Media and Cultural Landscapes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Media and Cultural Landscapes - Essay Example Most of my medium consumption happened using telecommunication gadgets such as mobile phones. Other activities that are part of media consumption entail playing online games, reading newspapers and charting over the social network sites. Lastly, I read posters and other forms of public advertisement. This paper discusses on the effects that media consumption has on the â€Å"Corporations, Social & Environmental Responsibility† and theories of the consumer to the society. 1. Corporations, social & environmental responsibility and reading magazines This involves the communities’ activities towards promoting their general welfare. It is evident that reading magazines promotes CRS among population globally through encouraging enlightenment in populations. Using media organizations and individuals can initiate development projects while being guided by information from magazines (Aggarwal, & Gupta 2001). In addition, persons make ethically accepted choices in terms of behavi our within communities through reading about moral practices. However, reading magazines has not influenced peoples habits compared to watching television. Through reading magazines, I get information on the current happenings in both political and fiscal events within the country. Straubhaar, Larose & Davenport (2012) asserts that newspapers apart from educating the masses, they are a massive literature source for entertainment to the public. The foremost part of this study will discuss reading magazines as the first act of consumption thereafter, reading magazines by different audiences. Magazine in this case applies to informative written materials such as newspapers and trade journals (Sparks 2012). Through reading publications, I was able to get an insight on the happenings that promoted CSR within the country. Media enhanced my knowledge for understanding the use of technology and other forms of improvements such as the innovation of electronic commerce activities. It happened after reading manuals and other writings about the use of electronic equipments. According to Aggarwal, & Gupta, (2001), media acts as a source of revenue for practitioners in the reporting field such as journalists. Media can act as a tool for promoting nationalism among populations. Through media, institutions have been able to conduct research in various fields of practice such as science and art. Media use is for the public good like promoting ethics within populations (Sparks 2012). Ideas from magazine articles help in creating awareness for urgent CSR issues requiring critical attention. Likewise, authorities use media to develop nationalism by encouraging citizens to read. It increases literacy levels of individuals, and it is the best mode communicating at speed within communities. Public relations are an integral part of mass media, which greatly contribute towards effective communication by individuals. In the current technologically advanced era, organizations strongly f ocus towards providing superior cooperate assistance to various communities (Straubhaar, & Larose 2006). Ideally, journalists have the requisite capacity to investigate communal needs and expectations regarding specific projects that would improve their social and environmental setting. CSR is vital for institutions to give back realized fortunes to locals through identified projects to strengthen the existing bond between the corporation and community members. According

Tti Case Study Essay Example for Free

Tti Case Study Essay TTI is located in Fort Worth, Texas and operates as a specialty distributor of passive, interconnect, and discrete components. â€Å"TTI’s mission is to be the most preferred electronics distributor for their customers and suppliers, deliver the right parts exactly on time, and to exceed their internal and external customer requirements through continuous improvement, while providing a home for hardworking, dedicated, knowledgeable, and ethical people who believe in this Company and this philosophy. † (TTI, Website, 2011) Within this case study we are reviewing the potential effects that TTI would be faced with if they decided to place a Distribution Center (DC) in Asia. From the case study we learn that TTI saw two separate marketing trends on the horizon. The two trends Craig Conrad, Vice President of Sales for TTI, toiled with were that of globalization and customer demand for local inventory to just-in-time objectives. Paul Andrews, founder and president of TTI, and Conrad both were aware that some customers believed TTI needed a foreign presence. Globalization within TTI’s customer base was rapidly growing as was the expectation from the customers for TTI to become global distributor. Andrew’s main concern with placing a DC in Asia was that TTI would stretch their resources to thin leading to damaged customer service. In the 1990’s TTI had opened sales branches in Europe, Canada, and Latin America. A DC was opened in Munich, but did not share the same success as the Fort Worth DC. This caused management to rethink the potential of opening other international DC’s. During this time the auto replenishment process was on the rise, but TTI management feared that this process could not service customers overseas. The case study specifically sites these three concerns management had: 1. How much would the new facility and personnel cost? 2. Would TTI’s culture of excellence be maintainable in the foreign market? 3. Would the local market support the cost of the new facility? In particular, how much business required a local presence (VMI) as opposed to how much could be done form Fort Worth or Munich? TTI was seeing Asia quickly become the fastest growing electronics market during the 1990’s and customers wanted to carry their operations overseas while maintaining the VMI and auto replenishment process that TTI had developed in this US. Because of the limited success TTTI had experienced in the previously mentioned ventures this caused great concern. However, as stated in the case, VMI and Auto replenishment made up 50% of TTI’s business and it was critical that they weight their options carefully. TTI knew that customers were moving toward globalization and that Asia was a hot spot for this move. This forced TTI to evaluate the possibility of creating a DC in Asia which had the potential to eventually generate 20% of TTI’s overall sales. Some strategic suppliers TTI had long standing relationships with had already moved to China and the Philippines. If TTI did not set up a local DC in Asia this meant the company was looking at accruing an additional 10% shipping charge per product and that was just for a one way shipment. The challenge for Conrad was to make sure that the overall expense of opening the new DC would not cost more than overseas shipping charges. The other concern Paul Andrews had was whether or not the locals in Asia could operate under the same cooperate structure that was established in the US. If the same cooperate culture could not be met then Andrews would not consider opening the DC in Asia. The three locations TTI considered for establishing this DC were Hong Kong, Singapore, and Malaysia. Each location had different benefits. Hong Kong was most favorable due to its logistical location. Singapore also had a very favorable location and English was the primary language for the locals. Malaysia was the least expensive of the three, but had the worst logistical position. Selecting the right location was critical to the future success of TTI. In an article written by Karl Heil, he explains the importance of proper location selection. â€Å"If a company selects the wrong location, it may have adequate access to customers, workers, transportation, materials, and so on. Consequently, location often plays a significant role in a companys profit and overall success. A location strategy is a plan for obtaining the optimal location for a company by identifying company needs and objectives, and searching for locations with offerings that are compatible with these needs and objectives. Generally, this means the firm will attempt to maximize opportunity while minimizing costs and risks. † (Heil, 2011) Based off of the comparison chart provided in the case study the location that best maximized the opportunity as well has minimized the cost was the Singapore location. The comparison chart clearly showed Singapore to have the most cost effective location. Hong Kong was competitive, but what really set the two apart was the overall facilities cost. Malaysia’s facility cost was half that of Singapore, however the logistical costs were extremely high. The other benefit that I felt set Singapore apart was the native language. Creating a new DC location was going to be enough of a challenge without having to overcome a language barrier. The fact that English was the native tongue is invaluable for this process. With Singapore being the selected location the next logical step would be to implement a road map on how to set up the new DC. Gross Associates is a firm that specifically helps companies through this process. On the web-site of Gross Associates define the following five steps to assist with the process. â€Å"Determine the requirements the new facility must satisfy. Determine the feasible alternatives to satisfy the projected business requirements. Analyze the viable alternatives, including both quantitative and qualitative aspects. Make and document the rationale for decisions and finally implementation. † (Donald J. Derewecki, 2033) With the rapid growth of globalization I would absolutely have to consider opening a DC in Asia. With suppliers making the move over seas as well as customers it is a natural fit for distribution companies to also make the move. Competitors of TTI were making the jump and if TTI did not follow they were poised to lose a lot of business. Going back to TTI’s mission statement at the beginning of this case study the term â€Å"continuous improvement† was stated. For TTI to continually improve they needed to open the Asian DC. Bibliography Donald J. Derewecki, C. (2033, Unknown Unknown). GRAND OPENINGS: PLANNING A NEW DISTRIBUTION CENTER. Retrieved November 14, 2011, from Gross and Associates: http://www. grossassociates. com/articles/design. htm Heil, K. (2011, unknown unknown). Location Strategy. Retrieved November 13, 2011, from Reference for BusinessEncyclopedia of Business, 2nd ed. : http://www. referenceforbusiness. com/management/Int-Loc/Location-Strategy. html

Reflective Essay On Learning Skills And Employment Education Essay

Reflective Essay On Learning Skills And Employment Education Essay Introduction After a long summer of fun and unemployment, it was finally time to get back to the real world. No more endless free time, it was time to get my brain working for something productive. I enrolled in a bachelor in software development, I was always fascinated by computers and being able to modifying it was always a dream for me. And what a surprise it was for me when I saw in my time table that I had a course called Academic Skills for Business, what is it? Im going to be software developer, why do I need it? After attending two lectures, I began taking interest in it, it made me see thing that I never thought of before. And then the assignment dropped. 2Â  500 Word, I dont even know if I carry that much vocabulary, but I saw it as a challenge. It will help me develop my writing skills and language, and its a great ways to analyze my progress through this course, maybe if I have some free time I will do it for my other courses. First chapter of the course, that describes the skills that employers look for In General and what skills we gain as a student. From what I understood there are five skills that are needed to be employed in a high level of responsibility job: Communication, human relations, work survival, leadership and research and planning. A good manager needs to acquire good relations with his subordinate, in order to motivate them; he should be able to take good initiative after analysing all the resource available and fight for his ideas to survive in the organisation. I already had a general idea of what employer where looking for but I was neglecting the human relation aspect, however it turns out to be the most important one. In order to get to the top ladder of an organisation, I need to work out my communication skill, which means getting the appropriate feedback, negotiating, perceiving nonverbal messages, interviewing. And to enforce my work survival by initiating new ideas, meeting goals and accepting responsibility. In order to fulfil my desire of success, I need to make changes in my life, and thats what distinguishes an adult form a teenager, the ability to make changes in your behaviours to adapt to the requirement of the society. The road to rich cant be made without compromises, if it isnt then the success wont be as tasty as if I had put effort and made sacrifice for it. Thankfully some of these skills will be developed thanks to high school. High school allow student to reinforce some technical skills that can be transferred to work. The most important one is the ability to meet deadlines, and i know what Im talking about, been one of the laziest person in the word, I had to catch up or I will be left alone, and planning was the solution to my laziness and lack of organisation ( I will go more in depth in the according section). It allows to develop writing skills with assignments like this one or the communication aspect, answer are more structured and feedback more centred to the subject. It also allow to work in a team, get a touch of the dynamic of a group, get of feel of group brainstorming and its draw backs. Time Management Here comes my black beast, hell for a lazy person like me. I always tried to manage my time but without success, I tried post-it, dairy, phone application but I always fail. Never used a method more than three consecutive day, I always give up so quickly, always postponing what I had to the day before for the next day, its just a mean cycle. But now things are more serious, the British system gives away to students a lot of time away from class but they assume that we are responsible enough to manage ours time wisely. But the draw backs for lazy students like me are huge, its an automatic fail if there is no adaptation to the system. So here is my challenge for this year: managing my time as wisely as possible. And thanks to this assignment, I realize that I have failed again, here I am 3 days before the dead line and I only wrote 1/3 of the essay earlier this day, counting each word and realizing how I could have done this work before with a simple planning. I was there when the sli des of this chapter were projected; I can still remember all advises that our teachers gave to us like setting goals, prioritizing assignments, make a weekly planning. Great ideas, I was even advising other students with the same strategies but I didnt apply it for myself, which is completely useless. Now here I am, facing my responsibility once again. This time I have to make BIG changes in my behavior, this nonchalance cant be supported anymore or It will automatically lead me to failure and thats not an option I was planning for my future. Starting from today, I will not use only one method for managing my time, but I will use all of them, I will try by any mean to keep a daily list of what have to do and plan for what I should do all the week that follow. Actions are the seed of fate deeds grow into destiny. Â  Harry S Truman. Its time to man up, all successful people achieved their dream by setting goal and fighting as much as possible to achieve them and even to go beyond , they put all their energy into it, and they are human being just like us. Mea culpa but here come the power of the human being, the ability to learn from their mistake and to adapt accordingly. When I first read the assignment I thought it was just another paper work but it reveal that I had more writing skill as I thought I had and looking back at what I did from the beginning of the semester made me realize that I evolved somehow , gain some maturity and with an anger of success and motivation. Creativity skills brainstorming Next lesson was creativity skills brainstorming, before attending this class I already had a good idea about it. But after couple of slides, I realized that my definition of brainstorming was vague compared to the one projected on the screen. This new definition distinguished brainstorming in too types: Individual Brainstorming and Group brainstorming. I always thought that brainstorming was a group activity, but I actually disagree in this statement -When you brainstorm on your own you will tend to produce a wider range of ideas than with group brainstorming (slides from chapter 3)-, when brainstorming is done lonely, it create a tighter range. First not having an external point of view narrow the ideas that could have emerged during a session, an external analysis create a judgment of an idea and opens the door to new opportunity that couldnt be founded lonely; however by brainstorming individually you can get more specific detail and draw a good image of the situation. Creative thinking is not a talent; it is a skill that can be learnt. It empowers people by adding strength to their natural abilities which improves teamwork, productivity and where appropriate profits.(Edward de Bono) Brainstorming reinforce team work, dealing whit other schoolmates, we worked on a presentation about internet security and privacy for this course. It was an amazing experience; we applied the Simplex process after finding our subject. We began our first brainstorming session by finding the problem using trigger question like: what informational resources are we going to use? On what should we focus our research? How are we going to divide the tasks? How can we do a good presentation? The next meeting, after gathering as much relevant information as possible, we shared our result to let everyone aware of the content of the presentation, the main idea was to make a team work and not to just let everyone work on his own or it will create an heterogenic presentation. And we arise more questions about the planning and preparing the framework of our slides. The next time we met, we finalized the slides of our presentation and started preparing to face the audience. Hopefully no problem oc curred between the group and a nice atmosphere was created, I allowed us to get more familiar with each other and a better understanding of others point of view and way of thinking. Finally when the day of the presentation came, it was time for action, some of us were a little bit frighten and anxious but it all collapsed when the show began. It all went smoothly, we were mastering our research and audience, most of them werent aware of the content we were exposing, so we kept their attention for the whole hour. I really enjoyed this experience and Im ready to do as much possible team work using a structured method like the simplex process. Decision tree and Statistics A decision tree is a tree in which each branch node represents a choice between a number of alternatives, and each leaf node represents a classification or decision. In decision analysis, a decision tree can be used to visually and explicitly represent decisions and decision making. In data mining, a decision tree describes data but not decisions; rather the resulting classification tree can be an input for decision making. This page deals with decision trees in data mining. Data mining approaches to my course name database analysis and design, I read a book about it and found it really interesting because it deals with economic situation and that rimes with money. I was planning on continuing my studies threw the database analysis area and I will be dealing with decision tree a lot, so having a first look of it in my first years of college get me a quick touch to it.For example, we might have a decision tree to help a financial institution decide whether a person should be offered a loan: http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/%7Ebillw/cs9414/notes/ml/06prop/id3/dtree.gif Expected monetary value is a value based on probability that factors in all possible monetary outcomes of a given situation. The value is reached by multiplying the percentage of each possibility occurring by the monetary loss or gain associated with that outcome. At that point all of those values, positive and negative, are combined to reach the expected monetary value. This calculation is a valuable tool for those tasked with making a decision involving several possible outcomes, as it represents the most statistically accurate estimation of the eventual result. In order to calculate the EMV of a situation you should follow these steps: Define the alternative actions you are choosing from. These are labeled a1-ai. Define the states of nature which the is variable that will affect the various outcomes of a. These are labeled s1-sj. Set up a payoff table. List a1-ai as the columns and s1-sj as the rows. Fill in the values for each a and s option. Each value is the expected payoff for that occurrence (hence the name payoff table). Determine the probability for each s value. Find the EMV for each a value. Use the formula EMV(ai) = (s1 X ai) + + (sj X ai) Another notion was introduced: descriptive statistics. Basically it was some new math calculation like the average, the mean, the mode, the median, the range and the interange. Most of these feature have been familiar with me because I did some applied math to economy, however I had a blur vision of the bias until I start overdoing exercises about it at home. Then we continued on measure of variation, introducing the variance, the standard of deviation and variance of uncertainty. Conclusion Here we are, after 2 months of courses , I learn a lot threw these course and enjoyed myself attending it, writing this reflective essay really help me put thing into retrospective. My technical ability for the course is more than average and I intend to keep practicing to survival in this jungle called university. I found some energy to fight back and overcome this nonchalance that that keep me avoiding important thing and not managing my time wisely. Its time to act now. Finally, I still have hard time to believe I finally did it, just few words before the gargantuan milestone of 2Â  500 words, never thought I would have finish it in time and having fun doing it. It reveals writing skills that I never tough existed and learning so much about myself during the process. Putting everything on the paper helps you to draw a perfect picture of a period of time which helps you modifying your weakness and evaluating your evolution. Thank you for the reading; it was a pleasure to write it.

Technicolor Styles Essay -- Music Analysis

From humble, shy beginnings, the singer-songwriter Adam Young, now most famed for his project known as Owl City, has risen to become a well-renowned techno-pop artist. Young’s career as a musician and lyricist began in his home in Owatonna, Minnesota, where he worked on composing lyrics and sounds in his parents’ basement as a side hobby after a day of work at the Coca-Cola warehouse (Bonham). He initially posted his products of creativity and inspiration on Myspace in 2007, sharing the works that came to be part of his self-released Owl City EP known as Of June (Universal Music Publishing Group). His full-length debut as Owl City came in 2008, when Young digitally released his album, Maybe I’m Dreaming (Universal Music Publishing Group). Young’s popularity spread much further with the release of Owl City’s first official album, Ocean Eyes, in 2009 (Universal Music Publishing Group), and the album’s single, â€Å"Fireflies,† reached th e Billboard’s number one spot twice during its initial release (Sisario). In an interview with Chad Bonham from Whole Notes, Young revealed the inspiration he receives from his self-proclaimed â€Å"anti-social† lifestyle and his Christian faith in his songwriting (Bonham). Young’s music has reached thousands of fans, both in the United States and in other parts of the world as well (Sisario). From mellow melodies to catchy rhythms, Young’s sound has captured the fervor of fans all over the nation. Yet, as popular as his sound is, the words of Adam Young’s songs are of equal merit and creativity. The words and messages of these songs alone convey the variety with which Young composes. Such songs as the romantic works â€Å"On the Wing† and â€Å"If My Heart Was a House,† the inspiring works â€Å"This Is the Future† and â€Å"G... ...d. Web. 16 May 2012. Sisario, Ben. â€Å"From Mom’s Basement to the Top of the Chart.† New York Times on the Web. 20 Nov. 2009. 16 May 2012. Young, Adam. â€Å"Dental Care.† Ocean Eyes. Universal Republic Records. 2009. Young, Adam. â€Å"Galaxies.† All Things Bright and Beautiful. Universal Republic Records. 2011. Young, Adam. â€Å"If My Heart Was a House.† Ocean Eyes: Deluxe Edition. Universal Republic Records. 2009. Young, Adam. â€Å"On the Wing.† Maybe I’m Dreaming. Universal Republic Records. 2008. Young, Adam. â€Å"Plant Life.† All Things Bright and Beautiful. Universal Republic Records. 2011. Young, Adam. â€Å"This Is the Future.† Maybe I’m Dreaming. Universal Republic Records. 2008.

Iron Crowned Chapter 6

I glanced around uneasily. I knew there had to be guards on watch in the garden and wondered what it would take for them to come tackle a crazy old woman. Unless she openly jumped me or something, I had a feeling I was on my own. â€Å"Unless your power extends to some kind of mind control over Katrice, I don't see how that's going to happen,† I said finally. She crooked me a grin. â€Å"No, that's not a gift the gods have chosen to bestow on any of the shining ones. Even they know the limits of mortals.† I pulled the robe more tightly around me. Seeing as I couldn't sleep, I might as well humor her. â€Å"Then what's your plan?† â€Å"You need to find the Iron Crown.† â€Å"The what?† â€Å"The Iron Crown.† She said it in a grand, ominous way †¦ one that really deserved an echo chamber to give it its full effect. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"I'll bite. What's the Iron Crown?† â€Å"An ancient artifact. One worn by the greatest, most powerful leaders in the shining ones' history. Leaders feared by all, who ruled many kingdoms.† â€Å"I have a crown. A few of them.† Only one was my official â€Å"crown of state,† but designers had crafted me others to coordinate with my outfits. â€Å"Not like this one,† she said. â€Å"Let me guess. It's made of iron.† She nodded and looked like she was waiting for me to be impressed. â€Å"Sorry. Like I said, short of mind control power, I'm not going on some magic object quest. My life is already like a Dungeons and Dragons campaign.† Masthera frowned. â€Å"Dragons haven't lived in the Otherworld in centuries.† â€Å"Forget it. Thanks for the, er, advice, but I'm not interested.† I shifted uncomfortably. â€Å"I should really get to bed.† Masthera leaned forward, undaunted. â€Å"You don't understand, Thorn Queen,† she hissed. â€Å"Only a few are capable of completing the tasks required to gain the crown. Most would not even be able to wear it.† That was easy to figure out. â€Å"Right. Because it's made of iron. I don't think an ability everyone already knows I have from being human would be that impressive.† â€Å"Queen Katrice would think so. Many of her people would too. Her armies might revolt. She herself would be afraid and back off.† â€Å"All because of the reputation of a crown that doesn't have any power?† I asked skeptically. â€Å"Where is it?† â€Å"Far away, in a place unknown.† â€Å"Oh good grief. If no one knows where it is, then how am I supposed to get it?† â€Å"That's part of the challenge. Find it, and you end the war.† I eyed her carefully. â€Å"If this is such a great idea, why not bring it to Dorian? Your king?† â€Å"He knows of it,† she agreed. â€Å"He's old enough to remember the legends. But he couldn't wear it. Only you.† Now she eyed me carefully. â€Å"Your father sought it – and failed.† I stiffened, my voice turning to ice. â€Å"Is this part of the prophecy? Some way of marking me as the conqueror's mother? Is it something I'm supposed to give to my hypothetical son?† â€Å"No,† she said. Her demeanor turned humble, but those eyes still looked shrewd. â€Å"It is merely a means to help you end your war.† â€Å"I've heard enough of this ridiculousness.† I stood up. â€Å"I'm going to bed.† Masthera started to call after me as I strode away but then bit off her words. I wondered if she had accepted my refusal or simply feared the guards' responding to continual harassment of me. I returned to Dorian's room and slipped back into bed with him. His arm unconsciously wrapped around me, and although it took a while, my troubled mind finally calmed enough to allow me some brief sleep. It was his movements that woke me a few hours later. I sat up in bed, watching as he dressed. Through the windows, the sky was barely a pinkish purple. â€Å"You're going to meet the armies already?† I asked quietly. From a chaise, he lifted a breastplate made of fine copper chain. Normally, he had attendants dressing him, and I knew he was doing it alone so that a group of people traipsing through his room wouldn't wake me. Watching him fumble at fastening it, I hurried over to help. â€Å"Katrice's forces will attack as soon as they have enough light. They may have already. It's only the unfamiliar terrain that stopped them from doing it overnight.† I finished hooking the chainmail, trying not to think about how rare it was for him to wear any sort of armor. It was a sign of the danger he walked into, even if he avoided the front lines. â€Å"I wish you weren't going.† He gave me that easy smile and rested his hands on my bare hips. â€Å"Me too. I'd much rather be back in bed with you. Stay a couple hours. I'm sure I'll be right back.† That brought a smile to my lips, though I felt no humor. â€Å"Yes, I'm sure that's all it'll take.† He released me and turned to a cabinet on the wall. Opening it, he revealed a number of weapons. One of them was an exquisitely made copper sword, crafted by a metalsmith in my employ named Girard. Dorian touched it reverently, then slipped it into a scabbard he fastened around his waist. While dangerous in and of itself, the sword possessed an extra threat because of Dorian's connection to the earth and its elements. He could infuse it with power. â€Å"Dorian †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I hesitated, afraid to ask my next question. â€Å"Have you ever heard of the Iron Crown?† â€Å"Of course.† He finished fastening the scabbard and glanced back up at me. â€Å"Why?† â€Å"I ran into a woman named Masthera last night, who told me about it.† â€Å"Ah, Masthera,† he said fondly. â€Å"Every court should have a seeress. Her predictions are right about half the time – which is quite remarkable. You should see the farce of a seer they've got over in the Maple Land. I'd be humiliated to keep someone like that around.† â€Å"Hey, focus,† I chastised. â€Å"This Iron Crown. Masthera claims it could end the war. That by winning it and proving our – er, my – power, I could make Katrice back down.† The smile faded as Dorian frowned, looking deep in thought. â€Å"That's a very real possibility. And you could wear it, couldn't you?† A sense of wonder lit his words. â€Å"The iron wouldn't bother you. In legends, some shining ones could wear it through strength and force of will. But you'd need none of that. It'd just be in your nature.† I could hardly believe he was speaking about this seriously. â€Å"And you think she's right? This crown – with no power except a reputation – could end the war?† â€Å"Well, it's not the crown's reputation, exactly,† he said. â€Å"It's the reputation you gain by fighting the many obstacles to get it. Show you can do it, and you show your power.† It was similar to what Masthera had said. â€Å"If others have possessed it – â€Å" â€Å"Not for ages,† he interrupted. â€Å"Okay, even if it hasn't been for ages †¦ why would I have to quest for it? Wouldn't the last owner have just kept it around? Passed it through the family?† His smile came back. â€Å"It doesn't work that way. The crown won't stay with anyone unworthy. Once its owner passes, it returns to its home – a home that kills many who seek it.† â€Å"You didn't answer the earlier question,† I pointed out. â€Å"Could it end the war? Peacefully?† He sighed. â€Å"I don't know. Maybe. But as much as you fear me going out today †¦ I'd worry more about you going after this trinket.† I caught hold of his hand. â€Å"You wouldn't help?† I teased, though I still wasn't buying any of it. His free hand cupped my face. â€Å"I would if I could. And maybe I could. If the legends are true, you pass through iron fields to get to it. Hardly any of the shining ones could do that. I might be able to, with my abilities†¦. I'd stand a better chance than most.† I didn't like the tone of his voice. It sounded as though he was actually considering this. He might connect with the elements of the earth, but iron was still beyond him. â€Å"I could bring Volusian,† I said, wanting to distract him. â€Å"If something happens to him, no harm done, eh?† Dorian's face stayed serious. â€Å"No, the legends are quite clear. The Iron Crown's lair is blocked to the dead.† â€Å"Well, none of it matters,† I said. â€Å"The whole idea is ridiculous.† His face lightened, and he pressed a soft kiss to my lips. â€Å"Which is why I leave now.† My heart sank, knowing the inevitable had arrived. I hurriedly put on my jeans and shirt so that I could see him and the accompanying soldiers off. I knew the armies they would join were massive, but as he rode off toward the rising sun, his group seemed so frighteningly small. When he was out of my sight, I went to summon the rest of my own party. It was time for us to go home. Most had enjoyed their â€Å"night out,† but my mood that morning soon set the tone for our journey back. The one small comfort to my dark morning was that Jasmine hadn't gotten impregnated. Shaya assured me that my sister had never left her sight throughout the night and that Jasmine hadn't actually even tried anything sinister. She had simply been content to be away from my castle. Eyeing her tight iron cuffs and the chains that connected them, I felt a small pang of guilt. I quickly banished it. Those constraints had to stay. After that, it was time for another Tucson jump. I first summoned Volusian and sent him to Dorian's side, both for backup and later reports. I knew Dorian wouldn't welcome my minion, but his having a fighter that couldn't be killed would certainly make me feel better. Once that and other household affairs were settled, I went back to join humanity. The scene at my house was nearly the same as yesterday. A quiet morning, with Tim cooking in the kitchen. Only, today he was dolled up in full costume. â€Å"You're Lakota,† I said, once he'd recovered from the shock of my abrupt arrival. â€Å"What happened to Tlingit?† He shrugged. â€Å"The Tlingit are cool, but your average stereotype-loving tourist expects this.† He wore tassled buckskin pants and a long feathered headdress. His bare tanned chest looked like it had been oiled, and it had beaded necklaces hanging on it. Studying him, I reconsidered. He wasn't true Lakota either. Just some amalgamation of stereotypes, like he'd said. â€Å"Why are you dressed up so early? Morning commuters aren't going to stop for poetry slams.† â€Å"It's Saturday, Eug.† â€Å"Is it?† I asked, startled. My timing was all awry with my double life. â€Å"There's a cultural fest out by the university, just begging to hear my beautiful insights on nature.† He flipped some sunny-side up eggs onto a plate with a flourish. â€Å"A cultural – ?† I groaned. â€Å"Tim, the local tribes will be there. You know they'll try to beat you up again.† He flashed me a grin. â€Å"Be a pal. Come protect me.† â€Å"Can't. Too much stuff to do.† A knock at the back door astonished us both. We didn't get a lot of visitors. Hoping it wasn't a missionary, I opened the door and gaped at what I found. I couldn't have been more surprised if Katrice had come calling. It was Lara. She smiled at my shock. I almost never saw her in the flesh. She worked out of a home office, most of our correspondence being handled by phone and e-mail. â€Å"Come in,† I said, still amazed. She stepped into the kitchen, just as tiny, blond, and cute as I remembered. A big stack of papers was in her arms. â€Å"I don't like the looks of that.† â€Å"It's your – â€Å" Lara came to a halt when she saw Tim. Her eyes widened. He flipped his last egg onto a plate and glanced up at her. His eyes registered equal amazement. And in that charming, con-artist way of his, he instantly slipped into character. â€Å"A beautiful blossom has joined us, her petals brilliant and unfurled in the morning sun.† He was using his awful ‘How, white man' voice. Hastily, he pulled out a chair at the kitchen table. â€Å"Join us. We'll feast and enjoy Mother Earth's bounty together.† Dazed, Lara walked over to the table and sat down, unable to take her eyes off of him – his chest in particular. â€Å"Thank you.† â€Å"It is my honor to – shit! The cinnamon rolls!† Tim dove backward, grabbing a mitt and opening the oven, from which smoke was pouring out. Lara turned to me conspiratorially as he groaned about the state of his baked goods. â€Å"Eugenie, why is there a hot Native American chief cooking in your kitchen?† she whispered. â€Å"Well,† I said, suddenly realizing the two had never actually met. â€Å"He's neither a chief nor Native American. That's Tim.† â€Å"That's what – ?† Her baby blue eyes opened even wider. â€Å"Are you sure?† â€Å"Positive.† Tim meanwhile was scraping blackened bottoms off of his cinnamon rolls. He held one up for my inspection. â€Å"It's fine,† I said. He turned to Lara, putting his smile back on. â€Å"I beg your pardon a thousand times for this unworthy feast I must set before you. Such a delicate, beautiful creature like you deserves – â€Å" â€Å"Oh for God's sake,† I exclaimed. â€Å"Will you cut the bullshit, Tim? This is Lara.† â€Å"This is †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The cinnamon roll dropped off his spatula, back onto the pan. â€Å"Are you sure?† I sighed. Both seemed at a loss for what to say. Lara's mouth moved, no words coming out for several moments. Finally, she blurted out, â€Å"I brought tax paperwork.† Tim swallowed. â€Å"I †¦ That's pretty cool.† I moved past sighing or groaning. Now, I was fighting hitting my head against the table. â€Å"No, it's not. Can we get on with breakfast?† â€Å"I †¦Ã¢â‚¬  Tim finally recovered himself. â€Å"Sure. Of course.† He looked at Lara. â€Å"Do you like eggs and cinnamon rolls?† â€Å"I love eggs and cinnamon rolls.† He promptly built her a plate and handed it over. â€Å"Hey!† I said. He shot me a glare. â€Å"Be patient a sec. We have a guest. You should be more polite – especially since she went to the trouble of doing your taxes.† â€Å"I pay her to do my taxes.† Lara bit into a cinnamon roll. In his daze, Tim had forgotten to cut off the bottom. â€Å"This is the best thing I've ever tasted. How is this even possible?† She gave him a shy smile. â€Å"Good looks and cooking skills.† He smiled back, nearly dropping the plate he handed to me. â€Å"I have all sorts of skills.† â€Å"Oh my God,† I said. Until this moment, I'd thought nothing was more annoying than their phone bickering. I suddenly wished they'd get into an argument now. â€Å"Besides,† he added, joining us with his own food. â€Å"You've got mad tax skills. I could never do that.† â€Å"That's because you don't have an income or actually file taxes,† I said. â€Å"Hey,† he shot back. â€Å"Don't judge. You obviously can't do your own.† â€Å"I don't have to! That's why I pay someone.† With great effort, Lara managed to drag her eyes over to me and remember her job. â€Å"They're all done. I just need you to sign them. I wasn't sure you'd ‘get around to it' if I mailed them.† I nodded. As far as the federal government and state of Arizona were concerned, I was a self-employed contractor who did assorted home repairs. Which wasn't that far from the truth. â€Å"That was really nice of you,† said Tim. â€Å"Taking time out of your Saturday for that.† â€Å"I take my job seriously,† she replied. â€Å"Besides, I didn't have any other plans.† â€Å"Really?† He leaned forward. â€Å"Do you want to go over to the university's cultural festival with me? I'll be reading poetry there.† She gasped. â€Å"I would love that. I bet your people have some really amazing insights on the world.† â€Å"He's not – † I began. Lara turned back to me, her business face on. â€Å"Make sure you sign these while we're gone. And you know your schedule today, right? Three jobs?† â€Å"Yes, yes. While you guys are out slumming with college kids, I'll be fighting for my life.† Tim stood up and set his barely touched plate on the counter. â€Å"We can go whenever you're ready.† She handed him her equally untouched plate. â€Å"I'm ready now. Just let me run to the bathroom first.† The instant she was gone, Tim turned on me. â€Å"Why didn't you tell me she was so nice? All this time, you've let me think she was a total bitch.† â€Å"I've told you a hundred times she wasn't a bitch! You're the one who decided that, after talking to her on the phone. You only think she's nice now because you've seen her and want to get her into bed!† Tim gave me a grave look. â€Å"Eugenie, that is not the kind of woman you have a one-night stand with. She's a goddess among women.† â€Å"Unbelievable,† I said. When Lara returned, I noticed she was wearing lipstick and had neatened her hair. â€Å"All set.† I scowled at the dirty plates Tim had left on the counter. â€Å"Don't forget to do the dishes when you get back!† I called as they headed out the door. â€Å"Don't forget to earn a living while we're gone!† he called back. â€Å"This mortgage doesn't pay itself.† â€Å"Neither do you,† I muttered. But they were already gone, lost in the throes of infatuation. Considering all the things that had happened in my life, you'd think nothing could surprise me anymore. Clearly, I was wrong. Turning around, I set to washing the dishes myself, deciding that kicking some supernatural ass was exactly what I needed.

Success Plan

Running Head: My Success Plan UNIV100-3104B-13 Colorado Technical University For: Professor Bryant Neal Phase 5 IP By: Amber Light Date: 12/19/2011 Abstract Finding a plan is a fundamental key to college success. What works for me might not necessarily work for the next person. This will require me to know myself and my learning capabilities. The following paper will guide me to my overall plan to succeed in college. I will be able to realize my strengths and weakness, along with recognizing obstacles that will come up that may create barriers for me to complete the task at hand. While I know that the road to success is not easy and curves will be thrown my way, having a solution to those curves will straighten the road again, making it only that much easier to see that the end is near. By knowing these things in advance it will only better my odds of achieving my short and long term goals that I will set. Success Strategy Plan Step 1: Student Success Strategies Choosing to attend college means that you are choosing to make a commitment, being a college student is a full time job. Between assignment deadlines, posting on discussion boards, listening/taking part in live chats, or reading your weekly chapters you can imagine the stress loads start piling up; but especially if you already have a busy schedule. I am a full time single mother. I have an amazing three year old, that I live for and I will die for. He is my inspiration and motivation all wrapped up in one. While he will help me through my journey (because I want to be a better person for him, and having an education leads to being a better person), he will also always come first to a higher learning. Having a strong motivation is of utmost importance to finding a reason to succeed in college. My motivation is simple, I stare at him every minute I can. On top of attending school and raising a child, I am also employed full time as a customer service manager at a local grocery store. While my attentions are to scale down on the number of hours I work, I also am getting called weekly to help fill other shifts. As a result, I have had to learn to deal with managing my time more effectively. One of the things I found was that with an increased amount of things biding for my time, I tend to forget a lot of them unless I write them down. If I don’t write down what I need to do, I almost certainly forget. Thus, owning and using a planner is probably the best way to manage one’s time. I have also found that there are just too many things going on in my life to possibly do everything (i. e. family events, outings with friends). Therefore, it is important to be able to say â€Å"no,† and not over-commit myself. Remembering that studying is a top priority, and sticking to making school work higher on the â€Å"to-do† list than all the fun things I could be doing instead is extremely difficult. Making school a priority and structuring other activities around that will almost inevitably equate to a higher GPA, more success, and a richer, more rewarding time in college. Of course, I also need to remember that having fun is important to staying healthy. All work with no play leads to burnout, not necessarily success. Therefore, I will plan to have one day a week where my plan will involve nothing to do with work or school. I can concentrate on having a good day with my most amazing son. By incorporating these strategies into my life I am assured to reach my long term goal of finishing school and obtaining that all important piece of paper; a degree. Motivation is the key factor in the success of anything. If you aren’t motivated, you seriously need to ask yourself why you are going through the stresses of completing it. Once you have found a motivation, managing your time effectively becomes crucial to your success. Successful time management means you’re able to incorporate all of the tasks you are tackling, while doing it to the best of your ability. After finding the best possible way to manage my time, it is necessary for me to have some fun. This is not only for my sanity, but also for the pleasure of my son. He still needs to be the focus of my livelihood. His happiness involves doing fun things with his Mommy. Success in these three areas will undoubtedly create a beneficial road for leading to my end goal. I had a strong inclination from the beginning of what it will take for me to be successful. The biggest struggle for me will be learning to live on less income. I have already reduced the amount of hours I am working on a regular basis, but how will I learn that I can’t buy the items I am normally used to having. When my friends come to me and say, â€Å"Amber, let’s go out tonight† will I be able to say I can’t because I don’t have the means. I will have to stay strong and true to my budget in order to make this area of my life balance in a way that is beneficial to my success in school. I know the type of person I am may lead to me saying, â€Å"Just work more. † But I also know that the least stressed I feel about completing projects/schooling, the better off the outcome of those assignments I am completing. It seemed as though there were quite a few students that were in the same boat as me, very busy schedules and trying to dedicate themselves in a few different directions. The most repetitive response was â€Å"don’t forget to create time for you. † I have always been a selfless person, putting me first has never been a priority. I think occasionally doing this will most definitely lead to me being a more successful student. I just have to remember that putting me first will lead to a better life for my son also. Success Strategy Plan Step 2: Self-Assessment & Goal-Setting Strengths Self-motivation has never been hard for me. However, things have happened in my life that has stalled my finishing school. I have been on a steady track to improving some aspects of my life for a quite a while now, but it wasn’t until I had my son that I really focused on what I needed to do to become a better person. In order for me to set the examples I want my son to follow in, I needed to finish school. Sometimes having that inner motivation isn’t enough, you need it thrown in front of you to realize how important something is. My son gives me that extra drive to be the best I can be, because I never want to fail him. Being a learner is a choice. I always enjoyed school and enjoyed doing well in school. Having a love for learning is something that will always give me that drive to continue to learn, wanting to learn will in turn lead to success. It’s a drive that not every individual will have, but choosing to be a life learner is part of the success of being a good student. Choosing to take online classes takes discipline, organization, and focus. Knowing when to study is a key to success in these classes. It is not the right time when the whole family is coming over, or your three year old is just coming home from school. Scheduling time out for your studying will only better your chances to doing well in school. Focusing is a key to understanding what you are learning. If you cannot focus, you will not comprehend. I am in tuned with my learning habits, I know what works best for me when trying to learn: scheduling. Sticking to what I already know, will only better my chances of finishing my degree. Developing this on a weekly basis will help me manage my time to the best of my ability, so that at the end of the week barring any major setbacks I am not going to be struggling to get something completed. Procrastination is the biggest enemy when it comes to being successful at school. Weaknesses Perfectionism is my downfall, a task that should only take me 30 minutes (like creating price signs at work), can take me 1 – 2 hours. Luckily, I am strong at multitasking so I am doing more than just this one task. It slows me down tremendously. Therefore, I have to be that much more in tuned with my weekly schedule so that my perfectionism doesn’t lead to me not completing task in a timely matter. This trait leads to another weakness, stubbornness. I develop in my head what I expect something to be, and won’t stop until I get it there. Stubbornness at times can also be iewed as strength because I am unwilling to accept anything that doesn’t equal what I want so it gives me that extra drive to succeed. The most troubling weakness I carry is my shyness. It’s strange I am not shy when it comes to dealing with things that I am really comfortable with, but put me in an uncomfortable situation and I clam up. This is probably due in part to my perfection ism as well because I am scared to make a mistake, or in part say something that doesn’t come out perfectly. It’s all in part of being comfortable in my own skin. Knowing that what I do is the best that I can do. If I give it 110% that is all I can ask for, and if it’s not to my Professors standards than I simply need to take the criticism he/she gave me and use it toward making my next assignment/test positive. Opportunities Opportunities present themselves to me on a daily basis. If you don’t take advantage of the opportunities given to us there is no one to blame but yourself. I have been blessed with a very strong family unit. They amaze me day in and day out. Without the unconditional loving support of my family I definitely wouldn’t be where I am at today. Regardless if it is picking my son up from school because I am at work, or taking my son so I can concentrate on school for a few hours; if I ask for help they come running. I can always count of them; it is their goal to see me succeed as well. The school itself provides students with the ability to succeed. They offer so many different options through the virtual campus to find help. Whether it is through the learning labs, tutoring, or advisors there really is no excuse to being confused. There are outlets to all issues you may be having. Taking advantage of these opportunities will only help lead me to further success. Many people forget that our Professors are there for asking questions. The most successful people are people that aren’t afraid to ask for help. Our teachers aren’t the only ones we should ask questions from, the other students in my classes are most likely to be just as smart as me, I won’t underestimate their ability to help with any questions I may have. Their past experiences may help in issues I am having. The college makes it easy to access both teachers and students by utilizing an instant messaging system. Obstacles, Barriers, and Threats I am a mother and a mother first. Things will arise with raising my son, which will no doubt interfere with my plans at times. How I deal with this is a choice that will affect the outcome of my schedule (plan). There aren’t many times of the week that I plan on doing the bulk of my studying while I am physically parenting my son. I plan on doing as much of it as possible when he is either at school or sleeping, so hopefully this doesn’t cause a threat as much as it could. The toughest barrier I will need to overcome to be successful in college is finances. Being a single mother, I was living pay check to pay check as it was. I feel it is necessary to decrease the amount of time I am spending at work to make up for the amount of time I am putting into school, so that my time with my son is basically not affected at all. How will I manage things now, if it was so hard then? I have to learn to cut many things out of my life that I was used to indulging in. Although it will be hard to do, giving up a little now will be a small sacrifice for what I get in return. Changing things that I have been doing for the past 10-15 years will be hard. But I know that the benefit of a degree may make the difference between living comfortably or living stretched pay check to pay check. Short Term and Long Term Goals Goals can be anything you want to accomplish — personal, academic, social, you name it. Goals are important because they help you get what you want, improve your performance, keep you focused, stay on track and can even get you motivated. Many people who are successful in school and at work set goals to get what they want. My long term goals will help set up my short term goals, in order to achieve my long term goals my short term goals will ave to be set. My ultimate priority is to receive a Master’s in Business Administration Management degree with an emphasis is Healthcare Administration Management. To get there, I need to get an Associate’s degree in Business Administration, and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. The reward is simple; self-satisfaction. I will be able to show my son how important it is to make good, solid choices in life and the rewards of a healthy lifestyle those choices will give you. My first short term goal is to receive my AA is Business Administration. The timeline for completion is May 2013. Although, this seems a distance away, two years will fly by. I hope to complete this degree with honors. Doing something and doing something well are two different things in my book. I feel I have the ability to complete my education at a high level. It’s all about the effort I put in. When I complete this task I will undoubtedly be taking a strong step towards my long term goal. Completing this task will give me a big boost of confidence in knowing that I can really do it. I can juggle all the life is handing me. What doesn’t kill us will only make us stronger. I don’t necessarily need a purchased reward from completing this; I think that confidence obtained is reward enough. After completing my AA, I will continue to receive my Bachelor’s degree. I don’t have an exact date this will be received; I assume that it will be another 2-year degree. As the perfectionist that I am, I hope to complete it at a high standard; and with hard work and determination I am positive that I am capable of this. Once I complete this goal I will have a strong chance of taking a pretty good position in the field I am going into. This will be my reward. Right now my work schedule is all over the place, I work day shifts and swing shifts. Having a set schedule will be so rewarding. The road to success in my goals will be one of my toughest challenges yet. It will take hard work and determination to complete my schooling. By taking advantage of the strengths and tools available to me while being aware of weakness and barriers that may present themselves to me, it will be harder for me to fail than it will be for me to succeed. Success Plan Step 3: What I Have Learned This course is guiding me to take a step in the right direction. I am learning to use the abilities that I have in the correct way to be successful in school. I have rediscovered applications that I haven’t used in many years (Microsoft PowerPoint), relearned some key factors in math, writing, and reading from the MyLabs, and learned the fundamentals of APA writing. Probably the most useful thing I gained from this class was the confidence that this can be accomplished with my busy schedule. I am hoping that taking on two classes won’t completely overwhelm me, but I think I have come up with a solid plan that should help me succeed. MyFoundationsLabs modules definitely created a love-hate relationship with me. I appreciated the fact that it was bringing fundamental keys to basic educational areas that I needed to work on or remember, but I also got very frustrated with some of the instruction on the modules, and the tediousness of some of the modules. I made some silly mistakes in the actual test, which I really knew the answer to but made a small mistake; so having to go completely through a module seemed a little redundant. Overall, though I appreciate what this lab has done for me and the preparation it is giving me for my future classes. Success Strategy Plan Step 4: Looking to the Future Organization helps you work faster, more efficiently, helps you to portray a professional attitude and can make you feel less frantic and more optimistic about your education. This success plan that we have created helps us get organized. By following the guidelines this plan has set forth there are no excuses to failure. It has set the path for us to discover a way to find and reach our ultimate goal, for me that is receiving my Masters in Business Administration Management with a focal point in Healthcare. In today’s society there are so many other things that I either want to do or have to do, and finding the time to accomplish those tasks are far and in between. By using this plan I will be able to prioritize and organize to be more efficient and effective in these areas as possible. Having a plan makes anything possible. School has always come naturally for me; it was finding how to fit everything else in that created the struggles. Long ago, I figured out a method that works for me and it has yet to fail me. I know what it takes for me to complete my classes to my standards, and will take nothing less than that. I figure out a schedule that works for me, and dedicate myself to staying as tight to that schedule as possible. Of course, things will come up, but straying too far from the course I had laid out does not work. Having an outline of how I will complete my task above and beyond the expectations is the key. I look forward to the journey of completing my education. I believe whole-heartedly that we are not given anything that we cannot handle. So therefore, I will take what is thrown my way and run with it. I have taken the first steps forward, and I will not look back. The end of the road is near.