Sun and Late Evening Light

Not a cloud sailed on that particular Sunday evening. The climbers, John and Mary had reached the tops of the cliffs as the sun was setting. They looked over the town to one side and the water on the other. The whole scene appeared strikingly beautiful in the late evening light, for it was sunset. Their hearts began to fill with emotions as the vast open sky started to turn from a baby blue to an autumn red, the clouds changed from cotton white to a flaming yellow orange giving the clouds a fluorescent laser lined effect.Birds chirped melodiously while flying away to their homes in the pleasant breeze, they too enjoying the spectacular sight. The crystal clear water sparkled like diamonds. Everything was almost still and the effect of the light made the scene look like one in a painting. It was so perfect. The climbers gazed upon the picturous scene as the autumn sky turned darker. The sun seemed to be at peace, making the climbers feel good and warm.The sun slowly began to fade away , as if it were about to fall off the edge of the water. John and Mary suddenly began to feel alive as they sat on the hill to take in the epic event right before them, they felt alive, reborn and inspired. They slowly watched the autumn red sun disappear behind the murky blue sea and said to themselves, what a glorious sunset. One that would be etched in their memories for life.

Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9

The Symphony No. 9 is the last complete symphony by the great Ludwig van Beethoven, composed while he was completely deaf. Considered as one of Beethoven's greatest masterpieces, Symphony No. 9 is perhaps the best known compositions of romantic music.It is scored for strings, 2 oboes, 2 flutes, 2 clarinets in B-flat and C, piccolo (fourth movement only), 2 bassoons, contrabassoon (fourth movement only), timpani, triangle (fourth movement only), bass drum (fourth movement only), cymbals (fourth movement only), 3 trombones (alto, tenor, and bass, second and fourth movements only), 2 horns (3 and 4) in B-flat (bass), 2 horns (1 and 2) in D and B-flat, and 2 trumpets in D and B-flat. Symphony No. 9 also has vocal parts, consisting of baritone solo, soprano solo, tenor solo, alto solo, and a choir in four parts – bass, alto, soprano, and tenor (which is divided briefly into Tenor I and Tenor II).Beethoven shows in Symphony No. 9, as in his other symphonies, an exceptional gift for communication. Here, he radiated a supreme directness that makes the symphony totally accessible. The absolute emotional power in this symphony is readily understood and the revolutionary compositional ideas that make up the symphony are easily appreciated.It is revolutionary on many levels: rhythmic, melodic, harmonic, formal, emotional, and self-expressive. It is interesting in that it breaks with time-honored distinctions and conventions and to give precedence to Beethoven’s expressive desires and needs and desires. The ethereal, monumental, and triumphant emotion reflected in the Ninth Symphony is surprising given the energetic humor of Symphony No. 1, the worrying â€Å"fate knocking on the door† opening of Symphony No. 5, the pastoral reflection in Symphony No. 6.Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 is truly is among the greatest achievements of the human spirit. Symphony No. 9 is in four movements: the first movement is marked as allegro ma non troppo, un poco maes toso; the second movement as molto vivace, the third movement is marked as adagio molto e cantabile; and the fourth movement as presto/recitative. Beethoven’s arrangement adopts a somewhat unusual Classical pattern, with the scherzo movement in second position, instead of the normal third position.The symphony’s first movement is in sonata form, which follows a formal model that had guided the artist throughout his career. In general, the mood is stormy and bleak. A striking moment here is the commencement of the recapitulation section, which as opposed to literally repeating the pianissimo opening bars in D minor, it shifts to fortissimo D major, a key change which surprises many listeners, ironically, as expressing awe or terror. A scherzo, the second movement is in D minor.The theme in the opening echoes the theme of the first movement. The second movement is noteworthy for its timpani solos and propulsive rhythm. The third movement has the deeply felt and lyrical s low movement, in B-flat major. His movement is written in a loose variation form, with each of the two variations dividing the basic beat to produce a more elaborate melodic configuration than what went before – the first is in 4/4 time and the second is in 12/8 time.A virtuosic horn solo assigned to the fourth player is also notable in the third movement. Symphony No. 9 is famous for its choral finale, which has awed many listeners as somewhat rambling. Within the fourth movement are four movements. However, this final movement in the symphony is different from an independent symphony due to its thematic unity. Every part is based on either the main theme, the â€Å"Seid umschlungen† theme, or some combination of the two themes.

Managing organisational design and change Essay

Managing organisational design and change - Essay Example The report will include an immediate action list and a longer term plan for improvement of the organisation. This report will also attempt to suggest and establish the best way the organisation can effectively utilize the strategic changes that can be implemented to ensure better performance in the manufacturing of Office System 2010 (OS 2010). There is also need to identify the agendas of the stakeholders for the initiative to be successful. Attention in this case will be on the need to sustain organisational change which requires aspects like organisational learning whereby the workers can be re-orientated through provision of basic training and development which would be closely monitored upon implementation in order to improve their performance so as to guarantee quality of the products offered. 1.1 Description of the organisation’s current strategic quality and operational performance Technology Limited (Comm Tech) is an organisation which produces electronic office and b usiness equipment. Comm Tech is number three in the UK in terms of market share, number ten in Europe but still has to establish significant sales in the wider world market. The company has of late invested heavily over the years in the areas of research and development and in proto-type design which has seen designs of several successful products. The current business strategy for the company is primarily focused on developing a range of high quality products that would underpin penetration of the wider world markets and business growth. Concern is on growing business as quickly as possible in this particular case. Comm. Tech has sought to utilise the competitive advantage strategy but as going to be described in detail, it can be noted that this strategy is posing some serious challenges to its operational performance. Porter (1985) has suggested that many businesses are strategically viable such that their competitors may not be able to exceed their performance and he termed this state of affairs competitive advantage. Such stable status can be achieved only when they apply certain strategies that can hardly be imitated by the rival competitors. Porter (1985) has argued that a firm needs to have sustainable competitive advantages. Kotler and Armstrong (2004) concur with this notion when they suggest that competitive advantage is an advantage gained over other competitors by offering consumers greater value either by lowering prices or providing more benefits that justifies higher prices. There are mainly two sources of competitive advantage namely; cost advantage and differentiation as illustrated in the diagram below. Through Porter’s generic strategies, a ‘Cost Leadership’ strategy is where a firm seeks to be a low-cost producer in the industry whereas ‘Differentiation’ is when a firm seeks to be unique in the industry through offering products that are highly valued by the customers. Fig 1. Porter’s Generic strateg y model Competitive Advantage Source: In this particular

Journal opinion article Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Journal opinion article - Essay Example The article of Scism and Tergesen Getting Smart about Annuities attempts to address the economic issue in the U.S economy. The authors attempt to reveal the changes in the stock market because of the shift from defined benefits to pension plans contribution in the U.S economy. Annuity markets have started expanding but the slow economic growth in the global market has become a major problem. Annuity refers to the payment made for life insurance or it is simply referred as the U.S financial products; thus the article attempts to address the way consumers can become elegant about annuities. Annuity issue has become among the most aspects for the recent decades because of the need to improve the quality of life (Scism and Tergesen para. 1). Although financial advisers have not been popular with annuities, it has become one of the hot products in the U.S market. The products do not offer the potential for outsized gains but there is a guarantee for some benefits (Scism and Tergesen para. 3). Consumers need to be smart when dealing with these products because there are some associated risks that may arise including investment losses but it appears that annuities have irrefutable appeal. At first, annuity offers a way for restoring some financial security for golden years but there is no clear evidence that retirees with standard paychecks will be happier than those relying on exclusively social security supplement. It appears that annuities will not offer contentment to consumers; hence one needs to be smarter before making a decision about life annuity. Moreover, annuities in the contemporary global financial markets have an undeniable appeal for those grappling with investment losses (Scism and Tergesen para. 4). The problem with this is because investors may have a common idea about the importance of annuity but a few of them may recognize the strategies available for making these financial products a part of their assets. Therefore, it is crucial for one to figu re out the total amount of products one needs to purchase maybe whether he or she wants to put money to work immediately or slowly and what to invest with the remaining balance. Scism and Tergesen offer significant and best ways that one should do in order to achieve success or avoid any financial losses (Scism and Tergesen para. 3). One of them is the immediate gratification because immediate annuity can enable one to convert payment for a month, quarterly or yearly income for life. Although most immediate annuities are fixed, immediate annuities can offer considerable higher sustainable revenue than the ones being generated from the venture portfolio. For example, an older a man who purchases an immediate annuity is likely to receive about 8.4 percent of the total amount which he instead (Scism and Tergesen para. 5). This is significant because the payment has interest rates and they are guaranteed to continue increasing for the rest of one’s life. Another way is longevity rider and this is one way of preserving more for purchasing a differed-income annuity (Scism and Tergesen para. 7). This generates an income for life and one may benefit; however, the economists have attempted to argue as to whether it is significant for one to purchase for a longevity rider or conventional immediate annuity. This is in case the financial benefits outweigh the annuity pool; thus one may likely to undergo losses. However,

Progress Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Progress Report - Essay Example She also shows some anticipation for the next step in activities with familiar routine and is beginning to show ability to communicate a desire for activities to continue. Record of Progress Communication and Language Activities experience by the pupil this year Communication underpins every activity that Cristina undertakes at school. She has participated in a range of activities over this year to provide opportunities for her to develop her communication skills. These activities included greetings, end of the day sessions, massage, sensory story, interactive music, and one-to-one interaction sessions with familiar members of the staff. Responding Pupil’s progress Cristina has been working towards developing anticipation of the next step in well-established routines and responds appropriately or consistently to a range of different sensory stimuli. As the year progresses, Cristina has become more consistent in showing anticipation for regular daily activities such as greeting s and her favourite weekly sensory story session titled ‘We going on the bear hunt’. A good example is her excellent progress in anticipating for greeting or interactive sessions during Autumn term. She would look at a bottle of essential oil when presented to her by an adult and stay still for a few seconds to smell the oil of the day. She initially smiled broadly when asked whether she wants more of a smell particularly if given plenty of time to respond. During Spring term, she showed ability to recognize the sequence of steps within same activity. She has also begun exploring the drum positioned under her hands by making small finger movement especially if encouraged verbally by adults to perform a task. Over the time, she has learnt to prolong the activity by trying hard to continue her small hand movement in exploring this musical instrument especially with prolonged one-to-one interaction she gets from an adult at such times. She has also begun to get less startl ed if adult leading the activity use a countdown such as ‘one, two, three’ when introducing noisy objects, such as drum. Recently, she began to vocalise when asking for a tune to say hello, although she is not yet consistent and will need more time to consolidate this skill. During the sensory story sessions, she has shown ability to anticipate certain familiar routines, especially if an adult used the phrase ‘ready, steady†¦go’. She would for example anticipate for water spray by turning head and looking at an adult shaking a thunder maker for brief moment of 2-3 seconds. She would also smile when activities were accompanied by ‘ready, steady†¦go’. On some occasion, she would actively turn her head towards rainmaker and tracked torch light on the black material other than just smiling or stilling in response. Interacting Pupil’s progress Cristina has been working towards developing her interaction skills with familiar and less familiar adults and shows ability to distinguish between them. Cristina remained interested when adults interacted with her and continued to smile or became animated when the adult talked to her. She responded best during one-to-one intensive sessions when familiar members of staff interacted with her. She showed a clear awareness of the presence of others and would at times smile when chatting to a class staff member. She has also responded with various facial expressions and random vocalizations. She has learnt to accept physical contact from familiar and

Power and Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Power and Politics - Essay Example Since political legitimacy is define as the extent to which citizens regard the state, its institutions, personnel, or policies are morally or acceptable. On their situation it is difficult and somewhat impossible, to acquire legitimacy as to their response since there is no economic growth , no major political parties to lend stability and continuity for their public policy and also there is no dominant leader since Lucien have resigned and gone away leaving them no authority's to enjoy. An opportunity doesn't come always. People's tendency when given an opportunity is to grab it immediately. But in Michaels situation, there is a big confusion, but remember that Michael have the patience , for he waits for this opportunity for about 2 years though not that long, so this is the chance for him. Since he has a stellar brand results and strong track record that might help him gain the position though there is competition between Danielle Harcourt and him. But let him face it. The will to fight for the position is great emblems of braveness that leaders should possess. He must consider his fellows and help his company gain legitimacy under him. What he needs to do must be for the common good. Not only for his personal progressions but same with his people. Michael should take the China opportunity but let us consider the practicality regarding its job location. If he is an origin of New York and lives there with its culture, it's better for him to stay. If he do really w ants to go too to China as his aspiration, he may go and be a settler for time. Michael enters and performs the Elitism power. He will manned a top hierarchy or elite; for he is one of the powerful individuals of high status which enhanced by prestige or salient position within the hierarchy of the power structure constituting him as an elite. 1) He must provide political stability which makes possible of the continuity of public expectation and government performance essential to the political process. 2) He must impose democracy making possible of the meaningful and wide spreads participation of citizens in the definition of public policy. Cultures matters most surviving of Michael in china is basely difficult. Since he is not aware of china's culture and tradition regarding business of people there. Michael must provide the following: (outline) 1) Goal a) improving the business production b) transaction (deals and orders) c) increase sales 2) Controlling the people a) assign task b) improved leadership with them 3) Hire a) high qualitative persons b) Flexible and hardworking individuals 4) Implement a democratic socialism government a) Authoritarian b) Presidential form Bibliography Rodee C. et al. (1983) Introduction to political Science. USA: Mc

Bussiness plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bussiness plan - Essay Example Diamond B will receive start-up funding from a Colorado lending institution, namely a commercial bank, requesting a loan for $50,000 to cover start-up and miscellaneous expenses. The following represents the start-up needs for Diamond B: Diamond B will operate inside of lower-cost strip mall space, in a centralized location, with over 1,200 square feet of retail space. This was chosen to avoid the high start-up costs of building new constructions so that more money could be devoted to product variety. This will give Diamond B more flexibility by being in the strip mall and allow the company to expand without concern over the expenses of real estate agents. Diamond B can simply work on a contracted lease that allows for easy exit if the business ever decides to move or expand. On the start-up chart, frozen foods represent the different ice cream bars, sandwich cookies, and fresh frozen pizzas that will be available to customers. Refrigerated items include a variety of sodas, energy drinks, and other dairy products such as milk and cheese that customers of all varieties will require. Non-perishable foods include magazines, cigarette lighters, and other basic convenience products found commonly in this type of store model. Promotions are a high expense on the start-up list as it is necessary for Diamond B to set up a strong brand immediately after launch. The company will use the logo strongly in its promotional materials so that customers have awareness of Diamond B and can recognize it on sight. The Diamond logo will be trademarked for intellectual property reasons and for building a better competitive image. These materials include in-store displays, posters, direct mailing literature sent to random customer households, and other needed advertisements for pre- and post-launch of Diamond B. Computer systems on the start-up list include the different credit card machines that will be needed to perform basic transactions, along with inventory monitoring

Conceptual framework in accounting are useless. Critically evaluate Essay

Conceptual framework in accounting are useless. Critically evaluate - Essay Example In this view, Tinker was in support that accounting is not through which a language to communicate (W Schweiker (1992) Accounting theories are structures that unify a basic logic or a system of reasoning. It is through this reasoning that purely speculative and interpreting decisions that accounting users this are the key stakeholders such as the shareholders use to reach their key decisions making and further analysis is done. The accounting concepts are neither laws no rules they are opinions that have been discussed and agreed to be followed. Their origin dates back to 1971 a certification of SSAP2 which included the going concern concept, the Prudence concept, Accruals and the consistency concept. The going concern concept views a business as a continuous project with no end and it is the value of the business to break it down into bits to be easy in accounting. The first assumption is the economic entity assumption this operates under the banner that the economic activities between the business and the owner is different this does not refer to the final adjustment of many activities as owners t ry to use this principle to their advantage This has been used by managers by hiding a lot of cash in different countries and avoid some checks and balances in their countries (G Morgan (1982). The enticement of tax haven have made it easier for financial users to be denied the chance and They have been able to do this due to the difference in some of principles though the guidance should be based on generally accepted principle. The other assumption of accounting is the going concern which shows out this assumption provides the owner with the assumption that if the business books are reported that the business will continue for the rest of the time and works only to give a picture of a business which has no end. The monetary unit

A Study Of The Predictive Effect Of Pre-Service Teacher Essay Example for Free

A Study Of The Predictive Effect Of Pre-Service Teacher Essay ABSTRACT: This paper aims to examine the relationship between the personal knowledge management (PKM) competency of pre-service teachers and their instructional design skills. Supporting the sustainable development of teachers as professionals in the knowledge society is a critical issue in teacher education. This study attempts to identify an empirical model and a curriculum framework for nurturing pre-service teachers’ PKM competency. Dorsey (2000) PKM skills were adopted for constructing the theoretical framework and the survey instrument. A quasi-experimental research design was used to collect data from pre-service teachers from Hong Kong’s largest teacher education institution. A structural equation model was applied to explore the predictive power of PKM competency on their instructional design. Results show that a four-factor PKM competency model, which consists of retrieving, analyzing, organizing and collaborative skills, was identified as a predictor of instructional design. Use of PKM tools, e-learning activities and collaborative action research for developing pre-service teacher PKM competency are recommended to teaching education institute. Keywords: Personal knowledge management, Pre-service teacher, Teacher education Introduction Rapid advances in technology and communications have greatly accelerated the emergence of information. The increases in the amounts and formats of information available do not automatically make learners more informed or knowledgeable, if a learner cannot manage and meld the accumulation of  information through their daily experience and study to construct knowledge in a systematic fashion. This competency is referred by most literatures (Frand Hixon, 1999; Dorsey, 2000; Wright, 2005) as personal knowledge management (PKM) competency. Developing learners with PKM competency is not simply a lifelong education issue, it is also an important teacher education issue in terms of sustaining a competitive human capital in the knowledge economy. Teacher development is viewed as an ongoing lifelong learning process as teachers strive to learn how to teach learner to learn how to learn (Cochran-Smith Lytle, 1999). The recent education reforms in Hong Kong (Education Commission, 2000) addressed this lifelong education issue by proposing a learning to learn slogan in the policy document. The policy suggests that teachers should develop student learning competence for acquiring knowledge through various methods. To develop students with knowledge acquisition skills, teachers should also be equipped with the competency for knowledge acquisition. However, since publication of the policy paper entitled Information Technology for Learning in a New Era Five-year Strategy that launched IT in education in Hong Kong (EMB, 1998), the Education Bureau has not addressed this issue in any teacher professional development policy documents. Recent calls for consultation on e-learning from the Education Bureau likewise generated additional demand for developing teacher information literacy capable of supporting student learning (EMB, 2004). If the government and teacher education institutions really want to develop competent teachers for the knowledge society, they may consider injecting the elements of personal knowledge management (PKM) into the teacher education curriculum for developing pre-service teachers’ teaching competency. However, little studies on teacher education were attempted to examine the effect of PKM on teacher learning and discussed the possibilities of injecting the element of PKM model into teacher education curriculum. This study aims to construct an empirical model for examining the predictive effect of pre-service teachers’ PKM competency on their instructional design skills and to discuss a personal knowledge management curriculum framework for teacher education institutions. Literature Review A review of the literature related to knowledge management suggests that the development of personal knowledge management (PKM) could be a means of enhancing pre-service teacher professional competency in managing personal knowledge for coping with the acceleration of emerging information. Frand Hixon (1999) define PKM as a conceptual framework to organize and integrate important information such that it becomes part of an individual’s personal knowledge base. Dorsey (2000) emphasizes the importance of injecting PKM into an educational framework for undergraduate education in order to bridge the gap between general education and other subject disciplines. PKM could serve as a framework for integrating general education and majors and as an approach to technology integration initiatives throughout the curriculum. PKM provides learners with both a common language and a common understanding of the intellectual and practical processes necessary for the acquisition of information and its subsequent transformation into knowledge. The significance of exploring PKM may contribute to human cognitive capabilities (Sheridan, 2008). Scholars tend to conceptualize PKM as a set of information skills (Frand Hixon, 1999; Avery et al, 2001), though there is no standard definition or model for PKM. After Frand Hixon (1999) outlined five PKM techniques as searching, classifying, storing distributing, evaluating and integrating skills, Dorsey and colleagues (Avery et al, 2001) broadened the Frand Hixon PKM framework well beyond its formulation. Central to PKM, as clarified by Dorsey, are seven information skills which when exercised together are integral to effective knowledge work. These seven PKM skills are retrieving, evaluating, organizing, analyzing, presenting and securing information and collaboration for creating knowledge. Recently, Pettenati and Cigognini (2009) grouped PKM skills under three intertwined macro-competence categories: creation, organization and sharing. PKM can also be conceptualized as an intertwined macro-competency. Wright (2005) proposes a PKM model that links distinctive types of problem-solving  activities with specific cognitive andmetacognitive, information, social and learning competencies. As a learning competency, PKM enables learners to apply a set of learning skills that are essential to lifelong learning for information processing, knowledge application and decision-making. As a cognitive and metacognitve competency, it enables learners to apply complex thinking skills to solve problems. It is knowledge concerning the learner’s own cognitive processes or anything related to them (Flavell, 1976, p232). As an information competency, it enables learners to link technology tools with a set of information skills, thus providing an intentionality that moves the focus from the technology more directly to the information. As a social competency, its underlying principles include enabling learners to understand others’ ideas, develop and follow through on shared practices, build win-win relationships, and resolve conflicts. PKM integrates human cognitive and metacognitive competency (Sheridan, 2008), social competency (Wright, 2005; Pettenati Cigognini, 2009) and informational competency (Tsui, 2002). Wright (2007) has developed a PKM Planning Guide for developing knowledge worker PKM competency. The guide is based on his research findings that the four interrelated competencies are activated in order to plan PKM training. The training process encourages participants to reflect on their knowledge activities and focus on areas for improvement. If learners know how to control this process, they can internalize information into personal knowledge, creating a foundation for effective learning. Utilizing PKM for acquiring knowledge refers to a collection of information management processes that an individual learner needs to carry out in order to gather, classify, store, search, and retrieve information in his daily activities (Tsui, 2002; Grundspenkis, 2007). In teacher education, knowledge acquisition focuses on the process how teacher apply PKM to support their day-to-day teaching and learning activities: instructional design. Instructional design is closely related to PKM which is also one of the major learning tasks for pre-service teachers. Instructional design is a process that involves determining the current status and needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and creating instructional  and learning strategies to facilitate teaching and learning. There are a wide range of instructional design models, many of them based on the ADDIE model (Seels Glasgow, 1998; Molenda, M., 2003; Strickland, A.W. 2006) which includes the following phases: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. This acronym stands for the 5 phases contained in the model. Knowledge acquisition for instructional design is conceptualized as identifying learner entry skills, formulating instructional objectives, test and design specifications, creating instructional or training materials, making recommendations and preparing a project report for lesson implementation. As instructional design is one of the key components of teacher professional competence, and helps to implement a new curriculum in the information age of the 21st century, exploring the predictive relationships of PKM competency on knowledge acquisition for instructional design becomes key to the development of teacher education. Research Methodology It appears that PKM competency can expand individuals’ knowledge and enhance their learning competency (Davenport, 1997, p146 ; Frand Hixon, 1999). It provides learners with a targeted, reflective and adaptable cognitive framework for inquiry and problem solving. In this study, knowledge acquisition will be conceptualized as the knowledge required for carrying out instructional design. This study attempts to answer the following research questions: 1. What is the empirical factor structure of PKM competency for pre-service teachers? 2. Is there any relationship between the PKM competency of pre-service teachers and their knowledge acquisition for instructional design? This study adopted Dorsey (2000) PKM skills to conceptualize PKM as a competency for acquiring knowledge (see figure 1). A quasi-experimental research design was used in this study to determine the relationship between PKM skills and knowledge acquisition for instructional design. The exogenous variables were pre-service teachers perceptions of their PKM skills. The endogenous variable is knowledge acquisition for instructional design. A  self-response quantitative questionnaire was devised to collect data from the pre-service teachers of Hong Kong’s largest teacher education institution. Figure 1: Theoretical Framework Of The Study The operationalized definitions of Dorsey (2000) PKM skills are as follows: 1. Retrieving skill is the ability of learners to retrieve information from relational databases, electronic library databases, websites, threaded discussion groups, recorded chats, and moderated andunmoderated lists. 2. Evaluating skill is the ability to make judgments on both the quality and relevance of information to be retrieved, organized, and analyzed. 3. Organizing skill is the ability to make the information one’s own by applying ordering and connecting principles that relate new information to old information. 4. Collaborating skill is the ability  to understand others’ ideas, develop and follow through on shared practices, build win-win relationships, and resolve conflicts between these underlying principles. 5. Analyzing skill is the ability to extract meaning from data and convert information into knowledge. 6. Presenting skill is the ability to familiarize with the work of communications specialists, graphic designers, and editors. 7. Securing skill is the ability to develop and implement practices that help to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and actual existence of information. This study adopted ADDIE instructional design model to conceptualize instructional design as a multiple competencies that involves analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation of a lesson (Molenda, 2003; Strickland, 2006). The acronym ADDIE stands for the 5 phases contained in the model. Pre-service teachers’ learning on instructional design is conceptualized by the knowledge and experiences they come across in the 5 phases of ADDIE model including analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation. The learning outcomes include know how to analyse learner characteristics and task to be learned and identify learner entry skills; to design learning objectives and choose an instructional approach; to develop instructional or training materials; implement the lesson and deliver the instructional materials; and to evaluate the lesson plan and recommend the materials achieved the desired goals. The teaching experience that they had gained include determining the current state and needs of the learner, defining the end goal of instruction, and creating some instructional and learning strategies to facilitate teaching and learning. Instructional design is operationalized to the knowledge for: identifying learner entry skills; formulating instructional obJectives, test and designs specifications; creating instructional or training materials; and making recommendations and preparing a project report for lesson implementation (Seels Glasgow, 1998; Molenda, M., 2003; Strickland, A.W. 2006). The questionnaire was based on a number of scales constructed to measure the variables of PKM skills and instructional design. In order to develop valid items for these scales, the researcher conducted a content analysis on the PKM literature of Dorsey (2000), Skyrme (1999). Hyams (2000), and on the instruction design literature of Seels Glasgow (1998), Molenda, M. (2003); and Strickland, A.W. (2006). The questionnaire consists of two sections. Section 1 was used to measure the effectiveness of knowledge acquisition for instructional design based on 4 items. Section 2 contains 21 items designed to measure the teachers’ perceptions of their seven PKM skills. Likert 6 point scales were used in both sections to measure the variables. Likert scales are commonly used in attitudinal research. The Likert scale assumes that the difference between answering agree strongly, and agree is the same as between answering agree and neither agree nor disagree (Likert 1932, quoted in Gay, 1992 ). The data was collected directly from target subjects using the questionnaire. 225 pre-service teachers responded to the survey. Data was collected directly from them by means of the questionnaire. The subjects in the study were pre-service teachers from Hong Kong’s largest teacher education institution. Random sampling was used to collect data from the population. Exploratory factor analysis was carried out on variables using principal factor axis analysis to confirm the constructed validity of the tools (see table 1). The study is interested in a theoretical solution uncontaminated by unique and error variability and is designed with a framework on the basis of underlying constructs that are expected to produce sources on the observed variables. Principal axis factor (PAF) analysis, which aims to reveal the underlying factors that produce the correlation or correlations among a set of indicators with the assumption of an implicit underlying factor model, was applied separately to the items from the learning processes and learning outcomes. Promax rotation, a method of oblique rotation which assumes that the resulting factors are correlated with one other, was applied to extract the factors. An eigenvalue greater than one was used to determine the appropriate number of factors for the factor solutions. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was then applied to  examine the factor structures and the paths among the variables, using Lisrel 8.3 (Joreskog Sorbom, 1999). SEM is a collection of statistical techniques that allows the examination of a set of relationships between exogenous variables and endogenous variables. Findings The results of exploratory factor analysis, presented in Table 1, clearly suggest a four- factor structure for exogenous variables that are both empirically feasible and theoretically acceptable. An eigenvaluegreater than one was used to determine the appropriate number of factors for the factor analysis solution. Items were extracted with factor loadings greater than 0.6 across and within factors. The numbers of factor solutions extracted from a Promax rotation theoretically afforded the most meaningful interpretation. The process used to identify and label the factors that emerged was based on examining the derivation of the highest loading items on each of the factors. The reliability coefficients of the scales ranged from 0.792-0.821, which was judged adequate for this study. The results of descriptive statistics show that the scale means of all the variables are higher than 4.27 within the 6 point-scale, reflecting the participants’ tendency to slightly agree with all the items. The reliability coefficient (Alphas) of the scale for instructional design is 0.854, its scale mean is 4.33 (sd = 0.691).

Road to IELTS General Training Essay Example for Free

Road to IELTS General Training Essay A guide for effective letter writing; an article giving advice for Job interviews Writing (1): Writing (2): Practice exercises for letters giving advice Practice exercises for compositions discussing arguments for and against Speaking: Video clips and practice exercises for talking about a topic in Part 2 of the Speaking Unit 3: Travel, tourism transport Words: Phrases to talk about traffic-related problems and solutions; words and about a tribe of Native Americans Page | 1 www. ClarityEnglish. com Clarity Language Consultants Ltd, 2009 Reading: A brochure about the quickest way to get from Heathrow Airport to central London; an article about backpacking Writing (1): Practice exercises for letters asking for information Writing (2): Practice exercises for compositions giving an opinion Speaking: Video clips and practice exercises for taking part in a discussion in Part 3 of the Speaking Test Unit 4: Environment Words: Words and phrases to talk about environmental problems and geographical features Listening: A conversation about adopting a zoo animal; a lecture about the structure of the Earth Reading: An article about making plastic; an article about a danger to a variety of birds Writing (1): Writing (2): Practice exercises for writing letters of complaint Practice exercises for compositions discussing the causes of a problem and suggesting solutions Speaking: Video clips and practice exercises for answering general questions about yourself in Part 1 of the Speaking Test Unit 5: Art culture Words: Words and phrases to talk about art, cinema, theatre and national treasures Listening: A telephone conversation about booking theatre tickets; a lecture on the history of British cinema Reading: A catalogue from a book store; an article discussing tourist information for Bath, in southwest England Writing (1): Writing (2): Practice exercises for letters giving information Pr actice exercises for compositions exercises for talking about a topic in Part 2 of the Speaking Test Page | 2 www. ClarityEnglish. com Clarity Language Consultants Ltd, 2009 Unit 6: Mass Media Words: Words and phrases to talk about television, newspapers and Jobs in the media Listening: A talk given by a guide to visitors to a media museum; a conversation about news consumption Reading: A brochure about SummerSkill Sydney; an article about the press Writing (1): Practice exercises for writing letters saying thank you Writing (2): Practice exercises for compositions discussing arguments for and against Speaking: Video clips and practice exercises for taking part in a discussion in Part 3 of the Speaking Test Words: Words and phrases to talk about medical conditions and symptoms; food- elated vocabulary; words to talk about the causes, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases Listening: A talk about keeping healthy in winter; a conversation about insects and human diseases Reading: An article about keeping your teeth healthy; an article about food and health myths Writing (1): Writing (2): Practice exercises for letters of apology Practice exercises for compositions g iving an opinion Speaking: Video clips and practice exercises for answering general questions about yourself in Part 3 of the Speaking Test Unit 8: Work business Words: Verbs we use at work and words and phrases to talk about a variety of work- related issues Listening: A talk about writing a CY, a conversation about changes in womens employment Reading: A brochure about working at a funfair; an article about the first ball Page | 3 www. ClarityEnglish. com Clarity Language Consultants Ltd, 2009 Writing (1): Writing (2): Practice exercises for letters of application Practice exercises for compositions discussing the causes of a problem and suggesting solutions Speaking: Video clips and practice exercises for talking about a topic in Part 2 of the Speaking Test Unit 9: Society ; social issues Words: Words and phrases to talk about social issues and crime and punishment Listening: A telephone conversation between a student and a campus security officer about a burglary; a lecture about old age and society Reading: An article about Neighbourhood Watch schemes; an article about changes in life expectancy Writing (1): Writing (2): Speaking: Revision exercises for Writing Task 1 Revision exercises

Oral Communication English Forms Functions and Strategies

Oral Communication English Forms Functions and Strategies 1.0 Introduction When we refer in the question context, oral communication in english: forms, functions, and strategies to a group of english language instructors at a local college/university, the first think in our mind is oral communication Communication is the activity of conveying information. Communication requires a sender, a message, and an intended recipient, although the receiver need not be present or aware of the senders intent to communicate at the time of communication; thus communication can occur across vast online in time and space. Communication requires that the communicating parties share an area of communicative commonality. The communication process is complete once the receiver has understood the sender. Communication as an academic discipline, sometimes called communicology, relates to all the ways we communicate, so it embraces a large body of study and knowledge. The communication discipline includes both verbal and nonverbal messages. A body of scholarship all about communi cation is presented and explained in textbooks, electronic publications, and academic journals. In the journals, researchers report the results of studies that are the basis for an ever-expanding understanding of how we all communicate. Communication happens at many levels (even for one single action), in many different ways, and for most beings, as well as certain machines. Several, if not all, fields of study dedicate a portion of attention to communication, so when speaking about communication it is very important to be sure about what aspects of communication one is speaking about. Definitions of communication range widely, some recognizing that animals can communicate with each other as well as human beings, and some are more narrow, only including human beings within the different parameters of human symbolic interaction. 2.0 The Oral Communication Process According to Shannons (1948) model of the communication process is, in important ways, the beginning of the modern field. It provided, for the first time, a general model of the communication process that could be treated as the common ground of such diverse disciplines as journalism, rhetoric, linguistics, and speech and hearing sciences. Part of its success is due to its structuralist reduction of communication to a set of basic constituents that not only explain how communication happens, but why communication sometimes fails. Good timing played a role as well. The world was barely thirty years into the age of mass radio, had arguably fought a world war in its wake, and an even more powerful, television, was about to assert itself. It was time to create the field of communication as a unified discipline, and Shannons model was as good an excuse as any. The models enduring value is readily evident in introductory textbooks. It remains one of the first things most students learn abo ut communication when they take an introductory communication class. Indeed, it is one of only a handful of theoretical statements about the communication process that can be found in introductory textbooks in both mass communication and interpersonal communication (http://davis.foulger.info/research/unifiedModelOfCommunication.htm) Shannons (1948) Model of the communication process The ecological model of communication, shown in Figure 6, attempts to provide a platform on which these issues can be explored. It asserts that communication occurs in the intersection of four fundamental constructs: communication between people (creators and consumers) is mediated by messages which are created using language within media; consumed from media and interpreted using language.This model is, in many ways, a more detailed elaboration of Lasswells (1948) classic outline of the study of communication: Who says what in which channel to whom with what effect. In the ecological model, the who are the creators of messages, the says what are the messages, the in which channel is elaborated into languages (which are the content of channels) and media (which channels are a component of), the to whom are the consumers of messages, and the effects are found in various relationships between the primitives, including relationships, perspectives, attributions, interpretations, and the continuing evolution of languages and media. It is in this layering of interdependent social construction that this model picks up its name. Our communication is not produced within any single system, but in the intersection of several interrelated systems, each of which is self-standing necessarily described by dedicated theories, but each of which is both the product of the others and, in its own limited way, an instance of the other. The medium is, as McLuhan famously observed, a message that is inherent to every message that is created in or consumed from a medium. The medium is, to the extent that we can select among media, also a language such that the message of the medium is not only inherent to a message, but often an element of its composition. In what may be the most extreme view enabled by the processing of messages within media, the medium may also be a person and consumes messages, recreates them, and makes the modified messages available for further consumption. A medium is really none of these things. It is fund amentally a system that enables the construction of messages using a set of languages such that they can be consumed. But a medium is also both all of these things and the product of their interaction. People learn, create, and evolve media as a vehicle for enabling the creation and consumption of messages. The same might be said of each of the constituents of this model. People can be, and often are, the medium (insofar as they act as messengers), the language (insofar as different people can be selected as messengers), or the message (ones choice of messenger can be profoundly meaningful). Fundamentally a person is none of these things, but they can be used as any of these things and are the product of their experience of all of these things. Our experience of messages, languages, media, and through them, other people, is fundamental in shaping who we become and how we think of ourselves and others. We invent ourselves, and others work diligently to shape that invention, through our consumption of messages, the languages we master, and the media we use. Language can be, and often are, the message (that is inherent to every message constructed with it), the medium (but only trivially), the person (both at the level of the language instinct that is inherent to people (following Pinker, xxxxx) and a socialized semiotic overlay on personal experience), and even the language (insofar as we have a choice of what language we use in constructing a given message). Fundamentally a language is none of these things, but it can be used as any of these things and is the product of our use of media to construct messages. We use language, within media, to construct messages, such as definitions and dictionaries) that construct language. We invent and evolve language as a product of our communication. As for messages, they reiterate all of these constituents. Every message is a partial and incomplete precis of the language that it is constructed with, the medium it is created in and consumed from, and the person who created it. Every message we consume allows us to learn a little more about the language that we interpret with, the medium we create and consume messages in, and the person who created the message. Every message we create is an opportunity to change and extend the language we use, evolve the media we use, and influence the perspective that consumers of our messages have of us. Yet fundamentally, a message is simply a message, an attempt to communicate something we imagine such that another person can correctly intepret the message and thus imagine the same thing. This welter of intersecting McLuhanesque and interdependencies provides a second source of the models name. This model seeks, more than anything, to position language and media as the intermediate building blocks on which communication is built. The position of language as a building block of messages and and communication is well understood. Over a century of study in semantics, semiotics, and linguistics have produced systematic theories of message and language production which are well understood and generally accepted. The study of language is routinely incorporated into virtually all programs in the field of communication, including journalism, rhetoric and speech, film, theater, broadcast media, language arts, speech and hearing sciences telecommunications, and other variants, including departments of language and social interaction. The positioning of the study of media within the field of communication is considerably more tenuous. Many departments, including most of those na med in this paragraph, focus almost entirely on only one or two media, effectively assuming the medium such that the focus of study can be constrained to the art of message production and interpretation, with a heavy focus on the languages of the medium and little real introspection about what it means to use that medium in preference to another or the generalized ways in which all media are invented, learned, evolved, socialized, selected or used meaningfully. Such is, however, the primary subject matter of the newly emerging discipline of media ecology, and this model can be seen as an attempt to position media ecology relative to language and messages as a building block of our communication. This model was created specifically to support theories of media and position them relative to the process of communication. It is hoped that the reader finds value in that positioning 3.0 Interpersonal Communication Judging from the types of interaction in communication, communication can be distinguished in three categories: interpersonal communication, small group communication and public communication in Malaysia context. What is Interpersonal Communication: Interpersonal communication is the exchange of information among persons with at least one or the other usually between two people who can immediately know. According Devito (1989), interpersonal communication is the delivery of messages by one person and receiving a message by another person or a small group of people, with different effects and the opportunity to provide immediate feedback. Interpersonal Communication is communication between people in face to face, which allows each participant to catch other peoples reactions directly, either verbal or nonverbal. Interpersonal Communication is communication that only two people, such as husband and wife, two colleagues, two close friends, teachers, students and others. Interpersonal communication is the communication between the communicator with communicant, communication is considered the most effective type of effort to change attitudes, opinions or behavior of a person, because of its dialogic form of conversation. At the launch of communications, communicators know for sure whether positive or negative communication, successful or not. If he could give the communicant to the opportunity to ask the widest. Classification of Interpersonal Communication developed a classification of interpersonal communication to the intimate interaction, social conversation, interrogation or examination and interview. Intimate interaction, including communication between friends, family members, and those who already have a strong emotional bond. Type of face to face communication essential to the development of informal relationships within the organization. For example, two or more people together and talk about the attention, interests external to the organization as a political issue, technology and others. c) Interrogation or inspection is an interaction between a person who is in control, is requested or even demanded information from the other. For example, an employee accused of taking the goods, the organization will superiors to know the truth. d) The interview is one form of interpersonal communication in which two people engage in conversation in the form of questions and answers. For example, a boss who interviewed his subordinates to seek information about a job. 3.1 The purpose of Interpersonal Communication Interpersonal communication may have several purposes. Finding Yourself One goal of interpersonal communication was found personal or private. When we engage in interpersonal meetings with other people we learned a lot about ourselves and others. Interpersonal Communication provides an opportunity for us to talk about what we like, or about ourselves. It is very interesting and exciting when discussing feelings, thoughts, and our own behavior.   By talking about ourselves with others, we provide an incredible source of feedback on the feelings, thoughts, and our behavior. Discovering The World Outdoors Interpersonal communication only makes us to understand more about ourselves and others who communicate with us. A lot of information that we know comes from interpersonal communication, although many of the amount of information that comes to us from the mass media that is often discussed, and finally learned or discovered through interpersonal interaction. Develop and Maintain Relationships The Full Meaning One of the biggest desire is to form and maintain relationships with others. A lot of times we use in interpersonal communication to establish and maintain the permanence of social relationships with others. Changing Attitudes and Behavior Many times we use to change the attitudes and behaviors of others by interpersonal encounter. We can wish they chose a particular way, such as trying a new diet, buy a certain item, see the film, wrote the book to read, to enter certain areas and believe that something is true or false.   We have a lot of   the time period involved in the interpersonal position. To Play And Pleasure Playing covers all activities that have the main goal is to find pleasure Talking with friends about our activities during the weekend, discussing the sport, telling stories and funny stories in general it is a conversation to pass the time. With that kind of interpersonal communication can provide an important balance in mind the need relax from all the seriousness in our environment. To assist The members of the psychiatric, clinical psychologist and therapist interpersonal communication in their professional activities to direct clients. We all also work to help others in our interpersonal interactions daily. We consulted with a friend who dropped out of love, in consultation with the student on a course that should be taken and so forth. Interpersonal Communication Effectiveness Interpersonal Communication Effectiveness started with five general quality to be considered: transparency (inclusive, and accountable), empathy , the attitude of support, and equality. 3.2 Openness (inclusive, and accountable) Quality of disclosure based on at least three aspects of interpersonal communication. First, effective interpersonal communicators should be open to the people who interact . This does not mean that people should immediately open up all the history may attract, but usually does not help communication. Instead, there must be a willingness to open themselves to disclose information that is usually hidden, so long as the disclosure itself is worth. The second aspect of transparency refers to the willingness of communicators to respond honestly to the next stimulus. People who live, not critically, and no response in general is a dreary conversation participants. We want people to react publicly to what we say and we are entitled to expect this. There is nothing worse than a lack aeven much more enjoyable. We show openness to spontaneously react the way for others. The third aspect concerning the ownership feelings and thoughts. Open in this sense is acknowledged that feelings and though ts that you throw is really yours and you are responsible for it. The best way to express this responsibility is the message that using the word. 3.3 Empathy Henry Backrack (1976) defines empathy as the ability to know what is being experienced by others at a certain moment, from the viewpoint of the other person, through the eyes of other people. Sympathy, on the other is the feeling of others or go to feel grief while empathy is to feel something like a person who experienced it, is in the same boat and feel the same feeling the same way. Empathic person is able to understand the motivations and experiences of others, feelings and attitudes, as well as their hopes and wishes for the future. In nonverbal, to communicate our empathy by showing (1) active engagement with people through facial expressions and gestures are appropriate, (2) includes a centralized concentration eyes, attentive posture, and physical proximity, and (3) touch or caress the proper. The attitude of support (supportiveness) Effective interpersonal relationship is a relationship where there is the attitude of support. The formulation of a concept based on the work of Jack Gibb. Open communication and empathic cannot take place in an environment that does not support. We showed the attitude to be supported by descriptive, not evaluative, spontaneous, non-strategic, and provisional, not very confident. 3.5 Positive attitude (positiveness) We communicate a positive attitude in interpersonal communication with at least two ways: express a positive attitude, and positively encourages people to interact with our friends. A positive attitude based on at least two aspects of interpersonal communication. First, interpersonal communication, if someone has developed a positive attitude toward themselves. Second, positive feelings to the situation of communication in general is very important for effective interaction. Nothing is more fun than to communicate with people who do not enjoy the interaction or does not react favorably to the situation or environment interactions. 4.0 Small Group Communication Small groups can as any collection of individuals who touch each other for a particular purpose and have a degree of organization among them. Most researchers define a small group should be composed of at least three members and no more than twelve or fifteen members. If a member of a group that fewer than 3,easy to apply and when a member of more than 12 people were the group will have trouble. In small groups, each group member must be free to interact and be open to all members of the group. Each team member must have a purpose or a common goal and they should work together to achieve that goal. 4.1 Culture The word culture is the result of combining the words Budhi and power. The word Budhi is borrowed from the Sanskrit language mediators fitness of mind and intellect, while the power is a Malay word meaning Polynesia authorized strength, power and influence. When combined the word culture is to mean power of mind, spirit or energy of moving the soul. Culture as a way of life which is made by people who are members of certain groups and include elements of social systems, organizational structures of economic, political, religious, beliefs, customs, attitudes, values, cultural tools such as those generated by community members. Generally speaking, culture is a way of life practiced by an individual or group of individuals (society). It includes various tools that are created and used, ways of thinking and beliefs passed down from generation to generation. Culture does not only refer to the heritage, ethnicity or race, but it is also determined by age, gender, age, lifestyle and economi c status. The Group is the first time in life as we join the family system, a group of friends at school, or maybe our neighbors. Most times this group provides the communication needs for affiliation (affiliation), authentication (Affirmation) and affection (affection). 4.3 Working Group This type of group on a more formal and the rewards will be received as a result of completion of a task. The group we got and learn the values and norms of behavior we are.   It a standard (standard) for us to compare ourselves. In other words, we assess our successes and failures based on results given by all members of the reference group. Reference group may be primary or secondry. Group that is accompanied by an individual. However, her participation intended to be the benchmark. Participation is simply alone. For example, individual in uniform units sometimes just to meet alone. 4.4 Gender Gender aspects are important elements in determining the value, actions and way of life. In many communities, members are given certain privileges and recognition based on gender. Thus, gender becomes a key determinant of the tasks and roles assigned. For example, in Malay society, men are given priority to be a leader or leaders, especially in families and small groups. In a small group of men usually like to dominate the group and its members, but the problems that exist in small groups are often created by men. 4.5 Practice The practice or habit is the basis of the so-called tradition. It refers to the procedure to do something that is followed by every member of the group concerned and for generations. For example, in each of the ethnic cultural groups, there are certain procedures (traditional) to celebrate births, marriages and deaths. Every human community to impose rules (taboos) to control the behavior of certain members. Taboo is actually a manifestation of what is important for each group. 5.0 Public Communication Communication is a complex process of exchanging messages through words, symbols, expressions and body language. Public communication involves the sending and receiving of messages on a large scale to and from the general public. Public communication includes mass media, public relations and public speaking, but can include any form of sending a message to a large group of people. Effective public communication is a skill that is learned and perfected over time.   Public communication is the sending and receiving of messages on a large scale that impacts groups of people. For the communication to be considered effective, the messages must be clearly and accurately sent and received with full comprehension. 5.1 Purpose The purpose of effective public communication differs based on the intention of the message. For example, a public relations representative might use mass media to repair a companys public image after an alleged scandal breaks out. In this situation, effective public communication is intended to inform the public. On the other hand, a billboards intention is to entice an audience to buy a product or service. Effective public communication is used to inform, educate, persuade and inspire the audience. 5.2 Types Effective public communication can manifest itself in different ways. Public speaking in any form is considered public communication. This can be a school assembly, a business meeting or a presidential speech at TV, radio, newspaper or any other mass-produced medium, is another type of effective public communication. 5.3 Results The result of effective public communication is the successful delivery of a message to a large group of people where each individual is impacted and moved to take action. Effective public communication is able to relate to the individual needs of the listeners while speaking to the masses. Effective public communication causes listeners to respond to the public communications message. 5.4 Considerations Effective public communication must refrain from biased words, philosophies and ideologies. For example, when the president is making a speech, his words and thoughts need to be portrayed in a universal way so that one group does not feel isolated or left out. Effective public communication keeps statements generic and neutral to gender, race and religious beliefs. 6.0 Conclusion My conclusion for Oral Communication in English: Forms, Functions, and Strategies in the Malaysian Context in short, the transmissive model is of little direct value to social science research into human communication, and its endurance in popular discussion is a real liability. Its reductive influence has implications not only for the commonsense understanding of communication in general, but also for specific forms of communication such as speaking and listening, writing and reading, watching television and so on. In education, it represents a similarly transmissive model of teaching and learning. And in perception in general, it reflects the naive realist notion that meanings exist in the world awaiting only decoding by the passive spectator. In all these contexts, such a model underestimates the creativity of the act of interpretation. Alternatives to transmissive models of communication are normally described as constructivist: such perspectives acknowledge that meanings are act ively constructed by both initiators and interpreters rather than simply transmitted. However, you will find no single, widely-accepted constructivist model of communication in a form like that of Shannon and Weavers block diagram. This is partly because those who approach communication from the constructivist perspective often reject the very idea of attempting to produce a formal model of communication. Where such models are offered, they stress the centrality of the act of making meaning and the importance of the socio-cultural context.

Essay --

Introduction The United Arab Emirates has been a member of several regional organizations with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) being a prominent example. This paper will provide a description of the participation of the United Arab Emirates in the GCC as well as a summary of its history. The purposes and specific goals that the UAE had when joining the GCC will be highlighted in addition to discussing the resulting contributions to its economy. The stated goals and purposes of joining the GCC will then be used to determine whether the initiative to join the regional body has been a success or a failure. The paper will conclude with an attempt to find out if the GCC will be important to the future development of the United Arab Emirates. Description and History The United Arab Emirates has been a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council since it was founded on 25th May 1981. Other founding members include the State of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, State of Qatar, Sultanate of Oman, and the State of Kuwait (Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, 2012). A framework for the body was agreed upon during a meeting of heads of state in Abu Dhabi and it was a product of previous planning as well as an embodiment of social, cultural, and historical reality. Another reason that led to the formation of this regional body was the kinship that existed among the citizens of these six states as well as the religious and cultural ties (Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, 2012). In addition to these historical similarities, the founding states also faced the same challenges such as security and economic development. It is therefore correct to state that the GCC was formed as a result of the historical realities... ... got from the GCC states in 2012. However, the UAE needs to change its approach to the GCC especially when it comes to the creation of a common currency. According to Takagi (2012), the GCC states have practically used a common currency over the past decades owing to the fact that five of the countries have pegged the value of their currencies to the US dollar. Kuwait is the only country that floated its currency; however, the value its currency has remained stable with respect to the dollar. My recommendation to the UAE is for it to become willing to compromise and accept the formation of the GCC monetary union in order to ensure that it continues to benefit from the regional body. The decision to compromise might also lead to increased cooperation between the six states meaning that the initial goals and objectives of the Gulf Cooperation Council can be achieved.

Classification Essay - Three Types of Annoying Shoppers -- Classificat

The Three Types of Annoying Shoppers Tires squeal across the hot asphalt; exhaust fumes fill the air. Innocent shoppers leap to safety as cars circle the neighborhood grocery store lot in search of the ideal parking spot. Engines revving. Adrenaline rushing. The driver's sole mission is to obtain a white lined rectangle of pavement before entering the race known as shopping. As a safety precaution, competent and considerate shoppers should be aware of the distinct character traits of the three annoying types of shoppers: Hurry Harry, Suburban Sally, and Picky Pete. Knowledge of their parking-lot-to-checkout-stand habits increases the chance of avoiding a head-on collision. The first annoying type of shopper, Hurry Harry, generally parks his dented 1967 Ford Fairland in the No Parking or Handicap zone. Stickers attached to the bumper of his tricolored heap proudly proclaim: "At least it's paid for" and "My Mercedes is in the shop." Cigarette butts and candy wrappers tumble onto the pavement as Hurry Harry, with a barrel-chested chassis and a fleshy front end, pushes his way into the grocery store. He weaves his way through the traffic of shoppers, cutting them off at the aisle intersections, creating a fourteen cart pileup. His basket overflows with instant, frozen, or ready-to-eat food. Finally, the final lap: the checkout stand. Ignoring the flashing sign for ten items or less, he dumps his purchases on the conveyer belt. He taps his foot impatiently, mumbling about the long lines, while counting another customer's dozen eggs as twelve items. When the cashier announces the total, he fumbles with a wad of bills, grumbling about the prices, before askin g for a pen. A rearview mirror is necessary to avoid Hurry Harry. ... ...s neat and orderly cart before heading to the checkout stand. As the cashier confirms his credit card, he rebags his items. Insurance and a solid ego are necessary if you are unfortunate enough to run into Picky Pete at the store. In conclusion, the competent and considerate shopper is at the mercy of the three types of annoying shoppers. Unfortunately, tickets are not issued for parking thoughtlessly, driving shopping carts recklessly, blocking aisle traffic needlessly, or treating others arrogantly. However, armed with the knowledge of the habits of Hurry Harry, Suburban Sally, and Picky Pet, the average consumer may avoid a head-on collision, and possibly survive a trip to the grocery store. To be on the safe side, shoppers should reread their warranty; written in small print is a clause covering ten thousand miles or one shopping trip, whichever comes first.

Racism in Schools Essay

Some people seem to think racism in schools died out a long time ago. This statement couldn’t be more wrong. Racism in the learning environment is more evident than ever, and it needs to be stopped because it affects the way students learn and their success. There are many stories and incidents where discrimination has occurred and the effects they have had on students. Take the art teacher from Chicago for example. During class one day, some students spilled paint on the teacher’s jacket. She became very angry and said,†? all Mexicans are criminals, and you were born to scrub floors† The teacher was rightfully fired from her job. It was decided by the Board of Education in Chicago that all the teachers will need to undergo â€Å"sensitivity training†. They don’t need to learn how to be sensitive, what teachers need to know is to accept everyone as equal. There can be no discrimination in schools because is disrupts the learning environment. There are many stories and accounts of racism in schools against African Americans. They range from the little things such as telling the black boy to throw out his gum but let the white boy chew it, to moving all the black kids to the back of the class. There is one story about a white male teacher who called a black student â€Å"nigger†. The boy was walking into the English class one day, and the teacher told him to â€Å"sit down nigga! † The teacher claims that because he hears the students calling each other that casually in the hallways all the time, it gives him a right to also use the word. He says he used the term â€Å"nigga† instead of â€Å"nigger† because they are two completely different words and he would never use â€Å"nigger† against someone. Consequently, the teacher was fired for racial discrimination. The racism that teachers put onto their students causes low expectations from black kids. Because they have had so many negative experiences in school, they lack the motivation and confidence to do well. It was found in a review of research about teacher expectations that teachers hold more negative attitudes about black students’ ability, language, behavior and potential, than they do of white students’. There are reports of black students scoring lower in reading assessments than white students. This could be the cause of black students not trying because they are not confident in themselves. It was also found that black kids receive more severe punishments than white kids for the same offense, and they are more likely to be suspended from schools. There are also accounts of minority parents feeling that they have had less positive experience while visiting their kids’ schools than white parents. There are reports from the minority parents about the discipline problems. Black students do not expect to succeed in the educational world because how can one enjoy it when their whole lives they have been identified as unworthy and incapable. Kids need to be taught about racism and how to avoid discrimination so they do not develop any bias thought about people as they grow up. Some schools are even trying to make racism and cultural diversity part of their curriculum. There is a lot of ignorance surrounding African Americans, Asians, and students of other nationalities and kids need to learn and accept all people. Introducing students to the different cultures that are out there can help them learn better and perform better in school. They would not worry about students getting hurt and would all have the same opportunities. Students would not be concerned with disappointing teachers or receiving punishments that are not appropriate. There are countless accounts of racism occurring in schools all around the country and the world against students and also against teachers. Alison Moore, a black teacher in London, was attacked and knocked unconscious by three white students while leaving her school last year. There is always going to prejudice people present in schools, but there are ways to work around it to help benefit the education of the students. Racism deeply affects the way students learn and how they will see themselves for the rest of their lives. A student’s teacher is one of the most important adult figures in one’s life, and if there are problems in that relationship then there will be problems forever, and no child needs that in their life.

Thorn Queen Chapter Eight

Kiyo was gone the next morning, as I'd suspected he would be. We'd stumbled inside to my little-used bedroom once it started raining, and his side of the bed was cold, telling me he'd left some time ago. I sighed, trying not to let the knowledge of him being with Maiwenn get me down, and headed out to see what was going on in Queen Eugenie's domain. The first thing I picked up on was that everyone was really excited that it had rained. We'd returned to normal sunny conditions this morning, but last night's rain had brought the land to life. Cacti bloomed. The trees seemed stronger. And while there were no ostensible signs of excess water, I could sense it in the ground and even slightly in the air. Had having sex caused it? Maybe. Maybe not. Regardless, I was pleased with my good deed. I made motions to leave, but Rurik stopped me. â€Å"Don't you want to question the prisoners?† I paused. What I wanted was to go home, shower, and change into clean clothes. â€Å"Can't you do that?† I asked. He frowned. â€Å"Well, certainly, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  But it should be my job. That was the unspoken message. I suspected Aeson would have never done such a thing. He would have left it to thugs. I knew if I delegated it to Rurik, he'd do it without (much) complaint. There was something in his eyes, though, that told me he expected more of me than an ordinary monarch. I'd never expected to gain such regard from him-or to feel so uneasy about it. Rurik had pissed me off to no end in the past, but suddenly, I didn't want to disappoint him. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"Let's do it.† I'd interrogated plenty of monsters, gentry, and even humans in my day. But there was something weird about interrogating prisoners. It was strange enough to learn that I actually had a dungeon in the castle. There were even shackles on the wall, but thankfully, our two prisoners weren't bound. They were a man and a woman, both ragged and sullen. He looked my age; she looked older. I entered the bronze-barred cell, Rurik and another guard behind me. I crossed my arms over my chest and swallowed my misgivings. I was Eugenie Markham, badass shaman and slayer of Otherworldly miscreants. This was no different from any of my other jobs. â€Å"Okay,† I told the prisoners, my voice harsh. â€Å"We can make this easy or hard. Answer my questions, and it'll go a lot faster and smoother for all of us.† The woman glared at me. â€Å"We don't answer to you.† â€Å"That's the funny thing,† I said. â€Å"You do. You're in my land. You're under my rule, my jurisdiction.† She spat on the ground. â€Å"You're a usurper. You stole the land from Aeson.† Considering the way power was always shifting in the Otherworld, I found that statement ludicrous. â€Å"Everyone's a usurper here. And in case you haven't heard, I didn't steal the land from him so much as blow him up.† Her face remained hard, but I saw the slightest flicker of fear in the guy's face. I turned to him. â€Å"What about you? You going to be reasonable? Are you going to tell me where the girls you kidnapped are?† He nervously glanced at his companion. She gave him a hard look, its message easily interpretable: Don't talk. I sighed. I didn't want to resort to torture. All-powerful ruler or not, it was just an ugly thing I didn't want to dirty my hands with. I had a feeling my iron athame pointed at their throats would go a long way to get them to communicate. Instead, I opted for another solution. Producing my wand, I stepped away from the others and spoke the words to summon Volusian. The momentary cold descended upon us, and then the spirit stood before me. Rurik and the guard were growing accustomed to this, but the prisoners gasped. â€Å"Volusian,† I said. â€Å"Got a task for you.† â€Å"As my mistress commands.† I gestured to the prisoners. â€Å"I need you to put muscle on them. Get them to talk.† Volusian's red eyes widened slightly, the closest he ever came to looking happy. â€Å"But you can't kill them,† I added hastily. â€Å"Or hurt them-much.† The pseudo-happiness disappeared. â€Å"Start with the guy,† I said. Volusian sidled across the cell and was only reaching his hand out when the guy cracked. â€Å"Alright! Alright! I'll talk,† he cried. â€Å"Stop, Volusian.† The spirit stepped back, his glum expression growing. â€Å"I don't know anything about girls disappearing,† the man said. â€Å"We aren't taking them.† â€Å"You've been preying on people,† I pointed out. â€Å"And girls have been vanishing near your base of operation. Seems kind of suspicious.† He shook his head frantically, eyeing Volusian warily. â€Å"No, it's not us.† â€Å"Have you heard of them disappearing?† â€Å"Yes. But it's not us.† His words were adamant. â€Å"Yeah, well, I find it hard to believe they're all running off. If it's not you, then who is it?† â€Å"You're a fool,† the woman snapped. â€Å"What would we do with a group of girls?† â€Å"The same thing men usually use girls for,† I replied. â€Å"We can barely feed our own people! Why would we take on more mouths to feed?† That was kind of a good question. â€Å"Well, you still haven't really given me another explanation.† â€Å"We heard a monster's doing it,† the man blurted out. â€Å"A monster,† I repeated flatly. I looked over to Rurik who simply shrugged. I turned back to the prisoners. â€Å"Any details on this monster?† Neither responded. It was strange, particularly considering how some prejudiced part of me still regarded most gentry as dishonest, but I believed them about not taking the girls. I thought the monster explanation was bullshit, but they might honestly have believed it to be true. Volusian took a step forward without my command, and the guy hastily spoke. â€Å"The monster lives in our land. In the Ald-Thorn Land, that is.† â€Å"How do you know that?† I asked. â€Å"Because only girls from the Thorn Land have disappeared,† the woman said. â€Å"Westoria borders the Rowan Land, and two of their villages are very close. Skye and Ley. But they've had no one go missing.† â€Å"You guys seem to know a lot about this for allegedly not being involved.† â€Å"We don't need to be involved. We raid both sides of the border-word gets around.† She spoke of her raiding as a matter of pride, and I tried not to roll my eyes. â€Å"Okay. Let's put the girls on hold. Where did the fire demons come from?† No answer. I sighed again. â€Å"Volusian.† Volusian swiftly moved forward again and wrapped his hand around the guy's throat. Most spirits had little substance, but with his power, Volusian was as solid as any of us, his touch cold and deadly. The man screamed and crumpled to the ground. â€Å"Stop! Stop!† yelled the woman. â€Å"I'll tell you.† I halted Volusian and looked at her expectantly. The man remained on the floor, rubbing his throat and moaning. The skin on his neck bore bright red marks. The woman looked angrier than ever. â€Å"It's our leader who summons them. Cowan.† â€Å"You expect me to believe some vagrant has that kind of power?† I asked. â€Å"Why isn't he off working for a noble?† â€Å"He was a noble, one of Aeson's advisors. He preferred to live a rough life, rather than work for someone like you.† â€Å"Aeson did have a noble named Cowan,† Rurik said. â€Å"Her story isn't implausible.† I suddenly felt weary. None of these were the answers I wanted. No leads on the girls, and now I had a rogue noble who could summon demons. â€Å"Okay,† I said. â€Å"That's all I've got for now.† â€Å"What are you going to do with us?† the woman demanded. â€Å"Another excellent question,† I murmured. â€Å"Aeson would have killed them,† said Rurik. â€Å"And you know I'm not Aeson.† Would setting them free accomplish anything? Much of what they'd done had been from hunger and desperation, not that that justified robbing and potentially killing and kidnapping. If I freed them out of guilt, I doubted they'd learn their lessons and go on to become upright citizens. I certainly wasn't going to kill them, though. I didn't even want to hold them in this cell much longer. The guard who'd accompanied Rurik cleared his throat. â€Å"Your majesty, you could sentence them to a work detail.† â€Å"A work detail?† â€Å"There are others like them, other criminals, who serve a term doing labor as punishment for their deeds.† â€Å"Like digging your aque†¦whatever,† said Rurik. That didn't sound so bad. And hey, it might actually be useful. I gave the order and was assured the two prisoners would be transported to their work site. The whole thing felt a little strange. Here I was judge, jury, and-if I chose-executioner. No one argued with my decision. No one questioned the time I set-six months. Although, Rurik's arched eyebrow made me think he would have sentenced them to life. â€Å"Okay,† I said when we'd emerged out of the lower levels of the castle and I'd sent away Volusian. â€Å"Now I'm going home.† Shaya suddenly rounded the corner. â€Å"There you are,† she said anxiously. â€Å"I've been looking for you.† â€Å"I'm leaving.† Her face turned confused. â€Å"But Prince Leith is here to see you.† â€Å"Who†¦oh.† The image came back to me. The moderately cute guy from the party. The Rowan Queen's son, who hadn't been all that annoying. â€Å"Why is he here?† â€Å"After your last visit, I dispatched those with any affinity for metal out to search for copper. They found a lot of it-thought it's been difficult to extract-and I sent out word that we'd be in a position to set up trade for it soon. Leith is here to negotiate on behalf of his mother.† â€Å"Man,† I said. â€Å"You guys move fast.† Her looked turned wry. â€Å"Well, yes, but there's also the fact that you invited him to visit sometime. He's taking you up on the offer. In fact, I suspect seeing you is more important than the trade negotiations.† â€Å"Good thing. Because I'm not so good in the way of negotiations.† I never wore a watch and had left my cell phone back in Tucson. I had no idea what time it was, only that I was spending more and more time in the Otherworld. Seeing Leith was only going to delay me further. â€Å"I'll see him. But it's going to be fast.† Shaya looked relieved. I think she'd worried I would bolt, which was a very good fear to have. As we walked to the chamber Leith was waiting in, she gave me a curious look. â€Å"Perhaps you'd†¦like to change and clean up first?† I looked at my clothes. They were pretty badly wrinkled, and I didn't doubt that I had grass in my hair from last night. â€Å"No,† I said. â€Å"The less appealing he finds me, the better.† Unfortunately, that proved impossible. When we entered the room, Leith leapt up, face aglow with delight. â€Å"Your majesty! It's so wonderful to see you again.† He swept me a half-bow and kissed my hand. â€Å"You look amazing.† He was apparently into the grunge look. â€Å"I hope you don't mind me arriving like this. When my mother heard the news of your find, she wanted to make sure we could get in on it as soon as possible.† â€Å"Sure,† I said, taking my hand back. â€Å"No problem.† The room was a comfortable parlor that still bore the signs of Aeson's tastes in decorating. Tapestries, lots of velvet, and dark colors. Everyone waited for me to sit on one of the plush sofas and then followed suit. I made a point of kind of sprawling on mine. It wouldn't have been out of the range of gentry etiquette for Leith to come snuggle up beside me. As it was, he was still beaming at me and seemed a bit put out when Shaya jumped right in. â€Å"So, your highness. We'd like to discuss trading our copper for your wheat.† As they began to talk, I had a sudden flashback to that god-awful board game my mother used to make me play, Pit. I let my mind wander as the two of them hashed out the finer details of matters I didn't entirely understand. My thoughts drifted to some upcoming jobs I had, the mystery of the demons and the missing girls, and of course, Kiyo. Always Kiyo. Leith and Shaya wrapped up their negotiations fairly quickly. From the happy look on her face, I took it our team had come out ahead. With a polite bow in my direction, Shaya rose, holding some papers to her chest. â€Å"If you'll excuse me, I'm going to have these written up and formalized so that the prince can sign them before he leaves.† I took this as my cue to entertain him, but nothing readily came to mind. I couldn't really talk to him about reality TV or American politics. Finally, lamely, I said, â€Å"Thanks for your help. I mean, with the trade and everything.† He grinned. â€Å"We're getting as much out of it as you. Maybe more.† â€Å"Shaya didn't seem to think so,† I said, speaking without thinking. This made him laugh. â€Å"She's a good negotiator. You're lucky to have her.† He leaned forward. â€Å"Especially since I'm guessing this really isn't your†¦well, let's just say it's not one of your normal pastimes.† The frankness caught me by surprise. I'd expected him to remain starstruck and silly, like most of the guys around here who wanted to hit on me. Leith's current expression wasn't lecherous or adoring now, just knowing and sympathetic. â€Å"No, it's really not. This is a kind of a big life change.† â€Å"And yet, you knew you'd be taking this on when you defeated Aeson.† I hesitated. Both Shaya and Rurik had hinted to me on a number of occasions that I really shouldn't elaborate on the totally unexpected-and unwanted-nature of my queen-ship. Even if I hadn't fought Aeson with the specific intent of supplanting him, the point remained now that I was stuck with this. Coming across as weak and whiny to those outside my inner circle could create more problems. â€Å"Well, yeah,† I said brightly. â€Å"We just didn't anticipate this many problems when the land changed.† â€Å"But this is how your world is?† â€Å"The part I live in. But we've had a long time to get used to it and figure out ways to survive and get water in. I gave Shaya books on how to construct some of that stuff, so hopefully she'll find someone to do it.† His brow furrowed. â€Å"Is there any way I could take a look? I might able to help.† For a moment, I wondered if this was his new ploy to schmooze me-until I recalled what Shaya had said about him having a brilliant mind for technology, inasmuch as the gentry could. If he could parse diagrams and whatnot, it might be worth getting closer to him. â€Å"Sure,† I said. â€Å"We could certainly use it.† He smiled again, and as it lit up his face, even I could acknowledge he was pretty good-looking. Not like Kiyo, of course. Or even†¦well, like Dorian. But pretty cute. â€Å"I'll set to it as soon as I can. If there's anything else I can do to make this easier for you, I'll do it.† There was an enraptured look on his face. Yeah, he definitely had a crush, but he didn't irritate me in the way so many other more obnoxious suitors did. An odd thought occurred to me. â€Å"Leith†¦here's something you might be able to help with. Have you ever heard of girls disappearing from the Rowan Land? In the areas that border my land?† The look on his face showed that this was the last question he'd expected from me. â€Å"I†¦beg your pardon?† â€Å"Girls have been disappearing from my land, right near your borders.† What were those names? â€Å"Skye and Ley. But the people I talked to say nothing's happening to your girls. Do you know anything about this?† He shook his head, utterly confused. â€Å"No†¦I'm afraid I don't know very much about the lives of those people.† Leith's words weren't contemptuous by any means, but there was an implication that villagers and peasants just weren't people he associated with. It reminded me of Rurik's comments about how Aeson would have never troubled himself to investigate bandits or missing girls unless they directly affected him. Leith wasn't as much of an asshole as Aeson, but he and his mother were likely just as out of touch as any other noble. I think a fair amount of disappointment must have shown on my face because he suddenly grew eager to make me feel better. â€Å"But I swear, I'll look into this when I return. I'll ask Mother, and we'll send messengers out to report back. I'll find out everything I can for you.† I smiled at his enthusiasm. â€Å"Thanks, Leith. It's really great of you to help.† â€Å"Helping a pretty queen is no trouble at all. By the way, have you ever thought about getting a crown?† We talked a little longer, and I found he actually was a really nice guy, given to moments of humor and intelligence. It wasn't enough for me to jump into bed with him, but I appreciated finding someone else to connect with in the Otherworld. Shaya returned at last with the paperwork-hand-printed on scrolls, of course-and while Leith signed, we got a hold of the engineering books for him. His eyes widened with delight, and I swear, he probably could have sat down and started reading then and there on the floor. Instead, he took the hint that I had other things to do, and after many more compliments and hand kisses, he took his leave. â€Å"You've given him another open invitation,† Shaya pointed out. â€Å"Yeah, I know. But he's harmless. I like him.† â€Å"None of them are harmless, your majesty.† I couldn't entirely tell if she was joking or not. â€Å"Well, it'll be worth the hassle if he can solve our water problem and help with the girls.† â€Å"The girls?† I gave her a quick recap of my interrogation with the prisoners. Her face turned thoughtful as she processed my words. â€Å"Skye and Ley†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Do you know those towns?† She nodded. â€Å"They and Westoria are configured in a way that places them equidistant from a gateway. A crossroads.† â€Å"What, to my world?† She nodded again. â€Å"Huh. I wonder if that's a coincidence. I wonder†¦I wonder if it's possible that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  One of my crazier ideas came to me. â€Å"Do you think those girls could be leaving and going to my world?† â€Å"I don't know. Shining ones do often cross over. It's not unheard of.† â€Å"Yeah, I know. To cause trouble. Or to steal women.† I had to fight a scowl on that one. My own mother had been one such woman, abducted and forced to be my father's mistress. â€Å"You think these girls are going to go kidnap guys so they can have kids?† The easy ability to conceive was why so many humans got kidnapped. Usually, it was gentry men taking human women. Shaya's smile turned wry. â€Å"I somehow doubt it would come to that. Women have been known to cross over, spend time in your world, and return pregnant. They don't need to bring the men back.† Fair point. Well, this was certainly a weird development. I'd have to wait and see what Leith reported back, but I supposed if these girls weren't actually being abducted†¦well, there was little for me to do. Admittedly, I'd always fought adamantly against gentry sneaking to the human world, but I wasn't sure where the right and wrong of this situation lay. â€Å"I guess that'd be easier to deal with than a monster taking them. Still leaves that stupid demon problem.† I sighed. â€Å"Well, one issue at a time, I guess.† â€Å"Are you leaving now?† â€Å"Yes. Finally. Thanks for handling this today.† â€Å"Of course,† she said. She actually sounded like she meant it. Her pleased expression turned momentarily hesitant. â€Å"Although†¦there's something you should know. Someone else responded right away to the trade offer.† â€Å"That's good news.† â€Å"It's Dorian.† â€Å"Oh.† Of course Dorian would respond. How could he stay away from an opportunity to put me at his mercy? â€Å"You can deal with it, though, right?† â€Å"Well, that's just it. He's specifically requested that you talk to him. At his home.† â€Å"What?† I stared. â€Å"He†¦he can't do that.† That wry smile of hers returned. â€Å"He's a king. He can do anything he wishes.† â€Å"Yeah, but Leith came here! Dorian just wants me to go to him so that he can taunt me.† And no doubt flaunt Ysabel in front of me. â€Å"Leith's kingdom needs copper more than Dorian's. I suspect Dorian is doing this as a personal favor to you.† â€Å"That's not exactly how I'd put it.† She shook her head, the amusement now warring with exasperation. â€Å"I know there's tension between you, but I suspect if you could be nice to King Dorian, he might make us a very generous deal. One that could help us immensely.† A generous deal. The Oak Land was flourishing. I didn't doubt they had all sorts of food and other items we could use. I thought about those poor people in Westoria and even about my prisoners who'd spoken of having too many mouths to feed. I sighed. â€Å"Fine. I'll talk to him. And I'll even be nice.† I started to turn away, needing more than ever to get back to my own home. Then I glanced back behind me. â€Å"But Shaya? Just to be safe, you might want to keep looking for more trade partners.†