Church & Dwight: Time to Rethink the Portfolio? A case report prepared for MG 495 Business Policy Essay

Church & Dwight is a major manufacturer of household and personal products, including the popular Arm & Hammer brand along with well-known labels like Aim, Brillo, Nair, Oxi-Clean, and much more. Their trusted A & H trademark appears on a broad range of consumer and specialty products sold around the world. In 2011, the Company achieved a total sales revenue of 35%. Over the past decade, the Company delivered an annual TSR of approximately 19% to its shareholders, significantly better than the 1% TSR of the S & P 500 stock index during the same period, (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-2). However with the entrance of other companies wanting the same market share, Church & Dwight is facing some market competition issues. The biggest challenge, which the company is facing is maintaining constant growth. The company expanded consumer products portfolio over 70 brands into the existing corporate structure while†¨continuing to scout for new avenues for growth. This is no easy task as it competes for market share with such formidable consumer products powerhouses as Colgate-Palmolive, Clorox, and Procter & Gamble, commanding combined sales revenue of over $100 billion. As the world’s largest producer and marketer of sodium bicarbonate-based products, Church & Dwight had, until recently, achieved consistent growth in sales and earnings. The core business of the company being the production of sodium bicarbonate. The company tried to expand its other products lines, which is not an easy task. Despite the challenging business environment, the company envisioned that in 2012 they will deliver 9-10% earnings per share growth through continued relentless focus on the 10 key areas that contributed to their outstanding TSR results over the past 10 years. In order to achieve their goal, they targeted, organic sales growth of 3-4%, 25-50 basis points of gross margin expansion, maintaining strong marketing spending at approximately 13% of net revenue, and continued tight management overhead costs. The company believes that organic sales growth will be driven by the outstanding pipeline of new products and continued strong market support of Power Brands. THE SITUATION John Dwight founded Church & Dwight Inc. Co. and now is one of the most successful companies that produces and manufactures personal care products. When the company was formed, it was not as big as it is now; however, the growth of the company has been slow and steady. The product line of Church & Dwight is diversified and consists of the personal care products. This has helped it to compete with companies like Unilever and P & G. Although the growth of the company has been slow and steady, the company has faced a few problems to succeed and this is the reason that the competition by the company has not been up to par (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-2). The competitors of Church & Dwight are Unilever and P&G. These two are the giants in the industry and in order to compete with them; Church & Dwight will have to gear up and ensure that the reputation and awareness of the company is created. The company can attribute much of its success to the fact that it had concentrated on the production and sales of sodium bicarbonate. Strong family control has shielded management from the problems of defending the company from takeover attempts. The company has successfully taken a commodity chemical, branded it, and marketed it to the point where it dominates the market. It has subsequently capitalized on consumer recognition and loyalty to the ARM & HAMMER brand by introducing multiple consumer products under this logo. As the dominant producer and marketer of sodium bicarbonate products, Church & Dwight has faced limited competition in its primary markets and successfully entered the markets with other consumer products using a low price strategy with limited advertising expenditures. The company has gained a steady growth over the years and have to expand several consumer products. They have several company acquisitions due to its huge revenues over the years. But Church and Dwight just like other companies face several challenges along the way. A challenge against leveraged buy-outs and hostile takeovers is eminent. It is also experiencing head on collision with giant competitors such as Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive. In spite of all of these challenges it transformed into much larger competitor not only across a broader range of products but also in geographic territory. As a result, in order to maintain its continuous growth in both domestic and international arena the company needs to have the best strategy in place.†¨ Author: Cook, Roy A. pp, 35-1-12: II. ANALYSIS A. Analysis of the situation Management – Church & Dwight Company has continued a tradition of slow and steady leadership with a solid focus on long-term goals. The stability of the company’s leadership can be attributed to the fact that 25 percent of outstanding common stock is owned by descendants of the company’s original cofounders, a tradition that continues even today. In addition, the management of the company over the past 160 years has been handed down from generation-to-generation until recently when Dwight C. Minton passed on the position of Chief Executive Officer in 1995 to an outsider, Mr. Robert A. Davies, III (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-2). Being focused on their leadership style has enabled Church & Dwight to overcome potential leveraged buy-outs and hostile takeovers with a series of calculated actions and savvy business decisions. These actions allowed the board of directors and management to amend the company’s charter and allowed shareholders four votes per share. The board of directors was also re-structured into classes, in which each class serves staggered three-year terms (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-3). In addition to staggering the tenure of the directors, the company initiated employee severance agreements with key officials, providing a severance package agreement to provide some type of security in the event a board member position is terminated by a hostile takeover or leveraged buy-out by an unwanted owner. By providing these lucrative packages for senior management, many were able to stay with Church & Dwight. In applying the The Boston Consulting Group Growth Share Matrix, the company can be classified as a â€Å"Cash Cow† (wordpress.com) because according to the financial statements of Church & Dwight’s from 2007 to 2009, net sales and profits continued to grow relative to the many acquisitions made by of the company. In October 2004, Church & Dwight purchased four brands from Unilever, it completed the acquisition of Carter-Wallace’s consumer brands. While SPINBRUSH was purchased from Procter & Gamble in 2005. Furthermore, when compared to its major competitors, the company realized higher sales growth rates from 2003 to 2005. 2. Operations – Church & Dwight’s growth strategy relied on finding new uses for sodium bicarbonate. Prior to the acquisition spree, the company’s profits were derived from this product. The company soon began using an overall family branding strategy to penetrate the consumer markets place in the United States and Canada. Also, 85% of the baking soda market was controlled by the Arm and Hammer brand, â€Å"By capitalizing on its easily recognizable brand name, logo, and established marketing channels, Church & Dwight moved into such related products as laundry detergent, carpet cleaners and deodorizers, air deodorizers, toothpaste, and deodorant/antiperspirants.† (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-6). Rivalry among existing firms (competitors), is inevitable as competitors try to achieve greater market shares to grow potential profit shares. To reduce industry competition, Church & Dwight â€Å"also have a very solid core of specialty products† (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p 35-9). The Growth of an analyzer normally occurs through market penetration. Church & Dwight Inc. can be classified as an analyzer organization because according to Miles and Snow’s Cellular Organization model the company operates in two types of product-market domains, one relatively stable, the other changing, (referenceforbusiness.com).This strategy worked very well in allowing the company to promote a variety of products using only one brand name. 3. Marketing – With established US and western European markets reaching saturation, manufacturers are actively pursuing growth overseas. Church & Dwight Inc. sales are concentrated in United States and Canada where funnel it through mass merchandisers such as Walt-Mart, supermarkets, wholesale clubs and drugstores (Wheelen & Hunger, 2102, pp.35-7). Even-though the company’s marketing expenses for 2009 were $353.6 million, an increase of $59.5 million or 20% as compared to 2008, Church & Dwight are bent on reaching a wide range of people. This wide range of customers allows them to develop more and more organic products and services with large scale agreements to satisfy those demographics. As the company expands globally, markets for one region could also be satisfied by other regions as production opportunities allowed greater cost-effectiveness. Having new stable consumer products and expanded detergent offerings they found themselves in direct competition with the big players in the market. Church & Dwight wants to move into the international market but have been met with limited success. Two possible reasons for this are 1) lack of name recognition, and 2) recognition problem. The GE Business Screen – used to perform business portfolio analysis on the strategic business units can be of great use in order to boost the company’s market share, (marketingmixhub.com). Therefore, as the company expands and acquires more product lines bearing the Arm & Hammer brand, the potential for substandard quality or customer dissatisfaction could cause negative impact on sales. Therefore, product marketing is essential to reinforce brand name recognition so consumers never forget the value and quality of a company’s name and its product lines. Finance – The financial health of Church & Dwight can be characterized as being a mixed picture. Investors earnings in the report increased to 23%† and dividends on investments increased by 35%. It is highlighted by the strong upward trend in net profit margins and return on equity. However,when attention is turned to other key ratios, the picture becomes cloudy. Both the current and quick ratios have drifted downward. In addition, the inventory turnover ratio, after showing some improvement, has also drifted downward. Overall, a brief review of the financial ratios listed indicates that there continues to be room for improvement. However, the â€Å"five domestic and international consumer product brands acquired during the 2008 Del Laboratories transaction† (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-5) . According to the BCG Growth-Share Matrix, the characteristics of Stars are high-share, high-growth, but limited cash flow due to investment required to maintain growth, however, successful Stars go on to become Cash Cows – business/product that have a high share but slow growth. They tend to generate a very positive cash flow, most of which can be used to develop other businesses/products, (strategicmanagementinsight.com), which will be beneficial for a company like Church & Dwight. Being the world’s largest producer and marketer of sodium bicarbonate-based products, Church & Dwight Co. Inc was able to maintain a steady growth in both sales and earnings. For the past 30 years, the average company sales have increased by 10-15% annually (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, pp.35-3 – 5). It is safe to conclude that since the CEO remains focused on â€Å"building a portfolio of strong brands with sustainable competitive advantages† and the â€Å"long-term objective is to maintain the company’s track record of delivering outstanding TSR (Total Shareholder Return) relative to that of the S&P 500† (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-2), the financial status of Church & Dwight continues to grow as it has historically achieved modest gains from year to year, with hopes of even greater revenue and sales. 5. Administration, especially Human Resources – The Company’s leadership at the top has remained a significant hallmark of the company. The Boards of directors are structured into three classes with four directors in each class serving staggered period of three year term (Wheelen & Hunger, pp.35-2). This strategy has given the board the needed control to maximize the its output to benefit the shareholders. Because of its continuous exposure to would-be suitors the company has entered into an employee severance agreement with key officials. It provides pay up to two times the individual’s highest salary and bonus plus benefits for two years. As the company widens its coverage into the consumer products in early 2000s, the changes in its key personnel was noticeable by injected a pool of executives with wide range of experience in marketing and international background from known organizations such as Spalding Sports World wide, Johnson & Johnson, FMC and Carter-Wallace (Wheelen Hunger, pp.35-3). The composition of its board of directors did not escape the changes that the company has implemented on its management. On the 10-member board, four have served for 10 years or more and six members served for five years or less. Two women served on the board with age ranging from 50 to 74 and the other six members are younger than 60 (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, pp.35-3). 6. SWOT a. Strengths – Church & Dwight Company has many strengths with brand recognition being the top of the list. It is also the only producer of ammonium bicarbonate and potassium carbonate in the US. Another strength is that it has an in-house marketing strategy which very effective in marketing majority of its consumer products. Almost 25 percent of the outstanding shares of common stock are owned by descendants of the company’s cofounders. The company controls approximately 75 percent of the sodium bicarbonate production in the US. They control 85% of the baking soda market. Extensive consumer brand name recognition and loyalty (in 95 percent of U.S. households) which allows the company to promote multiple products using a single brand name. C & D has an awesome anti-takeover defenses including board of directors with staggered terms of office and voting rights that are weighted in favor of long-term shareholders. The Controlling of the production of raw materials, the manufacturing and processing facilities, and the primary marketing functions allows the company to price its products below those of competitors – thus creating a barrier to entry. And last but not the least they have the ability to build value by effectively implementing cost savings strategies when acquiring other company’s consumer brands. b. Weaknesses – Church & Dwight’s major weakness is overextended in their branding of the Arm and Hammer products. Even-though the company enjoyed success domestically, â€Å"in the international arena where growth was more product driven and less marking sensitive, the company was less experienced,† (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, p. 35-7), showing a slight lack of financial strength in their balance sheet, hindered expansions internationally. The primary focus on the Arm & Hammer brand name has left the company with a void in product promotion experience that may be needed in a highly competitive consumer products field or international expansion. Also, their inability to determine the strategic fit for Specialty Products Division into overall company operations is hurting the company. Top management turnover was also a problem for the company. C. Opportunities – The potential expansion into international markets is of great importance. If stricter laws are enacted it will favor the company as expanded uses of company’s basic raw materials for pollution control and potable water applications will be closely monitored. In addition, there is the possibilities of using paint as a stripping compound and an industrial cleaner based on the low abrasion qualities and environmental safety of sodium bicarbonate. The diversification of product line to include other related consumer products using both the Arm & Hammer brand as well as other brand names similar to The Dial Corp. acquisitions can also be explored. The company should expand the use of sodium bicarbonate-based products to meet demands for environmental safety. The acquisitions of consumer product brands and/or companies. Expand use of sodium bicarbonate for automotive parts cleaning systems to repl ace current solvent based systems. d. Threats – Some threats includes competitors with greater marketing and financial strength entering the company’s traditional markets. Operating in many mature markets with limited growth potential. New or increased domestic production of the company’s basic raw materials by other potential producers. The issue of potential consumer confusion through overuse of the family branding line extension strategy which could eventually weaken the Arm & Hammer brand name. Also, retaliatory competitor reactions as the company enters into new consumer product markets that have been dominated by major players such as Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, Unilever, etc. And the substitutes for current product constitutes threats for Church & Dwight company. e. Products or Services – Church & Dwight consists of several acquisitions that cater to almost 95% of all US Households. It has types of products the household and personal care products. The company has several Brand names, Arm & Hammer, Trojan, Oxiclean, SPINBRUSH, First Response, Nair, ORAJEL, XTRA, to name a few. These products range from dentifrice, chemical agent to absorb or neutralize odors and acidity, a kidney dialysis element, a blast media, an environmentally friendly cleaning agent, a swimming pool pH stabilizer, and pollution control agent (Wheelen & Hunger, 2012, pp.35-7/9). B. Problem Definition The problems presented in this case study is evident that Church & Dwight really needs to make changes especially in the area of its expanded consumer products. The acquisition of several companies may have brought huge revenues but having several line of product might have a huge negative impact. Potential marketing problem may arise when company own products will be placed along with its well-known brand name and confuse consumers. This situation can also lead to a loss of marketing pull. The company’s overall corporate objectives were: (1) to maintain a steady growth by staying focus on long term goals; (2) to provide best result to shareholders; (3) to continue seeking new uses of its core products (4) to maintain and keep cost under control; (5) to enter the international market and continually seeking for opportunity for growth. If the goals cannot be met then Church and Dwight Co. Inc. may be always vulnerable buyouts and takeovers. It can also lead to loss of market share both from domestic and international market.†¨2. If the problems are corrected and done properly then the leadership in the market will be maintained and possible loss of revenue will be prevented. The objective of entering the international market may offer a better opportunity for continuous growth.†¨3. There are several reasons that this problem is eminent. First is that every market has its saturation point where products matures after reaching its peak. The company must al ways be ready on adapting to this continuous cycle of change. The search for new uses of its products must never stops. It should always explore better ways of improving the life of the consumers while maintaining and protecting the environment. Second, new product and competitor will always emerge and will not be taken down easily without a good fight. The company should always maintain their effective marketing strategy to be able to survive the continued battle for market share. Third is that limitless opportunity for growth in international market will not come easy as battle there would be unpredictable. The focus for long-term goals should always be on the mind of its key executives for this will be the foundation of their success. III. SYNTHESIS A. ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS The alternative solutions are that the company should tow the family branding line extension strategy in order to introduce new products (especially sodium bicarbonate-based products) such as skin care, soaps, mouthwashes, lotions, and antacids in order to gain increased market exposure and economies of scale. Recent launches of products such as chewing gum with baking soda are testing this strategy. Expand the limited advertising program for current niche market products to retain and gain market share. Promote products carrying the Arm & Hammer logo as being environmentally safe. Resources should be directed to testing and developing new brands to lessen dependence on the Arm & Hammer brand due to the possibility of loss of its present customer appeal. Since the company’s consumer products are competing in mature markets with limited growth potential, the opportunities available although the environmental safety of its chemical products should be tapped. For example, pollution control, water purification, circuit board cleaning, and industrial paint stripping. Generate new chemical product applications requiring minimal promotional support while offering opportunities for rapid sales growth. Explore the opportunity of forming joint ventures with foreign companies to gain access to the necessary experience and capital to succeed in international markets. Select targeted international locations to successfully penetrate and use as a laboratory for refining international growth opportunities. Continue to lower costs of production and distribution to counter competitive threats from new entries in the low-cost end of product offerings such as detergents. Acquire company consumer products/brands in order to gain access to international markets and the marketing expertise. B. RECOMMENDATIONS AND SOLUTIONS The best solution for C & D company is to retain the best products within its umbrella while considering the best projection of revenue that it can generate. Time factor for the company should also be considered for them to know when to retain or let go of a non-core asset. Timely decision making of its top management will be a factor in maintaining its annual revenue at steady growth. The key decision makers would play a vital role in this area. The continuous seeking of new uses sodium bicarbonate will still be very effective for the company in years to come that is why the focus on this should never be lost. The present global market is offering a much bigger area to be explored especially in Asian countries. Therefore, further recommendations for Church & Dwight for would be to implement the first alternative, delving into new product lines both in domestic markets and even greater exploration of international markets.The injection of key decision makers with extensive marketing experience abroad would be important in penetrating the global market. This option would be advantageous because of the limited financial investment required to grow already established footholds in foreign countries to manufacture and transport new product lines. Church & Dwight will be continuously challenged due to new entrants. To minimize this they should always be ahead all the time. Environmental issues will also be a major factor for them. Therefore complying with existing environmental rules and regulations while promoting its products is a very good strategy. †¨In conclusion the ultimate goal of achieving huge revenue while maintaining cost of operation as low as possible has always foremost with Church and Dwight Co. Inc. This company, backed with 160 years of marketing and production experience will have a much clear brighter path of success as long as they continue to focus on their long term goals. Understanding various cultures and overcoming societal barriers will help satisfy any shortcomings in this solution, it is further recommended that Church & Dwight initiate an aggressive marketing strategy incorporating foreign experts in business and marketing development to identify focus groups to better understand cultural differences and expectations in product innovations. And finally, this recommendation provides a potential solution to increase sales while growing market share and staying ahead of the competition. Reference: GE-McKinsey Matrix. (2013). Retrieved from http://marketingmixhub.com/ge-mckinsey-http://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/tools/bcg-matrix-growth-share.htm Lindblad, M. (2013). What Is the Importance of the Strategic Audit? Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-strategic-audit-13057.html†http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-strategic-audit-13057.html Management Innovations. (2010). Strategic Formulation: BCG Growth-Share Matrix Model. Retrieved from â€Å"http://managementinnovations.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/strategy-formulation-bcg-â€Å"http://managementinnovations.wordpress.com/ 2010/06/10/strategy-formulation-bcg- â€Å"http://managementinnovations.wordpress.com/2010/06/10/strategy-formulation-bcg-growth-share-matrix-model/†growth-share-matrix-model/ Miles, R. E., & Snow, C. C. (1978). Organizational Strategy, Structure, and Process. New

Criminal Profiling: Charles Ng Essay

When you first hear the news about an offender committing numerous crimes, you assume he or she might have been abused at some point in their life or that they have had a long criminal record. Most repeat offenders come from a string of a bad life, parental abuse such as abandonment, neglect, and/ or physical abuse to name a few. At an early age they show signs of being cold hearted, fearless and possibly thrill-seeking behavior. This wasn’t the case for Charles Ng. Born in Hong Kong (Levin), son of a wealthy businessman, he was not exposed to poverty, thugs, to the contrary; he had it all. Access to everything he could have ever wanted, lots of money, choice to attend any school he could have ever wanted without having to worry about how it would be funded. Whatever he wanted he received. Instead he opted for a life crime. He started with just being a rebel, he would be transferred or expelled from different schools throughout his childhood due to his outstanding behavior (sarcasm), and they couldn’t kick him out fast enough. His father couldn’t handle him anymore, he sent him to England to live with his uncle. It didn’t take long for Charles to continue his bad behavior. He upgraded to stealing from his classmates to retail stores. He just couldn’t get enough of other people’s stuff. And once again he was kicked out of school. While back in Hong Kong, he applied a for a student visa to study in the United States, and enrolled at a college in Belmont, CA, but studies were the last thing on his mind. After just one semester he dropped out of college. Even though he wasn’t an American citizen he managed to con the  system and hands over a fake Indiana birth certificate and in 1980 he enlisted in the Marine Corps and was stationed in Hawaii. This act of defrauding was another devious act to add to his list. He didn’t last long in the military. Within a year he and other accomplices stole military weapons, to which they were caught and arrested. Just days after being arrested he escapes and runs to California. In California he meets a man by the name of Leonard Lake. Lake was also in the Marine Corp where he trained as a radar operator. He lasted seven years with the Marines and was later honorably discharged with good conduct despite of his â€Å"psychological problems† being exposed during his time served. Lake had a history of mental issues within the military but they were not properly documented at the time. Unlike Ng, Lake did not have a great upbringing. He didn’t have wealthy parents. He was living with different relatives all up until the age of six. His parents were too busy fighting with each other, they neglected Leonard. Lake felt abandoned and rejected by those he thought would protect him and take care of him. The nurture part of growing was taken from him. Ng befriends him given they have military service in common and ultimately moves in with him and Leonard’s wife. At some point Charles and Lake are arrested by the FBI for weapon charges. He is released sometime in June 1984 and moves back with Lake but this time he joins Lake at a cabin. This cabin would end up being their sanctuary, their hostage cell. It didn’t take long before Charles need for chaos would start. In July of that same year, just a month after his release Charles breaks into an apartment, robs the place and shoots 2 males living in the apartment. One of the tenants, Donald Guiletti died during the robbery but his roommate, Richard Carraza survived. But at this point Charles was not aware of Mr. Carraza’s survival until months later (A Fate Better than Death, 1991). Charles teamed up with Lake and continued their criminal conquest. After the robbery, he went on to rape and bring to life his partners sadistic sexual fantasies. Their first group of victims came when Ng responded to an ad in the paper posted by Mr. Harvey Dubs about camera and audio equipment. They  would seem as they were really interested in purchasing the merchandise advertised in the ad, they used this method of approach in order to gain access of their victims and pull off their plan. When Ng arrived at the Dubs residence, Mrs. Deborah Dubs had welcome the men into her home without knowing her life and those she loved most were about to end. Lake and Ng abducted the Dubs to include raping Mrs. Dubs. At some point Deborah begs to see her son who Ng had already killed but instead he played games and would tell her the baby is sleeping, making her believe she may have a chance to survive solely for the sake of the child. But in the end it was all lies. Just like his future fema le victims he tied, tortured and raped then before taking their life. Another one of his victims was a young lady by the name of Kathleen Allen. Ng knew Kathleen through her boyfriend Mike, who had been a cellmate of Ng’s during his time in Leavenworth, for stealing military weapons. Lake phoned Kathleen and informs her that Mike had been and shot and she needed to get to his aside as soon as possible. He offers to pick her so she won’t have to drive herself given how shaken up she became with the news. Lake takes her to the cabin where he, his wife and Ng were residing. While in the cabin they take her to an outside shack with the assumption that her boyfriend was there. Lake grabs her and ties her to a bed post they had customized by drilling holes and inserting ropes/ties in order to secure their victims. Charles positions himself on the bed with Kathy and begins to rip her shirt off with a butterfly knife. He threatens her by telling her if she didn’t act like a sex slave and do as he wishes he would take her outside and kill her. She complied with his wishes as well as others. All the while Leonard would be videotaping Kathleen’s nightmare and directing Ng. They saw this as making of a movie. Kathleen wasn’t Ng’s only female victim. He had a total of three female victims. All female victims were raped, tortured and regardless of how they responded to the attacks, whether resisted or complied they were ultimately killed. They built a bunker style hiding place where they brought their victims and bury them. This hiding had everything they need to put their plans in motion. Weapons, lingerie for the women to do a little role play with as  their sexy slave vixens, knives, digging equipment, etc. They built an incinerator, a room with a two way mirror; this was a complete hostage military style cell. Ng, would commit the sexual acts as well the murders along with Lake all the while Lake had the sick pleasure to watch and record. They would also take pictures and post them throughout their hidden bunker as a shrine to what they have done. They would look at these pics and feel good about what they had done. Aside from the pictures, Ng saved articles of their clothing and every once in a while would sniff them. By doing this it would bring him back to that moment he forced himself onto them. What could possible gone wrong for this discovery to occur? Ng and Lake become too comfortable. As previously mentioned, Charles had a tendency to shoplift/ theft. He was at a local store where an employee spotted Charles walking out of the store with what appeared to be a bench vise. When the police arrived they did a search and found a weapon registered in someone else’s name. The officer questions Lake who does the vehicle and the weapon belong to, Lake unfortunately was not expecting the officer to follow up with information given and was arrested on the spot and Charles flees. While Lake is at the police station giving a statement, Charles manages to gather a large amount of money and flees to Chicago where he stayed a few days and then makes his way to Canada. While at the Police Station Lake swallows 2 cyanide capsules and collapses in the middle of the interrogation room. He is taken to hospital and dies. At this point the police officers are questioning what would mak e a man want to kill himself all for a shoplifting charge. This is where Charles world came crumbling down. Lake’s wife leads the officers to the cabin where Lake, Charles and she were living. A search warrant was issued and the bunker along with all the other hiding places and equipment used to bring about their crime spree was revealed. At first the investigators couldn’t link the crimes between Donald G, the victim from the apartment robbery, with the rape and murder of Kathleen A. and Brenda O’C., until a picture of Lake and Ng were posted on the local news channels and Donald’s roommate, Richard came forward and identified Ng as their attacker. When neighbors were interviewed they were unaware of the different names Lake had used throughout the time he lived in the cabin. One of the  neighbors had recognized him as a Charles Gunnar, not Leonard Lake, and this had itched the investigators as to who else may have been missing. As the investigation in the U.S. moves forward, Charles is arrested by the Calgary police in Canada on charges of robbery, possession of a fire arm and attempted murder as he drew a gun at the officers while they were trying to detain him for shoplifting. Soon after news of his arrest reach the United States and California becomes aware of his whereabouts and applies for an extradition to which they were denied. During his time in a Canada jail Charles did a lot of reading, familiarizing himself with the law both in Canada and the U.S. For about six years he manipulated the both Canada and U.S. penal systems, causing delays for his extradition and finally his trial (Biography). At the end of his trial he requested to be put on the stand. He thought he was smarter than the prosecutors. During his line of questioning he indicates they didn’t have a specific type of victims. It was more or so, whoever they encountered and felt they could serve their purpose in their sexual fantas ies. Charles was found guilty and sentenced to death. An execution date is yet to be set, he is alive and well in San Quentin Prison in California (Nation, 2013). As I watched the documentary and did research on Charles Ng and Leonard Lake, I realized they didn’t have a specific branding of how their crimes were committed. Charles chose the victims based on his comfort zone, near the cabin where he would be able to allure them to the cabin or transport them to it. One thing the woman all had in common was that they were married or had boyfriends. Charles and Leonard shared sexual fantasies and were able to put them in play. One thing is for sure, they didn’t select all their victims, it was more like first come first serve. Whoever is available will be the chosen one. Their signature aspect/ commonality was having the females as sex slaves. They thrived at the thought of sexual acts and watching each other with the victims. Charles and Leonard came from different backgrounds. Charles being the privileged one, having his parents taking care of him, while Leonard was the poor kid who his parents couldn’t love, managed to live the same life of crime and come together as a team destroying a total of 12 lives not including family and friends.

Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice

Running head: APPLYING ETHICAL FRAMEWORKS IN PRACTICE Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice Grand Canyon University Ethical Decision Making in Health Care NRS-437v April 14, 2013 Applying Ethical Frameworks in Practice As a nurse it is common knowledge that patient confidentiality is of up most importance. We learn this in nursing school as it is part of the Nursing Code of Ethics and it is a nurse’s duty to keep patient information confidential. (American Nurses Association, 2012).There are however, extenuating circumstances that may require and be appropriate for a nurse to break this rule. As a matter of fact, the nurse could be held responsible if harm came to the patient because she did not speak out. If a patient presents to the ER because he needs stitches in his wrist and tells the nurse that he wants to or was attempting suicide the nurse has a duty to report this and find help for the patient, or possibly the spread of sexually transmitted diseases that are require d by law to report.This paper will provide an overview of ethical implications of a breach of confidentiality, an ethical theory, and alternatives to breaching confidentiality using the framework of ethical decision making and the use and role of an ethics committee. Nurses are entrusted with very private information from patients and along with this the patient expects and the law requires this to be kept confidential The patient gives this information assuming and trusting that the information will be kept private and only used for medical treatment.A breach of confidentiality comes in when the patients’ information has been disclosed to a third party that is not directly involved in the patients care or given without appropriate consent from the patient. (American Medical Association, 2013). Confidentiality should always be maintained except in cases that the law requires reporting or where more harm may come to the patient by respecting this commitment. Some ethical impli cations that may arise as part of breaching patient confidentiality include loosing the trust and respect of our patient and you may cause increased harm to your patient by providing information to a third party that is not required by law. In an article â€Å"Bioethics on NBC’s ER: Betraying Trust or Providing Good Care? When is it OK to Break Confidentiality? † The nurse caused more harm than good by divulging information to the girls’ school. If she would have called the school informing them of knowledge regarding risky and potentially harmful behavior it would have made it ethical. However, the appropriate action was action was taken in the decision to notify the girl’s parents about the cervical cancer.This prevented further harm or death to the child. In this circumstance the ethical theory that would be appropriate is utilitarianism. In utilitarianism, balance is the key. The majority should benefit using this theory. (Purtilo & Doherty, 2011). In this case if the nurse had chosen not to inform the minor child’s parent more harm would have came to the child than good. She may not have received the appropriate care for her condition until it was too late and the cancer had spread.In breaching the confidentiality the nurse created a balance by preventing further harm than necessary to her patient even though she broke the trust that her patient had in the nurse. The nurse however, did not cause a balance that worked towards a greater good when she called the girls school and notified them about the sex parties. She could have let the girl remain anonymous and that would have prevented the majority of the problem. In the nurses attempt to prevent further harm to other children, she actually put her original patient at greater risk by notifying the school and divulging too much information.Using Uustals model of ethical decision making one can find the steps to make ethical and moral decisions to dilemmas that may arise ( Grand Canyon University, 2013). In step one this is where the problem is recognized. The problem in the previously discussed case was that the nurse fought herself on whether or not to disclose the information to the girls parents regarding the cervical cancer diagnosis and on whether or not she should inform the school regarding the sex parties taking place. In the second step the nurse had to identify her own person values as they pertained to the problem at hand.In this case she respected the minors rights but knew not telling would cause further harm and she felt like informing the school could also prevent further spread of STD’s to other students. In the third step the nurse must consider the factors that relate to the problem at hand and consider alternatives to resolve the dilemma. In this situation the factors are breaching confidentiality or protecting the patient from further harm by keeping the information confidential and the patient not being able to receive app ropriate treatment for cancer.Alternatives would have been for the nurse to educate the patient on the importance of getting treatment and possible assisting the patient in informing her parents and the other would have been for the nurse to report to the school that she had knowledge of the sex parties and keeping the names confidential. The fourth step would have been for this nurse to review and categorize the alternatives to come to a conclusion of the alternatives and to decide what is consistent or inconsistent with her own person values.If the patient had been given the option of telling her parents herself this would have been consistent with the nurses values as long as the parents were informed and the patient received appropriate care. Not telling the parents was inconsistent with her values. The fifth step is predicting possible outcomes. If the patients informed her own parents confidentiality would not be breached, therefore; no harm would be caused to the nurse patien t relationship.The sixth step is to find appropriate alternatives from the greatest importance to the least. In this case the patient could have been given the option of informing her own parent and the least desirable option was the nurse telling the parents without the patient’s knowledge. The seventh step is developing an action plan. After giving the minor the option to inform her own parents and she still decided not to tell then the nurse should take actions in her own hands and inform the parents to prevent further harm to the patient.The eighth step is implementation. The plan should have been for the nurse to educate the patient and assist her in telling the patients parents regarding her new diagnosis. The final step is evaluate the action plan. Confidentiality was breached when informing the patients parents but to prevent further harm, however; the school did not need to be given names the nurse should have simply notified the school of her knowledge. There are et hics committees in place to assist with situations such as this.These committees are in place and help support patients rights, and assist clinicians with decision making. They assist with promoting ethical decisions amongst health care providers. These committees review medical records and hold meeting to determine case specific information and communicate between healthcare providers and families at time. The committee will write recommendations based on case information regarding any ethical dilemma that may have arisen during the patients care. (Pearlman, 2010).Many ethical dilemmas will arise during a nurse’s career. Being equipped and knowledgeable in resolving the dilemma is important. It is important to remember that breaching patient confidentiality is against the Nursing Code of Ethics and should be avoided if possible. However, there are times that a nurse is legally liable to make a breach in confidentiality. This type of dilemma should be resolved by causing the least amount of harm to our patients. (Purtilo, 2010) References American Nurses Association (2012). Code of Ethics For Nurses with Interpretive Statements. , retrieved April 2013. , http://nursingworld. org Pearlman, R. A. (2010). Ethics Committees and Ethics Consultation. In (pp. -). University of Washington School of Medicine. , retrieved, April 2013. , http://depts.. washington. edu/bioethics/topics/ethics. html Purtilo, R. & Doherty,R. (2011). . In Ethical Dimensions in the Health Professions (p. ). , retrieved, April 2013. , http://pageburst. elsevier. com/books/978-4377-0896-7/outline/Root

Soil bioremedation - potential role for genetic engineering Literature review

Soil bioremedation - potential role for genetic engineering - Literature review Example For instance, a recent report by Wu and Yu (2011) indicated that the issue of environmental pollution in China has reached an alarming extent. Specifically, the article reported that as of 2011, one-sixth of China’s agricultural land has been contaminated with mercury, cadmium, copper, and other heavy metals (Wu and Yu, 2011). According to the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Engineering, this fraction of land is equivalent to approximately 20 million hectares, with the industrialized regions being more critically affected (Wu and Yu, 2011). Heavy metal-contaminated grounds have been shown to greatly affect the floral, faunal, and microbial communities (Lukkari et al., 2004; Agoramoorthy et al., 2006; Chen et al., 2007). In a study conducted by McGrath et al. (2001), it was found that exposure to toxic metals significantly reduced microbial diversity and other biologically-mediated soil activities. This alteration in the microbial composition, according to Elsgaard et al. (2001 ) may negatively affect recycling of plant nutrients, regulation of plant pest and plant growth, and maintenance of soil structure. Also, pollutants from the soil could accumulate in plants and can then be transferred to higher trophic levels in the food chain, posing health hazards to humans (Notten et al., 2005). Furthermore, the effects of soil pollution are not only confined to the terrestrial compartment of the ecosystem. It can also influence the integrity and dynamics of aquatic and marine systems (Cardellicchio et al., 2006; Vorosmarty et al., 2010). By virtue of geoweathering processes, hydrocarbons, organophosphates, and metal contaminants deposited in the ground could leach down the water table and redistribute in surrounding streams, lakes, and other bodies of water (Chen et al., 2007). Given the tremendous threats soil pollution poses to the environment and to human population, the need to control soil contamination or neutralize its toxic effects and the institution of rehabilitation in areas previously affected by this problem is indeed necessary. Bioremediation, a technology that makes use of living organisms to treat polluted areas, is one of the most commonly used strategies to rehabilitate contaminated soils (Nasu and Iwamoto, 2001; Obbard et al., 2005; Umrania, 2006; Luo et al., 2010). Technically, bioremediation focuses on enhancing the natural biodegradation process at a rate that significantly increases the removal of contaminants (Calvo et al., 2009). One commonly employed bioremediation strategy is to supply the polluted environment with nutrients like nitrogen to hasten the process of degradation (Nasu and Iwamoto, 2001; Calvo et al., 2009). Another popular method is to directly introduce organisms with desired capabilities to the contaminated areas in the hope of speeding up biodegradation (Nasu and Iwamoto, 2001). Hence, by exploiting the biological processes inherent to plants or bacteria, the clean-up of environmental pollutants l ike hydrocarbons, lead, cadmium, and the like could be made possible (Obbard et al., 2011; Luo et al., 2010Â ­). However, the development of enhanced capabilities for degradation or accumulation of organic and heavy metal contaminants

The Picture of Edouard Manet The Monet Family in Their Garden at Essay - 1

The Picture of Edouard Manet The Monet Family in Their Garden at Argenteuil - Essay Example As the Art of the Renaissance period, Impressionism is based on the characteristics and skills of the perception of perspective. It was not important what was on the picture, but the ways it was created and painted were meaningful. The paintings of impressionists provided the audience only with positive emotions, as they revealed the best sides of life, without affecting social problems, such as hunger, disease, and death. Later it led to a split among the Impressionists. The picture of Edouard Manet â€Å"The Monet family in their garden at Argenteuil† is a great representation of the Impressionism. It was created in the 1874. In this period of time Edouard Manet was influenced by the artistic skillfulness of Claude Monet and his approach to the painting outdoors. â€Å"Monet was the first and the foremost contributor to the birth of Impressionism and to the new manner of expressing a vision, where reality was interpreted in ways never before imagined – fresh, airy, harmonious, where colors dazzled in all their solar intensity, where nature was discovered in joyous vibrating life and in changing skies† (Martini, A., 1978, 5). In summer 1874, Manet stayed at the home of his family, which lived not far from the premise of object of his inspiration. The painting represents the family portrait of Monet: his wife Camille Monet, the son Jean and Claude Monet himself working in the garden on the left of the picture. It became the maste rpiece of the Impressionism Epoch. Edouard Manet was impressed by the works and technique of Claude Monet. â€Å"Impressionism reveals a different reality, clarifying Monet’s original intentions and correcting misconceptions in the understanding of his works†.  The subject of the painting possesses the features of simple portrait, but the simplicity is supported by the great mastership of the painter. The style of work comprises the elements of classical and casual art. On the one hand the picture represents a beautiful lady, well-dressed and holding her son on the knees. On the other hand, the nobility of the picture is diluted with the simplicity of nature and the man, simply dressed.  

Information to be used for my website (Etiquette Business Programs) Essay

Information to be used for my website (Etiquette Business Programs) - Essay Example This is accomplished not only by reaching our goals and expressing our knowledge and high capabilities, but also by focusing on the process of these actions. Take a moment to look at the programs that offer golden rules every person needs to be able to successfully interact in today’s world. When one receives a letter how the letter is presented will always affect the receiver, irrespective of the content. While this is one example, one considers that it is only a microcosm of our modern existence. Through high Etiquette characteristics, individuals will gain all the qualities of a letter that will receive appreciation, attention and respect even before it is opened. This is essential to the success of your life and to the prosperity of Qatari culture on the global stage. From how one holds a fork to how to organize an international VIP cocktail, etiquette covers minor and major aspects. It’s never too late to learn sophisticated manner techniques or what we often call the â€Å"golden rules†. Indeed, cutting-edge behavioral therapists have demonstrated that such practices can be learned and conditioned until they become a part of our instinctual behavior. Such guidance is given for children and their parents, professionals and non-professionals, employees and directors, young and old. â€Å"Don’t judge a book by its cover† is a phrase that we all wish to believe, but it is just human nature to have some sort of first impression of a person. It is also possible that this first impression can enact a snowball effect where the individual’s future interactions with the persons are forever affected. In one wrong move or inappropriate comment a person can face long-term impressions or misunderstandings. The problem in many cases is that the individual is not aware that he or she caused a misunderstanding or made a hurtful comment and is not

Ecotourism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Ecotourism - Essay Example Particularly, the word â€Å"ecotourism† came into being in the late 1980s due to the world’s reaction and acknowledgement of global ecological practices and sustainable practices (Honey, 2008). This paper will seek to describe the emergence of ecotourism, current approaches to ecotourism, products of ecotourism, and provide a brief reflection on ways in which the provided approaches can ensure that the potential of ecotourism can deliver sustainable tourism development. Emergence of Ecotourism The term â€Å"ecotourism† defines responsible travel by visitors to natural areas, which conserves the environment in addition to improving the welfare of the local people. In many countries, the development of ecotourism was not an exemplified phenomenon (Hingham, 2007). The late 1980s show that ecotourism was an unknown entity which was beginning to gain grip in the popular lexicon (Fennell & Dowling, 2003). The ever-heating debate over tourism and environment spurred t he growth of ecotourism since environmental policymakers were enthusiastic about establishing an ecologically sustained development of ecotourism (Raina, 2005). The potential market base for ecotourism appeared small at first, but as time went by, it indicated large-scale growth. Nevertheless, this niche concept revolutionized ecotourism on the onset of 1990s when the term â€Å"ecotourism† became a basic building block of the tourism industry and other sectors such as travelling public and private agencies responsible for promoting tourism products. After striking a chord with these sectors, ecotourism turned into a travelling buzzword (Goeldner & Ritchie, 2009). When ecotourism secured a place in the minds of many academicians and industry leaders, governments with the aid of the directly involved institutions and agents brought about numerous policies that aimed at increasing growth and developing this sector. As such, they formed conferences that led to the establishment of both national and regional ecotourism associations (Rauschelbach & Forum International, 2002). This was due to the explosion of interests in the ecotourism. Simultaneously, this period is crucial in the ecotourism business as it saw not only an immense explosion of interests in ecotourism but also a rapid growth in the number of people taking ecotourism business to the next level, and the emergence of specialized tour operators, both retailers and wholesalers, who marketed ecotourism products. As of today, the ecotourism sector is still emerging even after a long series of introducing new flavors into the business (Fennel, 2007). Ecotourism has gained favor as an ideal form of sustainable development mainly because of its ability to advocate sustainability measures through its agents. Additionally, ecotourism is so favorable within the sustainable development framework since its ideal goal is to attain a sustained development through tourism activities (Patterson, 2007). Current Approaches to Ecotourism Development Generally, sustainability is not achievable in cases where capital expansion continues to increase the ranks of the poor people and impedes their ability to access resources required for mere survival. In that respect, it is understandable that people need profound changes in order for them to facilitate strategies of sustainable de

Six Faith Affirmations (Iman) and Importance of Shariah Essay

Six Faith Affirmations (Iman) and Importance of Shariah - Essay Example This paper is focused on interpretations of six faith affirmations and positions Shariah as a modern alternative for legal principles’ development. Six faith affirmations Iman has six basic pillars. In accordance with them every Muslim should believe in Allah, angels, revealed books, commissioned Missioners, resurrection and events of Qiyamah, predestination of all things in the world. It is possible to interpret these principles in the following way: belief in Allah should be considered as the first basic pillar of Iman. It is impossible to develop the Islamic personality avoiding this belief. Further on, it is evident that this principle is the basic need for every individual. God’s worshipping is possible only when this first belief is taken by Muslims for granted. Allah is the sole Creator and orders the actions of his creations only in the ways that may please him. God leads to paradise and people are guided only by the Creator. The Islamic personalities need Godâ €™s forgiveness. Belief in Allah should not be followed by Muslims only because it is a way to paradise. They can enter paradise only if they are allowed by God to enter there. The second pillar, belief in the Angels, can be explained as follows: angels exist among other creations of God. They are real beings and they were created from light. Qur’an describes angels: Jibreel is responsible for delivering revelation; Mika'il brings the rain, Israfil blows the horn on Qiyamah; Malik-ul-Maut takes away human souls after death. There are also the Noble Recorders responsible for recording of people's actions. The Protectors (Al-Mu'aqqibat) prevent people from death. Two angels, opposed to each other are Ridhwan and Malik. The former is responsible for Paradise and the latter for Hell. Munkar and Nakir are the questioners in the grave. There are also other angels, responsible for recording the future of fetus, those who entered the Haraam and some others. There are exact quotes in the divine books of Muslim that belief in the angels is one of the most important things for the Islamic personalities: â€Å"Belief in the angels is an integral part of Iman† (2/285 Al-Baqara), â€Å"Kufr with respect to the angels is Kufr† (4/136 An-Nisaa). Therefore, belief in the angels is the integrative part of belief in Allah. It is very important to believe in angels, because they are â€Å"spiritual mediators† of the words of Allah. It is possible to claim that every component of Iman is very important in the Islamic religion, but the role of angels as promoters of Allah intentions strengthens developments of Qur’an and the Sunnah. Belief in the Books of Allah is outlined in Qur’an, because they should be followed by truly devoted Muslims. These are: As-Suhuf of Ibrahim and Musa, Az-Zaboor given to Daud, At-Taurat revealed to Musa, Al-Injeel revealed to Isa, Al-Qur'an - the final revelation. Moreover, Qur’an has the following ch aracteristics: it is flawless (41/42 Fusilat); this book is the final authority (5/48 Al-Maidah), guidance and a mercy (10/37 Yunus). The importance and guidance of Qur’an is explained by the Prophet: â€Å"The Book of Allah; in it is news of those who came before you; news of what is to come after you; the ruling on that which is between you; it is the decisive criterion, and is not jest† (Six Affirmations of Iman). There are a lot of comparisons of this Holy Book and it is often mentioned that

The Motivational Factors That Affect Workers Dissertation

The Motivational Factors That Affect Workers - Dissertation Example They play a great role in determining whether the organisation succeeds or not. On this basis, an organisation needs to enact motivational strategies that will be effective in ensuring that the restaurants workforce is are motivated. This in turn should reflect on their work performances. That is, there should be efficiency in the manner in which the employees of the organisation handle their duties and work. On this basis, this research seeks to specifically find out which motivational strategies are sufficient for Michelin Rated restaurants (Goalen, 2011). The main reason as to the interest of these motivational factors that can help in improving the efficiency of employees in the Michelin rated restaurants is based on the numerous challenges that workers usually face in the course of carrying out their duties. In a restaurant industry, there are a variety of employees; this includes chefs, waiters, cashiers, and cleaners (Ferguson, 2008). These employees normally serve a variety o f customers and interests, working for long hours within a day, and even working at odd hours of the night. For these employees to achieve efficiency in their work, they have to be motivated enough. Motivation is therefore is important factors that contributes in the quality of a restaurants cuisine, and hence determine whether a restaurant will receive, one star, two stars, or even three stars (Burke and Greene, 2007). The other interest emanates from the quality of guests that Michelin rated restaurants serve.

Operation strategy essay questions Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Operation strategy questions - Essay Example It is applicable both in service and manufacturing sectors. Henry Ford was one of the first founders of this idea no wonder he was named after the Ford automobile industry. Ford discovered the continuous flow in manufacturing. His T model of automobile production ensured that his production standards were so tight such that each stage of the process of production could fit with the next stage perfectly and this resulted into little or no waste. The other manufacturing company that adopted Henry Ford’s hypothesis is the Toyota Company which is one of the giants in the automobile field to date. The company uses just in time model which uses the pull model that ensures that the company is only purchasing, producing and distributing their products only when needed. In the service industry, lean manufacturing focuses on the customer values and focus. Lean manufacturing relates to inventory, customers and production when it comes to processing of data knowledge and any service. Thes e include customer care services as well as finding out what the customer needs and producing it only if the customer wants it. The zero defect model can also be applied in the service industry which requires that the right service is delivered at the right time without any defect. 9. Scheduling for repetitive jobs ensures tradeoffs and efficient utilization of staff and other facilities. Both scheduling for job shops and repetitive scheduling enjoys the advantage of efficiency. However repetitive scheduling is more consistent and may result in high profits compared to job shops which are more

Case Study Fast Fashion Essay Example for Free

Case Study Fast Fashion Essay After two decades of fast fashion popularity, retailers and consumers have come to realize one of its biggest issues, its impact on the environment. Can fast fashion and sustainability work together? Step 2 The affordability of Fast Fashion is one of the main reasons for its high demand. Lack of authenticity or Intellectual Property. Fast Fashion has forced retailers to desire low cost and flexibility in design. Lack of quality in production Rapid production prevents consumers to get an idea of what’s to expect. (Forecasting) Excess of production. Wastes of these products from the retailers and consumer harm the environment. Reveals what is exposed in runways and fashion shows ahead of time. Fast fashion exploits the young consumer by incentivizing impulse behavior. Consumers are getting used to buying more frequent. Due to such rapid turnover, there’s a lack of exclusivity. Step 3 1. Higher quality, lower quantity. Pros Better option for repair: The customer will rather repair a good quality garment than can last than an inexpensive low quality one. Customer satisfaction: Consumers will be happier with a better value product. Long life: Products that are of better quality will definitely last longer so the consumer wont be forced to dispose. For the retailer, there is a great possibility they may attract a variety of new consumers that do appreciate superior quality. As a result of lower quantity, garments will stand out by look fresher and spacious on the sales floor. Cons Retailers may suffer fewer sales. There is a possibility they may lose some of their usual customers. Fewer options, now that there is a lower quantity. Higher quality means it wont be as affordable for the consumer as it used to be. Companies may have to reinvent themselves and state the fact that they are now enhancing the quality of their products. Consumer will be unwilling to compromise on price. 2. Personalization of Clothing Pros Consumer will be satisfied with having a say in the creation of its particular product. This idea will attract and motivate many more consumers. It’s innovative and fun for the consumer. The design will be personalized and the consumer will want to keep. Cons May require more shopping time for the consumer Products may not be as inexpensive now that the retailer will cater to every individuals needs. Consumers of fast fashion may be disappointed that there will now be less variety. Consumers may not adapt to this idea and reject it. 2. No more wasting, get compensated! Recycle and Reuse. The system involves customers bringing all the used items back to the stores and getting compensated with either a discount or a minimal refund. This is to incentive the customer to care more instead of wasting and harming the eco-system. Pros Companies will be take back used garments and send them off to countries in need. Companies will be able to reuse and reproduce them. Customer’s ability to help other in need is facilitated by the companies they have purchased from. Customers get an incentive to bring items back after knowing they also get a discount/store credit/ refund.

Bizumic’s work Essay Example for Free

Bizumic’s work Essay Mladen Bizumic was born in Yugoslavia and is considered as a promising multi-disciplinary mix media artist. Receiving art education from the University of Auckland, he has had a number of successful exhibits in Australia, the most recent of which with the Sue Crockford Gallery in Auckland (â€Å"Mladen Bizumic†, 2009). In his 2007 exhibit in the Physics Room Gallery, Bizumic presents cinematic hybrids from the Jean-Luc Godard’s 1967 film Weekened in conjunction with The Rolling Stones’ song Under My Thumb. The juxtaposition of the two works provided insights on the conceptualization of progressive society and how the changing social standards can impact the relationship of an individual with tohers and the space of their context or existence. In the his show for the Sue Crockfrod Gallery, Bizumic’s work shows greater incorporation of space which can be challenging viewers to experience the artist’s work as an element of the said space. However, this is not to imply that the artist has limited traditional visual or aesthetic appeal, in fact the Bizumic’s work can be an effective transition towards more modern art styles. His work are studies in the relationships of â€Å"subjectivity and representation, physical locations and psychological states, notions of memory and the experience of displacement† (â€Å"Mladen Bizumic†, 2007, para 1). There is a realization of the power of media and technology in Bizumic’s work and how it has become as a medium of expression. Viewing Bizumic’s work, viewers are being engaged and are challenged to make realization about regarding unconscious elements of human production and imagination. More than anything else, what is most appealing as well as promising about Bizumic’s work is that though it is distinctly forward, it does not rely on shock and awe to establish it modernistic identity but really positive represents a good example of what the new crop of artists has to offer. References Mladen Bizumic (2007). Gallery Exhibits 2007. Retrieved January 15, 2010 from http://www. physicsroom. org. nz/gallery/2007/bizumic/ Mladen Bizumic (2009). Artnews. Org. Retrieved January 15, 2010 from http://artnews. org/artist. php? i=4668 Mladen Bizumic (2009). Sue Crockford Gallery. Retrieved January 15, 2010 from http://www. suecrockford. com/artists/biography. asp? aid=29

Working with children in need

Working with children in need This assignment will explain the role of a Local Authority (LA) Social Worker (SW) when working with ‘children in need’ and their families, and those in need of safeguarding and protection, will also explain the main role of children and families’ sw and reasons why they would be involved. Furthermore it will discuss the importance of multidisciplinary working; identify different forms of abuse, their impact and alleviation. In line with evidence based practice, the Children Act 1989 sections 17 and 47 will be analysed as intervention methods It’s important as a sw to utilise an understanding of theories of human growth and development to understand the various stages of development that the children are undergoing, before making any decision of safeguarding. Children in need may have faced extraordinary experiences in their early lives that may affect their physical, intellectual, emotional, social or behavioural development. Safeguarding is defined by (HM Government 2013) as ‘the action we take to promote the welfare of children and protect them from harm’. Child protection is defined by RCPCH, (2006) as ‘the process of protecting individual children identified as either suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm as a result of abuse or neglect’. Section 17 (10) of the Children Act 1989 (CA 1989) defines a child in need as a child who is ‘unlikely to achieve or maintain, or to have the opportunity of achieving or maintaining, a reasonable standard of health or development without the provision for him/her of services by a local authority’ or ‘his/her health or development is likely to be significantly impaired, or further impaired without the provision for him/her of such services’ or ‘he/she is disabled’ (H M Government, 1989, section 17) gives LA ‘duties and powers to provide services for children in need and their families Part’ 111 (Sec17 (1)). When a referral is made, LA is forced to consider initial enquiries within 10 days. This is to find out what is happening to a child and decide which action should be taken to protect the child as set in the CA1989 S47 of Protection of Children (Brammer 2013). This guide draws’ on all professionals to work together to promote children’s welfare and ensures families are provided with much needed resources. In some historic children cases these processes weren’t upheld and lead to the death of children like Baby P and Victoria Climbie. Lord Laming ((Laming and Office, 2003)) stated that communication has played a major role in successes and failures of the system. He also made recommendations that will ignite working together in terms multi-disciplinary teams working together information sharing’ Connolly and Ward, (2008) suggested ‘It is good practice to consider children’s rights to protection as of paramount duty and at the same time work in partnership with their parents unless doing so would harm them’. The Framework for Assessment of Children (Figure 1) in Need and their Families (DoH, 2000) emphasises the use of an ecological approach to identify the child within the environment and offers a holistic approach (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). It enables professionals to identify systems affecting a child, the most and the social forces impacting on his lifespan therefore, resulting in interventions being applied where they are needed most. An ecological approach looks at people, families, cultures, communities, policies and identifies and intervenes upon strengths and weaknesses in the transactional processes between these systems (Greene and Greene, 2008). Figure1 (Department of Health 2000, p.1) Living conditions may result in disturbed nights, which can lead to strain and tiredness (Hazel, 2002). Similarly, inadequate housing may cause parents anxiety and affect their capacity to care for the children. Therefore, a sw could use their powers to make a referral for families to acquire an adequate accommodation. According to Gill and Jack (2007) the ecological theory is important in the development of holistic approaches to safeguarding children. Its strengths are that it focuses on individuals as part and incorporating other systems, so it integrates social with psychological elements of practice however, it is criticised for assuming that everything fits into a social order (Payne, 2009). A SW is expected to consider human rights issues when completing any assessment. In the community there’s a whole variety of groups e.g. ethnic minorities, women, disabled people, homosexuals children just to mention a few. Professionals are required to uphold and defend the rights of individuals whilst seeking to meet their needs and this are all governed by The Human Rights Act 1998. Brayne Shoot, (2010) said ‘the act has also heavily influenced the Disability Discriminations Act, (2005) and Equality Act, (2006 2010)’ Welbourne (2012) said ‘SW is a profession that engages with people’s lives at all levels, from the practical to the deeply personal. Lord Laming (2003) said ‘child protection is everyone’s business, and it’s important that SW, police, and health workers take the lead role for the procedures and processes that protect children from harm’. The CA 1989 sec 47(1) places a duty on LA to investigate when they: ‘are informed that a child who lives or is found in their area is the subject of an emergency protection order is in police custody’ ‘have reasonable cause to suspect that a child who lives, or is found in the area is suffering, or is likely to suffer a significant harm’ LA will conduct an initial child protection conference that consists of all professionals including the child, family members. This is a partnership aimed at setting out plans in place for both family and the group members. They will meet within 10 days after the initial conference and at least 8 weeks after that. The plan will be considering day to day details of the care plan and to put it into practice. After the case has been opened, implemented and put into practice, a Review Child Protection Case Conference is called to review and assess the progress of the case. The first review is held within 3 months of the initial conference and at least six months after that. A SW will always aim to achieve results and return the child to their parents. Working Together to Safeguard Children 2006 (Department of Health) has 5 identifiable forms of abuse as neglect, physical, emotional, sexual and domestic abuses, and the latter has been recently added and recognised in its own right. Coleen L (2003) suggested that ‘Negligence can include behaviours that receipt, fraudulently misrepresentation, defamation of character act, violation of human rights, malicious prosecution. Maureen O’Loughlin and Steve O’Loughlin (2008) suggested that ‘Parents have a central role in their children’s welfare and protection from harm, and should therefore be included in all decisions and actions taken by professionals†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Parents have their complex needs as well, some abuse drugs and alcohol and generally have low self-esteem. If parents deny sw access to a child and there’s a possibility of a greater risk of life or likelihood of serious harm, LA will apply for the Child Assessment Order sec43 CA 1989 when they considering any kind of contact, LA would have reasons to suspect concerns with development, welfare and health of a child. This order will only last 8 days without extension. Emergency Protection Order (EPO) under S44 of the CA 1989. It can last for 8 days with the option to extend for 7 more days. Brayne Carr, (2010) suggested that ‘It is important that any discussions with children are done in a way that minimises the distress and maximises the likelihood of them providing clear and accurate accounts’ The children may be looked after by the LA with parental agreement (Children Act, 1989, sec. 20. ‘A child may only be kept in police protection however, for 72 hours’ (Brammer 2006). Other order available is Recovery order sec50, will be applied if a child under PPO or EPO is removed from the responsible applicant. Police can recover the child and return them to the place of safety. SW has ‘an obligation to conduct themselves ethically, engaging in ethical decisionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ making, including partnership working with service users’ and this was quoted by The Code of Ethics for Social Work (BASW, 2011). Social work is a very privileged profession, they draw up conclusions and judgement on what they observe and hear. Hence it’s necessary to develop an inner skill not to use prejudice in any engagement. Empowerment has been understood as a paradigm within anti-discriminatory and anti-oppressive practice (Lishman, 2007) and can be implemented through partnership working, which is a key social work value (Thompson, 2009). This assignment has shown how and why a sw would intervene when a child becomes in need. It also discussed the LA’s responsibility for children in need and their families. Aim is to protect and safeguard children from harm by forming partnership working with families; assist in providing alternative services to promote their welfare. The assignment drew up on relevant legislation that ensure welfare of a child remains paramount, also challenges all professionals to collaborate in a systematic manner. Children have been let down in the past and Every Child Matters ensured it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure that their health and development is secured. This reiterates the importance of SW’s impact into the system, drawn from Code of Ethics sw’s should always challenge any discrimination, recognise diversity, always distribute resources to those in need, challenge unjust policies and practices and work in solidarity. In conclusion a sw would not be awa re if a child is in need or requires protection; however, the facts in this essay provide a sensible method of judgement on whether a child is in need or at risk of significant harm.

Panama Canal Essay -- American History

In 1885, due to the tremendous problems encountered in trying to excavate a sea-level canal, the plan was changed to include a single, temporary lock and other adjustments in order to speed up the availability of the canal for traffic. Still, it was of no use : in 1889, Lesseps' company was liquidated in order to pay back investors and banks from which the company had borrowed. The appraisal of the company's belongings - including equipment, maps, and the value of the land already excavated - was very high, and in 1894, a new company, the Compagnie Nouvelle du Canal de Panama, was created in France to attempt to finish the canal. All involved thought of this as an impossible feat by the French, and ideas ran strong to sell the canal zone - possibly to the United States. France resented the loss of millions of francs (the estimated cost of the company's pursuit of the canal, including publicity and possibly a little bribery, is almost 1.5 billion francs), and subsequent trials of the heads of Lesseps' company, including Lesseps himself, began in 1893. Lesseps was condemned by the court, but never fined nor jailed. Charles de Lesseps, Ferdinand's son, and others were eventually charged with bribery, only one being sent to prison. Charles was forced to pay the fine of another defendant, but could not raise the money so fled to London until his government accepted a partial payment, nearly 5 years later. France had determined that she could not possibly complete the canal. With a lease on land in Colombia until 1903, the search was on for a buyer. Eventually, France found a friend in the United States of America. At the time, a canal in the Latin American isthmus was not a new idea to America, either. In 1887, the government sent ... ...he Hay-Bunau-Varilla treaty - which was ratified by the new Panamanian Government in 1903, and by the American Senate in early 1904. Before any work could begin, the most deadly of the problems on the isthmus had to be overcome - disease. The government wasn't going to allow mortality rates like had been seen during the French reign - somewhere between ten and twenty thousand were estimated to have died at the canal zone between 1882 and 1888. For this purpose, American doctor William Gorgas was called to examine the area. The most troublesome diseases were the mosquito-carried malaria and yellow fever - the same diseases that had kept Napoleon Bonaparte from putting down the uprising in Hati in 1801 - but almost all diseases known to man were endemic. Tuberculosis, cholera, diphtheria, smallpox, bubonic plague - all were cases on file at Panama hospitals in 1904. Panama Canal Essay -- American History In 1885, due to the tremendous problems encountered in trying to excavate a sea-level canal, the plan was changed to include a single, temporary lock and other adjustments in order to speed up the availability of the canal for traffic. Still, it was of no use : in 1889, Lesseps' company was liquidated in order to pay back investors and banks from which the company had borrowed. The appraisal of the company's belongings - including equipment, maps, and the value of the land already excavated - was very high, and in 1894, a new company, the Compagnie Nouvelle du Canal de Panama, was created in France to attempt to finish the canal. All involved thought of this as an impossible feat by the French, and ideas ran strong to sell the canal zone - possibly to the United States. France resented the loss of millions of francs (the estimated cost of the company's pursuit of the canal, including publicity and possibly a little bribery, is almost 1.5 billion francs), and subsequent trials of the heads of Lesseps' company, including Lesseps himself, began in 1893. Lesseps was condemned by the court, but never fined nor jailed. Charles de Lesseps, Ferdinand's son, and others were eventually charged with bribery, only one being sent to prison. Charles was forced to pay the fine of another defendant, but could not raise the money so fled to London until his government accepted a partial payment, nearly 5 years later. France had determined that she could not possibly complete the canal. With a lease on land in Colombia until 1903, the search was on for a buyer. Eventually, France found a friend in the United States of America. At the time, a canal in the Latin American isthmus was not a new idea to America, either. In 1887, the government sent ... ...he Hay-Bunau-Varilla treaty - which was ratified by the new Panamanian Government in 1903, and by the American Senate in early 1904. Before any work could begin, the most deadly of the problems on the isthmus had to be overcome - disease. The government wasn't going to allow mortality rates like had been seen during the French reign - somewhere between ten and twenty thousand were estimated to have died at the canal zone between 1882 and 1888. For this purpose, American doctor William Gorgas was called to examine the area. The most troublesome diseases were the mosquito-carried malaria and yellow fever - the same diseases that had kept Napoleon Bonaparte from putting down the uprising in Hati in 1801 - but almost all diseases known to man were endemic. Tuberculosis, cholera, diphtheria, smallpox, bubonic plague - all were cases on file at Panama hospitals in 1904.

Axiologie et Pédagogie du Droit :: French Essays

Axiologie et Pà ©dagogie du Droit ABSTRACT: Le droit, considà ©rà © comme un ensemble de rà ©gles-normes ayant force ogligatoire et contraignante, rà ©git les rappoerts entre les hommes dans une socià ©tà © donnà ©e. En mà ªme temps, il est porteur à   la fois de l'image d'organisation des rapports sociaux familiaux, à ©conomiques et politiques (structure de base de la società ©), et des valeurs. A ce titre, le droit constitue un type-idà ©al qui, inscrit dans les textes (droit positif-objectif) et enracinà © dans la conscience des individus, remplit les fonctions gà ©nà ©rales de la rà ©gulation sociale, de la rà ©solution des conflits, de l'intà ©gration sociale et de la reproduction des structures sociales. En suivant l'enseignement d'Aristotle, le droit en tant que và ©hicule de valeurs peut et doit contenir la valeur suprà ªme de la vertu qui est au principe du bonheur humain. L'État est, donc, tà ¢chà © d'enseigner moyennant la loi (droit positif) la vertu tant intellectuelle qu'à ©th ique. Ainsi, le droit devient un moyen d'à ©ducation et remplit, outre ses fonctions gà ©nà ©rales, les fonctions pà ©dagogique et axiologique en contribuant de cette manià ¨re à   la rà ©alisation du bonheur des citoyens, La vertu, incorporà ©e dans le droit, s'avà ¨re la condition sine qua non de l'actualisation de toutes les valeurs contenues dans le droit, telles que dà ©mocratie, libertà ©, justice sociale, respect de la personne et ainsi de suite. INTRODUCTION polla/ ga para touj e)qismouj kai th fu/sin pra/ttousi dia/ to lo/gon e)a peisqw=sin a)llwj e)xein be/ltion ARISTOTE, Polit., H 7, 1332b7-9 On dà ©finit d'habitude le droit comme un ensemble de rà ¨gles de conduite qui, dans une socià ©tà © donnà ©e, rà ©gissent les rapports entre les hommes de manià ¨re normative, obligatoire et contraignante. (1) Nà ©anmoins, dà ¨s que nous le traitons en tant que discours porteur de l'image organisationnelle du monde social et và ©hicule de valeurs, (2) ses fonctions sociales changent considà ©rablement, Étudier le droit dans l'ensemble de ses fonctions sociales tout en le rattachant au monde des valeurs, c'est quitter l'espace du positivisme juridique pour entrer dans celui de la sociologie et de la philosophie du droit, et rà ©pà ©rer les và ©ritables possibilità ©s du discours juridique. Ainsi, aprà ¨s avoir examinà © les fonction gà ©nà ©rales du droit (I), l'on passera à   l'à ©tude de ses fonctions axiologique et pà ©dagogique (II). Dà ¨s lors, le droit cesse d'à ªtre un instrument d'imposition d'une volontà © à   une autre à   l'aide de l'institution à ©tatique et devient un moyen civilisà © de faà §onner la conscience des hommes. I. LES FONCTIONS GÉNÉRALES DU DROIT Dans le droit est incorporà © l'image que les agents sociaux se font relativement à   l'organisation des rapports sociaux familiaux, à ©conomiques et politiques, qui constituent la structure globale (3) ou la structure de base de la socià ©tà © (4) et qui forment l'objet de la justice.

Free Essays - A Raisin in the Sun :: Raisin Sun essays

Racism is a major issue that has affected the United States since its discovery.   Racism is the hatred by a person of one race pointed at a person of another race. The United States has grown up to improve as a whole but this process is a long way away from completion.   Some citizens still believe that African-Americans are inferior to Caucasians and that they should be slaves.   In the 1950s, whites and blacks were segregated to a point that they could not go to the same schools or even use the same bathrooms.   Chief Justice Earl Warren abolished the segregation of schools in May of 1954.   The desegregation of schools has helped people of all races grow up together in a non-hostile environment where they can develop relationships with people of other races.   Throughout the play A Raisin in the Sun, Lorraine Hansberry criticizes the racial and discriminatory climate of America in the 1950s and early 60s.   It becomes obvious to the reader that the racial tension Hansberry experienced growing up reflected on the way her literature is written.   Moss and Wilson state that, â€Å"Lorraine Hansberry’s South Side childhood, particularly her father’s battle to move into a white neighborhood, provided the background for the events in the play† (314).   Hansberry experienced many of the situations she placed the Younger family at first hand.   Hansberry’s father, Carl Hansberry, was put in a similar circumstance when he moved his family into a predominately white community at the opposition of the white neighbors.   He eventually won a civil rights case on discrimination.   Speaking of the United States, Adler states, â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun is a moving drama about securing one’s dignity within a system that discriminates against, even enslaves, its racial minorities† (824).   Hansberry overcame many racial barriers to become one of the best authors in the world.   Walter Lee Younger is an intense man in his middle thirties who works as a chauffeur, but his dream is to one day open up a liquor store.   Walter has a very bad temper and tends to say things he doesn’t mean. Walter and his wife have been getting into many fights in which he will show off his bad temper.   Many times when Walter gets upset he goes out and gets drunk.   Gerald Weales explains, â€Å"Of the four chief characters in the play, Walter Lee is the most complicated and the most impressive.

Iron Crowned Chapter 19

It took awhile before Kiyo, Jasmine, and I could return to Tucson. We had to go to the Thorn Land, of course, where Shaya and the others asked me all sorts of questions about what had happened and what I wanted to do. Kiyo and even Jasmine provided most of the answers for me because honestly, I wasn't sure what I wanted now. The only thing I had the real sense to do was demand Jasmine's key and unlock her chains. She stared at her freed hands wonderingly, stroking her wrists. I nearly left the chains and key in the castle but soon reconsidered and took them with me to the human world. She'd never seen my house before and regarded it with approval as we entered. All was quiet, and the empty driveway made me confident I wouldn't find Tim and Lara holed up in his bedroom again. Evidence of their â€Å"love,† however, was still obvious. â€Å"Damn them,† I said, gingerly picking a red lace bra off of the couch and tossing it down the hall toward Tim's room. â€Å"I'm going to have to sanitize this thing. Probably every other piece of furniture too.† â€Å"You have Pop-Tarts!† Jasmine hadn't made it to the living room. She'd stopped in the kitchen, opening every drawer and cupboard she could find. â€Å"And Apple Jacks! Peanut butter, ranch dressing, saltines †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I was surprised that last one excited her so much, but after a couple years eating gentry food, even the most mundane human cuisine was probably exciting. â€Å"Oh!† she exclaimed. â€Å"Can I have one of your Milky Ways?† â€Å"Sure. Have whatever you want.† Her eyes were wide as she tore into the package, and both Kiyo and I watched her with smiles on our faces, like proud parents on Christmas morning. Although they didn't sound good to me right now, Milky Ways were normally my candy bar of choice. From the way she was consuming hers, Jasmine appeared to share that family trait. She completed her sugar rush with a can of Coke and then made herself at home on the couch. Watching her reach eagerly for the remote control, I decided it was best not to mention the amorous activities that had likely occurred where she sat. She flipped through the channels in continued amazement. It was evening – prime time entertainment – and the emotions on her face were transparent as she stumbled across old and new shows alike. â€Å"You want me to see if I can find anything that fits you?† I asked. She might have slipped back easily to human behaviors, but she still wore a long, flowing gentry-style gown. â€Å"Sure,† she said, not looking up from the screen. Kiyo followed me into my bedroom. â€Å"You think she's safe out there?† he asked. â€Å"Alone?† â€Å"Yeah, I do actually.† Jasmine and I weren't the same size, but I found some drawstring shorts that would likely fit. â€Å"I don't know why †¦ but I feel like I can trust her.† â€Å"Be careful,† he warned, sitting on the bed's edge. â€Å"For all we know, she was happy to be captured and have Cassius throw himself at her.† â€Å"He didn't do anything.† I found the smallest T-shirt I could; her frame was more slender than mine. â€Å"So she says.† I sighed and faced him. â€Å"Kiyo, you've got to trust me. I can't explain it, but she's telling the truth. Is she going to turn into a normal teen and forget about her plans to have Storm King's heir? Unlikely. But for now, she's in shock and not dangerous.† â€Å"If you think so. Just be careful, Eug. You've been tricked by people you've trusted before.† â€Å"Surprise, surprise. A slam on Dorian.† I crossed my arms, holding the clothes to my chest. â€Å"Soon to be followed by a lecture on seizing the Rowan Land.† I'd been bracing myself since it all happened, but during the ensuing damage control, he'd held back. I appreciated that but still dreaded the inevitable. â€Å"Actually,† he said, â€Å"no.† â€Å"No?† I'd started to take a step toward the doorway and froze. He laughed, though there wasn't much humor in it. â€Å"No.† â€Å"But I just thought †¦ well, after last time †¦ You weren't very happy about the Thorn Land †¦Ã¢â‚¬  That small smile faded. â€Å"No. And it's not like I'm happy about this. But the truth is, you did find a – relatively – bloodless way to end all of this. When we were out there, you asked me what other solution could fix things. I didn't have an answer. You did. It's not great †¦ but it didn't kill Katrice or those other people. It didn't get you captured.† He shrugged. â€Å"Not ideal, no, but better than the alternatives.† I leaned back against the wall, still shocked at his reaction. â€Å"If it makes you feel better, it's not like I wanted this either. I wanted to sneak in and out and get Jasmine.† He nodded, but there was a sharp look in his eyes. â€Å"And yet, you brought the crown.† I hadn't mentioned that to him when we first set out to the Rowan Land. â€Å"Her note said she didn't believe I had it! I was hoping waving it around might do something to help us.† He stayed quiet. â€Å"Don't look at me like that! You can't believe I planned to use it.† â€Å"I do believe you.† He approached me and rested his hands on my shoulders. â€Å"And I'll help you in any way you need.† Something inside my chest released, and I leaned into him, taking comfort in his warmth and the security he offered. â€Å"Thank you. I'm definitely going to need you.† Kiyo pressed a kiss to my forehead. â€Å"I'm here.† I felt a small smile pull at my lips, though as with his earlier laughter, I didn't really find the situation funny. â€Å"I suppose if there is a silver lining here, maybe I can do a better job ruling the Rowan Land than she did. Some sort of greater good.† To my surprise, his hold on me stiffened, and he stepped back. The smile he offered me looked tight. â€Å"Maybe.† We went back out to Jasmine, who was still riveted to the TV. The only acknowledgment we got was when I handed her the clothes, and she examined them. â€Å"What's ‘The Clash' mean?† I ignored the blasphemy – and Kiyo's obvious amusement at my pain. â€Å"If you want to shower, everything you'll need is in the bathroom. Towels, shampoo.† That too got her attention. â€Å"A shower †¦ oh, man. I've missed showers.† â€Å"Will you two be okay?† asked Kiyo, all signs of his earlier discomfort gone. â€Å"I need to take care of a few things.† I nodded. â€Å"We're fine. Will you be back soon?† â€Å"As soon as I can.† He kissed me again, this time on my lips. I must have worn another pained expression because he cupped my chin, his brown eyes full of love and compassion. â€Å"It's going to be okay, Eugenie. Everything will be okay.† I nodded once more and watched wistfully as he left. I wanted his arms around me again, to hold me and let me escape this mess. A small part of me wouldn't have minded Dorian's arms either. I sat beside Jasmine, whose attention was back on some reality show. â€Å"He's running off to Maiwenn, you know.† Her gaze didn't move. â€Å"Off to report on what happened.† My ire started to rise at her accusation, except †¦ I had a feeling she was right. Even if there was no more romance between them, he was still devoted to her. The recent developments were going to rock the Otherworld, and she'd want the story straight from him. I wondered how she'd take it; she'd always feared my becoming like my father. â€Å"Probably,† I admitted. I rubbed my eyes. â€Å"God, I'm so exhausted. I feel like I could fall over.† This time Jasmine turned to me. There wasn't exactly sympathy in her face, but something surprisingly close. â€Å"No shit. You just stole a kingdom and took it over.† â€Å"It sounds so ugly when you phrase it that way.† She shrugged and looked back at the TV. â€Å"You'll probably do a better job.† Her words echoed my earlier comment to Kiyo. â€Å"You know,† she added conversationally, â€Å"everyone acts like our dad was such a bastard, like he just wanted more power. I mean, he did, but you know what Aeson told me? He said that Storm King was always talking about how he could do a better job too, that the other monarchs weren't as good. He said he was doing the people a favor.† I froze, unable to respond. That was why Kiyo had reacted the way he did earlier. He'd heard that about Storm King's â€Å"good intentions,† I realized. I'd expressed exactly the same sentiment as my father. Jasmine didn't notice the effect of her words and instead jumped subjects in that easy, short-attention-span way of hers. â€Å"Hey, do you think you could get Wil to come over? I want to see him.† â€Å"Sure,† I murmured automatically. My mind was still lost in her earlier words. â€Å"Sure.† Wil was surprised to hear from me the next morning, more surprised still when I told him the reason I was calling. He said he'd be over in five minutes. Jasmine had asked that he come alone after I'd mentioned he now had a girlfriend. Still, she'd been curious. â€Å"Seriously? What's she like?† I thought back to my one meeting with Wil's ladylove. Once I'd banished the monsters living in their house, she hadn't shut up about conspiracy theories and assorted coverups. â€Å"Exactly like him,† I'd replied to Jasmine. The reunion between brother and sister was strange. They stood there awkwardly, both staring at each other and assessing all the ways they'd changed. Then, with no communication, they hugged each other. Jasmine's face was filled with legitimate emotion, and for once, Wil didn't seem like the crazy, paranoid guy he usually was. â€Å"Are you okay?† he asked her, voice trembling. â€Å"I've missed you so much.† Jasmine swallowed, and I was pretty sure there were tears in her eyes. â€Å"I †¦ I missed you too.† And it was the truth. She'd told me once she didn't care about this world – or about the half brother who'd raised her. But she did. This whole time, despite her Otherworldly plans for domination, she'd always loved him. Things grew increasingly bizarre when it became obvious the two weren't quite sure what to do with each other. Wil didn't chastise her for her absence, and at last, she simply asked if he wanted to hang out and watch TV. I think that was partly because it provided a concrete activity and partly because she'd become obsessed with making up for lost TV time. I kept my distance but couldn't help a small, envious feeling as they sat on the couch. Jasmine leaned her head against her big brother's shoulder, and I became acutely aware of the emptiness in my own family life. I hadn't heard from my mom or Roland since getting the referral to Enrique. The closest I had to any familial connection was those goddamn kingdoms I ruled. Just as the Thorn Land had always called to me, the Rowan Land now did too, leaving such an ache within me that I practically felt nauseous. Rurik had been right. I wouldn't be able to stay away. But first things first. Thinking of Enrique reminded me I was due for an update. Retreating to my bedroom, I dialed his number and hoped he was up this early. â€Å"Miss Markham,† he said after just one ring. Caller ID left no surprises anymore. â€Å"Always a delight.† â€Å"I'm sure. What are you doing with the case right now?† â€Å"Nothing.† â€Å"Nothing?† I exclaimed. Irritation rose within me. I wasn't paying him to sit around, especially after he'd gotten so close. â€Å"Nope,† he said cheerfully. â€Å"It's out of my hands. I found what I needed, proved that Deanna Jones didn't buy the gun. From what I hear, the police are searching Cal Jones's house right now and questioning him. Far be it from me to get in the way of the fine men in blue.† Finally, some good news †¦ well, at least as the case's progress went. It wouldn't be easy on Deanna to learn the truth about her husband. â€Å"And women,† I said. â€Å"There are probably women in blue there too.† â€Å"If you say so.† â€Å"Thanks, Enrique. I really appreciate it. I honestly didn't think it could be done.† â€Å"Don't get all emotional,† he said in that brisk way of his. â€Å"At least not until you see the bill.† We disconnected. Attitude or no, Enrique had been a good call on Roland's part †¦ which once again brought about the sadness over the turn in my parental relationship. Well. Nothing to do for it at the moment, not with all my other problems. And anyway, I had a loose end that could now be wrapped up. Taking out my wand, I closed my eyes and cast a minor summoning spell, calling to Deanna. I had no control over her but she'd responded to my call before – particularly since she was always on edge listening for it. After several minutes and no results, I gave up and sadly suspected she wasn't coming because she already knew the truth. As eager as she'd been to get answers, it wouldn't have surprised me if she'd been following Enrique around while he worked. She might have discovered for herself what her husband had done. If so, I hoped she'd now move on to the Underworld and seek peace, rather than staying restless and sad in this world. There was enough suffering here already. I tried as hard as I could the next couple days to stay away from the Otherworld. Wil visited off and on, and Jasmine and I began doing mundane yet enjoyable activities, like seeing movies and shopping for clothes for her. Tim and Lara often appeared, still in the throes of their love, and Kiyo returned with reports about the Otherworld, reassuring me that my kingdom's control of the Rowan Land was progressing smoothly. And at night, he came to my bed, and I found the return of our fierce sex life went a long way toward taking my mind off my laundry list of problems. But finally, I had to give in. The call to my lands was too strong, and even Kiyo admitted that with my new and fragile hold on the Rowan Land, I needed to visit and connect with it to reinforce our bond. By that point, I needed no urging. My own body was telling me as much. I still felt weak and drained, my dreams haunted by cacti and cherry trees. I took Jasmine with me. Our relationship wasn't quite sound enough yet for me to leave her alone. She drew the line at going to the Rowan Land, however, insisting she would stay in the Thorn Land until my return. I had no problem with that, knowing she was secure there. Kiyo was still going with me, and Shaya caught us before we could leave. â€Å"There's a few things you should probably know,† she said uneasily. Her nervousness was likely due to the fact that I hated being troubled with the day-to-day running of a kingdom – in this case, kingdoms. Something about the fear in her eyes told me she also knew I wouldn't like what she had to say. I sighed. â€Å"Go ahead.† â€Å"I †¦ I've heard from King Dorian a number of times.† Kiyo shifted uncomfortably beside me, and I felt that familiar prickle of anger run down my spine. All the memories of Dorian's lying and betrayal came back to me. It stung all the worse because in the end, he'd gotten exactly what he wanted: the Iron Crown had done its job. He probably wanted me to take still more lands. â€Å"What's he want?† I demanded. â€Å"The war's over. We're no longer in a partnership.† â€Å"Well, that's just it. Since you are – were – allies in the war, he says he deserves some of the spoils of your victory.† â€Å"He †¦ what?† My fury increased. â€Å"He doesn't deserve anything. I was the one who won and used the crown.† She nodded, still looking like she wished she could be anywhere else. â€Å"Yes †¦ but he argues that he was the one who sent you to get the crown. And that his armies lost as many lives as yours.† That last point silenced me. His soldiers had fought with mine. His people's families mourned those casualties as much as mine †¦ and for what? To fight against a slight that had nothing to do with them, not really. I didn't owe Dorian anything, of that I was certain, but I was indebted to his subjects. When I didn't respond, Shaya continued. â€Å"Some of his people are also helping hold the Rowan Land.† â€Å"Oh, are they?† Of course Dorian would have swooped in. â€Å"I never asked for that.† She shook her head. â€Å"Nonetheless, you need it. Many are still having trouble accepting your rule. There's a lot of seething resentment. No violence has broken out yet – but that's largely because of the sizable presence Rurik sent to keep control. Dorian's helping with that.† I'd meditated with the Thorn Land as soon as I'd arrived, making me feel a little better, but the pressure and continued political complications were already draining me. I wasn't meant for this. â€Å"What's he want? Half the kingdom?† â€Å"No. Trade. Tribute. The Rowan Land is a huge food producer, and he wants part of that.† â€Å"That doesn't sound so bad,† I said tentatively. â€Å"I'm guessing he wants it at low, low prices,† said Kiyo, speaking up for the first time. Shaya nodded. â€Å"He does. And he's entitled to it to a certain extent. But his current demands are extreme enough that it could endanger the Rowan Land's economy. Maybe that's not an issue. It all depends on what you want for them.† I thought about the refugees at the gates. What did I want for those people? I wanted them to prosper. I wanted things to return to normal. â€Å"Can you negotiate with him to something in the middle?† I asked Shaya. â€Å"Most likely.† â€Å"Then do it.† She bowed her head in acknowledgment, and I knew that's what she'd already known had to be done. She was simply giving me my dues as queen, going through the motions and reminding everyone that ultimately, I still held the authority around here. When Kiyo and I finally made it to the Rowan Land, I felt the land's relief and welcome. Its energy burned into mine, strengthening me. At the castle, we saw little sign of the Rowan military but plenty of mine and Dorian's. They were stationed everywhere, keeping the order Shaya had told me about. They bowed low when they saw me, their actions mirrored by the kingdom's citizens. Only, Katrice's subjects didn't bow out of respect and deference. There was fear in their eyes, confusion in some, and an obvious show among a few that their actions were forced. Rurik was still in residence, personally overseeing the occupation. I felt secure in his control and listened as he explained what needed to be done next. I understood it only a little better than the economics Shaya had pushed on me, the main point being I'd need a governing body here soon. Picking that staff would be a problem. Shaya was one in a million, but even she couldn't be in two places at once. Seeing my dismay, Rurik hesitantly added that Dorian had offered to provide people for the job. My expression at those words gave Rurik all the answer he needed. The Rowan Land's energy continued to flow into me when I set out to have my meditation session with it. The nature of the connection was similar to what I had with the Thorn Land, but the kingdom's feel was totally different. The Thorn Land was harsh – filled with life, yes, but life that fought fiercely against the elements for survival. The Rowan Land was softer, its life bursting forth easily and radiating through its many trees and plants. â€Å"Eugenie,† said Kiyo, following me out to a small garden behind the castle. â€Å"Look.† I paused and glanced behind me. Where I'd walked, flowers had blossomed, small red ones scattered throughout the grassy path. I knelt down, inhaling their heady scent. â€Å"Why's it happening?† â€Å"You're its ruler. You're giving the land life and energy.† I thought about how being here had made me feel marginally better. â€Å"It's strengthening me too †¦ but this doesn't happen in the Thorn Land. I don't have that kind of effect.† â€Å"Don't you?† he teased, a mischievous smile on his face. â€Å"You make it rain†¦.† A memory came to me of when the Thorn Land had floundered in drought. While connecting with the land, I'd had sex with Kiyo, and the energy from that union had empowered the kingdom, breaking the dry spell and sending much-needed rain that made the people and plants flourish. I smiled back at him. â€Å"Looks like we don't have to worry about that today. This land doesn't need as much help.† He slipped an arm around my waist and pulled me to him, voice husky. â€Å"But imagine the results if we did. Extra credit.† Leaning down, he brought his lips to mine, his tongue pushing into my mouth with a rough passion. I felt my body answer, and for a moment, the offer was tempting. I pictured what it would be like to make love among all this greenery, here in the sunshine. Would a bed of red flowers fill the ground below us? Again †¦ I kind of wanted to find out, but I also wasn't comfortable in this kingdom yet. I didn't want to risk discovery of my sex life, even if it wouldn't be a big deal to the gentry. Reluctantly, I pulled away from him. â€Å"Another time.† After a few more protests, he let me be. I sat on the ground while he waited, closing my eyes and opening myself to the world around me. We are one, I assured the land. I am here. I felt its answer, felt warmth spread through me and lost track of time. When I finished, I was startled at how far the sun had moved across the sky. Kiyo sat on the ground cross-legged, looking at ease as he watched me. â€Å"Crap,† I said, jumping up. â€Å"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you wait so long.† He stood as well. â€Å"It's no problem. You needed it. You both needed it.† I knew he was right. I was more energized, and the land felt strong and content. After another check with Rurik, Kiyo and I headed back to the Thorn Land. Here, he parted from me, again to â€Å"take care of a few things.† He assured me he'd be back in Tucson as soon as he could, but I saw the look Jasmine gave me when she overheard. I could guess her thoughts: more reports to Maiwenn. Jasmine was impatient to go to Tucson, but before leaving, I impulsively set out alone to where I'd communed earlier with the Thorn Land. It had been on a distant part of the grounds, one of my favorite places, in the shade of a mesquite tree. Its perfume rivaled that of the Rowan flowers, and around it stood cacti in all shapes and sizes, some of them small and squat and some tall and foreboding like sentries. Almost all of them were blooming. A chill ran down my spine as I stared at the flowers on the cacti. They formed a brilliantly colored perimeter, right around where I'd been meditating, the petals in all shapes and sizes. The flowers were beautiful. Exquisite. And none of them had been there earlier.