Consumer Cultures, Environmental Futures Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Consumer Cultures, Environmental Futures - Essay Example In addition, chicken meat production is projected to increase to around 1.2 million tones. Around three-quarters of domestic chicken meat that are supplied in the Australian market are processed by two major processing industries. Over the total poultry production 95 per cent is chicken, the remaining per cent comprises of turkey and duck meat production. The vertical integration in the chicken meat industry is more as compared to other production in the livestock sectors. This leading business has a model whereby the processors provide both day-old chicks and feed for growers contracted to nurture the chickens over about five weeks. To increase productivity of the chicken meat industry, Australia has continued to import new genetic strains that enable producers to improve numerous traits (The Poultry site, 2013). These traits include the increase in meat yield per bird, feed conversion productivity and disease resistance. An individual in Australia consumes an average of 45 kg per p erson and there is a high probability that this will increase by 2014. This means that chicken consumption will remain competitive against substitute meats. In addition consumption of chicken meat is anticipated to grow to 47 kg by 2018 making it the most consumed meat in Australia. This calls for increased production of chicken and one of the chicken industries that is on the fore front to increase this production is the Victorian Chicken Meat Industry. One of the key questions when it comes to Victoria’s chicken meat industry is its location. The broiler farms are located near the processing facilities of the company they are contracted to supply. This is where day old chicks are nurtured to slaughter weight. In addition, the need to reduce the transportation cost, improve access to infrastructure, labor, and the higher need to get near the customers has led to the processing facilities to be located near to metropolitan centers. The Victoria’s chicken meat processin g unit is located primarily in the Melbourne, Barwon, Gippsland, and Loddon regions. To reduce biosecurity risks the Victoria chicken industry has generally separated breeding farms from broiler farms (DEPI, 2013). Melbourne produces 64 percent of the total chicken production whereas the other remaining percent is produced in other production plants in Barwon (18 per cent), Gippsland (9 per cent), and Loddon (7 per cent). The Victorian chicken meat industry generally has investments across all the supply chain and thus making it to have a highly vertically integrated processing unit. This vertical integration ranges from breeding farms, feed mills, hatcheries, broilers farms, and processing plants. There are 224 businesses involved in chicken meat production under the Victoria chicken meat industry. There are around 200 broilers farm that grow meat chickens and work under the Victoria chicken industry where the processors retain ownership of the chickens throughout the supply chain. The victoria has a number of broiler farms that nurtures meat chickens and around 10 breeding facilities. At a single period the Victorian industry raises approximately 23 million broilers and 970,000 breeding stock. In every year there are about 128 million meat

Culture report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Culture report - Essay Example The students that attend this high school have many obstacles to overcome in their lives. The reservation is a place of high poverty, high unemployment and high rates of substance abuse. It is the type of environment that keeps people from succeeding in life. Yet, this remarkable high school basketball team seems to find a way to win every year. They have won five state championships against much larger, well-funded schools. One of the secrets to the success of the team is their dedicated coach Al Redman. The movie focuses on Beaver C’Bearing and the work he and his coach put into winning. It shows that the boys on the team succeed by working hard to hone their skills and by working together. The movie shows that unfortunately, the lessons learned on the basketball court often do not translate to life on the reservation. Much of the conversation in the movie centers on players that were once great but have failed to have successful lives. II. Relevance of the movie CHIEFS to M arketing There is a lot of relevance in the movie CHIEFS to cross cultural marketing. One of the aspects of culture that was displayed in this movie of Native American culture seems to be the aspect of a focus on shared ownership of public goods. The Chiefs basketball team belongs to the reservation. It occurs to me that this is truer for this community of Native Americans than it is for the typical American community with a more Euro-centric culture. The Chiefs literally belong to the community, no one person or group has more of an interest in them than anyone else does. That is why everyone leaves the reservation to go see the Chiefs play their games in the playoffs. What this means for marketing is that any attempt to market the mystique, culture or logo of the Chiefs would have to be done in a way that benefits the entire community. If any one single individual or group were to try to monopolize access or attempt to brand the Chiefs in a way that excluded the community at large , I believe that this person would have a difficult time succeeding. This team is truly the heart and the soul of the Wind River Reservation in some ways. It is more than a source of pride, it is a public good, and therefore the public will have to be supportive of any marketing efforts involving the team. III. Personal Reaction to the viewing of the movie CHIEFS. I really enjoyed the movie and the crowd that had gathered to watch the movie. I really got caught-up in the stories of these basketball players and how difficult their lives were. I never felt sorry for them, because they seemed so determined to succeed at basketball. I felt that the writer and director of the film did a great job depicting the challenges Beaver C’Bearing and his teammates faced, without sensationalizing the challenges they face off the court. At times, the movie was sad, but always made me feel as though in the end the people on the team would somehow, against all the odd succeed in life and in th e game of basketball. I could not help pull for the team in each one of their games, even though the players were flawed and imperfect people. Right to the end of the movie, I believed that these people were going to win. I wanted them to win because it appears as though they were dealt such an unfair hand by fate and by their circumstances. However, I liked the fact that the

Customer Relationship Management

Customer Relationship Management This study aims to examine the causal relationships among customer relationship management and customer retention. This paper will follow the main aspects, characteristics, dimensions and processes of Customer Relationship Management, and will analyze the challenges that the local companies will have to face. There is one independent variable (customer relationship management) and one dependent variable (customer retention) with sample size 100 as convenience data collection. In this study will test the targeted customer satisfaction to gain customer loyalty as well as. This study will be examining the effect of customer relationship perceptions and relationship marketing on customers relations. Customer relationship perceptions are considered evaluations of relationship strength and suppliers offerings. Research marketing instruments are aimed at to evaluate the relationship and help to differentiate between loyalty or reward programs promotions. The subjects for the proposed study were bank customers. A self administered questionnaire had been used for the proposed study. Introduction: This part will be helping reader to introducing the bigger picture of related topic which will be discussed in this study. The topic is related to customer relationship management and customer retention to study what would be the impact of good relationship between marketers and the final consumer and along with this drive to follow the topic. The capability of customer relationship management on customer retention in other words how it will has an impact to retain customer and to make him or her loyal this is the main purpose to study this topic and this will be the main focus of this research. We are conducting this research to study that either the customers would be influenced by good relationship management and how much the relationship management would be help them out to retain customers loyalty as well. Basically the main concept of customer relationship is relationship between the customer and the organization in other words how a company can achieve large number of potentia l customer who is willing to buy a particular brand of same company and then how they are going to retain in the long run. Nowadays companies are willing to deliver right brand or service to the right customer with right features and benefits or attributes when the wanted. To become a good organization it should to manage good relationships with its customer in order to make more customers or to attract them and also keep in view with companys changing environment. Consumers willing to buy benefits and also interested to get good services as well as if we are talking about here the tele communication industry so we have lots of examples of different companies services which they are providing innovatively to satisfied their customers needs, wants and requirements also. All the companied are coming up with different and innovative ideas and using as a method to compete with their competitors successfully and because of that consumers are getting more aware with different and lots of services which are also increasing customers needs. This research is actually focusing on two areas, first is to test is there significant impact of customer relationship perception on customer retention or not? And second is, there is significant impact of relationship marketing instruments on customer retention or not? Because every company has aim to retain their current customer as long as much and also try to steal away from their rivals, so this study is testing the impact of customer relationship perception and relationship marketing instruments on customer retention. I took tele-communication industry to test customer retention that how much good relationships and marketing instruments have an impact to retain customers on the long term basis. The current expansion in customer relationship marketing has more and more paying attention towards the valuable impacts of consumer retention. The idea of structuring customer relationships and providing good quality service to maintain or persuade reliability is possibly of specific si gnificance in the service segment where it is frequently discussed that consumer appeal costs are considerably more than retention costs. The main purpose of investment in the expansion of service quality and consumer relationships is the faith that these investments will improve loyalty, retention and productivity. This study will discover the relationship between service quality consumer relationships and consumer loyalty and retention. Customer relationship is playing an important part within the organization as they are the keys in order to increase the sales, market shares and net profit, marketers are more focused nowadays to attracting and making more customers and plus to retain them forever, customer relationship process is very significant strategy to retaining, pertaining and acquiring quality customers or potential customers to make superior quality for the organization and for the customers. Marketing productivity can be achieved by create marketing efficiency and creat e marketing effectiveness. Customer relationship management is playing a key role to improve organizations well known name also. The main idea of this study is to test the impact of marketing instruments and customer relationship perception and to test how these two techniques are effective to influence customers, either it works truly or maybe it is not. Through data collection and market research we will be able to finalize this argue. Customer relationship management must be understand the difference between the high value customer and low value customer on the basis of lifestyle, perception, preferences, age, culture background and education also. Being a marketer we should focused on loyal customers because they are more profitable key customers company should has to invest more on loyal customers to give them high quality service, benefits and incentives also to retain them and this would be good way to be a positive impact on customers perception. Companies nowadays are diligently working on this sector to improve companys services in order to attract more customers. Customer relationship management is simply a philosophy that keeps the customers in the heart of the business organization, as we all know that consumer is a king of marketing companies should have serve them as best as they can. A successful customer relationship management process can be done by understanding customers needs and requirements and to integrate them according to the organizations internal strategy changings time to time and also according to the external changings analysis. Therefore the main aim is should be to start customer relationship management initiatives is to look what company is doing right now and what it should be doing in future to improve its interface with its customers. Purpose of This Study This study is focused on the impact of customer relationship management on customer retention. In this research there will be multi nominal logestictechnique using to identify the impact of customer relationship management on customer retention, there is one independent variable (customer relationship management) and one dependent variable (customer retention) with sample size 100 as convenience data collection. In this study will test the targeted customer satisfaction to gain customer loyalty as well as. The organizations look for paths to deal with consumer relationships in the long term basis and to find the service providing ways customer to manage targeted customers relationship which becomes a key main concern. This study will be examining the effect of customer relationship perceptions and relationship marketing on customers relations. Customer relationship perceptions are considered evaluations of relationship strength and suppliers offerings. Research marketing instruments are aimed at to evaluate the relationship and help to differentiate between loyalty or reward p rograms promotions. Literature Review According to author nowadays in marketing the fashion to constructing or maintaining of relationships between the customers and the marketers is now become a continues process to build and grow to be strong and marketers have become gradually more involved to retaining consumers for the long time in future to make them loyal. Not amazingly, a lot of realistic and theoretical models of consumer retention have discover fulfillment of their needs as a way to addressed in consumers judgment to keep or leave or discontinue to the specific manufactured goods or service relationship or association. Certainly, fulfillment of needs can be measure have accounted for up to 40% of the difference in models of Consumer retention. (Lemon, 2002) Managers of many multinational companies are strongly believed that there is a wide and rising subject of study explores on consumer fulfillment that center of principally on person level of fulfillments of desires with specific merchandise or services. Moderately slightly concentration Is paying to the determinants of marketplace level of satisfaction, which is distinct here as the collective fulfillment of those who buy and use a specific good presenting. The researcher objective is to build and experiment an approach to reproduction satisfaction that connects to the market place prospect, supposed performance or worth and consumer satisfaction over time (Johnson, Anderson, Fornell) According to a researcher of this study that the main purpose of this study is that the consumer Gaining procedure has an effect on the consumer retention procedure. This study shows a method for discovering consumer retention which determinant for the effect the consumer gaining procedure has on the retention procedure infect although information on non obtain prediction are not accessible. In other words if we are talking about statically so this means that the planned technique at the same time addresses information will be editing. This is very significant to code that the center of this technique is not to address how companies should Obtain consumers. In its place, the purpose of this technique is to accurate for the partiality in the consumer retention study that answer from imagining that consumer attainment and retention Are independent procedure. evaluating the technique with a normal technique used in retention study, this study illustrates that the normal approach disregard the connection among attainment and retention, guides to wrong conclusion concerning the period of the consumer company connection and the productivity of a consumer and mystification concerning the effect of marketing strategy on the period of the consumer company association (Thomas, 2001) Now a days the fashion in marketing in the direction to making associations with consumers keep on to raise and managers have been now more and more paying attention in retaining consumers during the time. Not amazingly, a lot of realistic and academic representation of consumer retention has discovered fulfillment since an input determinant in consumers choices to remain or fall that is discontinued. In other words a known manufactured goods or service relationship. Certainly, fulfillment of desires procedures have determinant at least 40% of the variation in representation of consumer retention. In this study, we search for to know which further aspects might manipulate the consumers choices to remain or go down a manufactured goods or service, over and above satisfaction level (Lemon, White, Winer) Customer relationship management Customer relationship management (CRM) is a grouping of individuals, processes, and technology intended to recognize and deal with a companys affairs with consumers by emphasizing on relationship development and customer retention. Its intention is to increase profit by achieving a most favorable equilibrium among corporate investments and customer satisfaction. CRM applications help organizations analyze customer loyalty and profitability on measures such as repeat purchases, dollars spent, and longevity (Chen Popovich, 2003). CRM also analyzes its roots to relationship marketing, which is objected at improving profitability in the long run by deemphasizing captivating fresh consumers and emphasizing customer retention through efficient management of customer relationships (Christopher, Payne, Ballantyne, 1991). Relationship marketing refers to all marketing activities aimed at forming, increasing, and maintaining winning relational contacts. The management of customer relationships is precious for the company (Morgan Hunt, 1994; Webster, 1992). Customer Relationship Management has been around for the last 30 years, but it became very significant when companies altered their approach towards marketing function. These days, the cross-functional approach to marketing needs an organizational climate and culture that appreciates teamwork and support among departments. Individuals within the business must value their part in helping clients, internal or external one. CRM builds on the values of relationship marketing and recognizes that clients are a business asset and not just a commercial audience, implies the structuring of the company from functions to Processes, information are used proactively rather than reactively and form the one-to-one marketing approaches (Payne, 2006) chiefly CRM allows the company to realize who their purchaser is, isolate the best client (those with whom you wish to have old associations), form relationships stretching over time and linking multiple interactions, handle the bond to shared benefit, search for to obtaining more of those best clients. Inputs like marketing tactics, products and customer base, and regulation, competitors and staff skills are synthesized in a CRM programmer which forms outputs as customer service, customer retention, more share of wallet, customer referral, more expected revenues streams, better profitability, lesser costs and better fulfillment (Russell-Jones, 2003). CRM has its roots in Relationship Marketing, that is an over effort of exchange associates to make a long-term relationship, characterized by purposeful support and shared reliance on the growth of social as well as structural association (Pulde, 1999). Light (2003) acknowledged that CRM originated from business processes such as relationship marketing and the increased highlighting on better customer retention through the efficient management of customer relationships. A CRM system can be observed as an enterprise information system that includes all business processes in marketing, sales, , and after-sale service that entails the client. Levine (2000) points out that CRM systems use customer-related information or knowledge to convey related products or services to the companys clients. One of the most important definitions of a CRM system has been put forward by Davenport et al. (2001), stating that CRM systems are all the tools, technologies and actions to direct, progress or assist sales, support and linked relations with clients, prospects, and business associates all through the enterprise. In the same way, Parvatiyar Sheth (2002) speak of CRM systems as a co partnering with choosy clients to create better worth for the company and the clients. It involves the integration of marketing, sales, customer service, and the supply-chain functions of the organization to attain better efficiencies and competence in delivering customer value. CRM is about captivating and keeping clients and increasing your business. To do so, you must recognize and achieve insight into your most valuable clients so you can aim and personalize relations with them. You have to alter products and services based on their requirements and Preferences and construct long-term, beneficial relations with them. To encourage beneficial growth, your corporation must become a customer focused enterprise. You do so by designing and constantly improving business processes and communication channels to build and convey greater customer value and outstanding customer experiences across all touch points. You know that loyal customers are your most vital assets and that your business practices must hold and maintain such relationships. Your business must understand individual customer requirements, react rapidly to customer desires and altering wants, and offer high-quality service. You must also lessen the cost of interacting with clients and allow your workers to focus on doing what they do most excellent. Customer relationship management (CRM) is a mixture of individuals, processes, and technology designed to recognize and control a companys relations with clients by focusing on relationship development and customer retention (Chen Popovich, 2003). Its intention is to increase profit by obtaining an optimum equilibrium among corporate investments and client contentment. CRM applications assist organizations assess customer loyalty and productivity on Measures such as repeat purchases, dollars spent, and longevity (Chen Popovich, 2003). CRM traces its roots to relationship marketing, which is targeted at improving long run profitability by deemphasizing captivating fresh clients and emphasizing customer retention through efficient management of customer relationships (Christopher, Payne, Ballantyne, 1991). Relationship marketing refers to all marketing activities aimed at establishing, budding, and maintaining booming relational exchanges (Morgan Hunt, 1994). The management of customer relationships is precious for the corporation (Morgan Hunt, 1994; Webster, 1992). Dwyer, Schurr, and Oh (1987) points out those customer relationships grow over different phases that are associated to the customer lifecycle. Greve and Albers (2006) identify three customer lifecycle phases: Initiation, Maintenance and Retention. These phases are characterized by differences in attitudes and orientations and thus need different management relationship approaches at each phase (Srivastava, Shervani, Fahey, 1998). Many organizations chartered with implementing CRM are confused as to what CRM in reality means (Payne, 2006). Persons, teams and managers might be struggling with where to start on in the CRM process. In a lot of cases they might have acknowledged a directive to implement a CRM solution with slight direction on what this in reality means. Payne (2006) points out that some of this uncertainty may be due to the fact that there are many vendors who recommend CRM-based solutions for information management therefore skewing the definition of customer relationship management away from fostering customer relationships and on the way to technology. Customer retention is very vital for businesses to continue to be competitive. It has lately become more significant compared to customer acquisition. In this Study the customer retention was calculated by four proportions i.e. overall firm contentment, repeat purchase intentions, positive words of mouth and loyalty to the firm. Earlier researches showed that when clients were pleased with a firm quality of services, (Maxham III, 2000) clients delivered positive words of mouth and suggested the firm services to other potential and prospective clients ( Soderland, 1998; Susskind, 2000 ). They also come back more regular to the firm to purchase in bigger amounts or in another words the tendency to repeat purchase was very high ( Palmer et al, 2000 ). In addition pleased clients were loyal to the firm even though they were given better perks, discount and other promotional incentives by competitors. Pleased clients are loyal and tough to defect to competitors ( Foster Cardogan, 2002 ; Zins, 2001) Relationship management is superfluous if customers defect since there is further no relationship to deal with. To retain clients, merchants must carry on satisfying them. When consumers are pleased, they continue to stay loyal longer, purchase more, chat thoughtfully about the company and its goods, and price fewer to service since the transactions become more regular. In order to Keep customers content is price effective, as it outlays extra money to tempt a customer away from the rivalry than to maintain the present one (Kotler, 2000) Acquiring new customers can cost five times more than the costs engaged in pleasing and retaining existing customers (Reichheld, 1996). Further, there seems to be a direct association among retention and company profitability and customer worth, which is explained as an exclusive blend of benefits received by targeted buyers. These benefits include quality, cost, handiness, in time delivery, and both before-sale and after-sale service (Kerin, Hartley, Rudelius, 2007). Also, a content purchaser tends to tell at least three other individuals regarding their shopping experience while a discontented purchaser tends to complain to at least nine other individuals. Content buyers also tend to become loyal customers (Sheth, Mitral, Newman, 1999). Relationship marketing is suggested as an approach to beat service intangibility (Berry 1983) and may be suitable for credibility services that are the, services which are hard for consumers to counseling services are in this group. The customer may have an association with a firm itself and/or a particular contact individual, but personal relationships are assumed to result in larger commitment (Liechty and Churchill 1979). Customer Relationship Management (Payne, 2006) is based on the idea that in order for a company to make the most of long term profit, client requirements have to be understood and Leveraged (String fellow, Nie Bowen, 2004). Payne and Frow (2005) report that the definition of CRM differs broadly. One end of the range deals with very planned and targeted technology solutions while the other end considers customer relationship management a holistic and strategic approach in order to increase shareholder value (Payne Frow, 2005). Firms use relationship marketing instruments (RMIs), such as loyalty programs and direct mailings (Hart et al. 1999; Roberts and Berger 1999). Firms also aim to build close relationships with customers to enhance customers relationship perceptions (CRPs). Although the impact of these tactics on customer retention has been reported (e.g., Bolton 1998; Bolton, Kannan, and Bramlett 2000), there is skepticism about whether such tactics can succeed in developing customer share in customer markets (Dowling 2002; Dowling and Uncles 1997). Relationship marketing is in reality Database marketing with a pleasant, more intellectual face. Many database marketing types just utilize the database as a list and mail things to it; relationship marketing implies a deeper knowledge of the client and some sort of give and take. In relationship marketing, there is acknowledgement of a clients life cycle, and marketing is viewed as a practice rather than a sequence of apparently unrelated proceedings. The process is typically explained as a series of customer stages, and there are many different names specified to these stages, depending on the marketers viewpoint and the kind of business. For instance, working from the start of the association to the end of the association: Interaction > Communication > Valuation > Termination Awareness > Comparison > Transaction > Reinforcement > Advocacy Suspect > Prospect > Customer > Partner > Advocate > Former Customer in this process, you attempt to modify programs for individual customer groups and the stage of the process they are going all the way through; as opposite to some forms of database marketing where everyone would get nearly the same promotions, with possibly a vary in offer. The phase in consumer lifecycle determines the approach used in marketing. An uncomplicated example of this would be delivering fresh clients a greeting Kit. And in relationship marketing, you pay attention to the data and attempt to listen to what its telling you. OK, if you pursue the techniques in the book, you are doing relationship marketing, no hesitation about it. Relationship marketing with a currency, a store of value that attempts to maintain the client locked up with a business. In loyalty programs, customer profiling is used broadly to encourage to clients, apart from points are used in its place of discounts as the incentive for activity. Loyalty programs are costly and hard to do right, but can be successful, as long as these things are true: The rewards are desirable to the particular customer base. Generic loyalty programs with blah awards nearly all the time do not succeed. If you are doing a sports loyalty program and you suggest tickets to big games in place of over-priced cameras for rewards, you will do okay with the clients. The program is kept new and thrilling, with a continuous diversity of stuff to entail the client with, as well as refreshing of the rewards directory, point auctions, etc.The marketing does not focus on thoughts forming subsidy costs between finest clients. In the ideal world, you need to utilize points to create activity from little value clients, and you do not need your high value clients spending down their points to zero every time. Some marketers persuade the opposite and bankrupt their programs. Loyalty programs have extensively been a significant component of customer relationship management for firms in travel related industries such as airlines, hotels, and rental cars. Information technology that enables firms to put into practice individual level marketing has facilitated the extend of loyalty programs into such diverse industries as gaming, financial services, and retailing (Deighton 2000). Some academic researchers have started to analyze loyalty programs. Behavior leaning researchers, such as Soman (1998) and Kivetz and Simonson (2002), have study the consequences of postponed incentives on consumer decisions. A unique feature of loyalty programs is that their attractiveness might alter with dynamism with respect to a customers decisions. As purchases are being made, all together the customers investment in the program and the customers probability of earning an incentive also enhances. on the other hand, when a customer decides not to buy in a specified time, the probability of earning an incentive minimizes, as the customer moves no closer to the incentive threshold, and the time left to earn rewards shrinks. The evaluation of a programs attractiveness becomes more complex because customers usually have inadequate awareness of their future necessities and of the marketing policies of the firm. These dynamic factors are a challenge in the modeling of customer reaction to loyalty programs. Customer satisfaction has for several years been a key determinant in analyzing why clients Disappear or go on with with an organization. Each organization wants to know how to retain their clients, even if they show to be satisfied. Richards refers that a few unsatisfied clients may wish not to defect, because they do not look forward to be given improved service somewhere else and that some satisfied clients may look for other options if they think they can get improved services in another place. Customer satisfaction is viewed a significant indicator of customer retention but customer satisfaction is not all the time a guarantee of customer retention. Retaining customers is also dependent on various other variables such as choices, conveniences, prices, and incomes (Richards, 1996; Jones and Sasser, 1995). Understanding the association among organizational strategy and customer loyalty is the Next region of examination. Oliver (1999) describes that customer loyalty will keep up a customer coming back for upcoming buying in spite of situational influences and marketing Efforts having the probability to cause switching attitude. Several researchers consider that customer satisfaction is a principal driver of customer loyalty (Kotler Keller, 2006), on the other hand Oliver (1999) and McAlexander, Kim and Roberts (2003) caution that contentment is only one driver of customer loyalty and that other factors must be well thought-out, together with potential obstacles to creating and maintaining loyalty (Gurau, Ranchhod Hackney, 2003). Customer satisfaction For customer satisfaction to be far above the ground, promises and hopes must be met. This involves the firms capability to recognize customer prospect. The ability to deal with problems as they arise is a key ingredient to success. Also, the organization needs to consider complaints as a gift! Why? Customers who have an issue dealt with to their satisfaction have a 95% likelihood of repurchasing and telling 5 people about their experience; if they dont complain (as 96% of people do) they will tell at least 10 other people about their problem. The occurrence of problems can cause a 15-to-30-point drop in high-satisfaction responses and in loyalty indicators. This puts revenue at risk to the average tune of 11%. So, some techniques to maintain and improve satisfaction must be considered. An effective complaint handling system is an excellent defensive tool. Ongoing surveys to measure customer satisfaction and loyalty, and capture the voice of the customer are also essential. The biggest problem, however, is that companies do not manage the customer contact experience with sufficient detail. Therefore I often recommend my Customer Experience Workshop as an effective analytical and improvement tool. It is practical and leads to speedy outcome. Customer retention Havent we all heard the now-clichà ©d quote Customer is the king? Not only is this true for all service oriented businesses, but also increasingly relevant for all types of businesses like manufacturing, product based businesses etc. Never has been the customer more relevant to an organizations success than todays essentially buyer focused markets. It, therefore, makes immense business sense to keep your customers from choosing other providers (your competitors) over you. Not only does this ensure you the advantages of repeat business, but also creates a comfort zone for the customer, where they can predict the quality of products and / or services theyll receive from you. It thus pays to manage and effectively retain satisfied customers. Customer retention is a series of activities and/or strategies aimed at keeping customers from defecting to your competitors. Customer Retention marketing is the kind of approach that is tactically-driven and is based on customer conduct or attitude. It is the central activity going on at the back the scenes in relationship marketing, loyalty marketing, database marketing, permission marketing, and so forth. Here is the fundamental viewpoint of a retention-oriented marketer: 1. Earlier and Current customer conduct is the best analyst of Future customer conduct. imagine about it. Generally, it is more frequently right than not right, and when it comes to action oriented behavior like going for purchases and visiting web sites, the thinking truly shines all the way through. We are discussing about real conduct here, not implied conduct. For instance a 35 year old lady is not a conduct; it is a demographic trait. Acquire these two groups of prospective buyers who visit the Net: Individuals who are a perfect demographic match for your site, but have not at all purchased online anyplace. Folks who are outside the center demographics for your site, but have bought online often from various different web sites. Suppose if one sends a 20% o

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams Essay -- Streetcar Desi

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams MITCH: Lies, lies, inside and out, all lies. Referring to the two critical opinions, explore the extent to which the relationship between Mitch and Blanche is based on deception and self deception. Throughout Williams' play an unexpected relationship is developing before us. This is the one formed between Mitch and Blanche. Two very different characters who would appear to have nothing in common but when they dig deeper into each others personalities they find that have shared many past experiences and this gives them a basis for their relationship. However, after realising that Blanche is not the same person that she appears to be, Mitch begins to doubt anything that she has told him in the past. Can the audience blame him, as they know that she has even lied to her own sister. What makes her relationship with Mitch different to that she has with any other person? What makes him so special that she does not feel the need to lie to him? Mitch proposes to Blanche that everything that she has told him is a lie. That the person that he knows her as is make believe. "Lies, lies, inside and out, all lies" (Scene 9), is the phrase used by Mitch to convey his feelings to Blanche. He is right. Blanche had based all her relationships on lies since she had arrived in Stella and Stanley's house. She felt that it was the only way that she would be accepted by her sister and brother in law. She was never expecting to meet such a man as Mitch, but once he did appear she had to continue the deceit with him, to make sure that she did not incriminate herself, as she had already spun so many stories for Stella and Stanley. Mitch is a very weak character. He stays at home... ...and she is not as hard faced as she has seemed throughout the play. All she wanted was to have something to replace what disappeared when she lost Allan. There had obviously been something missing since he died, and that is what Blanche had been searching for, sadly everywhere she looked she only found herself in trouble. Cardullo sees her actions at the Flamingo, not necessarily as prostituting herself, she may not have thought of herself as a prostitute as most people would define it. She was on her mission to find that lost thing, "they got wised up after two or three dates with her," but maybe that was because they did not have the thing that she wanted, and she was just as much for them leaving as they were. Mitch was different however, she wanted him and did not want to lose him. That is why she had to deceive him to make sure that he did not leave.

Blood Promise Chapter Seventeen

Convincing them to release a Strigoi-particularly when we had him trapped-wasn't easy. My questioning hadn't made sense to them either, but they'd gone along with it. Letting a Strigoi go? That was really crazy-even for the unpromised. They exchanged uneasy glances with one another, and I wondered if they'd disobey. In the end, my harshness and authority won out. They wanted me as their leader and put their faith in my actions-no matter how insane they seemed. Of course, once we did let the Strigoi go, we had the new problem of making sure he actually went. At first, he started to attack again, and then, realizing he'd probably get overwhelmed, he finally skulked off. He gave us one last menacing look as he disappeared into the darkness. I didn't think being taken down by a group of teenagers had done a lot for his self-esteem. He gave me in particular a look of hatred, and I shuddered at the idea of him knowing my name. There was nothing to be done about it now; I could only hope my plan had a chance of working. Denis and the others got over me letting the Strigoi go once we made a few other kills that week. We fell into a routine, investigating clubs and dangerous parts of town, relying on my senses to tell us when danger was near. It was funny to me how much the group soon began to rely on my leadership. They claimed they wanted no part of the guardians' rules and authority, but they responded surprisingly well to me telling them what to do. Well, more or less. Every once in a while, I'd see a bit of that unhinged recklessness. One of them would try to play hero, underestimate a Strigoi, or go in without the rest of us. Artur nearly ended up with a concussion that way. As the largest of all of us, he'd gotten a bit cocky and was therefore caught off guard when a Strigoi threw him into a wall. It had been a sobering moment for all of us. For a few agonizing moments, I'd feared Artur was dead-and that it was my fault as their leader. One of Sydney's Alchemists had come-though I'd made sure not to be around, lest Abe find me-and had treated Artur. The guy said Artur would be fine with some bed rest, meaning he had to stop hunting for a while. It was hard for him to do-and I had to yell at him when he tried to follow us one night, reminding him of all their friends who had died before because of such stupidity. Out in the human world, dhampirs tended to run on human schedules. Now I put myself on a nocturnal schedule, just like I'd been on at the Academy. The others followed suit, except for Tamara, since she had a day job. I didn't want to be asleep during the time Strigoi prowled the streets. I had called Sydney each time we left a kill, and word had to be getting around in the Strigoi community that someone was doing a lot of damage. And if the Strigoi we'd released had carried my message, some of those Strigoi could specifically come looking for me. As days passed, our kills dropped a little, making me think the Strigoi were indeed being cautious now. I couldn't decide if that was a good or bad thing, but I urged the others to be extra careful. They were beginning to revere me as a goddess, but I took no satisfaction in their adoration. My heart still ached from all that had happened with Lissa and Dimitri. I wrapped myself up in my task, trying only to think of working the Strigoi community to get closer to Dimitri. But when we weren't out hunting Strigoi, I had a lot of downtime with nothing to do. And so I kept visiting Lissa. I'd known there were a lot of kids-like Mia-who lived at the Royal Court because their parents had jobs there. I didn't quite realize how many there were, though. Avery naturally knew them all, and to no one's surprise (at least not mine), most of them were spoiled and rich. The rest of Lissa's visit had been a series of other functions and formal parties. The more she listened to royal Moroi talk business, the more it irritated her. She saw the same abuses of power she'd noted before, the same unfair way of distributing guardians like they were property. The controversial issue of whether Moroi should learn to fight alongside the guardians was also still a hot topic. Most of the people Lissa ran into at Court were of the old-school mentality: Let guardians fight and Moroi stay protected. After seeing the results of that policy-and the successes that had happened when people like Christian and I tried to change it-hearing the selfishness among the Moroi elite enraged Lissa. She welcomed her escapes from these events whenever she could, anxious to run wild with Avery. Avery was always able to find people to hang out with and attend parties of a much different nature than Tatiana's. Stifling Court politics never came up at these parties, but there were still plenty of other things to drag Lissa's mood down. In particular, Lissa felt her guilt, anger, and depression over me spiraling deeper and deeper. She'd seen enough of spirit's effects on her moods to recognize potential warning signs, though she hadn't been actively using spirit while on this trip. Regardless of the moods' cause, she still continued to do her best to seek distraction and drown her depression. â€Å"Watch it,† warned Avery one evening. She and Lissa were at a party the night before they had to fly back to the Academy. A lot of those who lived at Court had permanent housing, and this party was at the town house of some Szelsky who served as an aide on a committee Lissa didn't know. Lissa didn't really know their host either, but that didn't matter, save that his parents were out of town. â€Å"Watch what?† asked Lissa, staring around the sights. The town house had a courtyard out back, lit up by tiki torches and strings of twinkling lights. There were drinks and food in full force, and some Moroi guy had a guitar out and was trying to impress girls with his musical skills-which were nonexistent. In fact, his music was so awful that he might have discovered a new way to kill Strigoi. He was cute enough, though, that his admirers didn't seem to care what he played. â€Å"This,† said Avery, pointing at Lissa's martini. â€Å"Are you keeping track of how many of those you're taking down?† â€Å"Not from what I can tell,† said Adrian. He was sprawled on a lounge chair nearby, a drink in his own hand. Lissa felt a bit amateur compared to them. While Avery was still her wild and flirtatious self, she didn't have the crazed or stupid air of someone completely trashed. Lissa didn't know how much the other girl had been drinking, but it was presumably a lot since Avery always had a drink in hand. Likewise, Adrian never seemed to be without a beverage, the effects of which mostly mellowed him out. Lissa supposed they had a lot more experience than her. She'd gone soft over the years. â€Å"I'm fine,† lied Lissa, who was watching her surroundings spin a little and seriously contemplating joining some girls dancing on a table across the courtyard. Avery's lips quirked into a smile, though her eyes showed a bit of worry. â€Å"Sure. Just don't get sick or anything. That kind of thing gets around, and the last thing we need is everyone knowing that the Dragomir girl can't hold her liquor. Your family has a fierce reputation to maintain.† Lissa downed the drink. â€Å"Somehow, I doubt alcohol consumption is part of my family's illustrious ancestry.† Avery pushed Adrian over and lay down next to him on the lounge chair. â€Å"Hey, you'd be surprised. In ten years, this group will be your peers on the council. And you'll be trying to pass some resolution, and they'll be like, ? ®Remember that time she got trashed and threw up at that party?'† Lissa and Adrian both laughed at that. Lissa didn't think she was going to get sick, but like everything else, she would worry about it later. The bright point of all this was that drinking was helping numb the memories of what had happened earlier in the day. Tatiana had introduced her to her future guardians: a seasoned guy named Grant and the â€Å"young lady,† who was named Serena. They had been nice enough, but their parallels to Dimitri and me had been overwhelming. Taking them on had seemed like a betrayal to us, yet Lissa had simply nodded and thanked Tatiana. Later, Lissa had learned that Serena had originally been lined up to be the guardian for a girl she'd known her entire life. The girl wasn't royal, but sometimes, depending on guardian numbers, even non-royals got assigned guardians-though never more than one. When positions for Lissa's protection opened up, however, Tatiana had pulled Serena from the job with her friend. Serena had smiled and told Lissa it didn't matter. Duty came first, she said, and she was happy to serve her. Yet Lissa felt bad, knowing it had to have been hard on both girls-and terribly unfair. But there it was again: an unfair balance of power with no one to really keep it in line. Leaving that encounter, Lissa had cursed her own meekness. If she hadn't had the courage to follow me, she thought, she should have at least put her foot down and demanded that Tatiana give her my mother instead. Then Serena could have gone back to her friend, and there'd be one friendship still left intact in the world. The martini simultaneously seemed to numb the pain and make her feel worse, which honestly made no sense to Lissa. Whatever, she thought. And when she caught a glimpse of a server passing by, she waved him over to order more. â€Å"Hey, can I-Ambrose?† She stared in surprise at the guy standing before her. If there'd been a swimsuit calendar for hottest dhampir guys, this one would have been the cover model (aside from Dimitri-but then, I was biased). This guy's name was Ambrose, and she and I had met him on our trip there together. He had deeply tanned skin and well-formed muscles underneath his gray button-down shirt. He was a particular oddity at Court, a dhampir who'd rejected guardian service and performed all sorts of tasks here, like giving massages and-if rumor was true-having â€Å"romantic encounters† with the queen. That one still made me cringe, and I'd run into some pretty disgusting things in my life. â€Å"Princess Dragomir,† he said, flashing her one of his perfect white grins. â€Å"An unexpected surprise.† â€Å"How have you been?† she asked, genuinely happy to see him. â€Å"Good, good. I have the best job in the world, after all. And you?† â€Å"Great,† she replied. Ambrose paused, eyeing her. He didn't drop that gorgeous grin, but Lissa could tell he didn't agree with her. She could see the disapproval in his face. Avery accusing her of drinking too much was one thing. But some pretty dhampir servant? Unacceptable. Lissa's demeanor grew cold, and she held out her glass. â€Å"I need another martini,† she said, her voice as haughty as that of any perfect royal. He sensed the change in her, and his friendly smile turned to one of polite indifference. â€Å"Right away.† He gave her a small bow and headed off to the bar. â€Å"Jeez,† said Avery, watching admiringly as he walked away. â€Å"Why didn't you introduce us to your friend?† â€Å"He's not my friend,† snapped Lissa. â€Å"He's nobody.† â€Å"Agreed,† said Adrian, putting an arm around Avery. â€Å"Why look elsewhere when you've got the best right here?† If I hadn't known any better, I'd have sworn there was a hint of legitimate jealousy underneath his jovial tone. â€Å"Didn't I go out of my way to bring you to breakfast with my aunt?† Avery gave him a lazy smile. â€Å"That's a good start. You've still got a ways to go to impress me, Ivashkov.† Her gaze drifted over Lissa's head and turned surprised. â€Å"Hey, Jailbait's here.† Mia, with Jill in tow, came striding through the garden, indifferent to the shocked looks she received. The two of them were clearly out of place. â€Å"Hey,† said Mia when she reached Lissa's group. â€Å"My dad just got called away, and I have to go with him. I've got to give Jill back.† â€Å"No problem,† said Lissa automatically, though she clearly wasn't happy about Jill being there. Lissa still kept wondering if Christian had some special interest in her. â€Å"Everything okay?† â€Å"Yeah, just business.† Mia made her farewells to everyone and left the party as quickly as she'd come, rolling her eyes at the other royals' sneers and shock as she passed. Lissa turned her attention to Jill, who had sat gingerly in a nearby chair and was staring around her in wonder. â€Å"How's it been? Did you have fun with Mia?† Jill turned back to Lissa, face brightening. â€Å"Oh yeah. She's really great. She's done so much work with water. It's crazy! And she taught me a few fighting moves, too. I can throw a right hook†¦ although not very hard.† Ambrose returned then with Lissa's drink. He gave it to her wordlessly and softened a bit when he saw Jill. â€Å"You want anything?† She shook her head. â€Å"No, thanks.† Adrian was watching Jill carefully. â€Å"You okay here? Do you want me to take you back to guest housing?† Like before, his intentions weren't romantic in the least. He seemed to regard her as a little sister, which I thought was cute. I hadn't thought him capable of that kind of protective behavior. She shook her head again. â€Å"It's okay. I don't want you to have to leave†¦ unless†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her expression grew worried. â€Å"Do you want me to go?† â€Å"Nah,† said Adrian. â€Å"It's nice to have someone responsible around in the midst of all this madness. You should get yourself some food, if you're hungry.† â€Å"You're so motherly,† teased Avery, echoing my thoughts. For whatever reason, Lissa took Adrian's â€Å"responsible† comment personally, like he was directly slamming her. I didn't think that was the case at all, but she wasn't really thinking all that clearly. Deciding she wanted some food herself, she got up and wandered over to the table in the courtyard's garden that had trays of appetizers on it. Well, it had earlier. Now the table was being used by the dancing girls Lissa had noticed before. Someone had cleared space by moving all the trays of food to the ground. Lissa leaned over and picked up a mini sandwich, watching the girls and wondering how they could find any sort of beat in that royal guy's horrible music. One of the girls spotted Lissa and grinned. She extended a hand. â€Å"Hey, come on up.† Lissa had met her once but couldn't recall her name. Dancing suddenly seemed like a great idea. Lissa finished the sandwich and, drink in hand, allowed herself to be pulled up. This got a few cheers from people gathered around. Lissa discovered that the crappy music was irrelevant and found herself getting into it. Her and the other girls' moves varied from overtly sexual to mockeries of disco. It was all fun, and Lissa wondered if Avery would claim this would haunt her in ten years too. After a while, she and the others actually attempted some synchronized moves. They started by swaying their arms in the air and then moved on to some chorus line kicks. Those kicks proved disastrous. A misstep-Lissa was wearing heels-suddenly sent her over the table's edge. She lost the drink and nearly collapsed before a pair of arms caught her and kept her upright. â€Å"My hero,† she muttered. Then she got a good look at her savior's face. â€Å"Aaron?† Lissa's ex-boyfriend-and the first guy she'd ever slept with-looked down at her with a smile and released her once he seemed certain she could stand. Blond-haired and blue-eyed, Aaron was handsome in a surfer kind of way. I couldn't help but wonder what would have happened if Mia had seen him. She, Aaron, and Lissa had once been involved in a triangle worthy of any soap opera. â€Å"What are you doing here? We thought you disappeared,† Lissa said. Aaron had left the Academy a few months ago. â€Å"I'm going to school out in New Hampshire,† he replied. â€Å"We're here visiting family.† â€Å"Well, it's great to see you,† said Lissa. Things hadn't ended well between them, but in her current state, she meant her words. She'd had enough booze to think it was great to see everyone at the party. â€Å"You too,† he said. â€Å"You look amazing.† His words struck her more than she would have expected, probably because everyone else here had implied that she looked trashed and irresponsible. And breakup or no, she couldn't help but recall how attractive she'd once found him. Honestly, she still found him attractive. She just didn't love him anymore. â€Å"You should stay in touch,† she said. â€Å"Let us know what's going on.† For a moment, she wondered if she should have said that, in light of having a boyfriend. Then she dismissed her worries. There was nothing wrong with hanging out with other guys-particularly since Christian hadn't cared enough to come with her on this trip. â€Å"I'd like that,† Aaron said. There was something in his eyes she found pleasurably disconcerting. â€Å"I don't suppose, though, that I could get a goodbye kiss, seeing as I rescued you and all?† The idea was preposterous-then, after a moment, Lissa laughed. What did it matter? Christian was the one she loved, and a kiss between friends would mean nothing. Looking up, she let Aaron lean down and cup her face. Their lips met, and there was no denying it: The kiss lasted a bit longer than a friendly one. When it ended, Lissa found herself smiling like a dazed schoolgirl-which, technically, she was. â€Å"See you around,† she said, heading back toward her friends. Avery wore a chastising look, but it wasn't over Aaron and the kiss. â€Å"Are you crazy? You nearly broke your leg. You can't do that kind of thing.† â€Å"You're supposed to be the fun one,† pointed out Lissa. â€Å"It wasn't a big deal.† â€Å"Fun isn't the same as stupid,† Avery retorted, face serious. â€Å"You can't go do stupid shit like that. I think we should get you home.† â€Å"I'm fine,† said Lissa. She stubbornly looked away from Avery and instead focused on some guys who were doing shots of tequila. They were having some sort of competition-and half of them looked ready to pass out. â€Å"Define ? ®fine,'† said Adrian wryly. Yet he looked concerned too. â€Å"I'm fine,† Lissa repeated. Her gaze snapped back to Avery. â€Å"I didn't get hurt at all.† She'd expected grief about Aaron and was surprised they hadn't given it to her-which made it even more surprising when it came from another source. â€Å"You kissed that guy!† exclaimed Jill, leaning forward. Her face was aghast, and she displayed none of her usual reticence. â€Å"It was nothing,† said Lissa, who was irked to have Jill reprimanding her of all people. â€Å"Certainly none of your business.† â€Å"But you're with Christian! How could you do that to him?† â€Å"Relax, Jailbait,† said Avery. â€Å"A drunken kiss is nothing compared to a drunken fall. God knows I've kissed plenty of guys drunk.† â€Å"And yet, I remain unkissed tonight,† mused Adrian, with a shake of his head. â€Å"It doesn't matter.† Jill was really worked up. She'd grown to like and respect Christian. â€Å"You cheated on him.† With those words, Jill might as well have practiced her right hook on Lissa. â€Å"I did not!† Lissa exclaimed. â€Å"Don't drag your crush on him into this and imagine things that aren't there.† â€Å"I didn't imagine that kiss,† said Jill, flushing. â€Å"That kiss is the least of our worries,† sighed Avery. â€Å"I'm serious-just let it go for now, you guys. We'll talk in the morning.† â€Å"But-† began Jill. â€Å"You heard her. Let it go,† a new voice growled. Reed Lazar had appeared out of nowhere and was looming over Jill, face as hard and scary as ever. Jill's eyes went wide. â€Å"I'm just telling the truth†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I had to admire her courage here, considering her normally timid nature. â€Å"You're pissing everyone off,† said Reed, leaning closer and clenching his fists. â€Å"And you're pissing me off.† I was pretty sure this was the most I'd ever heard him say. I tended to kind of think of him as a caveman, stringing three-word sentences together. â€Å"Whoa.† Adrian leapt up and rushed to Jill's side. â€Å"You need to let this go. What, are you going to start a fight with some girl?† Reed turned his glare on Adrian. â€Å"Stay out of this.† â€Å"The hell I will! You're crazy.† If anyone had asked me to make up a list of people most likely to risk a fight in defense of a lady's honor, Adrian Ivashkov would have been low on that list. Yet there he stood, face hard and hand sitting protectively on Jill's shoulder. I was in awe. And impressed. â€Å"Reed,† cried Avery. She too had risen and now stood on Jill's other side. â€Å"She didn't mean anything. Back off.† The two siblings stood there, eyes locked in some kind of silent showdown. Avery wore the harshest look I'd ever seen on her, and at last, he glowered and stepped back. â€Å"Fine. Whatever.† The group stared in amazement as he walked abruptly away. The music was so loud that only a few of the partygoers had overhead the argument. They stopped and stared, and Avery looked embarrassed as she sank back in her chair. Adrian still stood by Jill. â€Å"What the hell was that?† Adrian demanded. â€Å"I don't know,† Avery admitted. â€Å"He gets weird and overprotective sometimes.† She gave Jill an apologetic smile. â€Å"I'm really sorry.† Adrian shook his head. â€Å"I think it's time for us to go.† Even in her drunken state, Lissa had to agree. The confrontation with Reed had shocked her into soberness, and she was suddenly uneasily evaluating her actions tonight. The glittering lights and fancy cocktails of the party had lost their charm. The drunken antics of the other royals seemed clumsy and stupid. She had a feeling she might regret this party tomorrow. Once back in my own head, I felt fear set in. Okay. Something was very wrong with Lissa, and no one else seemed to notice it-well, not to the extent they should have. Adrian and Avery did seem concerned, but I had the feeling they were blaming her behavior on the drinking. Lissa was still reminding me a lot of how she'd been when we'd first returned to St. Vladimir's, when spirit had been seizing her and messing with her mind. Except†¦ I knew enough about myself now to realize that my anger and fixation on punishing Strigoi was being influenced by spirit's dark side too. That meant I was draining it away from her. It should have been leaving Lissa, not building up. So what was wrong with her? Where was this short-tempered, crazy, and jealous persona coming from? Was spirit's darkness simply growing in intensity so that it spread to both of us? Were we splitting it? â€Å"Rose?† â€Å"Huh?† I glanced up from where I'd been staring blankly at the TV. Denis was looking down at me, his cell phone in his hand. â€Å"Tamara had to work late. She's ready to go now, but†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He nodded toward the window. The sun was almost down, the sky purple, with only a little orange on the horizon. Tamara worked within walking distance, and while there probably wasn't any real danger, I didn't want her out alone after sunset. I stood up. â€Å"Come on, we'll go get her.† To Lev and Artur I said, â€Å"You guys can stay here.† Denis and I walked the half-mile to the small office where Tamara worked. She did assorted clerical tasks, like filing and copying, and there'd apparently been some project that kept her there late tonight. We met her at the door and walked back to the apartment without incident, talking animatedly about our hunting plans for the evening. When we reached Tamara's building, I heard a strange wailing across the street. We all turned, and Denis chuckled. â€Å"Good God, it's that crazy woman again,† I muttered. Tamara didn't live in a bad part of town but, as in any city, there were homeless people and panhandlers. The woman we watched was almost as ancient as Yeva, and she regularly walked up and down the street, muttering to herself. Today, she lay on her back on the sidewalk, making strange noises while waving her limbs like a turtle. â€Å"Is she hurt?† I asked. â€Å"Nope. Just crazy,† said Denis. He and Tamara turned to go inside, but some soft part of me couldn't abandon her. I sighed. â€Å"I'll be right in.† The street was quiet (aside from the old lady) and I cut across without fear of traffic. Reaching the woman, I held out my hand to help her out, trying not to think about how dirty hers was. Like Denis had said, she merely appeared to be in crazy mode today. She wasn't hurt; she'd apparently just decided to lie down. I shuddered. I tossed the word crazy around a lot when it came to Lissa and me, but this was truly crazy. I really, really hoped spirit never took us this far. The homeless lady looked surprised at the help but took my hand and began talking excitedly in Russian. When she tried to hug me in gratitude, I stepped back and held up my hands in the international â€Å"back off† signal. She did indeed back off but continued chatting happily. She grabbed the sides of her long coat and held them out like a ball-room skirt and began spinning around and singing. I laughed, surprised that in my grim world, this would cheer me up. I started to cross back over to Tamara's place. The old woman stopped dancing and began talking happily to me again. â€Å"Sorry, I have to go,† I told her. It didn't seem to register. Then she froze mid-sentence. Her expression gave me warning only half a millisecond before my nausea did. In one fluid motion, I spun around to face what was behind me, pulling my stake out as I moved. There was a Strigoi there, tall and imposing, having sneaked up while I was distracted. Stupid, stupid. I'd refused to let Tamara walk home alone, but I'd never even considered danger right outside my â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I wasn't sure if I said the word or thought it. It didn't matter. The only thing that mattered just then was what my eyes saw before me. Or, rather, what my eyes thought they saw. Because surely, surely, I had to be imagining this. It couldn't be real. Not after all this time. Dimitri. I knew him instantly, even though he'd†¦ changed. I think in a crowd of a million people, I would have recognized him. The connection between us would allow nothing else. And after being deprived of him for so long, I drank in every feature. The dark, chin-length hair, worn loose tonight and curling slightly around his face. The familiar set of lips, quirked now in an amused yet chilling smile. He even wore the duster he always wore, the long leather coat that could have come straight out of a cowboy movie. And then†¦ there were the Strigoi features. His dark eyes-the eyes I loved-ringed in red. The pale, pale, death-white skin. In life, his complexion had been as tanned as mine, thanks to so much time outdoors. If he opened his mouth, I knew I'd see fangs. My whole assessment took place in the blink of an eye. I'd reacted fast when I'd felt him-faster than he'd probably expected. I still had the element of surprise, my stake poised and ready. It was perfectly lined up with his heart. I could tell, then and there, that I could make the hit faster than he could defend. But†¦ The eyes. Oh God, the eyes. Even with that sickening red ring around his pupils, his eyes still reminded me of the Dimitri I'd known. The look in his eyes-the soulless, malicious gleam-that was nothing like him. But there was just enough resemblance to stir my heart, to overwhelm my senses and feelings. My stake was ready. All I had to do was keep swinging to make the kill. I had momentum on my side†¦ But I couldn't. I just needed a few more seconds, a few more seconds to drink him in before I killed him. And that's when he spoke. â€Å"Roza.† His voice had that same wonderful lowness, the same accent†¦ it was all just colder. â€Å"You forgot my first lesson: Don't hesitate.† I just barely saw his fist striking out toward my head†¦ and then I saw nothing at all.

Qcf Support with Nutrition Essay

1.3Describe ways to resolve any difficulties or dilemmas about the choice of food and drink. * Giving them two or more choices and let them decide what they like, giving more details about the food will help them to choose. * Explain individuals about the importance of a healthy diet and encourage and support the m to choose healthy options and alternatives. * Explain individuals about the consequences of a poor diet choice. For example, obesity can lead to heart disease, varicose veins, diabetes and arthritis. High cholesterol and diets high in salt can lead to heart attacks and strokes. 1.4Describe how and when to seek additional guidance about and individual’s choice of food and drink. * When people reluctant, or refuse to eat certain types of food which have been noted in their support plan as a requirement for their condition. For example when an individual need to have a diabetic diet, a weight-reduction diet or gluten-free diet, if someone having swallowing difficulties , in such situations if someone is determined to ignore medical advice and to follow a different diet, this should be reported and discussed among the care team and the medical staff. * If the person have full mental capacity to understand the consequence and still ignore medical advice, it’s their choice and they have right to follow what they prefers * For children, people who are very confused and severely demented, they don’t have the full mental capacity to choose right diet for them and it should be discussed with care team and medical staff to decide what best for the individual’s best interest. 3.1Describe factors that help promote an individual’s dignity, comfort and enjoyment while eating and drinking. * It should be a safe, hygienic and pleasant place for people to eat food. Make sure the place is warm and have enough light, no noise distractions. * Let them decide where they like to sit when they having their meals. Some people like to site in the dining room with others, they will like the company and like to have a little chat each other while they eat. Some people like to have it in a privet place like their own room, for example if a person has difficulties which will require assistance they might not want others to see them while having meals. * Some people will need special aids to eating and drinking, for example, for example in the case of an individual with an arthritic condition provide cutlery with large handles which will help to hold them properly. * If a person needs feeding, make sure to give enough time for them to chew and swallow the food. * Presentation of the food will improve appetizing and more attractive and more likely to be eaten and enjoyed. 4.1Explain why it is important to be sure that an individual has chosen to finish eating and drinking before clearing away. Clearing away when a person has not finished their meal does not demonstrate respect and it reflects negatively on the overall service. Sometimes people will put their cutlery down and have a rest during a meal, and it may look like they have finished, but they may wish to continue eating after having a rest. 5.1Explain the importance of monitoring the food and drink an individual consumes and any difficulties they encounter. * It is important to pass on information and record if necessary about how much people are eating and drinking and any problem they might had while they were eating. * If a person is at risk of malnutrition, recording their dietary intake will show problems early on and action can be taken to prevent the situation getting worse. * Recording fluid intake and output can give a good indication about how well the heart and kidneys are working. * Recording difficulties of eating and drinking will help to identify chewing and swallowing difficulties and it will help to decide how to prepare food in a way that they can consume, for example choosing soft or pureed diet, cut vegetables and meat in to small, thickened fluids.

Indo-European and the Celtic language

Indo-European and the Celtic language Running Head: INDO-EUROPEAN AND THE CELTIC LANGUAUGE 1Indo-European and the Celtic languageTari PiferAIU OnlineAbstractThe purpose of this paper is to discuss how the vernacular Celtic language was a strong language in the Britain and Iberian-Peninsula and the later disappeared with the Roman Empire invasion and then infiltrated the use of the Latin language from the Roman presence.Indo-European and The Celtic LanguageDuring the Hellenistic time the Celtic language came from a span across Europe to Asia Miner in the east where to this day in Galatia present speaking Gaul's people recall a Celtic speech origination.Roman TriumphLater after the Roman military took over the language then transformed into Latin by the 5th Century and native Celtic language had disappeared from the continental Europe. To date the Celtic languages are limited mostly to the British Isles and French Brittany where approximately 2 million people speak the Celtic tongue today.Institute of Education and Celtic Culture, Dingle,...The Origin of CelticThe Celtic has three groups of people to form the language, which include the Continental, British and Gaelic people. Celtic language and it's definitions were a complicated language to understand due to the spelling not corresponding to the pronunciation and it's initial consonants will change depending on the final sound of the proceeding word. If one were to look up a word in the Celtic language they would need to be familiar with their changing of the phonics or atlering of the language.Continental CelticThe first group is the Continental Celtics, including all Celtic phrasing on the Continent except Breton, people disappeared with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the late 5th century this group language was Gaulish but now are extinct. Gaulish once known of Gaul proper which today is France. Personal and proper names...

How to Travel Like a Geologist

How to Travel Like a Geologist Geology is everywhere- even where you already are. But to learn more deeply about it, you dont have to actually become a field geologist to get the true hard-core experience. There are at least five other ways you can visit the land under a geologists guidance. Four are for the few, but the fifth way- geo-safaris- is an easier way for the many. 1. Field Camp Geology students have field camps, run by their colleges. For those you have to be enrolled in the degree program. If youre getting a degree, make sure you experience these expeditions, because these are where faculty members do the real work of imparting their science to students. The websites of college geoscience departments often have photo galleries from field camps. Theyre hard work and very rewarding. Even if you never put your degree to use, youll gain from this experience. 2. Research Expeditions Sometimes you can join working geoscientists on a research expedition. For example, when I was with the U.S. Geological Survey I had the good fortune to ride along on several research cruises along the southern coast of Alaska. Many in the USGS bureaucracy had this same opportunity, even some people without geology degrees. Some of my own memories and photos are in the Alaska geology list. 3. Science Journalism Another avenue is to be a really good science journalist. Those are the folks who get invited to places like Antarctica or the Ocean Drilling Program to write books or stories for glossy magazines. These are not jaunts or junkets: everyone, writer and scientist, works hard. But money and programs are available for those in the right position. For a recent example, visit writer Marc Airharts journal from the cenotes of Zacatà ³n, Mexico, on geology.com. 4. Professional Field Trips For professional geoscientists, the most fun are the special field trips that are organized around major scientific meetings. These happen in the days before and after a meeting, and all are led by professionals for their peers. Some are serious tours of things like research sites on the Hayward fault, while others are lighter fare like the geologic tour of Napa Valley wineries I took one year. If you can join the right group, like the Geological Society of America, youre in.   5. Geo-Safaris and Tours For those first four options, you basically have to have a job in the business or be lucky enough to be near the action. But safaris and tours in the worlds great countrysides, led by eager geologists, are for the rest of us. A geo-safari, even a short day trip, will fill you with sights and knowledge, and all you need to do in return is pay some money. Ive built a list of these geo-safaris, and it has a wide range. You can ride a small bus to the mines and villages of Mexico collecting minerals- or do the same in China; you can dig up real dinosaur fossils in Wyoming; you can see the San Andreas fault close up in the California desert. You can get dirty with real spelunkers in Indiana, trek upon the volcanoes of New Zealand, or tour the classic sites of Europe described by the first generation of modern geologists. Some are a nice side-trip if youre in the region whereas others are pilgrimages, to be prepared for like the life-changing experiences they truly are. Many, many safari sites promise that youll experience the geologic wealth of the region, but unless they feature a professional geologist in the group I tend to leave them off the list. That doesnt mean youll learn nothing on those safaris, only that theres no guarantee youll really get a geologists insight into what you see. The Payoff And geological insight is a rich reward that youll take home with you. Because as your eye opens, so does your mind. Youll gain a better appreciation of your own localitys geologic features and resources. Youll have more things to show off to visitors (in my case, I can give you a geo-tour of Oakland). And through heightened awareness of the geologic setting you live in- its limitations, its possibilities and possibly its geoheritage- youll inevitably become a better citizen.Finally, the more you know, the more things you can do on your own.

Alike or Different Essay Example for Free

Alike or Different Essay We can try and change ourselves, by changing our appearance, putting on makeup, wearing different clothes, jewellery, etc. But it’s not just a case of appearance, but it also involves the person underneath that mask everyone tries to hide behind. Nobody has ever tried to look at the person underneath before judging them. It’s just ego that stands in the way. What will the result be when people are stripped of all their accessories, when that mask is removed? What we get is a rollercoaster of emotions. Things that people can never guess are hidden underneath. And that’s yet another similarity, which makes mistaken judgment also put into account. Feelings are also something to look at. For example, people do get happy, angry and sad in different situations, but everyone still gets those emotions at times, regardless of reason. And everyone goes through the same life cycle, how they’re born, turn to children, then the teenage, middle aging comes after, then being old, and finally death. Everyone will face death someday. And everyone is made by God, and made of the same materials, as some believe. Everyone eats and breathes, everyone has the five senses, nobody can live without a vital organ, and no one can have supernatural powers. And these are all similarities. * A lot more people don’t believe in that saying, they believe that people differ in a lot of things, and the things that they have in common with others can be looked at from a different angle, making them into another difference. For example, everyone is a human being, but everyone is a different kind of human being, depending on personality, looks, and abilities. And the fact that everyone has a dream that is to be fulfilled can also be a difference, like everyone has a different dream and a different goal for the future. As for the life, everyone does have a life, but it depends on how they live it, and how everyone uses it that makes a difference. Besides, some people are born to have the personality to be good leaders, and others have the power and will to work hard in what they’re good at, while others don’t treasure their abilities, and instead they use it for their own good, to get the better out of things, while they cause hurt to everyone else around them. That’s an example of being and not being able to be a useful person, to not use life wisely, and another way why people are different. Some believe that people differ in how they look (both on the outside and the inside), how they react to things around them, their personality, beliefs, ethics and religions. What can also count as a difference is how everyone is raised, what they’re taught to believe, where and when they were born and who they lived with. People often adopt habits from those they live with, which can sometimes be good, and sometimes be bad. That can make a lot of differences compared to someone who was born rich, lived rich, and died rich. Another way of looking at things is people’s appearance. Some people really care about how they look, and always try to look their best at times. Some wouldn’t give that subject a second thought. Some do care, but not so much. And that’s related to both personality and physical appearance. Language spoken is also a difference. And the fact that some of us can do something that others can’t, which comes down to ability. Furthermore sometimes people have disabilities that others don’t have. Sometimes there are illnesses and diseases that run in families, and some inherit that disease and some don’t, which is another difference. If we try and list these differences they will not have an end, and just thinking would take long too. So it’s not a case of what is the same and what can be different, it’s just how people think about things in their own point of view. So regardless of what there is that can be used as an argument, and however we think the ones who think the opposite are wrong, and no matter which angle we use look at things, it all goes back to opinion, and opinions are very important. And my opinion stays the same, but what about yours? And what’s more important is to reason why we look at things from that point of view, and if we really are being fair, or if we are just judging others by what we think of them, and how we think of them. And most importantly, are we really being fair, or do we just think we are? Alike or Different. (2018, Nov 07).

International Relations Theories in the British Prime Minister David Essay

International Relations Theories in the British Prime Minister David Cameron's Speech to the Canadian Parliament - Essay Example Cameron emphasized the British and Canadian relationship in many parts of his address. He reminded the Canadians about their affinity to the monarchy - to the Queen and to the royal family. The Canadians are still ceremonially led by the British monarch and the citizens are favorable to such system, having high regard for the members of the Royal family. He highlighted the close relationship of the two countries, serving as a platform to introduce the successes that they achieved when they worked together in the past. Canada has always supported Britain in its military efforts and Cameron was quick to capitalize on the successes of this partnership. He referred to the two World Wars and appealed to the emotion of his audience by declaring the indebtedness of his country to the courage and commitment of Canada: In our darkest hour in World War II, Canadian naval forces helped keep the sea lanes open during the battle of the Atlantic running convoys across the Atlantic week after week, braving mines, submarines and blacked out silent ships. All of which proved absolutely fundamental to our ability to survive as an independent country.   The above variables became significant as Cameron outlined the modern global problems - security and economy. The trends in the global landscape, particularly those as explained by the globalization principle, made it possible for the economic upheavals to be felt all over the world. This is especially true in the case of negative consequences. In addition, to this there is also the fact that as states are incorporated into the modern global system, their coercive capabilities were undermined, in effect, â€Å"weakening [their] legitimacy and subverted [their] capacity to manage the inevitable engagement with the global economy† (Burnell and Randall 25). There is an attempt, as demonstrated, by Cameron’s speech to go back on past alliances to cultivate new and stronger partnerships so that Britain and Canada could effectively navigate the international economic system brought about by the globalizing forces. This in consonance with the liberal theory, wherein states are partners in the development process. It is important to remember that a crucial characteristic of dependency theory and liberal theory is that both are products of history and stages by which international order emerged. By drawing on the two country's unique and close relationship and by highlighting the shared history, Cameron employed the strengths of the dependency theory and built a case for partnership, congruent to the liberal ethos, in order to advance economic cooperative measures. For instance, as previously mentioned Cameron has cited the numerous instances wherein Canada supported Britain. He did not fail to imply, however, that Canada could benefit from such support. He cited the case of Britain’s support for the Canadian resolution at a G8 summit, the Muskoka Initiative. He also hinted at the crucial role of Britain in the capability of Canada to strengthen its defenses. The theme of Cameron’s speech marginalized other theories such feminism and global ecopolitical theories. They were not significant in the themes that he chose to elaborate on. With regards to dependency theory, there was no

Ethical Issues of the Fundamental Differences in Values between Essay

Ethical Issues of the Fundamental Differences in Values between Clinicians and Families - Essay Example One of the problems in Ayeesa’s case is the language barrier, as a result, she is unable to communicate her wishes autonomously. However, an earlier offer to admit her to the local hospice for the control of her symptoms was declined. Similarly, she has also seemed reluctant to see the Macmillan nurse, as well as to undertake chemotherapy. This appears to indicate that the patient is reluctant to continue treatment, since the first surgery and chemotherapy, albeit successful has resulted in a relapse and second-line chemotherapy has also provided only temporary relief. However, her daughter is insistent that chemotherapy is continued for her mother, using a new drug. This raises ethical issues of the fundamental differences in values between clinicians and families. Trough (2007) points out the clinicians may justify withdrawal of treatment despite the requests of family members on the basis of (a) the inevitability of a prolonged death with unnecessary suffering for the patient and (b) the concern about excessive expense and (c) the moral distress associated with provision of futile care. These reasons may supersede the requests by the family to continue treatment in Ayeesa’s case as well, especially since she appears to show a reluctance to receive further treatment. Another aspect to consider is Ayeesa’s apparent refusal of treatment as opposed to her daughter’s request for it to continue. Winter and Cohen (1999) point out that advance refusal of treatment is becoming less effective in modern situations because they are required to be precisely worded and have not kept pace with the advances in medical technology. Therefore, an alternative approach that is being developed is valued history, wherein the patient’s values are recorded as the basis for making decisions on medical treatment, because they enable an identification of the patient’s core values and beliefs which are important to the patient, in so far as terminal care is concerned.  

How to Be a Better Listener Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

How to Be a Better Listener - Research Paper Example These are common natural sounds, yet they may sound unfamiliar, because we do not have the time or the inclination to listen to them. ‘Listening’ is not magic; it is simply an art that you will have to master, if you wish to succeed in life. Now the next question that will most obviously come to our minds will be, if listening is not hearing, then what do we do to listen? Yes, listening and hearing are entirely two different entities. How many times we have our ‘heard’ our mothers asking us to clean our rooms; and how many times we actually ‘listen’ to what she is trying to say and also do accordingly? How times do we ‘listen’ to our parents advising us to avoid doing certain things, or do we just hear them speaking some jargon, a language that we pretend we cannot understand and so can be easily forgotten? The basic difference between hearing and listening is in the amount of attention we pay to the person who is speaking to us, and in our attempts in trying to understand as to what he/she is actually saying. â€Å"My son never listens to what I say!†; â€Å"Will you for god’s sake please remain quiet and listen to what I am trying to say?† We have heard these complaints so many times that they sound quite clichà ©d to us by now. It is simply not in most people to listen to what others say. We love to speak, and have fallen in love with our voices so much, that we prefer to talk, even if it means speaking utter nonsense at times. Speaking one to a dozen does not help us much, and it is only in listening to what others say that we climb the ladder to success. So the next time your mother asks you to clean your room, or avoid doing certain things, just ‘listen’ to her. The training to acquire such basic skills start right from home, and once you are out in the world on your own, you may actually find that

Revelation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Revelation - Essay Example When someone reads the quote that someone would give a different meaning if there were other words selected for the quote. Even if the words meant something similar to the words already in the quote, the interpretation of the quote would be entirely different. The quote means that there is light, and that time will stand still in the light. When someone dies that someone sees only light, peacefulness, and happiness, the quote has profane time because time on earth is priceless, and time in heaven will be endless. Having time on earth with one’s family gives one a sense of belonging and togetherness. One will take a family snapshot to keep memories alive, and remember those loved ones who have passed away. When life on earth is done all one, has been the memories of a loved one, and often those memories are captured when time freezes in a family snapshot. Family snapshots are one of the most important things that a person can have, these things help to keep the memory alive and are especially important when a loved one dies. Loved ones who die will see the light, which is what the sunlight, or flash represents in the quote. The flash, and time standing still are symbols as if they are symbols of the afterlife. So, whenever a person takes a snapshot to capture one moment in time, the person should realize this may be it, this may be the last snapshot taken. Part Two: â€Å"The doctor’s waiting room† (86) was small in size, and Mrs. Turpin could not be there were so many people in the waiting room. Mrs. Turpin wanted Claude to sit down so she said â€Å"sit in that chair† (86). When Claude sat down this is Turpin continued to look around the room. Her eyes became focused on an elderly gentleman sitting in a chair near Claude. â€Å"The lean stringy old fellow with a rusty hand on each mean was pretending to be asleep† (86). Claude tried to get up and allow Mrs. Turpin to sit down. Mrs. Turpin said to Claude â€Å"you know you ar e not supposed to be standing on that leg† (86). Claude let everyone in the waiting room know what was wrong with his life, and why he was not supposed to be standing on his leg. With nowhere to sit one of the other women sitting in the waiting room who was dressed just like Mrs. Turpin suggested that the little boy in the waiting room cannot, and allow Mrs. Turpin to sit down â€Å"but the child did not stir† (86). Mrs. Turpin decided she would need to wait until someone was called into the doctor’s office before she would be able to sit. The waiting room was small, and â€Å"hardly bigger than the garage† (86). There were not too many moments that passed by before the â€Å"door opened and a nurse† (86) called the next patient in. Mrs. Turpin, and the woman who dressed like Mrs. Turpin was having a conversation. Next to the woman â€Å"was a fat girl of 18 or 19" (87). The fat girl was well-dressed women’s daughter. The child’s moth er sat next to him, she was dirty. Mrs. Turpin often entertains herself at night with thoughts of how blessed her was that she was who she is. Sometimes, â€Å"Mrs. Turpin occupied herself at night naming classes of people† (88). The classes of people were below her, with her, and above her. The child’s mother was definitely below Mrs. Turpin. Mrs. Turpin, and the well-dressed woman were having a conversation in the doctor’s office. The conversation was about anything that occupied either woman’s mind. Oftentimes the low class woman would join in the conversation. Mrs. Turpin would cut the lower-class

New 3 Questions on Politics and Administration Essay

New 3 Questions on Politics and Administration - Essay Example It has however been showcasing itself as one that checks over separation of powers. An issue that seemed to bring some controversy to this issue was the court’s rejection of Bush’s administration to detail prisoners of war. This led to the argument that the court would have been arguing in such a case due to lack of competency in the issues apprehended. According to Harriger (2011) and the concept of separation of powers, the court has acted in a manner to indicate that it is really enforcing for the power separation. Looking at these trends, in accordance to Harriger (2011), this separation of powers and the push by the Supreme Court trends to some judicial activism in the cases of power separation. He as well contended to the fact that he court seemed more oriented towards separation of powers than judicial supremacy. There is a bit of ignorance on the fact that judicial supremacy and defending its supremacy would be a better explanation of the activism of the court H arriger (2011). According to this author, the power war is between the congress and the federal government as well as the state governments. Harriger (2011) terms the behaviour of the courts in this case as a model of judicial activism in the sense that they do so against some constitutional values. Separation of powers is then argued to be more centralised towards public affairs in the recent past than it was thirty years ago. The issue of federalism and separation of powers comes in if the party controlling the houses differ from the President’s party. Divided governments have historically been used to show the various historical attributes that determine the struggle between the executive branches of the government. In the argument of the federalism about this struggle, there is an argument that all the government arms should be in such a manner that they can defend their own rights against invasion from the other arms. In this regard, they argue of the issues within the c onstitution that should better be served politically than in the courts Harriger (2011). Arguing on a federalist view, the constructions found in the constitution are not permanent and can be constitutionally solved. Looking at these arguments, it is evident that issues of separation of powers are directly connected to political battles in various arenas. Such issues are what led to the executive power showcased Bush as the Congress backed him up for the war on terror, considering that the houses were both controlled by republicans Harriger (2011). 2. Presidential powers According to Neustadt (1960) presidential powers are about the influence of the president to the country. The current American Presidency is a vital organ in the country’s progress and elections are taken very seriously. The current modern US President faces aid and service demands from quite some sources; the executive, congress, partisans, citizens and other countries. All these five organs are distinguishe d by what hey require of the president making this a role of the president Neustadt (1960). The obligations of the president are cut out for him alone. The President has such an importance status in the government such that there is always being demanded of his services. In his article, Neustadt (1960) states that these powers are in most cases behind the knowledge of the common man and thus will always remain at the mercy of the President. If compared to historical Presidents, the modern Presidency cannot much as the erstwhile

How to Be a Better Listener Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

How to Be a Better Listener - Research Paper Example These are common natural sounds, yet they may sound unfamiliar, because we do not have the time or the inclination to listen to them. ‘Listening’ is not magic; it is simply an art that you will have to master, if you wish to succeed in life. Now the next question that will most obviously come to our minds will be, if listening is not hearing, then what do we do to listen? Yes, listening and hearing are entirely two different entities. How many times we have our ‘heard’ our mothers asking us to clean our rooms; and how many times we actually ‘listen’ to what she is trying to say and also do accordingly? How times do we ‘listen’ to our parents advising us to avoid doing certain things, or do we just hear them speaking some jargon, a language that we pretend we cannot understand and so can be easily forgotten? The basic difference between hearing and listening is in the amount of attention we pay to the person who is speaking to us, and in our attempts in trying to understand as to what he/she is actually saying. â€Å"My son never listens to what I say!†; â€Å"Will you for god’s sake please remain quiet and listen to what I am trying to say?† We have heard these complaints so many times that they sound quite clichà ©d to us by now. It is simply not in most people to listen to what others say. We love to speak, and have fallen in love with our voices so much, that we prefer to talk, even if it means speaking utter nonsense at times. Speaking one to a dozen does not help us much, and it is only in listening to what others say that we climb the ladder to success. So the next time your mother asks you to clean your room, or avoid doing certain things, just ‘listen’ to her. The training to acquire such basic skills start right from home, and once you are out in the world on your own, you may actually find that