Child Soldiers Problem

Discussion Any individual under age 18 who belongs to armed group or forces, whether or not there is an armed conflict, is considered to be a child soldier. This is defined by the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child which defines a child as any person under the age of 18 (Small Arms Survey 204).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Child Soldiers Problem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Children do not need necessarily be combatants to be seen as members of or attached armed groups. They may do other functions, both military and non-military, involving spying, sabotage, training, acting as couriers, decoys, guards, sexual slaves, forced labor and others (Small Arms Survey 204). Whereas some children are recruited voluntarily, others are forcibly recruited and may be serving against their will. The line between voluntary and forced recruitment is blurred. This paper discusses literature on the type of i ntolerance displayed by child soldiers, how child soldiers appear to view their own methods, and why intolerant groups (child soldiers) react so strongly to the group it assaults (Machel 40). What type Of Intolerance are Displayed due to child soldiering? Children may be subjected to numerous political, social and economic challenges that offer them with little alternative than to join armed forces voluntarily. Resultant consequences of the child soldier include psychological trauma, death, drug addiction, social alienation, disability, pregnancy, sexuality transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, and others (Hamm 260). Most countries allow children under the age of 18 to participate in war which violates international conventions that safeguard the rights of children. Child soldiers get exposed to mental and physical problems during war because of their participation in direct combat or by living in or near war zones. The use of children as child soldiers presents serious human rig hts violations as these children get exposed to death during conflict. This deprives them of their basic right to life. Other children are denied their liberty, that is warring groups forcibly recruit them, separating them from their families against their wills. Majority of these children are tortured and treated inhumanely by warring groups with which they serve. Some are forced to murder or torture others causing them severe psychological effects. All these children are deprived of their normal childhood (Graca 57). How does intolerant group (Child Soldiers) appear to View its own methods? By involving themselves in war that destroys society, child soldiers view the actions to have victimized their society and view themselves to have taken part in its destruction.Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a result of these actions, society develops intense resentment over t he way these children had treated them. It is not easy to point out reason why and how in many countries children are involved in armed conflicts. Many countries continue to enlist by force into their armed forces in spite of international agreements (Small Arms Survey 205). Statistics in the number of children used as soldiers vary from country to country. In Mozambique, for instance, between 8,000 and 10,000 children were abducted in mid 1980s by the Mozambique National resistance and compelled to be child soldiers. This armed group forced recruits to murder people they knew so that community becomes aware who the killers were. The aim was to isolate these children from their society and ensure their loyalty to their abductors. These actions negated the possibility of affected children to reintegrate back to their communities. Therefore, child soldiers for these reasons appear to view its methods of violence to be subject to the whims of their abductors (Machel 72). Presently, it is a widespread phenomenon to find children being used as child soldiers. The media has highlighted small boys and girls battling in many war fronts. In addition, several individual and organizations working with rights groups have made the problem known. Many people today are more aware of child exploitation than ever before. Child rights and international human Rights organizations have estimated about 300,000 children under age of 18 to be involved in armed conflicts around the world (Hamm 259). Wanton abuse of human dignity and human rights of these children have been reported during the process of recruitment or abduction. They get exposed to permanent physical and mental incapacitation or risk their lives in fighting. There are a number of factors which impact children’s decision to become or not to become a child soldier. These factors include existence of war and conflict, deterioration of civil society, erosion of traditional values and family structures, scarcity of educational facilities and basic social amenities, adverse poverty, and others (Graca 62). Why does Intolerant Group react so strongly to the Group it Attacks? Child soldiers react strongly to the groups for a number of reasons: 1) when being recruited, child soldiers are taught to take orders without questioning. Their personal feelings and actions are subordinate to their commanders.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Child Soldiers Problem specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They are bound by the subjective factors of the group. Their reactions are dependent on the nature of the leadership of armed groups, background and orientation. Many of them are subjected to commit atrocities against their wills; 2) children join armed conflicts for revenge purposes. They get recruited to kill, rape, loot and commit other despicable vices because their dear ones were killed or maimed; 2) intolerant groups (child sold iers) also react strongly to groups they assault because of the neglect, abuses, exploitation, inhuman and degrading treatments they have been exposed to by society. It mainly involves individual factors of child abuse in a family, need to have a sense of belonging, heroism, and revenge. They live with pent up emotions which they aggressively relieve when they assault members of society; and others (Hamm 262). Armed conflicts affect the normal lives of children. War lives many children to grow without essential education. Young girls get impregnated due to sexual assaults (Rape). These horrific scenes attract children to armed groups for revenge missions. Many of these children have witnessed their village colleagues come back with weapons and terrorize their parents and even loot their property. Other children get recruited willingly because of the benefits they see. Joining armed groups is viewed as a license to protect oneself and locality. When recruited, they are supplied with weapons, clothes and food. The arms provide them with power and advantage for protecting their families. Other children join armed groups as a result of idleness because during conflicts, there is no school or work for them to attend to (UNICEF 201). Conclusion In summary, children in war zones lack education, disrespect people and forcibly take things that do not belong to them. War has negative effects on behavior of children. It makes them turn to negative vices such as drug abuse and wondering around doing nothing. It makes them lack regard to their parents. Children also join armed groups due to lack of food and security during the war. They are promised to own what they forcibly acquire. Owning a gun for these children gives them power to get food and security. They loot property and kill many through ambushes. Scarcity or insufficient basic needs cause frustration and discontent among marginalized people including children. This can fuel violence in society where social and e conomic disparities are wide (Machel 112).Advertising Looking for research paper on social sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Bibliography Graca, M. The Impact of Armed Conflict on Children, New York: United Nations, 1996. Hamm, Smandych, R. Cultural Imperialism. Toronto: Toronto University Press, 2005. Machel, G. The Impact of War on Children. London: Hurst Co. Ltd, 2001 Small Arms Survey. Small Arms Survey 2010. Chicago: Lakeview Press, 2010. UNICEF. The State of the World’s Children 2000, Oxford/New York: Oxford University Press This research paper on Child Soldiers Problem was written and submitted by user Jaylene Houston to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Jealousy lead to tragedy Essays

Jealousy lead to tragedy Essays Jealousy lead to tragedy Paper Jealousy lead to tragedy Paper A view from the bridge Arthur Miller  How does Eddies jealousy lead to tragedy?  A view from the bridge is a play that identifies the work and lives of the communities of dockworkers and longshoremen of New Yorks Brooklyn Harbor.  The author Arthur Miller has written his play focusing on the Carbone family.  Eddie Carbone is an Italian longshoreman working on the New York docks. When his wifes cousins, Marco and Rodolpho, seek refuge as illegal immigrants from Sicily, Eddie agrees to shelter them. Trouble begins when his wifes niece Catherine shows attraction towards the younger brother Rodolpho. Eddies inability to let go of Catherine, his frailty leads him to betray Rodolpho and Marco and this tragic error of judgment leads him to his death.  From the first scene Eddies frailty is shown in his obsessive need to control his niece Catherine, and his theme of appearance versus reality is more complicated because Eddie will not admit that there is a problem. To prevent other characters from knowing his motives, he hides behind what mite seem to be good reasons for his behavior. Katie, I promised your mother on her deathbed. Im responsible for you  Here you see Eddies hiding his protectiveness behind his responsibilities for Catherine and as the play progresses, we realize that deep down he wishes to keep Catherine for himself.  Eddies jealousy is dealt effectively throughout the play.  We can see from Eddies actions and the way he talks to Catherine that he has some sort of secret desire for her.  Catherine: Hi Eddie! (Eddie is pleased and therefore shy about it)  Instantly in the opening lines of the book you see Eddies true feelings for Catherine. Eddie is a grown man and has been a father figure to Catherine for many years therefore shouldnt be feeling shy when she says hi he is acting as a young man with a crush on Catherine would. Instantly his love is shown but in a very subtle, clever way. Catherine comes across flirtatious towards Eddie and he feels flattered that a young, attractive woman shows interest in him.  (Catherine enters from the bedroom with a cigar and a pack of matches)  Here! Ill light that for you! (She strikes a match and holds it to his cigar)  Catherine fusses over Eddie in a flirtatious way giving the wrong impression to Eddie.  His protectiveness over Catherine Is developed throughout the play and further on turns into jealousy.  In the first scene Eddie comes across as being protective over her as any father would be but in this case Eddie is not the father. He begins by telling Catherine that a new skirt that shes bought it too short, then tells her that shes walking wavy and he doesnt like the looks shes receiving off men he says Heads are turnin like windmills  Then follows on to tell her that he doesnt like the way she waves to men through the window. Immediately in the book you see that Eddie is a very dominant man. He sees the fact that other men are becoming interested in her and dislikes the fact she is becoming interested in them.  Catherine do me a favour, will you? Your getting to be a big girl now, you just gotta keep yourself more, you cant be so friendly kid  He begins to see that Catherine is growing up and turning into a woman. Eddie wants to protect her from growing up and is shading her from the world. But here he knows that Catherine would do anything to please him, so he asks her to do him a favor but he doesnt wait for an answer he quickly changes the subject. When both Marco and Rodolpho arrive you can instantly see Catherines interest in Rodolpho. She starts asking questions about why he hasnt married.. Eddies aware of Catherine and Rodolphos attraction towards each other and stops it before it goes further by insulting Catherine and embarrassing her in front of the visitors. Eddie uses Rodolfoà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½s illegal status against him and exercises his authority over him. He makes Rodolfo stop singing under the pretence that the singing is drawing attention to him and he may get discovered and picked up, to mask his feelings of jealousy and dislike towards him. (Eddie has risen, with iron control, even a smile. He moves to Catherine)  Whats the high heels for,Garbo  Eddies jealousy is growing. Catherine is showing more attention to other people than Eddie so instantly we can see that he resorts to embarrassing her in front of Rodolpho and Marco.  Eddies hatred for Rodolfo grows and he is acting on his emotions when he tells Catherine, after they have come back from the cinema that Rodolfo is only using her to get his papers so he can stay in America. Katie, hes only bowinà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ to his passport  The explosion of jealousy comes when Eddie comes home drunk and finds Catherine and Rodolfo alone after having been in the bedroom together. He is so desperate; he is acting on his emotions and not thinking rationally and tells Rodolpho to leave, so Catherine agrees to go with him and Eddie tells her she isnt leaving.  Catherine: Eddie, im not gonna be a baby any more! You-  (He reaches out suddenly, draws her to him and as she strives to free herself he kisses her on the mouth) Eddie kisses Catherine to show Rodopho that Catherine is his and no one is to touch her and grips Rodolpho and also kisses him to show try and show Catherine that he isnt normaland this to Eddie was the last straw.  Eddie approaches Alfieri for help but he is unable to do anything about the marriage because she is her own person to do as she wishes.  Give me the number of the immigration bureau. Thanks. (he dials) I want to report something. Illegal immigrants. Two of them. Thats right. Four-forty-one saxon street, Brooklyn

Slavery - Nazi vs American chattel Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Slavery - Nazi vs American chattel - Essay Example ing durable.† Nazi slavery, or American chattel slavery—they were alternative beats of the same wicked heart related to economic exploitation and/or territorial aggrandizement, against the races that were at a highly disadvantageous position. Every detail related to American chattel slavery was practiced as per instructions contained in the manual of instructions as if! The slave-owners annihilated the dignity of the slave first before destroying the spirit totally. â€Å" A slave has no personal rights and is considered the property of another person through birth, purchase, or capture.† (Chattel....)They were the sworn enemies of the blacks from the cradle to the grave. Frederick Douglass ( an American slave) writes, â€Å" I have no accurate knowledge of my age, never having seen any authentic record constraining it. By far the larger part of the slaves know as little of their ages as horses know of theirs, and it is the wish of most masters within my knowledge to keep their slaves thus ignorant.†(p.13) About the exploitation of the black children Douglass records thus: â€Å" Frequently, before the child has reached its twelfth month, its mother is taken from it and hired out on some farm a considerable distance off....and to blunt and destroy the natural affection of the mother for the child.†(p.13) These two examples are sufficient to imagine the shape of things to come in the life of a black. It is nothing but exploitation, more exploitation and exploitation of the worst order!â€Å"Chattel slavery involves outright ownership of the slave by a m aster, but there are forms of partial slavery where an individual is tied to the land, or to another person, by legal obligations, as in serfdom or indentured labor. Historically there have been two basic types of chattel slave. Domestic or house slaves performed menial household duties for their masters and were often counted as a measure of status. Productive or field slaves, who usually held a lower status,

Global Marketing and Measuring Competitive Advantage Essay

Global Marketing and Measuring Competitive Advantage - Essay Example Competitive advantage according to Michael Porter of Harvard Business School means that a company is performing better than rivals by engaging in different activities or performing similar activities in different ways. If a company continues to copy the competitors it is not possible to remain competitive for long. At the same time just doing something different does not ensure sustainable competitive advantage. Competitors are always at work and are drawn to new technologies and business techniques. According to Collier (n.d.) if a company is able to attract investment it has competitive advantage because this denotes a healthy stock price. Once capital starts flowing towards the company the competitive disadvantage starts disappearing. Companies often try to be unique in some resource to give them the competitive advantage. A SWOT analysis helps to determine its strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. This does not still determine whether a firm is competitive or has competitive advantage. Hence to determine the competitive advantage the resource must be unique and not easy to duplicate. It should be hard to copy and should be durable. It should definitely be superior and should be trumped by the different capabilities of the rivals. To remain competitive a firm needs to identify the weakness in its processes or resources. Identifying the weakness itself allows the firm to work towards overcoming the weakness. Drawing up a SWOT analysis helps the company to assess the overall situation and then take corrective steps like protection against threats or better utilization of its unique resources (Parbotek, n.d.). To determine whether a company has competitive cost advantage, analytical tools like value chain analysis and benchmarking are used. Value chain is a linked set of activities that add value to the activities performed internally. Value chain depends upon the strategy, the internal operations,

Discuss the theme of ladies' ball Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Discuss the theme of ladies' ball - Essay Example A softer version of the game was developed and called â€Å"Softball†. Still the same game, just a different set of rules as applicable to women. In Richard Cumyn's novel â€Å"Ladies Ball†, we discover the story of David and his unknown reasons for falling out of love with baseball. Richard Cumyn never clearly stated what year the story was unfolding in, so I am choosing to believe that the story had been set in the era after World War II, when men were coming back from the war and were reclaiming their right to the great game of Baseball. Cumyn as an author creates an internal conflict for this main character, David. However, it is an internal conflict that seems to have no beginning and no resolution. Instead, he used this conflict in order to successfully depict a man who comes to the realization that by letting go of something that he loved and enjoyed as a child, he has also lost an understanding of a portion of himself as a person. When his wife, Joan, is invited to join the local informal ladies baseball league, he believes that she won't have any interest in joining the local team for a game that night. Mostly because she is more of a cycling person than a â€Å"baseball† person. However, it slowly becomes clear to the reader that Joan was simply humoring her husband when she first refused to play with their new neighbors because of the way that David reacted to the invitation extended to her. He decided that she should not play the game. He did not allow her to make the decision for herself. But events on their first night in their new home conspire to allow Joan to try her hand at â€Å"ladies ball†, or softball as their neighbor Grace preferred to call it. However, what David believes and what is true are two different things. Contrary to his belief, Joan did not want to â€Å"get away from this neighbor† but instead, actually wanted to participate in the game. The passage from the book is clear: â€Å"[he] [decid es] that they [need] a way to escape gracefully from [the neighbor].† Thanks to the clever manipulation of their children and an extremely hot summer night, she got the chance to do something that she knew her husband was dead set against her participating in. Somehow, David has chosen to channel his dislike of baseball and his fear of having to play the game that he no longer likes through his wife. His thoughts, actions, and conversation with her that night as they passed the local baseball diamond showed his insecurities about baseball and left him feeling highly uncomfortable and torn between allowing himself to enjoy the female version of a game that he loved, and walking away from the game because it was now being played by women. David is truly uncomfortable with the way that Joan had defied him in order to play the game, making him look like a fool and party killer in front of their new neighbors. He had expected her to decline politely when she was invited to play yet again. He never expected her to suit up and get out on the field, ready, willing, and able to play. When he leaves her to put their children to bed, he can't help but return to the field to see how his wife participates in the game. He does this from the shadows as he is still reluctant to show her and their neighbors that he has started to enjoy the game and watching his wife play â€Å"ladies ball†. Having his wife catch the winning ball only adds to David's inner conflict about the game that he gave up on. His lonely excursion into the baseball mound to get a whiff of the game yet

Strategic Quality Change for Construction Company

Strategic Quality Change for Construction Company Gill Construction Ltd, is currently based in Alberta state, and running different construction projects all over the state. Most of the construction projects are residential based, however they have also participated in commercial projects in Lacombe, which includes Fountain Tire, Lacombe Action Group, Wilsons Funeral Chapel and numerous shops. In the recent time Mr. Amar Geet Jill believes that it is time for their company to move on and expand the business to other states and also do more projects in commercial sector. The current quality systems in place have many loopholes which allow the wastage of raw materials, high costs, untrained staff and lack of machinery. Mr Jill believes that before he expands the business he wants to gain NQI award for excellence in quality, which will add more to the business reputation and will also help them to improve quality management system and sustain growth. In order to gain the NQI Excellence award it is important to have effective quality management systems in place which requires a systematic approach. It involves following steps. Gap Analysis A technique utilized by the managers to compare the actual performance with the potential or expected performance in order to determine the whether the goals are met or not, and if resources are used effectively. It involves two questions Where are we? and Where do we want to be? Gap in actual and expected performance With the help of Gap Analysis Report, Manager will be able to identify the problem easily, Gap analysis report shows that problem is everywhere so its big task to cover all areas and rectify all problems to make a smooth system as per quality system. Depending on the situation, Gaps are classified into four types: The customer-operations specification gap: the gap identified between what customers expect and what is the outcome of the operations, For- example, Customer expects a car to give service after 15000km, but the operations specification states 10,000, At Gill Construction, customer expects the project to be completed in 3 months time, but company specifies 4 months time, same can be the concern for the costs. The concept-specification gap: the gap identified between the concept and the operations specification of a product or a service. For-example, keeping the costs low for the customer but use of low quality material to keep the costs low has compromised the quality. The quality specification-actual gap: When there is a gap between, quality specified by the organisation and the actual outcome of the operations. For-example: the specified standard was that the wall will be built using concrete blocks and mortar, but due to certain reason it was built using brick and mortar. In another case, it was specified that the wall will be at 90 degree straight but due to human error, it is not a straight wall but a slightly tilt. The actual quality- communicated image gap: The gap between, the image marketed, or communicated to the customer and the actual quality of the product or service. For-example it was advertised that the workers at Gill Construction are highly skilled and trained, and latest technology is used however that is now the case. The gap analysis report generated for a newly built house, which has 5-bedrooms with attached toilets, a sitting lounge, dining room, kitchen, and 2 car garage: A very significant gap was noticed in the report between the actual resources utilized and the expected resources. The gaps identified under each type, can lead to poor and perceived quality, and hence it is the responsibility organisation to eliminate these gaps, and come as close to the specified quality and as they. Degree of Change: In order to close the gaps, and meet the quality standard, a companywide change is required. The planned change is a continuum ranging from incremental changes, which involves the improvement in the processes and operations to a limited dimension to fundamental changes that involves the complete redesigning of its operations. Incremental changes involve the changes to decision-making process of the organisation, which exist between the business strategy and culture. Employee Participation: Employee Participation is very important to improve the quality. Managers need to encourage workers to take responsibility for the quality they provide, and meets the customers expectations. Employees are the internal customers for the organisation, who receives the product of service by their supplier. Before planning and implementing a companywide change, it is important to get their employees on board. There suggestions are very important to the management. It is in human nature that it is always afraid of uncertainty, something which is unknown and un seen. It is the job of managers to manage this uncertainty. They need to involve the employees in decision making process and take their suggestions, this increases their confidence level and motivates. If the organisation is going to get new cement mixers, then first they need to train the staff in order to operate that mixer. It is important that work-force needed to be trained to operate the new machinery so that the specified quality standard can be achieved. Resource Requirements: Following resources and tools are required to implement the new quality improvement plan. Technology In todays modern age, technology sector is growing rapidly, and everyday new machinery is invented for human comfort. If Gill Constructions, wants to improve their work build quality and speed up the construction process they need to utilize the new technology. In current process, mortar was prepared using the large mixer. This mixer was operated using the belt connected to the truck shaft, which was used to transport the mixer. This was adding an extra fuel cost. They had to use the same mixer for smaller projects. A new mixer is available in the market, which is small and portable and easily fit in the back of minivan. It also has a small generator attached to it, to power it up. Worker were using the old water-bubble scale to align walls and doors straight and levelled,. However they are not always correct. A new digital scale is required for this purpose. Training and Development It is seen that most of the work-force is from Indian Punjab, hence not very skilled and qualified to operate the new machine. In the previous construction projects, it was seen that accident rate was very high, which was also adding extra cost to the organisation. With old bigger, mixer, there was no cover to the belt connected to shaft of the truck and mixer, and many workers, got their hands stuck in their, which caused the injuries. It was also noticed that they were working without any protective gear e.g safety helmet, masks, gloves. Hence they need to be aware of health and safety hazards at work place. They also need to be trained to operate the new machinery. Transportation In the previous projects, the cost was very high due to high waste material. This was due to the over stock of the material. They were ordering material which was more than required. In order to lower the costs they need to utilize the idea of JIT ( just in time ) . This means that material should be stocked just when it is needed. For this approach to be effective, they need to have a good transportation system and good relationship with the supplier. They need to check with the supplier to provide the material when it is needed, they also need to negotiate the on the quick transportation of the material as well. Quality System   Quality Systems will be in place to ensure that quality objectives are met. The first step in this system is to identify what our customers want. At Gills Construction, customer satisfaction is very important. Customer expects the work to be done and time, and the build quality should be strong and, reliable and durable. The next step is to identify the service or product which responds to the customers need. They need to develop processes which will respond to that need. They need to give a quality and reliable build to the customers. Quality Circle: These are a group of worker or employees who work together to improve the quality and give solution to the problem. Quality Circle will be formed in order to help workers participate in the improvement process. For-example, workers can suggest the amount or type of material required. Depending on their experience they can also suggest what type of paint can be used. Total Quality Management: TQM is a philosophy of management, which addresses the means of raising the quality performance to unprecedented levels. TQM involves the participation from whole organisation and demands to be implemented in all aspects of the business processes. It focuses on the involvement of the management, workforce, suppliers and business process. This means that if the problem lies in any of the business sector that has to be addressed in order to sustain growth. Benefits of Quality Change: Following benefits can be gained with quality change Improved business performance: With the help of this quality change, Gill Construction will be able to see a improved business performance. They can keep their costs low and keep the profit margin high. They will be able to expand their business to a higher level. Training and Development of the staff will help them to get a skilled work force which will be highly motivated and professional. This way they can also keep the accidents rate low. Corporate Image: Since Canadian market is very competitive, the new improved processes and systems will also create a good image for the organisation. With the use of new machinery and training staff, they will have a competitive advantage. They can promote their business in a better way. Motivated Work Force: The use of new machinery and training and develop will assist employees to develop their new skills this will act as a motivating factor and build their confidence level. It will also make them feel empowered. Hence Gill construction will have a highly skilled and motivated work force on board. They can also assist the management to further improve the business processes. Customer satisfaction: The quality improvement technique will also help them to get customer satisfaction on a higer level. They will be able to address their customers needs in a more efficient and effective way. With this they can rebuild customer relation and help maintain business Performance measurement Even though, quality systems are in place and operations are running as per specified, but that doesnt mean, that job of manager is finished. All the operations, regardless of the fact how well they are managed and running, need to be monitored all the time. This ensures that if the Quality System has given the desire result or not. Performance can be measure using five performance objectives, it is the degree to which operations fulfil these objectives Cost Speed Quality Dependably Flexibility Total Quality Management Principles: TQM is a management approach which involves the strategy, data and effective communication to integrate quality principles into the organisation. Customer focused: The very first principle of TQM is to be customer focused. Whatever done for the quality improvement, is to gain customer satisfaction. If Gill Construction will training the work force so that they can operate the new machinery, that will be done keeping in mind, customers demand. Employee Participation: The next principle is that managers need to ensure that they have employees on board. Managers need to ensure that they have complete participation from employees Process Focused: This involves the complete focus of the management centred towards the process thinking, so that two key principles can be achieved: Prevention: the first step to improve quality is to prevent errors. It is better to train staff and avoid accidents rather than finding ways out of it Zero defects: The ultimate aim should be to provide a service with zero defects, that means no comprise at all. The mortar should be prepared by missing the correct ratio of cement and sand. Getting things right first time: The idea of zero defect gives rise to getting things right first time. This means that things need to be done in right way first time. Rather than mixing the preparing the mortar in wrong ratio in first attempt and expecting it to be correct in next attempt should be prevented, For an organisation to successfully implement a strategic quality change it is important to manage six key supporting factors: Action Planning The very first step for organisation is to devise a detailed implementation action plan. This includes chronological lists of actions (tactics) which add the necessary detail to their strategies. And assign responsibility to a specific individual for accomplishing each of those action steps. Also, they set a due date and estimate the resources required to accomplish each of their action steps Organization Structure Next step is to sort the organizational structure according to the action plan and strategy. It is very important that managers must align the strategy with organizational structure. They manage the question Is the organizations current structure appropriate to the intended strategy? Human Resources Organizations successful at strategy implementation consider the human resource factor in making strategies happen The Annual Business Plan Organizations successful at implementation are aware of their need to fund their intended strategies. And they begin to think about that necessary financial commitment  early  in the planning process Monitoring and Control Monitoring and controlling the plan includes a periodic look to see if  were on course. It also includes consideration of options to get a strategy once derailed back on track.   Linkage Many organizations successfully establish the above five supporting   factors. They develop action plans, consider organizational structure, take a close look at their human resource needs, fund their strategies through their annual business plan, and develop a plan to monitor and control their strategies and tactics. And yet they still fail to successfully implement those strategies and tactics. The reason, most often, is they lack  linkage. Linkage is simply the  tying together  of all the activities of the organizationto make sure that all of the organizational resources are rowing in the same direction. After the critical analysis of the current business situation and thorough strategic planning, it is time to implement it. Managers have planned the project to be implemented in a course of time, so that it is easy for them to manage it and also for organisation to adopt it. Staff Training: Before the strategic change is implemented, it is important to get staff on board; hence it is important to train the staff. Workers will be given training on operating the new machineries. 2 hour workshop will be held over the weekend, without affecting the daily construction work. They will be given training on importance of health and safety at work place. Transportation: To utilize the idea of JIT efficiently and effectively, it is important to have a good transportation system in place. Contract with the transportation company who transports the material from supplier to the construction site will be review. It need to be on time and as and when required basis. A penalty will be charged for late delivery. Also try to negotiate on charges, since the current charges are higher than the market rate. Supplier: Once the transportation system is in place, next is to negotiate with material supplier to provide materials on as and when required basis, this is called Just In Time. The supplier will provide the material as required by the organisation. This will help to keep the stock and inventory costs low. Good relationship will be maintained with suppliers as this will help to get good service in return. Communication: In order to keep the gaps close due to communication errors, an effective communication system will be adopted. Project Managers will be placed in organisation, which will supervise their respective construction site. Everything including the material supply and HR will be managed by them. All the workers working on that site will be answerable to the Project Manager. They will also be in direct contact with the client so that customers demand and requirement is passed down the line more effectively. Project Managers will than answer to Mr. Amaar Jeet Gill, who will supervise and discuss the issues with them on the wider perspective. Quality Culture: Before a quality change is implemented in the organisation, it is important to implement a quality culture first. A cultural and behavioural shift in the mind-set of all participants in the construction process especially top or senior management is necessary if the construction industry is to improve its performance (Kanji and Wong, 1998; Love and Heng, 2000; Haupt and Whiteman, 2004). Culture in context of organization is the ways institutes and businesses implicit beliefs, norms and values and premises which underline and govern the behaviour. Hence a quality culture in an organization can be stated as one having clear values and beliefs that foster total quality behaviour. Quality Culture in Gill Construction can be adopted in following ways: Top Management Commitment It will be important for management to commit their self in the implementation of Quality Change, since it requires everyone to work to satisfy the customers needs continuously. Without the clear commitment from top management and leadership it will be hard to get others on board. Leadership has to make this change their strategic objective. Hence Leadership will be able to provide suitable environment to the members of the organisation to improve performance. Top Management will have to put forward quality over costs and other factors, and it is due to this reason, their commitment is required. Customer Management It is important to focus the result of all the processes towards customer satisfaction. When the focus is towards customer satisfaction then it will be easy to prioritize thing. Customer oriented culture will help them to gain service and product with zero defect and right first time. Employee Participation: Employee participation is very important if quality is the goal. This will help to break down many barriers to achieve quality. They also need to be encouraged to work in a team. Team-work will help encourage them to help each other and come up with solution many problems. The use of Quality Circle will also help them to pass on their suggestions to top management. Self-Managed Teams: A self-managed team is defined as a group of employees or staff who is responsible for the management of themselves and the daily operations carried out by them. Work carried out by a typical self-managed team is handling job assignments, plan and schedule work, make decisions related to production and deal with problems. At Gills construction similar teams will be made on the operational level, they will be different from labour union. The teams will be made based on the project and the department related. Each team will have a group manager/ team leader who will be electeed by all the team members however final authorization will be from project manager. A self-managed team is different from quality circles. Quality Circles: Quality Circles are informal group of employees / team members / staff, who meet together voluntarily to discuss their work related issues. Their aim is to identify, define, analyze and solve work related problems. At Gills Construction staff will be encouraged to make quality circles, which will help them to share their knowledge and experience. They can give their suggestions to improve quality or service which will be formally submitted to group manager/ team leader who will pass it on to project manager. Monitoring and Evaluation The final step is monitoring and controlling the implementation. This step is performed throughout the life of the project and ensures that the work results lines up with the schedule plan. Schedule control requires the use of progress reporting, schedule change control systems, such as the use of project change requests, performance management, and variance analysis to determine if additional action is required to get the schedule back in line with the plan. Internal Auditing Professional Auditors will be appointed for the purpose of monitoring and evaluation. Their task will be to assist with the corrective action and investigating problems that have occurred, and taking action to prevent them from reoccurring within the process or organisation. The first step will be to identify the root cause and what really made this happen? What can we do to prevent it from happening again? Once the solution is devised for the problem, the follow up will be done to ensure that it has worked and positive results are achieved. Auditors will revisit the issue and check if it happening again. For sake of record, the problem, its root cause, the action taken, its effectiveness and the actual results will be recorded. Record the problem, the root cause, the action taken, the effectiveness of the action, and the actual results of the corrective action. Did the problem occur again? Were they able to see measurable improvement? If so, how much? What date did the problem disappear? Record the results that they observed when following up on the corrective action to determine effectiveness.

Discuss psychological insights into understudied relationships

Until recently relationships between gays and lesbian, and also Internet relationships had had little attention from researchers, hence the term ‘understudied relationships'. Gay and Lesbian relationships – no one really knows what makes a person homosexual, though Garnets and Kimmel (1991) say there are likely to be multiple components. Unlike ethnic minorities, homosexuals are often surrounded by negative stereotypes from friends and family whilst they are growing up. As well as being asked, when they ‘come out', what makes them that way inclined, which is something that isn't typically asked of a heterosexual person. In 1973 homosexuality was removed from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual or DSM (which cited homosexuality as a mental disease), though it is still illegal in many countries in the world at present and is still part of the International Classification of Diseases. Although often only in certain, prescribed situation, there are some cultures where homosexuality is encouraged and in Greco-Roman society it was quite normal practice to have a homosexual relationship. However, even in the 21st century and the ‘progressive' West things are not easy for gay men and lesbians. Many people in the public eye (such as entertainers and politicians) have had their careers pretty much ruined after being ‘outed'. Gay people experience pressures that can affect their relationships, which include such things as the psychological effects of growing up in a (heterosexual) society that characterises homosexuality and lesbianism as unacceptable. Also the unequal age of consent for gay men and the way few happy and successful gay relationships are presented by the media. Gay characters tend to be secondary to the plot (unless it is a ‘gay drama') and gay relationships are often presented as superficial, unstable or problematic can cause relationship problems. To establish a reliable figure of the number of gay or lesbian people is almost impossible (estimates from North America range from 4%-17%).Evidence suggests that for many people sexuality classification is not permanent and is always shifting, where one orientation may be embraced after a lengthy adult experience of another (Sequential bisexuality – Money, 1988). There is often an assumption that homosexual culture is unitary. This, however, is incorrect, as homosexuals can be any class, culture, race, etc. For obvious reasons many homosexuals prefer to spend social time in the company of other gay people, but this isn't such an easy option for those who have children. The world of schools and child-orientated situations needs to be arranged. As well as this they must protect their principles and living arrangements, protecting privacy, but also being sensitive to the children's needs. Electronic friendships and computer-mediated communication (CMC) – CMC can be email, chat rooms, notice boards etc as well as more sophisticated computer programs (MUD's, MOO's and MUSHs) where they can assign themselves a character where they can join in or listen to discussions. They can contrast to face-to-face relationships (corporeal, meaning bodily, physical or material), obviously there is nothing corporeal about a CMC relationship. Though they may have the opportunity for a corporeal relationship, many people prefer CMC, perhaps feeling that they can say what they want without having to worry about embarrassment. CMC can offer support, as well as friendship, and simply because people have not met face-to-face does not mean their relationship is not real. In a 1994 survey out of the top ten AOL chat rooms 3 were gay, 1 lesbian and 1 ‘swingers and groups' with the other 5 being heterosexual. Though it has only really developed over the last 10-15 years, it seems that it is here to stay.

Vampire Academy Chapter 11

ELEVEN â€Å"YOU NEED SOMETHING TO WEAR?† Lissa asked. â€Å"Hmm?† I glanced over at her. We were waiting for Mr. Nagy's Slavic art class to start, and I was preoccupied with listening to Mia adamantly deny the claims about her parents to one of her friends. â€Å"It's not like they're servants or anything,† she exclaimed, clearly flustered. Straightening her face, she tried for haughtiness. â€Å"They're practically advisors. The Drozdovs don't decide anything without them.† I choked on a laugh, and Lissa shook her head. â€Å"You're enjoying this way too much.† â€Å"Because it's awesome. What'd you just ask me?† I dug through my bag, messily looking for my lip gloss. I made a face when I found it. It was almost empty; I didn't know where I was going to score some more. â€Å"I asked if you need something to wear tonight,† she said. â€Å"Well, yeah, of course I do. But none of your stuff fits me.† â€Å"What are you going to do?† I shrugged my shoulders. â€Å"Improvise, like always. I don't really care anyway. I'm just glad Kirova's letting me go.† We had an assembly tonight. It was November 1, All Saints' Day – which also meant we'd been back almost a month now. A royal group was visiting the school, including Queen Tatiana herself. Honestly, that wasn't what excited me. She'd visited the Academy before. It was pretty common and a lot less cool than it sounded. Besides, after living among humans and elected leaders, I didn't think much of stiff royals. Still, I'd gotten permission to go because everyone else would be there. It was a chance to hang out with actual people for a change and not stay locked in my dorm room. A little freedom was definitely worth the pain of sitting through a few boring speeches. I didn't stay to chat with Lissa after school like I usually did. Dimitri had stuck to his promise about extra trainings, and I was trying to stick to mine. I now had two additional hours of practice with him, one before and one after school. The more I watched him in action, the more I understood the badass-god reputation. He clearly knew a lot – his six molnija marks proved as much – and I burned to have him teach me what he knew. When I arrived at the gym, I noticed he was wearing a T-shirt and loose running pants, as opposed to his usual jeans. It was a good look for him. Really good. Stop looking, I immediately told myself. He positioned me so that we stood facing each other on the mat and crossed his arms. â€Å"What's the first problem you'll run into when facing a Strigoi?† â€Å"They're immortal?† â€Å"Think of something more basic.† More basic than that? I considered. â€Å"They could be bigger than me. And stronger.† Most Strigoi – unless they'd been human first – had the same height as their Moroi cousins. Strigoi also had better strength, reflexes, and senses than dhampirs. That's why guardians trained so hard; we had a â€Å"learning curve† to compensate for. Dimitri nodded. â€Å"That makes it difficult but not impossible. You can usually use a person's extra height and weight against them.† He turned and demonstrated several maneuvers, pointing out where to move and how to strike someone. Going through the motions with him, I gained some insight into why I took such a regular beating in group practice. I absorbed his techniques quickly and couldn't wait to actually use them. Near the end of our time together, he let me try. â€Å"Go ahead,† he said. â€Å"Try to hit me.† I didn't need to be told twice. Lunging forward, I tried to land a blow and was promptly blocked and knocked down onto the mat. Pain surged through my body, but I refused to give in to it. I jumped up again, hoping to catch him off guard. I didn't. After several more failed attempts, I stood up and held out my hands in a gesture of truce. â€Å"Okay, what am I doing wrong?† â€Å"Nothing.† I wasn't as convinced. â€Å"If I wasn't doing anything wrong, I'd have rendered you unconscious by now.† â€Å"Unlikely. Your moves are all correct, but this is the first time you've really tried. I've done it for years.† I shook my head and rolled my eyes at his older-and-wiser manner. He'd once told me he was twenty-four. â€Å"Whatever you say, Grandpa. Can we try it again?† â€Å"We're out of time. Don't you want to get ready?† I looked at the dusty clock on the wall and perked up. Almost time for the banquet. The thought made me giddy I felt like Cinderella, but without the clothes. â€Å"Hell, yeah, I do.† He walked off ahead of me. Studying him carefully, I realized I couldn't let the opportunity go by. I leapt at his back, positioning myself exactly the way he'd taught me. I had the element of surprise. Everything was perfect, and he wouldn't even see me coming. Before I could make contact, he spun around at a ridiculously high speed. In one deft motion, he grabbed me like I weighed nothing and threw me to the ground, pinning me there. I groaned. â€Å"I didn't do anything wrong!† His eyes looked levelly into mine as he held my wrists, but he didn't look as serious as he had during the lesson. He seemed to find this funny. â€Å"The battle cry sort of gave you away. Try not to yell next time.† â€Å"Would it have really made a difference if I'd been quiet?† He thought about it. â€Å"No. Probably not.† I sighed loudly, still in too much of a good mood to really let this disappointment get me down. There were some advantages to having such a kick-ass mentor – one who also happened to have a foot of height on me and outweighed me considerably. And that wasn't even considering his strength. He wasn't bulky but his body had a lot of hard, lean muscle. If I could ever beat him, I could beat anyone. All of a sudden, it occurred to me that he was still holding me down. The skin on his fingers was warm as he clutched my wrists. His face hovered inches from my own, and his legs and torso were actually pressing against mine. Some of his long brown hair hung around his face, and he appeared to be noticing me too, almost like he had that night in the lounge. And oh God, did he smell good. Breathing became difficult for me, and it had nothing to do with the workout or my lungs being crushed. I would have given anything to be able to read his mind right then. Ever since that night in the lounge, I'd noticed him watching me with this same, studious expression. He never actually did it during the trainings themselves – those were business. But before and after, he would sometimes lighten up just a little, and I'd see him look at me in a way that was almost admiring. And sometimes, if I was really, really lucky, he'd smile at me. A real smile, too – not the dry one that accompanied the sarcasm we tossed around so often. I didn't want to admit it to anyone – not to Lissa, not even to myself – but some days, I lived for those smiles. They lit up his face. â€Å"Gorgeous† no longer adequately described him. Hoping to appear calm, I tried to think of something professional and guardian-related to say. Instead, I said, â€Å"So um†¦you got any other moves to show me?† His lips twitched, and for a moment, I thought I was going to get one of those smiles. My heart leapt. Then, with visible effort, he pushed the smile back and once more became my tough-love mentor. He shifted off me, leaned back on his heels, and rose. â€Å"Come on. We should go.† I scrambled to my own feet and followed him out of the gym. He didn't look back as he walked, and I mentally kicked myself on the way back to my room. I was crushing on my mentor. Crushing on my older mentor. I had to be out of my mind. He was seven years older than me. Old enough to be my†¦well, okay, nothing. But still older than me. Seven years was a lot. He'd been learning to write when I was born. When I'd been learning to write and throw books at my teachers, he'd probably been kissing girls. Probably lots of girls, considering how he looked. I so did not need this complication in my life right now. I found a passable sweater back in my room and after a quick shower, I headed off across campus to the reception. Despite the looming stone walls, fancy statues, and turrets on the outsides of the buildings, the Academy's insides were quite modern. We had Wi-Fi, fluorescent lights, and just about anything else technological you could imagine. The commons in particular looked pretty much like the cafeterias I'd eaten in while in Portland and Chicago, with simple rectangular tables, soothing taupe walls, and a little room off to the side where our dubiously prepared meals were served. Someone had at least hung framed black-and-white photos along the walls in an effort to decorate it, but I didn't really consider pictures of vases and leafless trees â€Å"art.† Tonight, however, someone had managed to transform the normally boring commons into a bona fide dining room. Vases spilling over with crimson roses and delicate white lilies. Glowing candles. Tablecloths made of – wait for it – bloodred linen. The effect was gorgeous. It was hard to believe this was the same place I usually ate chicken patty sandwiches in. It looked fit for, well, a queen. The tables had been arranged in straight lines, creating an aisle down the middle of the room. We had assigned seating, and naturally, I couldn't sit anywhere near Lissa. She sat in the front with the other Moroi; I was in the back with the novices. But she did catch my eye when I entered and flashed me a smile. She'd borrowed a dress from Natalie – blue, silky, and strapless – that looked amazing with her pale features. Who'd known Natalie owned anything so good? It made my sweater lose a few cool points. They always conducted these formal banquets in the same way. A head table sat on a dais at the front of the room, where we could all ooh and ahh and watch Queen Tatiana and other royals eat dinner. Guardians lined the walls, as stiff and formal as statues. Dimitri stood among them, and a weird feeling twisted my stomach as I recalled what had happened in the gym. His eyes stared straight ahead, as if focusing on nothing and everything in the room at once. When the time came for the royals' entrance, we all stood up respectfully and watched as they walked down the aisle. I recognized a few, mostly those who had children attending the Academy. Victor Dashkov was among them, walking slowly and with a cane. While I was happy to see him, I cringed to watch each agonizing step he took toward the front of the room. Once that group had passed, four solemn guardians with red-and-black-pin-striped jackets entered the commons. Everyone but the guardians along the walls sank to our knees in a silly show of loyalty. What a lot of ceremony and posturing, I thought wearily. Moroi monarchs were chosen by the previous monarch from within the royal families. The king or queen couldn't choose one of his or her own direct descendents, and a council from the noble and royal families could dispute the choice with enough cause. That almost never happened, though. Queen Tatiana followed her guards, wearing a red silk dress and matching jacket. She was in her early sixties and had dark gray hair bobbed to her chin and crowned with a Miss America-type tiara. She moved into the room slowly, like she was taking a stroll, four more guardians at her back. She moved through the novices' section fairly quickly, though she did nod and smile here and there. Dhampirs might just be the half-human, illegitimate children of the Moroi, but we trained and dedicated our lives to serving and protecting them. The likelihood was strong that many of us gathered here would die young, and the queen had to show her respect for that. When she got to the Moroi section, she paused longer and actually spoke to a few students. It was a big deal to be acknowledged, mostly a sign that someone's parents had gotten in good with her. Naturally, the royals got the most attention. She didn't really say much to them that was all that interesting, mostly just a lot of fancy words. â€Å"Vasilisa Dragomir.† My head shot up. Alarm coursed through the bond at the sound of her name. Breaking protocol, I pushed out of my position and wiggled over to get a better view, knowing no one would notice me when the queen herself had personally singled out the last of the Dragomirs. Everyone was eager to see what the monarch had to say to Lissa the runaway princess. â€Å"We heard you had returned. We are glad to have the Dragomirs back, even though only one remains. We deeply regret the loss of your parents and your brother; they were among the finest of the Moroi, their deaths a true tragedy.† I'd never really understood the royal â€Å"we† thing, but otherwise, everything sounded okay. â€Å"You have an interesting name,† she continued. â€Å"Many heroines in Russian fairy tales are named Vasilisa. Vasilisa the Brave, Vasilisa the Beautiful. They are different young women, all having the same name and the same excellent qualities: strength, intelligence, discipline, and virtue. All accomplish great things, triumphing over their adversaries. â€Å"Likewise, the Dragomir name commands its own respect. Dragomir kings and queens have ruled wisely and justly in our history. They have used their powers for miraculous ends. They have slain Strigoi, fighting right alongside their guardians. They are royal for a reason.† She waited a moment, letting the weight of her words sink in. I could feel the mood changing in the room, as well as the surprise and shy pleasure creeping out from Lissa. This would shake the social balance. We could probably expect a few wannabes trying to get in good with Lissa tomorrow. â€Å"Yes,† Tatiana continued, â€Å"you are doubly named with power. Your names represent the finest qualities people have to offer and hearken back in time to deeds of greatness and valor.† She paused a moment. â€Å"But, as you have demonstrated, names do not make a person. Nor do they have any bearing on how that person turns out.† And with that verbal slap in the face, she turned away and continued her procession. A collective shock filled the room. I briefly contemplated and then dismissed any attempts at jumping into the aisle and tackling the queen. Half a dozen guardians would have me down on the floor before I'd even taken five steps. So I sat impatiently through dinner, all the while feeling Lissa's absolute mortification. When the post-dinner reception followed, Lissa made a beeline for the doors leading out to the courtyard. I followed, but got delayed having to weave around and avoid the mingling, socializing people. She'd wandered outside to an adjacent courtyard, one that matched the Academy's grand external style. A roof of carved, twisting wood covered the garden, with little holes here and there to let in some light, but not enough to cause damage to Moroi. Trees, leaves now gone for the winter, lined the area and guarded paths leading out to other gardens, courtyards, and the main quadrangle. A pond, also emptied for the winter, lay in a corner, and standing over it was an imposing statue of St. Vladimir himself. Carved of gray rock, he wore long robes and had a beard and mustache. Rounding a corner, I stopped when I saw Natalie had beaten me to Lissa. I considered interrupting but stepped back before they could see me. Spying might be bad, but I was suddenly very curious to hear what Natalie had to say to Lissa. â€Å"She shouldn't have said that,† Natalie said. She wore a yellow dress similar in cut to Lissa's, but somehow lacked the grace and poise to make it look as good. Yellow was also a terrible color on her. It clashed with her black hair, which she'd put up into an off-center bun. â€Å"It wasn't right,† she went on. â€Å"Don't let it bother you.† â€Å"Kind of late for that.† Lissa's eyes were locked firmly on the stone walkway below. â€Å"She was wrong.† â€Å"She's right,† Lissa exclaimed. â€Å"My parents†¦and Andre†¦they would have hated me for what I did.† â€Å"No, they wouldn't have.† Natalie spoke in a gentle voice. â€Å"It was stupid to run away. Irresponsible.† â€Å"So what? You made a mistake. I make mistakes all the time. The other day, I was doing this assignment in science, and it was for chapter ten, and I'd actually read chapter elev – † Natalie stopped herself and, in a remarkable show of restraint, got herself back on track. â€Å"People change. We're always changing, right? You aren't the same as you were then. I'm not the same as I was then.† Actually, Natalie seemed exactly the same to me, but that didn't bother me so much anymore. She'd grown on me. â€Å"Besides,† she added, â€Å"was running away really a mistake? You must have done it for a reason. You must have gotten something out of it, right? There was a lot of bad stuff going on with you, wasn't there? With your parents and your brother. I mean, maybe it was the right thing to do.† Lissa hid a smile. Both of us were pretty sure Natalie was trying to find out why we had left – just like everyone else in the school. She sort of sucked at being sneaky. â€Å"I don't know if it was, no,† Lissa answered. â€Å"I was weak. Andre wouldn't have run away. He was so good. Good at everything. Good at getting along with people and all that royal crap.† â€Å"You're good at that too.† â€Å"I guess. But I don't like it. I mean, I like people†¦but most of what they do is so fake. That's what I don't like.† â€Å"Then don't feel bad about not getting involved,† Natalie said. â€Å"I don't hang out with all those people either, and look at me. I'm just fine. Daddy says he doesn't care if I hang out with the royals or not. He just wants me to be happy.† â€Å"And that,† I said, finally making my appearance, â€Å"is why he should be ruling instead of that bitch of a queen. He got robbed.† Natalie nearly jumped ten feet. I felt pretty confident her vocabulary of swear words mostly consisted of â€Å"golly† and â€Å"darn.† â€Å"I wondered where you were,† said Lissa. Natalie looked back and forth between us, suddenly seeming a little embarrassed to be right between the best-friends dream team. She shifted uncomfortably and tucked some messy hair behind her ear. â€Å"Well†¦I should go find Daddy. I'll see you back in the room.† â€Å"See you,† said Lissa. â€Å"And thanks.† Natalie hurried off. â€Å"Does she really call him ? ®Daddy'?† Lissa cut me a look. â€Å"Leave her alone. She's nice.† â€Å"She is, actually. I heard what she said, and as much as I hate to admit it, there was nothing there I could really make fun of. It was all true.† I paused. â€Å"I'll kill her, you know. The queen, not Natalie. Screw the guardians. I'll do it. She can't get away with that.† â€Å"God, Rose! Don't say that. They'll arrest you for treason. Just let it go.† â€Å"Let it go? After what she said to you? In front of everyone?† She didn't answer or even look at me. Instead, she toyed absentmindedly with the branches of a scraggly bush that had gone dormant for the winter. There was a vulnerable look about her that I recognized – and feared. â€Å"Hey.† I lowered my voice. â€Å"Don't look like that. She doesn't know what she's talking about, okay? Don't let this get you down. Don't do anything you shouldn't.† She glanced back up at me. â€Å"It's going to happen again, isn't it?† she whispered. Her hand, still clutching the tree, began to tremble. â€Å"Not if you don't let it.† I tried to look at her wrists without being too obvious. â€Å"You haven't?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No.† She shook her head and blinked back tears. â€Å"I haven't wanted to. I was upset after the fox, but it's been okay. I like the coasting thing. I miss seeing you, but everything's been all right. I like†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She paused. I could hear the word forming in her mind. â€Å"Christian.† â€Å"I wish you couldn't do that. Or wouldn't.† â€Å"Sorry. Do I need to give you the Christian's-a-psychopathic-loser talk again?† â€Å"I think I've got it memorized after the last ten times,† she muttered. I started to launch into number eleven when I heard the sound of laughter and the clatter of high heels on stone. Mia walked toward us with a few friends in tow but no Aaron. Immediately my defenses snapped on. Internally, Lissa was still shaken over the queen's comments. Sorrow and humiliation were swirling inside of her. She felt embarrassed over what others must think of her now and kept thinking about how her family would have hated her for running away. I didn't believe that, but it felt real to her, and her dark emotions churned and churned. She was not okay, no matter how casual she'd just tried to act, and I was worried she might do something reckless. Mia was the last person she needed to see right now. â€Å"What do you want?† I demanded. Mia smiled haughtily at Lissa and ignored me, taking a few steps forward. â€Å"Just wanted to know what it's like to be so important and so royal. You must be so excited that the queen talked to you.† Giggles surfaced from the gathering group. â€Å"You're standing too close.† I stepped between them, and Mia flinched a little, possibly still worried I might break her arm. â€Å"And hey at least the queen knew her name, which is more than I can say for you and your wannabe-royal act. Or your parents.† I could see the pain that caused her. Man, she wanted to be royal so badly. â€Å"At least I see my parents,† she retorted. â€Å"At least I know who they both are. God only knows who your father is. And your mom's one of the most famous guardians around, but she couldn't care less about you either. Everyone knows she never visits. Probably was glad when you were gone. If she even noticed.† That hurt. I clenched my teeth. â€Å"Yeah, well, at least she's famous. She really does advise royals and nobles. She doesn't clean up after them.† I heard one of her friends snicker behind her. Mia opened her mouth, no doubt to unleash one of the many retorts she'd had to accumulate since the story started going around, when the lightbulb suddenly went off in her head. â€Å"It was you,† she said, eyes wide. â€Å"Someone told me Jesse'd started it, but he couldn't have known anything about me. He got it from you. When you slept with him.† Now she was really starting to piss me off. â€Å"I didn't sleep with him.† Mia pointed at Lissa and glared back at me. â€Å"So that's it, huh? You do her dirty work because she's too pathetic to do it herself. You aren't always going to be able to protect her,† she warned. â€Å"You aren't safe either.† Empty threats. I leaned forward, making my voice as menacing as possible. In my current mood, it wasn't difficult. â€Å"Yeah? Try and touch me now and find out.† I hoped she would. I wanted her to. We didn't need her messed-up vendetta in our lives just now. She was a distraction – one I very much wanted to punch right now. Looking past her, I saw Dimitri move out into the garden, eyes searching for something – or someone. I had a pretty good idea who it was. When he saw me, he strode forward, shifting his attention when he noticed the crowd gathered around us. Guardians can smell a fight a mile away. Of course, a six-year-old could have smelled this fight. Dimitri stood beside me and crossed his arms. â€Å"Everything all right?† â€Å"Sure thing, Guardian Belikov.† I smiled as I said it, but I was furious. Raging, even. This whole Mia confrontation had only made Lissa feel worse. â€Å"We were just swapping family stories. Ever heard Mia's? It's fascinating.† â€Å"Come on,† said Mia to her followers. She led them off, but not before she'd given me one last, chilling look. I didn't need to read her mind to know what it said. This wasn't over. She was going to try to get one or both of us back. Fine. Bring it on, Mia. â€Å"I'm supposed to take you back to your dorm,† Dimitri told me drily. â€Å"You weren't about to just start a fight, were you?† â€Å"Of course not,† I said, my eyes still staring at the empty doorway Mia had disappeared through. â€Å"I don't start fights where people can see them.† â€Å"Rose,† groaned Lissa. â€Å"Let's go. Good night, Princess.† He turned, but I didn't move. â€Å"You going to be okay, Liss?† She nodded. â€Å"I'm fine.† It was such a lie, I couldn't believe she had the nerve to try to put it past me. I didn't need the bond to see tears shining in her eyes. We should never have come back to this place, I realized bleakly. â€Å"Liss†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She gave me a small, sad smile and nodded in Dimitri's direction. â€Å"I told you, I'm fine. You've got to go.† Reluctantly, I followed him. He led me out toward the other side of the garden. â€Å"We may need to add an extra training on self-control,† he noted. â€Å"I have plenty of self contr – hey!† I stopped talking as I saw Christian slip past us, moving down the path we'd just come from. I hadn't seen him at the reception, but if Kirova had released me to come tonight, I suppose she would have done the same for him. â€Å"You going to see Lissa?† I demanded, shifting my Mia rage to him. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and gave me that look of bad-boy indifference. â€Å"What if I am?† â€Å"Rose, this isn't the time,† said Dimitri. But it was so the time. Lissa had ignored my warnings about Christian for weeks. It was time to go to the source and stop their ridiculous flirtation once and for all. â€Å"Why don't you just leave her alone? Are you so messed up and desperate for attention that you can't tell when someone doesn't like you?† He scowled. â€Å"You're some crazy stalker, and she knows it. She's told me all about your weird obsession – how you're always hanging out in the attic together, how you set Ralf on fire to impress her. She thinks you're a freak, but she's too nice to say anything.† His face had paled, and something dark churned in his eyes. â€Å"But you aren't too nice?† â€Å"No. Not when I feel sorry for someone.† â€Å"Enough,† said Dimitri, steering me away. â€Å"Thanks for ? ®helping,' then,† snapped Christian, his voice dripping with animosity. â€Å"No problem,† I called back over my shoulder. When we'd gone a little ways, I stole a glance behind me and saw Christian standing just outside the garden. He'd stopped walking and now stood staring down the path that led to Lissa in the courtyard. Shadows covered his face as he thought, and then, after a few moments, he turned around and headed back toward the Moroi dorms.

E-paper At Its Best essays

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Humanitys Greatest Achievements Made Possible by Engineers Essays

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