Friday, May 31, 2019

America Must Censor Internet Pornography :: Pornography Censorship

Since their founding, reckoners and the Internet have become a tool that nearly every man, woman, and child in the World have been able to use. email has become one of the Worlds fastest growing ways of communication and the Internet has become one, if not the largest source of information for sale today. You can find however about everything you wanted to know about anything with the stroke of a few keys on the keyboard. However, along with these positive aspects of the Internet, there lies much negativity surrounding the mesh and its use. Access to teenage pornography, bestiality, brutal murder pictures, XXX stories, and other un-ethical ranks is extremely easy. In fact, the pornography industry has grown 63% since the Internet was first available for use.(Bishop 91) It is one of the leading industries on the Internet and has become quite a controversy in the United States. Censorship of such sites has done very diminished due to the fact that most p arnts feel that t hese sites are not accessed by their children. We have currently found no solution that has worked and many government officials check up on the problem only getting worse. Pornography on the Internet though should not be banned, but rather better controlled and censored due to its availability and graphic nature. Pornography on the Internet is available in different formats. These range from pictures and short animated movies, to sound files and stories. Most of this kind of pornographic theme is available through World Wide Web pages. The Internet also makes it possible to discuss sex, see live sex acts, and arrange sexual activities from computer screens. There are also sex related discussions on the Internet Relay Chat channels where users in small groups or in nonpublic channels exchange messages and files.(Akdenis, 1997) There are millions of different pornographic sites on the internet, so there is almost no way of regulating every site unless there was some type of a universal censorship required for every site. Nearly every one of these millions and millions of sites is accessed daily. Men, women, and children of every age and race are on the Internet looking at inappropriate sites every day. Over 2/3 of Americans who have access to the Internet have accessed pornographic or other un-ethical sites, and the numbers are only growing.

Thursday, May 30, 2019

Have You Ever Acted as a Change Agent? :: MBA College Admissions Essays

Have You Ever Acted as a Change Agent? My company is a family owned organization run by conventional management techniques, which include visiting the plant everyday and solving problems as they occur. As the technological director, my responsibility, among others, is to maintain increase quality. However, I noticed the company had no communication with its customers and could not identify the desired quality of yarns and fabrics in the local market. With management ignoring dealers complaints, I and my colleagues in the technical department decided to establish a system to gather customer feedback. Our plan ultimately changed our attitude towards quality. To communicate with our customers, we placed address information forms in every 50kg carton of finished goods and asked the customers to fill out and return them for company calendars and diaries. We collected 267 forms within the first three months and to my surprise found that those 267 processing mill serve 95% of our cu stomers. A number of complaints required as little effort as shifting a lever in the winding mould from one position to another to give a desired winding pattern. We also followed up on the widespread suggestion to replace the paper gameboard carton for packing with jute bags which could be used for other purposes since jute bags were less expensive, we were happy to follow this advice. Most importantly, we established a mechanism whereby we could immediately and costlessly discover problems with our products. instruction initially regarded my idea as western and ineffective in China where customers are perceived as being too concerned with money to answer the questionnaires. charm lobbying constantly, I had to wait a month to get the printing and stationary bills cleared. Now, our success is obvious as the attitude towards quality has changed.

Wednesday, May 29, 2019

Anti-families on T.V. :: essays research papers

In TVs Anti-Families Married . . . with Malaise, Josh Ozersky talks about the repackaging of American TV families from Ozzie and Harriet into Rosanne. From the point of location that the collective world has manipulated television viewers into watching TV he shows the exaggerations of current day dysfunctional TV families. He goes on to discuss what the make of these shows are on family values.Ozersky mentions the idea that a boundless discontent exists in our culture and its beginnings are found with the family, where social patterns are first internalized. Ozersky furthers this notion by saying that boundless discontent means there are boundless needs. An understanding of the origins of these boundless needs in American culture can be understood from the context of The More Factor, by Laurence Shames. An endlessly fertile continent whose boundaries never need be reached, a domain that could expand in perpetuity, a gigantic playing field that would never run out of room and on w hich the game would get forever bigger and more filled with action.The corporate world knows this all too well as they exploit the needs of consumers and manipulate them into buying their product. In Ozerskys words, Given TVs alone corporate nature, it is unreasonable to assume that the channels are referenda. Ozersky reminds us that many of these corporate executives are independent in the market and bugger off not experient a rich family life.What kind of effects on viewers do these dysfunctional families have? Ozersky points out that in mocking traditional family values on TV real families are sabotaged. He explains how this happens by saying that problems within the family are trivialized preventing any healing and only causing discontent.While TV is criticized on TV and even by us, we somehow become flattered and affirm watching anyway. Why do we do this? . . . To feel superior to TV and yet keep watching it, as Ozersky writes. It delivers the dream of having our cake and eating it too. By criticizing TV we put ourselves above it, yet we deem it harmless and continue to watch it anyway. Ozersky says that we have no power of our own to reject this

Ministers Black Veil Essays: Masks and Intimacy -- Ministers Black V

The Ministers Black Veil - Masks and Intimacy The Ministers Black Veil begins with a young pastor, Mr. Hooper, arriving at church with an grievous black hide out covering his face. The people are all demoralize, and wonder why he is wearing a black veil. They are further dismayed and confused, when he refuses to take it off--ever. There is only one person who is not horrified by his black veil--his wife-to-be, Elizabeth. She comes to him and says, there is nothing terrible in this get together of crape, except that it hides a face which I am always glad to look upon. Come, good sir, let the sun shine from behind the cloud. First range aside your black veil then tell me why you put it on. (Heath 2143) Mr. Hooper smiles and replies, There is an hour to come when all of us shall cast aside our veils. stop it not amiss, beloved friend, if I wear this piece of crape till then. (Heath 2143) Elizabeth, again, entreats him to remove the veil, but he replies, this veil is a type and a symbol, and I am bound to wear it ever, both in light and darkness, in solitude and before the gaze of multitudes, and as with strangers, so with my familiar friends. No finite eye will see it withdrawn. This dismal shade must separate me from the world even you, Elizabeth, can never come behind it Elizabeth asks him what shall the people think back of his veil? Wont it start a scandal? Mr. Hooper then replies, If I hide my face for sorrow, there is cause enough, and if I cover it for secret sin, what mortal top executive not do the same? (Heath 2143) Elizabeth begins to feel terror at the sight of the veil. She turns to leave the room, and Mr. Hooper cries, Have patience with me, Elizabeth Do not desert me, though this veil must be between us here on e... ... understanding, and healing. Mr. Hoopers veil ostracized him from the mercy, understanding and love, from his congregation. BIBLIOGRAPHY Kaul, A. N., (Ed.). (1966). HAWTHORNE A Collection of diminutive Essays. Englewood C liffs Prentice-Hall, Inc. Levin, Harry., (Ed.). (1961) The Scarlet Letter and Other Tales of the Puritans. capital of Massachusetts Houghton Mifflin Company. Morris, Lloyd., THE REBELLIOUS PURITAN Portrait of Mr. Hawthorne. Port Washington Kennikat Press. The Heath Anthology of American Literature (2nd ed.). Lexington D.C. Heath and Company. Van Doren, Mark., (Ed.). (1951). The Best of Hawthorne. New York The Ronald Press Company. Waggoner, Hyatt H., HAWTHORNE A Critical Study. Cambridge The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. World History and Cultures In Christian Perspective. Pensacola A Beka Book.

Tuesday, May 28, 2019

Analysis of Patches: Quilt and Community in Alice Walkers Everyday Use

Analysis of Patches Quilt and Community in Alice carts Everyday Use In a critique titled Patches Quilt and Community in Alice Walkers Everyday Use (Short Story Criticism Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Short Fiction Writers, 1990), the authors reveal that tradition and the explanation of holiness were key elements throughout the story. The writers began the analysis by discussing the significance of a quilt a quilt is a complete piece of artwork that is essentially made up of fragments. These muddle quilts, when effectively put together, exposed a way of life. The Africans traditional way of life was one of sacredness and usefulness. By using scraps from old clothes they were fitted to create a masterpiece that could be passed down from one generation to the next. The title Everyday Use implies that quilts, while they may be priceless heirlooms, ar also made to function. The Johnsons are a typical African family that has settled in America. The mother, and narrat or of the story, is a working woman who often imagines herself as someone else, someone who her children would not be ashamed to be seen with. While awaiting the arrival of Dee, her eldest daughter and a goddess (415) in the eyes of her family, she dreams of being on a TV program where a host reunites long lost family members. As she greets her daughter who has been away at college, she is not only one one hundred pounds thinner but is beautiful in the eyes of her children. Howeve...

Analysis of Patches: Quilt and Community in Alice Walkers Everyday Use

Analysis of Patches sympathiser and Community in Alice Walkers Everyday Use In a critique titled Patches Quilt and Community in Alice Walkers Everyday Use (Short Story Criticism Excerpts from Criticism of the Works of Short Fiction Writers, 1990), the authors reveal that tradition and the description of holiness were key elements throughout the story. The writers began the analysis by discussing the significance of a quilt a quilt is a complete piece of artwork that is essentially made up of fragments. These patchwork quilts, when effectively put together, exposed a way of life. The Africans traditional way of life was one of sacredness and usefulness. By using scrap from old clothes they were able to create a masterpiece that could be passed down from one generation to the next. The title Everyday Use implies that quilts, while they whitethorn be priceless heirlooms, are also made to function. The Johnsons are a typical African family that has settled in America. The mo ther, and narrator of the story, is a working woman who often imagines herself as someone else, someone who her children would non be ashamed to be seen with. While awaiting the arrival of Dee, her eldest daughter and a goddess (415) in the eyes of her family, she dreams of being on a TV program where a host reunites long lost family members. As she greets her daughter who has been away at college, she is not only one hundred pounds thinner but is beautiful in the eyes of her children. Howeve...

Monday, May 27, 2019

Martin’s Luther King Jr. Strugle for Racial Segregation and Civil Rights Essay

Martin Luther pansy Jr. was champion of the most important recruits within the fields of politics and non-violent activism of the 20th century. power was born on 15th of January 1929 in the city of Atlanta within the boundaries of the state of Georgia. Origin eachy Martin Luther fag Jr. as named after his father as Michael King, although his father who was also named after Michael King after visiting the Nazi Germany in order to attend the Fifth Baptist World Alliance Congress in Berlin he found himself been inspired by a German reformer called Martin Luther, so he decided to change both his name and his sons name into Martin Luther King and Martin Luther King Jr. respectively.King was the middle child of the family having a four-year-older brother Alfred Daniel Williams King and an older sister Willie Christine King. As a reference to his education he attended Booker T. Washington High school, also it is stated that he was a precocious student as he skipped two grades the nint h and the twelfth and entered Morehouse College at the early age of fifteen. He graduated College in 1948 and enrolled in Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester which he graduated with a B. Div. degree in 1951.Meanwhile in 1953 he married Correta Scott and eventually became a father of four children Yolanda King, Martin Luther King III, Dexter Scott King, and Bernice King. Thereupon he became a government minister of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery in 1954 he began his doctoral degree course in Systematic Theology at capital of Massachusetts University and graduated receiving his Ph. D. degree in 1955 with a dissertation on A Comparison of the Conceptions of God in the Thinking of Paul Tillich and Henry Nelson Wieman.Although an academic contemplation which was held in 1991 concluded that parts of his dissertation were plagiarized unless the committee decided that his degree shouldnt be revoked. As a remark Martin Luther King Jr. was strongly influenced by religion (as it was natural, as been a Christian Minister since 1947) more specifically he was influenced by Jesus Christ and the Christian Gospels from which he frequently used quotes in his public speeches, he was also inspired from Mahatma Gandhis non-violent activist action.In April of 1959 he make a desired for him as it was stated trip to India with the assistance of the Ameri washstand Friends Service Committee, it has to be mentioned that the trip affected King in a profound vogue and helped him deepen his knowledge and understanding in non-violent resistance and his commitment to the Americas struggle for well-bred rights, as he stated the last daytime of his trip to India in a local radio, King said Since being in India, I am more convinced than ever before that the rule of non-violent resistance is the most potent weapon available to oppressed people in their struggle for justice and human dignity.The Fight Against Segregation It all started back in 1955 in Montgomery, Alabam a, Claudette Colvin an African- American girl which in fact was under aged unmarried pregnant girl refused to give up her nooky to a white man. At that point King was a member of the Birmingham African-American community and also a member of the committee which looked into the case but it was decided that they should wait for a better case to pursue. Their patience yielded.On December 1, 1955 an other African-American girl called Rosa Sparks also refused to give up her seat, back on that date the buses rows were separated, white people should seat on the front rows and the African-American people should seat on the back rows of the busses seats, as natural at some point the two different categories of passengers would meet. At that point the buss seats were all occupied and according to Jim wallow laws the following African-American passengers that would board on the bus were required to stand.It was exactly what they were waiting for, and soon after Rosa was uplifted the Montgom ery Bus Boycott stone-broke out, it lasted 385 days. The whole Boycott issue turned out as a huge victory, although during the campaign a bombing attack was made against Kings house and he was also arrested. As a result the fall in States District Court in Browder v. Gayle case ended the racial sequestration in all Montgomery public busses. After the Montgomery Bus Boycott Kings contribution to the result transformed him into a national figure and he was also off the record declared the best-known spokesman of the civil-rights movement.The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) Soon after the Montgomery lowdown King, Ralph Abernathy, and other civil rights activists founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The group was created in order to saddle the moral authority and organizing power of black churches to conduct non-violent protests in the armed service of civil rights reform, King led the SCLC until his death. In 1962 SCLC joins Student Nonviolen t Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the Albany Movement which was stated to be the first study non-violent campaign of SCLC.The Albany movement was a desegregation movement which was formed by local activist organizations, the SNCC and the National Association for the Advanced of Colored tribe (NAACP). The movements leader was William G. Anderson. During the period of Kings involvement with the Albany movement he was arrested twice, once in a mass arrest on 15th December of 1961 and in July of 1962. Although it has to be mentioned that King had been criticized by SNCC, theyve even given him a snide nickname De Lawd, because as they claimed he keep a safe distance from challenges that had to deal with Jim Crow laws.Birmingham Campaign Soon after the incidents in Albany the Birmingham campaign came to light. Birmingham campaign was a movement organized by SCLC and led by Martin Luther King Jr. and others. In the spring of 1963 the operation of the Birmingham campaign was at its pea k, including widely publicized controversies between black young people and white civic authorities and eventually led the municipal government to change the citys discrimination laws. A fact that cant remain unnoticed as during the early 60s Birmingham was one of the most racially divided cities in the United States.Ultimately Birmingham movement was defined as a model of direct action protest, as it effectively shut down the city through a boycott and a series of sit-ins and marches, and force the worlds attention to racial segregation in the South. Also it is stated that it paved the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Great March on Washington After the Birmingham campaign the SCLC called for massive protests in Washington DC to push for new civil rights legislation that would outlaw segregation nation-wide which turned to be an unparalleled success.The Great march on Washington claimed the title of one of the largest political rallies for human rights in the United State s history, as the estimated trope of participants varies from 200,000 to 300,000 and still remained non-violent, the 80% of the participants were estimated to be black and the rest were white and other non-black minorities. Also the city was swarmed by more than 2,000 buses, 21 special trains, 10 hired aircrafts and uncountable personal vehicles. But the march was stigmatized by the Kings famous I have a dream speech.King began his speech with the emancipation of the slaves, issued by Abraham Lincoln and concludes that even though blacks were freed from slavery they still arent free. Then he raised the matter of the unkept promise of America to the Civil Rights due north for the continued pursuit of justice as racial segregation still existed. Finally he promotes black people to keep on fighting for their rights in non-violent ways as he believed that violence would lead to a cycle of fighting, unnecessary death and cruelty.The abject Peoples Campaign and the opposition to the Vi etnam fight In 1965 Martin Luther King Jr. egan to express his doubts about the Vietnam struggle in public. On 4th April 1967 he delivered a speech at the New York city Riverside Church titled Beyond Vietnam A time to break silence. In which he expressed his objection to the role of the United States in the Vietnam War, mentioning that United States was in Vietnam to occupy it as an American colony and called the US government the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today. He also connected the Vietnam War with economic injustice based on the fact that the US government was spending more and more on the military machine and less and less on anti-poverty programs.He summed up this aspect by saying A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death. Almost a year later in 1968 King organized the Poor Peoples Campaign in order to raise the matter of economic injustice King crossed the whole country in order to assemble a multiracial army of poor people in order to march on Washington DC and engage in a non-violent civil noncompliance at the Capitol until Congress created an economic bill of rights for poor Americans.The campaign culminated in a march on Washington, D. C. , demanding economic aid to the poorest communities of the United States. The reconnaissance King was awarded at least fifty take noteary degrees from colleges and universities. On October 14, 1964, King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, which was awarded to him for leading non-violent resistance to racial prejudice in the U. S. In 1965, he was awarded the American Liberties Medallion by the American Jewish Committee for his exceptional advancement of the principles of human liberty.In his acceptance remarks, King said, Freedom is one thing. You have it all or you are not free. In 1957, he was awarded the Spingarn Medal from the NAACP. Two years later, he won the Ani sfield-Wolf Book Award for his disk Stride Toward Freedom The Montgomery Story. In 1966, the Planned Parenthood Federation of America awarded King the Margaret Sanger Award for his courageous resistance to bigotry and his lifelong consignment to the advancement of social justice and human dignity. Also in 1966, King was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of arts and Sciences.He was posthumously awarded a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for his Why I Oppose the War in Vietnam in 1971. In 1977, the Presidential Medal of Freedom was posthumously awarded to King by President Jimmy Carter, who stated Martin Luther King, Jr. , was the conscience of his generation. He gazed upon the great wall of segregation and saw that the power of love could bring it down. From the pain and exhaustion of his fight to fulfill the promises of our founding fathers for our humblest citizens, he wrung his eloquent statement of his dream for America.He made our nation stronger because he m ade it better. His dream sustains us yet. More than 730 cities in the United States have streets named after King. King County, Washington rededicated its name in his honor in 1986, and changed its logo to an image of his face in 2007. The city government center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is named in honor of King. King is remembered as a martyr by the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (feast day April 4) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (feast day January 15).

Sunday, May 26, 2019

Nova Scotia should join the Canadian Confederation. Essay

I depart explain why Nova Scotia should spousal relationship the Canadian federation from two aspects. The two aspects are defense security, economy and trade. First, Ill talk about defense security.Nova Scotia is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, convenient for maritime transfer and has pleasant climate and abundant resources. Also it is the closest landing site that European colonists immigrate to Canada mainland and an international im mienant port. So Nova Scotia has very important strategic position. Its the starting point of European going into Canada or attempting to invade Canada. Because of these, Nova Scotia used to be the focus of the Anglo-French colonists interests for the region. In addition, many pirates often infested in oak Island which is located in the east of Nova Scotia. Local resident masses had no means to live. And the area of Nova Scotia is very small, from the perspective of war, it is flimsy. If Nova Scotia doesnt join the Canadian compact, it will be captured when colonists invade. If Nova Scotia joins the Canadian Confederation, the Canadian Confederation will be the most powerful backing. Second, Ill talk about economy and trade.Nova Scotia is surrounded by water. nearly people on the island are fishing for their living. Most of their wares are transported to Canada inland various areas and they trade with these areas. This is the major revenue stream of Nova Scotia. However, there are so many invaders and pirates in the island, it doesnt have a safe convenient channel to transport wares to Canada inland. When we transport wares to Canada inland, we still need to pay a hazard of taxes. So revenue stream is not enough stable. In addition, the number of people on the island is small and industry is relatively single. Some of necessities need to be imported from Canada inland. These imported necessities are also interfered because of the reasons I just said. So life cant fit security. In the other side, Nova Scotia is an impo rtant port for transportation and relatively close to Europe and United States. It is very suit for international trading. However, if security is not guaranteed, it wont be able to get better development. Beyond these, if Nova Scotia joins the Canadian Confederation, we can put more focus on the development of international trade and local industry, and use the Canadian Confederations funds and technology to build railways and roads et al. We can also use its education and medical resources to improve the local infrastructure and raise the level of residents life. Finally, if Nova Scotia joins the Canadian Confederation, it can get good security safeguard. Its economy can get better development. The residents will also live better. So, Nova Scotia should join the Canadian Confederation.

Saturday, May 25, 2019

Italian Hours Essay

Italian Hours, Henry packs most acclaimed collection of travel stories written between 1882 and 1909, is a very elicit piece of travel literature. However, it does much much than a typical work in the genre would do, that is describing authors experiences in a foreign, usually exotic, country. Instead, Italian Hours put forward be seen as an important document from a historical and anthropological perspective, since it catalogues living conditions, attitudes, customs and traditions of Italian people at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the 20th century.There atomic number 18 other prominent examples of travel literature, such as Tocqu abominationles Journey to America, which provide in-depth explorations of cultural idiosyncrasies and social musical arrangement of different societies Italian Hours should be seen as one of the works in the latter category. mobs opinions on various matters atomic number 18 all more interesting for the reason that his perspective, as of an American writer and tourist, is an embodiment of modernity by definition (Manolescu-Oancea 2010, para. 1), while Italy is conventionally regarded to be a country that has entered the arrest of modernity later than other major European powers.In the subsequent paragraphs, a number of examples of the aforementioned will be presented. It is necessary to keep in mind that packs work touches upon a wide variety of philosophical topics, which are all very intriguing yet unfortunately cannot be covered in this essay due to space constraints. This essay will focus primarily at Jamess interpretation of social conditions, developments, and debates in Italy of the aforementioned period. The concluding section will briefly discuss the place of Italian Hours among other works of travel literature set in Italy. on with describing natural beauties and historical sites of Italy, James devotes significant attention to analyzing peoples daily lives, which allows for a deduction more or le ss social structures that existed in Italy of those times. For instance, when describing Sienna, James (2008) dialogue of it as of a city that is still in the 14th century, with numerous and rich nobility that is perfectly feudal and uplifted and separate (p. 242). There is no middle class, or bourgeoisie instead immediately after the aristocracy come the poor people, who are very poor indeed (James 2008, p. 42). A gravid divide between rich and poor has been very characteristic of Italy of the late 19th and early 20th century. The miserable situation of poorer Italians is exacerbated by the government that wields unreasonably high taxes. Upward social mobility is a rare phenomenon, and most Italians born outside of the upper classes were expecting a life of struggle and destitution. When recollecting his time in Venice, James writes that Italians habitations are decayed their taxes heavy their pockets light their opportunities hardly a(prenominal) (James 2008, p. 13).It is nece ssary to keep in mind that the unification of Italy occurred quite late in the 19th century. A lot of problems remained unresolved following the unification, ranging from economic deprivation to epidemics of fatal disease. Most researchers name the huge material gulf between north and south (p. 168) as one of the most pressing problems of the time previously Austrian provinces of Lombardy and Venetia were more developed then southern provinces comparable Sicily. The following statistics give a somewhat comprehensive picture of the level of economic development in the immediate aftermath of the unification In 1870s the primary sector agriculture, mining and forestry accounted for 62 percent of total employment against slight than 50 percent for France, Germany and the USA. For the UK the figure was only 22. 7 percent. Most of the industrial development was concentrated in very few areas, namely Lombardy, Piedmont and a few firms in the region of Naples (Faini & Venturini 1994, p. 74). Yet the disparities in life quality between different provinces of Italy are not salient in Jamess writings.Keen on noticing regional differences, the author of Italian Hours speaks of Italian people as generally poor, although income gap becomes more and more perfect as one moves southwards. Poor economic conditions behave resulted in mass emigration of Italians to other country, mostly to the United States, which seems particularly ironic in the context of use of Jamess observations about Italy and America. James (2008) describes Italians as simple and unpretentious he writes of them as of people that have at once the good and the evil fortune to be conscious of few wants (p. 3). However, early modernity has already associated sophistication with having a variety of needs that are hard to satisfy. In unanimity with these criteria, Italians might come across as being less civilized than other peoples, although such view is definitely misguided. Enjoying simple pleasures c an be a sign of wisdom and contemplative approach to life although many of the pleasures Italian cities offer might seem to be superficial pastimes (James 2008, p. 14), they are no less pleasurable from it.Enjoying works by great masters of the past or magnificent nature are some of the activities Italians often indulge in. One of the issues that have been heatedly debated at the times of Jamess travels was the question of whether to restore or preserve ancient ruins, and how to do it. In Italian Hours, the author presents his cast out assessment of the results of renovation in Italian cities and in his criticism of the intrusions of modernity in the cityscape (Manolescu-Oancea 2010, para. 1). In his opinion, buildings should be seen as humans, having their own lifecycles and histories, and therefore mortal.Moreover, buildings have a unique ability to tell stories of people who have once inhabited them and sometimes however have to atone for their sins Houses not only look like ag eing bodies, they also seem to be permeated with the life of their former inhabitants, which lends them a dark human aura, a psyche (Manolescu-Oancea 2010, para. 6). As with cityspaces, natural landscapes for James are not merely a picturesque backdrop for romantic adventurebut areendowed with some of the richness of symbolic values inherited from great historical events (Mariani 1964, p. 42).Since the richness of Italian history and nature are so impressive, James notes with regret that so many Italians live in poverty. On the other hand, he believes that being constantly surrounded by breathtaking beauty is a fair compensation moreover, the peculiarly lighthearted approach to life Italians have helps them carry on with daily problems. Although a lot of criticism of social reality of the late 19th century and early 20th century is present in Jamess text, a comparison with his own country, America, is usually to the disadvantage of the latter.In Monte Mario outside Rome, James (200 8) observes the idle elegance and grace of Italy alone, the natural mental picture of the land which has the singular privilege of making one love her unsanctified beauty all but as well as those features of ones own country toward which natures small allowance doubles that of ones own affection (p. 166). In comparing American and Italian cuisine, the author recollects Grotta Ferrata, a rather insignificant and unkempt village, yet al fresco food for its fair couldnt fail to suggest romantic analogies to a pilgrim from the land of no cooks (James 1995 cited in Collister 2004, p. 95). When James expresses dissatisfaction with new developments in the centre of Florence, he thinks of America again, fearful of the ancient city being disfigured chthonic the treatment of enterprising syndics, into an ungirdled organism of the type, as they viciously say, of Chicago (James 2008, p. 257). Even in term of attitudes, James (2008) appreciates the fact that Italians are more down-to-earth and relaxed than his bronco buster men when he fears that a day may come when people rush about Venice as furiously as people rush about New York (p. 57).Thus, while modernity and speed become synonymous with the New World, Jamess observations unmistakably point to cultural wrong-headedness and impoverishment of the America (Collister 2004, p. 196). At the same time, Italy is to James literally picturesque real life composes itself into art at every turn (Collister 2002, p. 340). Constant reminiscences of the New World serve some(prenominal) particular functions in Jamess writing. First of all, it appears to be symbolic of his attempts to yield an emotional connection with his readers and through his personal perspective to help establish a connection between his readers and Italy.This device is frequently employed in travel literature the reader can feel overwhelmed with descriptions of remoteaway places and strange cultures that run no resemblance to their own it is therefore the role of a writer to create a minimum level of comfort by recalling familiar places and phenomena. In such a way, readers can comprehend the mode of life in distant lands building on their own experience in their home countries. On the other hand, such reminiscences serve another purpose, as Manolescu-Oancea (2010) argues Jamess constant references to America and to his Americanness introduce a special kind of alienated perspective, both(prenominal) geographical and temporal, which is decidedly American in outlook (para. 20).Jamess fascination with Italy has been enduring, yet there were moments in his life when the writer has expressed a significant degree of dissatisfaction with living conditions there. Rome is the city that has come is for the most criticism in his private letters in one of them he even writes the following I feel that I shouldnt care if I never saw the perverted place again (James 1907 cited in Lubbock 2008, p. 2). This perhaps can be attributed to the fact that his brother, William, has contracted malaria while in Rome and had to move southwards to Florence to improve his health (Gale 1959). It is indeed interesting to observe how both Jamess life and writings create a rather accurate account of what it was like to live in Italy at the end of the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century. Jamess Italian Hours is one among many other literary travelogues of Italy Sternes Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy (1768) and Dickens Pictures from Italy (1845) are perhaps the most known of them.What distinguishes Italian Hours, however, is that it follows no chronology and even the geographical ordering much dwelling upon Venice and a movement southwards as far as Naples with a return to Tuscany is (unlike Goethes Italienische Reise) arbitrary (Collister 2004, p. 194). At the same time, the peculiarity of the narrators style gives a powerful and overarching sense of disposal to this seemingly odd collection of stories.

Friday, May 24, 2019

Asnani Nandini Essay

The Bitter Truth Polar bears sweating, the Earth reforming Into a volcano. And oxygen artifici bothy supplied to the atmosphere is the future of tomorrow. It is unfortunately a consequence of our activities today. The justice that AH Gore considers to be a potential threat is the trapping of gases within the boundaries of the ozone layer, with the addition of human race deepening the wound with their negligence. The truth is an eye-opener for negligent individuals.Global warming- an extremely adverse word and a great deal of controversy. An Inconvenient Truth is a terrifying and impendent once which awakens us to realize our responsibility we need to have to the earth. Davis Guggenheim presents the fool away in a form of presentation, showing the upward trend of carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. AH Gore connects this data with glances of melting of Ice caps, and shows how dependent people are. In fact, 40% of the people are dependent on the water that these Ice caps provi de.De woodwind instrumentation Is reflected with increase factories and sheerd trees. The Impact of this global carols is unprecedented. Vehicular pollution, burning of fossil fuels and human caused hazards like this are depleting our resources. Myths and misconceptions about the earth were unveiled. For instance, the bitter truth of animals losing their habitat and forest fires is not Just a natural hazard. It is a proved, irresponsible action of the selfish humans, who deforest and for their avouch greed set up factories.To top that, they maculate the environment with their factory pollutants in the form of smoke and oil spills. If this be the condition furthermore, we all will be walking around with oxygen masks. This truth shows us that global warming Is not a political issue but rather, the biggest moral and ethical challenge facing our civilization due to our own actions. These facts should help to galvanism people, governments, organizations and Individuals to work on a b etter environment. Some myths exposed transfixed us In stupefaction.Such as, the average American generates about 1 5,000 pounds of carbon dioxide every year from personal transportation, home energy use and from the energy used to produce all of the products and services we consume. Most emissions from homes are from the fossil fuels burned to generate electricity and heat. By using energy more efficiently at home, you can reduce your emissions by more than 30%. Our actions to reduce global warming can extend beyond how we personally reduce our own emissions. We all have influence on our schools, workplaces, businesses, and on society through and through how we make purchases, invest, train action, and vote.The truth emphasizes how we provoke the environment, such that It backfires to us unknowingly. The population Is dependent on the resources of the environment and do not realize they are depleting It themselves What we take for granted might not be here for our This quote of AH gore should be a repeated echo and remind us to wake up and realize that we are the only preservers oxide struck me. It was shocking to know that the ten most hot eld have occurred in the past fifteen years More devastating summers indicates greater chances of hurricanes.The heat and warmer air Just adds fuel to on spill hurricanes Just like Strain. It seemed pretty simple until it speedily increased in the degree of its disruption after passing over the Gulf of Mexico. And finally when it reached New Orleans, the consequence of those warm winds caused immense destruction, loss of lives and property. some other important aspect of The Inconvenient Truth which is highlighted is the Kyoto Protocol. It focuses on the measures taken to reduce pollution and bring down the level of carbon-did-oxide in the environment.The alarming visuals stress on facts is an eye-opener and makes us aware of the severity of damage we have done. The truth is, we are facing a crisis bigger than warmer days, overworked air conditions and painful sunburns- the exploitation and depletion of the resources of the Earth. Apparently, all the cycles of the Earth are interrelated. The need of the hour is to make an impact on this planet, reduce the carbon footprint and make your voice be heard. Losing the planet and correct the fear about it can be depressing and overwhelming.The title represents how inconvenient this is going to be in the near future and the suffering we are going to go through. Switch off those electric bulbs when not in use, change them to the incandescent lights, car pool, use chimneys, reduce, reuse and recycle. Promote and pass this understanding to others. The film ends as it began with stunning video of a beautiful wilderness stream peacefully flowing to the ocean in the hope that such scenes will prevail a part of the future landscape. So step out and make a difference

Thursday, May 23, 2019

Marketing Brand Strategy

Decide if you would like to set your production or service. Then identify three products or services in your industry that have a logo or slogan. After which, either develop a logo or slogan that will identify your product or service or explain why branding is not the best selling plan. Then write a marketing memo to the advertizing division of your company rationalizing your choice.Evaluation Criteria Have you included all the required elements? Have you identified the surroundal factors and described their influence appropriately in the tending(p) situation?Please use the textbook Marketing Management 12E by Kotler & Keller and other sources. If you ar using sources other than the text, you must provide complete citations.Is the theme professionally presented? Remember your audience senior management at your company. It is important to present your information as clearly and succinctly as possible.Please point the instructions carefully. Please make sure that 1 of the 3 re ferences that you are using is my text book MarketingMy product brand Smiley ulcer-guard toothpaste,Company Teethal guide word Guardian in disguise forever with a smile which implies that this above mentioned toothpaste prevents from the oral infection of ulcers which shadows a face with grin and no smile for a long period. Logo A smile embedded in a circleThree products in the industry having logo or slogan are as follows 1. HLLs Close-Up2. Proctor and Gambles Pepsodent3. Colgate Palmolives ColgateWhy banding is not the best marketing plan?Strategic planning is a process which gives a detailed understanding of the growth and provides a futuristic view of a business enterprise. Careful study of the strategic planning helps in scrutinizing and developing a steady marketing plan for a product line or a brand. Every marketing plan should involve a thorough analysis of the external and internal environs. If the environment is stable, most of the activities will be predictable and convenient for the organization.But in todays scenario, the environment is changing faster and faster which leads to discontinuity with the past. The environmental survey is the cornerstone to every marketing plan. The various macro environmental factors like political, social, economical, technological, natural and legal environment imbibe a sense of competitive advantage over other competitors. In the course of studying and analyzing the marketing plan, marketers also identify the brand government agency of the product lines existing in that firm, which speaks about the positioning and differentiation of the products. brand is a process of developing a differentiated product which is positioned in the minds of the consumers as a brand by way of its logo and slogan. Branding is just one strategy in the whole of the marketing strategy of the marketing plan.If Branding is studied without looking over the marketing plan, then the outcome would be disastrous as branding is a subset of the marketing strategy which in relinquish is a subset of the marketing plan which is a subset of strategic planning. Hence it is said that branding need not be the best marketing plan. If a marketing plan is properly carried out, it satisfies the process of branding too (Batra et al 1999, Kotler, 2001, & Ramaswamy et al, 2004).Marketing Memo to the Advertising firm LintasMy organization Teethal deals with the manufacture of varied products of toothpaste. latterly a new product is been manufactured named Smiley ulcer-guard toothpaste, which has a unique differentiating factor of overcoming the worst oral infection caused by ulcers. I have carried out a detailed learning of this product which is branded by taking into consideration the environmental factors like consumer and demand for the product, industry competition, technology and social environment which plays a major role. The following specification needs attention while carrying out the advertising plan (Batra et al, 1999 & Gilbert, 2003).Product SpecificationsAttributes of the brand long lasting fresh breath, ulcer protection, economicalPersonality of the brand always charming and vibrantBenefits of the brand All the attributes provide a functional get ahead I wont have to worry about my oral protection. The attribute economical translates into an emotional benefit which makes the user feel important for maintaining value-for-money.Values of the brand The brand also says something about the manufacturers values hygienic and effective and powerful.User of the product all age group. Strongly advisable for teenagers who have bad eating habits and executives workings under stress.Pricing Although the product is very much effective for every user, the price is economical to encourage the masses to buy the product and avail the benefit of its healing touch. 200 gm toothpaste is priced at US Dollars 3.Promotion The product could be initially advertised in the urban cities on Television, in metros on FM radios and in the rural places on TV cables just a suggestionDistribution The product is a convenience product and hence will be sell at every local convenient store. Intensive distribution mode will be adopted to enhance its usage and improve its beneficial value. ground on the above requirements, kindly prepare the advertising budget to bring out the clarity of this advertising campaign so as to provide the needful resources. Also provide us with your study carried out with regards to the internal differences between the advertising plans which arise from the differences in the external factors and the environmental situations which the advertisers face (Batra et al 1999, Kotler, 2001, & Ramaswamy et al, 2004).References Batra, R., Myers, J. G., and Aaker, D. A. (1999), Advertising Management, 5th ed, New Delhi Prentice.Gilbert, D. (2003), Retail Marketing Management, New Delhi Pearson.Kotler, P. (2001), Marketing Management, Millenium ed, New Delhi Prentice.Ramaswamy, V. S. a nd Namakumari, S. (2004), Marketing Management Planning, Implementation and Control, 3rd ed, Delhi Macmillan.

Wednesday, May 22, 2019

Evaluation of Voluntourism Essay

A trend has started in the recent years, where masses participate in organizations that commonly claim to be helping developing countries. This trend is fuelled by the gap year phenomenon, which is defined as a period of time among 3 and 24 months taken out of education or a work cargoner. (J unitys, 2004) With enthusiasm of making a difference, more and more people choose voluntourism, combination of tourism and put up projects, as their gap year holiday option. Despite the well-intended enthusiasm, opinions regarding the contri simplyion of voluntourism on local community ar divided. The aboriginal issue of debate is whether voluntourism set aside help to the local communities. While some queryers using surveys find local people satisfied with provide tourists, other research investigating quality, t conducts, motivation and local need of voluntourism claim found it doing more harm than good. Such a harmful trend has made the UK director of VSO, one of the baggiest and ear liest international development charity, warn Young people want to fasten difference through volunteering, but they would better off travelling kind of than wasting time on projects that have no impact (Ward, 2007)In this paper, we will evaluate both side of the debate and carefully assess the shelter of voluntourism for local community. In order to assess the benefit abandoned by volunteer tourists, it is essential to look at the quality of the helpers. Unskilled volunteers may be a burden to local communities that have to take care of them. As Stephan peck, operations director at the Scout Association, puts it bad volunteers are equivalent a crab louse (Ainsworth, 2012). Therefore, the volunteer selection process is critical in recruiting needed and appropriate volunteers that benefit local communities. While supporters of voluntourism claims those volunteers as satisfying, looking into their selection experience shall make it crystalize that these tourists are hardly qualif ied as helpful volunteers. Research done by Richard Forsythe in gold coast vlountourism showed that only 36% of all analyse volunteer applicants in various fields went through drill process more complicated than filling application forms, and no individuals remarked upon the selection process as a particularly challenging experience, and indeed some(prenominal) of the organizations interviewed admitted to accepting almost all volunteers having very some requirements, and taking anyone who is interested(Forsythe, 2011).Recruitment through application forms or basic information can only depend on the self-evaluation of applicants, who probably had no volunteering experience, as to whether they will be helpful to the local community. With such(prenominal) a lenient selection, the volunteers selected are much more likely to be burden than help to local volunteers and community who cry out A corporation of people have very unrealistic expectations roughly overseas volunteering, and they want to be on that point for only a month or less and have no skills that are critically needed in the developing world (Huang, 2012). People may expect those unqualified volunteers to receive some training beforehand starting work, but research has also showed that volunteer tourists receive almost no training. When they do receive information, much of it is about the culture and language, safety and packing with little attention toward the skills and duties involved within the volunteer placements (Forsythe, 2011).Furthermore, no more than half the volunteers received oversight or guidance during the placement (Forsythe, 2011). The organizations local presence is indispensible for placements appropriate, long-term effectiveness and safety of volunteers. With the growing number of teenagers participating in volunteer tours, supervision and protection by organization are vital. However, some volunteers set out with enthusiastic motivation ends up in a awkward situation as Hannah Saunders, a gap year volunteer When I arrivedthey didnt know I was coming or what to do with me. (Ward, 2007) Although the volunteers intention maybe beneficial, they are unqualified, untrained and unguided. Such groups of volunteers can hardly provide any high-quality help that is needed by local communities.Supporters of voluntourism may cling onto the motivation behind voluntourism to justify the trend. Indeed, motivation is also a factor much discussed when talking about the benefits of voluntourism. Supporters of voluntourism argue actions that come from altruistic intension to help, although may not provide substantial help, are at least better than nothing. The supporters interpret that by just participating and showing concern, it is already helping the people in dispair. It is literally, you are the difference With the belief in altruism, people advertise voluntourism, in which enthusiasm and good intentions are allowed to prevail (Simpson, 2004). However, it seems the good intension behind voluntourism is not enough to be allowed to prevail. While some(prenominal) people paying attention to believe that motivation behind volunteering abroad is strictly altruistic, research using evolutionally, social psychological, organizational and game theoretic literature as framework, has found that, in general, people volunteered most often when personal benefits are high (Murnighan, Kim, & Metzger, 1993).Consistent with this result, almost all authors of articles about voluntourism, even the supporters, agree that voluntourism does not come from purely altruistic motivation. Despite the difference in motivational factors concluded by different authors, all of them agree that these motivations outweigh altruism (Forsythe, 2011Corti, Marola, & Castro, 2010Wearing 2001 Brown, 2005 Cohen, Reichel, Shwartz, & Uriely, 2002 Tosun, 2000 Unstead-Jones, 2008). It is commonly concord that volunteer tourists plan to satisfy the needs of communities through me eting their own needs such as experiencing cultures. If actions from altruism intention are the ones that give accept and prevail, voluntourism with self-centered motivation is not one. Furthermore, less concern in local community than in self-gain may result in idealized, incorrect effrontery about local needs. Reflecting this worry about incorrect assumption, Sacha Brown, Program Manager of World Youth International, a NGO taking volunteers overseas for their development projects says, there is a lot of development that is useless and is based on erroneous assumptions around what is best for the community or country (Huang, 2012).Inexperienced volunteers erroneous expectations on local needs, together with their self-centered concerns, make them concent charge per unit on their own enjoyment without examining what help is needed. Organizations that seek to profit from voluntourism may increase rather than adulterate neglect of local need. The director of VSO is worried that co mpetition between organizations may lead to more emphasis on volunteer enjoyment and may not deliver the maximum benefits to the communities these people are working in. (Huang, 2012) Indeed, one of the organizations interviewed by Forsythe implied that its placements were driven by preferences of volunteers rather than local needs. It is not only researchers who are concerned about whether volunteering tourists helps are actually needed. Some volunteers interviewed by Justine Tillon express their feeling of lack of acceptance by local government and citizens. Some of them entangle that the government and local citizens are forced to be helped by the participants. When there is evidence that help is forced on local people, maybe we should really ask ourselves Does this kind of help make a peaceful word? All has been said, some supporters may provide research that show local satisfaction toward volunteer tourists.One of such research about Moroccan students satisfaction toward forei gn volunteer teachers of French and English showed 79% of appreciation (Corti et al., 2010). The rate is indeed high, but we should look closer into this study. The job of the volunteers studied is to give English and French classes during vacation of school year. Out of 253 students who enrolled, 32.41% left to travel with their parents in the middle of classes (Corti et al., 2010). Although the desistance rate already implies that local community regards the classes as unserious holiday childcare rather than structured learning experience, several other questions can be raised against results of this and alike(p) other studies. First, does the rate actually reflect the work done by volunteer teachers? The improvement in students language skills is not heedful in the study.Since it was students who answered those surveys, it is questionable whether they looked at bigger picture and thought the experience educating or they were just excited to see foreigners. Inferring from previo us evaluation of quality, training and supervision of volunteers, these teachers are likely to be unqualified as teachers. Of course supporters may say that the satisfaction rate is indeed the proof that the volunteers are qualified. That raises a mho question. Is it voluntourism per se that is benefiting? Do they have to be volunteer tourists or they can be anyone? Considering that English and French are both official language of Morocco, classes given by mixture of nonnative and native speakers of the languages may hardly made any difference from that by local Moroccans who speak both languages. It is not clear whether the 79% satisfaction was toward volunteers from abroad or people who helped.Questions about the tourists help per se have been studied in different contexts. Study in Gahanna showed that many volunteers are placed in daily tasks and traditional chores such as bathing, dressing, feeding and supervising of children, that can be done by anyone else (Fosythe, 2011). To justify voluntourism itself, studies about unique benefit of voluntourism need be carried out. Through this paper, we have evaluated the quality, motivation and local need of voluntourism.While there are some studies showing satisfactions toward voluntourism presented, several essential questions are raised. Through evaluation, it became clear that volunteer tourists are unskilled, authentically motivated, and to certain extent, unwelcomed. Although it may be a valuable experience for tourists, it seems that voluntourism carry few value, if not harm, to local community. Whether or not it is primary desire, the desire to volunteer is laudable. However, we need to tread more carefully, especially when dealing with people who are already suffering. Unless we have enough knowledge and transferrable skills, we might do better to travel and bring money into developing countries.Works CitedAinsworth, D. (2012). Bad volunteers are like a cancer, says Scout Association director. Third Secto r Online . Brown, S. (2005). Understanding the motives and benefits of voluntourists What makes them tick? Retrieved from http//www.voluntourism.org/newsstudyandresearc h1005.htm Cohen, E., Reichel, A., Schwartz, Z., & Uriely, N. (2002). ). Rescuing hikers in Israels deserts Community altruism or an extension of impale tourism? . Journal of Leisure Research . Corti, I. N., Marola, P. N., & Castro, M. B. (2010). Social Inclusion and Local Development through European Voluntourism A Case Study of the Project recognize in a Neighborhood of Morocco. merican Journal of Economics and Business Administration 2 . Forsythe, R. (2011). Helping or hindering? Volunteer tourism in Ghana and its critical role in development . Huang, A. (2008, 8 1). Voluntourism Benifit or Harm? Retrieved from Yahoo voices http//voices.yahoo.com/voluntourism-benefit-harm-775403.html?cat=9 Jones, A. (2004). Review of Gap Year Provision.Murnighan, J. K., Kim, J. W., & Metzger, A. R. (1993). the Volunteer Dilemma. administrative Science Quarterly . Simpson, K. (2004). Doing Development The Gap Year, Volunteer Tourists and a Popular Practice of Development. Journal of International Development . Taillon, J. (2007). The Identification of Motivation in Voluntourists oddly Extrinsic Motivators in Vacation-Minded Volunteer Tourism Participants. Retrieved from http//justintaillon.com/FINAL% 20PAPER.doc Tosun, C. (2000). Limits to community participation in the tourism development process in developing countries. . Tourism counsel . Unstead-Jones, R. (2008). An Analysis ofVolunteer Motivation Implications for International Development. The Journal of the Institute for Volunteering Research . Ward, L. (2007). Youre better off backpacking-VSO warns about perils of voluntourism. The Guardian . Wearing, S. (2001). Volunteer tourism Experiences that demonstrate a Difference. CABI Publishing.

Tuesday, May 21, 2019

Canterbury Tale

Who lived in a cottage with his wife in Astrakhan. Used to be merrily married, loved his wife dearly His love was actually palpable, seen clearly. But as years passed his feelings towards her began to wither Because the arguments they had were getting bigger and bigger They would scream and shout and foretell the night away To the point where theyd wake up their neighbors, all of whom were gay. As their emotional feelings grew more and more distantTheir overall sex life became all tho non-existent. While laboring in the fields one day He thought Of a brilliant idea, with whores hed lay. While adultery was bad, and this he knew To his morals he thusly bid adieu. He began to visit a brothel Hookers a plenty, all of them docile Hed indulge in his carnal desires While the wife had no clue he was a liar. He returned late one night to home So his wife got a case of the I-think-my-spouse-is-a-cheater syndrome. She asked where hed been, she absolutely inquired l dont invite this and to bed he retired.Her suspicions were then indubitably confirmed When she revealed something from his laundry and learned In his pocket was a note that said intercourse with you was lovely Signed at the bottom with hearts and lipstick, was Beverly. She finally knew of her husbands infidelity Which stemmed from their lack of chemistry. To receive information and some advice She went to her transvestite brother Bryce. Dont get mad, get even he said This may not be the time, but told you not to wed. What do you propose do? l actually slang the perfect solution for you, have acquired a concoction At the recent marketplace auction. Slip this in his food, and into a frog he allow turn. If I go through with this, will in hell I burn? My dear sister that I do not know. All right then, whatever, YOLK. She barely arrived home, before the crack of perforate Just as her husband awoke with a yawn. She prepped a hearty breakfast, the most important meal of the day Which consisted of milk and honey, and a warm souffleWith the honey she interracial her secret elixir Woe is she, what a tricky trickster. Just like a kitty, he tongued it deftly All the way down to the bottom, until twats empty. at one time his eyes began to swell His mouth opened, but came out no yell Instead he croaked, his transformation was smooth He now had nary a hair on his body, not even a tooth He remained an amphibian, for the rest of his days Regretting his decisions that he made in his naive haze His wife was very happy, tit for tat. Adultery is bad so theres that.

Monday, May 20, 2019

Ho Ching Leadership Essay

Mr. GPower, in the culture, described as the capacity to cause change and influence. Ho Chings has been recognized and ranked at 18 in Asias most force outful people. According to the reading and further research, Ching is an influential leader because she brought a alliance from failing. In this basis, the company is successful not provided with the CEO but the workers he or she employ. In receiving awards, she must have influenced someone to receive recognition. When Temasek Holdings was losing receipts Ching step up to the challenge to bring the company back on their feet. She did not focus on the company but also expanding the companys potential. She has the power to influence because she started from the bottom and rose to fail the CEO. In her influential speech, she has disclosed the companys annual report proving the employees and to the public that the companys performance is changing for the better and the results from the workers achievements.According to a previous c lass in Phoenix, Accounting, Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) provides company annual reports to the public, but in some part of Asia these study are not public. Chings bold decision to make this public gave her employee a reason to want her decision even more. When Ching took in the position as CEO she wants to make the company more diversified, with tierce invested in Singapore, third in Asia and some of the developed eastern countries. According to Thomas White International, when Ching was reconfiguring the company, absolute majority of the staff comprised of Singaporeans. In 2007, staff diversify from people in 22 different countries and 40% of the cured management are not home grown (2010).The referred power Ho Ching uses are referent power and licit power. According to Hughes, Ginnett, & Curphy, referent power has strong interpersonal ties with subordinates. Ching strengthens the relationship with senior management to the workers (2009). Her legitimate pow er come from experience from rising up the ranks. Her decision to make changes and vision for the future of the company gives her followers to become motivated to work for the better of the companys success.

Sunday, May 19, 2019

Gatsby’s Attraction to Daisy Essay

In the bracing The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main character Gatsby is in love with Daisy Buchannan. Moreover, the garters love for the offspring woman is the result of the inclinationifying and romanticizing of the latter. Throughout the novel, Nick shows Gatsby as the epitome of grandeur and the American Dream. Gatsbys greatness, however, lies in his ability to pursue his dreams and, from them, create realities. This is the very case with Daisy. The main character feels attracted to her because she represents everything he ever valued wealth, glory and a high-class status.Without question, Gatsby is driven to desire Daisy because she is dressed in white (pg. 65) and other officers demanded the prefer of monopolizing her (pg. 65). It is important to note how Fitzgerald uses the word monopolizing instead of others that would set a more romantic tone. This is, however, because, in Gatsbys eyes, Daisy is a trophy or a prize. And, thus, Daisy being such a big rew ard or achievement for Gatsby, he tries to attract her with exuberant parties.Furthermore, the fact that Daisy is so used to the upper class and pitiful amounts of money as well as makes Gatsby find her excitingly desirable (pg. 28). It is not Daisys beauty or grinning that wakens Gatsbys heart its the fact that her mansion was a thing as casual to her as his tent out at camp to him (pg. 128). We can see that Fitzgerald is trying to show to the reader wherefore is that all the extravagant qualities Daisy possesses are so attractive to Gatsby she, like money, represents the American Dream- the illusion of greatness and superiority. It is also important to see the words Fitzgerald uses when Gatsby describes Daisy.The fact that many others also desired the young lady, the main character says, increased her value in his eyes (pg. 128). The word value is, in a way, the summary of how the protagonist sees Mrs. Buchannan. It is not her beauty, her kindness or her personality which beh ind Gatsbys illusion is completely amoral and unethical that makes Gatsby so interested in her. Its her value as if she were an expensive piece of jewelry to buy as a collection or a business to invest in. Nonetheless, it is what attracts Daisy that also attracts Gatsby.Because shes attracted to pomp and concomitant (pg. 66), it adds to her value. Since he was very young, Gatsby fell in love with wealth and high-class standards, and though he neer belonged there, he also desired the supposed greatness that came with them. Daisy, in the main characters eyes, is the theatrical performance of these very things. In conclusion, we can see that Gatsby, after creating an unreal version of Daisy, wants her more as an object than as an actual woman. Thus, the protagonist is attracted to her social hierarchy, her wealthy lifestyle and her popularity.

Saturday, May 18, 2019

One Man Control Essay

What is Meant By integrity Man Control? One hu homophile race authority or iodin man c ar (also called bushel ownership) is the simplest form of pipeline governance. The description One man business or nonpargonil man control is sometimes con as misleading one, as there may be more than one persons laming as employees in the business. The essential stipulate of one man control or one man business is that it i. e. a business owned by one person, managed and opera houseted for ones own profit. Statute of One Ban BusinessThe one man business was the earliest to be developed. It is even today, the most common and numerically the largest form of business ownership in the developed and underdeveloped countries of the world. It represents about more than 74% of all the business firms. so far the share of resole proprietorship in the national income is small of all the business activities. That is why it Is tell of sole traders that they are an awful lot of them but they do n ot do very much. Is One Man Control Best in The World?With the advent of Industrial Revolution, introduction of machinery, division of labour, specialization, working out in the scale of production, greater business assays, diversification of managerial tasks, large capital requirement, etc. , etc. the one man control Is no more the rule of the world. The reason is that one man Is not big enough to manage everything. The basic functions of business i, e. , buying, selling, advertising, accounting, insurance, credit, personal management etc cannot be successfully performed by one man.He cannot be expert in all these areas. In addition to this, one man can provide a limited amount of capital for establish and operating a business. His risk bearing capacity is also limited. In the present age of competition and technological advancement, the single proprietor has to seek the aid of other persons, managers, secretaries, advisers, bring upants etc. He now is one man among many an(p renominal), though peradventure he is the most important one. The one man control is the best in the world It that one man is big enough to manage everything does not seem to be feasible.The sole trading business is confined now to small scale sector. Suitability of sole proprietorship The sole proprietorship from of organization is existing and competing quite successfully with other forms of organizations like partnership, Joint Stock Company. There are many reasons for it. Sole proprietorship is the most ancient form of business enterprise. If has a weight of tradition seat it. Moreover it is good to experiment with it. The circumstances favorable to sole proprietorship form of organization are a) Where Market Is Local When the market for a good or service is local, the scale of business opera will be small. The amount of capital required will also be less. Under such circumstances, the sole proprietorship is considered the most sufficient from of organization. For example mo st of the retail trading is controlled by the sole traders. (b) When Personal Contract With Customers is Required There are certain businesses where goods or services are provided jibe to the individual tastes or liking of the customers.For example in the beauty parlours, the tailoring shops, cafeterias etc the sole proprietor has a direct link with his customers. He provides the goods and caters to the individual tastes of the customers. So in al these and other similar businesses, sole proprietorship is the most popular and suitable form. (c) Where One Likes, Being His Own Boss There are many owners who cannot work w other persons or under some one else. They want to work hard and succeed in business.Being one own boss and keeping all the clams with himself has a special attraction to run the business individually. (d) Where Promptness is Required in Decision reservation There are businesses where immediate decisions is required as warranted by the situation. The businessman ha s no time to consult others. Far example, the prices of the shares change every rapidly in the stack exchange market. The businessman has to take affect decisions. In such businesses where demand and prices of goods change quickly, sole proprietorship form of business is most suitable

Friday, May 17, 2019

Academic Qualification Ensures Success in Life

Hes g unitness? Finnick asks, searching raze at Boggs. I nod. We use up to bring about up emerge of here. protrude proficient. We well(p) involve up whizs mind slay a streetful of cods. You nates bet theyve got us on charge tapes. Count on it, says silk hat. All the streets argon c all told all(prenominal)whereed by surveillance cameras. I bet they set off the grue or so wave manually when they adage us taping the propo. Our radio communicators went dead somewhat(a) immediately. in all likelihood an electromagnetic pulse device. precisely Ill get us patronise to camp. Give me the Holo. capital of Mississippi piddlees for the unit, nonwithstanding I clutch it to my chest. no(prenominal) Boggs gave it to me, I say. get dressedt be ridiculous, she snaps. Of course, she call tails its hers. Shes sulfur in command. Its true, says Homes. He transfer carmine the prime security freshance to her while he was dying. I saw it. Why would he do that? demands capita l of Mississippi. Why indeed? My lintels reeling from the ghastly thus farts of the last volt minutesBoggs mutilated, dying, dead, Peetas homicidal rage, Mitchell bloody and netted and s palisadeowed by that foul dark-skinned wave. I cultivate to Boggs, very badly needing him alive. Suddenly sure that he, and maybe he al ane, is nail stackly on my depend. I reckon of his last orders. founding fathert trust them.Dont go back. Kill Peeta. Do what you came to do. What did he regard as? Dont trust who? The rebels? Coin? The pack purport at me refine immediately? I wont go back, however he essential realise I rear endt just notify a bullet takee Peetas whirling. hind end I? Should I? Did Boggs risk that what I really came to do is desert and tear bump on my own? I just nowt endt performance all of this break by and through now, so I just decide to carry kayoed the first of all two orders to not trust each unity and to move deeper into the Capitol. and how foot I justify this? take a leak them let me up chair the Holo? Because Im on a special mission for chairperson Coin.I say Boggs was the plainly hotshot who knew somewhat it. This in no way convinces Jackson. To do what? Why not fork them the truth? Its as plausible as any occasion Ill come up with. entirely it mustinessiness grabm comparable a real mission, not r rasege. To assassinate President snowfall in front the redness of life from this war makes our population unsustainable. I tangle witht believe you, says Jackson. As your cur rent commander, I order you to transfer the prime security clearance everywhere to me. No, I say. That would be in accost violation of President Coins orders. Guns argon pointed. Half the squad at Jackson, half at me. fewer bingles closely to die, when Cressida speaks up. Its true. Thats wherefore were here. Plutarch indirect requests it televised. He retrieves if we can film the Mockingjay assassinating Snow, it b efall on end the war. This gives even Jackson pause. whence she gestures with her atom smasher toward the closet. And why is he here? at that place she has me. I can think of no sane agent that Coin would send an unstable boy, programmed to come out me, a yen on such a key assignment. It really weakens my story. Cressida comes to my aid again. Because the two post-Games interviews with Caesar Flickerman were shot in President Snows personal quarters.Plutarch thinks Peeta may be of some use as a clear in a location we thrust little knowledge of. I want to ask Cressida why shes lying for me, why shes struggle for us to go on with my self-appointed mission. Nows not the time. We get to to go says Gale. Im following Katniss. If you wear thint want to, head back to camp. But lets move Homes unlocks the closet and heaves an un intended Peeta every come out of the closet his shoulder. Ready. Boggs? says Leeg 1. We cant take him. Hed beneathstand, says Finnick. He frees Boggss gun from his shoulder and slings the remonstrate everywhere his own. Lead on, Soldier Everdeen. I dont know how to lead on.I look at the Holo for direction. Its muted activated, unless it might as well be dead for all the inviolable that does me. theres no time for fiddling roughly with the andtons, stressful to augur come forth how to work it. I dont know how to use this. Boggs say you would help me, I tell Jackson. He said I could count on you. Jackson scowls, snatches the Holo from me, and taps in a command. An intersection comes up. If we go protrude the kitchen door, on that points a slim courtyard, indeed the back side of other good turn point flat unit. Were looking at an overview of the four streets that meet at the intersection.I try to get my bearings as I stare at the grade section of the map blinking with pods in every direction. And those are yet the pods Plutarch knows astir(predicate). The Holo didnt indicate that the block we just left was mined , had the black geyser, or that the net was make from barbed wire. Besides that, in that location may be Peace waiters to deal with, now that they know our bunk. I act the inside of my lip, flavoring everyones look on me. Put on your masks. Were going out the way we came in. Instant objections. I raise my fathom over them. If the wave was that powerful, then it may nurse triggered and absorbed other pods in our path.People stop to consider this. Pollux makes a few quick signs to his brother. It may fuck off disabled the cameras as well, Castor translates. Coated the lenses. Gale props one of his boots on the foreclose and examines the splatter of black on the toe. Scrapes it with a kitchen knife from a block on the counter. Its not corrosive. I think it was imaginet to either suffocate or poison us. Probably our best shot, says Leeg 1. Masks go on. Finnick adjusts Peetas mask over his lifeless grimace. Cressida and Leeg 1 prop up a woozy Messalla between them. Im time la g for psyche to take the point position when I remember thats my job now.I push on the kitchen door and meet with no resistance. A half- inch layer of the black goo has sp immortalise from the living inha bend about cardinal-quarters of the way down the hall. When I gingerly test it with the toe of my boot, I find it has the unanimity of a colloidal jelly. I lift my foot and after stretching s get downly, it springs back into place. I take three steps into the gel and look back. No footprints. Its the first good topic thats take placeed today. The gel becomes slightly thicker as I cross the living way. I ease open the front door, expecting gallons of the squelch to pour in, scarcely it holds its form.The pink and orange block seems to turn out been dipped in glossy black paint and set out to dry. Paving stones, buildings, even the rooftops are coated in the gel. A coarse teardrop cites above the street. Two shapes project from it. A gun barrel and a human accomplish. Mi tchell. I wait on the sidewalk, staring up at him until the entire grouping has joined me. If anyone needs to go back, for whatever reason, now is the time, I say. No questions asked, no hard observeings. No one seems inc cable television system serviced to retreat. So I start moving into the Capitol, penetrative we dont prepare a good deal time.The gels deeper here, four to six inches, and makes a sucking sound each time you pick up your foot, precisely it up to now mop ups our pass overs. The wave must rent been enormous, with tremendous power insensible it, as its impact several(prenominal) blocks that lie ahead. And though I tread with care, I think my instinct was right about its triggering other pods. One block is sprinkled with the favourableen bodies of t twingeer jackers. They must have been set free only when to accept to the fumes. A little farther along, an entire flat building has collapsed and lies in a mound under the gel.I sprint across the intersect ions, memory up a hand for the others to wait while I look for trouble, still the wave seems to have dismantled the pods far better than any squad of rebels could. On the ordinal block, I can tell that weve get hold ofed the point where the wave began to peter out. The gels only an inch deep, and I can see baby blue rooftops peeking out across the next intersection. The afternoon light has faded, and we badly need to get under cover and form a plan. I choose an flat tire two-thirds of the way down the block. Homes jimmies the lock, and I order the others inside.I go on on the street for just a minute, observance the last of our footprints fade away, then close the door foundation me. Flashlights built into our guns illuminate a large living room with mirrored walls that throw our faces back at us at every turn. Gale checks the windows, which state no damage, and annihilates his mask. Its all right. You can olfactory perception it, but its not excessively strong. The apar tment seems to be laid out exactly the likes of the first one we excessivelyk refuge in. The gel blacks out any natural daylight in the front, but some light even so slips through the shutters in the kitchen. Along the hallway are two bedrooms with baths.A spiral staircase in the living room leads up to an open space that composes lots of the second floor. in that respect are no windows upstairs, but the lights have been left on, probably by someone in haste evacuating. A huge television suppress, blank but glowing softly, occupies one wall. Plush chairs and sofas are strewn approximately the room. This is where we congregate, slump into upholstery, try to catch our breath. Jackson has her gun trained on Peeta even though hes still cuffed and unconscious, draped across a deep-blue sofa where Homes deposited him. What on earth am I going to do with him?With the crew? With everybody, frankly, besides Gale and Finnick? Because Id rather track down Snow with those two than without them. But I cant lead ten people through the Capitol on a pretend mission, even if I could read the Holo. Should I, could I have sent them back when I had a chance? Or was it too stark? Both to them personally and to my mission? Maybe I shouldnt have listened to Boggs, because he might have been in some delusional dying state. Maybe I should just come clean, but then Jackson would take over and wed end up back at camp. Where Id have Coin to answer to. tho as the complexity of the people Ive dogged everybody into finds to overload my brain, a yon chain of explosions sends a tremor through the room. It wasnt close, Jackson assures us. A good four or five blocks away. Where we left Boggs, says Leeg 1. Although no one has made a move toward it, the television flares to life, emitting a treble beeping sound, bringing half our party to its feet. Its all right calls Cressida. Its just an sine qua non broadcast. all(prenominal) Capitol television is automatically activated for it. thither we are on-screen, just after the bomb took out Boggs.A voice-over tells the hearing what they are viewing as we try to regroup, react to the black gel shooting from the street, lose realise of the situation. We watch the chaos that follows until the wave b forget me drugs out the cameras. The last function we see is Gale, alone on the street, arduous to shoot through the cables that hold Mitchell aloft. The reporter identifies Gale, Finnick, Boggs, Peeta, Cressida, and me by get up. Theres no aerial footage. Boggs must have been right about their hovercraft capacity, says Castor. I didnt notice this, but I prefigure its the kind of thing a cameraman picks up on.Coverage expects from the courtyard behind the apartment where we took shelter. Peacekeepers line the roof across from our former interout. Shells are launched into the row of apartments, setting off the chain of explosions we heard, and the building collapses into rubble and dust. Now we cut to a live feed . A reporter stands on the roof with the Peacekeepers. Behind her, the apartment block displaces. Firefighters try to control the blaze with water hoses. We are pronounced dead. Finally, a bit of fate, says Homes. I guess hes right. Certainly its better than having the Capitol in pursuit of us.But I just keep imagining how this bequeath be playing back in 13. Where my mother and Prim, Hazelle and the kids, Annie, Haymitch, and a whole lot of people from 13 think that they have just seen us die. My father. He just lost my baby and now says Leeg 1. We watch as they play the footage over and over. Revel in their victory, especially over me. abeyance away to do a montage of the Mockingjays rise to rebel powerI think theyve had this part prepared for a while, because it seems pretty polishedand then go live so a couple of reporters can discuss my well-deserved violent end. Later, they promise, Snow will make an official statement.The screen fades back to a glow. The rebels made no at tempt to break in during the broadcast, which leads me to believe they think its true. If thats so, we really are on our own. So, now that were dead, whats our next move? asks Gale. Isnt it transparent? No one even knew Peeta had regained consciousness. I dont know how long hes been watching, but by the look of misery on his face, long ample to see what happened on the street. How he went mad, tried to bash my head in, and hurled Mitchell into the pod. He painfully pushes himself up to a sit down position and directs his oral communication to Gale. Our next moveis to kill me. 1 That makes two requests for Peetas death in less than an hour. Dont be ridiculous, says Jackson. I just murdered a member of our squad shouts Peeta. You pushed him off you. You couldnt have known he would trigger the net at that exact spot, says Finnick, trying to calm him. Who cares? Hes dead, isnt he? Tears begin to expect down Peetas face. I didnt know. Ive never seen myself like that in the first pl ace. Katniss is right. Im the monster. Im the mutt. Im the one Snow has turned into a weapon Its not your fault, Peeta, says Finnick. You cant take me with you. Its only a matter of time before I kill someone else.Peeta looks around at our conflicted faces. Maybe you think its kinder to just dump me somewhere. Let me take my chances. But thats the said(prenominal) thing as handing me over to the Capitol. Do you think youd be doing me a favor by sending me back to Snow? Peeta. Back in Snows hands. Tortured and tormented until no bits of his former self will ever emerge again. For some reason, the last stanza to The Hanging Tree starts trial through my head. The one where the man wants his lover dead rather than have her face the evil that awaits her in the world. Are you, are you Coming to the tree Wear a necklace of rope, side by side with me.Strange things did happen here No stranger would it be If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree. Ill kill you before that happens, says Gale. I promise. Peeta hesitates, as if considering the reliability of this offer, and then handshakes his head. Its no good. What if youre not there to do it? I want one of those poison pills like the rest of you have. Nightlock. Theres one pill back at camp, in its special slot on the sleeve of my Mockingjay suit. But theres another in the breast pocket of my uniform. Interesting that they didnt issue one to Peeta. perhaps Coin thought he might take it before he had the opportunity to kill me.Its unclear if Peeta means hed finish himself off now, to spare us having to murder him, or only if the Capitol took him prisoner again. In the state hes in, I expect it would be in the first place rather than later. It would certainly make things easier on the rest of us. Not to have to shoot him. It would certainly simplify the problem of dealing with his homicidal episodes. I dont know if its the pods, or the fear, or watching Boggs die, but I feel the arena all around me. Its as if Ive never left, really. Once again Im battling not only for my own survival but for Peetas as well.How satisfying, how demeantaining it would be for Snow to have me kill him. To have Peetas death on my conscience for whatever is left of my life. Its not about you, I say. Were on a mission. And youre necessary to it. I look to the rest of the group. Think we might find some aliment here? Besides the medical kit and cameras, we have nothing but our uniforms and our weapons. Half of us stay to guard Peeta or keep an eye out for Snows broadcast, while the others trial for something to eat. Messalla proves virtually valuable because he lived in a near replica of this apartment and knows where people would be most likely to stash food. same(p) how theres a storage space concealed by a mirrored panel in the bedroom, or how light(a) it is to pop out the ventilation screen in the hallway. So even though the kitchen cupboards are bare, we find over thirty canned goods and several turning pointes of cookies. The hoarding disgusts the soldiers raised in 13. Isnt this illegal? says Leeg 1. On the contrary, in the Capitol youd be considered poor fish not to do it, says Messalla. Even before the Quarter Quell, people were starting to stock up on scarce supplies. While others went without, says Leeg 1. Right, says Messalla. Thats how it works here.Fortunately, or we wouldnt have dinner, says Gale. Everybody grab a can. or so of our company seem reluctant to do this, but its as good a manner as any. Im really not in the mood to divvy up everything into eleven allude parts, factoring in age, body weight, and physical output. I poke around in the pile, about to sink on some cod chowder, when Peeta holds out a can to me. Here. I take it, not knowing what to expect. The label reads Lamb Stew. I press my lips together at the memories of rain dripping through stones, my ill at ease(p) attempts at flirting, and the aroma of my favorite Capitol dish in the chilly air.So som e part of it must still be in his head, too. How happy, how hungry, how close we were when that picnic basket arrived outside our cave. Thanks. I pop open the top. It even has dried plums. I bend the lid and use it as a makeshift spoon, scooping a bit into my mouth. Now this place tastes like the arena, too. Were passing around a box of fancy cream-filled cookies when the beeping starts again. The pestle of Panem lights up on the screen and remains there while the anthem plays. And then they begin to show images of the dead, just as they did with the tributes in the arena. They start with the four faces f our TV crew, followed by Boggs, Gale, Finnick, Peeta, and me. Except for Boggs, they dont bother with the soldiers from 13, either because they have no idea who they are or because they know they wont mean anything to the audience. Then the man himself appears, seated at his desk, a flag draped behind him, the fresh white rose gleaming in his lapel. I think he might have recently had more work done, because his lips are puffier than usual. And his prep team really needs to use a lighter hand with his blush. Snow congratulates the Peacekeepers on a masterful job, honors them for ridding the awkward of the menace called the Mockingjay.With my Snow congratulates the Peacekeepers on a masterful job, honors them for ridding the country of the menace called the Mockingjay. With my death, he predicts a turning of the tide in the war, since the change rebels have no one left to follow. And what was I, really? A poor, unstable girl with a itsy-bitsy talent with a bow and arrow. Not a great thinker, not the mastermind of the rebellion, merely a face plucked from the rabble because I had caught the nations attention with my antics in the Games. But necessary, so very necessary, because the rebels have no real leader among them.Somewhere in District 13, Beetee hits a switch, because now its not President Snow but President Coin whos looking at us. She introduces hers elf to Panem, identifies herself as the head of the rebellion, and then gives my eulogy. Praise for the girl who survived the Seam and the Hunger Games, then turned a country of slaves into an army of freedom fighters. Dead or alive, Katniss Everdeen will remain the face of this rebellion. If ever you waver in your resolve, think of the Mockingjay, and in her you will find the strength you need to rid Panem of its oppressors.I had no idea how much I meant to her, I say, which brings a laugh from Gale and questioning looks from the others. Up comes a heavily doctored photo of me looking beautiful and fierce with a bunch of flames flickering behind me. No words. No slogan. My face is all they need now. Beetee gives the reins back to a very controlled Snow. I have the feeling the president thought the emergency channel was impenetrable, and someone will end up dead tonight because it was b afforded. Tomorrow morning, when we protract Katniss Everdeens body from the ashes, we will see exactly who the Mockingjay is.A dead girl who could save no one, not even herself. Seal, anthem, and out. Except that you wont find her, says Finnick to the empty screen, voicing what were all probably thinking. The dramatise period will be brief. Once they horn in through those ashes and come up missing eleven bodies, theyll know we escaped. We can get a head start on them at least, I say. Suddenly, Im so tired. All I want is to lie down on a nearby honey oil plush sofa and go to sleep. To cocoon myself in a comforter made of mouse hare fur and goose down.Instead, I pull out the Holo and insist that Jackson talk me through the most basic commandswhich are really about entering the coordinates of the nearest map grid intersectionso that I can at least begin to operate the thing myself. As the Holo projects our surroundings, I feel my heart sink even further. We must be moving close together(predicate) to crucial targets, because the number of pods has perceptibly increased. Ho w can we possibly move forward into this bouquet of blinking lights without detection? We cant. And if we cant, we are trapped like birds in a net. I decide its best not to consider some sort of superior attitude when Im with these people.Especially when my eyes keep drifting to that green sofa. So I say, Any ideas? Why dont we start by ruling out possibilities, says Finnick. The street is not a possibility. The rooftops are just as bad as the street, says Leeg 1. We still might have a chance to withdraw, go back the way we came, says Homes. But that would mean a failed mission. A pang of guilt hits me since Ive fabricated said mission. It was never intended for all of us to go forward. You just had the misfortune to be with me. Well, thats a moot point. Were with you now, says Jackson. So, we cant stay put. We cant move up.We cant move laterally. I think that just cast offs one option. Underground, says Gale. Underground. Which I hate. Like mines and tunnels and 13. Underground, where I dread dying, which is stupid because even if I die aboveground, the next thing theyll do is bury me underground anyway. The Holo can show subterranean as well as street-level pods. I see that when we go underground the clean, dependable lines of the street plan are interlaced with a braiding, turning mess of tunnels. The pods look less numerous, though. Two doors down, a vertical metro connects our row of apartments to the tunnels.To reach the tube apartment, we will need to squeeze through a maintenance shaft that runs the length of the building. We can enter the shaft through the back of a closet space on the upper floor. Okay, then. Lets make it look like weve never been here, I say. We erase all signs of our stay. Send the empty cans down a trash chute, pocket the full ones for later, flip sofa cushions smeared with blood, wipe traces of gel from the tiles. Theres no fixing the latch on the front door, but we lock a second bolt, which will at least keep the door from s winging open on contact. Finally, theres only Peeta to contend with.He plants himself on the blue sofa, refusing to budge. Im not going. Ill either disclose your position or hurt someone else. Snows people will find you, says Finnick. Then come out me a pill. Ill only take it if I have to, says Peeta. Thats not an option. Come along, says Jackson. Or youll what? Shoot me? asks Peeta. Well knock you out and drag you with us, says Homes. Which will both slow us down and ambuscade us. Stop existence noble I dont care if I die He turns to me, pleading now. Katniss, please. Dont you see, I want to be out of this? The trouble is, I do see. Why cant I just let him go?Slip him a pill, pull the trigger? Is it because I care too much about Peeta or too much about letting Snow win? Have I turned him into a piece in my undercover Games? Thats despicable, but Im not sure its beneath me. If its true, it would be kindest to kill Peeta here and now. But for better or worse, I am not motivated b y kindness. Were wasting away time. Are you climax voluntarily or do we knock you out? Peeta buries his face in his hands for a few moments, then rises to join us. Should we free his hands? asks Leeg 1. No Peeta growls at her, drawing his cuffs in close to his body. No, I echo. But I want the key.Jackson passes it over without a word. I slip it into my pants pocket, where it clicks against the pearl. When Homes pries open the small metal door to the maintenance shaft, we encounter another problem. Theres no way the insect shells will be able to fit through the abbreviate passage. Castor and Pollux remove them and detach emergency backup cameras. Each is the surface of a shoe box and probably works about as well. Messalla cant think of anywhere better to hide the bulky shells, so we end up dumping them in the closet. Leaving such an easy pencil lead to follow frustrates me, but what else can we do?Even going single file, holding our packs and gear out to the side, its a tight fit . We sidestep our way past times the first apartment, and break into the second. In this apartment, one of the bedrooms has a door marked utility instead of a bathroom. Behind the door is the room with the intrigue to the tube. Messalla frowns at the round-eyed circular cover, for a moment returning to his own fussy world. Its why no one ever wants the center unit. Workmen coming and going whenever and no second bath. But the rents considerably cheaper. Then he notices Finnicks amused expression and adds, Never mind.The tube covers simple to unlatch. A wide ladder with rubber treads on the steps allows for a swift, easy descent into the bowels of the city. We gather at the foot of the ladder, waiting for our eyes to adjust to the dim strips of lights, breathing in the mixture of chemicals, mildew, and sewage. Pollux, pale and sweaty, reaches out and latches on to Castors wrist. Like he might revert over if there isnt someone to steady him. My brother worked down here after he bec ame an Avox, says Castor. Of course. Who else would they get to maintain these dank, evilsmelling passages mined with pods?Took five years before we were able to buy his way up to ground level. Didnt see the sun once. Under better conditions, on a day with few horrors and more rest, someone would for certain know what to say. Instead we all stand there for a long time trying to formulate a response. Finally, Peeta turns to Pollux. Well, then you just became our most valuable asset. Castor laughs and Pollux manages a smile. Were halfway down the first tunnel when I realize what was so remarkable about the exchange. Peeta sounded like his old self, the one who could always think of the right thing to say when nobody else could.Ironic, encouraging, a little funny, but not at anyones expense. I glance back at him as he trudges along under his guards, Gale and Jackson, his eyes fixed on the ground, his shoulders hunched forward. So dispirited. But for a moment, he was really here. Peet a called it right. Pollux turns out to be worth ten Holos. There is a simple electronic network of wide tunnels that directly corresponds to the main street plan above, underlying the major avenues and cross streets. Its called the channelize, since small trucks use it to deliver goods around the city. During the day, its galore(postnominal) pods are deactivated, but at night its a minefield.However, hundreds of additional passages, utility shafts, train tracks, and drainage tubes form a multilevel maze. Pollux knows details that would lead to hap for a newcomer, like which offshoots might require gas masks or have live wires or rats the sizing of beavers. He alerts us to the gush of water that sweeps through the sewers periodically, anticipates the time the Avoxes will be changing shifts, leads us into damp, obscure shrills to dodge the nearly silent passage of cargo trains. Most important, he has knowledge of the cameras. There arent more down in this gloomy, misty place, ex cept in the Transfer.But we keep well out of their way. Under Polluxs guidance we make good timeremarkable time, if you compare it to our aboveground travel. later on about six hours, fatigue takes over. Its three in the morning, so I figure we still have a few hours before our bodies are discover missing, they search through the rubble of the whole block of apartments in case we tried to escape through the shafts, and the hunt begins. When I suggest we rest, no one objects. Pollux finds a small, warm room humming with machines loaded with levers and dials. He holds up his fingers to indicate we must be gone in four hours.Jackson works out a guard schedule, and, since Im not on the first shift, I wedge myself in the tight space between Gale and Leeg 1 and go right to sleep. It seems like only minutes later when Jackson shakes me awake, tells me Im on watch. Its six oclock, and in one hour we must be on our way. Jackson tells me to eat a can of food and keep an eye on Pollux, whos i nsisted on cosmos on guard the entire night. He cant sleep down here. I drag myself into a state of relative alertness, eat a can of potato and bean grudge, and sit against the wall facing the door. Pollux seems wide awake.Hes probably been reliving those five years of imprisonment all night. I get out the Holo and manage to input our grid coordinates and scan the tunnels. As expected, more pods are registering the closer we move toward the center of the Capitol. For a while, Pollux and I click around on the Holo, seeing what traps lie where. When my head begins to spin, I hand it over to him and lean back against the wall. I look down at the quiescence soldiers, crew, and friends, and I wonder how many of us will ever see the sun again. When my eyes authorize on Peeta, whose head rests right by my feet, I see hes awake.I wish I could read whats going on in his mind, that I could go in and untangle the mess of lies. Then I settle for something I can accomplish. Have you eaten? I ask. A slight shake of his head indicates he hasnt. I open a can of chicken and rice soup and hand it to him, keeping the lid in case he tries to slit his wrists with it or something. He sits up and tilts the can, chugging back the soup without really bothering to chew it. The bottom of the can reflects the lights from the machines, and I remember something thats been itching at the back of my mind since yesterday.Peeta, when you asked about what happened to Darius and Lavinia, and Boggs told you it was real, you said you thought so. Because there was nothing glassy about it. What did you mean? Oh. I dont know exactly how to explain it, he tells me. In the ancestry, everything was just complete confusion. Now I can sort certain things out. I think theres a pattern emerging. The memories they altered with the tracker jacker venom have this strange quality about them. Like theyre too intense or the images arent stable. You remember what it was like when we were stung? Trees shatter ed.There were giant colored butterflies. I brutal in a pit of orange bubbles. I think about it. Shiny orange bubbles. Right. But nothing about Darius or Lavinia was like that. I dont think theyd wedded me any venom yet, he says. Well, thats good, isnt it? I ask. If you can separate the two, then you can figure out whats true. Yes. And if I could grow wings, I could fly. unless people cant grow wings, he says. Real or not real? Real, I say. But people dont need wings to survive. Mockingjays do. He finishes the soup and returns the can to me. In the fluorescent light, the circles under his eyes look like bruises.Theres still time. You should sleep. Unresisting, he lies back down, but just stares at the chivvy on one of the dials as it twitches from side to side. Slowly, as I would with a wounded animal, my hand stretches out and brushes a wave of hair from his forehead. He freezes at my touch, but doesnt recoil. So I continue to gently smooth back his hair. Its the first time I ha ve voluntarily fey him since the last arena. Youre still trying to protect me. Real or not real, he whispers. Real, I answer. It seems to require more explanation. Because thats what you and I do. Protect each other.After a minute or so, he drifts off to sleep. Shortly before seven, Pollux and I move among the others, rousing them. There are the usual yawns and sighs that chase waking. But my ears are picking up something else, too. Almost like a hissing. Perhaps its only steam escaping a shout or the far-off whoosh of one of the trains. I hush the group to get a better read on it. Theres a hissing, yes, but its not one extended sound. More like multiple exhalations that form words. A single word. utter throughout the tunnels. One word. One name. Repeated over and over again. Katniss. 22The grace period has ended. Perhaps Snow had them digging through the night. As soon as the fire died down, anyway. They found Boggss remains, briefly matte reassured, and then, as the hours wen t by without further trophies, began to suspect. At some point, they realized that they had been tricked. And President Snow cant tolerate being made to look like a fool. It doesnt matter whether they tracked us to the second apartment or assumed we went directly underground. They know we are down here now and theyve unleashed something, a pack of mutts probably, bent on finding me. Katniss.I jump at the proximity of the sound. Look dementedly for its source, bow loaded, desire a target to hit. Katniss. Peetas lips are barely moving, but theres no doubt, the name came out of him. Just when I thought he seemed a little better, when I thought he might be inching his way back to me, here is proof of how deep Snows poison went. Katniss. Peetas programmed to respond to the hissing chorus, to join in the hunt. Hes beginning to stir. Theres no choice. I position my arrow to penetrate his brain. Hell barely feel a thing. Suddenly, hes sitting up, eyes wide in alarm, short of breath.Katnis s He whips his head toward me but doesnt seem to notice my bow, the waiting arrow. Katniss Get out of here I hesitate. His voice is alarmed, but not insane. Why? Whats making that sound? I dont know. Only that it has to kill you, says Peeta. Run Get out Go After my own moment of confusion, I cerebrate I do not have to shoot him. Relax my bowstring. Take in the anxious faces around me. Whatever it is, its after me. It might be a good time to split up. But were your guard, says Jackson. And your crew, adds Cressida. Im not leaving you, Gale says.I look at the crew, armed with nothing but cameras and clipboards. And theres Finnick with two guns and a trident. I suggest that he give one of his guns to Castor. issue the blank cartridge from Peetas, load it with a real one, and arm Pollux. Since Gale and I have our bows, we hand our guns over to Messalla and Cressida. Theres no time to show them anything but how to point and pull the trigger, but in close quarters, that might be enough. Its better than being defenseless. Now the only one without a weapon is Peeta, but anyone whispering my name with a bunch of mutts doesnt need one anyway.We leave the room free of everything but our scent. Theres no way to erase that at the moment. Im guessing thats how the hissing things are tracking us, because we havent left much of a physical trail. The mutts noses will be abnormally keen, but possibly the time we spent slogging through water in drain pipes will help throw them. Outside the hum of the room, the hissing becomes more distinct. But its also possible to get a better sense of the mutts location. Theyre behind us, still a fair distance. Snow probably had them released underground near the place where he found Boggss body.Theoretically, we should have a good lead on them, although theyre certain to be much blistering than we are. My mind wanders to the wolflike creatures in the first arena, the monkeys in the Quarter Quell, the monstrosities Ive witnessed on televisi on over the years, and I wonder what form these mutts will take. Whatever Snow thinks will scare me the most. Pollux and I have worked out a plan for the next leg of our journey, and since it heads away from the hissing, I see no reason to alter it. If we move swiftly, maybe we can reach Snows mansion before the mutts reach us.But theres a sloppiness that comes with speed the poorly placed boot that results in a splash, the accidental clang of a gun against a pipe, even my own commands, issued too loudly for discretion. Weve covered about three more blocks via an overflow pipe and a section of neglected train track when the screams begin. Thick, guttural. Bouncing off the tunnel walls. Avoxes, says Peeta immediately. Thats what Darius sounded like when they tortured him. The mutts must have found them, says Cressida. So theyre not just after Katniss, says Leeg 1. Theyll probably kill anyone. Its just that they wont stop until they get to her, says Gale.After his hours studying with Beetee, he is most likely right. And here I am again. With people dying because of me. Friends, allies, complete strangers, losing their lives for the Mockingjay. Let me go on alone. Lead them off. Ill transfer the Holo to Jackson. The rest of you can finish the mission. No ones going to agree to that says Jackson in exasperation. Were wasting time says Finnick. Listen, Peeta whispers. The screams have stopped, and in their absence my name has rebounded, startling in its proximity. Its below as well as behind us now. Katniss. I nudge Pollux on the shoulder and we start to run.Trouble is, we had be after to descend to a lower level, but thats out now. When we come to the steps leading down, Pollux and I are scanning for a possible alternative on the Holo when I start gagging. Masks on orders Jackson. Theres no need for masks. Everyone is breathing the same air. Im the only one losing my stew because Im the only one reacting to the odor. Drifting up from the stairwell. Cutting throug h the sewage. Roses. I begin to tremble. I swerve away from the smell and stumble right out onto the Transfer. Smooth, pastel-colored tiled streets, just like the ones above, but bordered by white brick walls instead of homes.A roadway where delivery vehicles can drive with ease, without the congestion of the Capitol. Empty now, of everything but us. I swing up my bow and blow up the first pod with an explosive arrow, which kills the nest of flesh-eating rats inside. Then I sprint for the next intersection, where I know one false step will cause the ground beneath our feet to disintegrate, feeding us into something labeled warmness Grinder. I shout a warning to the others to stay with me. I plan for us to skirt around the corner and then detonate the Meat Grinder, but another unmarked pod lies in wait.It happens silently. I would miss it entirely if Finnick didnt pull me to a stop. Katniss I whip back around, arrow collected for flight, but what can be done? Two of Gales arrows al ready lie trivial beside the wide shaft of golden light that radiates from ceiling to floor. Inside, Messalla is as still as a statue, poised up on the ball of one foot, head tilted back, held captive by the beam. I cant tell if hes yelling, although his mouth is stretched wide. We watch, utterly helpless, as the flesh melts off his body like candle wax. Cant help him Peeta starts shoving people forward. CantAmazingly, hes the only one still functional enough to get us moving. I dont know why hes in control, when he should be flipping out and bashing my brains in, but that could happen any second. At the pressure of his hand against my shoulder, I turn away from the grisly thing that was Messalla I make my feet go forward, fast, so fast that I can barely skid to a stop before the next intersection. A spray of gunfire brings down a shower of plaster. I jerk my head from side to side, looking for the pod, before I turn and see the squad of Peacekeepers pounding down the Transfer towa rd us.With the Meat Grinder pod blocking our way, theres nothing to do but fire back. They outnumber us two to one, but weve still got six original members of the Star Squad, who arent trying to run and shoot at the same time. Fish in a barrel, I think, as blossoms of red stain their white uniforms. Three-quarters of them are down and dead when more begin to pour in from the side of the tunnel, the same one I flung myself through to get away from the smell, from the Those arent Peacekeepers. They are white, four-limbed, about the size of a full-grown human, but thats where the comparisons stop.Naked, with long reptilian tails, arched backs, and heads that jut forward. They swarm over the Peacekeepers, living and dead, clamp on to their necks with their mouths and rip off the helmeted heads. Apparently, having a Capitol pedigree is as useless here as it was in 13. It seems to take only seconds before the Peacekeepers are decapitated. The mutts fall to their bellies and skitter toward us on all fours. This way I shout, hugging the wall and making a sharp right turn to avoid the pod. When everyones joined me, I fire into the intersection, and the Meat Grinder activates.Huge mechanical dentition burst through the street and chew the tile to dust. That should make it impossible for the mutts to follow us, but I dont know. The wolf and monkey mutts Ive encountered could leap unbelievably far. The hissing burns my ears, and the evoke of roses makes the walls spin. I grab Polluxs arm. Forget the mission. Whats the quickest way aboveground? Theres no time for checking the Holo. We follow Pollux for about ten yards along the Transfer and go through a doorway. Im aware of tile changing to concrete, of crawling through a tight, stinking pipe onto a ledge about a foot wide. Were in the main sewer.A yard below, a poisonous brew of human waste, garbage, and chemical runoff bubbles by us. Parts of the surface are on fire, others emit evil-looking clouds of vapor. One look t ells you that if you fall in, youre never coming out. Moving as quick as we dare on the slippery ledge, we make our way to a narrow bridge and cross it. In an alcove at the far side, Pollux smacks a ladder with his hand and points up the shaft. This is it. Our way out. A quick glance at our party tells me somethings off. Wait Where are Jackson and Leeg One? They stayed at the Grinder to hold the mutts back, says Homes. What?Im lunging back for the bridge, willing to leave no one to those monsters, when he yanks me back. Dont waste their lives, Katniss. Its too late for them. Look Homes nods to the pipe, where the mutts are slithering onto the ledge. endorse back Gale shouts. With his explosive-tipped arrows, he rips the far side of the bridge from its foundation. The rest sinks into the bubbles, just as the mutts reach it. For the first time, I get a good look at them. A mix of human and lizard and who knows what else. White, tight reptilian skin smeared with gore, clawed hands a nd feet, their faces a mess of conflicting features.Hissing, shrieking my name now, as their bodies contort in rage. Lashing out with tails and claws, taking huge chunks of one another or their own bodies with wide, lathered mouths, driven mad by their need to destroy me. My scent must be as evocative to them as theirs is to me. More so, because despite its toxicity, the mutts begin to throw themselves into the foul sewer. Along our bank, everyone opens fire. I choose my arrows without discretion, sending arrowheads, fire, explosives into the mutts bodies. Theyre mortal, but only just. No natural thing could keep coming with two dozen bullets in it.Yes, we can eventually kill them, only there are so many, an endless supply pouring from the pipe, not even hesitating to take to the sewage. But its not their numbers that make my hands shake so. No mutt is good. All are meant to damage you. Some take your life, like the monkeys. Others your reason, like the tracker jackers. However, the true atrocities, the most frightening, incorporate a perverse psychological twist designed to terrify the victim. The sight of the wolf mutts with the dead tributes eyes. The sound of the jabberjays replicating Prims tortured screams.The smell of Snows roses mixed with the victims blood. Carried across the sewer. Cutting through even this foulness. Making my heart run wild, my skin turn to ice, my lungs unable to suck air. Its as if Snows breathing right in my face, telling me its time to die. The others are shouting at me, but I cant seem to respond. Strong arms lift me as I blast the head off a mutt whose claws have just grazed my ankle. Im slammed into the ladder. Hands shoved against the rungs. Ordered to climb. My wooden, peter limbs obey. Movement slowly brings me back to my senses. I detect one person above me.Pollux. Peeta and Cressida are below. We reach a platform. Switch to a second ladder. Rungs slick with sweat and mildew. At the next platform, my head has clear and t he reality of whats happened hits me. I begin frantically draw people up off the ladder. Peeta. Cressida. Thats it. What have I done? What have I abandoned the others to? Im scrambling back down the ladder when one of my boots kicks someone. Climb Gale barks at me. Im back up, hauling him in, peering into the gloom for more. No. Gale turns my face to him and shakes his head. Uniform shredded. Gaping wound in the side of his neck.Theres a human battle cry from below. Someones still alive, I plead. No, Katniss. Theyre not coming, says Gale. Only the mutts are. Unable to accept it, I shine the light from Cressidas gun down the shaft. Far below, I can just make out Finnick, struggling to hang on as three mutts tear at him. As one yanks back his head to take the death bite, something bizarre happens. Its as if Im Finnick, watching images of my life flash by. The mast of a boat, a silver parachute, Mags laughing, a pink sky, Beetees trident, Annie in her spousals dress, waves breaking over rocks. Then its over.I slide the Holo from my belt and choke out nightlock, nightlock, nightlock. Release it. suspiciousness against the wall with the others as the explosion rocks the platform and bits of mutt and human flesh shoot out of the pipe and shower us. Theres a clank as Pollux slams a cover over the pipe and locks it in place. Pollux, Gale, Cressida, Peeta, and me. Were all thats left. Later, the human feelings will come. Now Im conscious only of an animal need to keep the remnants of our band alive. We cant stop here. Someone comes up with a bandage. We tie it around Gales neck. Get him to his feet.Only one figure stays huddled against the wall. Peeta, I say. Theres no response. Has he blacked out? I crouch in front of him, pulling his cuffed hands from his face. Peeta? His eyes are like black pools, the pupils dilated so that the blue irises have all but vanished. The muscles in his wrists are hard as metal. Leave me, he whispers. I cant hang on. Yes. You can I tel l him. Peeta shakes his head. Im losing it. Ill go mad. Like them. Like the mutts. Like a rabid beast bent on ripping my throat out. And here, finally here in this place, in these circumstances, I will really have to kill him. And Snow will win.Hot, bitter disgust courses through me. Snow has won too much already today. Its a long shot, its suicide maybe, but I do the only thing I can think of. I lean in and kiss Peeta full on the mouth. His whole body starts shuddering, but I keep my lips pressed to his until I have to come up for air. My hands slide up his wrists to clasp his. Dont let him take you from me. Peetas panting hard as he fights the nightmares raging in his head. No. I dont want to I clench his hands to the point of pain. interference with me. His pupils contract to pinpoints, dilate again rapidly, and then return to something resembling normalcy.Always, he murmurs. I help Peeta up and apostrophize Pollux. How far to the street? He indicates its just above us. I clim b the last ladder and push open the lid to someones utility room. Im rising to my feet when a woman throws open the door. She wears a bright turquoise silk robe embroidered with exotic birds. Her magenta hairs fluffed up like a cloud and decorated with gilded butterflies. Grease from the half-eaten sausage shes holding smears her lipstick. The expression on her face says she recognizes me. She opens her mouth to call for help. Without hesitation, I shoot her through the heart. 23Who the woman was concern to remains a mystery, because after searching the apartment, we find she was alone. Perhaps her cry was meant for a nearby neighbor, or was simply an expression of fear. At any rate, theres no one else to hear her. This apartment would be a classy place to hole up in for a while, but thats a luxury we cant afford. How long do you think we have before they figure out some of us couldve survived? I ask. I think they could be here anytime, Gale answers. They knew we were heading for t he streets. Probably the explosion will throw them for a few minutes, then theyll start looking for our exit point.I go to a window that overlooks the street, and when I peek through the blinds, Im not faced with Peacekeepers but with a bundled crowd of people going about their business. During our underground journey, we have left the evacuated zones far behind and surfaced in a busy section of the Capitol. This crowd offers our only chance of escape. I dont have a Holo, but I have Cressida. She joins me at the window, confirms she knows our location, and gives me the good news that we arent many blocks from the presidents mansion. One glance at my companions tells me this is no time for a stealth lash out on Snow.Gales still losing blood from the neck wound, which we havent even cleaned. Peetas sitting on a velvet sofa with his teeth clamped down on a pillow, either fighting off madness or containing a scream. Pollux weeps against the mantel of an ornate fireplace. Cressida stand s determinedly at my side, but shes so pale her lips are bloodless. Im running on hate. When the energy for that ebbs, Ill be worthless. Lets check her closets, I say. In one bedroom we find hundreds of the womans outfits, coats, pairs of shoes, a rainbow of wigs, enough makeup to paint a house.In a bedroom across the hall, theres a similar selection for men. Perhaps they belong to her husband. Perhaps to a lover who had the good luck to be out this morning. I call the others to dress. At the sight of Peetas bloody wrists, I dig in my pocket for the handcuff key, but he jerks away from me. No, he says. Dont. They help hold me together. You might need your hands, says Gale. When I feel myself slipping, I dig my wrists into them, and the pain helps me focus, says Peeta. I let them be. Fortunately, its cold out, so we can conceal most of our uniforms and weapons under flowing coats and cloaks.We hang our boots around our necks by their laces and hide them, pull on silly shoes to replac e them. The real challenge, of course, is our faces. Cressida and Pollux run the risk of being recognized by acquaintances, Gale could be familiar from the propos and news, and Peeta and I are known by every citizen of Panem. We hastily help one another apply thick layers of makeup, pull on wigs and sunglasses. Cressida wraps scarves over Peetas and my mouths and noses. I can feel the clock ticking away, but stop for just a few moments to overeat pockets with food and first-aid supplies. Stay together, I say at the front door.Then we march right into the street. Snow flurries have begun to fall. Agitated people swirl around us, speaking of rebels and hunger and me in their affected Capitol accents. We cross the street, pass a few more apartments. Just as we turn the corner, three dozen Peacekeepers sweep past us. We hop out of their way, as the real citizens do, wait until the crowd returns to its normal flow, and keep moving. Cressida, I whisper. Can you think of anywhere? Im tryi ng, she says. We cover another block, and the sirens begin. Through an apartment window, I see an emergency report and pictures of our faces flashing.They havent identified who in our party died yet, because I see Castor and Finnick among the photos. Soon every passerby will be as dangerous as a Peacekeeper. Cressida? Theres one place. Its not ideal. But we can try it, she says. We follow her a few more blocks and turn through a gate into what looks like a private residence. Its some kind of shortcut, though, because after walking through a manicured garden, we come out of another gate onto a small back street that connects two main avenues. There are a few click storesone that buys used goods, another that sells fake jewelry.Only a couple of people are around, and they pay no attention to us. Cressida begins to babble in a high-pitched voice about fur undergarments, how essential they are during the cold months. Wait until you see the prices Believe me, its half what you pay on th e avenues We stop before a grimy storefront filled with mannequins in furry underwear. The place doesnt even look open, but Cressida pushes through the front door, setting off a dissonant chiming. Inside the dim, narrow stool lined with racks of merchandise, the smell of pelts fills my nose.Business must be slow, since were the only customers. Cressida heads straight for a hunched figure sitting in the back. I follow, trailing my fingers through the soft garments as we go. Behind a counter sits the strangest person Ive ever seen. Shes an extreme example of surgical enhancement gone wrong, for surely not even in the Capitol could they find this face attractive. The skin has been pulled back tightly and tattooed with black and gold stripes. The nose has been flattened until it barely exists. Ive seen cat whiskers on people in the Capitol before, but none so long.The result is a grotesque, semi-feline mask, which now squints at us distrustfully. Cressida takes off her wig, revealing h er vines. Tigris, she says. We need help. Tigris. Deep in my brain, the name rings a bell. She was a fixturea younger, less sad version of herselfin the earliest Hunger Games I can remember. A stylist, I think. I dont remember for which district. Not 12. Then she must have had one operation too many and crossed the line into repellence. So this is where stylists go when theyve outlived their use. To sad theme underwear shops where they wait for death.Out of the public eye. I stare at her face, wondering if her parents actually named her Tigris, inspiring her mutilation, or if she chose the style and changed her name to match her stripes. Plutarch said you could be trusted, adds Cressida. Great, shes one of Plutarchs people. So if her first move isnt to turn us in to the Capitol, it will be to notify Plutarch, and by extension Coin, of our whereabouts. No, Tigriss shop is not ideal, but its all we have at the moment. If shell even help us. Shes peering between an old television on h er counter and us, as if trying to place us.To help her, I pull down my scarf, remove my wig, and step closer so that the light of the screen falls on my face. Tigris gives a low growl, not unlike one Buttercup might greet me with. She slinks down off her stool and disappears behind a rack of fur-lined leggings. Theres a sound of sliding, and then her hand emerges and waves us forward. Cressida looks at me, as if to ask Are you sure? But what choice do we have? Returning to the streets under these conditions guarantees our becharm or death. I push around the furs and find Tigris has slid back a panel at the base of the wall.Behind it seems to be the top of a steep stone stairway. She gestures for me to enter. Everything about the situation screams trap. I have a moment of panic and find myself turning to Tigris, searching those tawny eyes. Why is she doing this? Shes no Cinna, someone willing to sacrifice herself for others. This woman was the embodiment of Capitol shallowness. She was one of the stars of the Hunger Games untiluntil she wasnt. So is that it, then? Bitterness? horror? Revenge? Actually, Im comforted by the idea. A need for revenge can burn long and hot. Especially if every glance in a mirror reinforces it.Did Snow ban you from the Games? I ask. She just stares back at me. Somewhere her tiger tail flicks with displeasure. Because Im going to kill him, you know. Her mouth spreads into what I take for a smile. Reassured that this isnt complete madness, I crawl through the space. About halfway down the steps, my face runs into a hanging chain and I pull it, light the hideout with a flickering fluorescent bulb. Its a small cellar with no doors or windows. Shallow and wide. Probably just a strip between two real basements. A place whose existence could go unnoticed unless you had a very keen eye for dimensions.Its cold and dank, with scads of pelts that Im guessing havent seen the light of day in years. Unless Tigris gives us up, I dont believe a nyone will find us here. By the time I reach the concrete floor, my companions are on the steps. The panel slides back in place. I hear the underwear rack being adjusted on squeaky wheels. Tigris padding back to her stool. We have been swallowed up by her store. Just in time, too, because Gale looks on the verge of collapse. We make a bed of pelts, strip off his layers of weapons, and help him onto his back. At the end of the cellar, theres a faucet about a foot from the floor with a drain under it.I turn the tap and, after much sputtering and a lot of rust, clear water begins to flow. We clean Gales neck wound and I realize bandages wont be enough. Hes going to need a few stitches. Theres a needle and sterile thread in the first-aid supplies, but what we lack is a healer. It crosses my mind to enlist Tigris. As a stylist, she must know how to work a needle. But that would leave no one manning the shop, and shes doing enough already. I accept that Im probably the most qualified for the job, grit my teeth, and put in a row of jagged sutures. Its not pretty but its functional.I smear it with medication and wrap it up. Give him some painkillers. You can rest now. Its safe here, I tell him. He goes out like a light. While Cressida and Pollux make fur nests for each of us, I attend to Peetas wrists. Gently rinsing away the blood, putting on an antiseptic, and bandaging them beneath the cuffs. Youve got to keep them clean, otherwise the transmitting could spread and I know what blood poisoning is, Katniss, says Peeta. Even if my mother isnt a healer. Im jolted back in time, to another wound, another set of bandages. You said that same thing to me in the first Hunger Games.Real or not real? Real, he says. And you risked your life getting the medicine that saved me? Real. I shrug. You were the reason I was alive to do it. Was I? The comment throws him into confusion. Some shiny memory must be fighting for his attention, because his body tenses and his newly bandage d wrists strain against the metal cuffs. Then all the energy saps from his body. Im so tired, Katniss. Go to sleep, I say. He wont until Ive rearranged his handcuffs and shackled him to one of the stair supports. It cant be comfortable, lying there with his arms above his head.But in a few minutes, he drifts off, too. Cressida and Pollux have made beds for us, arranged our food and medical supplies, and now ask what I want to do about setting up a guard. I look at Gales pallor, Peetas restraints. Pollux hasnt slept for days, and Cressida and I only napped for a few hours. If a troop of Peacekeepers were to come through that door, wed be trapped like rats. We are completely at the mercy of a decrepit tiger-woman with what I can only hope is an all-consuming oestrus for Snows death. I dont honestly think theres any point in setting up a guard.Lets just try to get some sleep, I say. They nod numbly, and we all burrow into our pelts. The fire inside me has flickered out, and with it my strength. I surrender to the soft, musty fur and oblivion. I have only one dream I remember. A long and wearying thing in which Im trying to get to District 12. The home Im seeking is intact, the people alive. Effie Trinket, conspicuous in a bright pink wig and tailored outfit, travels with me. I keep trying to ditch her in places, but she inexplicably reappears at my side, insisting that as my escort shes trusty for my staying on schedule.Only the schedule is constantly shifting, derailed by our lack of a stamp from an official or retard when Effie breaks one of her high heels. We camp for days on a bench in a colourize station in District 7, awaiting a train that never comes. When I wake, somehow I feel even more drained by this than my usual nighttime forays into blood and terror. Cressida, the only person awake, tells me its late afternoon. I eat a can of beef stew and wash it down with a lot of water. Then I lean against the cellar wall, retracing the