Learning Theories My Sixth Grade Classroom Essay

IZT2, Learning Theories My eighth grade classroom is set in a Jr-Sr. High school and is located in the Jr. High hallway, in the rear of the high school. I have thirty-two student desks situated in rows and two small tables at the front of my room used for paper pick up. My desk and computer are in the back corner of the room. The students all have their own Chromebooks and I have a desktop computer as well as a Samsung Tablet. Google Classroom is used daily as well as many other applications suited for 1:1 schools. I also have a projector hanging from the ceiling and two large white boards located on the front and side walls of my classroom. The class that I will be focusing on in this paper is made up of 26 students, 15 boys and 11 girls. One student with learning disabilities, another is an ELL student. This class meets for 55 minutes. We adhere closely to the Indiana State Standards and use the ISTEP and NWEA mandated assessments. Each teacher is given free rein to teach how they see fit; however, we were asked to submit curriculum mapping outlining the content/topics, key terms, sources/resources, assessments and standards we use in our classrooms. Overall, my classroom is teacher driven, that is, I introduce the stories and activities and guide the instruction. We do use a textbook from time to time as well as websites, and additional resources found. Lesson Plan Modifications Based on Cognitivism The Social Cognitivism Theory, unlike behaviorism, reasonsShow MoreRelatedInterview Sixth Grade Life Science Students On The Topic Of Cell Division1288 Words   |  6 PagesI chose to interview seventh grade life science students on the topic of cell division. Because I teach at a magnet junior high/ high school within Toledo Public students, the students I teach in the seventh grade are coming from a variety of different elementary schools both in and out of the district. This results in a wide variety of prior content knowledge in science. Based on the Ohio New Learning Standards for Science, in the sixth grade, students are introduced to the idea of mitosis andRead MoreAssessment Of Teaching Clinical Journal874 Words   |  4 PagesAssessment of Teaching Clinical Journal Theory-Driven Lesson Plan Introduction In the following lesson I combined my students’ interests mixed with theory I have read about to create an interdisciplinary classroom activity. The lesson I created is math content based with a special education sixth grade class. The specific unit of study is solving equations and specific vocabulary attached to this unit is: variable, constant, inverse, and solution. Through this lesson my students are going to be able toRead MoreThe Nature Versus Nurture Controversial Debate1492 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction The nature-versus-nurture controversial debate has always been central to the theme of development. Naturally, several predominant theories come to the fore and place different weights on nature and nurture. My concept of interest is active adaptation theory, which falls on the relatively endogenous side of the scale of source of developmental change. From the active adaptation perspective, individuals play an active role in their development; they possess the power to influence theirRead MoreFixed Vs. Growth Mindset : The Effects Of Poverty On 6th Grade Title I Students1646 Words   |  7 PagesFIXED VS. GROWTH MINDSET: THE EFFECTS OF POVERTY ON 6TH GRADE TITLE I STUDENTS An Action Research Project Presented to The Faculty of the Department of Educational Leadership Lamar University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Education in Education Administration By Ashley C. Glover May 2017 Abstract TITLE OF ACTION RESEARCH REPORT by Ashley C. Glover Rattan, Savani, Chugh, and Dweck (2015) state that scientific research shows that students’ psychology-theirRead MoreThe Curriculum : Differentiated Curriculum Essay1554 Words   |  7 PagesDifferentiated Curriculum Classrooms today look very different than they did twenty years ago. Gone are the days of students sitting at their desks, copying notes as the teacher writes on the chalkboard. Children are entering kindergarten at varying levels of abilities and the gap between student aptitudes grows as children get older. Students with learning disabilities are mainstreamed into classrooms and, with the growing number of immigrant families, teachers are faced with students who doRead MoreClassrooms Today Look Very Different Than Students Essay1572 Words   |  7 Pages Classrooms today look very different than they did twenty years ago. Gone are the days of students sitting at their desks, copying notes as the teacher writes on the chalkboard. Children are entering kindergarten at varying levels of abilities and the gap between student aptitudes grows as children get older. Students with learning disabilities are mainstreamed into classrooms and, with the growing number of immigrant families, teachers are faced with students who do not speak English. In someRead MoreThe Importance Of Classroom Management Plan974 Words   |  4 Pagesprocedures of an educators, classroom management plan should keep students engages in learning. Teachers who do not create a classroom management plan prior to the beginning of the school year is setting themselves up for behavior. Misbehavior of Students The misbehavior of high school student can vary. Some misbehavior come from student lack of performance in class. Performance in class include reading and writing. It has been observed that students in ninth and tenth grade misbehave in class due toRead MoreWhen I Was A Kid Growing Up From A Western Capitalistic Society1583 Words   |  7 PagesWhen I was younger, I was infamous. My teachers and peers characterized me as manipulative, and indeed I had a powerful ability to exploit those around me in order to get what I want. Over the years I have been less inclined to use this ability to persuade others. Through a series of learning experiences, I have found that manipulating people never yields positive results. As a child, each time I used this influence for my own benefit, I would be reprimanded in some form and therefore learned thatRead MoreImpact Of Cooperative Grouping On Low Achieving Sixth Grade Math Students2270 Words   |  10 PagesLow-Achieving Sixth Grade Math Student s Stacy Rogers Arkansas Tech University â€Æ' Impact of Cooperative Grouping on Low Achieving Sixth Grade Math Students Chapter 1 Middle school math teachers, as well as all grade-level math teachers, are constantly searching for ways to help their students achieve mathematic success. Students come to classrooms from all backgrounds and each student has a completely different learning style - differentiated instruction is crucial in every classroom. Teachers areRead MoreThe National Reading Panel ( A Short Note On ) And The International Reading Association ( Ira )1034 Words   |  5 PagesReading Association (IRA) are two different associations that provide research findings on the best practices for teaching and learning literacy. Reading and understanding the findings of both associations is important for educators and parents to boost the literacy rates of our children. Below I will summarize the reading standards that our outlined by both and provide my thoughts and insights. The NRP concludes that children need to be taught certain instructional methods to excel in reading.

Substance Abuse During Pregnancy - 889 Words

Substance Abuse During Pregnancy The use of controlled substances throughout pregnancy is a very prevalent issue among society today. Controlled substances have devastating effects on not only the mothers using the substances, but also infants while they are in utero and after they are born. Many infants born to mothers, who are abusing drugs, suffer from life threatening illnesses and are forever affected through adulthood. Specifically, heroin is a common drug form that is often used during pregnancy and results in the life threatening effects mentioned above. When a woman uses heroin while pregnant, her baby is at risk for many challenging effects that will ultimately follow him or her as they grow into an adult. As heroin enters a mother’s system, the drug crosses into the child through the placenta (â€Å"Heroin Addiction†, n.d.). While a baby is in utero, a mother’s substance abuse can cause a fetus to grow at a slower rate, lead to the rupturing of the mem branes surrounding the baby that results in premature labor, and cause a possible stillbirth, which means the fetus dies in the womb (â€Å"An Overview of Heroin†, n.d.). Substance abuse can also cause the placenta to separate from the uterine wall leading to dangerous heavy bleeding, which is a threat to both mother and child (â€Å"Heroin and Pregnancy,† 2015). Along with possible placenta abruption, the use of heroin can lead to the intrauterine passage of meconium (â€Å"Opioid Abuse,† 2012). After labor and delivery, the effectsShow MoreRelatedSubstance Abuse During Pregnancy?952 Words   |  4 Pages Substance abuse during pregnancy can range in variation from prescription drugs to non-prescription drugs to even alcohol. Substance abuse is more common during pregnancy than most people realize. This type of abuse is more common amongst pregnant women. Most the time substance abuse is hard to find in women. Pregnant women who go through substance abuse usua lly don’t seek any medical help. If an expecting mother uses any kind of drug it can result in many complications. Some complications thatRead MoreSubstance Abuse And Women During Pregnancy1374 Words   |  6 PagesSubstance Abuse and Women Through the years, substance misuse in the United States has turned into an industrious issue influencing numerous people. In 2008, it was assessed that 17.8 million Americans beyond 18 years old where substance subordinate. Women who use medications during pregnancy can have an enduring impact on fetal. Medications can have an impact of maternal and child wellbeing, yet there are a lot of different variables, which influence it, poor social environment, nourishment, cleanlinessRead MoreAddiction And Substance Abuse During Pregnancy952 Words   |  4 Pagesheroin during a pregnancy are not only harmful to mother and child during gestation but have many social and medical problems after birth of the child. In the first paragraph I describe how women might come to find themselves in the situation of abusing drugs and finding out they are pregnant. I will provide information on some signs or a profile of addiction and substance abuse in women. The next point I will cover is through an interesting study that shows what the mothers pregnancy , the babiesRead MoreDrug And Substance Abuse During Pregnancy1442 Words   |  6 Pages Introduction Drug and substance abuse have been the prevalent world over among pregnant women. Past studies had shown that this could have an adverse effect on the child development. UNICEF (2007) was at the forefront of agitating against drug and substance abuse during pregnancy. Studies had also found out that more than 20% of mothers in the United States alone had smoked during pregnancy (Coles, 2010).Alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, cocaine, prescription drugs and heroin are some of the drugs thatRead MoreSubstance Abuse During Pregnancy Essay765 Words   |  4 Pages Abusing substances such as illegal drugs or pain medications during pregnancy can cause harmful, long term effects to not only the mother, but also to the unborn infant. McQueen, Murphy-Oikonen, and Desaulniers (2015) stated that, â€Å"in the United States approximately 4.4% of pregnant women abuse 1 or more substances during pregnancy†¦ However, the true prevalence of substance use during pregnancy is difficult to determi ne due to underreporting likely because of the social undesirability, stigmatizationRead MoreMaternal Substance Abuse During Pregnancy Care Managers1186 Words   |  5 PagesMaternal substance abuse accounts for problematic health concerns in infants, according Forray (2016), â€Å"5.9% of pregnant women use illicit drugs, with usage age ranging from 15-44 years of age† (p.3).   Types of illicit substances used during pregnancy consist of Cocaine, Marijuana, Methamphetamine, Heroin, and an array of other illicit substances.   Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. For my immersion experience I choose to focus on the population of womenRead MoreHow Substance Abuse Negatively Affects The Baby While During1328 Words   |  6 PagesHow substance abuse negatively affects the baby while during a woman’s pregnancy. Many women across the world cause complications to their unborn child when they choose to abuse substance. There are many types of substance abuse such as alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse. Most likely when women choose to engage in these types of activities it causes harm to the child and birth defects. Long term and short term deformities and conditions are present in the child. Other factors play a part into whyRead MoreWhy Pregnant Substance Abuse Should Be Treated As A Major Issue1441 Words   |  6 PagesThere are many reasons why pregnant substance abuse should be treated as a major issue. The effects of substance abuse on the mother, fetus, and the overall pregnancy can range from none to extremely harmful. Women who use drugs during their pregnancy commonly give birth to â€Å"crack babies† or â€Å"drug babies†. These babies can have developmental disabilities or other birth defects. The mother may give birth to a premature infant, underweight infant, or even have a stillborn birth. The drug use of a pregnantRead MoreMany Women Across The World Cause Complications To Their1657 Words   |  7 Pagesacross the world cause complications to their unborn child when they choose to abuse substance. There are many types of substance abuse such as alcohol, tobacco, and drug abuse. Most likely when women choose to engage in these types of activities it causes harm to the child and birth defects. Long term and short term deformities and conditions are present in the child. Other factors play a part into why women abuse, substance such as stress, depression, and mental issues. More treatment and pre-educationRead MoreRelationship Of Substance Abuse And Physical Abuse1622 Words   |  7 PagesRelationship of Substance Abuse and Physical Abuse in Preterm Birth In the year of 2010, more than 450 billion babies were born prematurely (Truong, Reifsnider, Mayorga, Spitler, 2013). At least 35% of infant deaths each year are caused from preterm births, which also costs the U.S health care more than 26 billions of dollars in the year of 2005 alone (Malloy, 2013).Premature birth affects the growth of the child and leads to various complications. Babies born before 37 weeks are at an amplified

Cask of Amontillado Free Essays

However, in any situation, it would be more beneficial to let the anger go, instead of plotting a huge revenge plan. And what can be scary, is the intellectual people who know what they want and how to achieve that. It’s very hard to escape an intelligent persons plan for revenge against you, especially when they are 100% set on seeking their revenge. We will write a custom essay sample on Cask of Amontillado or any similar topic only for you Order Now In Edgar Allan Pope’s short story, an idea is conveyed that cunning and sly people, when wronged by others, will use their intelligence to pursue the goal of revenge.! While this story is an entertaining piece of work, it also includes symbols to keep he reader engaged throughout the story. Poe writes with the idea that pride could lead us to do unthinkable things, which can also lead us into becoming too naive and blind toward our own actions. Mentors approaches Fortunate during the carnival. And the carnival can be seen as a symbol for the madness going through Mentor’s head. Mentors claims that Fortunate inflicted a â€Å"thousand injuries† on him, and we never really find out what these Injuries were. Perhaps Fortunate TLD even mean to Insult Mentors, but Mentors Just takes Fortune’s loopy Ignorance for Insults. Or maybe Fortunate has In fact been inflicting injury on Mentors since days of childhood, and the carnival symbolizes that Mentors has literally gone mad, and he wants to use his knowledge about his previous revenge plots to kill Fortunate. Poe also uses Fortune’s clothing as a symbol â€Å"he had on a tight-fitting party-striped dress, and his head was surmounted by the conical cap and bells,† a court Jester or clowns outfit to symbolize that Mentors is to make a fool out of Fortunate and humiliate him to death, and low him to think about his actions as he dies a long, slow death. This Just goes to show how evil and cunning Mentors and his thoughts can be.! To start, in the title including the word â€Å"cask† in it. A cask is a wine barrel, but cask is also a short form for casket, which is a coffin. Therefore, cask figuratively represents Fortune’s casket. Fortune’s name is also related to irony, because it means â€Å"fortunate† in Italian. This means that he is one of good fortune and luck, however, he about to face his slow and inhumane death. Dramatic irony is occurring when the deader becomes painfully aware of what will become of Fortunate even though the character continues his descent into the catacombs in pursuit of the Amontillado. There are also numerous examples of verbal irony within Mentor’s sentences. Mentors expresses concern about Fortune’s health, and several times he suggests that they should turn back for fear that Fortune’s cough will worsen as a result of the cold and dampness of the catacombs (this is also Mentors using reverse psychology to keep Fortunate wanting to emerge deeper into the catacombs). One of the most memorable lines of the story is given by Mentors in response to Fortunate saying, â€Å"l will not die of a cough. † Mentors says, â€Å"True, true†¦. † Other examples can be seen when Mentors toasts Fortune’s long life as well as when he says that he is a mason, but not in the sense that Fortunate means. â€Å"In pace requisites! † (â€Å"Rest in peace! â€Å") is the last bit of irony in the tale. â€Å"In pace† also refers to a very secure monastic prison. Poe uses irony to reveal how Mentors is only masking his true intentions and covers it with sugar-coated-kindness to keep Fortunate thinking the two are good friends.! The use of imagery is great in this story, because it helps create multiple tones and moods throughout Mentors and Fortune’s walk into the catacombs. When the story is first set in a carnival, the mood is bright and happy with all the flashing lights and smiling people around having a good time. And as the two â€Å"friends† reach farther into the catacombs, it starts to get more dark and musky, setting a more horrid and dark mood. The piles of skeletons represent the death and decline of the noble family over the years. The Motto said meeting about how no one could insult the family and live; these both give a clue both to the history of family pride and insanity, and to hint at the fact that the protagonist is imagining his â€Å"thousand injuries†. It is also thought that the setting of the story represents Mentor’s soul, where he appears to be bright and happy on the In conclusion, this story reminds us that when we stop to think about our actions, as Mentors did not, we would realize that violence is never the right answer to solve our problems. Poe uses great literally devices in his story to put more emphasis on the theme of revenge. The type of revenge Mentors sets out is evil and should not have been the way to achieve vengeance, nobody deserves to die because of something they did. It’s weird though, how at the end of the story, I felt a sense of accomplishment for Mentors. And I felt k with Fortunate dying, perhaps this is because of how Fortunate insulted Mentors and it seemed like Mentors had to get revenge to feel that sensation. This makes it even more clear that Mentors uses his sly personality and intellectual behavior to accomplish his plot of revenge on his use to be friend, by burying him alive. How to cite Cask of Amontillado, Papers

Honing Leadership Skills At Chapter Level â€Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Honing Leadership Skills At Chapter Level? Answer: Introduction: John Francis Jack Welch, Jr is one of the pioneers in the world in the field of leadership who is respected as the CEO who changed the face of General Electricity organization which was founded under the guidance of Thomas Alva Edison. He is an American retired business executive. He also possesses many other hobbies such as writing and is himself a chemical engineer. He was made the CEO of the GE organization in the year 1981 n conducted his position successfully till 2001 (Smith, Lewis Tushman, 2013). During his tenure at the organization, it was seen that the value of the company reached 4000% in the year of 2006, it was released that his net worth itself was 720 million. One of the biggest histories was that after his retirement, he was paid a severance payment of $ 417 which is indeed one of the largest as per known in history (Shor, 2015). One of his biggest legacies was that he wanted to develop an organizational behaviour which he called to be boundaryless which comprised of the organization overcoming traditional functions, finding innovative ideas and in turn sharing them with the workers. In the following paragraphs, his leadership styles would be discussed with his unique categories. It would also display the important changes in the organization he made which made the organization reach the peak of success. Transformational leadership was conceptualized by James Macgregor Burns in 1978. He portrayed transformational leadership as an expanding level of inspiration and profound quality to more elevated amount amongst followers and pioneers when at least one individual connects with others. Further Bernard Bass widened Burn's transformational leadership hypothesis and expressed that a leader is the individual who has the quality to motivate other people to do things well beyond their own capability and succeed (Rao, 2015). Summarizing, the characterizing qualities of this sort of leadership approach is that it is executed with: Vision and enthusiasm Excitement and vitality Empathizing with those to whom the pioneer is obligated. Executing transformational leadership approach requires the pioneer to be a operations promoter of boundary less vision. He will turn out to be an advocate who can initiate and execute change by being obvious, dedicated to methodology and plans, yet ready to empathize with organizational representatives, clients, and different partners. The official who best executes this approach flourishes with challenge, however comprehends that individuals might be impervious to change thus likewise builds up the fundamental arranging aptitudes to smooth the way of change management (Yang, Young Huang, 2017). Jack Welch: Matrise du Leadership Transformationnel, de la Culture Organisationnelle et de la Gestion des Changements Of all business pioneers who have taken up the herculean task of organizational change, it is safe to admit that Jack Welch stands head and shoulders over his companions. At the point when made a request to compress his approach, he demonstrated that he totally comprehended that awesome initiative starts with the advancement of high emotional intelligence (Amelung, chase Reichert, 2017). Welch believes the drive towards organizational excellence and change management can be achieved in 25 summarized points which incorporate the transformational leadership theoretical approaches into business dynamics. Transformational Leadership: The most simple of Mantras that Jack Welch believed in was to lead more from the front and try to manage less. It starts with creating a vision and then aligning the organization to make this vision a reality. The followers must be so enthusiastic about what they are doing that they can't hold up to execute this arrangement. Incredible vitality, focused soul, the capacity to engage the innovative spark and accomplish goals (Drucker, 2017). Leaders must be on the trail of leaders in the organization who have similar characteristics. Focusing on strategic issues are far more important than to micromanage and ponder over every minute detail. Managing Less emphasizes on the concept of having a more liberal shop floor. It is proven that an employee can perform much more and provide more creative output if he was not under close supervision and management. Leaders motivate individuals with clear vision of how things should be possible better." The best leader won't hand out a well ordered guideline manual for his followers. Rather the best leaders are the individuals who think of new thought, and expressive a dream that motivates others to act in an approach to accomplish the vision. Simplification of vision, goals, and activities is important as it is to be understood that simpler messages are well comprehended in spite of being fast and simpler designs reach the market more easily facilitating decision making. Informal environment churns creativity and innovation among employees thus must be promoted as much as possible. Jack Welch had always been the pioneer of an informal organizational culture which had always helped him ensure better ideation from his colleagues and employees. Facing reality at adverse times is important followed by prompt decisions (Ulrich, 2014). Jack Welch has always been a reality facing leader and thus his actions may not have been the smoothest with his employees but have always proven to be fruitful for the future prospects of GE. Change is always to be perceived as the innovation to existing business strategy and is always to be adopted. Thriving in todays dynamic business environment with yesterdays business practices is a myth and can never be achieved. Change has to be achieved from the ground level of the organization to ensure that all employees are believing in the change as much as the senior management. Ideation and nurturing creativity on the office floor is as important as keeping an eye on the competitor. It is always true that someone somewhere has a better approach to a particular situation (Segal, 2014). The challenge is to find that someone and implement his approach as soon as possible before the opportunity is lost. Following up with colleagues in the business environment is common but persistent follow up is the backbone of a successful business strategy. Jack Welch and GE: Organization Culture: Being around the board as the leader for a couple of decades, Jack Welch has been the cover of the Forbes Magazine many a times during and post his tenure. He is one of the only CEOs in the world who had increased the valuation of GE by 4000% in a span of 20 years. Trying to make the organizational hierarchy flatter has been one of the key success factors for Jack Welch. Bureaucracy in the system resists change, flexibility and simplicity. It brings about a sense of robustness which is brittle in nature and demotes organizational accountability and hinders performance. Paying high heed to monitoring subordinates may not be the key to generate their output rather provide brainstorming sessions and empower with decision making autonomy to facilitate optimum output of employees (Kollensher, Popper Ronen, 2016). Agility, responsiveness makes an organization competitive rather than stringent bureaucratic hierarchy thus it is advised to promote informal conversations rather than formal di scussions. Encouraging communication up and down the corporate facilitates employee empowerment and autonomy which results in emergence of ideas and often leaders. Jack Welch promoted the concept of boundary less organizations where every SBU, every department, every service line (horizontals and verticals) coincided with each other and no employee was limited to his domain of knowledge. Thus ideas could come in from anyone who was on the payroll and every service could be aligned to the organizational goals and corporate vision. Considering the McKinsey 7S Model, Jack Welch emphasizes on the soft elements specifically on the shared values as they form the founding base of an organization. Figures and facts are just the outputs of values, so it is essential to put values before figures if the later is expected to be favorable. Cultivating Leaders with the 4 Es of energy, edge, energize and execution is equally important as creating a learning environment for all levels of employees (Collinson Tourish, 2015). The ultimate competitive advantage arises from continuous learning and continuous adaptability. The organizational culture should be such that it encourages people to join and participate in all conversations pertaining to organizational change and growth. Jack Welch: Change Management: The 1980s didnt happen to be very pleasant time for many GE employees as the conglomerate was going through a rapid hierarchy change where many redundancies got terminated. The shift from a bureaucratic hierarchy to a flat structure had never been an easy step and it faced obvious resistance. However keeping his goals clear, Jack Welch set out on a journey which changed GEs future course forever. Back then GE had nine layers of management and it was impossible to make decisions and execute them. Employees had turned ignorant and would simply turn up and leave for the day (Kroth, 2017). Welch knew he had to change all of this if he wanted this company to thrive and not get bankrupt. He brought about the change through himself first by leading the change himself. He took an informal approach to the problems, had conversations with middle managers and line marketing to understand their fears and knowledge. He encouraged his managers to interact with the workforce, be in constant touch w ith them. He ensured a flatter organization structure and during his tenure he made rules very simple and clear to everyone. Appraisals were all performance based and eventually it was found that he was heartily remunerating the top 20% of the annual performers while letting go of the bottom 10% annual performers. This way in 1985, GE experienced a huge trim in its workforce and the organization was ready to be lean and mean in all of its SBUs. Jacks message has been clear and crisp. He wanted all of GEs business lines to be the number one or at least number two in its industry. He believed only the industry leader can change course for the industry and even secure its own future in case of a meltdown of the entire industry (Doe, Ndingiri Phipps, 2015). He put customers as the main stakeholders for GEs businesses and made all his employees understand that if the customer was not delighted with GEs products and services, then the job the employees were performing were not up to the mark or even futile. All these had culminated in the development of the present crisis situation that was going in the organization and with the gradual passing of days, the organization got back its reputation and power which is used to enjoy early. Conclusion: Jack Welch had been declared as one of the role model when transformational leadership is discussed. He had been successful in changing the entire face of the GE corporations. When the time he joined the organization, he had been facing severe obstructions form the employees as they were not being able to assign with the new flat structure of management which was newly introduced after nine years of different form of management system. He first understood the fact that in order to make the employees comfortable and to bring in more productivity it is extremely important for them to be open about their concerns in the organization. Therefore, he instructed the managerial level employees to develop an environment where people can voice out their concerns and suggestions so that they feel accepted in the organization. Moreover, a very unique idea that he introduced was to develop an informal environment in the workplace rather than developing a cordial professional environment. He handl es each and every concern of the workplace both with his strategic intelligence and emotional intelligence which helped him to gather information about what the employees wanted and how he could develop the situation. He had correctly used the McKinseys 7S model to develop an environment of shared decision making in the workplace which made the main foundation of the organization. Moreover, not only, that he developed a learning environment with the help of the 4Es which had correctly helps in developing the skill and knowledge of the workers thereby increasing the productivity by several rates. Moreover, he is also seen to provide less on monitoring performance and rather on empowering them to an extent that they themselves feel motivated to perform better to reach the goals. With this form of leadership, he had been able to bring out the organizational change which changed the decreasing productivity of the organization and in turn helped it to reach the zenith of success making h im one the greatest leaders of all time. References: Amelung, V., Chase, D., Reichert, A. (2017). Leadership in Integrated Care. InHandbook Integrated Care(pp. 221-236). Springer International Publishing. Collinson, D., Tourish, D. (2015). Teaching leadership critically: New directions for leadership pedagogy. Academy of Management Learning Education,14(4), 576-594. Doe, R., Ndinguri, E., Phipps, S. T. (2015). Emotional intelligence: The link to success and failure of leadership.Academy of Educational Leadership Journal,19(3), 105. Drucker, P. F. (2017).What Makes an Effective Executive (Harvard Business Review Classics). Harvard Business Review Press. DuBrin, A.J. Dalglish, C. (2006) Leadership Development-An Australasian Focus, 2nd Asia-Pacific edition, John Wiley. Hamel, G. and Prahalad, C,K, (1994) Competing for the Future, Harvard Business School Press Kollenscher, E., Popper, M., Ronen, B. (2016). Value-creating organizational leadership.Journal of Management Organization, 1-21. Kroth, M. (2017). Under Review: Leadership in Career and Technical Education: Beginning the 21st Century by James Gregson and Jeff Allen (Eds.).Journal of STEM Teacher Education,44(4), 7. Rao, M.Answer:f executives: What business schools do not teach.Human Resource Management International Digest,23(7), 27-30. Segal, S. (2014). From Intuition through Doubt to Vision in Jack Welch and Martin Heidegger. InBusiness Feel(pp. 83-95). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Shor, R. (2015). Honing Leadership Skills at the Chapter Level. Smith, W. K., Lewis, M. W., Tushman, M. L. (2016). Both/and leadership.Harvard Business Review,94(5), 1-8. Ulrich, D. (2014). The future targets or outcomes of HR work: individuals, organizations and leadership. Welch, J. (2014).Jack: what I've learned leading a great company and great people. Hachette UK. Welch, J., Welch, S. (2013). The six deadly sins of leadership. Welch, J., Welch, S., Klasko, S. K. (2015). America's Corporate Legends Tackle Academic Healthcare: An Interview with Jack and Suzy Welch.Healthcare Transformation,1(1), 22-31. Yang, M. M., Young, S., Li, S. J., Huang, Y. Y. (2017). Using System Dynamics to Investigate How Belief Systems Influence the Process of Organizational Change.Systems Research and Behavioral Science,34(1), 94-108.

Marxist View on Crime and Deviance free essay sample

According to Wickham (1991), deviance is behaviour that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society. Karl Marx says that deviance is due to unequal power relationships and is a function of class struggle. Crime, however, is an act of deviance prohibited by law. The conflict theory of crime states that those in the higher social classes will benefit more from the government, compared to those in the lower class. Thus, conflict will be present in society, and the resulting crime will benefit those in power. Marxists support this view, and focus on the conflict between different sets of groups values. Marxists believe that all classes in society are deviant and criminal. They disagree that deviance is a working class phenomenon, though they are thought of as the main offenders of crime and deviance. Laws are made by the state, which represent the interests of the ruling class. We will write a custom essay sample on Marxist View on Crime and Deviance or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Marxists tend to emphasise ‘white collar, corporate crime’ and pay less attention to ‘blue collar’ variants. They note that the crimes of the upper class exert a greater economic toll on society than the crimes of the ordinary people. Marxists believe that crime and deviance is a direct outcome of the exploitative nature of the capitalist society. According to him, the ruling class exploits the working class. There are those that â€Å"have†, and those that â€Å"have not†. They believe that the superstructure (the state, the police, the legal system, the family) maintain and reflect ruling class ideology. The working class is under a state of false class consciousness, and are therefore very vulnerable and easily taken advantage of. rime acts as a way to divert the working class’s attention away from their exploitation, and therefore contains their resistance. Until true class consciousness can be reached by this exploited working class, the ruling class would continue to use crime for their benefit. Thus, it is those in power who define crime. To reach success, functionalists believe that the correct thing to do is go through institutionalized means in order to access certain goals. However, what Marxists point out is that these institutions are all corrupt, and are just used to secure the superiority of the ruling class. Thus, those being exploited cannot use these institutions to reach higher up in society. This is why many turn to crime and deviance in order to get what they want. Working class crime is a result of labour exploitation and labour misery. Hence, theft is an expression of that exploitation and is a political act of the proletariat against the bourgeoisie. However, the ruling class will violate laws will impunity while the members of the working class will be punished. The current economic system is ensured to stay in favour of the ruling class due to existing laws. Obviously, crime and deviance will occur as these laws are designed to sustain the capitalist economic system. Hence, in a capitalist society, crime is inevitable, as it stems from social inequalities. The economic and social environment created is almost guaranteed to create crime and deviance. In all capitalist societies, the ruling class gains more in every aspect of social life. Since they are benefiting, they would not want to change the norms and values of society (the status quo), of the capitalist society. This is known as ideology, as is considered the ‘soft edge’ of social control. Karl Marx believes that revolutionary means is the best way to make a change and to resist the dominant ideology present, as he states that the presence of a capitalist society is what causes crime. Hence, he believes that a revolution will happen, rather than criminal activity, where the ruling class will be overthrown, resulting in the elimination of crime. Karl Marx has been both criticized and praised for his works. Firstly, his ideas are said to offer some kind of balance, as they do not focus on working-class deviance, and emphasize that deviance occurs at every level of society. However, they ignore the impact of other systems as they focus too much on the capitalist system. Jock Young states that Marx fails to acknowledge that the social controls provided by the state can protect working-class people from crime and deviance. Feminists say that Marxism places undue emphasis on class inequality, ignoring the role of patriarchy in shaping how the criminal justice system operates . Marxists overestimate the extent to which â€Å"capitalism causes crime†. Marxists assume that in a communist utopia, crime would be eradicated, but historically, this has not been the case. Marxists have an over simplistic view of crime. Although there are clearly some people with more power than others, this does not mean that they can pass any law that benefits them. â€Å"Left realists† claim Marxism places undue emphasis of corporate crime, arguing that robbery, burglary and other violent crimes cause more harm than Marxists recognise. Unlike the functionalist theories, the conflict theories focus on conflict between different sets of group values, rather than consensus in society. Marx believes that the government and those in the upper class are the culprits of causing crime, and that they create laws and rules to continue to exploit the exploited. Hence, they often use crime as a means of controlling the working class, and this oppression makes crime inevitable.

Western European Architecture Essays

Western European Architecture Essays Western European Architecture Essay Western European Architecture Essay This paper is based on the architecture of Medieval Period from 500AC 1400AD and its styles such as Byzantine, Early Christian, Romanesque and Gothic. Moreover, the paper also covers certain examples from South Florida and the famous buildings standing there. Although a lot of time has passed since the medieval times, we can still see some buildings that were built in the medieval times. Most of the houses that were built during this time were mostly those that belonged to the rich merchants. However, in most of the places the construction done earlier has been replaced as these buildings have been rebuilt and remodeled. The town houses that were built during this time were partially similar to their rural counterparts and they were basically designed due to the lack of space. This is because, previously, land especially in the towns was considered to be very important. The normal town plot in the medieval times was long and narrow and it ran back from the front of the street. Features of the medieval town houses The houses that were planned in the medieval times were basically rectangular in shape and they had a gable end or a wing that faced towards the street. The front part of the house that was on the ground floor was usually used for the purpose of doing trade or used to be used as a shop. Behind the shop, used to be a hall or the main living area and this was further extended to two more storeys and at the back of the house, used to be a counting house or an office along with stores and warehouses as well and an additional accommodation on the upper floor mainly above all the other rooms. The kitchen was separated from the main house and it was an isolated structure at the rear near the courtyard. The upper storey adjoined the street and it used to overhang the street and this gave more space to the upper story than the space at the ground floor, however there was a disadvantage of this as well because the overhanging of upper floors increased the risk of fire spreading.[1] Halls, solars and privies Most of the houses were framed with timber and had wattle walls and the houses for the rich people were built with stone walls. The main element of the houses in the medieval times was the halls that were divided by screens that formed a passageway that led from the pantries and a kitchen area. The hall extended the full height of the building and the hall was used as a general living room by everyone who lived in the house. Privacy was very little and the family members needed a place to keep warm and for recreational purposes. In the hall, there used to be a blazing fire and its smoke used to escape through a hole that was present in the roof that was covered by louvre. The fireplaces and the chimneys were also one of the important features of the medieval times. The domestic chambers that were also known as solars and were used as sleeping rooms and it was located above the passage. At times, these were also fronted by a gallery that overlooked the hall. Even during the middle ages, the timber frames were being used extensively. There were no proper sanitation facilities in the medieval houses and the privies or garderobes were made in the thickness of the walls of larger town houses or as projecting jetties. Garderobes used to get discharged through pipes and gutters into a pit and the chamber pots were used in ordinary dwellings. Furniture and fittings Not much furniture was used in the houses by the people who lived in the medieval times. The only furniture that used to be present in the houses was a table that used to be covered with a linen cloth. Moreover, they had benches or forms, a chair, stools, chests, small cupboards, shelves housing cups, jugs, pewter, knives and spoons, bowls and plates. The people stored their food items in the small cupboards. The poor in the medieval times used palettes to sleep on. These were bags that were filled with dried ferns, rushes or heather, however the people who were well-off used wooden bedsteads to sleep on and it was very rare that the people possessed proper beds, curtains and hangings. nbsp; nbsp; Byzantine architecture This is the architecture of the Byzantine Empire and it emerged as a distinct artistic and cultural entity and today, it is referred as the Roman Empire after AD 330 and at this time the Roman Empire shifted its capital from Rome to Byzantium. This empire that continued for more than a hundred years influenced the Medieval and Renaissance era architecture in Europe but later in 1453, the capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks led directly to the architecture of the Ottoman Empire. Early Christian Architecture This flourished from the third to the seventh century and it was produced for the unsplited Christian church. During the Late Antique period, Roman art and architecture extended in the late second till the seventh century and the Byzantine art and architecture existed from fifth till the seventh century. Christianity was made the state religion of the Roman Empire before the Edict of Milan. However, the art adopted by the Christians was restricted as they just used to decorate the hidden places of worship and most of this was derived from Roman art and was developed accordingly to suit the religion. The ideals of perfection used to get rejected by the artists, instead they used to draw images that reflected spiritual significance. In order to envisage the Christian concepts, an iconography was also formulated. In the beginning, the Christians only used to express their arts in terms of transmitting their faith and belief and not as a way of expressing beauty. Later onwards, in the fourth century, the early Christian architecture flourished under the imperial sponsorship. There used to be mainly two types of buildings. The longitudinal hall basilica The centralized building a baptistery or a mausoleum. The exteriors of Early Christian buildings were plain and unadorned; however on the contrary, the interiors were richly decorated and had marble floors and wall slabs, frescoes, mosaics, metal works, hangings, and sumptuous altar furnishings in gold and silver. Early Christian illuminated manuscripts are of an unusually high quality, however nowadays such kind of architecture is rarely seen. Romanesque architecture This term was used to describe the architecture of Middle Ages Europe which evolved into the Gothic style beginning in the 12th century and this terms means â€Å"descended from Roman† and was used to describe the style from the early 19th century, however there is no specific date that is there as a proof from which this type of architecture came into existence but it ranged from the sixth century till the 10 century. Since the Imperial Roman architecture, the Romanesque architecture is known as the first pan-European architectural style, moreover this style in England is usually named as Norman architecture. The Romanesque architecture basically is a combination of the features found in the Western Roman and Byzantine buildings, furthermore it used to have substantial quality with thick walls and round arches along with sturdy piers, groin vaults, large towers and decorative arcading. The Gothic building followed the Romanesque architecture but comparing the two, the buildings of the Romanesque architecture had clearly defined forms and they were regular based on a symmetrical plan. The overall appearance of the buildings was simple and could clearly be identified all over Europe although the material and the characteristics in different parts of Europe were different and a lot of castles have been reported to be built during this period. Gothic Architecture It is already mentioned in the previous section that the Gothic architecture followed the Romanesque architecture. This flourished mainly during the late medieval period and was succeeded by the Renaissance architecture. Gothic architecture originated in the twelfth century and lasted till the sixteenth century and during this period the Gothic architecture was known as the French style. The main characters of Gothic architecture include the pointed arch, the ribbed vault and the flying buttress.[2] Most of the people are able to recognize the Gothic architecture. This is because most of the great cathedrals, abbeys and parish churches of Europe are built using the features of this. It also has many castles, palaces, town halls, guild halls, universities, however the private dwellings were not much extensively built. The Gothic architecture was expressed most powerfully in the churches and cathedrals and some of the civic buildings as well and its characteristics normally expressed the emotions. Many religious buildings were built during this period and the smallest buildings are often differentiated from the other architectural designs. However, the larger churches are considered invaluable works of art. These buildings are also listed with UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. The Gothic revivals began in the mid-18th century starting from England and it spread through 19th-century in Europe that continued till the 20th century and this was largely based on the religious building and the universities. Examples Some of the famous buildings in South Florida are listed below. Broward County Library (1980 to 1984). Dogtrot House (1800 to 1900). Healy Guest HouseRalph Twitchell (1948 to 1949). Pfeiffer Chapel (1938). Shotgun House (1800 s to 1900 s). Walker Guest House (1952).

The Bible Among the Myths Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

The Bible Among the Myths - Research Paper Example There is only one God who is the creator of the universe is the Hebrew’s belief. In addition, they believed that God disclosed himself to people during their distinct encounters. Moreover, they presumed that God punishes and rewards mankind on the basis of obedience to his will in human conduct. Their faith came into question when the first Babylonian and Assyrian empires dominated the biggest part of Israel. The Israelites’ did not abandon their faith because they viewed the Babylonian and Assyrian conquest as a way of God’s punishment due to their unbelief. The Greeks differed from the Israelites because they believed that there is a connection between cause and effect. On the other hand, the Israelites were of the opinion that God plays a role in the events that happen physically. The author concludes by stating that science and logic are developed after individuals realize that the world is not God, and neither is God the world. He argues that logic and science cannot support themselves because they are not self-evident. God’s presence as a creator is experienced in the universe during the distinct occurrences in history of men that give the foundation for the idea of historical authority.1 In this chapter, the author seeks to find an appropriate meaning of the term myth. He is purposed to look for a correct answer if the Bible can refer to a myth or not. He asserts that the definition of the word myth can determine its application. John Oswalt says that it is crucial to comprehend why it is necessary to force the Bible into the group of myth in modern time. The author suggests that there are three definitions that can describe myth. To begin, the etymological definition of myth emphasize on the untruthfulness of the object being outlined. The meaning is on the basis of the word mythos that is interpreted in

Digital Marketing Concepts Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Digital Marketing Concepts - Case Study Example The vision of the company is a focus on customer experience by offering affordable prices, ease of access and guaranteeing the availability of merchandise. The vision of Amazon is to offer the earth’s biggest selection and to be Earth’s most customer-centric company. In 2011, the net sales of the company increased by 41%. The company has always endeavored to use technology to satisfy the needs of its customers. Use of Digital Channels Amazon.com is an online company and hence it has to utilize internet marketing techniques. Internet marketing is important in this era where most of the target consumers spend most of their time online. Digital channels are critical in advertising the company and marketing the products of the company. For a company to stay competitive in the online environment, it is necessary for it to develop features that attract customers and motivate them to make purchases from the website (Andrew, 2011). In essence, the website of an online company i s the only interface with the clients. Therefore, the website has to impressive and user-friendly for it to be appealing to potential clients. Over the years, Amazon has developed and refined its website within the anticipations of the customers and to provide a rich user interface. The company has used digital design channels to obtain a leadership position in the industry. Web Analytics Web analytics is the careful analysis of the activity on a website in order to deduce the behavior of the visitors of the website. Amazon has been at the forefront of using advanced web analytics in analyzing the behavior of visitors with a view of improving their business potential. As CEO Jeff Bezos stated, the company utilizes the latest data analysis tools to scrutinize visitor information. One of the strengths of Amazon is that offers reviews on every single product that it sells. This provides a model for online accountability. The user has a chance to read reviews of other clients before mak ing a purchase. This strategy is important in the user feels empowered and informed before making the purchase decision (Leigh, 2009). The use of web analytics also helps to cross-sell products. Amazon uses advanced software to group together products according to purchase patterns. Essentially, the company tells the user other services that have been availed to the visitor. This increases the chances of the user buying other related products and thus increase the overall amount used on the site. The concept of cross-selling is also important since the user might be unaware of other products. When related products are positioned together, the user can make a decision to purchase. The use of web analytics to collect personal information is important to personalize the offers presented to users. Information on the history of purchases and products viewed is stored and used to make target offers. This is important since it helps the company to make relevant offers to a user depending o n the browsing history collected. Amazon monitors the number of users on its website round the clock. In this way, the company is always aware of the user metrics and thus corrective measures are quickly taken in case of anomalies.

Federal Role in Healthcare Delivery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Federal Role in Healthcare Delivery - Essay Example The role of federal government in healthcare is to facilitate Medicare- a plan by the U.S government to provide health insurance to people that are 65 years and above, those below 65 with certain disabilities and those with final-stage renal disease. On the other hand, there is Medicaid- a co-operation tasked with providing cash benefits to welfare beneficiaries, mainly low-income mothers and children and disabled persons and the elderly. This is a responsibility undertaken by both the federal and state government. Nonetheless, there has been a long-time argument as to whether the federal government should be responsible for healthcare entirely (Bovbjerg, Wiener and houseman, 2005). Those favoring the federal government taking over the healthcare system argue that healthcare is essentially a right and not privilege as illustrated by the state government system. That the federal government considers healthcare as a service entitled to all Americans because they are citizens as opposed to the fact that they reside in a particular state. Ideally, it would promote the general welfare of all Americans thus the Universal Healthcare plan. Those favoring the state government taking over argue that it would be better suited to comprehend its citizen’s problems and recommend viable solutions (Bovbjerg, Wiener and houseman, 2005). In 1945, President Harry Truman, only seven months into his presidency, proposed to improve the state of the healthcare system by tackling five issues. The foremost issue was the inadequate number of healthcare professional i.e. doctors, nurses and other specialists in the low-income parts of U.S. He noted that the low earning capacity of healthcare professionals in these parts made it difficult for them to practice there. Coupled with this was the fact that the hospitals and clinics present in these areas did not meet the proper standards of quality. Therefore, he sought to access federal funding to

Oxendales Marketing Strategy Analysis

Oxendales Marketing Strategy Analysis Anthony Nolan Marketing Campaign Oxendales started off as a purely clothing supplier when they first appeared online but nowadays they sell a lot of different things from home wear to electricals and entertainment items. Through broadening their stock range, they have become a more desirable option for many more segments of the demographic. This report will show how Oxendales go about their business and how they are viewed by the public that use their service. Oxendales marketing campaigns are ongoing. They are around a long time and their name is a household one. Nonetheless they do still need to get their product out there. With this company, selling items is just part of the offer. They also give credit and charge interest on that credit. They make a lot of money doing business in this manner. Once a new season collection of clothing is announced their marketers set in motion a plan that gets the new arrivals from the storehouse to the public. They appear to have a good idea of who they are targeting with their campaigns. The demographic being targeted is the medium to low income earner or people on social welfare; people who can afford to pay instalments but cannot necessarily afford to buy a product outright. For this segment of the market, Oxendales are often an invaluable ally in helping them to clothe themselves, their families and their homes. Oxendales have a huge selection of items on offer for people and for the household. They tend to bring out two new lines of clothing every year. The different styles and items are reflective of the different seasons. The first line of the year is the Spring/Summer collection, which typically comes to the fore around March or April. Then around September they announce their Autumn/Winter collection. Oxendales introduce their new lines typically through a number of channels that they feel will get their product specifically to the target segment. They show their stock on television, using TV3 as their main channel for showing people the wares on offer. They utilise the show Ireland AM to get their new offers into the vision and minds of the public. At the same time as being seen on television they will also be launching advertising collateral campaigns on many different levels, from more television advertising to social media and physical paper advertising. They will follow this up by interacting with the public one-to-one in trade shows such as the Womans World Show which is a yearly event held at the RDS in Dublin. This public relations meet and greet is meant to align Oxendales with many of the other company brand competitors attending the show as well as get their own brand into the minds of the public or to cement their brand in the minds of people who already know of them. No matter where and through what channel they are showing their items, one will find a consistent feel to their advertisements. The colours used are often very alike across all of their advertising campaigns. If one is reading a flyer that falls out of a magazine they will feel that the look of that flyer is consistent with an advertisement they may have seen on-line for example The visual connection is apparent. The consistent look leads on to the famous Three Cs of marketing. Do Oxendales fulfil this criteria? Well their communications are first class. Their advertisements and language used is clear and concise and is not in the least confusing. They sometimes communicate how simple it is to get credit from them as much as their actual items for sale. Their items are often not as Compelling as their credit offers. Oxendales can often reel in a buyer through the promise of buy now-pay later. This is a compelling way to attract custom from the target segment. Their look remains Consistent throughout. Their colours and designs used for advertising is instantly recognisable and they do utilise consistency across channels. Oxendales use integrated communications too. Every time a piece of Oxendales literature is examined or online source seen, one can immediately identify that the company link to the other places they are available to view as well as to their website. They often also link to their credit facilities which experience has told them is a unique selling point. The Marketing Mix The Product Being Sold The most important part of Oxendales overall product is convenience. Online Shopping is on the rise according to Roy Morgan Research (2015). So, from that we can conclude that people are using the convenience of online shopping for a myriad of reasons. What are these reasons? Upstream Commerce (2012) quoted the eight most important reasons that people shop online as Convenience, Better Prices, Variety, Fewer Expenses, Comparison of Prices, No Crowds, Compulsive Shopping and Discreet Purchases. We will see many of these reasons pop up again and again. Barbara Thau of Forbes.com (2013) quotes a study by strategy and marketing consultants Simon, Kucher and Partners when she propounds that 24% of online shoppers like to buy books, consumer electronics and entertainment online while 18% of online consumers prefer to buy health and beauty products, toys, sports equipment, hobby interests, clothing, merchandise and furniture online. This is an interesting finding in relation to Oxendales online activity. 24% of online shopping is spent on books, consumer electronics and entertainment. How many of these do Oxendales supply? The answer is two of the three. Oxendales will sell a person everything from an IPod to an Xbox and from a television to a heater (and many, many items in between). Books are the odd ones out. We move on 18% of people shop online to buy health and beauty products, toys, sports equipment, hobby interests, clothing, merchandise and furniture. That is seven categories of items that could possibly be sold online. Again, how many of them do Oxendales sell? The answer is Five. This online behemoth sells all of that list barring hobby interests and merchandise (though all things sold could be classed as merchandise surely?) So going by the experts views on why people shop online, one would have to conclude that Oxendales understand the reasons and offer an excellent product to people in their online store in order to fulfil the needs of their customers. Specifically however a product is more than just an item. How does this company fulfil the other range of criterion that goes to tick the product box in relation to Marketing? Quality: Like many shops, both online and physical, the quality of item bought is directly linked to the price of the product. Having sampled many of Oxendales products they have been found to be durable and fashion sensitive. Certainly as an online shop, Oxendales is seen as a high quality outlet. Image: The image of Oxendales is linked to a few things. Firstly, it is seen as somewhere that people can buy things now and pay later, thanks to their simple and effective paying plans. They are also seen as ultra-convenient. Oxendales have a wonderful selection of items too in a vast array of sizes and models. So the overall image is one of ease of access to what people want and ease of payment. Branding: Oxendales is a household name. They have been around since 1875 (Oxendales: About, 2016) so it is understandable that in that time they have become so well known. Features, Variants and Mix: As alluded to earlier, this online super store offers many items in many different configurations, sizes, colours and categories. Customer Service: Excellent customer service is available, through online, telephone and written media. When an order is received, the packaging staff also include a return label in case an item does not suit the customer for whatever reason. Availability: Always available to use, every moment of every day of the year. Warranties: Oxendales offer a refund, repair or replacement service on all items purchased that do not reach the consumer in perfect condition (Oxendales: About, 2016). Promotion Oxendales promote sales by giving special offers on their website. The have seasonal promotions in which they offer certain items at a discount price. When Spring arrives, they will often sell outdoor furniture and garden implements at a special discount. In addition to their discounted stock, they also promote through email by giving existing customers money off codes that they can apply to their basket the next time they are online for a discount. For non-members, the company will email introductory offers always highlighting their easy payment option. Almost everybody who applies to Oxendales will be accepted for payment through credit. This company is a market leader in direct marketing. Price It appears that Oxendales do not believe in low price equalling higher sales. Their prices are never as low as one might find on the bargain rail of a local department store. Even when discounts are given, one might find that the item on discount would still exceed the price of a similar discount in a high street shop. As far as positioning goes, the idea that Oxendales wants to hold in the mind of consumers is one of ultimate convenience and ease of purchase. Due to their massive stock one can find almost anything within their range to suit them. Due to their credit facility, one can spend money that they do not actually have and then pay off the cost of the purchases over a set period of time. Due to the company accepting almost anyone that applies for credit, that will place a multitude of people in a catchment net for business, particularly approaching festive periods and leading up to birthdays, weddings, interviews etcetera. The position of Oxendales as a brand is very much one of convenience. However, when people are finding it difficult to keep up to date with payments then the company could be seen as a nuisance and increasingly in a bad light due to their continued letters and phone calls, even though the reason for the continued negative correspondence lies with the consumer. Finally, Oxendales do not only sell through a credit account payment option. They also allow people to pay directly like any other online shop, through use of Credit/Debit card. They do not allow payment through an online bank such as PayPal however. Place Oxendales use a number of different suppliers as part of their distribution channel. Many of their suppliers are little known brands like Premier Man for example. These brands are created and sold exclusively in online shops like Oxendales. The items are produced at low price in many Asian countries, shipped to Oxendales warehouse and then sold on to the consumer or end-user. The company also sell high street brands such as Levis, Wrangler, Toshiba, Black and Decker and Timberland to name a very few. It is the same type of distribution channel. Oxendales buy in the stock at the stock price and then sell on with a mark up to the customer. Of course Oxendales also gain revenue through the interest they charge on their credit facility. The sales support for this company is quite good. They can be contacted by telephone, through a form online on their page and by email. The best way is by far by telephone as one knows they are being heard and they will get an immediate response. The company use a first level channel for selling goods. The goods are produced and then sent directly to Oxendales without the need for a wholesaler. The company also has a presence on social media such as Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Blogger. People As far as customer contact goes, Oxendales rarely need to interact with anyone. They do have a phone contact number and there is an automated response which, if navigated correctly will eventually lead to an operator who is usually very friendly and interested in the query being made. However because their system is so well set up online, there is little need for assistance from another person in order to order goods or return them. Having said that they do have top quality IT staff who keep the website current and glitch-less so that the business of making money can continue apace. The webpages of the Oxendales website have all of the facilities that even the most limited computer user might need and understand. The people who work on the image of the company have done a good job keeping the convenience image to the forefront. They also superbly make the consumer feel that they are getting a bargain when in fact they may not be, not compared to a high street store. However the consumer often values convenience over price. Process The process used is very definitely a customer focussed approach. Oxendales want to radiate a friendly and relaxed approach to consumers in everything they offer, from getting the customer to choose the products to be bought to getting the customer to part with their money. Everything on the website is streamlined and very easy to navigate. Most modern internet speeds will allow for easy navigation and very quick page loading. The design of the website is excellent. The pages scroll and it is up to the user of the site to choose how many items to view per page. There is also a facility where one can sort the item content on a number of criteria from Best Sellers, New in, On Sale to Ratings, Price lowest to Highest and vice versa. Moving from one area to the next is very easy too with the use of a docked banner at the head of the page displaying the different department names, each one hyperlinked to the appropriate section. The actual process of finding, adding to the basket and checking out ones selections is very easy on this website. It gives the impression of years of experience on the companys part. Physical Evidence The whole online experience of shopping at Oxendales is really a very good, easy and addictive one. Given a large enough spend limit it could be imagined that many people would get themselves into a lot of debt in a single visit. Once one uses this site, and provided one has some credit left on their account, it is almost a certainty that one will return and purchase again and again. The whole feel is one of ease and once a purchase is made, one of fulfilment. Oxendales offer a positive feeling to people visiting their site. When the products ordered do eventually arrive at ones front door, they are always packaged superbly in a heavy weight plastic outer layer covering a bubble wrap and a thinner plastic inner layer. They come with a printed receipt and a printed returns label should it be required. Really the whole process from ordering to actually receiving the goods is very simple and incredibly stress-free. Visible Metrics Not having access to information about Oxendales Social Media internal metrics one can only comment upon the visible on-page information that is available to all viewers. On Facebook, Oxendales have 20585 followers. The Facebook page receives between one and four new posts from the page manager each day. New posts receive on average four likes each Judging by the amount of likes for their posts, their followers either do not regularly visit the page or they do not like the posts. Due to their continued success in the online shopping market, one could conclude the former reason for the lack of post likes. There have been seventeen visitor posts going back to December 17th 2015, from a membership of over twenty thousand. Oxendales post both images and video files to their Facebook page but neither are very popular Oxendales have 1344 followers on Twitter The Twitter Page receives between one and five new posts per day from the page manager. New posts receive an average of one like each New posts are rarely retweeted Like Facebook, it can be construed that their presence on Twitter does not greatly contribute to their actual sales on their website. Very rarely does any one of the 1344 followers ever reply to a tweet on the Oxendales Twitter page Oxendales has 23 followers on Instagram They have posted 184 images on Instagram Out of 184 posts, they have received just 5 comments Out of 184 posts, they have received 114 Likes concentrated on 26 of the total posts Without access to their page metrics and only going on the visible data one could conclude that Oxendales success is certainly not based upon their online presence. From the information gained one can see that very few people interact with the company through social media. For this reason, it must be concluded that their success is based upon other strategies. Targeted Demographic Oxendales has an emphasis on contemporary womens styling ranging from sizes 12-32 and were constantly developing our collections to bring you the latest looks that will keep you on-trend throughout the season. With our brand ambassador Lorraine Kelly choosing her favourite pieces, were making shopping for plus size clothes, lingerie and wide fit shoes and boots fun, easy and enjoyable regardless of age, size and shape. (Oxendales Website, 2016) The above direct quote is taken from the home page of the Irish Oxendales website. They do offer clothing for children too and for men and they offer homeware and electrical goods. However, this is the headline from the home page of their website. This above all would intimate the following: That the company are targeting the female demographic above all else. That they are attempting to target all age groups of adult women. That they are attempting to target all shapes and sizes of adult women. That they are targeting women who are fashion sensitive and want to be dressed in up to the minute styles Once one clicks on the Menswear hyperlink, the following is displayed: At JD Williams we know that finding stylish menswear that fits perfectly can be tricky. Our collection of big and tall menswear comes in a range of sizes to give you perfectly proportioned design. We have t-shirts, polos, coats and jackets in chest sizes 36-66, plus our trousers and jeans are available in 5 leg lengths, including extra-short and extra-long leg and waist sizes 32-64. Discover how easy it is to find the perfect fit for every occasion. (Oxendales Website, 2016) Oxendales is still the page header however Williams and Brown is the Menswear Department name. They are using this ploy of renaming the department to make it distinct and separate from the other departments. Their catch-line on this page would suggest the following: That they stock many different types of clothing from T-shirts to jackets to trousers That they cater for all sizes of man, tall, small, fat, thin and everything in between You name it, kids need it. Cots, highchairs, clothes, shoes, coats. But with all this in one place, shopping for your family has never been simpler. Look out for our new range of girls and boys clothing in our collection of baby, nursery and childrens essentials. (Oxendales Website, 2016) This demographic is aimed at the younger generation and is found on the kids page of the website. So what can one glean from this statement? They stock items for many ages of child They stock items for both girls and boys So what can be concluded from the information gained? The conclusion has to be that Oxendales, while catering for many different types of person and interest, primarily wants women to visit their site. This is suggested by the first page loaded on entering the website being aimed primarily at women. The want ladies of all ages and who are fashion sensitive. They probably know that even in the year 2016, women still do a lot of the buying for the household and therefore by targeting women on their home page, they are indirectly offering them the other areas of the site for their perusal also. The tag-lines on the Menswear and kids-wear pages are also aimed at women as well as men. They continue to talk about interests of women, the perfect fit and fashion. Advertising Campaign Oxendales advertise their online business in a number of ways. They use different online sources and some physical ways to advertise (as opposed to intangible online advertising). Their latest advertising technique is to sponsor television shows. They are the current sponsor of the popular television drama Downton Abbey. This means that every time the show is on television, the Oxendales brand is shown on-screen prior to the start of the episode and at the start and end of every advertisement break. This is more than just advertising of course as they are also positioning their Brand next to the aristocratic gentry of a period now long since passed. The nobility and wealth of the families portrayed in the show places Oxendales into a high class light by association. They also advertise on television on daytime television. Ireland AM is a popular morning show mostly for stay at home mothers and unemployed people. The latest fashions available from Oxendales can be seen quite often being modelled on this show. Ireland AM also tend to use real people as models rather than incredibly beautiful sculpted catwalk ladies and gentlemen. This is good for Oxendales as they are trying to sell their brand to the people in the street. On the negative side, using normal people their clothes may not look as glamorous as they would on a professional model. Oxendales advertise online on such sites as hotfrog.ie and rollercoaster.ie. The former is a business directory and this type of advertising is quite astute as people use business directories all the time to locate phone numbers and addresses. Having an ad in such a place should serve the company well. The latter, rollercoaster.ie is a parent and pregnancy site. One can immediately see what Oxendales intentions are here. They are appealing to the mother on behalf of the child; they sell for both. Their online presence also stretches to social media. Not only do they have their various social media pages but they also have paid advertisements in the side bars on the various pages on various sites. Finally, they use the old fashioned paper and card as advertising media. Quite often in glossy womens magazines, postcard sized spam cards will fall out when opened. This junk often consists of various offers and advertisements for different shops, both physical and online. Oxendales do advertise in this manner. They also buy advertisement pages within the magazines pages. Their other paper advertising is through their own full and mini-catalogues. The full Oxendales catalogue is only available through request from their site. However, the mini-catalogues showing their latest offers are sometimes distributed through peoples letterboxes and as a third party supplement in Sunday Newspapers. Bibliography ONLINE SHOPPING STATS: http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6095-online-shopping-on-rise-201503182332 WHY SHOP ONLINE? http://upstreamcommerce.com/blog/2012/02/14/8-reasons-consumer-likes-shop-online WHY SHOP ONLINE? http://www.forbes.com/sites/barbarathau/2013/10/08/why-consumers-really-shop-online/#304510da4ab5 OXENDALES ABOUT US: http://www.oxendales.ie/shop/aboutus/aboutUsView.action?cm_sp=OXI-Footer-_-AboutUs-_-AboutUs MARKETING CAMPAIGN: http://www.cio.com/article/2377257/online-marketing/7-ways-to-create-a-successful-integrated-marketing-campaign.html OXENDALES IRELAND: http://www.oxendales.ie/?PROMO=2000gclid=CjwKEAjww9O3BRDp1tq0jIP023YSJAB0-j1SZzTjxpFOGyGZev_jbyMQPHU5trQzI0Kn6-f5OQA2NhoCPDHw_wcBgclsrc=aw.ds Principles of Marketing 8th Edition, Kotler and Armstrong 2012, Prentice Hall Pearson, Ps 4/5/6 38-45

The Origins Of The Computer :: essays research papers

The Origins of the Computer This report is to be distributed freely and not to be sold for profit ect. This report can be modifyed as long as you keep in mind that you didn't write it. And you are not to hand in this report claiming credit for it heheh.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Roman Empire, founded by Augustus Caesar in 27 B.C. and lasting in Western Europe for 500 years, reorganized for world politics and economics. Almost the entirety of the civilized world became a single centralized state. In place of Greek democracy, piety, and independence came Roman authoritarianism and practicality. Vast prosperity resulted. Europe and the Mediterranean bloomed with trading cities ten times the size of their predecessors with public amenities previously unheard of courts, theaters, circuses, and public baths. And these were now large permanent masonry buildings as were the habitations, tall apartment houses covering whole city blocks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This architectural revolution brought about by the Romans required two innovations: the invention of a new building method called concrete vaulting and the organization of labor and capital on a large scale so that huge projects could be executed quickly after the plans of a single master architect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Roman concrete was a fluid mixture of lime and small stones poured into the hollow centers of walls faced with brick or stone and over curved wooden molds, or forms, to span spaces as vaults. The Mediterranean is an active volcanic region, and a spongy, light, tightly adhering stone called pozzolana was used to produce a concrete that was both light and extremely strong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Romans had developed potsalana concrete about 100 B.C. but at first used it only for terrace walls and foundations. It apparently was emperor Nero who first used the material on a grand scale to rebuild a region of the city of Rome around his palace, the expansive Domus Aurea, after the great fire of AD 64 which he said to have set. Here broad streets, regular blocks of masonry apartment houses, and continuous colonnaded porticoes were erected according to a single plan and partially at state expense. The Domus Aurea itself was a labyrinth of concrete vaulted rooms, many in complex geometric forms. An extensive garden with a lake and forest spread around it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The architect Severus seems to have been in charge of this great project. Emperors and emperors' architects succeeding Nero and Severus continued and expanded their work of rebuilding and regularizing Rome. Vespasian (emperor AD 63-79) began the Colosseum. Which I have a model bad of. Built by prisoners from the Jewish wars the 50,000 Colosseum is one of the most intresting architectural The Origins Of The Computer :: essays research papers The Origins of the Computer This report is to be distributed freely and not to be sold for profit ect. This report can be modifyed as long as you keep in mind that you didn't write it. And you are not to hand in this report claiming credit for it heheh.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Roman Empire, founded by Augustus Caesar in 27 B.C. and lasting in Western Europe for 500 years, reorganized for world politics and economics. Almost the entirety of the civilized world became a single centralized state. In place of Greek democracy, piety, and independence came Roman authoritarianism and practicality. Vast prosperity resulted. Europe and the Mediterranean bloomed with trading cities ten times the size of their predecessors with public amenities previously unheard of courts, theaters, circuses, and public baths. And these were now large permanent masonry buildings as were the habitations, tall apartment houses covering whole city blocks.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  This architectural revolution brought about by the Romans required two innovations: the invention of a new building method called concrete vaulting and the organization of labor and capital on a large scale so that huge projects could be executed quickly after the plans of a single master architect.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Roman concrete was a fluid mixture of lime and small stones poured into the hollow centers of walls faced with brick or stone and over curved wooden molds, or forms, to span spaces as vaults. The Mediterranean is an active volcanic region, and a spongy, light, tightly adhering stone called pozzolana was used to produce a concrete that was both light and extremely strong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Romans had developed potsalana concrete about 100 B.C. but at first used it only for terrace walls and foundations. It apparently was emperor Nero who first used the material on a grand scale to rebuild a region of the city of Rome around his palace, the expansive Domus Aurea, after the great fire of AD 64 which he said to have set. Here broad streets, regular blocks of masonry apartment houses, and continuous colonnaded porticoes were erected according to a single plan and partially at state expense. The Domus Aurea itself was a labyrinth of concrete vaulted rooms, many in complex geometric forms. An extensive garden with a lake and forest spread around it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The architect Severus seems to have been in charge of this great project. Emperors and emperors' architects succeeding Nero and Severus continued and expanded their work of rebuilding and regularizing Rome. Vespasian (emperor AD 63-79) began the Colosseum. Which I have a model bad of. Built by prisoners from the Jewish wars the 50,000 Colosseum is one of the most intresting architectural

The Return: Nightfall Chapter 38

Bonnie knew that she was going to die. She had had a clear premonition of it just before thosethings – the trees that moved like humans, with their hideous faces and their thick, knotted arms – had surrounded the little band of humans in the Old Wood. She had heard the howl of the black weir dog, turned, and just caught a glimpse of one vanishing in the glare of her flashlight. The dogs had a long history in Bonnie's family: when one of them howled, a death was soon to come. She'd guessed then that it would be hers. But she hadn't said anything, even when Dr. Alpert had said, â€Å"What in the name ofheaven wasthat ?† Bonnie was practicing being brave. Meredith and Matt were brave. It was something built into them, an ability to keep going when any sane person would run away and hide. They both putthe group's good ahead of their own. And of course Dr. Alpert was brave, not to mention strong, and Mrs. Flowers seemed to have decided that the teenagers were her own special charges to take care of. Bonnie had wanted to show that she could be brave, too. She was practicing holding her head up and listening for things in the bushes, while simultaneously listening with her psychic senses for any sign of Elena. It was hard to juggle the two kinds of hearing. There was a lot to hear with her real ears; all kinds of quiet chucklings and whisperings from the bushes that didn't belong there. But from Elena there wasn't a sound, not even when Bonnie called her name over and over:Elena, Elena, Elena! She's human again, Bonnie had realized sadly, at last. She can't hear me or make contact. Out of all of us, she's the only one who didn't miraculously escape. And it was then that the first of the Tree-Men loomed up in front of the group of searchers. Like something out of a nursery-tale nightmare, it was a tree and then – suddenly – it was athing , a treelike giant that suddenly moved swiftly toward them, its upper branches bunching together to become long arms, and then everyone was screaming and trying to get away from it. Bonnie would never forget how Matt and Meredith had tried to help her run then. The Tree-Man wasn't fast. But when they turned and ran from it they found that there was another one behind them. And more to the right and the left. They were surrounded. And then, like cattle, like slaves, they were herded. Any of them that tried to resist the trees were slapped and cuffed by hard and sharp-thorned branches, and then, with a lithe branch wound around the neck, weredragged . They'd been caught – but they hadn't been killed. Instead they were being taken somewhere. It wasn't hard to imagine why: in fact Bonnie could imagine a whole lot of different whys. It was just a matter of picking which was the scariest. In the end, after what seemed like hours of forced walking, Bonnie began to recognize things. They were going back to the boardinghouse again. Or rather, they were going back to thereal boardinghouse for the first time. Caroline's car was outside. The house was again lit from top to bottom, but there were dark windows here and there. And their captors were waiting for them. And now, after her outburst of weeping and pleading, she was trying to be brave once more. When that boy with the strange hair had said that she would be the first, she'd understood exactly what he meant, and how she was going to die – and suddenly she wasn't brave at all – inside. But she wouldn't scream again. She could just see the widow's walk, and the sinister figures on it, but Damon hadlaughed when the Tree-Men had begun to pluck her clothes off. Now he waslaughing as Meredith held the garden shears. She wouldn't beg him again, not when it wouldn't make any difference anyway. And now she was on her back, with her arms and legs tied so she was helpless, clothed in strips and rags. She wanted them to kill her first, so she wouldn't have to watch Meredith cut her own tongue to pieces. Just as she felt a last scream of fury welling up inside her like a snake climbing a pole, she had seen Elena high above her in a white pine tree. â€Å"Wings of the Wind,†Elena whispered as the ground rushed up toward her, very fast. The wings unfolded instantly from somewhere inside Elena. They weren't real, they spanned some forty feet and were made of golden gossamer, the color ranging from deepest Baltic amber at her back to ethereal pale citrine at the tips. They were almost still, barely rising and falling, but they held her up, the wind rushing under them, and they got her to exactly where she needed to go. Not to Bonnie. That was what they would all be expecting. From her height, she just might be able to snatch Bonnie free, but she had no idea how to cut Bonnie's bonds or whether she could lift off again. Instead Elena swerved toward the widow's walk at the last moment, snatched the pruning shears out of Meredith's upraised hand, and then caught a handful of long, silky black-and-scarlet hair. Misao shrieked.And then†¦ Thatwas when Elena really needed some belief. So far she had really just been gliding, not flying. But now she needed uplift; she needed the wings towork†¦and once again, although there was no time, she was with Stefan, and feeling†¦ †¦the first time she had kissed him. Other girls might have waited until it was the other way around, letting the boy take the lead, but not Elena. Besides, at first Stefan had thought that all kissing meant was seducing prey†¦. †¦the first timehe had kissed her, understanding that it wasn't a predatory relationship†¦ And now she needed toreally fly†¦. I know I can†¦. But Misao was just so heavy – and Elena's memory was faltering. The great golden wings trembled and became still. Shinichi was trying to climb a creeper to get to her, and Damon was holding Meredith motionless. And, too late, Elena realized that it wasn't going to work. She was alone, and she couldn't fight this way. Not against so many. She was alone, and pain that made her want to shriek was lancing through her back. Misao was somehow making herself heavier, and in another minute she would be too heavy for Elena's trembling wings to hold up. She was alone, and like the rest of the humans, she was going to die – And then, through the agony that was causing fine sweat to break out all over her body, she heard Stefan's voice. â€Å"Elena! Let go! Fall and I'll catch you!† How strange, Elena thought, as if in a dream. His love and panic had distorted his voice somehow – making him sound different. Making him sound almost like – â€Å"Elena! I'mwith you!† – like Damon. Shaken out of her dream, Elena looked below her. And there was Damon, standing protectively in front of Meredith, looking up at her, with his arms held out. He was with her. â€Å"Meredith,† he went on, â€Å"girl, this is no time to be sleepwalking! Your friend needs you!Elena needs you!† Slowly, dully, Meredith turned her face up. And Elena saw life and animation restored to it as her eyes focused on the trembling of the great golden wings. â€Å"Elena!† she shouted, â€Å"I'm with you! Elena!† How did she know to say that? The answer was – that she was Meredith – and Meredith always knew what to say. And now the cry was being taken up by another voice: Matt's. â€Å"Elena!† he shouted, in a sort of acclamation. â€Å"I'm with you, Elena!† And Dr. Alpert's deep voice: â€Å"Elena! I'm with you, Elena!† And Mrs. Flowers, surprisingly strong: â€Å"Elena! I'm with you, Elena!† And even poor Bonnie: â€Å"Elena!We're with you, Elena!† While deep in her heart, the real Stefan whispered, â€Å"I'm with you, my angel.† â€Å"We're all with you, Elena!† She didn't drop Misao. It was as if the great golden wings had caught an updraft; in fact, they almost lifted her straight up, out of control – but somehow she managed to keep herself steady. She was still looking down and she saw the tears spill from her eyes and fall toward Damon's outstretched arms. Elena didn't know why she was crying, but part of it was sorrow for ever having doubted him. Because Damon wasn't just on her side. Unless she was wrong, he was willing to die for her – was courting death for her. He threw himself into the entangling creepers and vines, all reaching for Meredith or for Elena. It had only taken an instant to get hold of Misao, but Shinichi was already leaping toward Elena, in fox form, lips drawn back, aiming to tear her throat out. These were no ordinary foxes. Shinichi was almost as big as a wolf – certainly the size of a large dog – and as vicious as a wolverine. Meanwhile the entire widow's walk burst into a maze of vines, creepers, and fibrous tendrils, and Shinichi was beinglifted by them. Elena didn't know which way to dodge. She needed time, and she needed a clear shot out of here. All Caroline was doing was screaming. And then Elena saw her opening. A gap in the creepers that she threw herself at, knowing in her subconscious that she was throwing herself over the railing as well, and somehow keeping her hold on Misao's hair. In fact, it must have been an extremely painful experience for the female kitsune as she swung back and forth like a pendulum below Elena. The one glance Elena was able to give over her shoulder showed Damon, still moving faster than anything Elena had ever seen. He had Meredith in his arms now and was hurrying her through a gap that led to the cupula door. As soon as she stepped in, she appeared down on the ground and ran toward the altar where Bonnie was lying, only to slam into one of the Tree-Men. For a moment, as Damon glanced toward Elena, their gazes met and something electric passed between them. It made Elena tingle all over, that look did. Then she refocused: Caroline was screaming again; Misao was using her whip to get a grip on Elena's leg and was calling on Tree-Men to give her a lift. Elena needed to fly higher. She had no idea how she was controlling her golden gossamer wings, but nothing seemed to snarl them; and they obeyed her slightest whim as though she had always had them. The great trick was to not think ofhow to get somewhere, but just to imagine being there. On the other hand, the Tree-Men were growing. It was like some childhood nightmare of giants, and at first it made Elena feel that it was she who was shrinking. But the hideous creatures were actually overtopping the house now, and their upper, snake-like branches slashed into her legs while Misao lashed out with her whip. Elena's jeans were in shreds now. She swallowed a cry of pain. I have to fly higher. I can do it. I'm going to save you all. Ibelieve. Faster than the swoop of a hummingbird, she was darting up in the clear air again, still holding Misao by her long black-and-red hair. And Misao was screaming, screams that Shinichi echoed even as he fought with Damon. And then, just as she and Damon had planned, just as she and Damon hadhoped , Misao turned into her true form and Elena was holding a large and heavy, writhing vixen by the scruff of its neck. There was a difficult moment while Elena got the balance right. She had to remember that there was more weight in back because Misao had six tails and was heaviest where a real fox would be lightest. By then she had swooped back to her perch in the tree, and she stood there, able to look down on the scene below, the Tree-Men too slow to keep up. The plan had gone perfectly, except that Damon, of all people, had forgotten what he was supposed to be doing. Far from retreating into possession, he had fooled Shinichi and Misao beautifully – and Elena, too. Now, according to their plan he was supposed to be taking care of any innocent bystanders, letting Elena lure Shinichi on. Instead something inside him seemed to have snapped; and he was methodically beating the human-shaped Shinichi's head against the house, shouting: â€Å"Damn†¦you! Where†¦is†¦my†¦brother?† â€Å"I – could kill you – right now – † Shinichi shouted back, but he was short of breath. He wasn't finding Damon an easy opponent. â€Å"Do it!† Damon returned immediately. â€Å"And then she† – pointing to the perching Elena – â€Å"will cut your sister's throat!† Shinichi's contempt was scathing. â€Å"You expect me to believe that a girl with an aura likethat willkill – â€Å" There comes a time when you have to make a stand. And for Elena, blazing with defiance and glory, this was that time. She took a deep breath, begged the Universe's forgiveness, and leaned down, positioning the pruning shears. Then she squeezed as hard as she could. And a red-tipped black vixen's tail fell twisting to the ground, while Misao shrieked in pain and rage. As the tail fell it writhed, and it lay in the middle of the clearing, squirming like a snake that wasn't quite defeated yet. Then it became transparent and faded away. That was when Shinichi really screamed, â€Å"Do you know what you've done, you ignorant bitch? I'll bring this place down on top of you! I'll tear you apart!† â€Å"Oh, yes, of course you will. But first,† Damon spoke each word deliberately, â€Å"you have to get past me.† Elena barely registered their words. It hadn't been easy for her to squeeze those shears. It had meant thinking about Meredith with the shears in her own hands, and Bonnie lying on the altar, and Matt, earlier, writhing on the ground. And Mrs. Flowers, and the three lost little girls, and Isobel and – a great deal – about Stefan. But as for the first time in her life she drew another's blood with her own hands, she had a sudden strange sense of responsibility – of newaccountability . As if an icy wind had blown her hair back sharply and said into her frozen, gasping face:Never without reason. Never without necessity. Never unless there's no other solution available. Elena felt something inside her grow up, all at once. Too fast to say good-bye to childhood, she had become a warrior. â€Å"You all thought I couldn't fight,† she called to the assembled group. â€Å"You were wrong. You thought I was powerless. You were wrong there, too. And I'll use the last drop of my Power in this fight, because you twins are real monsters. No, you're – abominations. And if I die I'll rest with Honoria Fell, and I'll watch over Fell's Church again.† Fell's Church will rot and die writhing with maggots, a voice near her ear said, and it was a deep bass voice, nothing like Misao's shrill screaming. Elena knew even as she turned that it was the white pine tree. A hard scaly bough, laden with those serrated, resin-sticky needles, slammed into her midriff, throwing her off balance – and making her involuntarily open her hands. Misao promptly escaped, and burrowed into the Christmas-tree-like branches. â€Å"Bad†¦trees†¦go†¦to†¦Hell,† Elena cried, throwing her entire body weight into digging the shears she held into the base of the branch that had tried to crush her. It tried to pull away, and she twisted the shears in the wounded dark bark, relieved when a large piece fell off, with only a long string of resin left to show where it had been. Then she looked for Misao. The fox wasn't finding it as easy as she might have thought, navigating a tree. Elena looked at the cluster of tails. Strangely, there was no stump, no blood, no sign that the fox had been injured. Was that why she wasn't turning human? The loss of a tail? Even if she were naked when she changed back to her human self – as some stories of werewolves had it – she'd be in better condition to climb down. Because Misao seemed finally to have chosen the slow but sure method of descent – to have branch after branch take hold of her fox body and pass it down to the next. Which meant she was only about ten feet below Elena. And all Elena had to do was to coast over the needles down to her and then – by wings or other means – stop. If she believed in her wings. If the tree didn't throw her off. â€Å"You're too slow,† Elena shouted. Then she began the coast to overcome the distance – not far in human body-lengths – to her goal. Until she saw Bonnie. Bonnie's slight body was still lying on the altar, pale and cold-looking. But nowfour of the hideous Tree-Men had hold of her, one at each hand and one at each foot. They were already pulling so hard that she was lifted up into the air. And Bonnie was awake. But not screaming. Not making a noise to attract attention to herself; and Elena realized with a rush of love and horror and desperation thatthat was why she hadn't been making a fuss before. She wanted the major players here to fight their fight without the bother of rescuing her. The Tree-Men leaned back. Bonnie's face contorted in agony. Elenahad to get to Misao. Sheneeded the double fox key to free Stefan, and the only people who could tell her where it was were Misao and Shinichi. She looked up at the darkness above and noticed that it seemed a little less dark than when she had last seen it, the sky a dark swirling gray instead of dead black – but there was no help there. She looked down. Misao, making a little better time with her escape. If Elena let her get away†¦Stefan was her love. But Bonnie – Bonnie was her friend – ever since childhood†¦. And then she saw Plan B. Damon was fighting Shinichi – or trying. But Shinichi was always an easy centimeter away from where Damon's fist was. Shinichi's fists, on the other hand, always connected solidly with their targets, and right now Damon's face was a bloody mask. â€Å"Use wood!†Misao was coaching in a shriek, her childlike manner having suddenly vanished. â€Å"You men, youidiots, all you think of is yourfists !† Shinichi broke a pillar support from the widow's walk one-handed, showing his true strength. Damon smiled beatifically. He was, Elena knew, going to enjoy this, even though it meant all the many little wounds those wooden splinters would entail. It was in the middle of this that Elena shouted, â€Å"Damon, look down!† Her voice seemed weak over the cacophony of shrieks and sobs and screams of fury all around. â€Å"Damon! Look down – atBonnie !† Nothing so far had been able to break Damon's concentration – he seemed determined to find out where Stefan was being kept – or to kill Shinichi trying. Now, to Elena's slight surprise, Damon's head jerked around immediately. He looked down. â€Å"A cage,† shouted Shinichi. â€Å"Build me a cage.† And tree branches leaned in from all sides to pin him and Damon into their own little world, a lattice to keep them contained. The Tree-Men leaned back farther. And despite herself, Bonnie screamed. â€Å"You see?† laughed Shinichi. â€Å"Each of your friends will die in that agony or worse. One by one, we will take you!† That was when Damon really seemed to go crazy. He began moving like quicksilver, like a leaping flame, like some animal with reflexes far faster than Shinichi's. Now there was a sword in his hand, undoubtedly conjured up by the magical housekey, and the sword slashed through the branches even as the branches reached out to trap him. And then he was airborne, leaping over the railing for the second time that night. This time Damon's balance was perfect, and far from breaking bones, he made a graceful, catlike landing just beside Bonnie. And then his sword was flashing in an arc, sweeping all around Bonnie, and the tough, fingerlike tips of the branches that held her were cut cleanly away. A moment later, Bonnie was being lifted, being held by Damon as he leaped easily off the rough-hewn altar and was lost in the shadows near the house. Elena let out the breath she'd been holding and turned back to her own affairs. But her heart was beating more strongly and faster, with joy and with pride and with gratitude, as she slid down the painful, cutting-edged needles, and almost flashed past Misao, who was being whisked out of her way – not quite in time. She got a good grip on the nape of the fox's neck. Misao keened a strange animal lament and sank her teeth into Elena's hand so hard that it felt as if they were going to meet. Elena bit her lip until she felt blood come, trying not to scream. Be crushed, and die, and turn to loam,the tree said in Elena's ear.Your kind can feed my kin for once. The voice was ancient, malevolent and very, very frightening. Elena's legs reacted without pausing to consult her mind. They pushed off hard and then the golden butterfly wings unfurled again, not beating but undulating, holding Elena steady above the altar. She pulled the snarling vixen's muzzle up – not too close – to her own face. â€Å"Where are the two pieces of the fox key?† she demanded. â€Å"Tell me or I'll take off another tail. Iswear I will. Don't fool yourself – it's not just your pride that you're losing, is it? Your tails are your Power. What would it feel like to have none at all?† â€Å"Like being a human – exceptyou , you freak.† Now Misao was laughing again in her panting-dog way, her fox ears flat to her head. â€Å"Just answer the question!† â€Å"As if you would understand the answers I could give. If I told you that one was inside the silver nightingale's instrument, would that give you any kind of idea?† â€Å"It might if you explained it a little more clearly!† â€Å"If I told you that one was buried in Blodwedd's ballroom, would you be able to find it?† Again the panting grin as the fox gave clues that led nowhere – or everywhere. â€Å"Are those your answers?† â€Å"No!†Misao shrieked suddenly and kicked with her feet, as if they were dog's legs scrabbling in the dirt. Except that the dirt was Elena's midriff, and the scrabbling legs felt as if they might well puncture her entrails. She felt her camisole tear. â€Å"I told you; I'm not playing around here!† Elena cried. She lifted the vixen with her left arm, even though it ached with tiredness. With her right hand, she positioned the shears. â€Å"Where is the first part of the key?† Elena demanded. â€Å"Search for yourself! You only have the whole world to look through, and every thicket besides.† The fox went for her throat again, white teeth actually scoring Elena's flesh. Elena forced that arm to hold Misao higher. â€Å"I warned you, so don't say that I didn't or that you have any reason to complain!† She squeezed the shears. Misao gave a squeal that was almost lost in the general commotion. Elena, feeling more and more tired, said, â€Å"You're a complete liar, aren't you? Look down if you want. I didn't cut anywhere close to you. You just heard the shears click and screamed.† Misao very nearly got a claw into Elena's eye. Oh, well. Now, for Elena, there were no more moral or ethical issues. She wasn't causing pain, she was simply draining Power. The shears wentsnap, snap, snap , and Misao screamed and cursed her, but below them the Tree-Men were shrinking. â€Å"Where is the first part of the key?† â€Å"Let me go and I'll tell.† Suddenly Misao's voice was less shrill. â€Å"On your honor – if you can say that without laughing?† â€Å"On my honor and my word as a kitsune. Please! You can't leave a fox without a real tail! That's why the ones you cut didn't hurt. They're badges of honor. But my real tail is in the middle, it's tipped with white, and if you cut me there; you'll see blood and it will leave a stump.† Misao seemed thoroughly cowed, thoroughly ready to cooperate. Elena knew about judging people and intuition, and both her mind and her heart were telling her not to trust this creature. But she wanted so much to believe, to hope†¦. Making a slow curving descent so that the vixen was close to the ground – she would not give in to the temptation to drop her from sixty feet up – Elena said, â€Å"Well? On you honor, what are the answers?† Six Tree-Men came to life around her and plunged at her, with greedy, grasping finger branches. But Elena wasn't taken completely off guard. She hadn't let go of her grip on Misao; only slackened it. Now she tightened the grip again. A wave of strength buoyed her so that she lifted fast and swept by the widow's walk and a furious Shinichi and weeping Caroline. Then Elena met Damon's eyes. They were filled with hot, fierce pride in her. She was filled with hot, fierce passion. â€Å"I am not an angel,† she announced to any of the group who hadn't quite managed to grasp this yet. â€Å"I am not an angel and I am not a spirit. I'm Elena Gilbert and I've been to the Other Side. And right now I'm ready to do whatever needs to be done, which seems to include kicking some ass!† There was a clamor below that at first she couldn't identify. Then she realized it was the others – it was her friends. Mrs. Flowers and Dr. Alpert, Matt and even wild Isobel. They were cheering – and they were visible because suddenly the backyard was in daylight. Am I doing that? Elena wondered, and realized that somehow she was. She was lighting up the clearing in which Mrs. Flowers' house stood, while leaving the woods around dark. Maybe I can extend it, she thought. Make the Old Wood into something younger and less evil. If she had been more experienced, she would never have attempted it. But right here and right now she felt that she could take anything on. She looked at the four directions of the Old Wood around her quickly, and she cried, â€Å"Wings of Purification!† and watched the huge, frosty, iridescent butterfly wings spread high and wide, and then wider, and then spread some more. She was aware of a silence, of being so enrapt in something she was doing that even Misao's struggles didn't matter. It was a silence that reminded her of something: of all the most beautiful strains of music coming together into one, single, powerful chord. And then the Power blasted out from her – not destructive Power like that Damon had sent many times, but a Power of renewal, of springtime, of love, youth, and purification. And she watched as the light spread farther and farther, and the trees grew smaller and more familiar, with more clearings in between thickets. Thorns and hanging creepers disappeared. On the ground, spreading out like a circle expanding, flowers of all colors bloomed, sweet violets in clumps here and banks of Queen Anne's lace there, and wild roses climbing everywhere. It was so beautiful that it made her chest ache. Misao hissed. Elena's trance was finally broken, and she looked around to see that the shambling, hideous Tree-Men had disappeared in the full sunlight and in their place was a wide patch of sorrel dotted with fossilized trees in odd shapes. Some looked almost human. For a moment Elena regarded the scene, puzzled, and then she realized what else was different. All the real humans were gone. â€Å"I never should have brought you here!† And that, to Elena's surprise, was Misao's voice. She was speaking to her brother. â€Å"You spoiled everything because of that girl.Shinichi no baka!† â€Å"Idiot, yourself!† Shinichi shouted at Misao. â€Å"Onore!You're reacting just the way they want – â€Å" â€Å"What else am I supposed to do?† â€Å"I heard you giving the girl clues,† Shinichi snarled. â€Å"You'd do anything for the sake of your looks, you selfish – â€Å" â€Å"You can say that to me? While you haven't lost even one tail yourself?† â€Å"Just because I'm faster – â€Å" Misao cut him off. â€Å"That's a lie and you know it! Take it back!† â€Å"You're too weak to fight! You should have run long ago! Don't come crying to me about it.† â€Å"Don't youdare speak to me like that!† And Misao leaped from Elena's grasp and attacked Shinichi. He had been wrong. She was a good fighter. In a second they were a destruction zone, rolling over and over as they fought changing forms all the while. Black and scarlet fur flew. Out of the ball of turning bodies came scraps of speech – † – still won't find the keys – â€Å" † – not both of them, anyway – â€Å" † – even if they did – â€Å" † – what would it matter?† † – still have to find the boy – â€Å" † – I say it's only sporting to let them try – â€Å" Misao's horrible shrill giggle. â€Å"And see what they find – â€Å" † – in theShi no Shi !† Abruptly the fight ended and they both became human. They were battered, but Elena felt that there was nothing more that she could do if they chose to fight again. Instead Shinichi said, â€Å"I'm breaking the globe.Here ,† he turned to Damon and shut his eyes, â€Å"is where your precious brother is. I'm putting it into your mind – if you can decode the map. And once you get there, you'll die. Don't say I didn't warn you.† To Elena he bowed and said, â€Å"I regret that you'll be dying, too. But I've memorialized you in an ode. Wild rose and lilac, Bee's balm and daisy, Elena's smile chases The winter away. Bluebell and violet, Foxglove and iris, Watch where she treads And then watch the grass sway. Wherever her feet pass, White flowers part the grass – â€Å" â€Å"I'd rather hear a straight explanation of where the keys are,† Elena said to Shinichi, knowing that after that song she wouldn't get any more from Misao. â€Å"Frankly, I'm sick and tired of all yourbullshit .† She noticed that once again everyone was staring at her and she could feel why. She could feel a difference in her voice, in her stance, in her patterns of speech. But mostly,inside , what she felt was freedom. â€Å"We'll give you this much,† Shinichi said. â€Å"We won't move them. Find them from the clues – or by other means, if you can.† He winked at Elena and turned away – to meet a pale and trembling Nemesis. Caroline. Whatever else she'd been doing for the last few minutes, she had been crying, and rubbing her eyes, and wringing her hands – or so Elena guessed from the distribution of her makeup. â€Å"You, too?† she said to Shinichi.†You, too?† Shinichi smiled his lazy smile. â€Å"And what two am I?† He held up two fingers in the V symbol to differentiate his two from Caroline's. â€Å"You've fallen for her, too? Making up songs – giving her clues to find Stefan – â€Å" â€Å"They're not very good clues,† Shinichi said comfortingly and smiled again. Caroline tried to hit him, but he caught her fist. â€Å"And you think you're leaving now?† Her voice was pitched at a scream – not as high as Misao's glass-splintering shriek, but with its own fearsome vibrato. â€Å"Iknow we're leaving.† He glanced at the sullen Misao. â€Å"After one more item of business. But not with you.† Elena tensed up, but Caroline was trying to attack Shinichi again. â€Å"After what you said to me? After all that yousaid ?† Shinichi looked her up and down, seeming to actually see her for the first time. He also looked genuinely bewildered. â€Å"Saidto you?† he asked. â€Å"Have we spoken before tonight?† There was a high-pitched giggle. Everyone turned. Misao was standing, giggling, her hands over her mouth. â€Å"I used your image,† she said to her brother, her eyes on the floor as if confessing to a minor fault. â€Å"And your voice. In the mirror, when I would give her orders. She was on the rebound from some guy who'd dumped her. I told her I'd fallen in love with her and that I wanted to get revenge on her enemies – if she'd just do a few little things for me.† â€Å"Like spreading malach through little girls,† Damon said grimly. Misao giggled again. â€Å"And a boy or two. I know what it feels like to have those malach inside you. It doesn't hurt at all. They're just – there.† â€Å"Have you ever had one force you to do something you didn't want to?† Elena demanded. She could feel her blue eyes blazing. â€Å"Do you thinkthat would hurt, Misao?† â€Å"It wasn't you?† Caroline was still looking at Shinichi; she obviously couldn't keep up with the script. â€Å"It wasn'tyou ?† He sighed, smiling slightly. â€Å"Not me. Golden hair is my undoing, I'm afraid. Golden†¦or fiery red against black,† he added hastily, glancing at his sister. â€Å"So it was all a lie,† Caroline said, and for a moment, desperation was written on her face larger than anger, with sadness larger than both. â€Å"You're just another Elena fan.† â€Å"Look,† Elena said bluntly, â€Å"I don't want him. I hate him. The only guy I care about is Stefan!† â€Å"Oh, he's the only guy, is he?† Damon asked, with a glance toward Matt, who had carried Bonnie up close to them while the fox-fight was going on. Mrs. Flowers and Dr. Alpert had followed. â€Å"You know what I mean,† Elena told Damon. Damon shrugged. â€Å"Many a golden-haired lassie ends as the rough yeoman's bride.† Then he shook his head. â€Å"Why am I spouting drek like this?† His compact body seemed to tower over Shinichi. â€Å"It's just a residual effect†¦from being possessed†¦you know.† Shinichi fluttered his hands, his eyes still on Elena. â€Å"My thought patterns†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It looked as if another fight was brewing, but then Damon just smiled and said, narrow-eyed, â€Å"So you let Misao have her way with the town while you went after Elena and me.† â€Å"And – â€Å" â€Å"Mutt,† Damon said hastily and automatically. â€Å"I was going to say Stefan,† Elena said. â€Å"No, I would guess that Matt was the victim of one of Misao and Caroline's little schemes before he and I ran into you when you were completely possessed.† â€Å"And now you think you can just walk away,† Caroline said, in a shaking, menacing voice. â€Å"Weare walking away,† Shinichi said stiffly. â€Å"Caroline, wait,† Elena said. â€Å"I can help you – withWings of Purification. You're being controlled by a malach.† â€Å"I don't need your help! I need ahusband !† There was utter silence on the roof. Not even Matt stepped up to the plate on this one. â€Å"Or at least a fianc ¦,† Caroline muttered, one hand on her abdomen. â€Å"My family would acceptthat.† â€Å"We'll work it out,† Elena said softly – then, firmly, â€Å"Caroline, believe it.† â€Å"I wouldn't believe in you if†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Caroline's answer was obscene. Then she spat in Elena's direction. And then she was silent, by her own choice or because the malach inside her wanted it. â€Å"Back to business,† Shinichi said. â€Å"Let's see, our price for the service of the clues and the location is a little block of memory. Let's say†¦from the time I first met Damon until now. Taken from Damon's mind.† He smiled nastily. â€Å"You can't do that!† Elena felt panic shoot through her, starting in her heart and flying out to the farthest reaches of every limb. â€Å"He's different now: he's remembered things – he's changed. If you take that memory away – â€Å" â€Å"So will all the sweet changes go,† Shinichi told her. â€Å"Would you rather I took your memory?† â€Å"Yes!† â€Å"But you were the only one who heard the clues about the key. And in any case I don't want to see things from your eyes. I want to see you†¦throughhis eyes.† By now, Elena was ready to start another fight on her own. But Damon said, distancing himself already, â€Å"Go ahead and take what you like. But if you don't get out of this town right after, I take off yourhead with these shears.† â€Å"Agreed.† â€Å"No, Damon – â€Å" â€Å"Do you want Stefan back?† â€Å"Not at that price!† â€Å"Too bad,† Shinichi put in. â€Å"Thereis no other bargain.† â€Å"Damon! Please – think about it!† â€Å"I have thought. It's my fault that the malach spread so far in the first place. It's my fault for not investigating what was going on with Caroline. I didn't care what happened to humans as long as the new arrivals kept away fromme . But I can fix some of the things I did to you by finding Stefan.† He half turned to her, the old devil-may-care smile on his lips. â€Å"After all, taking care of my brother is my job.† â€Å"Damon – listento me.† But Damon was looking at Shinichi. â€Å"Agreed,† he said. â€Å"You have yourself a deal.†