The Determinants For Demand In Tourism In Greece Essay Example

The Determinants For Demand In Tourism In Greece Essay The family member and outright significance of the travel industry in people groups use financial plans has risen drastically, with outcomes for the government assistance of vacationers themselves as well as for the occupants of the territories they visit. The huge quantities of voyagers and the size of their uses effectsly affects the pay, work, government income, equalization of installments, situations and culture of goal regions. A fall sought after can achieve diminishes in expectations for everyday comforts and ascends in joblessness, while expanded interest can bring about higher work, salary, yield as well as expansion and may undermine natural quality and maintainability (Sinclair M, Stabler M, 2002). Despite the fact that the interest for the travel industry in a significant part in the travel industry financial matters, no so much consideration were given to investigate this region and to lead an all through research on it. This paper surveys and breaks down key factors that influence the interest for the travel industry in Greece from both positive and negative imminent. Examining the interest for the travel industry is the foundation for the effective technique arranging in organizations with the travel industry related exercises while better information on request in the travel industry can likewise be of help to policymakers in arranging procedures for this industry. The interest of the travel industry can be resolved either by the quantity of sightseers originating from their nations to a goal nation or by their consumptions in the goal nation. It is hard to display the travel industry request since the travel industry includes a wide scope of exercises. As indicated by OHagan and Harrison (1984) the travel industry request has an extraordinary nature for various reasons. As a matter of first importance it is an interest for various merchandise and enterprises, and no creation division the travel industry really exists, which cases question for some on the presence of the travel industry as a solid financial substance (OHagan, J.W. Harrison, M.J., 1984). We will compose a custom paper test on The Determinants For Demand In Tourism In Greece explicitly for you for just $16.38 $13.9/page Request now We will compose a custom article test on The Determinants For Demand In Tourism In Greece explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer We will compose a custom article test on The Determinants For Demand In Tourism In Greece explicitly for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Recruit Writer Furthermore, the interest for the travel industry can be of two sorts: the travel industry as private utilization or as a major aspect of creation (excursions for work). By and large close to home and delight make a trip used to be a prevailing, be that as it may, business explorers for the most part expend administrations like the individuals who travel for individual reasons. Lastly, the travel industry merchandise and ventures are not shipped to their clients, but instead the shoppers are moved to the products and enterprises (OHagan, J and Harrison M.,1984). Because of this travel industry streams become progressively touchy to a number non-monetary factors, for example, political solidness, transportation expenses and offices, mechanical powers, socio-social issues, and so forth in a nation of goal. The determinants of the travel industry request were explored in various examinations and a few scientists recommend that the interest for the travel industry is basically dictated by pay of the buyer, costs of products (facilities, food, neighborhood transportation, beguilement) in a goal nation contrasted and other goal, swapping scale, the expense of global travel (Sinclair M., Stabler M., 2002; Garin-Munoz T., Amaral T., 2000; Walsh M.,1996). Likewise the interest for movement can be emphatically influenced either by irregular occasions, for example, Olympic Games, for example, that pull in additional sightseers, or can be impacted contrarily by significant outside variables like, for instance, psychological warfare, SARS, or political shakiness inside the nation. The most recent components brought about vacationer appearances drop overall during the most recent two years, stimulated explorers fears for security and caused travelers to maintain a strategic distance from air trans portation. As indicated by the World Tourism Organization Greece held the sixteenth spot universally on the rundown of vacationer goals in 2002, while 90% of appearances were from Europe, which is viewed as Greeces essential traveler advertise. As indicated by Economist Intelligence Unit measurements the complete number of appearances in 2002 was more like 12,7 mln visitors. The travel industry speaks to about 10% of the local pay of Greece (2003). 66% of visitors are from the European Union (around 9 million), most of whom originate from the U.K., Germany, Italy, France and Austria. Voyagers from outside EU for the most part are originating from the USA, Japan, Canada, Australia (WTO, 2003). The methodology of the Athens 2004 Olympics has brought expanded positive thinking in regards to the eventual fate of the Greek the travel industry. It is evaluated that around 145,000 guests for each day will visit the Games and be obliged in lodgings, journey boats, campgrounds and private houses. Aside from the way that in the short term, sightseers will most likely be pulled in to conceivably more secure goals, the arranging of the Olympic Games will have a deciding impact on the future picture of Greece and its potential in the travel industry. Pay and value factors assume a significant job in deciding the interest for universal the travel industry. Development in genuine pay furnishes customers with expanded spending power. The bigger the countrys buying power the more probable its residents can stand to buy a decent or administration from abroad (Walsh M., 1996). As per Garin-Minoz and Amaral the degree of salary in the nation of starting point is estimated by the Gross National Product GNP (2000). Walsh Mary (1996) broke down various investigations with respect to the connection among salary and the travel industry request. The salary variable is spoken to in an unexpected way, in any case, in her investigations she proposed to utilize information speaking to optional pay per capita, for example individual discretionary cashflow per capita in every nation. In the wake of having the GNP of different nations communicated in US dollars, we isolate them by the number of inhabitants in every nation and get their qualities in per capita terms. As was referenced previously, principle nations that are creating the travel industry streams for Greece are Germany, Austria, Great Britain, USA, Italy and France. Genuine salary development in those nations can be accepted to relate decidedly to genuine per capita interest for Greek the travel industry. Another significant variable here is the cost of vacationer benefits in Greece contrasted with relative costs in other Mediterranean goals. The travel industry part meets an expanding rivalry despite other Mediterranean goals like Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Morocco, just as Spain and Portugal. Then the recently evolved goals like Slovenia, Croatia and Bulgaria likewise enrolled the expansion of travelers contrasted and the earlier years. This factor can influence the interest for the travel industry in Greece as far as diminishing the quantity of universal guests who might pick the practically identical sun and ocean occasions at less expensive costs. Simultaneously, the expansion in residential costs, particularly after euro was presented in Greece, may likewise impact contrarily the travel industry request. Individuals are typically worried about the cost for good or administration as far as their own countrys money. That cost depends not just on the cost of the positive qualities in the root nation yet additionally on conversion scale. Nonetheless, the swapping scale can impact the cost of products or administrations. Contrasted with a year ago euro had expanded its swapping scale towards practically all significant monetary standards. For voyagers outside it turns out to be increasingly costly to visit traveler goals that are in euro region. Simultaneously residents of euro zone are animated to make a trip to European goals outside it. Greece is separated topographically from other European Union nations (where the greater part if vacationers originates from), hence, the most well known transportation is plane. The expense of transportation is one of the parts of the last value the purchasers need to pay for the travel industry item. An expansion in transportation expenses can bring about decrease of interest, every other thing being equivalent (Garin-Munoz T., Amaral T., 2000). The high transportation expenses can be the definitive variable in picking whether to visit nation or not and even may prompt replacement of a close or far goal. Another factor that can impact request is additionally the decision among household and outside occasions which likewise comes up from the expense of transportation. In the previous two years universal the travel industry has, above all else, been ruled by the blend of a general powerless economy and a significant level on vulnerability as a result of the battle against fear mongering and the approaching Iraq strife (WTO, 2003). The Iraq struggle and psychological militant assaults caused and presumably will keep on impacting contrarily an interest of air transportation, interregional travel and travel to goals that are geologically near the zone of contention. The rise of SARS additionally expired the interest for the travel industry around the world. Regardless of these occasions, Greece despite everything dealt with a slight increment altogether 2001-2002 traffic (GNTO Newsletter, 2003). All things considered, it is normal that interest for movement and the travel industry will proceed to develop and Greece will keep on being a favored traveler goal on account of its sheltered, wrongdoing free and visitor neighborly condition. The particular component of Greek the travel industry is that it has an occasional property. Greek the travel industry had been based for over five decades on the result of ocean and sun and most of visitors show up to Greece between mid-June and mid-September deferentially. In this manner, during the wintertime the interest for the travel industry fundamentally diminishes. Official strategy is to attempt to expand to spread appearances during the time by creating meeting the travel industry, yachting, golf, skiing in the bumpy territory, spa and clinical the travel industry. Walsh in her examinations additionally notices such factors as weathe

Debut Albums and Lovely Home free essay sample

Succinctly I was face first against the divider, held by my arms by attendants of the inhabitant menace. I had gotten myself into this situation all alone, and anticipated no assistance from different children or the staff. My name is James, I am 15 years of age and I live in a shelter. This had been my life for as long as 7 years and I didn't know much else. I experienced an inclination for making difficulty and it typically got me thrashed, or grounded. This time I had embarrassed the poor kid by perusing his own journal to the remainder of the lunch hallApparently, this was not a decent decision, and now I was here. After he had hit me a couple of times, he made an indiscernible commotion that clearly implied toss me on the ground, as this Is actually what occurred. Before I knew It I was lying face up on the floor, being over and again kicked by the three young men. We will compose a custom exposition test on Presentation Albums and Lovely Home or then again any comparable theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page The principal couple of seconds, I wasnt stressed. This was typical for me. In any case, from that point onward, I started to stress. I was frightened. They had never beat me this terrible, kicked me so hard.The torment was horrendous. In the end they more likely than not gotten exhausted on the grounds that the chortling had halted, however the agony was still there. I felt wiped out. It hurt to move. Everything I could consider was my bed. Subsequent to holding up a couple of moments, I had the solidarity to slither up the steps and into the structure of which this flawless home of mine was fabricated. I arrived at the flight of stairs prompting the main floor and went after the hand rail. Pulling myself up with its assistance, I scaled the steps. One by one.Every advance felt like somebody was wounding me in the chest. I arrived at the resolution that I had broken a rib, yet was so depleted, didnt consider detailing it. I got into the corridor and fortunately for me my room was legitimately before me. Staggering through the entryway, I pummeled it and bolted it straight away, persuaded I wasnt leaving once more. This was my subsequent error. I peeled off, scrambled into bed and before you could state rest, I was wheezing. This is the place my life changed.

Rejected How to Make Next Year Your Year

It’s a fact: med school admissions are extremely competitive. If you’ve had an unsuccessful application season, it’s natural to feel disappointed. But if you’re still dreaming of a career as a physician, you can’t spend too much time moping. To boost your chances of success next year, it’s time to conduct an honest appraisal of what went wrong with this year’s application and make a plan for how you can strengthen your approach next time. It can be hard to analyze your own application objectively. To help you, and to give you a clear path to an improved strategy, we’ve created a unique, live webinar: The Reapplicant’s Guide to Med School Acceptance. Accepted’s founder, Linda Abraham, will discuss the major reasons why med school applicants get rejected. She’ll give you strategies for evaluating your application objectively and tips for how you can improve. We’ve packed all this into just one hour – and it’s free! All you need to do is register to reserve your space. Register Now: hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "58291", formId: "93b9b616-ecd9-4434-8ec1-f59876e4d40d", goToWebinarWebinarKey: "5080617129810400268" }); For 25 years, Accepted has helped applicants gain acceptance to their dream healthcare programs. Our outstanding team of admissions consultants features former admissions directors, admissions committee members, pre-health advisors, postbac program directors, and doctors. Our staff has guided applicants to acceptance at allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medical schools, residencies and fellowships, dental school, veterinarian school, and physician assistant programs at top schools such as Harvard, Stanford, Penn, UCSF, Johns Hopkins, Columbia, and many more.  Want an admissions expert  to help you get Accepted? Click here to get in touch!

We Cannot Escape Fate - 882 Words

Not knowing who you are can put many hard strains on your life. For many, it can lead to a path of failure and ruin, but knowing who you are, and where you came from often helps you decide where you want to go. For Oedipus, the journey of finding out who he was lead him to his destruction. The play depicts the working of the inner layers of the subconscious mind through the words and the actions of Oedipus and his parents. When king Laius and queen Jocasta of Thebes, have a son, the God Apollo prophesizes that he will kill his father, then marry and have children with his mother. Horrified by the disgusting future, the parents attempt to kill the baby by leaving him exposed on a mountain, but he is taken care of by a shepherd that finds†¦show more content†¦They were so upset by what the drunkard had said that I was reassured. But my certainty did last: the drunkard’s words stayed there, nagging at my mind, until at last I decided to find out the truth once and for al l†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Page 31) If Oedipus was truly reassured that Polybus and Merope were his parents, that nagging would not have happened. He subconsciously knew that they were not his parents and the drunkard just reinforced his deeply buried beliefs. Oedipus goes to a prophet in Delphi and is told the prophecy, and runs away to avoid killing Polybus and Merope because he thinks they are his mother and father. While running, he crosses paths with Laius, his father and king of Thebes and murders him. This action enters his subconscious mind although he does not consciously address it until later. Oedipus ends up in his home city of Thebes and solves the riddle of the Sphinx, saves the city and marries the queen, Jocasta, who is his real mother. 25 years later, a disease plagues Thebes and Oedipus finds out it is because nothing has been done to avenge king Laius’s death. Oedipus subconscious becomes aroused as Oedipus becomes adamant on finding the murderer of Laius, cursing him and saying â€Å"I pray that he may live a tormented, accursed and friendless life, and die in misery! And I add myself to this curse:Show MoreRelatedTheme Of Fate In Oedipus708 Words   |  3 PagesWe also find that fate has led him to be ignorant of his the fact that those he considers his parents are not really his biological parents. The play portrays Oedipus as a man with much love for his family. Though he wishes to see his parents, he vows not to return to his home in Corinth for fear of falling into fate’s hands. 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Which Country Has Successfully Implemented the Policy of...

IMPLEMENTING AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN NAMIBIA A summarised guide to the Affirmative Action (Employment) Act (Act 29 of 1998) published and distributed by Namibia Institute for Democracy Updated 3rd Edition  © April 2000 All rights reserved Contents by Dr.J.W.F. van Rooyen NAMIBIA INSTITUTE FOR DEMOCRACY Namibia Institute for Democracy 53 Independence Avenue P.O. Box 11956, Windhoek, Namibia Tel: (061) 229117/8 Fax: (061) 229119 E-mail: nid@mweb.com.na http://www/iwwn.com.na/nid 1 FOREWORD The writers of the Namibian Constitution perceived a need for affirmative action as a necessary condition for bringing about change in a previously discriminatory society. Therefore Article 23(2) addresses the issue of†¦show more content†¦The Institute has grasped the opportunity to update and revise the booklet to reflect recent developments in the area and to make the publication even more relevant to its purpose than before. In this regard the NID again wishes to acknowledge the kind assistance and inputs of various organisations and individuals. A special word of appreciation is due to the Employment Equity Commissioner, Mr V.T. Usiku; the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Mr C. Schlettwein; the Secretary-General of the Namibian Employers Federation (NEF), Mr C. Truebody; the Chief Researcher of the National Union of Namibian Workers (NUNW), Mr H. Jauch; EEC employer representative, Mrs E. Fahl; and Namibia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) spokesperson, Mr P.van Wyk. We also wish to acknowledge the kind financial assistance of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in support of the project. This booklet is dedicated to all employers and employees engaged in productive pursuit to promote the economy and social development of this country. May it contribute, in whatever small yet meaningful manner, to assist the social partners in achieving lasting equity and harmony at the workplace. 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Free Sample Report On Compare And Contrast Two Companies

Question: Discuss about the Report on Compare And Contrast Two Companies. Answer: Introduction This report will try to look at the aspects of goals and strategy, both long term and short term comparing two companies. This report will try to highlight with examples as to what is working for the companies and what isnt working. Comparison: Vision or Mission statement Since CST operates in the field of pharmacy and medicine, customer protection is paramount for them. Their vision is related to safety, quality of the medicines and customers that they cater to. Their mission is related to developing an extensive focus on research and development. This will lead to their focus on a range of support activities that will result in productive efforts for a product launch. They have five core company values which will be discussed later, these values indicate commitment of the company on finest possible treatments and amenities. H1N1 Medicine. Source: Company Website In case of Macquarie, since it is a financial advisory and fund management company. Their main purpose is to look for opportunities for their clients to have increased finances. Their focus is also on their shareholders and human resource manpower since most of their work is driven by financial experts. They talk about not just the business but also the way they accomplish their business acumen. Smart Analysis When we look at both these companies we can see that both of them have specific goals though Macquarie being a financial giant is much more profits oriented. Their company financials clearly define their targets in terms of numbers. CST had seen a rough patch during the 'Bundaberg tragedy' in the late 1920s, hence they have tried to align their vision and mission towards customer service. CST is much more time oriented since RD is a major cost centre for Pharma companies and they cannot do away with the same. The company has looked at a large number of process changes and optimization of deliver medicines in the stipulated timeframe. Believability and Value Test Both companies have believable vision and mission statements, how far they are aligned with their goals and strategy is yet to be witnessed in the subsequent sections. Both companies have endeavoured to add value to their customer and shareholder base. Their focus is consumer driven Comparison: Values of the organisation CSL has brought up the well-defined value set in the year 2001, after they saw that the entire CSL Group needs to be aligned in a common thread. There are five core values that bind the organization these are customer focus, innovation, integrity, collaboration and superior performance. Customer focus stems from the care of patients and the penchant for saving lives. Innovation is in the heart of their profit making ability since research is the backbone for revenue generation. Integrity is related to their portrayal of proper compliance for drug production and testing. Collaboration reflects the co-ordination amongst the entire group of companies. All this will culminate into superior performance (Park, Patent, Mark, Diagnostics and Pty 2015). Macquarie has considered three core principles as their founding value system. These are opportunity, accountability and integrity (Larder and Lawrence 2015). Opportunity reflects their financial system being inclined towards profit generation then comes understanding the world markets in a better manner so that the right investments can be made. After the financial crisis of 2008 and the role of investment firms being questioned has led to greater emphasis of these companies on accountability and integrity. The mark of Macquarie. Source: Company Website Smart Analysis The goals for CSL are aligned to specific targets which are yearly modified based on the focus of the company. The company financial statements clearly state their focus, this is highlighted in their company report in the year FY 2014-15, FY 2015-16 (McManus and Yoo 2014). The directors message also points out these details. The goals for Macquarie as we can see are far more specific and measurable with respect to their financial statements. The two companies are focussed to achievable targets that are set every year in their financial statements. Believability and Value Test Both the companies have value system that is aligned with their operating model. The value test also reflects the companys reflection of their yearly strategy. Since CSL is trying to establish a foothold outside Australia with their approved drug for Swine Flu i.e. H1N1 hence their focus has changed, this is well reflected in their additional values like integrity. Comparison: Corporate Social Responsibility/Sustainability CSL has a separate code of corporate business ethics mandate for the entire group of companies. This code is called Code of Responsible Business Practice (the Code). There are several ethical principles that are laid out under it, they try to keep commitment towards business integrity as a priority. The company is operational in more than 40 geographies now and they work in compliance with local and national laws, apart from conforming to international mandate as shared by the WHO. There are clear rules that state their role and serve as guiding principle in case of conflict involving bribery, financial inducements or else some political conflict of interest. Internally they follow a strong anti-discrimination policy and complete freedom of association. They have provisions for safe workplace for employees in hazardous chemical operations. They also have an environment sustainability framework and a compliance to adhere to the best manufacturing practices as guided by the internation al community. Over and above they look to collaborate within the group of companies to deliver better results (Park, Patent, Mark and Diagnostics 2016) Apart from these the company also has certain priority areas they look at better research and to develop new medicines for improving the overall portfolio. The other focus areas as ensuring safer therapeutic care and highest quality compliance in terms of product life cycle. The other areas of focus for them are higher responsibility in the marketplace where the company looks at how the product reaches customer and consumer (Gardner, Schmidt, Walter and Gallagher 2014). As already discussed the company caters to the internal employee base by ensuring safety standards for them and rewarding their contributions. The company has also initiated several safety and quality norms to ensure minimum damage to the environment. They also want to support the local community through contributions directly and by collaborating with the NGOs. Looking at the CSR initiated by Macquarie they are mostly not related to actively relate to their line of work. They have some support programs with that are in collaboration with other NGOs. They follow an ESG approach and there are some focus areas that relate to the same. There are salient risks and opportunities that have been identified by their business and are placed in the interest of their stakeholders. The six pillars of sustainability are, managing the surroundings and related community risk. Then they look at the business conduct and ethical framework, then comes the related inclusion of the people and their workplace surroundings, then they look at the investments and market orientation of their current products. They also look at sustainability in the relevant direct operation with clients. Lastly they look at long term engagement with key stakeholders. This is the priority and step by step approach at achieving greater sustainability. Smart Analysis The two companies have had relevant contributions to the community but the contributions of CSL are far superior since they are directly associated with the consumer. Then when we look at the aspects of timeliness we can see that CSL scored better than Macquarie. We can also see that CSL is much better placed in the initiatives taken by it. The strategy is also better structured. Believability and Value Test Both the strategies are high on the believability quotient and value test. However CSL scores better due to increased awareness amongst its employees reflected by several awards of the organization. Comparison: Stakeholders Mentioned in their Corporate Statements The major stakeholders of both these companies are the investors, government agencies and other regulators, customers and client base for CSL and Macquarie respectively. Both companies have has effective models of engagement with the key stakeholders (Tasker 2016) Smart Analysis The stakeholders for CSL are aligned to specific targets which are yearly modified based on the focus of the company. The company financial statements clearly state their focus, this is highlighted in their company report in the year FY 2014-15, FY 2015-16. The chairmans message also points out these details. The stakeholders for Macquarie as we can see are far more specific and measurable with respect to their financial statements. The two companies are focussed to achievable targets that are set every year in their financial statements. Believability and Value Test The two companies have been keeping stakeholders engaged this can be seen as their business operation has been growing over last few years. They have also expanded in a large number of geographies. Conclusion Both CSL and Macquarie are companies that have believable vision and mission statements, how far they are aligned with their goals and strategy is clearly witnessed in the last few sections of this report. Both companies have endeavoured to add value to their customer and shareholder base. Their focus is consumer driven and looks are engaging with stakeholders as a key strategy. Then we also see how each of these companies fare with respect of each of the categories discussed above References Park, A.J., Patent, L.A., Mark, T and Diagnostics, A., 2016. Corporate, institute and associate members of AusBiotech.Australasian BioTechnology,26(1). Park, A.J., Patent, L.A., Mark, T., Diagnostics, A. and Pty, A.B., 2015. Admedus Limited Advanced Manufacturing CRC Ltd Agriculture Victoria Services Pty Ltd.Australasian BioTechnology,25(2). Tasker, S. J. 2016. "Blood, sweat and tears of the CSL century". The Australian. McManus, P and Yoo, D., 2014. Equity and climate change: Local adaptation issues and responses in the City of Lake Macquarie, Australia.Urban Climate,10, pp.1-18. Larder, N and Lawrence, G., 2015. Finance capital, food security narratives and Australian agricultural land.Journal of Agrarian Change,15(4), pp.592-603. Gardner, P., Schmidt, C., Walter, T.S. and Gallagher, D.R., 2014. Quality Investing in an Australian Context.Australian Journal of Management,39(4).

Onetech Needs Some Change

Introduction: Onetech Changes the Course of Its Direction There comes the time for every company to change the chose strategy sooner or later (Harmon, 2007). Either because of the drops in sales, or because of high competition levels, a company needs to reconsider its policies, i.e., financial policy, the treatment of the customers, the rules concerning the relationships within the company employees and management.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Onetech Needs Some Change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Likewise, Onetech seems to be in need for a change. According to the existing evidence, there are three major directions, in which the company can go. Considering each, one will be able to find the optimum solution. Considering Option #1: With the Untouched Portfolio It is essential that the estimated revenue income is supposed to be approximately  £1,600,000 according to the data offered in the report (BU3413 case study 2012, 2012). However, Sylvia’s concern for continuing working in large groups should be taken into account as well (Luecke Hall, 2006). While the company can aim at increasing its income, some of the employees might have hard times working in quite uncomfortable environment. Option #2 as a Possibility: Reducing the Number of Services Reducing number of services means that the estimated revenue will make around  £1,115,000 annually (BU3413 case study 2012, 2012), with the less expensive payment scheme for the customers. The given plan can be considered a compromise between retaining clients and maintaining high income. However, the given solution might not fit the founder of the company, Tim Bale: â€Å"Tim believes in involvement of all parties† (BU3413 case study 2012, 2012), according to the report – and he actually has the point (Gennard Judge, 2005). Money Makes the World Go Round: Regarding the Option #3 Presupposing that the charges are mad e according to the corresponding events, the third suggestion seems quite adequate, but very vague. Even the estimated annual income is rather vague – it makes approximately  £1,020,000 (BU3413 case study 2012, 2012). Needless to mention, the given number is the smallest of all compared to the ones stated above. Analysis and the Obvious Solution: As Simple as It Can Be It goes without saying that each of the suggestions has its own advantages and drawbacks. For example, one of them presupposes considerable changes, while the two others do not. Again, the third plan also has advantages in that it does not demand fee from the clientele. The latter might consider this a good deal and choose the Onetech Company as a good value for their money. However, it seems that the first option is the most reasonable one, since reducing the number of services might lead to customers’ dissatisfaction, and not demanding fee can cause financial complexities within the company and, ther efore, lead to spending less on quality equipment (Werner, Schuler, Jackson, 2011). Thus, the services quality will also drop, which is highly undesirable.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Better yet, the company should introduce even more services so that the clients should learn the advantage of being a membership of Onetech. Conclusion: When the Time to Pick the Right Choice Comes Hence, it can be concluded that the policy of maintaining the current portfolio and offering the fee of  £5500 seems the most reasonable solution. Since the company needs to attract more clients, having the same amount of services seems the most reasonable option. While with the membership fee of  £5500, the company might look much more expensive than the possible rivals, its big list of services will make the clients feel that each penny thy pay pays off. With the help of an adequate policy , Onetech is likely to handle the current problems and develop new strategies. Reference List BU3413 case study 2012 2012, PDF file. Gennard, J Judge, G 2005, Employee relations, CIPD Publishing, London, UK. Harmon, P 2007, Business process change: A guide for business managers and BPM and Six Sigma professionals, Morgan Kaufman, Burlington, MA. Luecke, R Hall, B H 2006, Performance management: measure and improve the effectiveness of your employees, Harvard Business Press, Boston, MA.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Onetech Needs Some Change specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Werner, S, Schuler, R, Jackson, S 2011, Human resource management, Cengage Learning, Stamford, CN. This report on Onetech Needs Some Change was written and submitted by user Sherlyn Nieves to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Action Report 2 Example

Action Report 2 Example Action Report 2 – Article Example Action Report 2 The big issue, according to Stiglitz concerns whether gross domestic product (GDP) offers a superior measure of living standards. In a number of cases, GDP statistics appear to propose that the financial system is doing far much better compared to most citizens own thoughts (Stiglitz 1). In addition, the spotlight on GDP leads to conflicts: leaders (political) are urged to maximize it, but citizens, on the other hand, also require that attention be given to improving security, reducing water, air, as well as noise pollution, and the likes – all of which may decrease GDP growth. The same issues in making comparisons in due course related to comparisons across nations (Stiglitz 1). The US uses more money on health care compared any other nations but gets much poorer results. Part of the dissimilarity between GDP per capita in Europe and the US might hence be due to the way people measure things.Another significant transformation in most countries is a rise in ine quality (Stiglitz 1). This means that there is a rising disparity between the median income (that of the "normal" earner, whose salary lies falls in the middle of the income distribution table) and average income. If a few people working in the bank get richer, average or mean income can increase, even as most peoples’ incomes are decreasing (Stiglitz 1). Therefore, GDP per capita statistics might not echo what is occurring to most citizens. Any proper measure of how well countries are performing should take into account sustainability, as well (Stiglitz 1). Just as a company requires measuring the reduction of its capital, so does national accounts require reflecting the drop of natural resources, as well as the degradation of the environment.Work CitedStiglitz, Joseph. The great GDP swindle. N.p, 2009. Web.

An Analysis of Tone in The Road Not Taken, a Poem by Robert Frost

An Analysis of Tone in The Road Not Taken, a Poem by Robert Frost Robert Frosts work The Road Not Taken conveys a very simplistic, yet introspective theme. The poem describes the dilemmas and choices one must make in life, and how those specific decisions affect that person. Frost establishes this theme with an allegorical illustration of two paths in the woods. Later in the poem, the author reveals the attributes and personality of the main character as he or she contemplates past life choices. This characterization helps to bridge the gap between the reader and the character, allowing the poem to communicate a deeper resonance. Frost strengthens the readers figurative presence in the poem by presenting such emblematic diction and setting. The use of such devices again aid to the connection between the reader and the character-forcing Frosts message to become even more insightful. Robert Frost portrays a very pensive and impactful tone in his poem The Road Not Taken through means of symbolic imagery, representative setting, thorough characterizati on, and powerful diction, in order to encourage the reader to reflect upon his or her own life choices. One of the most significant elements of this poem is Frosts use of imagery. In the opening lines of the poem, the main character stops at a forked path in the forest, pondering which direction he or she will go. This part, being one of the most vital, symbolizes a choice needing to be made, most likely in life. Roads in literature often correlate with travel or a migration from one place to the next. So, the characters consideration about which road to take reveals a self-reflection the character has about which direction to go in life. Secondly, before the character continues his or her journey, he or she notes that the end of the first trail is covered by a sort of undergrowth, metaphorically indicating the perplexity of life and the inability to predict the consequence of life choices. The poem unmistakably exhibits this analysis in the first stanza, Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, / And sorry I could not travel both / And be one traveler, long I stood / And looked down one a s far as I could / To where it bent in the undergrowth (lines 1-5). Furthermore, it can be said that Frosts use of these figurative images are centralized to exemplify his tone of self-reflection and cogitation, as they boldly depict the importance of lifestyle decision-making. Another literary aspect Frost utilizes to express his tone is setting. In the poem, he writes, Two roads diverged in a yellow wood (line 1). The phrase a yellow wood may be an indication of the color the trees radiated. This suggests that the story takes place in the middle of autumn, most likely, contributing to the sense that time is running out-as in life-for the character. Here, Frost again outlines his tone as he demonstrates the characters rational contemplation and, eventually, regret. The author further establishes the setting as he indicates that the paths were not worn, even stating that one was grassy, providing a location of serenity and aesthetic beauty. This rendition of the setting applies a philosophical aspect to the poem, as it represents a life of innocence and potential. The forked trail could symbolize maturation and development, as the character is forced to choose which direction he or she wants to take his or her life. In the second stanza, it states, Then too k the other, as just as fair, / And having perhaps the better claim, / Because it was grassy and wanted wear (lines 6-8). In this part of the poem, it almost seems as if the character foolishly expected life to desire him or her to enter it, as the poem suggests the grass wanted to be worn down. This is probably one of the reasons why the character emotes regret later in the work. Again, Frost communicates his solemn and contemplative tone by familiarizing the reader with the characters experiences. Frost draws the reader into the story as he characterizes the man or woman standing in the woods. The character evidently appears conflicted throughout the story as he or she faces a dilemma and eventually has mixed emotions when one of the options were chosen. As the second stanza begins, the character states that he or she hastily chose the grassy trail which, according to the theme, is not wise. The author seems to suggest that the character is highly impulsive, while also adventurous, considering that he or she is wandering through the forest, almost aimlessly. As the story progresses, however, the character seems to be regretful of the choice he or she has made. For instance, as the character walks, he or she begins to seem fearful that the opposite path may have been more alluring or aesthetic. This becomes evident in the third stanza, stating, And both that morning equally lay / In leaves no step had trodden black. Oh, I kept the first for another day! Yet knowing how way lead s on to way, / I doubted if I should ever come back. (lines 11-15). Understanding the characters feelings again strengthens the relationship between the reader and the character, making the authors reflective tone and solemn message become even more compelling. The final figurative element Frost incorporates into the poem is diction. This becomes prominent in the final stanza, as it reveals the characters regrets. I shall be telling this with a sigh / Somewhere ages and ages hence: / Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-/ I took the one less traveled by, / And that has made all the difference. (lines 16-20). With use of the word sigh, Frost delineates the characters dissatisfaction with his or her choice. In the conclusion of the poem, the character, realizing that he or she had made the wrong choice, suggests that if the other path had been taken, he or she would have made the better choice. This ties in with Frosts tone as it is represented in the characters regrets. Robert Frosts short poem The Road Not Taken proves its literary merit through an intensely developed theme, as well as tone. Frost organizes an exceedingly philosophical and contemplative piece, through use of numerous literary devices. One of the most eminent include metaphorical imagery, such as autumn, a forest, and paths. He further exemplifies the tone as he employs setting and characterization. With these instruments, the poem is able to appeal to the reader, as it seemingly allows an immersion into the text. Finally, the authors application of diction contributes to what makes the text so captivating, as it lets the reader delve into the mind of the character. The poem The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost illustrates an insightful, yet regretful tone through use of setting, characterization, imagery, and diction, for the sole purpose of making the reader aware of the haste and intricacy of life.

Media critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media critique - Essay Example The media depicts the adolescents as a social group that is affected by health problems associated to sex. In relation to the elderly, the health problem associated to them is related to ageing. Children are on depicted as having health problems related to nutrition. Sexually transmitted diseases amongst the adolescents in the society are among the health problems that receive more media attention (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services 2000). This is in comparison to other health problems affecting other members of the society such as the elderly and children. There are a variety of reasons as to why this health problem receives more media attention. One of the reasons is that the adolescent population is greater than that of other members of the society. Therefore, this social group is more vulnerable hence the media attention directed towards it. The emphasis of sexually transmitted diseases amongst adolescents is justified because this social group is very important for the welfare of any nation. The adolescents who are mostly teenagers are the hope for the future. Therefore, if their welfare is not protected at present then the status of the future is at jeopardy. The attention given to the adolescent’s health issues by the media in relation to other social groups should be encouraged. This is because most of the teenagers at the adolescent stage are naà ¯ve and therefore need a lot of guidance and counseling. Teenagers at the adolescent stage undergo a series of physical and physiological changes and hence why they need guidance on how to handle the changes (Goldwasser, 2008). Sex is one of the issues that affect their lifestyles and it is therefore the obligation of the media to concentrate on sexually transmitted diseases amongst them so as to enlighten them. Research has revealed that the publics portray the attention of the media to sexually transmitted diseases amongst adolescents in a

Shell company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Shell company - Essay Example The company was then run through different operating companies. Prior to the merger both the companies were struggling to sustain their business. Their decision to join hands led them to become one of the most successful company in the world and all signs showing in the first twelve months of their strategic decision. The company was under the management of Henry Deterding, whose guidance and dedication made the two barely managing companies into a strong force to reckon with, in the oil industry. The company began to make its mark quite quickly around and business started to expand globally. The Marketing companies started coming up throughout Europe and also in certain parts of Asia. With the growing demand of oil all around the globe, Dutch Shell began exploration and production in countries like Russia, Venezuela, Mexico, Romania and even in the United States. Along the timeline, the company has been able to maintain its competitive edge by looking out for newer technologies, alternative resources and advance developments. They have concentrated on their core products as well as kept their eyes open for any opportunities making them one of the most competitive companies in the market. Marketing is one of the core functions of any organizations. It is the function that helps a company defines the right kind of market and allows the company to identify consumer needs and wants and then searches for solutions and ideas for how to aptly satisfy those needs. (Bartels, 2002) When Organizations like Shell and other multinationals define their marketing strategy it evolves through a series of stages. This is because as the company starts growing, so does the demand. Eventually the company adopts a multi national strategy of marketing. At this stage the company has already gone through the local markets exporting and to international marketing. This is the kind of marketing Shell is doing as at this stage the company can use its size and scale

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - The Character of the Parson Essay

The Character of the Parson of Canterbury Tales      Ã‚   Geoffrey Chaucer is considered by many critics as the father of English literature.   His literary masterpiece was "The Canterbury Tales."   In these tales, Chaucer writes about pilgrims who are on a journey to Canterbury.   Each pilgrim has a tale that they tell on this journey.   Chaucer expresses themes and messages through the characterization of each pilgrim.   Through the Parson, one of the pilgrims, Chaucer is able to portray the life of a true Christian through the general prologue, prologue to the Parson's tale, and the Parson's tale itself.      Ã‚  Ã‚   In the general prologue, Chaucer introduces the reader to the Parson.   He is a "holy-minded man of good renown" (475).   The reader soon gets to know him as a devout, educated, altruistic, caring, gentle, humble, giving, and brotherly man through the general descriptions of who the Parson is and what he does.   The parson is "benign" and "diligent" (481) as well as being "holy and virtuous" (511).   Chaucer portrays this pious Christian through his reverent and venerable t...

The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 25. Favor

It was only a little while later that Edward reminded me of my priorities. It took him just one word. â€Å"Renesmee†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I sighed. She would be awake soon. It must be nearly seven in the morning. Would she be looking for me? Abruptly, something close to panic had my body freezing up. What would she look like today? Edward felt the total distraction of my stress. â€Å"It's all right, love. Get dressed, and we'll be back to the house in two seconds.† I probably looked like a cartoon, the way I sprung up, then looked back at him – his diamond body faintly glinting in the diffuse light – then away to the west, where Renesmee waited, then back at him again, then back toward her, my head whipping from side to side a half dozen times in a second. Edward smiled, but didn't laugh; he was a strong man. â€Å"It's all about balance, love. You're so good at all of this, I don't imagine it will take too long to put everything in perspective.† â€Å"And we have all night, right?† He smiled wider. â€Å"Do you think I could bear to let you get dressed now if that weren't the case?† That would have to be enough to get me through the daylight hours. I would balance this overwhelming, devastating desire so that I could be a good – It was hard to think the word. Though Renesmee was very real and vital in my life, it was still difficult to think of myself as a mother. I supposed anyone would feel the same, though, without nine months to get used to the idea. And with a child that changed by the hour. The thought of Renesmee's speeding life had me stressed-out again in an instant. I didn't even pause at the ornately carved double doors to catch my breath before finding out what Alice had done. I just burst through, intent on wearing the first things I touched. I should have known it wouldn't be that easy. â€Å"Which ones are mine?† I hissed. As promised, the room was bigger than our bedroom. It might have been bigger than the rest of the house put together, but I'd have to pace it off to be positive. I had a brief mental flash of Alice trying to persuade Esme to ignore classic proportions and allow this monstrosity. I wondered how Alice had won that one. Everything was wrapped in garment bags, pristine and white, row after row after row. â€Å"To the best of my knowledge, everything but this rack here† – he touched a bar that stretched along the half-wall to the left of the door – â€Å"is yours.† â€Å"All of this?† He shrugged. â€Å"Alice,† we said together. He said her name like an explanation; I said it like an expletive. â€Å"Fine,† I muttered, and I pulled down the zipper on the closest bag. I growled under my breath when I saw the floorlength silk gown inside – baby pink. Finding something normal to wear could take all day! â€Å"Let me help,† Edward offered. He sniffed carefully at the air and then followed some scent to the back of the long room. There was a built-in dresser there. He sniffed again, then opened a drawer. With a triumphant grin, he held out a pair of artfully faded blue jeans. I flitted to his side. â€Å"How did you do that?† â€Å"Denim has its own scent just like anything else. Now†¦ stretch cotton?† He followed his nose to a half-rack, unearthing a long-sleeved white t-shirt. He tossed it to me. â€Å"Thanks,† I said fervently. I inhaled each fabric, memorizing the scent for future searches through this madhouse. I remembered silk and satin; I would avoid those. It only took him seconds to find his own clothes – if I hadn't seen him undressed, I would have sworn there was nothing more beautiful than Edward in his khakis and pale beige pullover – and then he took my hand. We darted through the hidden garden, leaped lightly over the stone wall, and hit the forest at a dead sprint. I pulled my hand free so that we could race back. He beat me this time. Renesmee was awake; she was sitting up on the floor with Rose and Emmett hovering over her, playing with a little pile of twisted silverware. She had a mangled spoon in her right hand. As soon as she spied me through the glass, she chucked the spoon on the floor – where it left a divot in the wood – and pointed in my direction imperiously. Her audience laughed; Alice, Jasper, Esme, and Carlisle were sitting on the couch, watching her as if she were the most engrossing film. I was through the door before their laughter had barely begun, bounding across the room and scooping her up from the floor in the same second. We smiled widely at each other. She was different, but not so much. A little longer again, her proportions drifting from babyish to childlike. Her hair was longer by a quarter inch, the curls bouncing like springs with every movement. I'd let my imagination run wild on the trip back, and I'd imagined worse than this. Thanks to my overdone fears, these little changes were almost a relief. Even without Carlisle's measurements, I was sure the changes were slower than yesterday. Renesmee patted my cheek. I winced. She was hungry again. â€Å"How long has she been up?† I asked as Edward disappeared through the kitchen doorway. I was sure he was on his way to get her breakfast, having seen what she'd just thought as clearly as I had. I wondered if he would ever have noticed her little quirk, if he'd been the only one to know her. To him, it probably would have seemed like hearing anyone. â€Å"Just a few minutes,† Rose said. â€Å"We would have called you soon. She's been asking for you – demandingmight be a better description. Esme sacrificed her second-best silver service to keep the little monster entertained.† Rose smiled at Renesmee with so much gloating affection that the criticism was entirely weightless. â€Å"We didn't want to†¦ er, bother you.† Rosalie bit her lip and looked away, trying not to laugh. I could feel Emmett's silent laughter behind me, sending vibrations through the foundations of the house. I kept my chin high. â€Å"We'll get your room set up right away,† I said to Renesmee. â€Å"You'll like the cottage. It's magic.† I look up at Esme. â€Å"Thank you, Esme. So much. It's absolutely perfect.† Before Esme could respond, Emmett was laughing again – it wasn't silent this time. â€Å"So it's still standing?† he managed to get out between his snickers. â€Å"I would've thought you two had knocked it to rubble by now. What were you doing last night? Discussing the national debt?† He howled with laughter. I gritted my teeth and reminded myself of the negative consequences when I'd let my temper get away from me yesterday. Of course, Emmett wasn't as breakable as Seth___ Thinking of Seth made me wonder. â€Å"Where're the wolves today?† I glanced out the window wall, but there had been no sign of Leah on the way in. â€Å"Jacob took off this morning pretty early,† Rosalie told me, a little frown creasing her forehead. â€Å"Seth followed him out.† â€Å"What was he so upset about?† Edward asked as he came back into the room with Renesmee's cup. There must have been more in Rosalie's memory than I'd seen in her expression. Without breathing, I handed Renesmee off to Rosalie. Super-self-control, maybe, but there was no way I was going to be able to feed her. Not yet. â€Å"I don't know – or care,† Rosalie grumbled, but she answered Edward's question more fully. â€Å"He was watching Nessie sleep, his mouth hanging open like the moron he is, and then he just jumped to his feet without any kind of trigger – that I noticed, anyway – and stormed out. was glad to be rid of him. The more time he spends here, the less chance there is that we'll ever get the smell out.† â€Å"Rose,† Esme chided gently. Rosalie flipped her hair. â€Å"I suppose it doesn't matter. We won't be here that much longer.† â€Å"I still say we should go straight to New Hampshire and get things set up,† Emmett said, obviously continuing an earlier conversation. â€Å"Bella's already registered at Dartmouth. Doesn't look like it will take her all that long to be able to handle school.† He turned to look at me with a teasing grin. Tm sure you'll ace your classes†¦ apparently there's nothing interesting for you to do at night besides study.† Rosalie giggled. Do not lose your temper, do not lose your temper,I chanted to myself. And then I was proud of myself for keeping my head. So I was pretty surprised that Edward didn't. He growled – an abrupt, shocking rasp of sound – and the blackest fury rolled across his expression like storm clouds. Before any of us could respond, Alice was on her feet. â€Å"What is he doing? What is that dog doing that has erased my schedule for the entire day? I can't see anything] No!† She shot me a tortured glance. â€Å"Look at you! You neec/meto show you how to use your closet.† For one second I was grateful for whatever Jacob was up to. And then Edward's hands balled up into fists and he snarled, â€Å"He talked to Charlie. He thinks Charlie is following after him. Coming here. Today.† Alice said a word that sounded very odd in her trilling, ladylike voice, and then she blurred into motion, streaking out the backdoor. â€Å"He told Charlie?† I gasped. â€Å"But – doesn't he understand? How could he do that?† Charlie couldn't know about me! About vampires! That would put him on a hit list that even the Cullens couldn't save him from. â€Å"No!† Edward spoke through his teeth. â€Å"Jacob's on his way in now.† It must have started raining farther east. Jacob came through the door shaking his wet hair like a dog, flipping droplets on the carpet and the couch where they made little round gray spots on the white. His teeth glinted against his dark lips; his eyes were bright and excited. He walked with jerky movements, like he was all hyped-up about destroying my father's life. â€Å"Hey, guys,† he greeted us, grinning. It was perfectly silent. Leah and Seth slipped in behind him, in their human forms – for now; both of their hands were trembling with the tension in the room. â€Å"Rose,† I said, holding my arms out. Wordlessly, Rosalie handed me Renesmee. I pressed her close to my motionless heart, holding her like a talisman against rash behavior. I would keep her in my arms until I was sure my decision to kill Jacob was based entirely on rational judgment rather than fury. She was very still, watching and listening. How much did she understand? â€Å"Charlie'll be here soon,† Jacob said to me casually. â€Å"Just a heads-up. I assume Alice is getting you sunglasses or something?† â€Å"You assume way too much,† I spit through my teeth. â€Å"What. Have. You. Done?† Jacob's smile wavered, but he was still too wound up to answer seriously. â€Å"Biondie and Emmett woke me up this morning going on and on about you all moving cross-country. Like I could let you leave. Charlie was the biggest issue there, right? Well, problem solved.'7 â€Å"Do you even realize what you've done? The danger you've put him in?† He snorted. â€Å"I didn't put him in danger. Except from you. But you've got some kind of supernatural self-control, right? Not as good as mind reading, if you ask me. Much less exciting.† Edward moved then, darting across the room to get in Jacob's face. Though he was half a head shorter than Jacob, Jacob leaned away from his staggering anger as if Edward towered over him. â€Å"That's just a theory, mongrel,† he snarled. â€Å"You think we should test it out on Charlie? Did you consider the physical pain you're putting Bella through, even if she can resist? Or the emotional pain if she doesn't? I suppose what happens to Bella no longer concerns you!† He spit the last word. Renesmee pressed her fingers anxiously to my cheek, anxiety coloring the replay in her head. Edward's words finally cut through Jacob's strangely electric mood. His mouth dropped into a frown. â€Å"Bella will be in pain?† â€Å"Like you've shoved a white-hot branding iron down her throat!† I flinched, remembering the scent of pure human blood. â€Å"I didn't know that,† Jacob whispered. â€Å"Then perhaps you should have asked first,† Edward growled back through his teeth. â€Å"You would have stopped me.† â€Å"You should have been stopped – â€Å" â€Å"This isn't about me,† I interrupted. I stood very still, keeping my hold on Renesmee and sanity. â€Å"This is about Charlie, Jacob. How could you put him in danger this way? Do you realize it's death or vampire life for him now, too?† My voice trembled with the tears my eyes could no longer shed. Jacob was still troubled by Edward's accusations, but mine didn't seem to bother him. â€Å"Relax, Bella. I didn't tell him anything you weren't planning to tell him.† â€Å"But he's coming here!† â€Å"Yeah, that's the idea. Wasn't the whole let him make the wrong assumptions' thing your plan? I think I provided a very nice red herring, if I do say so myself.† My fingers flexed away from Renesmee. I curled them back in securely. â€Å"Say it straight, Jacob. I don't have the patience for this.† â€Å"I didn't tell him anything about you, Bella. Not really. I told him about me. Well, show is probably a better verb.† â€Å"He phased in front of Charlie,† Edward hissed. I whispered, â€Å"You what?† â€Å"He's brave. Brave as you are. Didn't pass out or throw up or anything. I gotta say, I was impressed. You should've seen his face when I started taking my clothes off, though. Priceless,† Jacob chortled. â€Å"You absolute moronl You could have given him a heart attack!† â€Å"Charlie's fine. He's tough. If you'd give this just a minute, you'll see that I did you a favor here.† â€Å"You have half of that, Jacob.† My voice was flat and steely. â€Å"You have thirty seconds to tell me every single word before I give Renesmee to Rosalie and rip your miserable head off. Seth won't be able to stop me this time.† â€Å"Jeez, Bells. You didn't used to be so melodramatic. Is that a vampire thing?† â€Å"Twenty-six seconds.† Jacob rolled his eyes and flopped into the nearest chair. His little pack moved to stand on his flanks, not at all relaxed the way he seemed to be; Leah's eyes were on me, her teeth slightly bared. â€Å"So I knocked on Charlie's door this morning and asked him to come for a walk with me. He was confused, but when I told him it was about you and that you were back in town, he followed me out to the woods. I told him you weren't sick anymore, and that things were a little weird, but good. He was about to take off to see you, but I told him I had to show him something first. And then I phased.† Jacob shrugged. My teeth felt like a vise was pushing them together. â€Å"I want every word, you monster.† â€Å"Well, you said I only had thirty seconds – okay, okay.† My expression must have convinced him that I wasn't in the mood for teasing. â€Å"Lemme see†¦ I phased back and got dressed, and then after he started breathing again, I said something like, ‘Charlie, you don't live in the world you thought you lived in. The good news is, nothing has changed – except that now you know. Life'll go on the same way it always has. You can go right back to pretending that you don't believe any of this.' â€Å"It took him a minute to get his head together, and then he wanted to know what was really going on with you, with the whole rare-disease thing. I told him that you had been sick, but you were fine now – it was just that you'd had to change a little bit in the process of getting better. He wanted to know what I meant by ‘change,' and I told him that you looked a lot more like Esme now than you looked like Renee.† Edward hissed while I stared in horror; this was headed in a dangerous direction. â€Å"After a few minutes, he asked, real quietly, if you turned into an animal, too. And I said, ‘She wishes she was that cool!'† Jacob chuckled. Rosalie made a noise of disgust. â€Å"I started to tell him more about werewolves, but I didn't even get the whole word out – Charlie cut me off and said he'd ‘rather not know the specifics.' Then he asked if you'd known what you were getting yourself into when you married Edward, and I said, ‘Sure, she's known all about this for years, since she first came to Forks.' He didn't like that very much. I let him rant till he got it out of his system. After he got calmed down, he just wanted two things. He wanted to see you, and I said it would be better if he gave me a head start to explain.† I inhaled deeply. â€Å"What was the other thing he wanted?† Jacob smiled. â€Å"You'll like this. His main request is that he be told as little as possible about all of this. If it's not absolutely essential for him to know something, then keep it to yourself. Need to know, only.† I felt relief for the first time since Jacob had walked in. â€Å"I can handle that part.† â€Å"Other than that, he'd just like to pretend things are normal.† Jacob's smile turned smug; he must suspect that I would be starting to feel the first faint stirrings of gratitude about now. â€Å"What did you tell him about Renesmee?† I struggled to maintain the razor edge in my voice, fighting the reluctant appreciation. It was premature. There was still so much wrong with this situation. Even if Jacob's intervention had brought out a better reaction in Charlie than I'd ever hoped for†¦ â€Å"Oh yeah. So I told him that you and Edward had inherited a new little mouth to feed.† He glanced at Edward. â€Å"She's your orphaned ward – like Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson.† Jacob snorted. â€Å"I didn't think you'd mind me lying. That's all part of the game, right?† Edward didn't respond in any way, so Jacob went on. â€Å"Charlie was way past being shocked at this point, but he did ask if you were adopting her. ‘Like a daughter? Like I'm sort of a grandfather?' were his exact words. I told him yes. ‘Congrats, Gramps, and all of that. He even smiled a little.† The stinging returned to my eyes, but not out of fear or anguish this time. Charlie was smiling at the idea of being a grandpa? Charlie would meet Renesmee? â€Å"But she's changing so fast,† I whispered. â€Å"I told him that she was more special than all of us put together,† Jacob said in a soft voice. He stood and walked right up to me, waving Leah and Seth off when they started to follow. Renesmee reached out to him, but I hugged her more tightly to me. â€Å"I told him, Trust me, you don't want to know about this. But if you can ignore all the strange parts, you're going to be amazed. She's the most wonderful person in the whole world.' And then I told him that if he could deal with that, you all would stick around for a while and he would have a chance to get to know her. But that if it was too much for him, you would leave. He said as long as no one forced too much information on him, he'd deal.† Jacob stared at me with half a smile, waiting. â€Å"I'm not going to say thank you,† I told him. â€Å"You're still putting Charlie at a huge risk.† â€Å"I am sorry about it hurting you. I didn't know it was like that. Bella, things are different with us now, but you'll always be my best friend, and I'll always love you. But I'll love you the right way now. There's finally a balance. We both have people we can't live without.† He smiled his very most Jacob-y smile. â€Å"Still friends?† Try as hard as I could to resist, I had to smile back. Just a tiny smile. He held out his hand: an offer. I took a deep breath and shifted Renesmee's weight to one arm. I put my left hand in his – he didn't even flinch at the feel of my cool skin. â€Å"If I don't kill Charlie tonight, I'll consider forgiving you for this.† â€Å"Whenyou don't kill Charlie tonight, you'll owe me huge.† I rolled my eyes. He held out his other hand toward Renesmee, a request this time. â€Å"Can I?† â€Å"I'm actually holding her so that my hands aren't free to kill you, Jacob. Maybe later.† He sighed but didn't push me on it. Wise of him. Alice raced back through the door then, her hands full and her expression promising violence. â€Å"You, you, and you,† she snapped, glaring at the werewolves. â€Å"If you must stay, get over in the corner and commit to being there for a while. I need to see. Bella, you'd better give him the baby, too. You'll need your arms free, anyway.† Jacob grinned in triumph. Undiluted fear ripped through my stomach as the enormity of what I was about to do hit me. I was going to gamble on my iffy self-control with my pure human father as the guinea pig. Edward's earlier words crashed in my ears again. Did you consider the physical pain you're putting Bella through, even if she can resist? Or the emotional pain if she doesn't? I couldn't imagine the pain of failure. My breathing turned to gasps. â€Å"Take her,† I whispered, sliding Renesmee into Jacob's arms. He nodded, concern wrinkling his forehead. He gestured to the others, and they all went to the far corner of the room. Seth and Jake slouched on the floor at once, but Leah shook her head and pursed her lips. â€Å"Am I allowed to leave?† she griped. She looked uncomfortable in her human body, wearing the same dirty t-shirt and cotton shorts she'd worn to shriek at me the other day, her short hair sticking up in irregular tufts. Her hands were still shaking. â€Å"Of course,† Jake said. â€Å"Stay east so you don't cross Charlie's path,† Alice added. Leah didn't look at Alice; she ducked out the back door and stomped into the bushes to phase. Edward was back at my side, stroking my face. â€Å"You can do this. I know you can. Ill help you; we all will.† I met Edward's eyes with panic screaming from my face. Was he strong enough to stop me if I made a wrong move? â€Å"If I didn't believe you could handle it, we'd disappear today. This very minute. But you can. And you'll be happier if you can have Charlie in your life.† I tried to slow my breathing. Alice held out her hand. There was a small white box on her palm. â€Å"These will irritate your eyes – they won't hurt, but they'll cloud your vision. It's annoying. They also won't match your old color, but it's still better than bright red, right?† She flipped the contact box into the air and I caught it. â€Å"When did you – â€Å" â€Å"Before you left on the honeymoon. I was prepared for several possible futures.† I nodded and opened the container. I'd never worn contacts before, but it couldn't be that hard. I took the little brown quarter-sphere and pressed it, concave side in, to my eye. I blinked, and a film interrupted my sight. I could see through it, of course, but I could also see the texture of the thin screen. My eye kept focusing on the microscopic scratches and warped sections. â€Å"I see what you mean,† I murmured as I stuck the other one in. I tried to not blink this time. My eye automatically wanted to dislodge the obstruction. â€Å"How do I look?† Edward smiled. â€Å"Gorgeous. Of course – â€Å" â€Å"Yes, yes, she always looks gorgeous,† Alice finished his thought impatiently. â€Å"It's better than red, but that's the highest commendation I can give. Muddy brown. Your brown was much prettier. Keep in mind that those won't last forever – the venom in your eyes will dissolve them in a few hours. So if Charlie stays longer than that, you'll have to excuse yourself to replace them. Which is a good idea anyway, because humans need bathroom breaks.† She shook her head. â€Å"Esme, give her a few pointers on acting human while I stock the powder room with contacts.† â€Å"How long do I have?† â€Å"Charlie will be here in five minutes. Keep it simple.† Esme nodded once and came to take my hand. â€Å"The main thing is not to sit too still or move too fast,† she told me. â€Å"Sit down if he does,† Emmett interjected. â€Å"Humans don't like to just stand there.† â€Å"Let your eyes wander every thirty seconds or so,† Jasper added. â€Å"Humans don't stare at one thing for too long.† â€Å"Cross your legs for about five minutes, then switch to crossing your ankles for the next five,† Rosalie said. I nodded once at each suggestion. I'd noticed them doing some of these things yesterday. I thought I could mimic their actions. â€Å"And blink at least three times a minute,† Emmett said. He frowned, then darted to where the television remote sat on the end table. He flipped the TV on to a college football game and nodded to himself. â€Å"Move your hands, too. Brush your hair back or pretend to scratch something,† Jasper said. â€Å"I said Esme† Alice complained as she returned. â€Å"You'll overwhelm her.† â€Å"No, I think I got it all,† I said. â€Å"Sit, look around, blink, fidget.† â€Å"Right,† Esme approved. She hugged my shoulders. Jasper frowned. â€Å"You'll be holding your breath as much as possible, but you need to move your shoulders a little to make it /oo/clike you're breathing.† I inhaled once and then nodded again. Edward hugged me on my free side. â€Å"You can do this,† he repeated, murmuring the encouragement in my ear. â€Å"Two minutes,† Alice said. â€Å"Maybe you should start out already on the couch. You've been sick, after all. That way he won't have to see you move right at first.† Alice pulled me to the sofa. I tried to move slowly, to make my limbs more clumsy. She rolled her eyes, so I must not have been doing a good job. â€Å"Jacob, I need Renesmee,† I said. Jacob frowned, unmoving. Alice shook her head. â€Å"Bella, that doesn't help me see.† â€Å"But I need her. She keeps me calm.'7The edge of panic in my voice was unmistakable. â€Å"Fine,† Alice groaned. â€Å"Hold her as still as you can and I'll try to see around her.† She sighed wearily, like she'd been asked to work overtime on a holiday. Jacob sighed, too, but brought Renesmee to me, and then retreated quickly from Alice's glare. Edward took a seat beside me and put his arms around Renesmee and me. He leaned forward and looked Renesmee very seriously in the eyes. â€Å"Renesmee, someone special is coming to see you and your mother,† he said in a solemn voice, as if he expected her to understand every word. Did she? She looked back at him with clear, grave eyes. â€Å"But he's not like us, or even like Jacob. We have to be very careful with him. You shouldn't tell him things the way you tell us.† Renesmee touched his face. â€Å"Exactly,† he said. â€Å"And he's going to make you thirsty. But you mustn't bite him. He won't heal like Jacob.† â€Å"Can she understand you?† I whispered. â€Å"She understands. You'll be careful, won't you, Renesmee? You'll help us?† Renesmee touched him again. â€Å"No, I don't care if you bite Jacob. That's fine.† Jacob chuckled. â€Å"Maybe you should leave, Jacob,† Edward said coldly, glaring in his direction. Edward hadn't forgiven Jacob, because he knew that no matter what happened now, I was going to be hurting. But I'd take the burn happily if that were the worst thing I'd face tonight. â€Å"I told Charlie I'd be here,† Jacob said. â€Å"He needs the moral support.† â€Å"Moral support,† Edward scoffed. â€Å"As far as Charlie knows, you're the most repulsive monster of us all.† â€Å"Repulsive?† Jake protested, and then he laughed quietly to himself. I heard the tires turn off the highway onto the quiet, damp earth of the Cullens' drive, and my breathing spiked again. My heart ought to have been hammering. It made me anxious that my body didn't have the right reactions. I concentrated on the steady thrumming of Renesmee's heart to calm myself. It worked pretty quickly. â€Å"Well done, Bella,† Jasper whispered in approval. Edward tightened his arm over my shoulders. â€Å"You're sure?† I asked him. â€Å"Positive. You can do anything† He smiled and kissed me. It wasn't precisely a peck on the lips, and my wild vampiric reactions took me off guard yet again. Edward's lips were like a shot of some addictive chemical straight into my nervous system. I was instantly craving more. It took all my concentration to remember the baby in my arms. Jasper felt my mood change. â€Å"Er, Edward, you might not want to distract her like that right now. She needs to be able to focus.† Edward pulled away. â€Å"Oops,† he said. I laughed. That had been my line from the very beginning, from the very first kiss. â€Å"Later,† I said, and anticipation curled my stomach into a ball. â€Å"Focus, Bella,† Jasper urged. â€Å"Right.† i pushed the trembly feelings away. Charlie, that was the main thing now. Keep Charlie safe today. We would have all night___ â€Å"Bella.† â€Å"Sorry, Jasper.† Emmett laughed. The sound of Charlie's cruiser got closer and closer. The second of levity passed, and everyone was still. I crossed my legs and practiced my blinks. The car pulled in front of the house and idled for a few seconds. I wondered if Charlie was as nervous as I was. Then the engine cut off, and a door slammed. Three steps across the grass, and then eight echoing thuds against the wooden stairs. Four more echoing footsteps across the porch. Then silence. Charlie took two deep breaths. Knock, knock, knock. I inhaled for what might be the last time. Renesmee nestled deeper into my arms, hiding her face in my hair. Carlisle answered the door. His stressed expression changed to one of welcome, like switching the channel on the TV. â€Å"Hello, Charlie,† he said, looking appropriately abashed. After all, we were supposed to be in Atlanta at the Center for Disease Control. Charlie knew he'd been lied to. â€Å"Carlisle,† Charlie greeted him stiffly. â€Å"Where's Bella?† â€Å"Right here, Dad.† Ugh! My voice was so wrong. Plus, I'd used up some of my air supply. I gulped in a quick refill, glad that Charlie's scent had not saturated the room yet. Charlie's blank expression told me how off my voice was. His eyes zeroed in on me and widened. I read the emotions as they scrolled across his face. Shock. Disbelief. Pain. Loss. Fear. Anger. Suspicion. More pain. I bit my lip. It felt funny. My new teeth were sharper against my granite skin than my human teeth had been against my soft human lips. â€Å"Is that you, Bella?† he whispered. â€Å"Yep.† I winced at my wind-chime voice. â€Å"Hi, Dad.† He took a deep breath to steady himself. â€Å"Hey, Charlie,† Jacob greeted him from the corner. â€Å"How're things?† Charlie glowered at Jacob once, shuddered at a memory, and then stared at me again. Slowly, Charlie walked across the room until he was a few feet away from me. He darted an accusing glare at Edward, and then his eyes flickered back to me. The warmth of his body heat beat against me with each pulse of his heart. â€Å"Bella?† heasked again. I spoke in a lower voice, trying to keep the ring out of it.†It's really me.† His jaw locked. â€Å"I'm sorry, Dad,† I said. â€Å"Are you okay?† he demanded. â€Å"Really and truly great,† I promised. â€Å"Healthy as a horse.† That was it for my oxygen. â€Å"Jake told me this was†¦ necessary. That you were dying.† He said the words like he didn't believe them one bit. I steeled myself, focused on Renesmee's warm weight, leaned into Edward for support, and took a deep breath. Charlie's scent was a fistful of flames, punching straight down my throat. But it was so much more than pain. It was a hot stabbing of desire, too. Charlie smelled more delicious than anything I'd ever imagined. As appealing as the anonymous hikers had been on the hunt, Charlie was doubly tempting. And he was just a few feet away, leaking mouthwatering heat and moisture into the dry air. But I wasn't hunting now. And this was my father. Edward squeezed my shoulders sympathetically, and Jacob shot an apologetic glance at me across the room. I tried to collect myself and ignore the pain and longing of the thirst. Charlie was waiting for my answer. â€Å"Jacob was telling you the truth.† â€Å"That makes one of you,† Charlie growled. I hoped Charlie could see past the changes in my new face to read the remorse there. Under my hair, Renesmee sniffed as Charlie's scent registered with her, too. I tightened my grip on her. Charlie saw my anxious glance down and followed it. â€Å"Oh,† he said, and all the anger fell off his face, leaving only shock behind. â€Å"This is her. The orphan Jacob said you're adopting.† â€Å"My niece,† Edward lied smoothly. He must have decided that the resemblance between Renesmee and him was too pronounced to be ignored. Best to claim they were related from the beginning. â€Å"I thought you'd lost your family,† Charlie said, accusation returning to his voice. â€Å"I lost my parents. My older brother was adopted, like me. I never saw him after that. But the courts located me when he and his wife died in a car accident, leaving their only child without any other family.† Edward was so good at this. His voice was even, with just the right amount of innocence. I needed practice so that I could do that. Renesmee peeked out from under my hair, sniffing again. She glanced shyly at Charlie from under her long lashes, then hid again. â€Å"She's†¦ she's,well, she's a beauty.† â€Å"Yes,† Edward agreed. â€Å"Kind of a big responsibility, though. You two are just getting started.† â€Å"What else could we do?† Edward brushed his fingers lightly over her cheek. I saw him touch her lips for just a moment – a reminder. â€Å"Would you have refused her?† â€Å"Hmph. Well.† Heshook his head absently. â€Å"Jake says you call her Nessie?† â€Å"No, we don't,† I said, my voice too sharp and piercing. â€Å"Her name is Renesmee.† Charlie refocused on me. â€Å"How do you feel about this? Maybe Carlisle and Esme could – â€Å" â€Å"She's mine,† I interrupted. â€Å"I want her.† Charlie frowned. â€Å"You gonna make me a grandpa so young?† Edward smiled. â€Å"Carlisle is a grandfather, too.† Charlie shot an incredulous glance at Carlisle, still standing by the front door; he looked like Zeus's younger, better-looking brother. Charlie snorted and then laughed. â€Å"I guess that does sort of make me feel better.†His eyes strayed back to Renesmee. â€Å"She sure is something to look at.† His warm breath blew lightly across the space between us. Renesmee leaned toward the smell, shaking off my hair and looking him full in the face for the first time. Charlie gasped. I knew what he was seeing. My eyes – his eyes – copied exactly into her perfect face. Charlie started hyperventilating. His lips trembled, and I could read the numbers he mouthed. He was counting backward, trying to fit nine months into one. Trying to put it together but not able to force the evidence right in front of him to make any sense. Jacob got up and came over to pat Charlie on the back. He leaned in to whisper something in Charlie's ear; only Charlie didn't know we could all hear. â€Å"Need to know, Charlie. It's okay. I promise.† Charlie swallowed and nodded. And then his eyes blazed as he took a step closer to Edward with his fists tightly clenched. â€Å"I don't want to know everything, but I'm done with the lies!† â€Å"I'm sorry,† Edward said calmly, â€Å"but you need to know the public story more than you need to know the truth. If you're going to be part of this secret, the public story is the one that counts. It's to protect Bella and Renesmee as well as the rest of us. Can you go along with the lies for them?† The room wasfull of statues. I crossed my ankles. Charlie huffed once and then turned his glare on me. â€Å"You might've given me some warning, kid.† â€Å"Would it really have made this any easier?† He frowned, and then he knelt on the floor in front of me. I could see the movement of the blood in his neck under his skin. I could feel the warm vibration of it. So could Renesmee. She smiled and reached one pink palm out to him. I held her back. She pushed her other hand against my neck, thirst, curiosity, and Charlie's face in her thoughts. There was a subtle edge to the message that made me think that she'd understood Edward's words perfectly; she acknowledged thirst, but overrode it in the same thought. â€Å"Whoa,† Charlie gasped, his eyes on her perfect teeth. â€Å"How old is she?† â€Å"Urn†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Three months,† Edward said, and then added slowly, â€Å"rather, she's the size of a three-month-old, more or less. She's younger in some ways, more mature in others.† Very deliberately, Renesmee waved at him. Charlie blinked spastically. Jacob elbowed him. â€Å"Told you she was special, didn't I?† Charlie cringed away from the contact. â€Å"Oh, c'mon, Charlie,† Jacob groaned. â€Å"I'm the same person I've always been. Just pretend this afternoon didn't happen.† The reminder made Charlie's lips go white, but he nodded once. â€Å"Just what is your part in all this, Jake?† he asked. â€Å"How much does Billy know? Why are you here?† He looked at Jacob's face, which was glowing as he stared at Renesmee. â€Å"Well, I could tell you all about it – Billy knows absolutely everything – but it involves a lot of stuff about werewo – â€Å" â€Å"Ungh!† Charlie protested, covering his ears. â€Å"Never mind.† Jacob grinned. â€Å"Everything's going to be great, Charlie. Just try to not believe anything you see.† My dad mumbled something unintelligible. â€Å"Woo!† Emmett suddenly boomed in his deep bass. â€Å"Go Gators!† Jacob and Charlie jumped. The rest of us froze. Charlie recovered, then looked at Emmett over his shoulder. â€Å"Florida winning?† â€Å"Just scored the first touchdown,† Emmett confirmed. He shot a look in my direction, wagging his eyebrows like a villain in vaudeville. â€Å"‘Bout time somebody scored around here.† I fought back a hiss. In front of Charlie? That was over the line. But Charlie was beyond noticing innuendos. He took yet another deep breath, sucking the air in like he was trying to pull it down to his toes. I envied him. He lurched to his feet, stepped around Jacob, and half-fell into an open chair. â€Å"Well,† he sighed, â€Å"I guess we should see if they can hold on to the lead.†