Character & story Essay Example for Free

Character story Essay Character do counts. It is the foundation of our personality; hence, it portrays our inner self, and represents our whole identity. We are judged according to what we represent and what we shows. We are respected based on what we intend to be seen by others. Character do counts; because it is the basis of how we decide and how we pursue life. 2. Being ethical is important because it is a moral obligation which is important not only for ourselves, but for the entire population. We are bound to do things that will not harm every life, therefore, being ethical, is also being a person that is morally respected. 3. First in the â€Å"Six Pillar of Character† of Josephson is trustworthiness. (8) This pertains to one’s credibility through honesty. It is not just important to be honest with the other people, but also to be honest with yourself. To acquire trust form others, trust within oneself should be first recognized by himself. Holding and keeping promises creates a higher level of being trusted and credible. Trustworthiness is a character that summarizes your being as a person. Second is respect. (10) One of the most important character one should have is respect. Respect is usually is not earned but learned rather. â€Å"Learn to respect yourself before someone respects you†, which is true at all times. People will judge you according to what you intend to show them of who and what you are. It is not the question of who will respect you, but it’s how you respect yourself. Third is responsibility. (5) As a person bounded in the realm of the society, we are born with different kinds of responsibility attached to us. Therefore, we have responsibility to our family, in the society and in the country, and into every aspect that we live for. We are also accountable for our actions. It should be remembered that every steps and actions we make, are part of our responsibilities as a person. Fourth is fairness. (7) In a world full of inequality and injustice, we are expected to correct all these mistakes. Fairness in every action reflects what kind of person we are and how we are brought up. Fifth and sixth is caring (10) and citizenship (8). These two pertains to our attitude to a bigger context. It involves the practice of mentioned characters, as this is the application of what we have learned. Responsibility and being fair needs improvement in my part. Learning by internalizing will help improve myself. 4. Decision making is crucial when we do not understand the consequences that would result from a simple action. It is important to recognize the core foundations of a good decision; first is that we have the will and power what we do and what we say, and second is that we have are aware for the responsibility in such actions. To have an ethical and effective decision, there are several components in good choices. By looking in the options seriously, which means analyzing and evaluating first the options, we are close to a good decision. Recognizing important decisions from minor decisions should also be noticed to avoid mixing the level of importance. Good decision also requires discipline. To be able to make right decisions, we have to control ourselves to what we want and to what is right and just for all. Everyone in the cycle should be considered in taking decisions so that to lessen unlikely outcomes. 5. For example, Jake is a self-supporting student ever since he entered college. He survived for the last three and a half of his years in school through scholarships and doing part time jobs. But unfortunately, at his last semester in the school, he was not able to renew his scholarship due to his failing grade in a subject. Without having a scholarship, it will be difficult for him to pursue his studies, but he still has his part time job. Given these facts, he has to work double or trice to fully support his self; therefore, he needs to decrease the units that he will register on the coming semester to give way to his job. BUT, he is a graduating student on that semester. In doing so, he will be delayed in his graduation. The question is whether he should work full time or to register but to suffer the consequences, since he is financially unstable. Applying the Seven-Step Path to Better Decisions, Jake should first a lot several days for himself to think and make realizations. This will prevent rash decisions and late regrets. Then after that, Jake has to clarify what are his primary goals and objectives. Through this, it will be clear to what path he should be. After that, he should be able to recognize the facts that exist, like the fact of his financial instability. Right after that, he should think another ways and options depending on his primary goal. If it’s his graduation, then, he should think for another scholarship. Fifth, is to consider options. This should be filtered according to six pillars of characters. He has to do what he think is right for himself and for everybody. Sixth is to choose the best possible option. He should can for the advice of his friends or family so that the decision would not be bias to his self. Last is to monitor and modify, which means, still, evaluate the decision he have made. 6. Its all for a good cause. Good example of this is cheating in a basketball game; hurting opponents to win the championship for the benefit of the school. At the end, its still for the â€Å"goodness of everyone† as stated. It’s just part of the job. Basketballintentionally pushing an opponent to get the ball. If its necessary, its ethical! Volleyball. Just to gain the fame and fund of the school, they have to win the game. On its last serve, its against your side; the opponent has successfully reached your court, but you’re the only one to see if its in! And since it’s necessary, you just claimed that it is out! 7. Its when I chose not to speak when my teacher in my grade school subject about the cheating arrangement of my classmates during our exam. It so happen that they are also my friends that’s why I didn’t mentioned a single thing. As a result, my name became involved that resulted to suspension for three days. 8. It’s when I decided to join a volunteer group before to deliver goods in an area affected by a calamity, and that the same day, I have a class to attend to, which I didn’t. As a result, I was overwhelmed by the response of the people on that particular area, and became one of my most treasured moments. 9. Happiness is simply doing what you most wanted, not only on a single benefit, but for all you love. It is achieving the core of wants and what you love. Happiness for your self is incomparable to the happiness that you will feel when you can see that this happiness is not just meant for your self, but rather being happy for someone. I want to be a person that sees happiness as the primary objective in the cycle of human emotions; a person that will be happy for someone in no matter what.

The Importance of Reading Essay Example for Free

The Importance of Reading Essay When there were no televisions or computers, reading was a primary leisure activity. People would spend hours reading books and travel to lands far away-in their minds. With time, people have lost their skill and passion to read. There are many other exciting and thrilling options available, aside from books. And that is a shame because reading offers a productive approach to improving vocabulary and word power. It is advisable to indulge in at least half an hour of reading a day to keep abreast of the various styles of writing and new vocabulary. Children who love reading have comparatively higher IQs. They are more creative and do better in school and college. Parents have to inculcate the importance of reading to their children in the early years. Reading helps in developing vocabulary and reading aloud helps to build a strong emotional bond between parents and children. The children who start reading from an early age have good language skills, and they grasp the variances in phonics much better. Reading helps in mental development and stimulates the muscles of the eyes. Reading involves greater levels of concentration and adds to the conversational skills of the reader. It is an indulgence that enhances the knowledge acquired, consistently. The habit of reading also helps readers to decipher new words and phrases that they come across in everyday conversations. The habit can become a healthy addiction and adds to the information available on various topics. It helps us to stay in-touch with contemporary writers as well as those from the days of yore and makes us sensitive to global issues. It is therefore essential to cultivate the habit of reading from an early age for self – development.

Outsourcing in the Automotive Industry

Outsourcing in the Automotive Industry The global automotive industry continues to grow worldwide at about 2.5% annually, driven by increasing car ownership in the developing economies. In the mature economies, including the UK, growth is much lower or even absent (NGAIT, 2008). Because of market proximity and local content restrictions imposed by the Governments of many developing nations who wish to encourage the establishment of local automotive sectors, the vast majority of new manufacturing capacity in the last 6 years to support this growth has been in the BRIC countries and within the EU, in Eastern Europe. Lower labour costs in these developing automotive economies have also stimulated a shift of production eastwards, but this has to date mainly affected the automotive supply base and less so vehicle assembly sites. The UK automotive industry has transformed itself in the last decade from a sector with turbulent labour relations and a poor reputation for quality and productivity to one that is fully competitive. Independent external reliability surveys put UK built cars at the top of the rankings, and productivity and labour relations are among the best in the world. Until the impact of the global financial crisis, the industry was profitable and self-sustaining in Europe and in the UK. Technology and modern management practices have transformed the shop floor environment, and product technology embraces lightweight materials, cutting edge design analysis and visualisation tools and the extensive use of integrated electronic systems to extend digital control to most functions of the car. The climate change agenda is accelerating technological change at an unprecedented rate, and the industry in Europe and the UK has embraced the CO2 challenge and is investing heavily in people and technology to provide innovative solutions while continuing to offer exciting, safe and satisfying products that people want to buy. In 2008, 1.65 million vehicles and 3 million engines were built in the UK, by a diverse range of manufacturers in car, commercial vehicle, off-road and premium vehicle sectors. The vehicle production levels (until the present recession beg an) were relatively stable for some years, but employment has been declining as productivity improved and there has been severe hollowing out of the supply chain. This is important because about 75% of the value of material in a new vehicle is added by the supply chain (NGAIT, 2008). Literature review: Manufacturing outsourcing continuum: There is much debate in the management literature on defining outsourcing (Gilley and Rasheed, 2000; Harland et al., 2005). The definitions of outsourcing relevant to supply chain management emerge from these elements: Outsourcing implies a business relationship between two parties: the outsourcing subject (also called the principal or the client) who makes the decision of whether to outsource or not; and an external outsourcing firm (Arnold, 2000). The objects of outsourcing are general business processes or processes results which might be outsourced (Arnold, 2000; Kimura, 2002). This can include core (e.g. manufacturing, marketing, RD) as well as support (e.g. maintenance, accounting, IT, logistics) processes (Gilley et al., 2004). Outsourcing is not simply a purchasing decision. While all firms purchase elements of their operations, outsourcing is less common and represents the fundamental decision to reject the internalization of an activity (Gilley and Rasheed, 2000). Thus, outsourcing occurs in two situations. First, is when the client outsources objects that were originally sourced internally, resulting from a vertical disintegration decision (Gilley and Rasheed, 2000). Second, when the client sources objects that, although they have not been completed in-house in the past, are within the clients capabilities and hence could have been sourced internally notwithstanding the decision to go outside (Gilley and Rasheed, 2000; Van Mieghem, 1999). The outsourced objects are specific to the client. That is, the outsourced activities are performed according to a plan, specification, form, or design, of varying detail, provided by the client (Kimura, 2002; Van Mieghem, 1999; Webster et al., 1997). Hence, a firm buying an off-the-shelf, standardized component or a suppliers proprietary part is not considered outsourcing, because no customization is performed for the buyer. The client may outsource all or part of a process or process result (Gilley et al., 2004). For example, the outsourcing of manufacturing processes may take the form of a part, component, or a finished product (Harland et al., 2005). Manufacturing outsourcing: Throughout the 1990s a remarkable increase of outsourcing activities by firms has been observed. It has been hypothesized that this increase results from the decline in transaction costs in connection with the intensified use of information technology (Abraham and Taylor, 1996). Today, activities that used to be performed in-house (e.g. auditing, maintenance, repair, transportation, janitorial and legal services) are usually outsourced to firms in the business service sector. Consequently, outsourcing has contributed significantly to the growth of business-related services during the last decade (Fixler and Siegel, 1999). Moreover, manufacturing firms are outsourcing not only services but also internal production. One prominent example is the automotive industry, where some large car manufacturers only perform the final assemblage of major parts whose production is outsourced to external suppliers. Since this type of outsourcing quite often occurs at an international level, it is als o closely entwined with the globalization process (Feenstra and Hanson, 1996). Various aspects of the trend to outsource have been discussed in the academic literature. A large literature starting with the seminal paper by Coase (1937) and papers by Grossman and Hart (1986), Bolton and Whinston (1993) and Grossman and Helpman (2002) examines theoretically a firms decision of whether to produce in-house or to outsource. At the heart of this literature are issues concerned with transaction costs and, in particular, incomplete contracts leading to either vertical integration or specialisation. Lyons (1995) provides an empirical application to evaluate the importance of transaction costs theory for firms outsourcing decisions. The trade related aspects of outsourcing have also attracted increasing attention in the literature. Trade theoretic models such as Deardorff (2001), Jones and Kierzkowski (2001) and Kohler (2001) examine the effects of trade in fragmented products on countries patterns of specialisation and resulting implications for factor prices. On the empirical side recent papers by Feenstra and Hanson (1996, 1999) and Gorg et al. (2001) have analysed the effect of international outsourcing (or fragmentation) on relative wages and labour demand using industry level data for the US and UK respectively. In line with traditional HOS trade theory these papers find that international outsourcing (moving low skill intensive production to low skill abundant countries) leads to increased demand and increases in the wage premium for high skilled workers in the US and UK. Egger and Egger (2001) investigate the effect of outsourcing on the productivity of low skilled labour in the EU using industry level d ata. They find that increases in outsourcing have a negative effect on low skilled labour productivity in the short run, but a positive effect in the long run. Drivers of manufacturing outsourcing: There have been several studies that have examined the motivations for and benefits of outsourcing. Abraham and Taylor (1996) identified three reasons for outsourcing: Savings on wage and benefit payments, Transfer of demand uncertainty to the outside contractor Access to specialized skills and inputs that the organization cannot itself possess. Kakabadse and Kakabadse (2000) report that the main reasons for outsourcing are: Economic: greater specialization in the provision of services, as outsourcing allows economies of scale and the longevity of demand for the activity; Quality: access to skills, the competency and focus of potential suppliers and geographical coverage is increased; and Innovation: improvements in quality through innovation, and the development of new service products, can lead to new demands. Bendor-Samuel (1998) also asserts that outsourcing provides certain power that is not available within an organizations internal departments. This power can have many dimensions: economies of scale, process expertise, access to capital, access to expensive technology, etc. The combination of these dimensions creates the cost savings inherent in outsourcing, because the outsourcing supplier (the organization specializing in a particular business function) has the economy of scale, the expertise and the capital investments in leading technology to perform the same tasks more efficiently and effectively than the internal departments of the outsourcing buyer . Another possible benefit is that outsourcing provides companies with greater capacity for flexibility, especially in the purchase of rapidly developing new technologies, fashion goods, or the myriad components of complex systems (Carlson, 1989; Harrison, 1994). Companies can buy technology from a supplier that would be too expensive to replicate internally. A network of suppliers could provide an organization with the ability to adjust the scale and scope of their production capability upward or downward, at a lower cost, in response to changing demand conditions and at a rapid rate. As such, outsourcing claims to provide greater flexibility than the vertically integrated organization (Carlson, 1989; Harrison, 1994; Domberger, 1998). Furthermore, outsourcing can decrease the product/process design cycle time, if the client uses multiple best-in-class suppliers, who work simultaneously on individual components of the process (Quinn and Hilmer, 1994). Issues in manufacturing outsourcing: The case against outsourcing is based on arguments such as loss of management control, reduction in flexibility and increased costs. For instance, competitive outsourcing requires a high standard of supplier management to avoid the pitfalls of transferring critical functionality, or becoming too dependent on a supplier for day-today performance of vital business functions. In addition, outsourcing can generate new risks, such as the loss of critical skills, developing the wrong skills, the loss of cross-functional skills, and the loss of control over suppliers (Domberger, 1998; Quinn and Hilmer, 1994). The possible loss of flexibility is connected to the typical long-term contractual relationship that is formed as part of an outsourcing agreement, and that during the contract term, the customers business, the available technology, and the competitive and regulatory environment may change dramatically. Thus, this inflexibility is mostly linked to an unyielding and inappropriate contra ct. Although outsourcing is undertaken by many organizations to control or reduce costs, there is some evidence that it does not decrease costs as expected, and in some cases, costs increase. For instance, when an item is outsourced, the assumption is that the suppliers costs and required contribution is less and will continue to be less than the cost of internal provision. A survey based on 1000 managers worldwide by the PA Consulting Group (PACG) revealed that only 5% of organizations gained high levels of economic benefit from outsourcing (PA ConsultingGroup (PACG), 1996) and that 39% of organizations admitted mediocre economic benefit. Also, as outsourcing leads to a re-definition of organizational boundaries and, by implication, structural adjustments involving human resources, these changes incur social as well as financial costs. Although the social costs are transitory and can be mitigated by facilitating the adjustments through the re-training and redeployment of staff with in the organization, their transfer to the supplier organization and ensuing redundancy payouts can still be considerable (Domberger, 1998; Hall and Domberger, 1995). Also, outsourcing can lead to industrial disputes between employers and employees, which in turn can damage morale, trust and productivity. Experts maintain that global supply chains are more difficult to manage than domestic supply chains (Dornier et al., 1998; Wood et al., 2002; MacCarthy and Atthirawong, 2003). Substantial geographical distances in these global situations not only increase transportation costs, but complicate decisions because of inventory cost tradeoffs due to increased lead-time in the supply chain. Different local cultures, languages, and practices diminish the effectiveness of business processes such as demand forecasting and material planning. Similarly, infrastructural deficiencies in developing countries in transportation and telecommunications, as well as inadequate worker skills, supplier availability, supplier quality, equipment and technology provide challenges normally not experienced in developed countries. These difficulties inhibit the degree to which a global supply chain provides a competitive advantage. Cost benefits of manufacturing outsourcing: In the absence of transaction costs, a firm will decide to outsource when the market price for an outsourced activity is lower than internal marginal cost for that activity (Fixler and Siegel, 1999). It is an unresolved empirical issue whether outsourcing actually has a positive influence on a firms performance as is expected a priori. Some case studies have reported that firms tend to underestimate the transaction costs associated with outsourcing. For instance, it has been documented that some firm have again in-sourced activities that were previously performed by external firms, because they were dissatisfied with the quality or because they have underestimated the amount of asset specific investments (Benson, 1999; Gornig and Ring, 2000; Young and Macneil, 2000). A few studies have analysed the impact of outsourcing on firm efficiency (Heshmati, 2002). Although efficiency is certainly an important aspect of firm performance, it neglects the product market performance of firms. Fo r instance, even if efficiency of firms remains unchanged after outsourcing of internal production, higher quality of intermediate inputs might result in higher quality of final products and hence higher sales and higher margins. The lack of empirical studies on the link between outsourcing and firm performance might be also due to a limited availability of suitable micro data for analysing this subject. Theoretical considerations for manufacturing outsourcing: In theory, efficient firms will allocate their resources within the value chain to those activities that give them a comparative advantage (Shank and Govindarajan, 1992). Other activities that do not offer such advantages will be outsourced to external suppliers. When firms engage in outsourcing, they assess the productivity of their in-house service functions and decide to outsource if others can provide comparable services cheaper. Basically, when firms outsource activities and functions related to producing their products and services, they move towards a business strategy based on core competencies, a set of skills and knowledge that helps maintain their competitive advantage in serving customers (Porter, 1985; Sharpe, 1997). Thus outsourcing is expected to imply cost savings relative to internal production or internal service functions. This will be the case if outside suppliers benefit from specialized knowledge and/or economies of scale (Heshmati, 2002). However, recent work by Grossman and Helpman (2002) shows that the choice between continued internal production or an outsourcing decision means taking into consideration more than just production cost differences. According to transaction cost economics, outsourcing is desirable only when transaction costs incurring from asset specificity, incomplete contracting and search efforts are lower than the production cost advantage (Williamson, 1971). In addition, the attractiveness of outsourcing to a certain producer may well depend on how many firms can potentially provide the inputs it needs. As mentioned above, some case studies have also reported that benefits from outsourcing are quite often not derived immediately and that managers tend to overestimate the resulting benefits and underestimate the involved transaction costs (Benson, 1999; Gornig and Ring, 2000; Young and Macneil, 2000). Earlier works: Wasner (1999) presents a state-of-the-art view on the outsourcing process by combining a thorough literature review with two independent case studies of the Swedish aircraft industry (Saab AB) and the electronics industry (Ericsson Radio Systems AB and one key supplier Swedform Metall AB). The first case concentrates on outsourcing of aircraft sub-systems and subsequent in-sourcing of related software activities, whereas the second case deals with outsourcing of radio base station production. However, he argues that the process of carrying out the transfer of an activity from being internally controlled to becoming externally managed is equally difficult because of interdependencies at the operational level. The effects of outsourcing are far reaching in terms of physical, temporal and organisational reach. Physically, because there is an inherent complication of losing control as an activity is turned over to an external supplier. Temporally, because it is difficult to estimate how conditions will change over time. Organisationally, because outsourcing involves converting decisions at the strategic level into actions at the operational level and transferring functions from one organisation to another.

Anti -semitism :: essays research papers

Stop and think about this for a second. What if someone was torturing and killing other innocent human beings by the millions using methods of starving, shooting, gassing, burning, and hanging. You might say, “Oh, that could never happen.'; Well it has. During World War II, millions of innocent human beings were killed, all because of one man who had an obsession for power and supremacy. This man that I speak of is an anti-Semitist, meaning someone who is prejudiced against Jews or another race. This man along with his many other followers thought Jews were an alien race. Throughout this paper you will find out who this man is, what he did, why he did it. Also, you will learn about what life was like for the Jews during this time. After reading this I hope that you will have a better idea of what anti-Semitism is and how one man’s obsession turned to millions of lost lives. The man I mentioned in the first paragraph obviously had a name. His name was Adolf Hitler. Let me give you some background information on him. He was born on April 20, 1889 in Braunau am Inn, Austria. His father was a minor customs official and his mother was a peasant girl. He never completed high school and was a poor student. He twice applied to the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, but was not accepted for lack of talent. He read large amounts of books which helped him develop an anti-Jewish and anti-democratic attitude. Hitler fought in World War I for the Bavarian army. Although a courageous soldier he was never promoted above private first class because he was lacking in leadership qualities. In September 1919 he joined the nationalist German Workers’ Party. In April of 1920 he went to work full time for the newly renamed National Socialist German Workers’ (Nazi) Party. In 1921 he was elected party chairman and given dictorial powers. By this time he had developed e xtreme racist qualities and an extreme hate for Jews. In 1923 he tried to seize Bavaria but had no success. There was an increase in the number of Nazi’s between the years of 1929 and 1930. Hitler was then appointed Chancellor of Germany. Hitler started a campaign to destroy world Jewry. He met with high ranking officials and created the final solution to the Jewish problem, and in 1933 the first of many German concentration camps was built.

Summary of A Tale Of Two Cities :: essays research papers

Dr. Alexander manette was a prisoner in the Bastille for 18 years. He is released and taken back to London by Jarvis Lorry of Tellson Bank. Dr. Manette is a little crazy because of all the years he spent locked up in solitary confinement. He has a daughter, Lucie, who was a young girl when he was sent to prison. On a boat trip, Lucie meets a young man named Charles Darnay and is taken with him. They discuss the American Revolution. Darnay is a Frenchman, but he has relinquished the title of his nobility. He is tried for treason in England. However, Darnay's lawyer, Sydney Carton, points out that there is no way to prove that Darnay could have done it because the two men look alike and the witness could not say for sure that it was Darnay. Despite this brilliant defense (on which Darnay is released) Carton leads a solitary life of drunkeness, playing secone man to his boss, Stryver (who is by all means incompetent). By this point, Carton, Darnay, and Stryver all want to marry Lucie. She chooses Darnay and they are married. Right before the wedding, Darnay mentions to Dr. Manette that he has something important to tell him. Darnay tells him that he is Charles St. Evremonde, the nephew of the Marquis St. Evremonde, who was responsible for Dr. Manette's imprisonment. When Darnay tells him this, Dr. Manette falls back in to his stupor. Darnay is convinced by the Revolutionaries to return to France by a fake letter from an old servant. Upon his arrival, he is arrested for being an aristocrat, even though he renounced his property. Unfortunately, Darnay is not as lucky in his second trial. He is condemned mainly on the testimony of his father-in-law, Dr. Manette, who wrote a statement against the Evremondes while still imprisoned. He is sentenced to death. Out of love for the Manette family and Lucie in particular, however, Sydney Carton goes to Paris. He manages to smuggle himself into prison and Darnay out.

Microsoft Essay -- Windows Computers Technology Essays

Microsoft There have been many arguments and issues that have been raised with the controversy over Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justice’s claim against Microsoft and its founder Bill Gates of monopolistic practices in bundling its internet browser â€Å"Internet Explorer† into its popular Windows computer operating system. By doing this, Microsoft would effectively crush its competitors (it’s main rival being Netscape Navigator), and acquire a monopoly over the software that people use to access the Internet. I recently heard a listener on NPR (National Public Radio) comment about the monopoly issue between Microsoft and the U.S. D.O.J. that â€Å"Intellectual endeavors are vastly infinite and thus cannot be monopolized.† I wonder if the person who said this has ever tried telling that to Bill Gates. More importantly, is such a statement true? Does computer software constitute an intellectual endeavor that cannot be monopolized? To answer this issue, an inductive argument can be applied to determine if Microsoft truly has a monopoly over the computer industry. To say that something is infinite implies that there is an endless supply of it. Is this the case in terms of the Internet and the software that is used to â€Å"navigate† or â€Å"explore† the Internet as the two leading Internet Browsers have been dubbed by their makers? The resources of the Internet may seem infinitely vast, but it is wholly finite. There is an abundance of information out there on th e Internet that it seems unlikely that any one company or even a country like the U.S. could ever monopolize this vast data network. By the nature of how the Internet works and how information is stored and shared on the network, it is true that a monopoly cannot be held over the intellectual information stored within the Internet. On this point I will accede to the original author’s claim that intellectual endeavors cannot be monopolized, but this is vastly different from the issue that stands before Microsoft and the U.S. Department of Justice. The question that must be distinguished is not if Microsoft will gain a monopoly over the Internet, but if it will acquire a monopoly on how people access the Internet. These two are wholly separate issues. This is not a question of control of intellectual information, but the means by which people gain *access* to that information. Even if the inform... ...l by bundling its browser into its operating system which already controls 90% of the worlds’ market. The ubiquitous nature of Microsoft in our everyday computing lives is seemingly subconscious, yet when we realize the broad influence of this computer giant upon our life it becomes a frightening possibility. Thoughts of Orwellian â€Å"Big Brother† comes to mind at times. The question of whether Microsoft has a monopoly over the computer industry is a resounding yes. It is a near virtual monopoly in the computer industry. The question thus becomes not whether Microsoft is a monopoly, but why it has taken so long for the government to intercede into the affairs that would regulate this ever growing computer giant. It would be wise to follow the lesson of Jack who cut down the beanstalk in a fable that has all too real applications in our modern-day computerized world. Bibliography Gleick, James. â€Å"MAKING MICROSOFT SAFE FOR CAPITALISM† The New York Times Magazine. William Morris Agency, May 18, 1995. Nader, Ralph and Love, James. â€Å"What to Do About Microsoft?† LE MONDE DIPLOMATIQUE, November 1997 NPR News. May 5 1998 (Station KBRW 89.9 FM) 8:00 AM â€Å"Morning Edition†

Night World : The Chosen Chapter 15

The sound of her own voice sent Rashel spinning out of the light. It was as if she were emerging from deep water- from one world into another. Or as if she were re-entering her own body. For a moment everything was confusion, and Rashel wasn't sure of where she was or how she was positioned†¦ and then she felt her arms and legs and saw yellow light. Lamplight. She was in an upstairs room in a mansion on a private island, and Quinn was holding her. They had somehow ended up on the floor, half kneeling, half supported by the wall, their arms around each other, Rashel's head on his shoulder. She had no idea when he'd stopped biting her. She also had no idea how much time had passed. She coughed a little, shaken by what had just happened. That other place, with the light-it still seemed more real than the hard shiny boards of the floor underneath her and the white walls of the room. But it also seemed encased in its own reality. Like a dream. She didn't know if they would ever be able to get back there again. â€Å"Quinn?† He was Quinn again. Not John. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"Do you know what happened? I mean, do you understand it?† â€Å"I think,† he said, and his voice was gentle and precise, â€Å"that sharing blood can strengthen a telepathic bond. I've always been able to block it out when I fed before, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He didn't finish. â€Å"But it happened that other time. Or something like it happened. When I first met you.† â€Å"Yes. Well. Well, I think it's†¦ there's something called†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He gave up and resorted to nonverbal communication. There's something called the soulmate principle. I've never believed in it. I've laughed at people who talked about it. I would have bet my life that- â€Å"What is it, Quinn?† Rashel had heard of it, too, especially recently. But it wasn't something from her world, and she wanted a Night Person to explain. It's the idea that everyone has one and just one soul-mate in the world, and that if you find them, you recognize them immediately. And†¦ well, that's that. â€Å"But it's not supposed to happen between humans and Night People. Right?† There are some people who think that it is happening-now-for some reason-especially between humans and Night People. The Redferns seem to be getting it in particular. There was a pause, then Quinn said aloud, â€Å"I should probably apologize to some of them, actually.† He sounded bemused. Rashel sat up, which was difficult. She didn't want to let go of Quinn. He kept hold of her fingers, which helped a little. He looked more mussed than he had down near the wharf, his neat hair disordered, his eyes large and dark and dazed. She met his gaze directly. â€Å"You think we're soulmates?† â€Å"Well.† He blinked. â€Å"Do you have a better explanation?† â€Å"No.† She took a breath. â€Å"Do you still want to make me a vampire?† He stared at her, and something flamed and then fell in pain in his eyes. For an instant he looked as if she'd hit him-then all she could see was regret. â€Å"Oh, Rashel† In one motion he caught her and held her. His face was pressed to her hair. She could feel him breathing like some stricken creature-and then she felt him regain control, grabbing discipline from somewhere, wrapping himself in it. He rested his chin on her head. â€Å"I'm sorry you have to ask that, but I understand. I don't want to make you a vampire. I want-â€Å" I want you to be what you were two minutes ago. That happy, that idealistic†¦. He sounded as if it were something that had been lost forever. But Rashel felt a new happiness, and a new confidence. He had changed. She could sense how much he had changed already. They were in the real world, and he wasn't raving about needing to kill her, or her needing to kill him. â€Å"I just wanted to be sure,† she said. She tightened her own arms around him. â€Å"I don't know what's going to happen-but as long as we're right together, I think I can face it.† I think we live or die together from now on, Quinn said simply. Yes, Rashel thought. She could still feel lingering sadness in Quinn, and confusion in herself, but they were right together. She didn't need to doubt him anymore. They trusted each other. â€Å"We have to do something about the people downstairs,† she said. â€Å"Yes.† â€Å"But we can't kill them.† â€Å"No. There's been enough killing. It has to stop.† Quinn sounded like a swimmer who'd been tumbling in a riptide, and whose feet had finally found solid ground. Rashel sat up to look at him. â€Å"But we can't just let them walk out of here. What if they try it again? I mean, whoever set this bloodfeast up†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She suddenly realized that she had asked everybody else, but not him. â€Å"Quinn, who did set this up?† He smiled, a faint echo of his old savage smile. Now it was grim and self-mocking. â€Å"I don't know.† â€Å"You don't know?† â€Å"Some vampire who wanted to get the made vampires together. But I've never met him. Lily was the go-between, but I'm not sure she knows either. She only spoke to him on the phone. Neither of us asked a lot of questions. We were doing it for the money.† He said it flatly, not sparing himself. And to be rebellious, Rashel thought. To be as bad and as damned as possible, because you figured you might as well. She said, â€Å"Whoever it is might just go somewhere else and find somebody else to get his slaves for him. Those seven guys could be having a new bloodfeast next month.† â€Å"That has to be stopped, too,† Quinn said. â€Å"How to stop it without violence, that's the question.† His fingers were still tight on Rashel's, but he was staring into the distance, lost in grim and competent thought. It was a new side of Quinn. Rashel had seen him in almost every mood from despairing to manic, but she had never worked with him before. Now she realized that he was going to make a strong and resourceful ally. Suddenly Quinn seemed to focus. â€Å"I've got it,† he said. He smiled suddenly, mocking but without the bitterness. â€Å"When violence won't work, there's no other choice but to try persuasion.† â€Å"That's not funny.† â€Å"It's not meant to be.† â€Å"You're going to say, ‘Please don't kill any more young girls'?† â€Å"I'm going to say, ‘Please don't kill any more young girls or I'll report you to the Joint Council.' Listen, Rashel.† He took her by the arms, his eyes flashing with excitement. â€Å"I have some authority in the Night World-I'm the Redfern heir. And Hunter Redfern has more. Between us, we can make all kinds of trouble for these made vampires.† â€Å"But Fayth-a friend of mine-said they were all so powerful.† In the intensity of the moment, Rashel almost missed the fact that she'd just called Fayth her friend. Quinn was shaking his head. â€Å"No, you have to understand. These aren't rogues, they're Night World citizens. And what they're doing is completely illegal. You can't just kill a bunch of girls from one area without permission. Slavery's illegal, bloodfeasts are illegal. And no matter how powerful they are, they can't stand up against the Night World Council.† â€Å"But-â€Å" â€Å"We threaten them with exposure to the Council. With exposure to Hunter Redfern-and to the lamia. The lamia will go crazy at the thought of made vampires getting together in some kind of alliance. They'll take it as a threat of civil war.† It might work, Rashel was thinking. The made vampires were just individuals-they'd be up against whole lamia families. Especially against the Redfern family, the oldest and most respected clan of vampires. â€Å"Everybody's scared of Hunter Redfern,† she said slowly. â€Å"He's got tremendous influence. He practically owns the Council. He could run them out of the Night World if he wanted. I think they'll listen.† â€Å"You really do think of him as a father, don't you?† Rashel said, her voice soft. She searched Quinn's eyes. â€Å"Whatever you say about hating him-you respect him.† â€Å"He's not as bad as most. He has†¦ honor, I guess. Usually.† And he's a New Englander, Rashel thought. That means he's against vice. She considered another moment, then she nodded. Her heart was beating fast, but she could feel a smile breaking on her face. â€Å"Let's try persuasion.† They stood-and then they paused a moment, looking at each other. We're strong, Rashel thought. We've got unity. If anyone can do this, we can. She picked up her knife almost absent-mindedly. It was a piece of art, a valued possession, and she didn't want to lose it. They walked down the stairs side by side. Music was still blasting from the gathering room at the end of the hall. It hadn't been that long, Rashel realized. The whole world had changed since she'd been in this hallway-but somehow it had all happened in minutes. Now, Quinn said silently before they went in. There shouldn't be any danger-/ don't think they'll be stupid enough to attack me-but be alert anyway. Rashel nodded. She felt cool and businesslike, and she thought she was perfectly rational. It was only later that she realized they had walked into the room like little lambs into the tiger's lair, still dizzy and reeling from the discovery of love. Quinn went in first and she could hear voices stop as he did. Then she was walking through the door, into that ruddy flickering room with shadows dancing on the walls. And there they were again, those handsome young guys who looked like a TV-series ensemble. They were looking at Quinn with various expressions of interest and surprise. When they saw her, the expressions sharpened to pleasure and inquiry. â€Å"Hey, Quinn!† â€Å"Hi there, Quinn.† â€Å"So you've arrived at last. You've kept us waiting long enough.† That from the dark one who was looking at his watch. Quinn said, â€Å"Turn off the music.† Someone went to a built-in mahogany cabinet and turned off an expensive stereo. Quinn was looking around the room, as if to appraise each of them. â€Å"Campbell,† he said, nodding slightly. â€Å"Radhu. Azarius. Max.† â€Å"So you're the one who brought us here,† Campbell said. He had rusty hair and a sleepy smile. â€Å"We've all been dying to find out.† â€Å"Who's that?† someone else added, peering at Rashel. â€Å"The first course?† Quinn smiled fractionally, with a look that made the guy who'd asked step backward. â€Å"No, she's not the first course,† he said softly. â€Å"In fact, unfortunately, all the courses have disappeared.† There was a silence. Everyone stared at him. Then the guy with the silver-blond hair said, â€Å"What?† â€Å"They've all-just-disappeared.† Quinn made an expressive gesture. â€Å"Escaped. Vanished.† Another silence. Rashel didn't like this one. She was beginning to get an odd impression from the group, as if she were in a room, not with people, but with animals that had been kept past their feeding time. â€Å"What the hell are you talking about?† the dark one, the one Quinn had called Azarius, said tightly. â€Å"What kind of joke is this?† Campbell added. â€Å"It's not a joke. The girls who were brought for the bloodfeast are gone,† Quinn said slowly and distinctly, just in case anybody hadn't gotten it yet. Then he said, â€Å"And as a matter of fact, it's a good thing.† â€Å"A good thing? Quinn, we're starving.† â€Å"They can't have gone too far,† the silver blond said. â€Å"After all, it's an island. Let's go and-† â€Å"Nobody's going anywhere,† Quinn said. Rashel moved closer to him. She was still nervous. These guys were on the edge of getting out of control. But she trusted Quinn, and she could tell they were afraid of him. And, she told herself, they'll be even more afraid in a minute. â€Å"Look, Quinn, if you brought us here to-† â€Å"I didn't bring you here. In fact, I don't know who brought you here, but it doesn't matter. I've got the same thing to say to all of you. There isn't going to be any bloodfeast, now or ever. And anybody who objects to that can take their problem to the Council.† That shut everyone up. They simply stared at Quinn. It was clearly the last thing they expected. â€Å"In fact, if you don't want the Council to hear about this, I'd advise everybody to go home quietly and pretend it never happened. And to have a headache the next time anybody asks you to a bloodfeast.† This silence was broken by somebody muttering, â€Å"You dirty†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Meanwhile, Rashel's mind had begun to tick. Just how were these guys going to go home quietly? There weren't any boats. Unless the host brought one when he came-if he came. And where was he, anyway? And where was Lily? â€Å"Quinn,† she said softly. But somebody else was speaking. â€Å"You'd tell the Council?† a lean tough-looking guy with brown hair asked. â€Å"No, I'd let Hunter Redfern tell the Council,† Quinn said. â€Å"And I don't really think you want that. He might put it in a bad light. Raise your hands everybody who thinks Hunter Redfern would approve of this little party.† â€Å"Do I get a vote?† The voice came from the doorway. It was deeper than the voices of the young guys in the room. Rashel recognized the sound of danger instinctively and turned. And later it seemed to her that even before she turned, she knew what she would see. A tall man standing easily, with a girl and a child behind him in the shadows. He was colored by the flickering ruby light of the fire, but Rashel could still see that his hair was red as blood. And his eyes were golden. Golden like hawk's eyes, like amber. Like Lily Redfern's eyes. Why hadn't she realized that before? The face was a face she would never forget. It came to her every night in her dreams. It was the man who'd killed her mother. The man who'd chased her through the climbing structure, promising her ice cream. All at once, Rashel was five years old again, weak and helpless and terrified. â€Å"Hello, Quinn,† Hunter Redfern said. Quinn was absolutely still beside Rashel. She had the feeling that he couldn't even think. And she understood why. She'd seen into his mind; she knew what Hunter represented to him. Stern necessity, even ruthlessness, but honor, too. And he was just now finding out that that was all a lie. â€Å"Don't look so upset,† Hunter said. He stepped forward with an amiable smile. His golden eyes were fixed on Quinn; he hadn't even glanced at Rashel yet. â€Å"There's a reason for all this.† He gestured to the vampires in the room, and his voice was gentle, rational. â€Å"We need allies in the Council; the lamia are getting too lax. Once I've explained it all to you, you'll understand.† The way he'd made Quinn understand that Quinn had to be a vampire, Rashel thought. The way he'd made Quinn understand that humans were the enemy. She was shaking all over, but there was a white-hot fire inside her that burned through the fear. â€Å"Was there a reason for killing my mother?† she said. The golden eyes turned toward her. Hunter looked mildly startled. Beside her, Quinn's head jerked around. â€Å"I was only five, but I remember it all,† Rashel said. She took a step closer to Hunter. â€Å"You killed her just like that-snapped her neck. Was there a reason for killing Timmy? He was four years old and you drank his blood. Was there a reason for killing my great-aunt? You set a fire to get me, but it got her.† She stopped, staring into those predatory golden eyes. She'd searched for this man for twelve years, and now he didn't seem to recognize her. â€Å"What's wrong, did you hunt too many little kids to keep track of?† she said. â€Å"Or are you so crazy you believe your own public image?† Quinn whispered, â€Å"Rashel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She turned. â€Å"I'm sure. He was the one.† In that instant, she saw Quinn's face harden implacably against the man who'd made him a Red-fern. His eyes went dark as black holes-no light escaped. Rashel suddenly had the feeling of glacial cold. Look into eyes like that and what you saw alone might kill you, she thought. But she had her own fire inside her, her own vengeance. The knife was in her waistband. If she could just get close enough†¦. She moved toward Hunter Redfern again. â€Å"You destroyed my life. And you don't even remember, do you?† â€Å"I remember,† the little shadow beside him said. And then the world flipped and Rashel felt the floor slipping away from her. The child behind Hunter was walking into the light-and suddenly she could smell plastic and old socks, and she could feel vinyl under her hands. Memories were flooding up so quickly that she was drowning in them. All she could say was â€Å"Oh, Timmy. Oh, God, Timmy.† He was standing there, just as she'd seen him last, twelve years ago. Shiny dark hair and wide tilted blue eyes. Except that the eyes weren't exactly a child's eyes. They were some strange and terrible combination of child and adult. There was too much knowledge in them. â€Å"You left me,† Timmy said. â€Å"You didn't care about me.† Rashel sank her teeth into her lip, but tears spilled anyway. â€Å"I'm sorry†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Nobody cared about me,† Timmy said. He reached up to take Hunter's sleeve. â€Å"No humans, anyway. Humans are vermin.† He smiled his old sweet smile. Hunter looked down at Timmy, then up at Quinn. â€Å"It's amazing how quickly they learn. You haven't met Timmy, have you? He's been living in Vegas, but I think he can be useful here.† He turned to Rashel and his eyes were pure evil. â€Å"Of course I remember you. It's just that you've changed a little; you've gotten older. You're different from us, you see.† â€Å"You're weak,† Lily put in. She had stepped forward, too, to stand beside her father. Now she linked her arm in his. â€Å"You're short-lived. You're not very bright, and not very important. In a word, you're†¦ dinner.† Hunter smiled. â€Å"Well put.† Then he dropped the smile and said to Quinn, â€Å"Step away from her, son.† Quinn moved slightly, closer to Rashel. â€Å"This is my soulmate,† he said, in his softest and most disturbing voice. â€Å"And we're leaving together.† Hunter Redfern stared at him for several long moments. Something like disbelief flickered in his eyes. Then he recovered and said quietly, â€Å"What a shame.† Behind Rashel there were noises of stirring. It was as if a hot wind from the savanna had blown in, and the lions had caught its scent. â€Å"You know, I was already worried about you, Quinn,† Hunter said. â€Å"Last summer you let Ash and his sisters get away with running out on the enclave. Don't think I didn't notice that. You're getting lax, getting soft. There's too much of that going around lately.† Stand back to back, Quinn told Rashel. She was already moving into position. The vampires were forming a ring, encircling them. She could see smiles on every face. â€Å"And Lily says you've been strange these last few days-moody. She said you seemed preoccupied with a human girl.† Rashel drew her knife. The vampires were watching her with the fixed attention of big felines watching their prey. Absolute focus. â€Å"But the soulmate idea-that's really the last straw. It's like a disease infecting our people. You understand why I have to stamp it out.† Hunter paused. â€Å"For old time's sake, let's finish this quickly.† A voice that wasn't Quinn's added in Rashel's mind, / told you I'd see you later. Rashel stood on the balls of her feet, letting Hunter's words slide off her and drip away. She couldn't think about him right now. She had to concentrate on awareness, open her energy, and free her mind. This was going to be the biggest fight of her fife, and she needed zanshin. But even as she found it, a small voice inside her was whispering the truth. There were simply too many vampires. She and Quinn couldn't hold them all off at once.