8.5 8.2 8.5 3.7 -13 -11.3 -7.6 -5.6 -4.1 -0.5 5.6 5 Net Margin (%) 2.9 2.8 2.8 1.1 -4.2 -3.7 -2.4 -1.5 -1 -0.1 1.1 1 Chart 1: Summary of Airline Profits and Margin Chart 2: Trend of Changes over the YearsAdvertisi ng Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Aims and Objectives The aim of the study is to determine the factors affecting the choice of market entry models in the international market. Emirates Airlines and the Etihad Airlines have managed to break into international markets despite bitter domestic rivalry. This makes them the best candidates for the study. The objectives of the study will be as follows. To investigate the market entry models of Etihad Airlines and the Emirates Airlines. To investigate the defining elements and the implications of the rivalry between the Etihad Airlines and the Emirates Airlines. To determine the long term prospects of the two airlines in relation to their existing marketing strategies in the context of their rivalry Justification for the Topic Etihad Airways and Emirates Airlines are bitter rivals in the airline sector in the UAE. The two ai rlines have been competing for market share since the establishment of Etihad Airlines. The significant difference between these two airlines is that Etihad Airlines is much younger than Emirates Airlines. Despite this, Etihad Airlines is proving to be a strong competitor for leadership in the UAE airspace. The main question this leads to is â€Å"how can a young company take on an established company and become a fierce rival?† Secondly, â€Å"what marketing strategies do the two airlines use, and how do these strategies contribute towards their success?† Need for the Study The need to study the rivalry between Etihad Airlines and the Emirates Airlines comes from the following reasons. First, marketing determines the success or failure of any business. Therefore, the fact that Etihad Airlines and Emirates Airlines are each successful in their own right makes them ideal candidates for a study in marketing strategy. Secondly, Etihad Airlines has not yet broken even sinc e its inception, and it will take a few more years before it makes profits. Emirates Airlines has been making profits throughout its history. Does this situation stem from the marketing strategies of the two airlines? Thirdly, there is need to determine the long term prospects for the two airlines given their existing rivalry.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on Warfare in the High Skies specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Importance of the Study The importance of this study is that it will provide a platform for examining the effectiveness of marketing strategies under a situation of bitter rivalry. The two airlines position themselves as luxury airlines. They also provide services in very competitive routes across the global landscape. Their rivalry can end up with one of them collapsing and the other becoming a monopoly. On the other hand, each of the companies is a target of acquisition by its rival. These issues illustrate the importance of studying the marketing strategies of the two airlines in order to determine which one is likely to survive in the long term. The proposal aims to provide a good background to understand how the two competing companies operate, and how they can actually take advantage of their strengths to position themselves strategically in the market. Furthermore, the relevant data that will result from this study will be a very useful resource to both companies as they seek to expand their operations. Based on the outcome of this study, the two companies will be able to analyze their marketing strategies and make the necessary improvements where necessary in order to perform better. As the two companies have already made a move to penetrate the international market, this results of this study will provide them with information that is critical for their survival in an international set up. Besides, this study will be a good reference for future market researches or ev en for existing and potential airline companies. Sources of Information There are three main sources of data for this project. First, the project will examine existing data regarding the operations of the two airlines from literature. The study will also examine research papers written on various aspects of the operations of the two airlines. It will be important to interview people who use the airlines to determine the customer satisfaction indices. Finally, it will be important to study publications by the two companies to decipher their marketing strategies.Advertising Looking for term paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Literature Review Among other things, this section will examine the literature that exists regarding these two rival companies. The information gathered will later provide a good foundation for understanding how these two companies carry out their marketing operations and what the future holds for two. Defining Marketing According to critics, the marketing concept is about producing things that people do not really need and then tricking the customers into buying them through deceitful advertising. However, Shaw (2011) describes marketing as a complete philosophy for running a business, based on the meeting of well researched, well understood, and genuine customer requirements. It is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating, and satisfying customer requirements in a profitable manner (Shaw, 2011). Apparently, the use of the word anticipating in the definition emphasizes that marketing is a dynamic discipline, where customer requirements. According to Shaw (20 11), successful airlines are those that accept the principles of marketing should provide a framework for all they do, and set out to apply these principles as widely and as rigorously as possible. Background of Etihad Airlines and the Emirates Airlines Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, based in its capital Abu Dhabi, made its first commercial flight in November 2003 (Hausmann, Austin Mia, 2009). Since then, the airline has grown faster than any other in the commercial aviation history, currently serving more than 50 destinations in Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe, the Middle East, and North America. Etihad offers the highest standards of service and comfort both on the ground and in the air with world class cuisine, award winning flat beds in its premium cabins and the widest seats in the economy, as well as more than 500 hours of on-demand in-flight entertainment. Etihad operates a young and environmentally efficient fleet of at least 42 aircraft, which is set to continue growing (Hausmann, Austin Mia, 2009). The Emirates group consists of Emirates Airline, Dnata, Mercator, Transguard, and Emquest. Emirates Airline’s divisions include Emirates SkyCargo, and Emirates Destination and Leisure Management, which manages Emirates holidays, Arabian Adventures, and Emirates Hotels and Resorts. According to Hausmann, Austin and Mia (2009), Emirates operates services to 97 cities in 61 countries in Europe, America, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian sub content, and Asia-Pacific. The airplane’s wide bodied fleet comprises over 110 aircraft and it has on order, a further 112 aircraft worth more than US$ 30 (Hausmann, Austin Mia, 2009). Apparently, international sports sponsorship plays a central role in Etihad’s global marketing strategy, as it seeks to develop its profile in markets across the world. Major international sponsorship deals include the Ferrari F1 Grand Prix team, Chelsea Football Club, the Etihad S tadium, Harlequins Rugby Football club, and All Irish Hurling Champions. Etihad is the title sponsor of the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Hausmann, Austin Mia, 2009). According to Kleymann and Seristà ¶ (2004), Emirates Airlines is reluctant to join a global alliance as its existing relationships with OneWorld and the Star alliance, are providing good benefits and revenue streams. Emirates Airlines is concerned that a global alliance strategy may conflict with the development of Dubai International Airport as an Emirates hub. Apparently, the carrier is not sure that joining an alliance would make it a feeder airline for others. The Market for Air Transport Services Any airline which is to apply the principle of marketing successfully needs a thorough knowledge of current and potential markets for its services. This knowledge should encompass an understanding of the business in which they participate, and of the market research techniques they must apply in order to gain the knowledge they need about the market place. They must be able to identify customers and distinguish them from consumers. In addition, it is necessary for them to segment their markets. Once they have done so, they need to identify and prioritize the requirements of customers in each of the segments. Finally, and most importantly, they must examine their markets in a dynamic rather than a static sense and anticipate future changes in customer needs. To begin with, any airline first has to deal with the question as to which market or markets are to be studied. To do so, it must answer the fundamental question about the business or businesses in which it participates. In doing so, there are two possibilities. The first and obvious way is to define business participation in terms of what the firm does. Thus, it would be easy for an airline to say that it was a player in the aviation business. There is, however, a significant problem in doing so. It will result in a serious under estimation of both the extent and nature of the competition that the airline faces. As a consequence, defining business in this manner is often characterized as marketing myopia. A much better way is to look at the question from the point of view of the needs that the firm is aiming to satisfy and the competition that it faces. A large airline will be working in at least the transport, communication, and leisure areas. These are explained as follows. Transportation According to Shaw (2011), there is a clear economic and, often social need for transport. Those with this need will look for it to be satisfied in an optimum way. Whether use is made of air transport or a surface transport mode in order to do so is less important to them. There are now many short haul routes where surface transport can provide a level of service in terms of comfort and door to door journey times which is as good as or better than that available from airlines. In the future, this form of competition is likely to become even more marked, given the ambitious investment plans now in place in many countries for the improvement of surface, especially rail, transport. Communication Airlines have always assisted people to communicate, as travel allows opportunities for face to face meetings. It should not be assumed any longer, though, that travel is essential for such meetings to take place. The world is under going a revolution based on video conferencing, conference calling, and email. The future will see video conferencing becoming even cheaper, of better quality, and more widely available. More companies are now investing in video conferencing suits for their staff. Also, almost all personal computers are being sold with in built web cameras, allowing video conferencing to come to the desk top. These are all indicators of substantial amount of competition that airlines are already facing from the telecommunications industry. Seemingly, the degree of this competition will increase further in the future, especially during recessionary times when many firms are under acute pressure to save money. Leisure Airlines today are increasingly involved in the intensely competitive leisure industry. Customers have to decide how they will use both their disposal income and disposable time. Disposable income can be used to purchase holidays. It can, though, also be used to buy a wide range of other consumer items. Disposable leisure time can be used for taking of air based holidays. In the same way, it can be used for other leisure activities. It certainly will be if traveling by air becomes a tiresome experience through flight delays and more and more chaotic airport handling brought about by increasing congestion, more strikes and growing security requirements. For leisure travelers, the impact of surface transport competition is likely to be greater still. Besides competition on service quality, surface operators will be able to challenge airlines on price, with both train and bus services likely to become increasingly significant. The customer in such a situation might be the family member who has most influence in travel decisions. International Entry Strategies As companies face maturing markets and stiffening domestic competition, they show a growing interest in cross border initiatives. Many of today’s leading companies are making foreign market entry decisions on a fairly recurring basis whereas others are taking their first steps in this competitive arena. For example, Best Buy, the world’s largest electronics specialist, continues to internationalize, with market entries into emerging markets such as Mexico and Turkey, and mature markets such as the UK (Carpenter Shankar, 2012). The world’s largest company, Wal-Mart, also actively pursues new foreign operations. As of March 2011, Wal-Mart operated 4587 units in 14 countries outside the USA. The most recently entered market was India, where Wal-Mart runs a wholesale operation under joint venture with India based Bharti Enterprises. So as not to be undone by their Western rivals, rising companies from emerging markets such as Tata Motors and Lenovo are also diligently cultivating a global mindset. India based Tata, for example, recently acquired Jaguar/Land Rover, China’s Geely took over Volvo, and Lenovo bought IBM’s personal computer division. The success of these foreign entries obviously depends on the appropriateness of the firm’s post entry decisions, but may also depend on the strategic choice made at the time of entry, as they shape the platform from which competitive advantages can be gained. Here, we will reflect on both the antecedents and performance consequences of some of the most important decisions that have to be taken at the time of entry. These decisions include; country selection, timing, mode, scale of entry, and the level of adaptation and standardization. As observed by Carpenter Shankar (2012), marke t entry decisions are some of a firm’s most risky strategic choices, as international market entry requires a major commitment of financial and managerial resources. For most firms, it remains uncertain as to whether a large scale presence will ever materialize in the hoped for economies of scale. In a similar way, they wonder when it is best to enter a given market or how much a firm should adapt its concept such as brands, products, and store format, to local taste or whether similar entry strategies will prove to be optimal in mature and emerging markets. This uncertainty helps to explain the variability observed in entry strategies adopted by international players, even within the same industry. Considering that entry decisions remain difficult, managers often turn to prevailing practices in the industry to learn which decisions are good, or even best. Competitive entry decisions are monitored closely, providing a significant input in the decision process. However, the wi de variation in the year of entry, in the scale and mode of entry and in the extent of standardization indicates that this does not imply a mere copying of the most popular pattern. Rather, industry rules suggest different entry decisions contingent on external and internal conditions. Besides looking into the above antecedents of these decisions, here are some insights into the contribution of different strategic choices at entry on post entry performance, especially in the longer run. In spite of this growing extent of internationalization, several firms are still struggling to develop the competencies needed to compete in the global arena. Mixed success has been reported when expanding into the foreign markets. Clearly dominating the US retail market, Wal-Mart’s attempts to apply the company’s proven US formula in an unmodified manner to the German market turned out to be nothing short of a fiasco. Moreover, many international companies do not realize comparable mar gins or returns abroad as in their home market, an a few reach break even in their international. For example, the French retail giant Carrefour loses money in many of its European and cross continental markets. In 2010, Carrefour decided to sell off its 61 supermarkets in Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, and focus on markets where it is either the market leader or a strong contender. Overall, firms favor countries with a large prospective customer base as such markets offer better opportunities for good returns. As for scale, several potential indicators are used to assess the potential attractiveness of the market. The indicators a company selects are to a large degree driven by the strategic objectives spelt out in the company’s global mission. Some indicators are derived from macroeconomic trends, others from consumer behavior and culture. Colgate Palmolive, for example, views per capita purchasing power as a major driver behind market opportunities. Starbucks looks at economic indicators, the size of the population, and whether the company can locate good joint venture partners. When choosing markets for a particular product, the metrics to consider should depend on the nature of the product and the way local consumers use and perceive this product. Proctor Gamble chose Malaysia and Singapore as the first markets in Asia for roll out of Febreze, a fabric odor remover. Not only were both markets known for home proud consumers, people there tend to furnish their homes heavily with fabrics. A company might also decide to enter a particular country that is considered as a trendsetter in the industry. Kodak, for example, re-entered the digital camera market in Japan precisely for that reason. According to the president of Kodak Japan, what happens in Japan eventually happens in the rest of the world. The critical role of market size in country selection is supported by several empirical studies. Given that there are several measures to proxy market s ize, the selection of the proper variable is important. A study of the Finnish software enterprises found that the size of the software market in the target country was the most important country selection factor, not GDP or per capita GDP. Apart from the current size, also the future growth prospects are a key consideration. For example, the growth of the middle class is an important driver for many grocery retailers to enter emerging economies. Distance is another selection criterion. Like scale, distance is a multi attribute dimension. It encompasses geographical, cultural, economic and administrative distance (Carpenter Shankar, 2012). All of these criteria will determine how similar a prospective host and home market are. In general, the more similar both markets are, the more likely a firm will enter the prospective host market. One way to capture or quantify the firm’s knowledge of the economic and cultural environment is through the notion of near market knowledge. T he near market knowledge concept enables a firm’s understanding of potential new markets is based on the knowledge generated from operating in similar markets. Administrative distance and hurdles also play a role in a firm’s country selection process. Tariffs, trade quota, restrictions on foreign direct investment and preferences to protect domestic competition by prospective host countries’ governments will directly impede a firm from selecting a country as potential new market. On the other hand, when administrative borders erode, cross border diffusion will accelerate. Generally, the importance of distance tends to evolve as the firm gains more international experience. As the firm gathers more internal expertise, it can expand into countries that are geographically or culturally more distant. For example, Starbucks opened its first store in Canada in 1987, Wal-Mart chose Mexico as its first market outside the US for the launch of the Xbox 360 game console (C arpenter Shankar, 2012). When operating in similar countries, it is hoped that relevant knowledge can be transferred from one country to another. Tracking competitors’ moves also plays an important role in country selection. As firms meet their competitors more and more in several different international markets, the mere presence of those rivals can become an important selection criterion. Dynamics of Entry Strategies The impact of an entry decision can change over time. Some decisions will have along term impact, while in other cases their effect will be relatively short lived. Moreover, the importance of certain factors can change as firms grow more familiar with foreign operations. For example, as the firm builds more international experience, the cultural or economic distance to the home country may become less of an impediment. A study of the international expansion paths of US service firms found that as their international experience increases, these firms indeed see k out markets that are geographically and culturally more distant. An important factor in this evolution is the firm’s ability to transfer knowledge across countries. Conventional wisdom appears to be that firms should gradually enter into more remote countries, where each time, one’s knowledge base is updated in a rather incremental fashion and without major shocks. However, at some point, the firm may adopt an alternative strategy to immediately go to a variety of vastly different target markets, in order to quickly enrich its base through a wide variety of experiences. The former corresponds to a waterfall strategy, while the latter is associated with a sprinkler strategy of international expansion. Firms may also adapt their entry mode over time. The drivers that resulted in the initial entry mode selection tend to evolve over time. As a result, the firm may feel the urge to switch its presence mode. Conventional wisdom suggests that firms progressively move to gre ater control modes. For instance, Starbucks initially entered China through three joint ventures covering different regions. Over time, the firm raised its control in three ventures. In 2006, the coffee chain increased its ownership in the North China partnership to 90 percent so that it could achieve greater operational efficiencies and accelerate its market expansion. So far, scant attention has been paid to the dynamics of entry mode choices. The limited research that dies exist has primarily focused on the antecedents of an internationalization mode change and, not so much on the performance consequences. Finally, while previous research has often focused on the scale of the initial entry, interesting research opportunities are present when studying the subsequent evolution in the investments in different countries, especially for companies with an extended country portfolio. Indeed, trade offs have to be made then on where to grow first. This may require divestments in other co untries, even when the operations in the latter are profitable as well. More and more are no longer confined to their local market, but extend their operations across multiple countries. This involves considerable risks, as major decisions with long lasting performance implications need to be made under considerable uncertainty. Indeed, various decisions have to be made when entering foreign markets, including the selection of the target countries, the timing, the scale and mode of entry, and the extent of standardization versus local adaptation. Throughout this section, relevant literature has been reviewed on these decisions. More attention should be given to capture simultaneously the impact of certain variables on both the selection decision and the subsequent post entry performance of the foreign venture. One concern in addressing this challenge is that researchers usually restrict their samples to countries that the firm decided to enter. Typically, information on the firmâ₠¬â„¢s consideration set of countries at the time of the entry decision is ignored, thereby creating potential sample selection biases. Still, one could envision modeling the selection issue and incorporating it in the performance evaluation. By looking simultaneously at an outcome and selection equation, less biased results may be obtained with respect to the relative importance of the various selection criteria. Although the discussion in this section has concentrated on international entry strategies, exist in global marketing are not uncommon. In 2001, Colgate Palmolive sold its laundry detergent brands in Mexico to Henkel, its German competitor. In 2006, Wal-Mart retreated twice in a row. The company first sold its stores in South Korea and then, barely two months later, it also sold its German stores to Metro. Similarly, Nokia, the world’s largest mobile phone maker, decided to stop making phones for the Japanese market in 2008. However, the literature on market exits is much more limited than on market entries. Initially, firm exits were mostly described as failures, with a focus on poor market shares, low profitability, or lack of financial resources. More recently, more strategic motives have also been identified, such as the need to exit because of a lack of a lack of strategic fit, restructuring, and other proactive moves. Within the more resource based view of the firm, divestments are then described as a move towards the core business by getting rid of non core assets, while portfolio theory has focused on how firms may want to realign their country portfolio to optimally exploit market opportunities. In line with the entry literature, the antecedents and performance consequences for the firms as a whole should be investigated in more detail, so that we can learn when exits may benefit the firm or when they made in vain. As such, one should consider both economic costs of exit, including the sunk costs made during entry that will not be reco vered, and the more strategic costs coming from the ties between the subsidiary that has to be divested and the rest of the firm’s network. Market Entry Modes of Etihad and Emirates Airlines One of the approaches that used by Etihad to penetrate new market us is by forming new alliances. One of the major reasons why alliances are created is to strengthen a company’s position in the market. By forming alliances, Etihad will be able to take advantage of the network created by collaborating partners. Eventually, this leads to reduced operation costs. Emirates and Virgin, however, refused to form an alliance based on the fact that they had distinct products and were, therefore, convinced that working separately offered the solution. The two companies felt that the incremental benefits of global alliance membership do not justify the costs involved in joining. When the Director of External Affairs and route planning of Virgin Atlanta was asked about the possibility of his c ompany entering an alliance, he answered that there had been no need to join any alliance so far (Iatrou Oretti, 2007). Apparently, the Director was convinced beyond doubt that the main advantage of not joining an alliance was flexibility, adding that although he could not point to any particular hard benefit, he also believed that by not having to pay alliance subscription fees or dedicate management time to alliance meetings, Virgin had lower costs. The benefits of joining an alliance are outweighed by staying independent. There is no need to consult anyone regarding timetables or fleet schedules. According to Emirates, the most negative aspects of alliances are slow decision making and compromises members of an alliance are required to make, causing them to settle for the lowest common denominator. Emirates further claims that alliances become bureaucracy laden and divert members’ attention from their core business which is considered an unhealthy situation for forward lo oking and progressive carriers. It is, however, assumed that the growing strength of close competitors such as Qatar Airways and Etihad Airways may at sometime influence its future decisions. Even though Emirates prefer to operate in isolation, the airline acknowledges that alliances are good and is, thus, still open to the idea of forming alliances. As explained earlier, Etihad’s performance has been spectacular despite having been in existence for only a short period of time in comparison to Emirates. Clearly, Etihad, is not afraid to venture into new grounds and this explains why its performance is the way it is. It may be necessary for Emirates to rethink their operational strategy. According to Iatrou Oretti (2007), alliance carriers retain a host of bilateral relations with non member airlines and there are several instances of code sharing between members of rival global alliances. Once the shape of global alliances becomes clearer and more stable, and they grow more exclusive in nature, member airlines may find it difficult to grandfather existing agreements at the time of joining or develop new ones with carriers belonging to a different grouping. Furthermore, should existing coalitions proceed towards deeper integration and start achieving meaningful revenue enhancements and cost reductions it would eventually tip the scale in favor of alliances, increasing their competitive advantages and desirability. Such developments could put extra pressure on the unaligned airlines such as Emirates to re-evaluate their approach towards multilateral partnerships. Etihad also markets itself by offering high quality standards of products and services. Etihad also takes advantage of international sports sponsorship to penetrate the global marketing, as it seeks to develop its profile in markets across the world. As noted elsewhere in this paper, major international sponsorship deals include the Ferrari F1 Grand Prix team, Chelsea Football Club, the Etihad S tadium, Harlequins Rugby Football club, and All Irish Hurling Champions. Etihad is the title sponsor of the Formula One Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Hausmann, Austin Mia, 2009). In spite of it being a negative approach to forward progression, avoiding alliance membership has bee supported by other airlines as well. This is an expression of the desire to prevent the alliance from taking too much influence over one’s airline. For example, in the aftermath of the failed integration between KLM and British Airways in mid 2000, the Chief Executive Officer of KLM resorted to stressing his airlines capabilities to go it alone, thereby implicitly down playing the absolute need for an alliance with a competitor. During the discussions with British Airways, KLM has successfully continued on the development and profitability of the airline company. Frequently, the reluctance to integrate too tightly was defined with the fact that alliance membership had really nothing to offer or that up to now, the alliance scene is still considered to be too unstable, or less frequently, because alliancing as such was seen as inherently detrimental to the airline. Generally, it is smaller carriers that have been quick to acknowledge integration. As to outright alliance avoidance, non aligned carriers tended openly to justify their choices of avoiding alliance group membership. As noted earlier, Emirates Airlines is still not ready to join a global alliance as its existing relationships with both the OneWorld and the Star alliance are providing good benefits and revenue streams. Emirates corporate treasurer is, however, concerned that a global alliance strategy may jeopardize its chances of becoming the Emirates hub at Dubai International. Methodology Basically, this study will be based on primary and secondary information sources. Firstly, the literature review will be carried out by consulting books, journals, the Internet, and other relevant sources. Secondly, primary data will be acquired by means of questionnaires. In addition, case studies from the United Arab Emirates will be used to complement the practical part of this research. Research Design and Data Collection Instruments The approach for the study will be quantitative analysis. As has already been stated above, questionnaires will be used for gathering primary data. Other techniques that may be useful for this study are interviews and focused group discussions. These data collection instruments are explained in the subsequent sub sections. Questionnaires Questionnaires are the most frequently used methods for data collection. They provide a method of collecting data by asking people questions or asking them to agree or disagree with statements representing different points. Questions can be open ended, where respondents supply their own answers, or closed ended, where they select from a list of provided answers (Babbie, 2000). According to Gillham (2000), questionnaires are rarely ade quate as a research method on their own. Apparently, this is true of every research methods, especially when one is dealing with a complex real world situation. Generally, the format of a questionnaire can influence the quality of the data collected. A clear format for contingency questions is necessary to ensure that the respondents answer all questions intended for them. It is also possible that the order of items in the questionnaire can influence the response given. Before being administered to the study sample, it is imperative to pretest the questionnaires (Babbie, 2000). The items in a questionnaire are constructed to elicit information on attributes, attitudes, beliefs, reported behavior, health status, knowledge, or psychological traits or states. Respondents may be asked to respond to items on a past, present or predicted timescale. Each item might provide a response that is analyzed individually or be one of a number of items that collectively constitute a measurement sca le on some concept or variable. It should be noted that, in contrast to the measurement of physical quantities such as weight, or distance, the process of measurement involved with such composite scales is not direct. A good questionnaire takes time and skill to construct, and its content and structure should be consistent with the research questions or hypotheses of the study. In general, a questionnaire might comprise all close ended items or might incorporate a portion of open ended items. Questionnaires produce quantitative data for the most part though those that include open ended items will generate some qualitative data, but of less detail and much depth than that obtained by an unstructured interview. The principle alternative to questionnaire is the interview. Questionnaires tend to be classified according to their mode of delivery, whereas interviews are classified in terms of their degree of structure. Although questionnaires are self-completed, they can also be research er completed. Although typically administered by post, a self completed questionnaire might be handed to a group of respondents whom the researcher might hand deliver the questionnaires to the respondents’ homes. Questionnaires have the advantage of saving time. They are also less costly unlike interviews and focused groups. However, where questionnaires are used, the researcher does not get the opportunity to provide any clarifications. To deal with this challenge, it will be necessary to ensure that the questions are properly prepared. Any ambiguity will only serve to confuse the respondents. In addition to the general strengths and weaknesses of self completed questionnaires, there are some specific advantages and disadvantages of postal administration. On the positive side, the cost of this method of delivery is about half that of the telephone administration and a quarter that of face to face administration. The lack of interviewer costs which include recruiting, trainin g, and monitoring, is a particular advantage in this respect. A study using postal questionnaires takes about the same length of time to execute regardless of sample size or geographical spread. Furthermore, the geographical dispersion of respondents does not normally affect the cost, in contrast to methods that require telephone or especially face to face contact. A postal questionnaire can also be delivered to the whole sample at the same time. In addition, it can be completed at recipients’ own convenient time, and allows them to provide information that may not be readily available. A practical draw back of postal administration is that the researcher requires a list of postal addresses, or access to respondents through a third party such as a professional body or charitable organization, in which case, the researcher often has no direct control over follow up to non responders. A further problem is that postal questionnaires can be subject to higher non response rates th an other means of administering questionnaires. If open ended items are included, in a postal questionnaire, the answers obtained are usually shorter and less in depth than with face to face or telephone interviews. Whatever their intended mode of delivery, questionnaires should be piloted. Table 2 shows the advantages and disadvantages of self completed questionnaires. Table 2: Advantages and Disadvantages of Self – Completed Questionnaires Advantages Disadvantages Easy to complete, if well constructed and presented in a way suited to the target Developing a well constructed questionnaire that produces valid and reliable data is difficult Suitable for topics for which fixed response options can be determined Of limited use for topics where the nature or form of responses cannot be predicted, or for complex issues can not be broken down into a series of simple questions Suitable for gathering much the same information from respondents Less suited to situations where different categories of information are required from different types of respondents since this would entail undue structural complexity in the questionnaire The form in which information is gained from each respondent is usually the same, facilitating comparative analysis across respondents Participants answers are largely constrained to fixed response options which may not be wholly appropriate or comprehensive with limited scope to qualify their answers or introduce issues of their own Can gather somewhat superficial data economically form a large number of individuals The researcher can not explore issues in depth by seeking clarification or elaboration Questions can be worded to include a retrospective time frame for the response May be inappropriate when spontaneous responses are required since the respondents are first required to read and understand the questions asked The language as well the terminology are the same for all respondents Require a minimum common leve l of literacy and comprehension and there is a potential for bias if the questionnaire has to be translated for some participants Anonymity of the respondents is easy to guarantee, and this encourages to be fully cooperate There is little guarantee as to where, when, by whom, and in what order the questionnaire is completed The reactive effects of direct contact between the researcher and participants are avoided The wording and structure of individual items may lead to biased responses, and hence unreliable results Data, particularly those deriving from closed ended questions are relatively easy to analyze and a detailed analysis procedure can be determined in advance. It can be difficult to interpret missing data or inconsistent or ambiguous responses. There is no opportunity to query the actual meaning of individual responses Interviews An interview may be defined as a conversation between interviewers and interviewees with the purpose of eliciting certain information. T hey may be carried out face to face or by telephone (Sim Wright, 2000). The essential characteristic of interviews is that they be neutral. Interviewers must be carefully trained to be familiar with the questionnaire, to follow the question wording, and question order exactly, and to record responses exactly as they are given. The advantage of interviews is that the interviewer can provide some guidance in case a respondent is not sure of what is expected of him or her. Interviews can, however, yield compromised results, especially when the interviewer is biased. Focus Group Discussions Focus groups are groups made up of a small number of people, coming together, to address a specific issue. Although this approach guarantees credible results, it has the disadvantage of being very costly. According to Sim and Wright (2000), focus group discussions have been in the tool kit of social scientists for some time now. In more recent decades, the use of the focus group discussions has incr eased amongst some areas of research as a tool to inform policy and practice. For example, focus group discussions have been used in health and behavioral research, strategic planning, health promotion, policy development, and programme evaluation (Holloway 2008). The increased use of focus group discussions is partly due to a broader acceptability of qualitative methods in these disciplines, but also due to a greater emphasis on the inclusion of qualitative methods in mixed method research designs, to respond to research issues not accessible by quantitative approaches. This more recent emphasis on integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches has ben encouraged by research funding bodies and has led to a renewed focus of raining in missed method research design for post graduate students in academic institutions. The increased use of focus group discussions has led to a greater number and variety of researchers using the method. Focus group discussions are also being applied in a greater variety of settings than in the past. In particular focus group discussions are often used in international research, particularly in developing country contexts. Despite the broader application of the focus group discussion in a wide variety of contexts, much of the existing methodological literature is written with an implicit assumption that the method is being applied only in western developed country context. For this research, questionnaires will be used to collect primary data. The method has strategically been selected because it is quicker than the other data collection methods. In addition, questionnaire will cost much less than either the interviews or focused group discussions. They will also make it possible to reach a bigger number of respondents (Rivera 2007). The questionnaire designed for the research is included under appendix 1. Findings and Conclusion Most airlines have a competitive strategy embodying the type of value they intend delivering. Its c hoice of competitive strategy is reflected in each carrier’s operating strategy. However, the performance associated with an opening strategy depends largely on benefits earned from delivering expected benefits to targeted customers and on costs incurred delivering those benefits. According to airlines have annual revenues of approximately half a trillion dollars and employ over 2 million people. They directly support another 2.9 million jobs at the airport and civil aerospace manufacturers, and may indirectly support in excess of 15 million jobs in tourism. From the discussion presented in this paper, it is obvious that market penetration is not an easy task. It is, therefore, important for each of the airlines to ensure that a good marketing plan is followed by everyone. Although the two airlines focus on different standards of operation, they can each learn form each other, eventually leading improved services. Although Emirates airline does not care about forming alliance s, it will be necessary for the airline to consider forming alliances in order to take advantage of the structures that have been put in place. A key issue is the enhanced competition in the airline industry. There is an obvious polarization between luxury between luxury and low cost brands which will progress. This means that not only does LCC detract market share of established airlines but are also previous middle class airlines will entering the high class market segment. Clearly, both Etihad and Emirates are competing to offer better services to clients and increase their profits. However, the competition will only serve to make the airlines fail to operate smoothly. Rather than compete against each other, it would be beneficial for both airlines to learn good practices from each other in order to progress and go even further. References Babbie, E. R. (2010). The Basics of Social Research. Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. Carpenter, G. S., Shankar, V. (2012). Handbook of Marketi ng Strategy. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing. Gillham, B. (2000). Developing a Questionnaire. New York, NY: Continuum International Publishing Group. Hausmann, R., Austin, E. L., Mia, I. (2009).The Mexico Competitiveness Report 2009. Geneva, Switzerland: World Economic Forum. Holloway, S. (2008). Straight and Level: Practical Airline Economics. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, Limited. Iatrou, K., Oretti, M. (2007). Airline Choices for the Future: From Alliances to Mergers. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, Limited. Kleymann, B., Seristà ¶, H. (2004). Managing Strategic Airline Alliances. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, Limited. Rivera, M. M., Rivera, R. V. (2007). Thesis Dissertation Writing. Quezon City, Philippines: Goodwill Trading Co., Inc. Shaw, S. (2011). Airline Marketing and Management. Burlington, VT: Ashgate Publishing, Limited. Sim, J., Wright, C. (2000). Research in Health Care: Concepts, Designs and Methods. Cheltenham, UK: Nelson Thornes. Appe ndix: Questionnaire Part A: Demographics Kindly answer the following questions by ticking (√) against your preferred choice (s). Please Indicate your position in the organization Marketing Manager Sales Executive Flight Attendant Any other? Please specify How long have you worked for the airline? Less than 1 year 1 2 years 2 3 Years More than 3 Years How long have you worked at your current position? Less than 1 year 1 2 years 2 3 Years More than 3 Years Part B: Market Entry Models In your opinion, which of the following is the most effective mode of entry into a new foreign market? (Please circle the number closest to your choice) Most Effective Effective Least Effective (a) Joint ventures 5 4 3 2 1 (b) Alliances 5 4 3 2 1 (c) Direct Investment 5 4 3 2 1 Part C: Multinational Experience In your opinion, does the company generate a huge income from foreign investments? (Please tick (√) one of the following) Strongly Agree Agree Do not Ag ree Disagree Strongly How capable do you think your firm is in terms of technological, managerial, and financial capabilities to handle international expansion? (Please tick (√) one of the following) Not Fully Prepared Prepared Somehow Fully Prepared Part D: Ability to Develop Differential Products How do you rate your firm’s training program in terms of preparing personnel to conduct international business? (Circle the number closest to your view) Most Effective Effective Least Effective (a) The firm has well designed training programs 5 4 3 2 1 (b) The firm has a poorly structured training programs that can not full prepare personnel to conduct international business 5 4 3 2 1 How do you rate your firms potential to create new and creatively structured products? (Please tick (√) one of the following) Poor Excellent Not Sure Part E: Ability to Stay ahead of Competitors How would rate your firms ability to handle the fierce competition in the airline industry? (Please tick (√) one of the following) Most Effective Effective Least Effective Part F: Government Policies and Political Environment What do you think is the attitude of government toward foreign investment in general? (Please tick (√) one of the following) Supportive Not Supportive Not Sure Do you think that the political, social, and economic conditions in the potential foreign investment markets are stable? (Please tick (√) one of the following) Strongly Agree Agree Do not Agree Disagree Strongly Part G: Contractual Risk How would you rate the costs associated with making and enforcing foreign contracts? (Please tick (√) one of the following) Very Costly Costly Not Costly Do you think that your firm’s standards of quality will be maintained if the firm operated jointly with local companies in the foreign market? (Please tick (√) one of the following) Strongly Agree Agree Do not Agree Disagree Strongly In your opinion, do you think there are any risks associated with the dissipation or misuse of your firm’s proprietary knowledge if you operated jointly with local companies in the foreign market? (Please tick (√) one of the following) Strongly Agree Agree Do not Agree Disagree Strongly